By Lizzy Warner & Deren Kudeki
Gargoyle staff reporters
Posted Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006, The OG, news

Shigeyuki Oenoki is the principal at Konan Girls High School in Japan and resides in Kobe. For the last couple of days he's been visiting Uni High as well as other places throughout Champaign-Urbana.

About 40 years ago Oenoki studied at Georgetown University, but this is his first time back to America since then.

This weekend, Oenoki visited the University of Illinois and attended dinner at Biaggi's with Director/Principal Kassie Patton, Japanese teacher Hiroko Ito, and Konan exchange student Naho Maeda, along with the four host families that Naho will stay with throughout the course of the year. Oenoki also received a tour of campus, visiting places such as the U of I quad and accompanying Ito to the Japan House.

“I was surprised to know that this campus is tremendously large,” he said. “I walked around it, and it took much time. In Japan, you just can't imagine.”

On Monday, Oenoki visited Uni and even sat in on a few classes.

“Everybody can behave freely and everyone is very friendly,” he said, after a brief introduction to the school. “You can wear anything you like, but in Konan everyone must wear uniforms.”

He also pointed out that Uni lacks an archery program, which, at Konan, has become a very popular sport. Although Konan students lack “American football” or baseball teams, they have an excellent archery program, he said, as well as swimming and softball to make up for it.

Although Oenoki is only visiting Champaign-Urbana for a short period of time, he hopes to continue the exchange program between Konan and Uni for many years, since it is such a beneficial learning experience for students.

In fact, he and Naho aren't the only Konan representatives who will visit Uni this year. About 30 members of the Konan boys basketball team will be in town for several days in late October. Among other things, they want to sample an American Halloween and see some college and pro basketball. Look for a Gargoyle preview of their visit soon. Click here for the article we ran last year about the impending visit.

Shigeyuki Oenoki, principal of Konan Girls High School in Kobe, Japan, talks to Gargoyle reporters Lizzy Warner and Deren Kudeki. Kudeki's sister, Mo, is currently an exchange student at Konan.

Japanese teacher Hiroko Ito takes Oenoki on a tour of the school.

Oenoki visits an English class.

photos by Devika Bagchi