Sixth discussion

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

moderator: Lucus

[Agree side]
Finnian (me): Sunflower is Apollon's symbolic flower. So, we should introuduce it to all over the world. I want to hold some events on the Sunflower Day. By holing events on the day, tourists will increase.

Kofy: These day, people tend to forget sunflower. But, it is our symbolic flower, so we should be aware of it.  By making Sunflower Day, I want people to know it.

Allie: I want to hold sunflower festival. If we make a national holiday, Apollon people's bond may be closer.


[Disagree side]
 Carol: To hold  a Sunflower festival, we need more money or place. And students can't go to school on the day by making it. Now, we have holidays, so we don't have to have a national holiday.

Hanna: Some young people don't know about Apollon's symbolic flower. And if we hold sunflower festival on the day, we can't gather a lot of people on the festival.  We should raise not sunflower but vegetables.


[Question]
Lucus: We decided to make a Sunflower Day. So, we will talk about what we do on the day.
Finnian: I want to hold sunflower festival and sell sunfolwer's seeds, sunflower cosmetics, and so on. So far, I didn't think  except sunflower festival.


[Conclution]
We make Sunflower Day and we hold sunflower festival on last Saturday in July.


[My comment]
We confused audience because we didn't decide what we mainly talk about. Today's topic was a little difficul for me because there weren't any records, so we should have discussed it enough. I regret not sticking my opinion for Carol because I didn't be convinced of her opinion. 

Fifth discussion

Topic: Do we associate with other country?

moderator: Emily

[Agree side]
Lucy: If we associate with other country, it will be good for Apollon's development. And it is good opportunity to know other culture.

Asley: If we associate with other country, we can introduce other technology. And if  a big disaster happen, we can help each other.

Sara: I am a photographer, so I want to take photos of other country. If we associate with other country, I can save a lot of collections and sell them.


[Disagree side]
Sophie: Now, we live without association. If we associate with other country, we may have some problems. I am an entertainer, so I can introduce Apollon to other country.

Isabela: I am worried about war. If we associate with other country, we have to help each other. I am a high school student, so I don't know about politics very much, but I don't want to help other country. And I am also worried about disappearance of our culture.


[Questions]
Lucus (audience):  What is the merits other country associates with Apollon?
Sara: Apollon has high technology,and the example is clones.
Lucus: Does it mean we teach clones's technology?
Asley: We shold not talk about clones to other country, but other coutry can be useful our high technology.

Emily: Next, we want to focus on business associattion.
Lusy: The tourism is unstable, and it will decrease in the furure. If we associate with other country, our work will be easy and wider.
Isabela: However, I think we can develop by ourselves.
Sophie: We can hold events. For, Apollon's day.
Asley: Associating with other country is a good opportunity to let a lot of people know about Apollon.


[Conclusion]
We should try to have association with other country.


[My comment]
First, I thought the meaning of association was a little wide and that it was difficult to understant the discussion. As our teacher said, the information was few and the group should have said it in detail previously. However, I also should have asked various things positively to them. So, I want to try it next time.

Forth discussion

Topic: Should the elementary school students have their own cellphones?

moderator:Anna

[Agree side]
Amy: When children go to school, they may be involved by some accidents. So,  their parents shold make children have cellpones in case of them.

Alex: I get married and have a son. However, I can't take care of him because both I and my hasband work. When he gets home, nobody is at home. Therefore, to make my son have cellpone relieve us. For example, GPS is very good function because I can know where he is.


[Disagree side]
Rie: To use too much a cellphone isn't good for their eyes. If children have it, they will spend much time using it. Because of it, they won't play outside and not to play outside is bad for their health.

Kate: Children have to learn a lot of things. It is more important to get along with friends than to use a cellpone. Therefore, using a cellphone is a waste of time for them. 

Rachel: There are a lot of dangerous websites. For example, the online  dating website, the Internet shopping, swinder, and so on.  So, it is dangerous to have children have cellpones.


[Discussion]
Alex: It is difficult to judge this topic, so we will change it. The new topic is "When they can use their cellphones?"
Rie: I think children should turn on power to the cellphone after school. It may protect them from some accidents.
Kate:I think so, too.
Racel: I'm agree with making a rule.
Amy: Children's situations are different, so we should decide family rules.


[Conclution]
 We should make family rules depending on their situation.


[My comment]
     I'm agree with their conclusion. If children use their cellpones wrongly, they will become dangerous things. However, if they use them correctly, they may protect themselves from some accidents. I think their parents are responsible for advising how to use a cellphone, so each family should make some rules.
     First, I didn't know what they are talking about because I couldn't understand what they want to deside finally. So, we should explain the topic's meaing in detail.

Third discussion

Topic: We need immigration laws in Apollon.

Moderator: Tama Homer

[Agree side]
Mac: According to  the graph, the number of young people is decreasing. So, the number of working people will decrease in the future. I think it is important to communicate with foreigners and introduce foreign cultures.

Angelina: Working population is decreasing. If foreign people immigrate in Apollon, we may be able to improve hospitality.

[Disagree side]
Laura: If immigrants increase, we have to employ a lot of foreign  people. Because of it,  Apollon citizen will lose a chance to work.

