People :
“Waseda Festival 2005” Organizing Committee Chair
Mr. Keisuke Takeuchi

Keisuke Takeuchi Born in Tokyo in 1983. Graduated from Toyama high school. Junior in the School of Political Science and Economics. Since Waseda Festival 2003, he has playing an active part on the organizing committee. He also acts as the chief secretary of a �echallenge circle', “Ah, Atchonburike”. His hobbies are reading and going to the movies.

Mr. Takeuchi has long been someone who jumps into something and thinks about it afterwards. He is the type of person who enjoys an element of uncertainty. “Anyhow, I wanted to put on a good Waseda Festival,” he says. With this passion, he ran for the chairmanship of the Waseda Festival 2005 organizing committee. He has been committed to Waseda Festivals since he was a first year student, but he says the job of chairman was a succession of embarrassments and uneasy moments when he felt that he didn't have both feet on the ground. Because he was in a leadership position, he could not participate at the level of individual events, which irritated him. "What is the role of the chairman?" After asking himself this question again and again, he got one answer: continuing to spread the concept of the festival, "a festival that satisfies all its participants"--and keeping a smile on his face at all times. When he suffered under the pressure of this important role, he was put at ease by a few words from a younger student: “Go ahead and tell us what you want.”

In spite of rain on the second day, Waseda Festival 2005 was a great success. 150,000 people visited the campus. There are many points to reflect on, but Mr. Takeuchi says, “Anyway, it was difficult for me to make a success of the festival, and at the same time to train younger students on the committee. He also says that, “I am a man who loves to make people happy. And I want to become someone who can teach others how to do that. With the festival, I was able to reconfirm my view of life.”

After setting down his burdens, Mr. Takeuchi's thoughts turn to Waseda again. Waseda is like a miniature version of society, he thinks. Though it includes a great variety of people, the Waseda Festival unites all into one, expressing the basic character of Waseda. In accordance with this year's theme, we can all share feelings like "Linking shoulders under the deep blue sky" (a reference to the Waseda fight song).

Waseda Festival 2005 has just ended, but Mr. Takeuchi is already looking for a new field of action, wondering what to do next. His ambitions are still growing.

A last word from Mr. Takeuchi: “Thank you, everybody, for a great year.”