Hachiko's Spirit of Leafa College Football Dynasty

[Hachiko]

Eriri Sawamura Spencer, the mother of Leafa Spirit HB Ledley Aki.​

Meet Ledley Aki: Tyler's Cousin Thrice Removed

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
November 14, 2073

Ledley Kazuya Aki is the fourth-string tailback for Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit gridiron team. The son of Eriri Sawamura Spencer and Tomoya Aki, Ledley, named after the late English footballer Ledley King, is also the cousin thrice removed of wide receiver Tyler Aki and hails from the same city as Tyler in Bendigo, Victoria. Despite being cousins, Ledley considers Tyler to be his big brother and they share the same dorm room with their significant others. They are also established doujin artists on campus and do occasional commissions, although they are not allowed to offer services due to NCAA regulations.

Eriri Sawamura Spencer and Tomoya Aki, Ledley Aki's parents.​

"I'm more close to Mum than Dad because Dad's a workaholic doing in-betweens and shading," said Ledley. "I like drawing a lot, and that's why I major in the fine arts. Tyler does drawings, too, but he prefers to do illustrations related to court scenes because he's a criminal justice major. Kanako's a great future big sister to me. She often tutors me and my wife, Umiko Houshou during study hall. Anyway, if I didn't meet Umiko back at Bendigo South East, my life would be boring.

Umiko Houshou, the wife of Ledley Aki.​

"Actually, even if I did meet my wife Umiko at South East, I needed to join a club. So I decided to try out for the gridiron team and I ended up earning a scholarship because Coach Harding liked my athleticism and field acumen. It was only a tryout; up until then, my gridiron experience was two-hand touch and flag. Now, I get to don pads and a helmet and run past would-be tacklers like what I see in the NFL. I live the dream.

"Mum was ecstatic when I told her that I would get to play gridiron. She heard about the sport a while back when she was in high school and she's a Chargers fan. So, if I do get my chance to play in the pros, I want to play for San Diego. I like the food there, really nice lifestyle, Los Angeles is up the road, and their fight song is catchy. Really though, Mum told me, 'Do what you want and have fun, but most of all, go get that degree because you need a Plan B. I really was hoping you would take up the soccer though.'

"What does Mum know anyway; I already have my plan B: I plan to become a professional manga artist and novelist. My parents ain't seen nothin' yet. Especially Dad. Because Dad knows best."

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[Hachiko]

Yomi Mutsuki, the wife of Leafa Spirit Gridiron's Graham Ryugazaki, and Fubuki Satomi, Aiden Satomi's wife. Mutsuki assisted on the lyrics for the Aiden Satomi-penned "Leafa, Heave Away" with three others.​

New Fight Song For Leafa Gridiron Released!

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
November 15, 2073

Originally written by Leafa Spirit punter Aiden Satomi '75 as an ode to his wife Fubuki, the song "Leafa, Heave Away" ended up bring enhanced through assistance from Yomi Mutsuki, the wife of Graham Ryugazaki '75; Akari Yuudachi, the wife of Jackson Kaburaki '75, Hikari Naka, the wife of Liam Oono '74; and Dennis Lehrer '73, the grandson of Clem "International Lampoon" Lehrer, who is a fourth-year student at Leafa at the time of writing and who pens music under the name "Universal Lampoon." The tune uses an old power ballad march called "Fubuki" or "Blizzard."

Hikari Naka, co-writer of "Leafa, Heave Away."​

"It was a no-brainer for us to enhance a song that was originally entitled 'The Great Australian Neckbeard,'" said Naka, striking a pose at a press conference at Tsuboi Centre. "We wanted to make this song a gridiron-team exclusive theme song and we did it. It was fun to add a little patter to the chorus and add some really strong in-your-face overtones to the lyrics. We're a confident team and we're built to make a dynasty of our own at this college."

Naka with Akari Yuudachi, co-writer of "Leafa, Heave Away" and wife of Jackson Kaburaki.​

"It's an exciting day to be a Spirit student-poi," said Yuudachi. "I wanted some punchy, excitable lyrics to the song because when Aiden gave the original lyrics to me, they were too perverted-poi. So we had to change course and this is what we got-poi. Maybe we overdid it a bit-poi?"

The new fight song, "Leafa, Heave Away," was approved as a school song by the LeafaCAS today and will debut at the Mountain West Championship Game in December at a special concert by Leafa Social Club if Leafa Gridiron qualifies to host it.

Heave away, heave away,
Leafa Town will win the day,
We're the greatest American football team
The world has ever seen,
We're proud to be living,
Be living the Australian dream,
Heave away!

Out there on the field Yunupingu,
You'll find the Leafa Gridiron Football Team. (yeah, yeah)
Our team is the pride of the nation,
We'll be the best the world has ever seen. (Uh huh...)
Raise your scarves and raise them high,
Swing them against the Southern Skies,
Watch them take the field to start the show,
Here we go!

Here we go, here we go,
Leafa Town will win the day,
We're the greatest American football team
The world has ever seen,
We're proud to be living,
Be living the Australian dream.
Green and Gold, Green and Gold,
Leafa Town is Green and Gold.
By morning, noon or night,
We're out to bring the fight,
And everyone will know the name of Leafa Town, all right,
Heave away!

We're ready to bring out the action,
We're gonna show you what we're all about. (yeah, yeah)
We're bringing the heat and the passion,
We're gonna make you want to scream and shout! (Uh huh...)
We'll be running up the score,
And then we'll run it up some more,
Hit you hard just like a bowling ball,
We'll take 'em all!

Take 'em all, take 'em all,
Leafa Town will watch you fall,
Cause we'll be the greatest powerhouse that
The world has ever seen,
We're proud to be living,
Be living the Australian dream.
Green and Gold, Green and Gold,
Leafa Town is Green and Gold.
By morning, noon or night,
We're out to bring the fight,
And everyone will know the name of Leafa Town, all right!

Since 2045 we've raised the bar real high.
A thousand years may pass
But all will know the name of Leafa Town,
Under the sunny Southern Skies.

Seven more, seven more, a pass and catch for seven more,
Another win, another win, this is where the dream begins.
Make a sack, make a pick, make a hit and make it stick,
Don't stop till we're done, number one!

Heave...a...way, heave away,
Leafa Town will win the day.
We're the greatest American football team
The world has ever seen,
We're proud to be living,
Be living the Australian dream,
Heave away, heave away,
Leafa Spirit all the way.
We're out to bring the fight,
The Green and Gold and White,
And all around the world will jump for Leafa Town tonight!
Heave away!
For Leafa Town, heave away!
HEY!

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[Hachiko]

San Diego State Limit Leafa College's Production But Still Lose

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
November 19, 2073

The San Diego State Spartans were the first team all season to limit Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron to under 100 points for the season. However, the Spirit prevailed nonetheless, 89-17, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif. Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 256 yards and four touchdowns while catching another pass for a score. Left outside linebacker Nick Mikisugi had nine tackles and four sacks to lead the Spirit defense.

Quarterback Cooper Kanie passed for 254 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 208 yards and two majors, halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 155 yards and a touchdown, and wide receiver Connor Yasaka had seven receptions and a major while leading in blocking as well as receiving with 20 pancakes.

Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura had 21 tackles, four for a loss and an interception. Right end Darren Kurokiba and left end Gary Acura each had two sacks. Three other players on defense also had a sack, while cornerback Daniel Tachibana also recorded an interception.

Leafa improve to 11-0 and continue their road trip with the regular season final next week against Fresno State.

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of the Gang-gang cockatoo

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
November 20, 2073

The gang-gang cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) is found in the cooler and wetter forests and woodlands of Australia, particularly alpine bushland. Mostly mild grey in colour with some lighter scalloping (more pronounced and buffy in females), the male has a red head and crest, while the female has a small fluffy grey crest. It ranges throughout south-eastern Australia. The gang-gang cockatoo is the faunal emblem of the Australian Capital Territory. It is easily identified by its distinctive call, which is described as resembling a creaky gate, or the sound of a cork being pulled from a wine bottle.

The name gang-gang comes from a New South Wales Aboriginal language, probably from one of the coastal languages, although possibly from Wiradjuri. It is probably an onomatopoeic name. Unlike most other cockatoos, gang-gangs nest in young, solid trees, the females using their strong beaks to excavate nesting cavities. Also breed in the canopy of most trees. They are sexually dichromatic.

The gang-gang cockatoo was most often allied with the white cockatoos of the genus Cacatua. This has always been controversial due to the unusual appearance and coloration of the bird, especially its sexual dichromatism. New research has finally resolved the matter, with the gang-gang cockatoo being recognized as a distinctive early offshoot of the calyptorhynchine (dark) cockatoos. Considering the robust phylogeny of the cockatoos now established, a comparison of characters gained and lost during the evolution of cockatoos suggests that the gang-gang cockatoo—while of course much changed and adapted during the perhaps 20 million years since its last common ancestor with any other living species lived—is probably still very similar in overall appearance to how the earliest cockatoos would have looked, and certainly the most primitive-looking of the species alive today.

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of the Royal Bluebell and Mount Hotham

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
November 21, 2073

Wahlenbergia gloriosa, commonly known as Royal Bluebell or Royal Bluebird, is an Australian wildflower from the Campanulaceae family. It grows in high rainfall areas in the Australian Alps, in environs ranging from shady roadside cuttings on Mount Hotham to full sun herbfields on the main range.

W. gloriosa has small dark green leaves in rosettes, to 2 cm. The flowers are a deep blue/purple colour, and are very eyecatching. The colour is not reproducible on a computer screen or normal film (being a shade of violet, rather than purple). It grows as a suckering herb. The flower is the floral emblem of the Australian Capital Territory. Wahlenbergias are generally easily propagated by division or root cutting.

