The University of Hawai‘i

Volume 33, No. 1 • February 1998

Community Colleges

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Chancellor’s MessageDr. Joyce S. Tsunoda

ETC honors studentsStudents recognized forachievement at ceremony

Visitacion wins awardHawai‘i CC maintenanceworker wins president’s prize

Saving native plantsHawai‘i CC builds ShadeHouse for endemic plants

OHA honors LoschFormer Leeward CC teachercited for excellence by OHA

Pat Bacon talks storyShe shares a part of MaryPukui with Kaua‘i CC students

Profiles in SuccessCarolyn Kiyota and HowardKong Kam, Jr.

(continued on back page)

visitor industry as well. When the resultsof a recent visitor industry survey showedthat crime prevention and safety were toppriorities, the state Department of Busi-ness, Economic Development & Tourismknew right away where to go: the UH Community Colleges. Inthe past, UHCC has been quick to answer the call by developingprograms for visitor industry employees that addressed earlierconcerns for language and cultural sensitivity.

Jan Hironaka, DBEDT tourism research and planning coordinator, explainedthat “...because the community colleges have always been responsive to us in thepast, we asked Carol Hoshiko [director, Continuing Education and TrainingEducation at Kapi‘olani Community College] if a program could be developedfor visitor industry employees that could help them and the visitors, withoutfrightening them.”

Hoshiko welcomed the opportunity to collaborate on the project. “We wantedto be able to respond and work closely with the alliance of businesses andgovernment to see what needed to be incorporated in the program. We wereprepared to address problems such as language and custom barriers.”

From there, the Crimes Against Tourists (CAT) program was set in motionwith seven pilot classes completed before the end of last semester, lead by BobVericker, instructor and program director for the Administration of JusticeDepartment at Honolulu Community College. Approximately 100 visitor

industry workers participated in the eight-hour course.If it were up to Bob Vericker, everyone connected withtourism would be taking the course. “We have only175,850 more to go,” he announced.

Vericker is passionate in his plea to Hawai‘i’svisitor industry employees to address the problem ofcrimes against our visitors.

“This may be the single most important thing wecan do for our visitor industry,” Vericker said. “Andeveryone needs to hear the message.”

Too many people on vacation tend to forget thatHawai‘i, with all its beauty and charm, is still a placewhere crime can occur. Visitors must be vigilant.Often, a word from an industry employee can help avisitor take certain precautions. Visitors may often betargets of crimes because they are less likely to presscharges, and they are less likely be around to testify ifthe crime is prosecuted.

“There are plenty of fine beaches all over theworld,” Vericker said. “If we want visitors to come

The CAT program will have its own mascot. . . a cat, of course. A competition amonggraphic art students at the Honolulu CCcommunication arts department keptcomputers humming for the past severalweeks. There were 33 entries. Four ofthem are pictured here. The winning CATwill be announced at a later date. Whichone would you select?

CAT addressesthe needs of our

community

The Crimes Against Tourists program (CAT) is anotherfine example of the UH Community Colleges address-ing the needs of the community, and in this case the

2 UH Community Colleges

Joyce S. TsunodaSenior Vice President and

Chancellor for Community Colleges

Plan onattending theExcellence inEducationConferencein March

In earlier messages this academicyear, I shared with you the priorities ofthe UHCC’s Ten- Year Strategic Plan, aswell as our specific priorities for 1998.Both long-range and short-rangepriorities include: 1) a focus on studentsand their success; 2) increasedaccessibility to an associate degree; 3)professional renewal and growth; and 4)enhanced academic entrepreneurship.

Coming up on Friday, March 6, is anopportunity to pull together all of thesepriorities as our colleagues fromthroughout the system gather at LeewardCommunity College for the 15th AnnualExcellence in Education Conference.

This year’s conference focuses on thetheme: “Who Are Our Learners?” As Ihave shared with you during my Fall1997 campus visits, the demographics ofour UHCC student body have changedconsiderably during our thirty-plusyears. We have seen a complete reversalin the male-to-female ratio, as well as inthe transfer/vocational ratio. Full-time

students have shrunk from 75 to 41percent of our enrollment. The meanage of students has increased to nearly27 years, and noncredit enrollmentshave nearly tripled.

