Apollon Meeting➉

Topic: We should prohibit students from working part-time jobs.


moderator: Carol


Agree-side: Finnian, Hanna, Kofy

Finnian: She thinks we should prohibit students from working part-time jobs. She thinks students should study and do club activity. And if you don't prohibit students from working part-time jobs, they will hang out with their friends. She worries about it.

Hanna: She also agrees to the topic. Junior high school and high school students have to study. If students do part-time jobs, students will not go to school and study, she thinks.

Kofy: She agrees to it, too.  She thinks reading books is so important for students. And it makes student's sensitivity up.


Disagree-side: Lucus(I), Allie

Lucus(I): He doesn't agree to the topic. He is 16 years old, but he doesn'tgo to school because he doesn't have enough money to go school. So, he thinks if we prohibit students from working part-time jobs, some people will not be able to get enough money to goto school and the number of students will decrease. He thinks it's not good for Apollon.

Allie: She also thinks we shouldn't prohibit students from working part-time jobs. She is actress. So, she knows working give them good experience.


Questions and Opinions
Carol: What do you think about Lucus's opinion?
Finnian: Like Locus, few people can't go school. She worries that students begin to hang out with their friends.
Lucus: Parents can manage the money. So, it's not problem.

Mac: Now do government support people who don't have enough money to go school?
Carol: No, there is not any support now.

Robbert: We can choose whether go to high school or not. So, why we can't whether choose to work part-time job or not?
Kofy: We should focus on junior high school students.

Carol: We should make regulations. At first, let's decide about time.
Finnian: She thinks By 10 p.m is good because she thinks students should study. And like Robert, morning work is good.

Carol: Next, let's decide about the type of jobs.
Hanna: Delivering newspaper is good, but restaurant is not good because in restaurant they should offer alchol or cigarette.
Sophie: How about part-time job club? School can control and protect students.
Lucus: It's good idea. So, I think we should make a rule which students can't work without parents and school permission.


Consensus
All junior high school can work if school and parents permit. School can make part-time job club and provide part-time jobs. And, students can work in the morning and by 10 p.m.


Final comment
It's good point we can reach consensus. It's was better if we speak more loudly over the discussion.

Apollon Meeting⑨

Topic: Can we submit a bid to host the Olympics?


Moderator: Sara


Agree-side: Emily, Isabela, Lucy
Emily: She thinks we should hold the Olympic because she thinks if we hold the Olympic, many people come here and we can get a chance to advertise Apollon.

Isabera: She also thinks we should hold it. She is a cheerleader. So, she would like to participate in the Olympic. And she thinks holding the Olympic make student's motivation up.

Lucy: She also agrees with it. She thinks to hold the Olympic is a good way of increasing the number of tourism. Now Apollon is unfamiliar with other country, so we should hold it to make Apollon's image up.


Disagree-side: Sophie, Ashly
Sophie: She doesn't think we should hold the Olympic because we don't have enough space and money to hold it. Actually, she thinks if we can hold the Olympic, it's so good for our country. But, she worries about place and cost anyway.

Ashly: She also thinks we shouldn't hold the Olympic because to hold it needs huge money and place. So, we have to build stadium or so on.


Question and Opinion

Apollon Meeting⑧

Topic: Should we introduce sales tax system?


Moderator:Kate


Agree-side: Alex, Anna
Alex: He thinks that we should introduce sales tax system. His child will be a elementary student. So, he needs much money for education.

Anna: She also think we should introduce the system. We decided we hold sunflower festival on sunflower day. So, the government needs much money for it. And she thinks introducing the sales tax system, government can earn money easily. So, she agrees with it.


Disagree-side: Rie, Rachel, Amy
Rie: He thinks that we shouldn't introduce sales tax systems. He have three reasons. First, he worries about the gap between low-income people and high-income people. Second, he thinks there are various ways of getting money except for sales tax. He thinks corporation tax is better than sales tax. Last, he also thinks income tax is better than sales tax.

Rachel: She also thinks we shouldn't do that because it is difficult to live people having not enough money.

Amy: She disagrees with it, too. From a view of her occupation, a doctor, big medical instrument costs very high, so she can't bear using more money for the instrument.


Question and Opinion
Rie(to Alex): There are some ways of gathering money for children. How do you think?
Alex: Yes, but what will we do when accidents happen? We need much money preparing for inexpectable happening.
Rie: We don't have to introducesales tax. We can save money.