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Mount Hotham is a mountain in the Victorian Alps of the Great Dividing Range, located in the Australian state of Victoria. The mountain is located approximately 357 kilometres (222 mi) north east of Melbourne, 746 kilometres (464 mi) from Sydney, and 997 kilometres (620 mi) from Adelaide by road. The nearest major road to mountain is the Great Alpine Road.

Mt Hotham's summit rises to an altitude of 1,862 metres (6,109 ft) AHD. Hotham Alpine Resort, a commercial ski resort, is located on the slopes of Mount Hotham and adjoining mountains.

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of the Australian Alps

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
November 22, 2073

The Australian Alps, an IBRA bioregion, is the highest mountain range in Australia. This range is located in southeastern Australia, and it straddles eastern Victoria, southeastern New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory. The Australian Alps contain Australia's only peaks exceeding 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in elevation above sea level. The Alps are the only bioregion on the Australian mainland in which deep snow falls annually.

The Australian Alps are part of the Great Dividing Range, the series of mountains, hills, and highlands that runs about 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) from northern Queensland, through New South Wales, and into the northern part of Victoria. This chain of highlands divides the drainage of the rivers that flow to the east into the Tasman Sea from those that flow west into the drainage of the Murray–Darling basin (and thence to the Southern Ocean) or into inland waters, such as Lake Eyre, which lie below sea level, or else evaporate rapidly. The Great Dividing Range reaches its greatest heights in the Australian Alps.

The Australian Alps consists of two biogeographic subregions: the Snowy Mountains including the Brindabella Ranges, located in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory; and the Victorian Alps, located in Victoria. The latter region is also known as the "High Country", particularly within a cultural or historical context.

The Australian Alps are important for conservation, recreation, and as a water drainage basin, with much of their eastern slopes having its runoff diverted artificially into the Murray River and its tributary the Murrumbidgee River through the civil engineering project of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

They are protected by large national parks, in particular the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales and the Alpine National Park in Victoria. These are managed cooperatively as Australian Alps National Parks by agencies of the Australian Government and the state governments of this region.

The Australian Alps also contain the only skiing areas of mainland Australia. Along with the town of Cabramurra, New South Wales, these are practically the only permanent settlements in the area. Several medium-sized towns can be found in the valleys below the foothills, such as Jindabyne, New South Wales, Corryong, Victoria, and Mount Beauty.

The Australian Alps are not as high or as steep as the Alps of Europe, the Southern Alps, or the Andes Mountains, and most of their peaks can be reached without using mountaineering equipment.

Within the Australian Alps there are about 120 active alpine huts that mostly date back to the early cattlemen's days, early skiing huts, and early research and surveying huts. Many of these have remained in use by fly fishers (seasonal), hikers and skiing groups throughout the year. Most of these huts are maintained by volunteers through the Kosciuszko Huts Association and the local National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Some of the more noteworthy huts include Moscow Villa Hut, Valentine Hut, Seaman's Hut and Mawsons Hut. In recent years many huts have been lost through lack of maintenance and bush fire - as occurred with the Pretty Plain Hut and Mount Franklin Chalet, which were destroyed by the Canberra bushfires of 2003.

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of the 2003 Canberra Bushfires, Part 1

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
November 23, 2073

The 2003 Canberra bushfires involved several deaths, over 490 injured, and caused severe damage to the outskirts of Canberra, the Australian capital city, during 18–22 January 2003. Almost 70% of the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) pastures, forests (pine plantations), and nature parks were severely damaged, and most of the renowned Mount Stromlo Observatory was destroyed. After burning for a week around the edges of the ACT, the fires entered the suburbs of Canberra on 18 January 2003. Over the next ten hours, four people died and more than 500 homes were destroyed or severely damaged, requiring a significant relief and reconstruction effort.

By the evening of 19 January, it was clear that the worst-hit suburb was Duffy, where 200+ residences were destroyed, and that four people had died: Alison Tener, 38, Peter Brooke, 74, and Douglas Fraser, 60, and Dorothy McGrath, 76, of the Mount Stromlo Forestry Settlement. The loss of life, damage to property, and destruction of forests to the west of the city caused not just economic loss but significant social impacts. Many people were affected by depression, particularly those who had lost their homes in the fires. The community questioned the lack of preparation for the fires and the total confusion at the time.

In the weeks after 18 January, the impact of the fires was studied in detail to determine how the damage had been done, and how to better work against such natural disasters in future. The Cities Project compiled information on as many as 431 damaged properties, stratified into the groups of "destroyed", "heavy damage", "medium damage", "light damage", and "superficial damage". This data was split by suburb to form a table which illustrated which areas had taken the most damage. The data allowed them to conclude that the high levels of "destroyed" property (91%) indicated the high speed with which the fire had moved. It was also concluded that once the establishments had caught fire, there was little chance of their being put out. In addition, the study showed that it was not only the fire which caused damage, but also the fierce winds recorded on the day, which were strong enough to uproot some small trees. It is believed that with the aid of this information, better policies and regulations have been formulated, which may help to reduce the destruction by future bushfires in Canberra, as well as in other locales.

Bushfires severely harmed the vegetation of the Cotter River Catchment and caused water quality problems in the three dams in the catchment: Corin, Bendora and Cotter Dams. For quite some time after the fires, turbidity in the water due to silt and ash from surrounding burnt-out forests meant Canberra had to rely on Googong Dam on the Queanbeyan River, which was not affected by the fires. Given the drought and existing water shortages, this effectively reduced Canberra's water reserves to around 15% for some time. An upgrade to the Stromlo Water Treatment Plant was subsequently required to allow extra filtration of water to cope with the diminished quality in the future.

As with any bushfire, the environment will take significant time to regenerate. Regeneration of vegetation was delayed by an ongoing drought in the region.

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of the 2003 Canberra Bushfires, Part 2

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
November 23, 2073

The ACT Government established the McLeod Inquiry to examine and report on the operational response to the bushfires. The Inquiry was headed by Ron McLeod, a former Commonwealth Ombudsman. The Inquiry handed down its findings on 1 August 2003.

The inquiry found that:

• The fires, started by lightning strikes, might have been contained, had they been attacked more aggressively in the 24 hours after they broke out. Large stretches of dry, drought-affected vegetation and weather conditions that were extremely conducive to fire meant that once the fires reached a certain size, they were very difficult to control.
• Management of fuel load in parks and adequate access to remote areas were both lacking.
• Emergency service personnel performed creditably, but they were overwhelmed by the intensity of the fires and the unexpected speed of their advance on 18 January.
• A comprehensive ACT Emergency Plan was in place at the time of the fire; it worked, particularly in recovery after the fires, in dealing with the large number of people who needed temporary shelter and assistance as a consequence of the fires.
• Inadequacies in the physical construction and layout of the Emergency Services Bureau centre in Curtin were a hindrance. The centre was unable to handle efficiently the large amount of data and communications traffic into and out of the centre at the height of the crisis.
• There were some equipment and resourcing deficiencies within the ACT's emergency service organisations.
• Information and advice given to the community about the progress of the fires, the seriousness of the threat, and the preparations the public should be making was seriously inadequate. There was also confusion as to whether homes had to be evacuated.
• The Inquiry recommended there should be increased emphasis given to controlled burning as a fuel-reduction strategy, access to and training of emergency personnel in remote areas needed to be improved and a number of changes be made to the emergency services and the policies that govern their operations, including a greater emphasis on provision of information to the public.

The Coroner's inquiry commenced in January 2003, and hearing officially opened on 16 June 2003. The Coroner's Court of the Australian Capital Territory conducted an inquiry into the cause, origin, and circumstances of the 2003 bushfires and inquests into the four deaths associated with those fires. The inquiry was under the provisions of the ACT Coroners Act 1997.

The inquiry was marked by controversy, and in February 2005 the ACT Supreme Court heard an application that the coroner be disqualified due to bias. The inquiry into the fires was on hold until August 2005, when the Full Bench of the Supreme Court delivered its decision, declaring that Coroner Maria Doogan should not be disqualified on the ground of a reasonable apprehension of bias. The inquiry reconvened on 17 August 2005.

After over 90 days of examining the evidence, the inquiry wrapped up on 25 October 2005. Although the inquiry was supposed to be completed in early 2006, submissions continued into mid-2006, with the Coroner delivering her findings, "The Canberra Firestorm", in December 2006.

On 18 January 2006, three years after the day of the bushfires, a bushfire memorial was opened on land which had been affected by the fires in Stromlo forest. The ACT Bushfire Memorial was commissioned by the ACT government to acknowledge the impact of the fires and thank the many organisations and individuals who played crucial roles in the fire fighting and recovery efforts.

The memorial was designed by Canberra artists Tess Horwitz, Tony Steel and Martyn Jolly and incorporates elements requested by the ACT community. It is a journey from the day of the fire, through the process of recovery, to the honouring of memory.

The entrance memorial walls are made from the community's salvaged bricks, which are inscribed with messages of grief and gratitude. Beyond the walls, a site framed by a grove of casuarinas contains red glass and metal forms, referring to the force of the firestorm and to the lightning strikes that sparked the main fires. An avenue leads to an amphitheatre enclosing a pond and bubbling spring. Glass columns bordering the pond contain details from photos provided by the community which speak of memory and human resilience.

On 18 February 2006, an independent group of fire victims installed a plaque to honour the four people who died in the fires and the volunteer firefighters who fought so hard. The plaque is located at the end of the walkway to the memorial, immediately before the memorial walls. Fire victims and residents held a simple ceremony to mark the occasion.

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of Mount Kosciuszko

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
November 24, 2073

Mount Kosciuszko is a mountain located in the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales. With a height of 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) above sea level, it is the highest mountain in Australia. It was named by the Polish explorer Paul Edmund Strzelecki in 1840, in honour of the Polish national hero and hero of the American Revolutionary War General Tadeusz Kościuszko, because of its perceived resemblance to the Kościuszko Mound in Kraków.

