Dormitory Life | Fumitoshi Kato, Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Governance
2022.04.26
Three weeks have passed in the blink of an eye since the new semester began. With many classes now being held in person, the campus suddenly seems to have brightened up. It's the season of beautiful fresh greenery, which puts me in a good mood. Although it's a familiar campus, it has actually been changing little by little over the past two years. While we were staying away due to COVID-19, for example, all the buildings of the Miraisozojuku (Institute for Designing the Future)'s β Village (a residential facility for education and research) were completed (now we just have to wait for the day when overnight stays are permitted). Last April, the Shonan Fujisawa International Dormitory (SID) also opened. Furthermore, the construction of another student dormitory (the Miraisozojuku (Institute for Designing the Future)'s Η Village) is also underway.
What is life like right next to campus (where you can get to a classroom in just a few minutes)? My colleague, Yo Nonaka , introduced me to Haruki Yamashita, a second-year student in the Faculty of Policy Management who lives in SID.
Yamashita moved from Kagawa Prefecture to Kanagawa Prefecture to attend university. He began living on his own for the first time in Endo, Fujisawa City. Starting life in an unfamiliar place far from his hometown, it's reassuring to have not only convenient transportation but also friends and live-in dorm managers. Of course, his parents must also feel at ease. In addition, Yamashita said that moving into a brand-new dormitory was also appealing to him. It sounds like a story from the early days of SFC's founding. If you start dorm life as a first-year student in its brand-new inaugural year, there are no "senpai" (upperclassmen). Everyone can freely and openly create the residents' "culture" together. The timing was just right.
The SID guide states, "1-minute walk to campus." For example, even for a first-period class, living so close means you can make it even if you oversleep a little. He says there are days when he heads to campus about 30 minutes before class starts to gaze at Gulliver Pond (Kamoike). He composes himself on the empty campus before heading to the classroom. It's different from being jostled on a crowded bus and then having to run across campus on the verge of being late. There's no doubt that it's convenient when life and learning are this close.
On the other hand, the area around our campus is not what you would call a "college town." It's a difficult place to get used to, as if it's protected by abundant nature yet cut off from various conveniences. The "food environment," in particular, is important. On weekdays, meals are provided at the dorm. You can cook for yourself, but shopping is a bit of a hassle at the moment. When I asked what he does on weekends, Yamashita told me about food trucks.
He said that every Saturday, food trucks set up in the parking lot of a store in front of the campus. It seems Yamashita felt a connection to the local community through this encounter with the food trucks. When I looked it up later, I found an article (Yamashita also appears in it). It originally started with a call from a local resident, Mr. Kurioka, to help food truck owners affected by COVID-19. The reason it has become an "oasis" for the dorm residents is not just because it satisfies their hunger. Exchanging words with the owners of these small businesses is a precious time when they can feel that they are "residents" of Endo, Fujisawa City. It's an experience you can't get at a franchise store. Apparently, they are also very grateful to Mr. Kurioka, the organizer.
Needless to say, smartphones and social media are an integral part of our daily lives. Various daily communications are exchanged in a LINE group that most of the dorm residents are part of. A photo is uploaded with a message like, "I went back to my hometown and brought back some souvenirs, so I'm leaving them out." If there's an earthquake, they check on each other, asking, "Are you okay?" They offer advice based on their own knowledge and experience regarding complicated procedures like timetables, classrooms, and course registration lotteries. These interactions also deepen their relationships with international students.
There are also many things they want to communicate to the dorm managers. Looking at his smartphone screen, Yamashita began to talk about various things. He shared things he's noticed while living in the dorm, such as the communal vacuum cleaner needing more power (it doesn't clean well unless it's fully charged), the laundry being a hassle if you don't have change (sometimes they have to go to a convenience store to get change), and the website for pre-ordering meals being difficult to use (since it's a daily task, they want it to be stress-free). Someone might see it and get a hint. Of course, you can't ask for the impossible, and not everything will be dealt with immediately. Still, it's important to collect the residents' "voices" like this. It will eventually become an asset for the student dormitory, and for SFC as a whole.
Apparently, Yamashita spends a lot of time in the dining hall and common areas. Even when studying alone, he feels more motivated when he can sense the presence of others nearby, rather than sitting at a desk in his own room. If anything comes up, they call out to each other. Waking up in the same building and living while breathing the same air is bound to naturally foster a sense of solidarity. Our chat only lasted about an hour, but Yamashita repeatedly used the word "fun." Right in front of me, Yamashita was truly vibrant and full of life. When he goes home, friends from all over Japan, and indeed the world, are waiting for him. These are friends he met in the dorm before starting university and attended the entrance ceremony with.
Not just in dorm life, but daily life in general is a series of happenings. It's full of ups and downs. But even when faced with problems, you might be able to overcome them if you have trustworthy friends right beside you. Yamashita initially started his dorm life on a one-year contract, but he said he has already switched to a four-year contract. It's "fun." Right next to campus, there was a resilient "dormitory life." Seeing him enjoy his life in the dorm so much cheered me up.
Note: On April 19, 2022, I had the opportunity to speak with Yamashita along with Ms. Nonaka. I am grateful for their cooperation. Although our chat was only about an hour long, I was able to learn a lot about life in the dorm. Next time, I hope to have Yamashita introduce me to someone else so I can continue to get a glimpse into "dormitory life."