Kate(to Anna): Rie said low-income people are difficult to pay sales tax. How do you think?
Anna: The government can reduce the rate of sales tax.
Rachel: It's difficult to judge who is low-income people.
Anna: We can research the income, so it's no problem.

Rie: I think consumption tax is not fear because of difference of income.
Anna: Do you think income tax is fear?
Rie: Almost fear.
Anna: I think sales tax is good because the government can gather much money easily.

Amy: Though our income will not increase. We have to pay money if we introduce the system.
Kate: Why do you think our income will increase?
Amy: Not increase, our income don't change.

Anna: We have many plans to make Apollon  famous?
Rachel: If we introduce sales tax, The number of tourist may be decreasing.

Lucus(I): You should decide what percentage of tax we will start with concreatly?
Alex: 3%


Kate: Now we have two types of tax; income tax and sales tax, but we couldn't decide which is better.


Final comment
The panelist couldn't have a consensus. I think it is not good that agree-side members and disagree-members just insist thier opinions. So, I think they should have been trying to find a compromise, for example, disagree-side members may accept it if the tax-rate is only 1 or 2 percent. 

Apollon meeting ⑥

Topic: We should make a national holiday, Sunflower Day.

Moderator: Lucus(I)

Agreeside: Finnian, Kofy, Allie

Finnian: She thinks we should make Sunflower Day because making the day can make Apollon more famous and develop Apollon. And, she wants to hold sunflower festival on the day.

Kofy: She also agree to make Sunflower day because she thinks people in Apollon should recognize the symbol of Apollon. If we make the day, we can make them know it.

Allie: She think we should make the day, too. She believes that Sunflower Day make Apollon famous and the number of tourist increase. Moreover, she thinks making national holidays can make Apollon people's bonds closer.

Disagreeside: Carol, Hanna

Carol: She doesn't think we should make the day. She worries about money and school. If we hold some events on the day, we need enough money and place for it. Moreover, students can't go school and study. It's not good for them.

Hanna: She also disagrees to make the day. She thinks young people in Apollon don't recognize sunflower as the national flower. So, even if we hold some events, few people will come. Moreover, she thinks it's better to make another plant like vegetable.

Questions and Opinions

Lucus(to agree side members): Carol worries about money. What do you think about it?

Fennian: In the festival, we can sell kind of sunflower products or hold sunflower photo contest. If so, we can earn much money.

Carol: we can put the day on Suturday or Sunday. If so, students don't need to miss classes.

Kofy: it's good idea.

Consensus: We make Sunflower Day on last Saturday in July and hold Sunflower festival on the day.

Final comment 

I couldn't do good job as a moderator. I should have arranged other member's opinions.

Apollon Meeting➄

Topic:　Do we associate with other country?


Moderator: Emily


Agreeside: Lucy, Ashley, Sara
Lucy: She think we should associate with other country because it's good for apollon's developement. And, we can have oppotunities that we know other culture.
Ashley: She also think we should do that because we can give the Apollon's technology and help each other.
Sara: She is a photographer, so if we associate with other country, she can sell her photoes other country and get other country's photoes. So, she agree this topic.


Disagreeside:Sophie, Isabera
Sophie: She don't think we should associate with other country because we can live without association with other country now. And, if we try to associate with other country, the objector may riot.
Isabera: She also think we shouln't associate with other country because she worries about war. If we associate with other country, we have to help each other. Moreover, she worries about disapearing our own culture.


Question and opinion
Emily: "Do you think about dangerous of disapearing our culture?"
Lucy: "I don't think Apollon's culture disappear completely."

Sophie: (to Sara) "Now, we have Internet, so we can search and see your photoes."
Sara:"You're right, but some people don't search it."
Sophie: "If you associate with publish company, we can sell your photoes to other country. I think we don't have to associate with countries.

Lucus: "What do you think the merit for other country to associate with Apollaon?"
Sara: "We can teach them our technology, as a example, clone technology."
Lucus: "You mean we teach other country the technology of making clone?
Ashley: "No, teaching the technology is so bad, so we can teach another technology."

George: "Why do you think tourism is unstable?"
Emily: "We don't have way to advertise tourism."

Emily: "How do we develope without other country's help?"
Isabera: "We can built fond to visitor."
Sophie: "We can make Apollon's day."


Consensus
We should try to have the association with other country for tourism and

economic. we can advertise Apollon.