The name of the mountain was previously spelt "Mount Kosciusko", an Anglicisation, but the spelling "Mount Kosciuszko" was officially adopted in 1997 by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. The traditional English pronunciation of Kosciuszko is /kɒziːˈɒskoʊ/, but the pronunciation /kɒˈʃʊʃkoʊ/ is now sometimes used, which is substantially closer to the Polish pronunciation [kɔɕˈt͡ɕuʂkɔ] ( listen). There are several native Aboriginal (Ngarigo) names associated with the mountain, with some confusion as to the exact sounds. These are Jagungal, Jar-gan-gil, Tar-gan-gil, Tackingal, however all of them mean “Table Top Mountain.”

Various measurements of the peak originally called Kosciuszko showed it to be slightly lower than its neighbour, Mount Townsend. The names of the mountains were swapped by the New South Wales Lands Department, so that Mount Kosciuszko remains the name of the highest peak of Australia, and Mount Townsend ranks as second. The 1863 picture by Eugene von Guerard hanging in the National Gallery of Australia titled "Northeast view from the northern top of Mount Kosciusko" is actually from Mount Townsend. When considering all of Oceania as a continent, Mount Kosciuszko is overshadowed by Puncak Jaya in Papua, Indonesia, also called Carstensz Pyramid. Different versions of the Seven Summits climbing challenge depend on which is chosen to be the "Australia" peak.

Mount Kosciuszko is the highest summit in Australia. There is a road to Charlotte Pass, from which an 8-kilometre (5 mi) path leads to the summit. Anyone with a modest level of fitness can walk to the top. Until 1977 it was possible to drive through Rawson Pass to within a few metres of the summit. The walking track to Mount Kosciuszko from Charlotte Pass is in fact that road, which was closed to public motor vehicle access due to environmental concerns. This track is also used by cyclists as far as Rawson Pass, where they must leave their bicycles at a bicycle rack and continue onto the summit track on foot. The peak may also be approached from Thredbo, which is a shorter 6.5 kilometres (4 mi), taking 3 to 3.5 hours for a round trip. This straightforward walk is supported by a chairlift all-year round. From the top of the chairlift there is a raised mesh walkway to protect the native vegetation and prevent erosion.

Both tracks meet at Rawson Pass (2100m), from where it is about 1.6km to the summit. Australia's highest public toilet was built at this pass in 2007, to cope with the more than 100,000 people visiting the mountain each summer. The peak and the surrounding areas are snow-covered in winter and spring (usually beginning in June and continuing until October or later). The road from Charlotte Pass is marked by snow poles and provides a guide for cross-country skiers and the track from Thredbo is easily followed until covered by snow in winter.

Kosciuszko National Park is also the location of the downhill ski slopes closest to Canberra and Sydney, containing the Thredbo, Charlotte Pass, and Perisher Blue ski resorts. Mount Kosciuszko may have been ascended by Indigenous Australians long before the first recorded ascent by Europeans. Each year in December, an ultramarathon running race called the Coast to Kosciuszko ascends to the top of Mount Kosciuszko after starting at the coast 240 kilometres (150 mi) away. Paul Every, who is credited as being the one who thought of holding such a race, was the inaugural co-winner in 2004.

 

[Hachiko]

These Are The Nights That Never Die: Leafa Slaughter Fresno

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
November 26, 2073

It was not even close. Quarterback Cooper Kanie passed for 293 yards, ran for 328 more yards and scored 11 total touchdowns on offence as Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron slaughtered Roth Grundy's Fresno State Bulldogs, 153-27, at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, Calif. Left end Gary Acura recorded four sacks to lead a ferocious pass rush that also forced six turnovers and 21 points off turnovers.

Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 225 yards and three touchdowns while catching seven passes for 87 yards and two more majors, halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 106 yards and two more scores, wide receiver Mitch Kihara caught six passes for 124 yard and two majors and wideout Dayne Tsunashi led the team in blocking with 26 pancakes while Connor Yasaka added 20.

Free safety Jay Madanbashi and strong safety Lee Bongdal led the team in defence with 10 tackles. Defensive tackle Oscar Inui had three sacks, while middle linebacker Roy Hanamura, right outside linebacker David Hazuki and cornerback Dane Nanase each scored a defensive touchdown. Left end Sam Touzokuyama also had three sacks on the night.

Leafa improve to 12-0 on the season and will face the Boise State Broncos in the 2073 Mountain West Championship Game.

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique Of The National Capital Authority

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
November 28, 2073

The National Capital Authority (NCA) is a body of the Australian Government that was established to manage the Commonwealth's interest in the planning and development of Canberra as the capital city of Australia. The FCAC oversaw the construction of Canberra from 1921 to 1924 following the termination of the contract of architect Walter Burley Griffin. The Committee was chaired by Australian architect Sir John Sulman, and advised the Minister of Home Affairs on the Construction of Canberra and conducted a review of the Griffin Plan. The Committee proposed that development should take place in three stages:

• Stage one, which was to take three years, would see the transfer of Parliament and key administrative staff moved from Melbourne to Canberra.
• Stage two, also to take three years, would include the construction of railways in addition to other key buildings
• Stage three would create character and permanence in the capital.

The Committee was largely unsuccessful in achieving its aims, for example Parliament did not move to Canberra until 1927, and no permanent rail connection between Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne was ever completed. However Sulman was instrumental in developing the garden city aspects of Canberra, he declared that the development of Canberra should take the form of ‘a garden town, with simple, pleasing, but unpretentious buildings’. In 1924 the Committee was abolished due to the slow pace of development, it was replaced by the more successful Federal Capital Commission in 1925.

The FCC was formed to construct and administer Canberra from 1 January 1925. The Chief Commissioner of the body was Sir John Butters. The FCC was to prepare Canberra for the arrival of 1,100 civil servants and their families. During the first 2 years of FCC operation Parliament House, The Lodge, the Albert Hall, the Institute of Anatomy, and the Australian School of Forestry and an Observatory on Mount Stromlo were completed. The FCC also oversaw construction of the Sydney and Melbourne commercial buildings in the City and significant residential development. The FCC was disbanded on 1 May 1930 following the start of the great depression in 1929. Development after this point was not centrally planned until the establishment of the National Capital Planning and Development Committee in 1938.

Federal Capital Commission architects designed houses in the new city and public buildings using a mixture of elements from the Arts and Crafts movement, Mediterranean and Georgian styles. The result is known as the FCC style and is unique to Canberra. FCC style houses can be found in the suburbs of Barton, Braddon, Forrest and Reid. Sir John Sulman began the development of Federal Capital Architecture. Before emigrating to Australia in 1885, he had been a friend of William Morris and active in the Arts and Crafts movement. Other than Sulman's leadership, the influences on the architects employed by the Federal Capital Authority and Commission were reflecting the thinking after the peak of the nationalistic Australian Federation style and looking to America for inspiration and seeking to practically respond to the Australian climate.

By the time Canberra was being built, the popularity of the uniquely Australian Federation style architecture was waning. The architect William Hardy Wilson led the reaction against the ornateness of the Federation style and advocated adopting approaches from the United States. When Leslie Wilkinson arrived in Australia in 1918 to take up his position as the first Professor of Architecture at an Australian university, he reinforced Wilson's view and advocated building appropriately for the climate, suggesting the Spanish Mission style of architecture in California and Mexico as being an appropriate style for Australia. When Walter Burley Griffin arrived in 1913, there was interest in the Prairie Style of mid-western America with which Griffin was associated. The Classical revival style was popular in America, reflected in Beaux-Arts architecture. There was also interest in Classicism by English architects, including Edwin Lutyens, who was responsible for many of the public buildings in New Delhi built from 1912 to 1929 in the wake of the decision to replace Calcutta as the seat of the British Indian government.

The NCPDC was formed in 1938 to oversee the development of Canberra. The NCPDC was to advise the Minister of the Interior to safeguard the Griffin plan and maintain high aesthetic and architectural standards worthy of a National Capital. The Committee had no executive power, and was unable to direct development of the Capital. Dissatisfied with progress, the government established a Senate Select Committee in 1954 to inquire into Canberra's development. In 1958 it was replaced by the well funded and authoritative National Capital Development Commission. The NCDC was created to complete the establishment of Canberra as the seat of government. It was created in 1957 through the National Capital Development Commission Act 1957. Under the control of the NCDC Canberra grew from a population of 40,000 to 300,000. The NCDC was responsible for the development of Canberra's satellite cities; Woden Valley, Belconnen, Tuggeranong and Gungahlin. The NCDC also oversaw construction of Lake Burley Griffin and New Parliament House.

The NCDC had four Commissioners:

• Sir John Overall, Commissioner, 1958-1972
• W.C. Andrews, Commissioner, 1972-1974
• Tony Powell, Commissioner, 1974-1985
• Malcolm Latham, Commissioner, 1985-1989

The NCDC was advised by the National Capital Planning Committee which was chaired by the NCDC Commissioner and composed of six nominated representatives of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, the Institution of Engineers, Australia and the Royal Australian Planning Institute plus two other members with special knowledge and experience in cultural matters. The NCDC was abolished after the ACT (Self-Government) Act 1988, and most of its functions passed to the new ACT government and the National Capital Authority. The National Capital Authority was established in 1989 when the Australian Capital Territory was granted self-government. The Authority consists of a Chairman and four other members, all members are appointed by the Governor-General. Under the Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988, the NCA has the authority to prepare and administer a National Capital Plan.

 

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The Mystique of Walter Burley Griffin

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
December 5, 2073

Walter Burley Griffin (November 24, 1876 – February 11, 1937) was an American architect and landscape architect. He is known for designing Canberra, Australia's capital city. He has been credited with the development of the L-shaped floor plan, the carport and an innovative use of reinforced concrete. Influenced by the Chicago-based Prairie School, Griffin developed a unique modern style. He worked in partnership with his wife Marion Mahony Griffin. In 28 years they designed over 350 buildings, landscape and urban-design projects as well as designing construction materials, interiors, furniture and other household items.

