MHS-Seisa Gakuen bridge remains strong

Over 100 students from Seisa Gakuen High School in Japan were treated to four days of fun-filled activities as students and staff from Marianas High School did their best in hosting a tradition that began some 19 years ago.

“Eighteen years ago, many students from Japan, from this particular high school—Seisa Gakuen High School—they usually come annually,” said MHS counselor Elaine Perez during an interview Saturday. “This is their 19th trip, and its just all amazing that 19 years ago Mr. Miyazawa and Bert Thompson, who’s a teacher at [MHS], started this and its lasting so long so their friendship is really running deep here.”

The guests arrived to welcoming hands Wednesday, and had their first initiation to the school through a welcoming party hosted by MHS.

One of the main reasons the students travel to Saipan every year was for exposure to the English language. The language barrier, however, also provides an opportunity for students from both schools to improve communication skills, finding ways to overcome the barrier.

“It’s truly a relationship now that we have built with them,” Perez said. “What they bring to us is their language and their traditions in their songs and dances that they share with us. We bring that also to them and of course the beautiful island of Saipan.”

The students were then paired with MHS students Thursday for a tour if the island’s historical sites including the Last Command Post, Banzai Cliff, and the Sugar King Monument.

As in the previous years, students from both schools engaged in friendly sports competition Friday as well as traditional practices from both cultures at the MHS campus. Among the sports were basketball, Rocball, softball, soccer, badminton, and table tennis.

“The other thing we share with them is our education system as they partake in a lot of our activities here in our school,” Perez said. “They get a taste of the western educational system and they share also in the classroom their way of cooking, their way of language, and their way of doing what the Japanese school usually does.”

Seisa Gakuen students also celebrated their sister-school’s Cultural Day on Saturday, with students from both institutes performing traditional dances and songs. The campus also featured huts built by MHS classes.

“So [Saturday’s] event is really about all the different cultures,” Perez said. “As you know, [MHS] has a very colorful cultural group of people and they’re showcasing their different cultures in dance, song, and all these different performances.”

“Our students, they’re always so excited and they are truly island people. The students of [MHS], they really open their arms and they just accept them and get so excited by their presence and so today, by the success of this cultural day, shows that we really do are good hostesses,” Perez added.

Before returning to Japan, the Seisa Gakuen guests treated their MHS family members to an appreciation party last night at the World Resort Hotel.

“It’s very much educational in a different sort of way. It’s kind of all around in just the relationship when they come and they share with us and we just really welcome them,” Perez said.

Perez also extended appreciation to the Marianas Visitors Authority and the Saipan Mayor’s Office for taking part in the gift-giving during the welcoming bash.