Namie Kawabata Wilson
President
1. 仕事内容はどのようなものでしたか。What was your role in ISC66?
As the president, my job began in September with forming the committee. Together, we then agreed upon the general theme for the year: “Global Citizens: Our Action, Our Future.” Throughout the year, I oversaw the direction of the committee by following this theme. Personally, I believed that it was important for the International Student Conference to be a representative for the global community. The word “international” seems to have an emphasis on “nations” and “nationality.” But throughout my experiences with meeting people from around the world in ISC, I have learned that our nationalities do not matter-- what matters is our interests, our passions, and our open-mindedness. All of us students are global citizens who are compassionate towards others and our global community. I wanted to carry this forward throughout the year in ISC66.
2. この仕事のやりがいは何だと思いますか。What are the perks of being in your role?
Because I oversaw the entirety of ISC, I loved being able to help with all parts of ISC and see how they come together. For example, I got to help Academics and Table Chiefs with their discussion ideas, and also talked with Planning about their cultural exchange games and activities. But it wasn’t always me that was helping; more often than not, it was the committee that helped and encouraged me. I was continuously impressed by the Public Relations and the Photography team for their hard work in managing our social media accounts, maintaining our websites, and the beautiful content they created for our posts and videos. I was so grateful towards our External Affairs team and Finance team for their company visits, crowdfunding, and countless paperwork for fundraising. General Affairs did a wonderful job to communicate with participants through email and Facebook. I don’t know what I would have done with Hikari, our vice president, who kept the committee and myself in line with our tasks yet also helped keep a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. I couldn’t have done anything by myself. Even though the work could be overwhelming, I was encouraged by the reminder that there was a great team that had my back.
3. 1年間振り返って、一番思い出に残ったこと、楽しかったことについて教えてください。What was your most memorable / happiest experience of the last year?
I have to say that the most memorable experience of ISC66 was the cultural exchange activity of ISC Online Event Vol. 2. That day, the cultural exchange activity was “Special Talents Playground,” during which we asked participants to share videos of a special skill of a hobby. One participant showed us a collection of photos from the many ramen shops she visited. Others shared with us their singing songs in different languages or Bollywood dancing. I was skeptical about this activity in the beginning, but it turned out to be a great way to bond with participants, even if we could not meet in person. After ending the Zoom call for the event, I distinctly remember thinking “Wow! I;m glad there is still a way to meet people like we did in the Main Conference of ISC65!”
4. 逆に一番辛いと感じたことはなんですか。On the other hand, what was the most challenging part?
The most challenging part of the year was when we had to cancel the Main Conference and Advanced Conference. Due to the spread of the coronavirus, we realized that we would not be able to invite international resident participants to Japan this year. With heavy hearts, the committee agreed to cancel the Main Conference, but we were able to turn this challenge into an opportunity by creating online events. This unique situation tested our creativity and our flexibility, but I believe that we were able to deliver the best ISC66 that we could have created.
5. ISC67実行員会へのメッセージをお願いします。Please leave a message for the committee members of ISC67.
ISC67 will likely be another year of uncertainty, but I think this is a great opportunity for innovation. We may have more diverse committee members with new ideas to make ISC even better than years past. Even when times get tough and when the pressure starts to build, don’t give up! I know that with your creativity, your teamwork, and your compassion, you will create an ISC experience that is unique and meaningful.
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