In April 1911 the Australian Government held an international competition to produce a design for Canberra, its new capital city. Griffin produced a design with impressive renderings of the plan produced by his wife. They first heard about the competition in July, while on honeymoon, and worked feverishly to prepare the plans. On May 23, 1912, Griffin's design was selected as the winner from among 137 entries. This created significant press coverage at the time and brought him professional and public recognition. Of his plan, he famously remarked:

"I have planned a city that is not like any other in the world. I have planned it not in a way that I expected any government authorities in the world would accept. I have planned an ideal city – a city that meets my ideal of the city of the future."​

In 1913 he was invited to Australia to inspect the site. He left Marion in charge of the practice and travelled to Australia in July. His letters reveal his appreciation for the Australian landscape. Griffin and his wife Marion joined the Naturalists’ Society of New South Wales in 1914, where they enjoyed joined organised bush walks and field studies. The Society facilitated their contact with the Australian scientific community, especially botanists. This appreciation for Australia flora was reflected in Griffin's 1914 town plan for Leeton in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, and later in a design for Melbourne's Newman College. He also utilised Australian flora botanical names as places names for suburbs and streets in Canberra, such as Grevillea Park, Telopea Park, Clienthus Circle and Blandfordia.

Griffin was offered the position of head of the department of architecture at the University of Illinois. At the same time he was negotiating a three-year contract with the Australian Government to remain in Australia and oversee the implementation of his plan, which he felt had already been compromised. He was appointed the Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction. In this role, Griffin oversaw the design of North and South Canberra, though he struggled with political and bureaucratic obstacles. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Griffin was under pressure to reduce the scope and scale of his plans due to the Government diverting funds towards the war effort. Several parts of his basic design underwent change. Plans to create Westbourne, Southbourne and Eastbourne Avenues to complement Canberra's Northbourne Avenue were eliminated, as did a proposed railway connecting South Canberra to North Canberra, and then in a northwesterly direction to Yass. A market area that would have been at Russell Hill in North Canberra was moved south to what is now Fyshwick, next to South Canberra.

The pace of building was slower than expected, partly because of a lack of funds and partly because of a dispute between Griffin and Federal government bureaucrats. Many of Griffin's design ideas were attacked by both the architectural profession and the press. In 1917 a Royal Commission determined that they had undermined Griffin's authority by supplying him with false data which he had used to carry out his work. Ultimately, Griffin resigned from the Canberra design project in December 1920 when he discovered that several of these bureaucrats had been appointed to an agency that would oversee Canberra's construction. The Commonwealth Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Hughes had removed Griffin as director of construction at Canberra after disagreements over his supervisory role, and in 1921 created the Federal Capital Advisory Committee, with John Sulman as chair. Griffin was offered membership, but declined and withdrew from further activity in Canberra.

Griffin designed several buildings for Canberra, none of which were built. The grave of General Bridges on Mount Pleasant was the only permanent structure designed by Griffin to be built in Canberra. Aside from the city's design, his longest-living legacy is the forest of Redwood trees (both Sequoia sempervirens and Sequoiadendron giganteum) planted in 1918 by Walter Burley Griffin and arborist Thomas Charles Weston on Pialligo, ACT on Pialligo Avenue between Canberra and Queanbeyan.

Griffin was largely under-appreciated during his time in Australia, but since his death there has been a growing recognition of his work. In 1964 when Canberra finally got its central lake (as Griffin had intended), Prime Minister Robert Menzies declined to have the lake named after himself, and he instead named it Lake Burley Griffin, and this became the first monument in Canberra dedicated to the city's designer ("Burley" was included in the name because of the misconception that it was part of the Griffin's surname). Architectural drawings and other archival materials by and about the Griffins are held by numerous institutions in the United States, including the Drawings and Archives Department of Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University; the Block Gallery at Northwestern University; the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries at the Art Institute of Chicago; and the New York Historical Society, as well as in several repositories in Australia, including the National Library of Australia, National Archives of Australia, and the Newman College Archives of the University of Melbourne. At the centenary of the Griffins' design work for Canberra, some believe they are owed a permanent memorial. Leafa College commissioned a memorial dedicated to the Griffins in 2062 and it is now part of Leafa Square.

 

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Debut Album From Leafa Social Club Out!

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
December 6, 2073

The Leafa Social Club is a glee club/social club composed of a number of select Leafa College students from across campus. With each passing year, the makeup of the group changes due to graduation and enrollment of first-years. Membership is offered at the discretion of the Sleeping Knights, who select members based on musicianship and commitment potential to the group.

The name Leafa Social Club was inspired by an old 1980's musical group called TImex Social Club. Its debut album is called "The Canberra Sound" and features the college's newest fight song and No. 1 hit on the ARIA charts, "Leafa, Heave Away!" Hikari Naka is one of the lead singers for LSC and arranged a number of covers on this album, which is primarily composed of covers.

"Our group goes back to the college's founding in 2045, but we never recorded an album until this year. So we have a lot of catching up to do," said Naka in an interview with Spirit News. "But we liked what we decided to cover. Our interpretation of our city's sound is cosmopolitan, easy to listen, a party. That makes people happy, that makes people feel special. That's why we decided to produce this album."

"The Canberra Sound" is out on iTunes for $9.99 AUS.

Track List

1. Leafa, Heave Away! (#1 ARIA)
2. My Happiness
3. Geronimo (#14 ARIA)
4. Waiting For The Sun
5. Woman
6. Secret
7. We Live
8. Show Me Love
9. Wrecking Ball
10. Loud Like Love
11. My Type
12. What About My Dreams? (#1 ARIA)
13. Ashes
14. Black Widow
15. Am I Wrong?
16. Little Talks
17. Same Heart (#24 ARIA)
18. Children Of The Universe
19. Rainmaker
20. Latch (With Leafa College Spirit Pep Band)
Bonus Track: We're The Spirit (Live, Homecoming 2073)

 

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Leafa College Win Second Straight Mountain West Championship

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
December 10, 2073

Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron defeated the Boise State Broncos, 101-24, in the 2073 Mountain West American Football Championship Game at Yunipingu Field in Canberra, ACT. Quarterback Cooper Kanie put himself as a presumptive favorite to defend his Heisman, passing for 153 yards, rushing for 240 yards and scoring four total touchdowns on offence. Left end Sam Touzokuyama earned defencive game MVP honours for six tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 232 yards and two touchdowns, backup quarterback Jack Mikoshiba ran for 232 more yards and two more scores, and wide receiver Dayne Tsunashi caught four passes for 86 yards. Tsunashi and Yasaka led the blockers on offence with 15 pancakes. Mikoshiba also passed for 128 yards and two more scores.

Strong safety Lee Bongdal and middle linebacker Roy Hanamura each had 15 tackles, while Hanamura added two sacks. Defensive tackle Oscar Inui also had three sacks, while cornerback Vic Tsuchimikado returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdowns. Three other players on defense also recorded two sacks.

Leafa improve to 13-0 and will await their opponent for the 2074 BCS International Championship Game. The projected opponent, according to Sportsbet.com.au, is the Stanford University Cardinal.

 

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Nozomi Moritomo, the wife of Leafa Spirit WR Dayne Tsunashi.​

Australia's interpretation of The Best "a breath of fresh air": Nozomi Moritomo

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
December 20, 2073

Nozomi Moritomo, a former Rolling Girl and a proud owner of a motorcycle, is the wife of Leafa Spirit wide receiver Dayne Tsunashi. After a number of years ensuring the stability of Japan as a youth, Moritomo emigrated to Australia to experience a new definition of "The Best." There, she met Tsunashi in Townsville, Queensland, and it was lover at first sight.

"I didn't know what to expect when I was emigrating to Australia to start a new beginning for myself, but when I met Dayne, I knew that this would be something I would remember for the rest of my life," Moritomo said in an interview at her dorm room. Outside, the motorcyle that she and Dayne share is glistening, an exact replica of the same vehicle she used to own with her old friend, Masami Utoku.
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"Australia's interpretation of The Best is a breath of fresh air. It's different and it makes you want a piece of it. Everyone is willing to help each other, to stand with one another, to be in solidarity. You don't see a lot of wars or conflict like what happened centuries ago with colonialism. The people are really progressive, really optomistic, really friendly. You can have a beer with these mates and you won't feel bad about it, even though I can't drink yet.

"Dayne is a man of men, let me tell you. He always knows what's on my mind and works with me so that there aren't any issues. I realized that I needed a man in my life, so I decided if we traveled across every state and territory, I would marry him. We did so several months ago, in the winter, and we've been married since September.

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"Dayne loves motorcycling. He doesn't like to deal with those outlaw motorcycle clubs, who he called bikie gangs, and lets them do what they want. They know who he is and they just ride on. He's good friends with the Banditos but because we're students, he has no plans on joining them. There isn't any hard feeling towards those bikie gangs and us because they support our gridiron team. Some of them even donate to the college for philanthropic purposes so it doesn't look like they are on the wrong side of the law. That's how you cover your tracks.

"I got to see a lot of Australia, going around the continent and even going up and down from Darwin to Adelaide, passing by Uluru and Kata Tjuta. I met so many friends, told them my stories, and I realized that on my twitter, I got a lot of supporters from across the country. So today, I have decided that I will begin the long process towards becoming a citizen here. They tell me it won't be easy, but I want to prove everybody wrong.

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"I sometimes talk over long distance or online with Yukina, Ai, Masami, Chiaya, Kuniko, Yukari, Haruka, Aki, Tomoki and others about my adventures in Australia. They're sad that I decided to become a citizen of the country but at the same time, they're happy that I am now with the Best, in this case, the Best College in Australia, and, with all respect to the others, the best city in Australia. It's the capital of Australia! I wouldn't want to be caught dead anywhere else! I love Dayne and I love it here down under!"

