[No. 34] Kazuaki Yazawa

After passing through the familiar ticket gates of Hiyoshi Station and walking a few minutes to a corner of the quiet residential area of Hiyoura, on the opposite side of the university campus, you'll find Keio Futsubu School (Boys Junior High School), where I work. This spring, I graduated from the Department of Biosciences and Informatics in the Faculty of Science and Technology, and since April, I have been teaching as a science teacher at my alma mater. Looking back on my university life, which ended just recently, I can say that I had a very fulfilling four years, which included not only my studies and graduation research in the Department of Biosciences and Informatics but also coaching the Keio Futsubu School Badminton Team and completing my teaching practicum.

The Department of Biosciences and Informatics, from which I graduated, was newly established in fiscal year 2002 and offered a curriculum where we could learn the extensive knowledge and experimental techniques necessary to become successful life scientists in the 21st century. With an enrollment of only about 40 students, there were few one-way lectures in large classrooms; instead, many classes were conducted in an atmosphere similar to a high school class, with a close relationship between faculty and students. Particularly memorable were the third-year experiments, which took up the entire afternoons on Thursdays and Fridays. Over periods of two to three weeks, we conducted experiments that highlighted the unique characteristics of the department's various laboratories. I would return home late at night in stormy weather, divide the work with my partner to prepare presentation materials for the next day, and desperately write programs in front of the ITC computers. In the end, finishing the reports was always a race against the dawn.

Just before the winter break of my third year, I was assigned to the Oka-Hotta Laboratory, which I had hoped to join from the beginning. The theme of my graduation research was to label proteins involved in intracellular signal transduction with fluorescent molecules, measure the changes upon stimulation using a special microscope, and create a program to analyze the data. It was difficult to create homogeneous samples, and I also struggled to extract meaningful data from the vast amount of information. In particular, I was never quite able to master the process of moving forward with experiments and analysis by thinking, "Even if the results are negative, I should at least be able to say this," rather than simply dismissing them as failures. Through my graduation research, I believe I learned firsthand the importance of the attitude that no experiment is a waste, as it is necessary to accumulate small experimental results to prove a single major hypothesis.

Meanwhile, outside of my studies, I served as a coach for the Badminton Team at Keio Futsubu School, where I now work, for five years starting in high school, and as a ski school coach four times. Keio Futsubu School has a long-standing tradition of senior students teaching junior students, and many club activities and school events are supported by alumni. When I was a student at Keio Futsubu School, the alumni coaches, who were a little further along in life, taught me not only badminton and skiing techniques but also various "ways of life." As I served as a coach, sympathizing with this tradition, I learned the importance of reflecting on what I thought and where I stumbled when I was learning the same things, and of giving advice from the other person's perspective. This experience was also what prompted me to seriously consider becoming a teacher. Currently, younger alumni are serving as coaches, mainly during the summer training camp, and I feel I have been able to make a small contribution to my alma mater, which cherishes its traditions.

By the way, the common language in the world of science is undoubtedly English. The latest research findings are reported in English papers, and I hear that all presentations at international conferences are in English. I wanted to acquire not only knowledge in my specialized subjects but also advanced academic English proficiency within the limited four years. Therefore, during the summer vacation of my first year, I participated in the Downing College, Cambridge University summer program organized by the International Center. This program focused on using English to attend lectures, participate in discussions, and write reports, allowing me to develop academic English skills that cannot be learned through cultural exchange. In my fourth year, to test the academic English skills I had developed, I entered the Academic Writing Contest 2005, hosted by the Research Center for Foreign Language Education, and received an Award for Excellence in the university student division. I believe this award gave me confidence and led me to write my graduation thesis in English.

I have also participated in international exchange events organized by the Japan Friendship Association since my high school days. At the exchange and farewell parties with high school students visiting from the UK and Pacific island nations, I was given the opportunity to serve as the English-speaking master of ceremonies for the Japanese culture introduction and exchange program. When you think of cultural exchange, you might imagine that you can understand each other through gestures, but it's not that simple. I found it surprisingly difficult to concisely introduce the cultures of both countries, and I strongly felt the desire to acquire the English skills to convey nuances accurately.

This March, upon graduating from Keio, I was awarded the Fujiwara Award by the Faculty of Science and Technology for my two-pronged efforts in my studies, centered on the Department of Biosciences and Informatics, and my extracurricular volunteer activities. From the time I entered the university, I have been involved in many activities, not just to complete the given curriculum and graduate, but with the desire to grow as much as possible during my limited four years of university life. I believe this was made possible by the Faculty of Science and Technology's unique and flexible course registration system, such as the fact that departmental specialization begins in the second year and the availability of elective courses.

Now that I have had the good fortune to become a teacher at Keio Futsubu School, I structure my science classes around weekly experiments. It is a continuous process of trial and error and reflection, hoping that as many children as possible will have their eyes light up with understanding, not just during experiments but also in class. I am also the assistant advisor for the swimming club, something I had no prior involvement with, and I participate in practices when I have time. While I feel a sense of sadness that I can no longer interact with the children as a coach myself, I want to support the current dedicated coaches and watch over the growth of the team members.