Eleventh discussion

Topic: Should we make 24-hour child-care center?

Moderator: Angelina

[Agree side]
Laura: I have a job and my husband's job is a pilot, so we have to work over night. We can't stay home all day, so we need 24-hour child-care center.

Mac: Taking care of children is important because I have aa job and also my wife works.


[Disagree side]
Belle:  It is difficult to be admitted by the goverment because the center costs much money. The formation of peronality in childhood is very important.

Jack: I have a child and grandparents, so I don't know why we need the center.

Tama: The center is dangerous because some strangers may break into it, and I can't rely on the staff.


[Questions]
Lobert(audience): Who is "we"?
Mac: It shows citizens of Apollo.
Lobert: Belle said the goverment wouldn't admit the opinion, so will they support the center?
Belle: I only said it was difficult to be admitted by the goverment.

Laura: Jack said the problem wasn't about the money, but money is very important for single parent.
Jack: I am rich, but I will be agree with the topic if a lot of people need the center.

Moderator: Disagree side's people were agreed with the topic, so we will think about "What should we do to admit goverment?"
Jack: We should gather signature.


[Conclusion]
We suggest citizens of Apollon make 24-hour child-care center. And the goverment should reconsider the budget in order to give aid to them.


[My comment]
    I am agree with the topic. I think some people absolutely need the center because they can't rely on anyone. Agree side people worried the danger of the center, but I think people who can't trust it don't need to use it. So, I thought we should make 24-hour child-care center.
    We desided to introduce a sales tax system, but probably it haven't introduced yet. Every time we face our money problem and rely on the goverment. I don't have any idea excet depending on the goverment, but I think to rely on them is a little vague.

Tenth discussion

Topic: We should prohibit students from working part-time jobs.

moderator: Carol

[Agree side]
Finnian: I think students should consentrate on study and club activities. If we permit them to work part-time jobs, a lot of them will earn money to hang out with their friends. If they want to learn various things by working part-time jobs, they can do it after they graduate high school.

Hanna: It is the most important thing for students to study. If they work part-time jobs, they will not go to school. And they will not obey their parents because they can get everything they want by working part-time jobs.

Kofy: My job is a writer. So, I think reading books is very important because it gives a lot of knowlegde to people. If they work part-time jobs, their time to read books will be lost.


[Disagree side]
Lucus: I don't have enough money. If students were prohibited from working part-time jobs, some people will not be able to go to school.

Allie: I learned a lot of things by part-time jobs, so  I think it is very good experiencee for students. They can know importance of money and they can make friends there.


[Questions]
Sophie(audience): I suggest that each school establishes part-time jobs' club. If they establish it, they can control various things. So, students can choose part-time jobs safely.
Finnian:  I think Sophie's idea is very nice! Thanks to her idea, I hit on another idea. Not students choose part-time jobs first, but school find various part-time jobs first. And then, school provide students with part-time jobs by using a notice board. And then, they can choose part-time jobs. I think it is very safe way.
Lucus: I have another idea. If students get permission of their parents, they can work part-time jobs.
Moderator: Now, we have three ideas, so we want to choose which is the best.
Hanna: I think all of three ideas are important. So, why don't you mix them?


[Conclusion]
Students have to get permission of school and their parents when they want to work part-time jobs. Besides, each school can choose  if they establish par-time jobs' club or  they provide students with part-time jobs.


[My comment]
I couldn't speak my opinions easily in English, so I thank Yui for assisting me again and again. When disagree side asked about the differences of part-time jobs and club activities, I couldn't answer it in English although I had my opinions. I regret it now. I think it was very difficult for audience and panelists to understand my opinions. So, I want to study grammar and words harder. Thanks to audience's nice suggestions, we could reach the conclusion.

Ninth discussion

Topic: Can we submit a bit to host the Olympics?

moderator: Sara

[Agree side]
Emily: If we host the Olympics, many people wil come to Apollon. They will give a lot of benefits to Apollon.

Isabela: I'm a cheer leader in my high school. I think young people are intrested in Olympics. People's motivation will be up.

Lucy: If we host the Olympics, exchange with other countries will increase. And Apollon's image will be better.


[Disagree side]
Shophie: We don't have enough money to host the Olympics. I'm worried about the place and cost to do it.

Ashely: We will need huge money to host the Olympics. We have to prepare large place and gather various players.