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Back-To-Back Champions: Leafa Wear Down Stanford In BCS Championship

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
January 9, 2074

At the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Dan Harding's Leafa College Gridiron rolled past the Stanford Cardinal, 118-23 in the 2074 BCS International Championship Game. Quarterback Cooper Kanie had a rough day throwing the ball, throwing for 196 yards and three interceptions, but he also threw three touchdowns and ran for 771 yards and eight more scores. Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura made 15 tackles and three interceptions to pace the Leafa Spirit defense.

"What a season for the boys," said Coach Harding after the game. "We worked it out, overcame the mistakes and wore out those guys from Palo Alto. They did make a few plays on us so they were a good team. But in the second half, we wore them down and came in on them, overwhelming them to the finish.

"I'm just at a loss for words. These guys are outstanding warriors. They are the reason why American football is a thing out in Australia. We're gonna have another big party down Commonwealth Avenue and I want the whole country to come see us. We did this for them!"

Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 223 yards and two scores, halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 51 yards and two majors, wide receiver Connor Yasaka ran for 51 yards and two major scores, and both he and wideout Dayne Tsunashi led in blocks with six pancakes. Strong safety Lee Bongdal had 20 tackles and two interceptions, cornerback Vic Tsuchimikado had nine tackles and two picks, and left end Sam Touzokuyama had three sacks on the night.

Leafa finish the season with another perfect 14-0 record.

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2073 STATS

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Records Fall Down At Leafa College

By Satsuki Ranjou
Spirit News
January 11, 2074

As the Leafa College Spirit Gridiron Team returned to a hero's welcome at Canberra Airport in Canberra, ACT, a number of records fell along the way. Coach Dan Harding is now 28-0 this season and may see some turnover among his staff, as well as his players. The Spirit defeated the Stanford Cardinal, 118-23, in the 2074 BCS International Championship Game in Pasadena, Calif.

"This season is not possible without your entire support," said Coach Harding on the steps of Parliament Hill at the victory rally, attended by about 50,000 people. "We made this happen, and now we are back-to-back champions of the gridiron. No university or college in Australia has done what we have done, and we're going to do it all over again next year! Thank you everybody!"

Cooper Kanie
Individual Career - Rushing TD 155
Individual Career - Rushing Yds 9110
School Career - Passing TD (Career) 65
School Career - Rushing TD (Career) 155
School Career -- Rushing Yds (Career) 9110 Yds

Sam Touzokuyama
Individual Career - Sacks 65
School Career - Sacks (Career) 65

Billy Ooji
School Career - Interceptions (Career) 25

 

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Dan Harding Signs Contract Extension

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
January 12, 2074

Leafa College Spirit Gridiron Head Coach has been given his first-ever contract extension. Coach Harding's contract will now last through the 2077 college football season, and the salary is worth $30 million AUS, making him one of the most well paid coaches in all of sport. Extensive endowments and contributions, as well as television revenue from its extensive network of broadcasters helped contribute to the contract extension.

"We are excited to announce that Coach Dan Harding will continue his career here at Leafa College," said Leafa athletic director Erika Yano. "In his two seasons building this program, we've hit massive heights and helped establish Australia's rise as a relavant power in American football. We hope that our football program will help develop the next generation of players in this country and foster this growing sport around the world."

In other news, there has been talk that offensive coordinator Allan MacInnis and defensive coordinator Archer Rampe will be moving to North America to continue their coaching careers. Developments on this story will take place later this month. A press conference is scheduled next week at Tsuboi Centre addressing the inevitable changes that could take place not only with the coaches but also with the players, as some are eligible to declare for the upcoming NFL Draft, while a few may be taking a chance at risking their standing in the Leafa community by transferring, which is allowed under NCAA rules but results in an automatic expulsion from the program.

 

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EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT: Dan Harding With Some Surprising News

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
January 19, 2074

A massive convoy of press members were at Tsuboi Centre on the campus of Leafa College, awaiting the arrival of Coach Dan Harding of the gridiron team. Some were worried amongst themselves that a few players dared to risk their standing in the Leafa Community and in turn, the Mitakihara Family. Others were wondering about the coaches, and were hoping that no coaching change was necessary.

Finally, after 10 minutes of chatting amongst themselves, Coach Harding arrived, wearing a school-issued polo, slacks and sweater vest. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," Coach Harding said. "I want to start out with the bad news regarding the changes to our program. We will be having new coordinators for the new season in August. Our outgoing offensive coordinator, Allan MacInnis, has accepted the head coaching job at Minnesota, while our outgoing defensive coordinator, Archer Rampe, will be taking over at Missouri. Both of them will be introduced as head coaches next week over in the States.

"At the same time, we are announcing that Sean Haskins, our running backs coach, has been named our new offensive coordinator, while our new defensive coordinator is our former linebackers coach, Darren Jetta. A Canadian, former Mitakihara running back Shannon Wright, is now our new running back coach, while a former linebacker for the Magi, Derek Williams, is now our new linebackers coach. A former defensive lineman for the Magi, A.J. Freeman, is also our graduate assistant for this year.

"That's the shuffling of our coaching staff. Now, for the good news. Are you ready?" They were, After a pause. "Our players are staying put." A massive roar and applause could be heard across the centre, as well as whistles and even a few press members hugging each other. "No one entered my office yesterday asking to sit down with me about their future with the team, and when I headed to Houraisan to talk with the players they all said they wanted to stay.

"I can attest this loyalty to Teary Lightning ripping me and the players for the massive letdown last January, and I excited to know that we are returning just about everyone. We just need to restock at some positions, but otherwise, we're going to have our strongest team yet. When I rotated some players and got them ample playing time, it really made them happy and they didn't want to leave. And that's the important thing: loyalty is a rule at Leafa. To leave out of selfishness is not the Leafa way, but at the same time, it's on me to ensure that I do what I can to make our players happy to be playing for the Best College Football Team In All Of College Football. And yes, I can say that because the Magi are not performing as well in FCS and that's a notch below anyway.

"So, that is the update from us, and I will take questions in the other room. Thank you everybody!" As the press followed Coach Harding, Coach Jetta and Coach Haskins into the smaller room to field questions, the future of Leafa Gridiron seemed brighter than ever, knowing that stability has finally been secured.

 

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Spirit Gridiron Coaching Staff (2074)
Head Coach: Dan Harding
Offensive Coord.: Sean Haskins
Quarterbacks: Haruki Takayama
Running Backs: Shannon Wright
Receivers: D.A. McGraw
Offensive Line: Robert Irons
Defensive Coordinator: Darren Jetta
Defensive Line: Gil Tavares
Linebackers: Derek Williams
Secondary: Spencer Alcasid
Special Teams: Yu Shun-Lee
Graduate Assistant: A.J. Freeman
Team Doctor: Fuka Toyokawa, MD
Recruiting Coordinator: Haru Onodera
Athletic Director: Erika Yano

Chancellor: Hozuki Ferrari
Vice-Chancellor: Aoi Miyamori
Provosts: Erika Chiba (Mitakihara),
Kyouko Sonan (Leafa College),
Kiriko Kiyuna (Japan Campus),
Likantz Seaberry
(Mitakihara-Squamish)
Visitor: Sir Daniel Woo, Administrator,
Australian Capital Territory

 

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Kumiko Oumae, the new Co-Director of Band for Leafa College alongside Shuuichi Tsukamoto.​

Kumiko Oumae and Shuuichi Tsukamoto named new Leafa Co-Directors of Band

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
January 24, 2074

Kumiko Oumae was not the likeliest of successors to follow Dr. Rumiko "Ruth" Hatanaka. But Oumae, a member of the Leafa Class of 2073 alongside Shuuichi Tsukamoto and a skilled euphonium player, was named a Co-Director of the Band as Dr. Hatanaka has been named as the new Director of Bands, and in turn, the helm of the Marching Ultimates, at the main campus in Mitakihara, Canada. When asked of the news, Oumae was a mix of excited...and focused.

"When I first came to Australia with Shuuichi after marrying him and graduating from Kitauji High School in the Kansai, I didn't think I would meet a cousin of Ms. Taki," she said. "I told her at my first band camp who I was and Dr. Hatanaka said, 'Oh, you must know Ms. Taki, I'm her cousin. We incorporate a lot of fun but at the same time, our discipline and focus and professionalism has made us well known out here. I see something in you and Shuuichi that I don't see in any other first year.'

"Then Shuuichi told me, "What's our new adviser gonna do to us?' She then said as we headed to her office, 'Look at all the awards we've received for our performances domestically and in Germany. We're well-traveled, but we like to perform at athletic events. We do a lot of marching but we are the first marching band to incorporate guitars, a gong, and part of our orchestra.' And then she told me, 'I'm going to make both of you my personal assistants in arranging music and helping direct players and fostering accountability in our band.'

"I asked Dr. Hatanaka, 'is there some meaning behind this?' It was 2070 at the time. She told me, 'When the time comes, I'll tell you.' So December of 2073 came, and before we took the flight to California, Dr. Hatanaka pulled me and Shuuichi over and said, 'remember when I told you that I would explain why you are doing this role at my assistants?' I said, 'Yes, yes I do.' She said, 'You will be my successors and you will be the new Co-Directors of the Band. It will be a massive responsibility, but you treat your role on the Spirit Pep Band as a job. I think it's time your received your dues for make my job a whole lot easier. I have accepted a position as the Director of Bands at Mitakihara University.'

"I said, 'Our big sister, right?' She said, "Correct. I will be leading the Marching Ultimates starting next July.' I was in tears but I was so happy for her and Shuuichi. All our hard work paid off and now I get to be in charge and actually work a real job as part of the faculty. And we even get to begin a long path to becoming recipients of Master of Fine Arts degrees. Leafa College has been good to me and my husband. We're going to do the best we can and represent this college well and we plan to be citizens of Australia, too. I know enough English to speak it as if I've been here all my life. It's a great place for both of us."