Despite these changes, however, I amonce again convinced that, “The morethings change, the more they remain thesame.” Regardless of age, gender,ethnicity, or enrollment status, ourcommitment to students is acommitment to individuals. Thestrength of our community colleges liesin the fact that we can find a place forthe single parent or the displacedworker, as well as for the full-timestudent fresh from high school. We haveclasses for the Phi Theta Kappa studentand for the student who needsdevelopmental study skills. In short, wehave the flexibility to meet a range ofneeds. But we can meet those needsonly when we have identified them.And the first step toward suchidentification of needs is knowing theidentity of our learners.

How does all of this affect the waywe do business? Your conferenceorganizers have invited two dynamickeynote speakers to stimulate ourthinking in response to this question.Dr. Terry O’Banion, executive directorof the League for Innovation, will talk

about “The Learning Revolution.” Inanticipation of his remarks, I have askedthe provosts to assist me in distributing

to every faculty membera copy of Dr.O’Banion’s recentmonograph, “Creating

More Learning- CenteredCommunity Colleges.” I urgeyou to read this monographthoughtfully, so that you can

come on March 6 prepared to askquestions, propose actions, and help ourUH Community Colleges move forward

as learning-centered institutions.Joining Dr. O’Banion as our

second keynoter will be Dr.Constance Rice, senior vice

chancellor for the Seattle CommunityCollege District. Constance, formerpresident of North Seattle CommunityCollege, will speak with us about herown experience bridging her collegewith its community as she discusses“The Community Demands for Studentsand Learners.”

In the afternoon, after we have heardfrom these two thought-provokingspeakers, we will have the opportunityto apply their ideas to our own situationsas we work in inter-campus,interdisciplinary groups.

It promises to be a day of enlighten-ment and of challenge. I look forwardto seeing you there!

1998 - The Year of the Tiger

I write this message in the openingdays of the new year. I am stillbuoyed by the excitement of

welcoming this Year of the Tiger in thecompany of my family — includingthree grandchildren — in Japan. Thiswas the first time in many years that Iwas able to celebrate this holiday in theland of my birth. It was a relaxing andrejuvenating period for me. I hope thesame can be said for you, because nowwe must pounce upon the tasks that lieahead of us.

February 1998 3

Those who knowMagdalena “Maggie”Visitacion were not

surprised when her name was

Visitacion is environmentallyconcerned. She fishes aluminum cansfrom the trash for recycling, educatesstaff about simple ways to conservesupplies and does research and tests tofind the most cost-effective cleaningproducts and equipment. Equally

concerned about safety, she pioneeredthe college’s safety procedures andswitched to user-friendly cleaningsupplies.

Called “sunshine on a rainy day” and“a Filipina Menehune,” Visitacion ispraised for the encouragement she givesstudents, the pleasantries she shares withstaff and the initiative she shows in herwork, such as developing a summerproject to pressure clean walkways ofmildew, moss and grime.

“As a boss, I could use a hundredMag’s but I would only need a dozen, “says Kolin Kettleson, auxiliary serviceofficer.

There were 38 nominees for theaward which is given annually to honoran employee in the University system of10 campuses who shows sustainedsuperior performance in a maintenance,landscaping, custodial, shop or truckingposition. Finalists this year includedtwo more community colleges employ-ees: Leeward Community College’sLeilani Ing and Francis Hirota.

Last year’s winner was RichardMercado, a custodian at Leeward CC.He now works at Kapi‘olani CommunityCollege.

CC maintenance staffwins president’s award

called to receive the President’s ExcellenceAward in Building and Grounds Mainte-nance at a ceremony held in KuykendallAuditorium on the UH-Manoa campus onDecember 4.

She was genuinely surprised, however,when UH President Kenneth P. Mortimercongratulated her and handed her the awardcheck in the amount of $1,000.

“You can’t appreciate what she has donefor this campus until you see it,” said oneenamored fan. “She is here often volun-teering on her own time, using her owntools. She cares for the campus as if itwere her own.”