[Question]
Rachel(audience): It will cost much money to host the Olympics. So, why don't you hold Sunflower marathon? It doesn't cost much money, and tourists can enjoy the beautiful nature and runners can enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Sophei: It doesn't need extra places, so I think it is a very good idea!
Isabela: We just wanted to communicate with other countries' people. We can do the sport in Sunflower festival.


[Conclusion]
We will hold the marathon on Sunflower Day as one content of Sunflower festival.


[My comment]
I think today's discussion was very difficult because it was absolutely impossible to host the Olympics in Apollon. The group could reach the conclusion, but they should have gathered various information about Olympics beforehand. Thanks to Lobert, I noticed that concrete figure could convince people, so I want to gather a lot of information next discussion.

Eighth discussion

Topic: Shoud we introduce sales tax system?

moderator: Kate

[Disagree side]
Anna: We will hold sunflower festival to make Apollin famous. It means goverment will need a lot of money, so we should introuduce the system to gather money.

Alex: I have a son, and next year he will be an elementary school student. If we introduce the system, goverment will pay a part of the education money.


[Agree side]
Rie: I'm worried about  the gap between high income people and low income people. If we introduce sales tax sytem, people don't come to buy a lot of commodities.

Rachel: It is very hard for low income people to buy the commodities. Because of it, they are difficult to live in Apollon.

Amy: My job is a doctor, so if we introuduce sales tax system, it will cost much money to buy medical instruments.


[Question]
Lucus (audience): Please tell us what percent is the sales tax.
Alex: It is 3 percents.


[Conclusion]
We will introduce sales tax system but we couldn't decide which system we introuduce.


[My comment]
  I'm agree with the topic because we have to pay a lot of money in medical institutions if we don't introuduce the system. Although disagree side worried that low income people was hard to pay the sales tax, I think to pay a lot of money in medical institutions is much harder than to pay sales tax.
  I think moderator's Kate did a good job! She compactly summarized the panelists' opinions.

Seventh discussion

Topic: Let's make point-system in Apollon.

[About point system]
   If people do something good for Apollon , they can get points in your card and they can use points with the card. Money for the system is given by the goverment.
   They talked about two things. One is how can we collect points, and the other is where can we use them.

1. How can we collect them?

Jack: Tour guide volunteer.
Tama: I want to know the insight.
Jack: They have to attend the program. Tour company have to hold the program.

Tama: We will hold sunflower festival, but I'm worried that who will do the staff.  So, if people work as the staff, they can get points.
Mac: Sunflower festival is held once a year. So, the volunteer staff isn't a good chance to get points.
Tama: Even if sunflower festival is held once a year, people can get big points.

Mac: We give points to people who bought the foods made in Apollon.

Jack: Photo contest is held in sunflower festival. So, if people take part in the photo contest, they can get points.
Tama: Can everyone who took part in it get points?
Jack: Yes.

Angelina: I suggest recycle system. People who trashed garbage properly can get points.
Jack: We can't know the people who trashed garbage properly.
Angelina: People have point cards, so we can know it.

Carol (audience): I think to trash garbage properly is our duty. It is too easy.
Jack: I don't think so. If people can get a lot of points, they will be happy.

Sophie(audience): Why do you think photo contest is good for Apollon, Jack?
Jack: Because it is a new attempt.



2. Where can we use them?

Jack: Public utilities.
Belle(moderator): There are a lot of utilities, so please tell me the examples.
Jack: Train fare, bus fare, and so on.

Mack: We can use them in shopping center. 
Jack: This system is controled by the goverment, so your idea is difficult.
Mack: Only some stores which installed the system.

Angelina: People can use the points when they buy only foods.
Mac: Why do you think so?
Angelina: People can get points when they did something good for Apollon. So, I think it isn't good  to use for amusement.
Laura: I think it is good to use for amusement because more and more people will join the volunteer.

Belle: Point-system is controled by the goverment, so we have to narrow the places which can use points.
Tama: We decided people can't use points in clothes shops.

Lobert(audience): We have to pay tax, and money comes from our tax. It means we are goverment. So, I'm disagree with making point-system.
Jack: We can cut work cost by making point-system, so we don't have to worry about money.
Hanna: I think money problem can't be helped.


[Conclution?]
We want to make a point-system.


[My coment]
Today's moderator gave audience time of questions at the early stage. I think it was a good idea, but it was difficult for me to ask something because we weren't given enough information. Besides, today's group didn't separate into agree side and disagree side. Although point-system is a new attempt and an interesting idea, a lot of people didn't seem to be agree with it. I think money problem is the biggest problem and we should not ignore it. So, I think they should have disscused carefully whether we make a point-sytem or not.

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.