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Utaha Kasumigaoka and Megumi Katou,
the parents of Leafa QB recruits Kaz Kasumigaoka and Shae Katou-Aki.​

Ledley's Younger Cousins: the new Spirit gunslingers?

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
July 12, 2074

As the 2074 college football season awaits Australia and the world (and of course North America), two cousins of sophomore Ledley Aki are looking to perhaps get a chance to follow their de facto big brother to the promised land in Leafa College. Their names: Kazuya "Kaz" Kasumigaoka and Shunsuke "Shae" Katou-Aki. Kaz and Shae spent 10 years of their young lives in Marseille, the South of France and Barcelona, Spain studying music mashups and European house, techno and happy hardcore music before moving to Bendigo, Victoria, where Ledley and Tyler Aki lived. Kaz is the son of Utaha Kasumigaoka while Shae is the son of Megumi Katou. Both are also sons of Tomoya Aki.

Utaha and Megumi with Eriri Sawamura Spencer, Ledley Aki's mother.​

"We decided not to follow our parents in developing games and software and doujins for a career playing music and gridiron," Shae said. "We're inspired by artists like Disclosure, Avicii, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Darude, Tiesto, the type of dance music that my mom likes to listen to as well as Kaz's mom."

"We often do mashups by request and we've done a few house parties in secondary school," said Kaz. "But we're also quite athletic. We like throwing the ball a lot. A lot. We love it reaches a receiver and he is in a race he will win. Or when I option, and I keep it myself and I elude everybody with my speed...it's an appetite for success in sports and music that is in my blood, in Shae's blood, in Led's blood and in Ty's blood."

"When Ledley told us that he was doing great over at Leafa," said Shae, "we knew we had to watch and see how the whole process goes because it's not something you see very often: a high-octane spread option with no huddle wearing down an opponent like a tank overrunning a poorly-prepared army of peasants. It's fascinating. It's kind of similar to the offence we play here in Bendigo. It's common to see a lot of athletic talent across the country because a lot of schools these days are investing in American football."

"We want to commit to Leafa but we also need to weigh our other options, so we're not gonna rush," Kaz said. "Kaz and I are in our final year of secondary school, and we're sharing time under center. We form all the depth all the team needs at the position. We know the playbook, the sequence, all that stuff. Our heart wants us to follow Led and join him up the road, but other schools want us and we're just going to enjoy our final year and make our moms proud because they deserve it after we experienced a decade of everything in Europe."

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Leafa Opens Up 2074 With Rout Of Central Michigan

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
August 26, 2074

A victorious Leafa College Spirit Gridiron locker room at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Mich. was playing reggaeton mashups as Dan Harding's victorious Spirit players danced after a 121-17 rout of the Central Michigan Chippewas. Former Leafa offensive lineman Herman Wallwork surrendered four sacks as the pass rush made the so-called "traitor" pay for his lack of loyalty to the Spirit. Quarterback Cooper Kanie passed for 160 yards while rushing for 576 yards and eight total yards on offence. Cornerback Luca Mizushima recorded eight tackles and two interceptions to pace the defence.

Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 294 yards and four scores, halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 124 yards and three majors, wide receiver Xavier Kim caught three passes for 53 yards and a touchdown and wideout Dayne Tsunashi led in blocking with 24 pancakes. Kim added 15.

On defense, middle linebacker Roy Hanamura recorded 20 tackles, while left outside linebacker Leo Tatsumi added 12 and a sack. Right end Lewis Sakishima recorded three sacks on the day while defensive tackle Levi Iori had two. Strong safety Lee Bongdal also had an interception while cornerback Billy Ooji had four tackles for loss to go with nine total on the day.

Leafa improve to 1-0 and return to action next week against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

 

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"Reggaeton And Caribbean Music Is A Thing In Canberra": Cooper Kanie

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
August 29, 2074

Leafa Spirit quarterback Cooper Kanie is a fan of reggaeton music and reggaeton mashups, indicative of the laid-back, easy, sensual hipster ambiance at Leafa College. He has an extensive collection of reggaeton music from the last 70 years and is an aficionado of an old Don Omar standard, "Danza Kuduro." He has done a number of mashups and also arranged a rendition of the song for the Leafa Spirit Pep Band, his only musical contribution to the college to date.

"Dad's been in contact with me while I've been here in Canberra," said Cooper, referring to his father Seiya. "He's especially happy that reggaeton music is really popular in Australia, especially during the spring and summertime. It's, of course, fall and winter in Japan at this time. But he loves reggaeton music like me because it reminds him of sunny beaches, eloping with my mom Isuzu (Sento) and my godmother Tifa {(Latifa Fleuranza), and just taking a break from maintaining an amusement park. Reggaeton and Caribbean music is a thing in Canberra, but we love every type of music that the world gives us.

"I have no plans to help dad in the business because I want to make a massive living as a quarterback and become a lifelong student of the game before I use part of my fortune to help my parents run the place. Dad and Mom always tell me to keep my options open and if all else fails, you got us at the Amagi Brilliant Park.

"And my wife Yuuna (Yuuki) also wants me to pursue a career as a gridiron player. She wants to even be a cheerleader if she can. I told Yuuna, 'you need to finish your studies and get ready for a job in the real world. Maybe you can even join my father's business as an assistant because you love to entertain people.' She agreed and that became our goal for this year because we're going to graduate this semester and walk. It's going to be a long road having to graduate from Leafa, but it's a great day to be part of something magical.

"And yes, I plan to bring the reggaeton and Caribbean music while I'm at it."

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Leafa Gridiron Overpower Ohio State On The Road

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
September 2, 2074

Fourth-year quarterback Cooper Kanie passed for 413 yards, rushed for 421 yards and scored nine touchdowns on offence as Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron Team routed the Ohio State Buckeyes 124-24 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Defensive tackle Levi Iori was a menace on the pass rush, recording seven tackles and three sacks.

Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 202 yards and two touchdowns, halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 130 yards and a major, wide receiver Dayne Tsunashi caught four passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, and wideout Mitch Kihara led the team in blocking with 15 pancakes. Kihara also had two receptions for 63 yards and a major score while Tsunashi had 14 pancakes.

Outside linebacker David Hazuki, cornerback Sebastian Kamiya and cornerback Vic Tsuchimikado all scored touchdowns off turnovers. Left end Sam Touzokuyama recorded two sacks while cornerback Billy Ooji and free safety Connor Togashi added an interception apiece.

Leafa improve to 2-0 and will take the next two weeks off before resuming action on the road on Sept. 22 against the Wyoming Cowboys.

 

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The Mystique Of The Sydney Opera House

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
September 5, 2074

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the facility is adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the Royal Botanic Gardens, between Sydney and Farm Coves.

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the facility formally opened on 20 October 1973after a gestation beginning with Utzon's 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. The NSW Government, led by Premier Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958, with Utzon directing construction. The government's decision to build Utzon's design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost and scheduling overruns as well as the architect's ultimate resignation.

Though its name suggests a single venue, the project comprises multiple performance venues which together are among the busiest performing arts centres in the world — hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people. The venues produce and present a wide range of in-house productions and accommodate numerous performing arts companies, including four key resident companies: Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. As one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, more than seven million people visit the site each year, with 300,000 people participating annually in a guided tour of the facility.

Identified as one of the 20th century's most distinctive buildings and one of the most famous performing arts centres in the world, the facility is managed by the Sydney Opera House Trust, under the auspices of the New South Wales Ministry of the Arts. The Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007.

The facility features a modern expressionist design, with a series of large precast concrete "shells", each composed of sections of a sphere of 75.2 metres (246 ft 8.6 in) radius, forming the roofs of the structure, set on a monumental podium. The building covers 1.8 hectares (4.4 acres) of land and is 183 m (600 ft) long and 120 m (394 ft) wide at its widest point. It is supported on 588 concrete piers sunk as much as 25 m (82 ft) below sea level.

Although the roof structures are commonly referred to as "shells" (as in this article), they are precast concrete panels supported by precast concrete ribs, not shells in a strictly structural sense. Though the shells appear uniformly white from a distance, they actually feature a subtle chevron pattern composed of 1,056,006 tiles in two colours: glossy white as well as matte cream. The tiles were manufactured by the Swedish company Höganäs AB which generally produced stoneware tiles for the paper-mill industry.

Apart from the tile of the shells and the glass curtain walls of the foyer spaces, the building's exterior is largely clad with aggregate panels composed of pink granite quarried at Tarana. Significant interior surface treatments also include off-form concrete, Australian white birch plywood supplied from Wauchope in northern New South Wales, and brush box glulam.

Of the two larger spaces, the Concert Hall is in the western group of shells, the Joan Sutherland Theatre in the eastern group. The scale of the shells was chosen to reflect the internal height requirements, with low entrance spaces, rising over the seating areas up to the high stage towers. The smaller venues (the Drama Theatre, the Playhouse, and The Studio) are within the podium, beneath the Concert Hall. A smaller group of shells set to the western side of the Monumental Steps houses the Bennelong Restaurant. The podium is surrounded by substantial open public spaces, and the large stone-paved forecourt area with the adjacent monumental steps is regularly used as a performance space.

It houses the following performance venues:

• The Concert Hall, with 2,679 seats, the home of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and used by a large number of other concert presenters. It contains the Sydney Opera House Grand Organ, the largest mechanical tracker action organ in the world, with over 10,000 pipes.
• The Joan Sutherland Theatre, a proscenium theatre with 1,507 seats, the Sydney home of Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet. Until 16 October 2012 it was known as the Opera Theatre.
• The Drama Theatre, a proscenium theatre with 544 seats, used by the Sydney Theatre Company and other dance and theatrical presenters.
• The Playhouse, an end-stage theatre with 398 seats.
• The Studio, a flexible space with a maximum capacity of 400, depending on configuration.
• The Utzon Room, a small multi-purpose venue, seating up to 210.
• The Forecourt, a flexible open-air venue with a wide range of configuration options, including the possibility of utilising the Monumental Steps as audience seating, used for a range of community events and major outdoor performances. It also includes a new entrance tunnel to a rebuilt loading dock for the Joan Sutherland Theatre.

