GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University has adopted a Japanese vibe recently with the on-campus presence of nine students and one of their teachers from a high school in Tokyo for three weeks.
Kanto students and one of their teachers take a photo with their teachers at Tusculum and university administrators after dinner at the President’s House.
Kanto students participate in a version of “Shark Tank” during one of their classes on campus.
This group from Kanto International Senior High School is the first in a new partnership between the school and the university. More groups are expected to participate in this immersion program on a regular basis, and the Japanese school is looking into the potential of building a residence hall adjacent to campus to serve the students while they are at Tusculum.
“We are thrilled to connect with Kanto and develop this relationship to provide the school’s students with an opportunity to further develop their skills in English and learn more about the American culture and the way of life in East Tennessee,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “We are proud to have 155 international students at Tusculum from 39 countries, including Japan, and the arrival of these high school students is further enriching the lives of everyone at our university.”
The Kanto students arrived Monday, Sept. 7, and will return home Friday, Sept. 25. During their stay, they have spent considerable time in the classroom and visited places in the region, such as Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium in Kingsport and the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina.
They have also been able to go to football and women’s volleyball games on campus, visit the Doak House Museum and mingle with Tusculum students. One of the Kanto students is a major basketball fan and has developed a strong bond with the Tusculum men’s basketball team. The students participated in the symposium and luncheon held on Constitution Day Thursday, Sept. 17, that featured Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States. They are living in Tusculum residence halls.
Additionally, the students have also had an opportunity to visit other school settings in the region and spend time in local families’ homes. That included going to the science class at South Greene Middle School taught by Starr Hummel, Tusculum’s first lady, and a homeschool co-op class.
A teacher’s viewpoint
Nicole Cook, a teacher by training with a master’s degree that emphasized English as a second language, has coordinated with the university’s administration to ensure the Kanto students have a successful experience at Tusculum. She and Janet Kotynski are the two teachers, but they have also received support from others at Tusculum with the students’ education.
Janet Kotynski teaches the students.
Nicole Cook watches one of the student presentations.
For example, Dr. Peter Noll, professor of public history and museum studies, told them about the Doak House and the original family that lived there. Dom Donnelly, associate athletic director for communications, will talk to the students about Eastman Credit Union Field at Pioneer Park, where Tusculum and the Greeneville Flyboys play baseball. Benjamin Conley, assistant professor of art and design, taught them about art.
Cook’s interest in assisting with this program stems from more than being an educator. For one thing, her husband, Dr. David Cook, is the provost and vice president of academic affairs at Tusculum. But she also has an affinity for the Japanese.
“Some of my best friends in college were from Japan, and our college ministry would have Japanese students come for one semester at a time,” she said. “One of our closest family friends from Japan has come back to visit us twice since she went back to Japan. I have a lot of connections with Japanese culture and the people, so when I learned about the Kanto students coming to Tusculum, my reaction was: ‘I’ll help.’”
She is not alone with the connections to other countries. Kotynski, whose granddaughter is a Tusculum student, taught English in Indonesia for much of her life. Kotynski came out of retirement to assist with the Kanto students.
Nicole Cook said the mornings have been focused on helping the Kanto students build their skills with speaking English.
“We really wanted them to speak with native English speakers as much as possible to develop their ear to hearing all of the different slang and idioms,” she said. “It is important for them to hear the natural finesse of a native speakers instead of just relying on what is contained in a textbook. where the English is much more polished.”
The teachers have had students participate in a number of games and other activities to help them connect movement with language. Cooking has also been incorporated in the curriculum to improve the students’ culinary vocabulary. Further social opportunities designed to enhance their English have come from playing games with Tusculum students residing in the Discipleship Living-Learning Center, watching the Pioneers’ volleyball and football teams and attending a social dinner organized by Tusculum’s campus ministries program.
All of these opportunities have given the Kanto students a chance to develop more courage and speak English with others.
One of the classroom-related activities that was a lot of fun for the students was to showcase their entrepreneurial skills. Cook held a version of the “Shark Tank” television series in which the students developed a product and then explained their idea to the class. She served as the judge and asked the students several questions about their projects. The entire exercise was conducted in English.
Thoughts from students
Jin Tamba, a Kanto sophomore, said he had never lived on a college campus, so having that chance at Tusculum was intriguing to him. He also likes the United States, having previously traveled to Massachusetts. Many things have appealed to him since he has been at Tusculum.
Kanto students take a selfie with Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president.
One of the students attended practices of the Tusculum men’s basketball team and posed with the players and coaches afterward on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
“I enjoyed going to Gatlinburg and Anakeesta and going to the mall,” Tamba said. “Yesterday, I went to a homeschooling community and attended a class there. The reason why that was interesting is that homeschooling is not a major thing in Japan. Everyone goes to a public school or a private school. I didn’t know what homeschooling would be like. It was very interesting.”
He also had a good time going to the football and volleyball games and participating in the game night with the Tusculum students.
Asha Ogawa, another sophomore, said she has been impressed with the view she sees when she looks out the windows in the vehicle when she travels in this region. She said the scenery with the mountains is much different than the view she experiences in Japan. She also enjoyed the home parties she attended because she was able to talk to a lot of people and make friends. Like Tamba, she had a good time at the volleyball games and likes participating in the classroom discussions.
Dr. Hummel is hopeful the three weeks at Tusculum will not be the last time the Kanto students will be seen on campus. He would relish having them become Tusculum students when they complete their studies at Kanto.
“We are grateful to the Kanto leadership for entrusting their students to us for an outstanding experience on a college campus,” Dr. Hummel said. “The Kanto students have been excellent guests and have contributed to the cultural awareness and growth for all of us at Tusculum. We would welcome them to become Pioneers and further build on the impressive international population we are fortunate to have at Tusculum.”
Additional information about Kanto is available at https://www.kantokokusai.ac.jp/english/. To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.