To New York | Motohiro Tsuchiya, Vice-President and Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance
2021.09.14
I boarded a plane for the first time in a year and a half. Given the times, I was on guard, but there wasn't much tension at the airport or on the plane. However, many of the duty-free shops in the concourse were closed, and there were few passengers. Upon arriving at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, I passed through immigration and customs with surprising ease.
The car headed north, not toward Manhattan. After about an hour's drive, we entered a verdant area. When Manhattanville College, the alma mater of President John F. Kennedy's mother, came into view, I knew our destination was close.
I arrived at Keio Academy of New York, probably for the first time in 15 years. I couldn't recall it at all. The last time I came, it was for an information session held by various faculties, and I was in charge of the presentation for the Faculty of Policy Management. I remember explaining things to the students and attending a reception with the head of school and faculty members, but I have no memory of seeing the school buildings or dormitories. This time, I was given a leisurely tour and was impressed to see what it was like.
Keio Academy of New York was established in 1990, the same year as the Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC). It was conceived by Tadao Ishikawa, the President at the time. A photograph of President Ishikawa is displayed in the hall.
Like SFC, the New York Academy celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2020 but was unable to hold a grand celebration due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. Looking at the booklet created for the 25th anniversary, it is filled with photos of high school students learning with great enthusiasm.
In preparation for the start of the new school year, I spoke with many faculty and staff members. Each of them shared their passionate thoughts. One teacher who had decided to leave the academy told me they wanted to come back. A veteran teacher who had moved from a full-time to a part-time position suddenly burst in and spoke passionately for 30 minutes about his 30 years of memories. Even a teacher who initially spoke with a grim expression was talking with a slight smile a few days later.
I also spoke with the members of the academy's board of trustees. In particular, two of them, who are alumni serving as trustees, eagerly gave advice on future policies. And one parent also came to visit. I learned that we were in the same graduating class in the same faculty. We have mutual friends.
Then, the main stars—the new and current students—began arriving on campus one after another from Japan and elsewhere. The new students are probably feeling a little anxious about dormitory life away from home. The current students look happy to be reunited with their friends after a long time.
On September 7, we held the entrance ceremony in the Speakers' Hall. I went up on stage with the senior faculty members known as Deans. We were all wearing matching custom-made Keio Academy of New York masks. Unfortunately, the students were not in the hall. They were supposed to be watching the live stream from their respective dormitory rooms. President Kohei Itoh also sent a powerful video message.
They say young students are always hungry, no matter how much they eat. At the suggestion of Ivy-san, who supports the head of school, we provided pizza for the dormitory students. Then, at 8:00 p.m., we had all the new and current students gather online. Many faces lined the screen. After introducing each of the Deans, the dialogue began.
Many of the students had nervous expressions. "I don't know the classroom for the first class." "What should I bring to class?" "Is it okay to exercise on the grounds?" The Deans answered the rapid-fire questions with smiles. Mr. Yamamoto, who was assigned from Keio Senior High School, was also full of enthusiasm.
After a full hour of dialogue, I let out a sigh of relief. The classes from the next day should be fine. The New York Academy and SFC are like twin campuses, established around the same time. Both are verdant campuses brimming with a spirit of challenge. For the time being, it is my job to watch over both. I will try to come back to the New York Academy as soon as possible (if the pandemic subsides and the two-week quarantine after returning to Japan ends soon, I could visit more often).