Other areas (for example the northern and western foyers) are also used for performances on an occasional basis. Venues are also used for conferences, ceremonies and social functions.

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique Of The Sydney Harbour Bridge

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
September 12, 2074

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district (CBD) and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of Sydney, and Australia. The bridge is nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its arch-based design. Furthermore, the bridge is ubiquitously known to Sydneysiders simply as "the Bridge".

Under the direction of Dr J.J.C. Bradfield of the NSW Department of Public Works, the bridge was designed and built by British firm Dorman Long and Co Ltd of Middlesbrough and opened in 1932. The bridge's design was influenced by the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City. It is the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world and the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 m (440 ft) from top to water level. It was also the world's widest long-span bridge, at 48.8 m (160 ft) wide, until construction of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver was completed in 2012.

The southern (CBD) end of the bridge is located at Millers Point in The Rocks area, and the northern end at Milsons Point in the lower North Shore area. There are six original lanes of road traffic through the main roadway, plus an additional two lanes of road traffic on its eastern side, using lanes that were formerly tram tracks. Adjacent to the road traffic, a path for pedestrian use runs along the eastern side of the bridge, whilst a dedicated path for bicycle use only runs along the western side. Finally, between the main roadway and the western bicycle path are two lanes used for railway tracks, servicing the T1 North Shore Line for Sydney Trains. The main roadway across the bridge is known as the Bradfield Highway and is about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) long, making it one of the shortest highways in Australia.

Even during its construction, the bridge was such a prominent feature of Sydney that it would attract tourist interest. One of the ongoing tourist attractions of the bridge has been the south-east pylon, which is accessed via the pedestrian walkway across the bridge, and then a climb to the top of the pylon of about 200 steps.

Not long after the bridge's opening, commencing in 1934, Archer Whitford first converted this pylon into a tourist destination. He installed a number of attractions, including a café, a camera obscura, an Aboriginal museum, a "Mother's Nook" where visitors could write letters, and a "pashometer". The main attraction was the viewing platform, where "charming attendants" assisted visitors to use the telescopes available, and a copper cladding (still present) over the granite guard rails identified the suburbs and landmarks of Sydney at the time. The outbreak of World War II in 1939 saw tourist activities on the bridge cease, as the military took over the four pylons and modified them to include parapets and anti-aircraft guns.

In 1948 Yvonne Rentoul opened the "All Australian Exhibition" in the pylon. This contained dioramas, and displays about Australian perspectives on subjects such as farming, sport, transport, mining, and the armed forces. An orientation table was installed at the viewing platform, along with a wall guide and binoculars. The owner kept several white cats in a rooftop cattery, which also served as an attraction, and there was a souvenir shop and postal outlet. Rentoul's lease expired in 1971, and the pylon and its lookout remained closed to the public for over a decade.

The pylon was reopened in 1982, with a new exhibition celebrating the bridge's 50th anniversary. In 1987 a "Bicentennial Exhibition" was opened to mark the 200th anniversary of European settlement in Australia in 1988. The pylon was closed from April to November 2000 for the Roads & Traffic Authority and BridgeClimb to create a new exhibition called "Proud Arch". The exhibition focussed on Bradfield, and included a glass direction finder on the observation level, and various important heritage items. The pylon again closed for four weeks in 2003 for the installation of an exhibit called "Dangerous Works", highlighting the dangerous conditions experienced by the original construction workers on the bridge, and two stained glass feature windows in memory of the workers.

In 1950s and 1960s there were occasional newspaper reports of climbers who had made illegal arch traversals of the bridge, invariably by night. In 1973 Philippe Petit walked across a wire between the two pylons at the southern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Since 1998, BridgeClimb has made it possible for tourists to legally climb the southern half of the bridge. Tours run throughout the day, from dawn to night, and are only cancelled for electrical storms or high wind.

Groups of climbers are provided with protective clothing appropriate to the prevailing weather conditions, and are given an orientation briefing before climbing. During the climb, attendees are secured to the bridge by a wire lifeline. Each climb begins on the eastern side of the bridge and ascends to the top. At the summit, the group crosses to the western side of the arch for the descent. Each climb takes three-and-a-half-hours, including the preparations. In December 2006, BridgeClimb launched an alternative to climbing the upper arches of the bridge. The Discovery Climb allows climbers to ascend the lower chord of the bridge and view its internal structure. From the apex of the lower chord, climbers ascend a staircase to a platform at the summit.

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique Of Luna Park Sydney

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
September 19, 2074

Luna Park Sydney (originally Luna Park Milsons Point, also known as Sydney's Luna Park) is an amusement park located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Luna Park is located at Milsons Point, on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour.

The park was constructed at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge during 1935, and ran for nine-month seasons until 1972, when it was opened year-round. Luna Park was closed in mid-1979, immediately following the Ghost Train fire, which killed six children and one adult. Most of the park was demolished, and a new amusement park was constructed; this originally operated under the name of Harbourside Amusement Park before resuming the Luna Park name. The park was closed again in 1988 as an independent engineering inspection determined that several rides needed urgent repair. The owners failed to repair and reopen the park before a New South Wales government deadline, and ownership was passed to a new body. Reopening in 1995, Luna Park closed again after thirteen months because of the Big Dipper rollercoaster: noise pollution complaints from residents on the clifftop above the park caused the ride's operating hours to be heavily restricted, and the resultant drop in attendance made the park unprofitable. After another redevelopment, Luna Park reopened in 2004 and has continued operating since.

Luna Park is one of two amusement parks in the world that are protected by government legislation; several of the buildings on the site are also listed on the Register of the National Estate and the NSW State Heritage Register. The park has been utilised as a filming location for several movies and television shows.

Luna Park Sydney has been used as a filming location for sections of several works of film and television. In 1959, the entire park was used for Leslie Norman's film adaptation of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, based on the play by Ray Lawler. Also, during this decade, sequences were filmed for the Six O'Clock Rock and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo television series.

In 1976, television soap opera Number 96 had the characters Dorrie and Herb Evans (Pat McDonald and Ron Shand), Flo Patterson (Bunney Brooke) and "Junior" Winthrop (Curt Jansen), visit the park, including scenes of them in Coney Island, eating fairy floss, and riding on the Big Dipper and the Topsy-Turvy House.This footage has been preserved in Number 96: And They Said It Would Not Last, a bonus feature on the DVD release of the feature film version of the show, Number 96: 2 Disc Collector's Edition.

Following the 1996 closure of the park, Luna Park (in particular the Big Dipper) was used for a section of Our Lips Are Sealed starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The 'memory sequences' in Farscape episode "Infinite Possibilities Part I: Daedalus Demands", material for the two-part '100th episode' of JAG, "Boomerang", and scenes for the Bollywood film Dil Chahta Hai were filmed at points between the 1996 closure and the 2001 removal of the Big Dipper. During this time, the documentary Spirits of the Carnival - The Quest for Fun was filmed about the history of amusement parks named 'Luna Park' in general, and Luna Park Sydney specifically. Following Luna Park's reopening in 2004, material was filmed in the park's Rotor for the 2006 film Candy. Luna Park was also featured in a few episodes for the Australian TV series Dance Academy.

 

[Hachiko]

Leafa Compete Long Road Trip With Rout Of Wyoming

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
September 23, 2074

Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron completed a long five-week road trip in the States with a rousing 161-38 rout of the Wyoming Cowboys at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyo. The second string was used for this contest, given the sheer discrepancy in class and form. Quarterback and captain Lachlan Akai passed for 447 yards and also ran for 454 yards, scored 12 total touchdowns on offence. Middle linebacker Dane Nanase, a converted cornerback, led the defense with 10 tackles and an interception.

Halfback Hunter Aoshima ran for 219 yards and five touchdowns, halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 133 yards and four major scores, wide receiver Connor Yasaka caught six passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, wideout Oliver Isaki caught three passes for 109 yards and a major, and Yasaka also led the team in blocking with 27 pancakes. Isaki had 20 pancakes as well.

Defencively, strong safety Lee Bokmal led the team in tackles with 11, while four other players on defense also had an interception. Blake Tsunetsugu, a converted linebacker moved to the defensive line as an end, led the team in sacks with two. Six different players were in double figures in terms of blocks.

Leafa improve to 3-0 and return home next week in Homecoming 2074.

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

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Leafa Homecoming 2074: Bailando - Hasta La Gran Victoria

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
September 24, 2074

Once again, the Leafa College Associated Students (LeafaCAS) are hosting Homecoming 2074 this week. This year's edition is entitled "Bailando - Hasta La Gran Victoria" and salutes the musical genre of reggaeton. It also takes on a unique double meaning. Erika Sendai, wife of Spirit linebacker Roy Hanamura, was once again named Homecoming Chair for this year's edition, making her the first-ever person to chair homecoming for three consecutive editions.

"Reggaeton is a musical genre that is making waves across Australia," said Sendai at the pep rally today. "This year, we are saluting the reggaeton genre with a tropical vibe. The reason this takes on a double meaning is that this is taking place during AFL Grand Final Week, and the Greater Western Sydney Giants will be taking part in their 20th granny. They're 10 for 20, hopefully they will win another flag. So that's why we call it 'Hasta La Gran Victoria': Until The Great Victory."

The Homecoming game will be broadcast via television on broadcast partner One and One World Sports globally. On radio, the game will be broadcast live and online on flagship radio station 5AO, the affiliate radio station from Melbourne, 3TK 710 AM, affiliate radio station from Perth, hit92.9 and Queensland affiliate radio station from the Gold Coast, Gold FM 92.5, the newest radio affiliate for Leafa Athletics.

