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In
1990, Pima Community College held the first Japanese speech contest in
Arizona.
Four years later, statewide interest in
the
contest had grown to the extent that the annual event was turned to
over to
the AATJ (Arizona Association of Teachers of Japanese) and it
was decided that the
Arizona State Japanese Speech Contest would be held annually
at
rotating
locations throughout the state. For the next several years,
students from Tucson, their families and friends often had to travel to
Phoenix and even as far away as Flagstaff to attend the event. By 2001, enrollment in Japanese courses in Arizona had skyrocketed. In Tucson, in addition to the Japanese classes offered by the University of Arizona and Pima Community College's East Campus, PCC's West, Downtown and Northwest campuses added Japanese language sequences. In response to the flood of applicants, the statewide contest adopted a percentage system to determine how many students from each university, college, and region of the state would be accepted. n 2002, it was decided that there were enough Japanese classes in Tucson to support a local contest in which all interested students could participate. When the announcement was made that the 1st Annual Tucson Japanese Speech Contest would be held in Spring 2003, Tucson's colleges, universities, local organizations and businesses offered financial support and a number of faculty members and community members volunteered their time to make the contest a success. When the first annual Tucson Japanese Speech Contest was held on April 5th, over 100 audience members watched as Tucson's students presented their speeches in PCC's East Campus' Community room. Over the years, more than 1,500 community members have attended the contest to support Japanese language students from Pima Community College's East, Downtown, West and Northwest Campuses, the University of Arizona, Kino School, Sky Island High, Dodge Middle School, the Bernard Language School, and IBM Tucson. Judges have included members of the Japanese Rotary Club and the Japan America Society, representatives from IBM Japan, Raytheon, Canon, and Sumitomo , faculty from the University of Arizona, and even a Sahuarita police officer. Exhibitors and performers have included Odaiko Sonora, the PCC Northwest Anime Club, the Tucson Go Club, the Shinsei School of Ikebana, the Tucson Origami Club, the Southern Arizona Koi Society (SAKA), Rendo-kan Dojo (judo and karate), Yamakawa Dojo (iaido), Urasenke Chado (Japanese tea ceremony), Ayako Enterprises (samurai weapons), Martial Arts of Tucson (aikido), Desert Dojo Martial Arts (ninjutsu), Nono & Co. (a J-pop band), the University of Arizona Archery Club and the Japanese Ministry of Education and International Relations (the JET program). Community volunteers have presented exhibitions of furoshiki wrapping, calligraphy, kimonos, Cos-play, and original art while over seventy businesses and organizations have contributed student prizes. This year, the 10th Annual Tucson Japanese Speech Contest will return to its original home, Pima Community College's East Campus. Please join us to celebrate, once again, our students' hard work and to share in what has grown to be a special community event. |
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The
Tucson Japanese Speech Contest Commitee (TJSCC) was formed in 2002.
All members are volunteers
who dedicate their time to help with the annual contest.
The
current committee includes Japanese language teachers and
students, a graphic designer, a business manager, a
corrections
officer, a software engineer and a stay-at-home mom. The
members help schedule cultural exhibitions and performances
for
the contest, decorate the annual venue, provide signage for the event,
organize prizes for the students, and contact potential
sponsors.
If you're interested in helping us provide this annual event to our community, consider joining the TJSCC. Anyone who would like to donate his/her time and effort is welcome. Many current members speak no Japanese so please don't let the language stop you. If interested, please contact us at TucsonJSC@cox.net. |
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Each year at the conclusion of the contest,
the TJSC Committee presents TJSC Community Awards to outstanding sponsors and
volunteers in appreciation for their support of the contest. |
 Renee Terry Community Volunteer |
 Bernie Houser Vantage West Credit Union |
 Rick Keefe (also accepting for Maritza Keefe) R-Galaxy |
| Past
TJSC Community Award Recipients |
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| 2011 (9th TJSC) | Bryana Scott (Community Volunteer) | Peter Tredici (Pima Community College) |
| Martial Arts of Tucson | ||
| 2010 (8th TJSC) | Patricia Houston (Pima Community College) | Tom Struck (Fantasy Comics) |
| 2009 (7th TJSC) | Reene Terry (Community Volunteer) | Bernie Houser (Vantage West Credit Union) |
| Rick & Maritza Keefe (R-Galaxy) | ||
| 2008 (6th TJSC) | Elizabeth Harrison (University of Arizona) | Michael Samuels (Central Animal Hospital) |
| 2007 (5th TJSC) | Japan-America Society of Tucson | Carla Eardley (Straight Road Studio) |
| 2006 (4th TJSC) | Wally Barber (Tucson Kendo Kai) | Kazumi Saito (Community Volunteer) |
| 2005 (3rd TJSC) | Constance Strickland
(Pima Community College) |
Bob Zormeier (Ayako Enterprises) |
| 2004 (2nd TJSC) | Clint Whittakar (Community Volunteer) | |
| 2003 (1st TJSC) | Tandika Star (Tandika.com) | |
| 2011 TJSC Sponsors |
| PCC-Downtown Campus, PCC-East Campus
Student Life and Activities
Office, Consulate-General of Japan at Los Angeles,
Japan Foundation, Japan-America Society of Tucson, Vantage West Credit
Union, Desert Toyota, J.T.B., H.I.S., Sky Island School, Fenster
School, R-Galaxy, Fantasy Comics,
Bookmans, Sushi Ten, Sushi on Oracle, Yamato
Restaurant, Ginza Sushi, Sushi Yukari, Kimpo Oriental
Market, Suzuyuki-kai, Rendokan
Dojo, Martial Arts of Tucson, Aikido of Tucson, Sonoran
Aikikai, Ayako Enterprises, Atty. Michael
Drake,
Atty. Sarah Wright, Dr. Kiyono Bernier, Ms. Kristy Pearson, Central
Animal Hospital, Ann
Taylor
Studio, Western Hotel
& Resorts,
Straight Road Studio, Suzuki Solutions, Cavalier & Haggh
family, Ms. Ikue Belland, Ten no Shima Kai, Stright Road Studio,
Raytheon, PCC-Northwest JPN 202 Class members If your business or organization is interested in helping sponsor the 2011 TJSC, please contact us at TucsonJSC@cox.net. |
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