 

 

Final Comment

I think the topic is not bad, but the panelists try to associate with other country for only Apollon's developement. So, the discussion became another question, "How should we develope our country?". If they wanna talk about the way to develpe their country, they should have explained why they wanna develope Apollon. I think we don't need to develope this country because it is peaceful naw and serious problems may happen like riot.

Apollon Meeting④

Topic: Should the elementary school students have thier own cellphone?


Moderator: Anna

Now, the half of elementary school students have cellphone.

Agreeside: Amy, Alex
Amy: She think the elementary students should have thier own cellphone. Now, the number of crime is increasing. And, It is useful because we can use cellphone as a crime prevention buzzer. It is the correct way, she think.

Alex: She also think they should have their owm cellphone. Both she and her husband work. So, if the son have cellphone, she can contact with him. Moreover, cellphone has GPS, so it is useful in an emergency.


Disagreeside: Rie, Kate, Rachel
Rie: He think they shouldn't have their own cellphone, because it is not good for thier eyes. And they may become not to play outside. It is not good for health.

Kate: She also disagree to the topic. She think children have a lot of things to learn, but if they have cellphone and use the time for cellphone, it must be waste.

Rachel: She also think they shouldn't. Children may use not only mail, but also Internet. And, there are dangerous web sites on the Internet. So it is not safe for children.


Question and Opinion
Alex to Rachel: "My child's cellphone block the dangerous web sites."
Rachel: "There are other dangerous sites. As a example, net shopping.

Alex to Disagreeside members: "If parents teach their children correct way to use cellphone. More over, when they are kidnapped by someone, or nature dissaster happens, cellphone is needed. If children don't have it, what should children do at the time?"
Kate: In order to prevent the situation, we can ask our relatives or grandmother for help.

Robert: "Disagreeside members mean all students including people who have cellphone now must give up using cellphone? In opposit side, agreeside members mean all students must have cellphone though parents choose it now?"
Alex: "Not all. I think two-income families must have cellphone."
Robert: "What is the role?"
Alex: "We should make a rule during going to school or studying."


Consensus
We should make a family rule depends on thier children.


My opinion and Final comment
  I think they shouldn't have thier own cellphone because of money, contact with other family member or so on. Alex worry about children's safety, but I don't think having cellphone is safe. For example, when a child is kidnapped by someone, if the kidnapper take and throw away the cellphone, GPS is no use. And when nature disaster happens, I don't think children can cope with the situation alone. So, I think not letting children alone is most important for their children. So, as Kate said, we can ask our relatives or teachers for help.
  The discussion was not bad. I think Anna, the moderator, did great job, and Alex was also did greate job. So, it was better if the other member said their opinion more.

Apollon Meeting➂

Topic: We need an immigration  law in Apollon.


Moderator:Tama


Agreeside: Angelina, Mac
Angelina: She thinks we need the law because working place will be small in the future. And, it is good to improve hospitality.
Mac: He agrees to it because we don't have enough young people to work in the future. Moreover, communicating with people who have other culture makes us positive.

Disagreeside: Laura, Belle, Jack

Laura: She doesn't think we need the law because if we make the immigration law, the number of crime will increase, and the number of unemployed people will increase.

Belle: She think we have to decide immigraters' political rights and think about their workplace if we make the law. And she worries about race, religion and the number of crime.

Jack: He thinks accepting immigrants have bad influence for tourist industry. For example, the number of homeless can increase, or high buildings can block the beautiful scenery. And she thinks improving the education system cause increasing the number of children.

 

 

 Questuion and opinion

George: "Who permits the working visa?"
Jack: "It is the government."
George: "Are the workers immigraters?"
Jack: "No, working visa have the period, so they should update visa."
George: "Don' t you think that accepting immigraters is risky?"
Mac: "We will check strictly."


First of all, Apollon was an island of immigrants.


Final comment
This discussion was good because the panelists have various opinion to persuade the other side. However, the audiences were confused with the discussion because they didn't know the meanings of the word, "immigration".

Apollon Meeting ②

Topic: Shoud we develope the countryside?

Moderator:Hanna

Agreeside: Alice, Lucus(I), Finnian
Alice: She think we should develope the countryside because if we make a botanical garden, more tourist become to come Apollon.
Lucus: I think we should develope the countryside, too. Now, most people in Apollon live in the main city. So, this overpopulation in the city cause many problems. For example, airpollution, water pollution or so on. On the other hand, depopulation is progressing in the countryside. So, I think we should try to disperse population in the city. As a concrete example, we can invite companies at cheap prices and make more work place. If so, more people live in the countryside and solve the problem.
Finnian: . When she was a child, she lived in the countryside, and transportation doesn't work well . So she think we need develop the countryside includes implovements in transport. And she think develpeing the countryside, more people will come here.