The fan is referring to the Manonocampus of Hawai‘i Community Collegeand UH-Hilo, where Visitacion is creditedwith quietly and humbly making a differ-ence. Numerous nominating letters speakof her exemplary work performance as ajanitor and her after-hours beautificationefforts as a volunteer.

“As supervisors, we are constantly awedby Maggie’s contributions, over and aboveher duties, to improve both the tangibleappearance and the intangible bearing ofthe Manono campus,” wrote AlbertYoshitsugu and Alan Sugiura, noting hergreen-thumb projects: potted plants andplanter boxes gracing entrances to theHawai‘i CC administration building andGourmet Kitchen facility; a restored hedgewhere construction had created gaps;lantern ‘ilima and kika planted in place ofan overgrown hedge outside the buildinghousing Na Pua No‘eau, the Center forGifted and Talented Native HawaiianChildren; palm, ferns and flowering plantsthat soften the institutional concrete and tileof building walkways.

Hawai‘i CC employees also appreciateinterior green-thumb touches, includingpotted plants that Visitacion provides, tendsand doctors and fragrant blossoms left ondesks and in rest rooms. All the plants areproducts of her own garden—grown athome from seeds she bought or clippingsshe took from campus plants.

Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs,Michael Unebasami, congratulates MagdalenaVisitacion upon her winning the President’sAward for Excellence.

The five finalists of the President’s Award for Excellence in Building and GroundMaintenance nervously anticipate the announcement of the winner. Left toright are: Francis Hirota, Leeward Community College; Leilani Ing, LeewardCommunity College; Raymond Kaneshiro, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa;Hatsuko Kaulukou, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa; Magdalena Visitacion,Hawai‘i Community College and Ma’nono Campus in Hilo.

4 UH Community Colleges

The Leeward CC Family Fun Fair this yearwas enlivened by two dozen differentinteractive educational activitiesfeaturing the college’s programs andcourses. Hiran Pajo, instructor in CADD(Computer Aided Drafting and Design)helped fairgoers create their own robot.He took their pictures, then used theCAD computer system to print miniaturesticker photos. Other activities pro-duced by energetic, creative faculty andstaff included: Chemistry Magic,Kaleidoscope Math, Marine BiologyTidepool Explorations and Culinary ArtsCookie Decorating. Live entertainment,children’s games and the InternationalFood Service Executive Association’sCountry Brunch added to the fun andfestivities of the day.

Businesses ‘adopt’ 20Leeward CCcomputers

I t’s amazing what canbe accomplishedwhen people listen to

that’s what they are there to do: to meetthe needs of the community. Communitycollege programs and divisions seek inputfrom the community through advisorycommittees comprised of community andbusiness leaders. Moriki worked throughone of those advisory committees to voicehis original concern.

“It’s all a partnership,” Young said.We listen to them and they listen to us. Inthis particular instance, Brian was thespark plug that motivated a joint advisorycommittee of 26 to help us out.”

The program has been able to train aworkforce, and the business communityhas provided them with the employment

one another.Several years ago, Kathleen Young,

chair-person for the business educationdivision at Leeward Community College,listened to Brian Moriki, then presidentof the Association of Records Managersand Administrators (ARMA), about hisconcerns that there was no recordsmanagement program for students inHawai‘i. And recently, Moriki had hisopportunity to listen to Young and herneed to upgrade the computers in herdivision.

The use of computers to classify andcodify data understandably increasesfrom year to year. No one can dismisswhat a devastating effect a computervirus could have on data that control ourentire lives. This was Moriki’s concernand eventually led to Leeward creating arecords management specializationprogram in 1992.

If community colleges work correctly,

opportunities.But the division was beginning to

suffer the consequences of agingcomputer equipment. Moriki respondedto Young’s dilemma and led the jointcommunity advisory committee begin-ning last May in a one-on-one campaignto fund the purchase of 20 new comput-ers at a cost of $35,000 to $40,000. Theeffort became known as the “Adopt AComputer” campaign. Members of thecommittee went back to their owncompanies to solicit donations. ByDecember 1997 the campaign wasdeclared a success. Enough money wasraised to get the purchase started.Provost Barbara Polk said she wouldhave the college assist with theremainder of the lease payments.