Belle: If we make immigration laws, we have to think about their political rights. And, I worry about losing our unique culture.

Jack: By accepting foreign peope, we are limited places we can live. And if a lot of tall building increase, they will soil the Apllon's view. I think immigrants will be homeless. Because of it, Apollon's peace will be threatened.

[Questions]
Mac: Why do you think crimes will increase if foreign people immigrate?
Jack: I think Apollon citizens and foreigner will be opposed.
Angelina: A lot of foreigners come here, so we must have had a lot of chances to speak to them.
Jack: There are a lot homeless in foreign countries, so I am worry about foreignr's employment. I think immigrants will be homeless because they have different ideas. So, it is difficult for us to work together with them.

[My comment]
I didn't know the immigration laws's meaning and it was difficult for me to understand the discussion.  I think a moderator needs to make sure at an early stage if audiences understand the discussion's topic and words' meaning. We had better make sure Apollon's background.

Second discussion

Topic: Should we develop our countryside?


Moderator: Hanna Marin


[Agree side]
Allie: We shold make a botanical garden. I am a actress, so I want to introduce it on TV.

Lucus: Our city's environment is very worth because most of Apollon's people live there. I think we  should  transfer people from the city to the country.

Finnian: There are a lot of vavant land in countryside, so as a gardener we should make Ibetter use of them and make sight-seeing area.


[Disagree side]
Carol: When I was a young, Apollon was full with nature. I am worry about losing it.

Kofy: I am a writer, so I can't concentrate on my writing if we develop our countryside. And I think it is important for the childeren to play in nature.


[Questions]
Hanna: How do you use vacant land?
Lucus: We should use it for inviting companies.
Kofy: If so,  I think the environmetal pollution will be worse and nature will be damaged.
Lucus: There are a lof of problems in the city. For example, a lack of day-care center, decreasing birth-rate, and so on. So, we should develop our countryside.
Finnian: It can't be helped a little of pollution in order to solve other problems.


[Conclusion]
We should develop our countryside taking care of nature.


[My comment]
I didn't check Apollon's background, so I couldn't answer where is the countryside. I am a gardener, but I couldn't say well what to do as a garder. Thanks to this discusssion, I knew I should gather more information.

First discussion

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

Today's moderator was　Isabela　Horan. Sara Cooper, Ashley Turner and Lucy Walter were agree with the question. On the other hand, Emily Thoma and Sophie Dawson  were disagree with it.

The opinions of agree side were...

[Sara]
Using a nuclear energy is dangerous. So far, a big accident don't occur. However, if we continue to use the nuclear system, someday a big problem may occur.

[Ashely]
To use a solar system costs much money because  we have to pay initial cost. However, we can save electricity using it, so it is very good in the long run.

[Lucy]
We can save electricity by using a solar sysetem. If she have a baby, solar system is safe for her child. Solar system is more safe than nuclear system.


The opinions of disagree side were...

[Emily]
 Using a solar panel is unstable because it depends on the weather. My job is a singer, and I consume a lot of energy in my concert. So, if my use a solar energy in my concert, it will cost much money.

[Sophie]
If we establish a lot of solar panels, we will be needed large spaces and we hve to cut down many tress to establsh them. And if we cut down many trees, not only nature will be destroyed but also our town's economy will worsen because of decrease of  the tourists.  I love nature, so I don't want to kill a lot of plants.

Conclusiton
It is difficult to stop a nuclear energy soon. So, we stay until we find a better system.


I think their discussion was effective because they could think in a diffrent point of view. For example, they considered not only the cost but also the eivironment and their future. The moderator did a good job! She summarized each peson's opinions perfectly. Thanks to her, the discussion went smoothly.

The final presentation

We talked about different topics in the final presentation.

I talked about technology. Thanks to high-technology, our lives came to be more convenient. However, I worried about older people's falling behind the times. For example, these days  my grandmother learened how to send e-mail messaages, but it took her several hours to do it. I think t is difficult for older people to use high-technical machines. There are generation gaps between us and them. Tp make up for them, technical experts come up with various functions anyone is easy to use.  As a result, we can't live without high- technical machines.
I'm not good at looking at people's eyes, so I want to overcome it  next semester.

[Taiga]
He talked abou human relationship, and said that  change yourself in order to adapt the environment. He tried to talk without looking at a meo, but I couldn't undersatnd some phrases. I think his presentation will be better if he is careful to English grammar.

[Rina]
She talked about success. She said to realize your dream wasn't your goal and that we have to sacrifice something to success. She spoked very smppthly, so I think her presentation will be better if she doesn't speak looking at a meo.

[Akari]
She talked about living by herslf. It is not until she lives by herslf that she realized the importance of her family. She talked details giving us several examples, so her presentation was easy to understand. I think her presentation will be better if she doesn't look at a meo.
　

[Mayu]
She talked about her future. She seems to want to have two children because she doesn't have sibling.
She talked about her chilren's lessons, her ideal husband, and so on. She talked looking at our eyes, so her presentation will be better if she memolizes perfectly.

[Nagisa]
She talked about herself, particularly her positive points and her negative points. I'm a person who has no sence of direction, too. I sympathized her experience. She memorized her sentences, so her presentation will be better if she speaks smoothly.