Disagreeside: Carol, Kofy
Carol:She disagrees to developing the countryside. When she was a child, there were more nature and the town was clear. So, she worry about the nature and the environment.
Koffy: She disagrees to developing the countryside, too. She want to have quiet places because she is a writer. Moreover, when she was a child, she often played outside. But, developing the countryside, the environment will be worse and children's chances of playing outside may decrese. So, she think we shouldn't develope the countryside.

Question and opinion
Carol: " I think when we constract buildings to develope the countryside, we have to destroy the nature. How do you think about it?"
Finnian: Now, we have a lot of vacant places, so we don't have to break many trees.

Hanna: "Disagree members worry about the environment. How dou agreeside members think  about it?"
Lucus: " I think thier opinion is right, but, in fact, because of the overpopulation, the environment in Apollon is so bad. So, even if we develope the countryside or not, there is problems about the environment. However, the overpopulation doesn't cause only environmetal problem. It causes increasing the number of unemployed people, or lack of day-care center, or declinig birthrate or so on. So, thinking og it, we should develope the coountryside and disperse the ppopulation in the city.

Consensus
we should develop the countryside to solve the problems which overpopulation in the main city causes while we take care of the environment.

Final comment
I think we should have showed the map and explain  the countryside first. We stopped discussion several times because we misunderstand the meaning of a question. So, next time, making use of the experience, we can make a good discussion, I guess.

Apollon Meeting ①

Topic:Should we use a solar energy instead of nuclear energy?

Moderator: Isabela

Agreeside: Lucy, Ashley, Sara
Lusy: She agree with using solar energy. She thinks it's a strong point that solar solar energy use electricity.
Ashley: She also agree solar energy because it's good for environment. It's good for us in the long run because, though it really costs, can make up for it someday.
Sara: She said nucler energy is harmful for nature and human, and has risks of happening big problem.

Disagreeside: Sophie, Emily
Sophie:She disagree with using solar energy because she thinks solar energy needs large space, and we have to kill many plants. So, it damages to industrial tourism because some people come to Apollon to see rare plants.
Emily:Solar energy depends on whether, so solar energy is unstable. She is a singer, so her concert use big energy, so nuclear is better. Moreover, solar energy costs a lot.

From a standpoint of each occupation
Sara: She is a photographer. So, she respects nature there, but nuclear power has a risk of damaging forests. There is a problem of radition.
Ashley:When she marry her boyfriend and have a baby, she warry about children's future because of radition. Solar system is safety.
Lucy: She thinks, actually, solar system's first cost is expensive, but we can save money in the long run.
Sophie: She is entertainer, so she warry about TV off when we use solar energy. Solar energy is unstable and it isn't enough to change nuclear system.
Isabere: Acutually, other country have accidents about nuclear energy.
Emily: Solar system is also dangerous. If solar panels are broken, we can't use any energy.

Question and Opinion
Q1: Why do we discuss only solar energy and nuclear energy? There are various energy in the world, for example, wind energy, water energy, terrestrial heat or so on.
Answer: We are thinking about it.
My opinion: We should stop nuclear energy because of radition. However, nuclear energy is nesessary now. So, I think we should decrease nuclear energy gradually. Then,using other energy, we can compensate for the big energy.

Consensus
Stay and try to reduce nuclear system until we find better system.

Final comment
I think the discussion was so effective because all panelists had several opinion to persuade people in the other side, and the moderator could get each panelist's idea in shape. Personally, they could find a better point of compromise.

Final presentation

 

Final presentation

 

Chiaki: Her presentation was so good because she printed a paper with some pictures and she is

stately. I think it was better not using Japanese.

 

Rio: Her presentation was easy to understand, so it was good. However, I could not understand she wanted to say first.

 

Erisa: Her presentation was easy to understand and understand she wanted to say. It was better, if you speak with a loud voice.

 

Marina:She was so stately and spoke with eye-contact, so it was so good.I was better using pictures about her presentation/

 

Manami:Her presentation is so good because she show us pictures. It was better speaking English frequently.



My best friend

Presentation about my best friend

Yoko: She has two best friends, Risa and Tomohiko. They have known for 13 years. They were getting along when she was elementary school in Amakusa. However, she said she don't know Tomohiko's birthday and don't want to know it. I can't understand she doesn't know his birthday regardress of her bestfriend. I think her smile in her presentation was so good.