And once again, we find that the“community college” system reallyworks because people are willing tolisten to one another.

Leeward CC’sFamily FunFair makeslearning fun!

February 1998 5

Hawai‘i is the most isolatedgeographic land mass in theworld, with the world’s highest

sea mountain, the world’s most activevolcano, and 11 of the planet’s 13environments. Because of this uniquecombination of conditions, evolution hasproduced more native plant species persquare mile than anywhere else in theworld. Hawai‘i’s native plants usuallylack natural defenses, and are among themost endangered in the world. Humanencroachment and the introduction ofalien species have resulted in two orthree endemic plant species lost toextinction every year.

Hawai‘i Community College recentlymade a commitment to the preservation

Hawai‘i CC constructsshade house to protect

native plants

of Hawai‘i’s native plants andenvironment and the promotionof public awareness. BotanistsLaura Brezinsky and FredStone have developed courseswhere students have not onlylearned to identify nativeplants, they have also devel-oped a native plant garden, andpropagated food plants in an organicgarden. Last year the students success-fully grew and distributed approximately500 plants. These plants were producedin a 6' x 8' structure built from scrapwood without running water.

Recently a new 20' x 20’ shade housewas built by Hawai‘i CC agriculturestudents, and it is hoped that substantiallymore seedlings will be produced anddistributed. The shade house still needs amisting system and a door but is other-wise complete and in use. It wasofficially dedicated on November 14, inmemory of the late Dr. LaniStemmermann, associate professor ofscience at Hawai‘i CC and an avidsupporter of native plants, the environ-ment and sustainable agriculture.Brezinsky and Stone recently received a$1,500 SEAMS grant as part of the UHCampus Compact/Service LearningProgram to assist in the development ofthis very important service learning andplant propagation program.

The program has progressed success-fully in a very short time with minimalfacilities, and already students have beenable to collect some seeds from the nativegardens. Eventually the campus nativegardens will be the seed source for the

community. The current goal is toproduce and distribute 1,000 native plantseedlings by May 1998.

In addition to distributing plants tothe public, the students participate in theannual Earth Day celebration and giveaway native plants they have grown.Every plant includes an informationsheet identifying the plant, its distribu-tion, ethnobotanical uses, and instruc-tions for growing. Last year approxi-mately 500 school students visited theirdisplay, and most of them went home

with native plants.A service learning component of

Botany 130 involves Coordinated Ser-vices, a county organization that assistssenior citizens. Students working withCoordinated Services are assigned a clientand make individual arrangements to helpwith yard work. At the end of thesemester, native plants from the shadehouse are planted in the client’s yard.

Students also participate in the VolcanoNational Park’s volunteer program and theNatural Area Reserve program where theygain experience in weed eradication whilelearning more about our native forests. Itis hoped that the students will also beinvolved in a trail maintenance programsoon to help maintain forest trails andperhaps plant seedlings grown in theshade house.

Photos of the late Lani Stemmermann,associate professor at Hawai‘i CC, weredisplayed as part of a tribute to her workand commitment in preserving Hawai‘i’snative plants. The shade house wasdedicated in her memory at a ceremonyheld on November 14.

6 UH Community Colleges

Some 1,600 students take advan-tage of the UH CommunityColleges Employment Training

Center’s programs throughout the year,and twice a year, ETC stages a studentawards ceremony to recognize studentswho have exhibited outstanding leader-ship qualities, consid-erable achievement andsignificant merit intheir studies.

On December 19,there were 49 studentshonored at an outdoorceremony in thecourtyard of ETC’smain buildings locatedon the HonoluluCommunity Collegecampus. These areconverted portableclassrooms thatstudents renovated tolook better than whenthey were first set upon the old Kapi‘olanicampus on PensacolaAvenue.

There was pride inthe remarks made byChancellor JoyceTsunoda who expressed her sincerecongratulations to all of the studentswho had completed their studies at ETC.She later sought out each of the studentshonored at the ceremony to congratulateeach one personally. There was a pridethat emanated from the courtyardthroughout the awards ceremony; pridefrom family and friends, pride andsatisfaction rightfully visible fromfaculty, pride of accomplishment fromthe students themselves.