The Schedule is as follows:
(all times in AEST)

Tuesday, September 25
8:00 a.m. - Morning Prayers - Leafa Convocation Centre
Speaker: Archbishop Robert Royce Griffiths
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra

12 p.m. - Homecoming Registration Opens - Kirigaya Hall (Administration Building)
Registered participants must check in here for their Passport and vouchers for The Saturday Homecoming Barbie at Yunipingu Field Parking Lot.

All Day - Museums: Spend the afternoon visiting one of the Leafa College Museums. Admission is free with your Homecoming Passport.
* Diomedea Museum of Japanese Animation, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* D.W. Streets Museum of Natural Sciences 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., miyazaki.madoka.ca
* Leafa College Heritage Museum of Australian History, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
-Museums open all day Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Leafa College Garden: Find your peace of mind visiting the Leafa College Garden and Nature Reserve, located next to the Leafa Convocation Centre. Admission is free with your Homecoming Passport. Open 6 a.m. to sunset, all week.

Libraries: Admission is free at the following locations with your Homecoming Passport:
* Shinozaki Library, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
* Ayano Library 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Special Exhibit at Shinozaki Library: The History of Reggaeton.
For more information, please visit the Shinozaki Library website.
Libraries open all day Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday

1 p.m. Classes: Participants are invited to sit in on a variety of undergraduate classes:
Classes TBA, see College Web Site

2 p.m. and 3 p.m. - Konno Library Tours
Take a guided tour of the Konno Library at the Mitakihara School of Graduate Studies at Leafa College. Tours will meet at the reception area inside the front door and will leave at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Space on each tour is limited, first come, first serve.

3 p.m. - Open band practice
Leafa College Co-Directors of Band, Kumiko Oumae and Shuuichi Tsukamoto, hold a special band practice with members of the Leafa College Spirit Pep Band, the college's marching pep band.

3:30 p.m. Campus tours led by The Sleeping Knights
Paying tribute to the defunct guild in the game Alfheim Online, the Sleeping Knights is the premiere student-run organization that is dedicated to serving the Leafa College community, the City of Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory and is owned and operated by the Leafa College Associated Students. Tours are conducted in English, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.
1. Leafa College General Tour
2. Beyond The Campus: A Tour of Leafa Square, The Dorms and More
3. Touring the Leafa College Garden: Be One With Nature
Also will take place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. All tours start at Yuuki Konno Memorial, near Mother's Rosario House, the administrative headquarters of the Sleeping Knights.

4:30 p.m. Campus tours led by The Sleeping Knights
1. Leafa College Athletic Facilities
2. Leafa Architecture: Reinventing and Redefining The Way You Learn
3. Leafa Garden Tea Ceremony (refreshments provided)
Also will take place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. All tours start at Yuuki Konno Memorial, near Mother's Rosario House, the administrative headquarters of the Sleeping Knights.

5 p.m. - Shino Asada House Association Distinguished Australian Award
Honoring Lucas Omar Bermudez Chacon, CEO, Orfanato Music Group
Presentation of Award, Kyouko Sonan, Provost, Leafa College, Shino Asada House Conference Room (Doors open at 4:00 p.m.)

Wednesday, September 26
9 a.m.- 3 p.m. - Homecoming Registration - Kirigaya Hall (Administration Building)
Registered participants must check in here for their Passport and vouchers for The Saturday Homecoming Barbie at Yunipingu Field Parking Lot.

5 p.m. - Leafa Social Club Concert
Tickets required: $50 for adults, $40 for students and $30 for pensioners. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

Thursday, September 27
9 a.m.- 3 p.m. - Homecoming Registration - Kirigaya Hall (Administration Building)
Registered participants must check in here for their Passport and vouchers for The Saturday Homecoming Barbie at Yunipingu Field Parking Lot.

5 p.m. - Men's Water Polo vs. UC Irvine
Aniplex Campus Pool

7 p.m. - Leafa College Spirit FC vs. Box Hill Hawks
Battle for the Mother's Rosario Cup, Leafa Oval. Tickets required: $60 for adults, $40 for students and $30 for pensioners. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

7 p.m. - Leafa College Battle of the Bands, Tsuboi Centre and Exhibition Hall
Tickets required: $50 for adults, $30 for students and $20 for pensioners. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

7 p.m. - Men's Futsal vs. North Canberra
J.C. Staff Arena, Main Court

7:30 p.m. - Leafa College Rugby Club vs. UC Vikings
The A-1 Pictures Canberra Classic, Yunipingu Field. Battle for the Dicey Cafe Bowl. Tickets required: $60 for adults, $40 for students and $25 for pensioners. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

Friday, September 28
9 a.m.- 3 p.m. - Homecoming Registration - Kirigaya Hall (Administration Building)
Registered participants must check in here for their Passport and vouchers for The Saturday Homecoming Barbie at Yunipingu Field Parking Lot.

5 p.m. - Women's Volleyball vs. Simon Fraser Clan
Battle for the Trophy of Hope. Exhibition, Main Court, Kirigaya Family Pyramid

Approx. 8 p.m. - Pep Rally at Main Court, Kirigaya Family Pyramid
Following the Women's Volleyball game vs. Simon Fraser, the 2074 Leafa College Spirit Team will be introduced. Speeches by head coach Dan Harding, offensive team captain Lachlan Akai, defensive team captain Vic Tsuchimikado, Leafa College athletic director Erika Yano and college provost Kyouko Sonan will be made.

9 p.m. - Evening activities
Visit the world-renowned Dicey Cafe or your favorite restaurant at the Campus.
Meet Your Mates: Special gathering for Leafa College Sports Society at Dicey Cafe, cash bar @ 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 29
5:00 - 9:00 a.m. - Brekkie at the Dorms - Passport holders are invited to enjoy a hot breakfast at the dorm of their choice. Pay at the door (cash please), cost is $15 per person.

7 a.m. - Morning Prayers - Leafa Convocation Centre
Speaker: Archbishop Robert Royce Griffiths
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra

7 a.m. to 9 p.m. - Homecoming Headquarters and Registration - Leafa Tower
Registered participants must check in here for their Passport and vouchers for The Saturday Homecoming Barbie at Yunipingu Field Parking Lot.

10 a.m. - Men's Soccer vs. Akron
Miyamori Field

11 a.m. Women's field hockey vs. Johns Hopkins
Ogasawara Field

1 p.m. Women's Soccer vs. USC
Miyamori Field

7 p.m. to kickoff Pre-Game Tailgate at Athletics
Pack a picnic and set up a tailgate with your friends prior to the Leafa-UCLA gridiron game. The Spirit Tailgate Area will be located inside Yunipingu Gate 5. Cars can park at the adjacent car park for $50, payable on-side. Tailgate is permitted for 2 hours prior to kickoff and for one hour following the game.

9 p.m. Gridiron Kick-Off
Cheer on the Leafa College Spirit as they take on the UCLA Bruins. A block of tickets for Madoka Homecoming is currently reserved through the Leafa College Box Office. Tickets are required and cost $60 each, children ages 12 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

8 p.m. - 4th quarter - The Homecoming Barbie
Barbecue in the Yunupingu Field Parking Lot, Gates 7-11. A voucher for the "Canberra Barbie Society Fan Zone" is included in your Homecoming registration price. Please be sure to check-in at the Homecoming registration desk to receive your meal ticket. Drinks will be sold separately on-site. A variety of family a children's activities will be offered in the "Fan Zone," including face painting, music, sports games, prizes and raffles.

9 p.m. Women's Netball vs. Canberra Darters
Battle for the Asuna Yuuki Memorial Cup. Exhibition game, Kirigaya Family Pyramid

9 p.m. - A Symphony Dedicated To Reggaeton
Presented by the Leafa College Philharmonic (LeafaPhil), Tsuboi Centre.
Ticket Required: Regular: $60.00, $50.00, $40.00;
Students: $40.00, $35.00, $30.00; Pensioners (65+): $30.00,
$25.00, $20.00.
Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

Sunday, September 30
9 a.m. - Leafa College 10K Race Through The Streets
Get ready to put on your running or walking shoes and take a cruise around the different places on campus and in Canberra. The route starts at Leafa Tower and will weave around the city before ending at Campus Square. Registration is $80.00 ($50.00 for students with ID, $30 for pensioners) at the Madman Quad tent from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. All proceeds benefit the Konno Foundation For HIV Prevention. Concessions and medals will be provided at finish line. This is a noncompetitive run/walk. No cash prizes will be awarded.

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[Hachiko]

Leafa Spirit Gridiron Slams UCLA On Homecoming

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
September 30, 2074

On AFL Grand Final Eve, Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron slammed the UCLA Bruins, led by former Spirit defensive end Riley Adashino, 168-27 at Yunupingu Field in Canberra, ACT. Quarterback Cooper Kanie passed for 369 yards, ran for 413 yards and scored 11 total touchdowns on offence. The provost's son, Jay Madanbashi, recorded five tackles as well as two interceptions on the night to lead the defence.

Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 319 yards and five touchdowns, halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 319 yards and five majors, wide receiver Dayne Tsunashi caught nine passes for 164 yards and a touchdown, and wideout Xavier Kim led the team in blocking with 18 pancake blocks. Wideout Mitch Kihara added 15 blocks while four other players on offence had at least 10 pancakes.

Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura, the husband of Homecoming Chair Erika Sendai, led the team in tackling with 18 tackles. Cornerback Vic Tsuchikimado also had two picks while two other players on defence had an interception apiece. Left end Sam Touzokuyama and defensive tackle Levi Iori each had two sacks.

Left guard Jacob Esera did not play due to injury and will be sidelined a minimum of two games. This will give converted defensive lineman Jackson Kaburaki more playing time on the offensive line. Leafa improve to 4-0 and will return to action next week at home against the Utah State Aggies.