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2018 Illinois Japan Bowl Study Guide

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2018 Illinois Japan Bowl Study Guide 2018 ILLINOIS JAPAN BOWL PROCEDURES AND STUDY GUIDE Sponsored by the Japan America Society of Chicago www.jaschicago.org 1 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2475 Chicago, Illinois 60602 TEL 312-263-3049 FAX 312-263-6120 EMAIL [email protected] 2018 ILLINOIS JAPAN BOWL The 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl, sponsored by the Japan America Society of Chicago (JASC), will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2018. The event will take place at North Central College’s Wentz Science Center, 131 S Loomis, Naperville, IL. The event will begin at 10:00 AM and conclude by 2:30 PM. The purpose of the Japan Bowl is to recognize and encourage high school students across the country who have chosen Japanese as their foreign language and to make the study of Japanese language, history and culture both challenging and enjoyable. The Japan Bowl was first held in 1993 in Washington, DC. In 2015, the Japan America Society of Chicago organized the inaugural Illinois Japan Bowl. The Illinois Japan Bowl is an academic competition which covers a wide range of topics that tests high school students who are studying the Japanese language across the state of Illinois. The competition tests not only their knowledge of the language, but also their understanding of traditional and modern Japan. For 2018, the Illinois Japan Bowl will be open to students enrolled in Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 Japanese language classes in Illinois. Teams are comprised of two or three students. Each spring, teams from all over the country travel to Washington, D.C. for the National Japan Bowl, which has become one of the highlights of the city’s Cherry Blossom Festival. This guide describes the administrative procedures for the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl, including eligibility requirements, application and registration procedures, deadlines, location and facilities, and the dress code. It also includes a tentative schedule for the event, which is subject to change. Please read the entire guide carefully. In the months before the competition, there might be changes to the information contained in this Guide. Participants will be informed promptly of any changes that are made. Copies of this guide and all required forms can be downloaded from the Japan America Society's website, www.jaschicago.org. For more information or to register, contact Erika Kono at 312-263-3049, extension 25 or via email at [email protected] LOCATION The 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl will be hosted by North Central College. The competition will be held in the Wentz Science Center, 131 S Loomis, 2nd Floor, Naperville, IL. North Central College is located within easy walking distance from the Naperville Train Station, which is serviced by METRA’s BNSF line. There is convenient parking on the campus of North Central College. DATE & TIME The 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2018. Team registration will begin at 9:30 AM, with the official program scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM. The 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl will conclude by 2:30 PM. Event staff and volunteers are asked to arrive at North Central College by 8:00 AM to set up the competition room and make other preparations. SCHEDULE Time Description 8:00 AM Door opens for event staff; set-up begins 9:30 AM Team registration starts 10:00 AM Opening Ceremony 10:30 AM Teams move to the competition room and take their seats 10:45 AM Competition Round 1 11:15 AM Break 11:30 AM Competition Round 2 12:30 PM Lunch & Cultural Program 1:30 PM Closing Ceremony (Tie Breaker Rounds if necessary) 2:00 PM Presentation of Trophies 2:30 PM Event concludes; clean up begins for volunteers ELIGIBILITY This academic competition covers a wide range of topics that tests high school students who are studying the Japanese language across the state of Illinois. The competition tests not only their knowledge of the language, but also their understanding of traditional and modern Japan. Student Eligibility The 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl is open to full-time students who are currently enrolled in Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 Japanese language classes at a high school in the state of Illinois. These levels correspond to the equivalent level of high school Japanese language study: Level 2 Students enrolled in 2nd year high school level Japanese language study Level 3 Students enrolled in 3rd year high school level Japanese language study Students enrolled in 4th year high school level Japanese language study or in AP Level 4 Japanese As per the National Japan Bowl Regulations, the level of Japanese language study is based on the course level, and not the number of years that a student has studied Japanese in high school. For example, a high school sophomore who began Japanese language study in elementary or junior high school might be studying with high school seniors in Level 3 and therefore would be eligible for the Level 3 team. The following rules about Japanese language education and experience govern eligibility: a. Students who are native speakers of Japanese or who use Japanese at home are not eligible to compete. b. Students who have spent more than a total of three months in Japan on a study or home- stay program or who have had significant exposure to Japanese language and culture outside the high school curriculum are not eligible to compete. (Significant exposure can include the presence of a native Japanese language speaker in the home, frequent or occasional trips to Japan, time spent in Japan, outside tutoring, summer camps, immersion programs, etc. For questions, please contact the Japan America Society of Chicago.) c. Participation is permitted at one level higher than the student's current high school level of Japanese studies, but is not permitted at any level lower than his/her current level. d. If a student participates in the Illinois Japan Bowl at one level higher than the one at which he/she is currently enrolled, that student will not be able to participate in a future Japan Bowl at the same or a lower level. e. Students taking the AP Japanese Language and Culture course are eligible to compete in the 2018 competition at Level 4. Team Formation Each school may send up to 3 teams to participate in the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl. All team members must be formally studying Japanese at the same high school. A team must consist of two or three students. Teams of one student are not allowed. The organizers of the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl strongly encourage schools to form teams of three students instead of two. Chaperones Each participating school must have at least one adult chaperone who is 21 years of age or older. Usually the students' Japanese language teacher serves as the chaperone, but there is no requirement that the chaperone should be the teacher. Chaperones are responsible for the well-being of her/his student(s) throughout the time that they are in participating in the Illinois Japan Bowl. At the time of registration on Saturday, March 10, 2018, all chaperones will be asked to present a valid government-issued photo ID such as driver's license or passport. If a chaperone is not present at registration or any of the rules about chaperones are not followed, the team will not be able to participate in the competition. COST & FEES Participation in the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl is free of charge. Box lunch and t-shirts will be available for students and chaperones only. Participants are responsible for providing their own transportation to/from the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl. APPLICATION Applications for the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl must be received no later than Monday, February 26, 2018. Applications should be submitted to Erika Kono at the Japan America Society of Chicago, either by fax (312-263-6120) or by email ([email protected]). Submission of Forms Misrepresentations and/or other irregularities on an application form which become apparent at the time of registration or during the competition may result in the disqualification of the student and possibly his/her team members. Depending on the severity of the infringement, the Organizers of the 2018 Illinois Japan Bowl may also prohibit the student(s) and possibly the entire team or school from participating in the competition in the following year. We therefore ask students, parents/guardians, and teachers to take an active role in the application process to ensure that there are no errors or misunderstandings. When in doubt, please contact Erika Kono at [email protected]. Upon receiving the Illinois Japan Bowl Application Form, the Organizers will screen all applications to determine each applicant's eligibility. The Organizers will send confirmation to the team’s representative via e-mail. ONSITE REGISTION Registration Procedures on March 10 Registration will be conducted from 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 10. Registration will take at Ratio Hall, 2nd Floor in the Wentz Science Center . Registration will be conducted by school, not by team. Therefore, all team members and chaperones from the school must be together at the time of registration. The chaperone(s) must present a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license or passport). Substitution of Students after Team Approval After teams have been notified of their acceptance and registration, substitutions will be permitted only if a student becomes ill or there is some other valid reason. All substitutes must meet the same eligibility requirements. Therefore, the required application forms for the proposed substitute must be submitted to the Organizers of the Illinois Japan Bowl for review.
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