When Angela Meixell, ETC actingdirector, tried to explain to the audiencewhat that “certain something” was thatmotivated these students to turn theirlives around, she retold the story of the“Wizard of Oz.” She concluded that thegreat wizard of Oz did not have the

answer to the quests of the lion who felthe had no courage; the scare crow, nobrains; the tin man, no heart; andDorothy, no way to go home. When hesent them on a mission to kill the wickedwitch, they all proved that they indeedhad all of those qualities within them-

selves. And ifthere is a magicformula at ETC,that’s what it is:it is the studentshaving selfesteem. It maymean changingan attitude, orapplyingthemselvesdifferently, butwhen it happens,they realize thatthey had theability all along.

ETC wasestablished as astate/federalprogram in1964, and wastransferred to theUniversity ofHawai‘i Com-

munity Colleges in 1968. ETC isaccredited by the Western Association ofSchools and Colleges.

As an education and employmenttraining center, ETC provides focused,accelerated employment training withina uniquely flexible and non-traditionallearning environment. ETC’s occupa-tional training programs share facilitiesat Honolulu Community College,Kapi‘olani Community College and theDOE Leeward and Windward DistrictSchools. Working through communitypartnerships, it serves adults and youthwho can benefit from developmentalsupport services and training which willprepare them for successful transition toemployment, further education, or both.

ETC honorsoutstanding students

for achievement

ETC’s director, Angela Meixell, congratulatesan ETC student upon receiving his diploma.

Two Wongsmake it right!

Thomas Wong (left), executive chef atthe Royal Hawaiian Hotel, and RobertWong, executive chef at the famousGreenbrier restaurant in WhilteSulphur Springs, West Virginia, take amoment to relax after preparing asumptuous meal for guests at theannual Guslander Dinner, held on thecampus of Kapi‘olani CommunityCollege. The two Wongs were alsofeatured, along with Alan Wong, ownerand chef of Alan Wong’s Restaurant, atthe annual Ho‘okipa Night, held thisyear at the Hawaii Prince Hotel. Theaforementioned events benefitted theKapi‘olani Community College CulinaryArts program.

Mixing in with the festivities following theaward ceremony, Chancellor Joyce Tsunodafinds her way to another outstandingstudent of the program.

February 1998 7

We like to boast aboutthe various campusesof the UH Commu-

1941, when, without injuries or loss oflife, the firemen of Engine #4 watchedtheir equipment become riddle withshrapnel and scarred with bullets. ThePalama Station was in constant use untilNovember 1960. In 1964 it became theoffice for the State Identification Bureauand later wasused as a gymmanaged byTad Kawamura,where StanleyHarrington, thenoted boxerfrom Hawai‘i,trained.

In 1981, thePalama Stationopened as thehome of theEducationCenter, acommunity service program of HonoluluCommunity College under the Univer-sity of Hawai‘i. Last year, the Employ-

ETC surroundedby Hawai‘i’s history

nity Colleges. Somehave meticulously keptgardens, or a milliondollar view, or may benestled within the nervecenter of the community.But none may find a moreformidable personassociated with its facilitythan the UHCC’s Employ-ment Training Center,located in the old FireEngine House #4 on NorthKing Street in Palama.

More than a hundredyears ago, Honolulu’s firefighting force was an allvolunteer group, and anotable volunteer for thePalama Company was oneDavid Kalakaua, king ofthe sovereign nation ofHawai‘i. Knowing hispenchant for acquiring thelatest in the technology ofthe day, there is littledoubt that he would haveapproved of the “scientifi-cally planned” Fire EngineHouse #4 which was described in thePacific Commercial Advertiser [latercalled The Honolulu Advertiser] as equalto the “best of its class in the States.”

Construction completed on July 1,1902, it is the oldest public structurecompleted in Hawai‘i during the Territo-rial Government period. A monument tothe service that it provided, it sports aprominent tower above the two-storybrick and wood structure that was morethan ornamental. The height of the towerpermitted the fire fighters to hang the wetcanvas hoses to dry.

