Sayaka Morita
3rd Year at the School of International Liberal Studies
ICC Student Staff Leader: May 2007 – July 2009
As my name suggests, I am Japanese. However, nationality says little about a person when one did not grow up in the cultural environment of one’s home country. Although I may look Japanese, I spent a great portion of my life, my childhood and teenage years, in the United States, making me at times more “American” than “Japanese.”
ICC is my second home. As corny as it may sound, it’s true. Because I have spent more than half of my student life at Waseda University as a student staff leader at the ICC, there is no doubt that a considerable amount of time was spent here. However, little did I know that I would learn and gain so much from working here when I first applied.
My reasons for wanting to be a student staff leader was simple. I wanted to find a part-time job that would allow me to make the most of my English language skills. Thus initially, I believed that I would mainly be asked to do translation work or something that involved speaking or writing English, and that was what I did in the beginning. However, as the demands for ICC events and programs grew, I also had to put effort in coming up with ICC events that students will enjoy. Event making was something I had never done before.
Truthfully, looking at my personality, I am not the usual “leader” type person. I do not like to stand out, and although being a SSL has strengthened my weak points (I will talk more about this later on), I am not the most elaborate person when it comes to speaking, especially in Japanese.
So combining my lack of work experience (ICC is my first part-time job ever!), event planning, and Japanese speaking skills, I have to say that being a SSL has been a challenge. Literally everything I did was new to me; I remember feeling very nervous and anxious my first couple of weeks working here. However, through it all, I have been able to feel myself grow. My Japanese, knowledge and skills in working in an office environment, planning and running events, and my overall confidence, has improved.
As a SSL, I have been able to experience so many new things. Not only did I get to learn office work, improve my skills in giving presentations (both in English and Japanese), take part in and run meetings, experience making events, I was able to meet and get to know people. Some of my closest friends/acquaintances now, I have met at the ICC.
Being a SSL is a rewarding experience. As the department that I belong to, SILS (School of International Liberal Studies), conducts most of its classes in English, ICC was a great place for me to use my Japanese and learn what it is like to work in a Japanese office environment. My confidence in my Japanese has undoubtedly improved, as I had done things that I never thought I would be able to do when I first entered Waseda University.
One of the difficult work that I did was translation/interpreting between Japanese and English at various events. I had never done interpreting before, so it was very difficult for me at first.
What I am grateful for the most are the friendly environment and the open-minded staff at the ICC. As you are given a lot of freedom, you are able to work freely. It takes hard work and dedication to be able to work as a student staff leader.
Someone once said that “Home is where the heart is.” Home isn’t necessarily a house that you go sleep in every night. Home does not always equate with your own bedroom. Rather, home is where you feel the most ease. It’s where you want to go for comfort on a bad day or to share your joy on your best days.
It might seem rather too much or a bit strange if I told you that where I work (part-time) is my second home. However, when you’re still a college student, you’re still trying to figure out who you are and what you want to do with your life. We are bombarded with new information everyday, and gifted with opportunities. So when you are put into an environment filled with good opportunities, surrounded by encouraging people, you develop an attachment to it.
So what does a Student Staff Leader do? Besides office work such as making and accepting phone calls, working at the ICC counter, making posters, printing, copying, cutting, filing papers, etc., SSLs are excepted to plan, coordinate and run events, which includes running meetings, making efficient schedules, hosting (doing the MC), as well as being able to make presentations about the ICC in both Japanese and English. Of course, there are always the physical duties such as putting up posters and flyers all over Waseda campus or setting up tables and chairs in Garden Hall of Okuma Garden House in preparation for events. These are basic duties which all SSLs must be able to do. However, we are have our “specialties.” If you’re bilingual or good at multiple languages, you might be asked to do translation/interpretation work, or be in charge of a “language hour.” Or, if you are good at making posters or have good sense of design, you may be asked to make posters. For me, as I am a Japanese-English bilingual, I had many opportunities to translate written documents or be a translator/interpreter at an event. My most challenging experience was when I did Japanese to English interpretation at an event.
You may be wondering about the leadership role you are required to play as a SSL. While it is true that you should possess some leadership characteristics such as being able to think and move on your own, come up with fresh ideas and being able to initiate them, possess a likeable demeanor and quiet confidence, you should know that there are many types of leaders. From my perspective, a leader is anyone who is good at knowing what is going on around them, and doing things best suited to the situation. This does not necessarily mean that a leader should be loud and flamboyant. These types of people may look like leaders on hindsight, but in the long-term, they may be a cause for dispute among the group due to their aggressive nature. For me, a good leader posesses many characteristics, and thus understands and has empathy for others. Some are naturally born as leaders. However, one can also become a leader through practice and dedication.
But the most important thing I learned are not the skills and knowledge (which you will be able to attain), but the importance of developing and maintaining good interpersonal relationships. What the ICC has is a warm, comfortable, working environment, that assures security and self-growth. It is not the quality of the work that makes the people, but the people that makes the work. No matter if you are a SSL or a participant at one of ICC’s events, you will be welcomed by friendly staff members who are open to new ideas and always willing to help.
Now that my term as SSL has ended, I am getting ready to go to France for my one-year study abroad exchange program. I know that the interpersonal skills I got to brush up at the ICC and the overall confidence I gained through my experiences will undoubtedly be of use in France. Hopefully after my study abroad, I hope to somehow give back to the ICC. If you’re a student at Waseda, an aspiring Waseda student or an alumni, I hope you take full advantage of the ICC and that it becomes your second home too! And remember, students are the heart of the ICC!