Ayaka: Her best friend is Miyuki. She is in Nagasaki. she is so funny and understanding. And, she is like Ayaka's teacher. So,  I think, they are so good relationship. They visited to Iou island themselves. She is like Ayaka's teacher or model. She did the presentation frequently. I think it is a good point.

Koharu: Her best friend is Mizuki. They have known  each other for 16 or 17 years. She is active and so fun. They exchanged letter every week. Now, Koharu has the letters. In the presentation, I think Koharu is good English speaker.

Chihiro:Her best friend is Mai. She is active, smart, and boyish. Chihiro can talk everything to her. Chihiro wants to introduce Kumamoto to her. I think it is good that she talked a lot about her best friend.

Ai: Her best friend is Risa.When they were junior high school student, Ai met her, and they belonged to the same soft tennnis team. Ai said, "she is a person who knows me." Her presentation was so good because she  was stately.

How I was a child?

Presentation aboout my childhood

 Erisa: She was always laugh when she was a child. She has a twin brother, and she played video games with him. She showed us a picture of her and him. I think they are so alike regardress of man and woman. And she also liked reading. I found that she is getting along with her twin brother and she has spend good enjoyable life. It was her good point that she showed us her and her twin brother's picture.

Rio: She has moved many times due to her father's job. Saga, Nagoya, Germany, and Kumamoto. However, she don't remember when she lived in Saga and Nagoya.  And, she was not active. I understood she wants to be active very much. It was her good point that she spoke English frequently.

Ai: She has a twin sister. She showed us the picture which her and her twin sister hug each other. So, I think she is getting along with her sister. But, she said it is not good relationship between them. And I found that she is so shy, and wants to be confidence. It was her good point that she made eye contact in her presentation.

Yuzo: He has two brothers, older brother and younger brother. He was often fighting with older brother due to food or gemes. Sometimes, he was hit by his brother and sheded blood, he said. Now, he and his older brother have so good ralatinship.It was his good point that he was stately.

Mrina: She was born in Kumamoto. When she was a child, she dislike a lot of things, ghost, animals, incects, and doll. But she liked Kitty-chan so much. I can't undestand that she liked Kitty-chan, but didn't like doll. I think she was so funny. And Marina is proud of her sister, and wants to be like her. It was her good point that she took many pictures.

Takahiko(I): I was born in Osaka on July 7, and lived in Nara until I came to Kumamoto. I liked sports, especialy baseball. I became a fan of  Hanshin Tigers under the influence og my granad father. I had not had my dream until I was third-year high school student. And, when I was third-year high school student, I was influenced by my cram school teacher, and I want to be a person like him. 

Self-improvement

Presentation about self-improvement on May 1

1,Suzuka: She would like to be more confident. To be more confident, she thinks, she should approach everything, experience many fails, and obtain knowledge. I understood she want to try many things through her presentation.

2,Nagisa: She would like to be more brave, smart, and funny. She worries too much. So, she wants to challenge new things and be brave. And she wants to experience a lot of things and be smart person who can make good judgement. Then, she wants to be funny because she wanna make people smile. I know she want to be funny the best.

3,Takahiko(I): I would like to improve my eating habit. I usually eat out or eat convenience food, so I little eat vegetable and fish. So, I want to live more healthy life. To change into healthy life, I should, I think, reduce eat out, cook by myself and have three meals. In presentation, I should have used gesture or pictures more.

4,Koharu: She would like to be more successful. she think, she should use time successfully and take action to be more successful. In her presentation, I was impressed by her word, "Time never stop."  I want to use time successfully too.

5,Nozomi: She would like to be more confident, methodical and good time manager. She thinks, she should practice many times and be confident. And, she should pay attention and be methodical. Then, she should reduce waste time and be good manager. Seeing her presentation, I think she did presentation stately and be confident !!

6, Rin: She would like to be more confident and smart. She thinks, she should know herself and hear other's criticism and be confident. And she should experience many things and be smart. I think it is so important to hear other' criticism too. 

　　　　I will take part in tennni tornament next Sunday. It is team battle, so my defeat equal team's defeat. So, I play tennnis hardly every day. I wish my team win!

　　　　　Hello! Hello! And...Helloooooooooo! My name is Takahiko Matsumura, not Takahiro or Takehiro. Thank you for reading this trifuling blog!!! Bad bye! No! Good bye!!