Until 1920, a proud and powerful, grayand black team of horses called Jack andJill, occupied the bottom floor, along witha feed room, a horse watering trough,lavatories, the engine, hose wagon andhose washing tanks. At that time,however, the old steam engine wasreplaced with a motorized 1,000-galloncombination engine/hose wagon.

Fire Engine House #4 took its place inhistory at Pearl Harbor on December 7,

ment Training Center, University ofHawai‘i Community Colleges, made thePalama Fire Station-Engine #4 its home.

There is a constant reminder of thetradition of this old building: exposedbrick walls, historical photos from theHawai‘i archives and fire helmets are

about. Andevery employeefeels a constantsense of place—a place whosewalls holdnearly a centuryof history andthe memory of aking who was apart of it.

Photo is courtesy of the EmploymentTraining Center.

Photo iscourtesy of theEmploymentTraining Center.

PROFILES IN SUCCESSSpotlight on Successful Community

College Graduates

8 UH Community Colleges

Her daughter and her friendsthink “she’s cool” since she andher husband listen to rock music.

But things weren’t so cool aftergraduation from McKinley High Schoolin 1976. Carolyn Kiyota had been a goodstudent in high school. In fact as a senior,

colleges.Kiyota remembers

that at Kapi‘olani CC,she was able to speakone-on-one with herprofessors afterclasses. “At theuniversity, I neveronce talked with aprofessor,” she said.

What she alsofound at Kapi‘olaniCC was the Career &Personal Develop-ment Unit where shecould “actually makean appointment.” Shereceived the indi-vidual counseling thatshe needed to beginagain as an “older”student. Her counse-lor helped her with anational assistance

program for non-traditional students,designed especially for single parentsand homemakers. “Cathy Chow-Wehrman—I’ll never forget her. Shetold me that I shouldn’t label myselfas a silly older woman going back toschool (I was 26!) I’ve never found thatkind of caring at a larger institution,”Kiyota said.

She finished her baccalaureate degreeat UH-Manoa and was accepted into theWilliam S. Richardson School of Law.

Going to school at that time of herlife had its advantages. She became areal friend with her daughter. They hadsimilar schedules and actually “went toschool together—Courtney went toKaimuki, and I went to UH.” NowCourtney is 19 and a sophomore at theUniversity of Nevada-Las Vegas. Hermom passed the bar in 1993, remarriedand works with Ortiz and Yamamura,A Law Corporation in Honolulu whereshe is an insurance defense attorney.She has handled a number of othercases as well, “from sexual harassmentto fen-phen.”

One of her most satisfying compli-ments was to have been asked to speakat the Kapi‘olani CC commencementexercises last May. She had a lot totell them.

She was a cheerleader, involved instudent government, dated the starbasketball player. I was quiet, butalways an advocate for a good cause—justice for the people.”

She remembers when she was told tohave a certain document signed by aparent. She said “no need” and signed itherself since she was 18 which was the“legal” age at the time. “I think I knewthen that I would become an attorney,”she said. “You know, Perry Mason was

on television in thosedays!”

But it was a longroad that took manyturns. She didn’t goto college after highschool. She foundherself married, shehad a child and thendivorced soonafterwards. Hercareer went fromretail sales clerk toworking as a waitressin a Waikiki coffeeshop, where she mademore money but wasalways juggling herwork schedule, tryingto be a responsiblesingle parent.

When hurricaneIwa wiped out thecoffee shop, shebegan bartending. She really enjoyed thatjob. The schedule was great, she met a lotof people, but in 1983, with a seven year-old daughter to raise, she wanted to domore with her life. Within a year’s time,she formulated a plan. She took threeclasses which was the beginning of a twoand one-half year stint at Kapi‘olani

semester. Ithink I tookevery availablecourse,” she

CAROLYN KIYOTAAttorney, Ortiz and Yamamura

A Law CorporationGraduate of Kapi‘olani

Community College

“I loved it [atKapi‘olani CC].I never wantedto leave once Istarted. . . Ithink I tookevery availablecourse.”

Taking the long road

to success

CommunityCollege.

“I loved itthere. I neverwanted to leaveonce I started. Iwas taking 20credits per

recounts. “I took this one course froman instructor who had taught me 10years earlier at KCC when I was a seniorat McKinley. I remembered how great ateacher she was, and I wanted to takeany course that she taught.” It turns outthat the instructor Kiyota speaks of sohighly is none other than SharonNarimatsu, vice chancellor for studentand community affairs, who began hercareer teaching world history andAmerican studies at the community

she enrolled in anearly collegeprogram atKapi‘olaniCommunity College nextdoor [the old Pensecolacampus] to get a headstart in college.

“I was actually veryquiet in school,” Kiyotaremembers. “My daugh-ter was just the opposite.

PROFILES IN SUCCESSSpotlight on Successful Community

College Graduates

February 1998 9

Howard Kam is a very successfulcertified public accountant, butlife for him could have been

quite different after Waianae HighSchool in 1971.

By the time Kam was a junior in highschool, he started thinking about whathe was going to do for the rest of hislife. I thought I’d go off to college andbecome an architectural engineer,” he

overslept and began the exam 30minutes late. He doesn’t like to thinkabout his scores. That was the realitycheck. He decided to join the Hawai‘iNational Guard after high school. Hestill wanted to go to college but he justwasn’t prepared. Then someone toldhim to look at Leeward CommunityCollege.

“Community colleges can be differ-ent things for different people,” Kamsaid. “For me, Leeward offered thatsecond chance. I had to learn things thatI should havelearned in highschool, but myattitude was com-pletely different.”

He recalls thatthe instructors atLeeward CC wereinstrumental inhelping him changehis attitude. “Theyoffered encourage-ment and werewilling to help meoutside of class,” hesaid. “I had neverexperienced suchconcern. It made mereally focus on mygoals.”

After a year at theHawai‘i MilitaryAcademy Noncom-missioned OfficerSchool, he now turned his completeattention to working for his Associate inArts degree in accounting which hereceived in 1973. He then went to theArmy National Guard’s Officer Candi-date School in 1974, followed by four

years at the University of Hawai‘i atMa noa where he earned a BBA degreein accounting in 1978. While there, hebecame active in Beta Alpha Psi, anhonors accounting fraternity.

He was recruited right out of schoolby Arthur Young & Company, aninternational CPA firm which is nowErnst & Young. By 1982 he started hisown CPA firm, Horwath-Kam &Company, a member of HorwathInternational with over 300 officesworldwide. Pacific Business News has

ranked it the 14thlargest CPA firm inthe state.

From the timehe completed hisbaccalaureateprogram, Kam hasdemonstrated hisappreciation for theschool that helpedturn his life around:Leeward CC. Hehas served as anacademic commit-tee advisor to thecollege’s BusinessEducation Divisionsince 1979. He wasalso appointed tothe University ofHawai‘i VocationalEducation TaskForce and to theLeeward CC

Provost Selection Committee in 1993.“I feel the need to try to give back to

Leeward whenever I can, because I oweso much to the school and its faculty,”Kam said.

As a member of the joint advisory

committee, Kam became very active inthe “Adopt A Computer” campaignwhich came to a successful conclusionin December (see story on page 4). Hefeels that this is what makes a commu-nity college so different. “I can almostsense that feeling of caring the facultyhad for me when I can help the schoolwith a project like this,” he said.

It comes down to the “ask-a-busy-person” mantra, because Kam is also amember of the Hawai‘i Hotel Associa-tion and a director for Big Brothers/BigSisters of Hawai‘i. He previouslyserved as an advisor with JuniorAchievement, internal auditor for EwaCommunity Church, a past member ofthe Downtown Jaycees and the Chineseand Filipino Chambers of Commerce.

Professionally, he is an activemember of the American Institute ofCertified Public Accountants and theHawai‘i Society of Certified PublicAccountants. He is a founding memberof the International Society of CertifiedPublic Accountants. He is also aLieutenant Colonel (Retired) in theUnited States Army Reserve.

A family man, he and his wife havethree children—all of whom haveattended Kapi‘olani CC and one went onto UH-Manoa One is a web pagedesigner, another wants to be an afashion designer and the third, anaccountant. Perhaps the profession runsin the family.

“Communitycolleges can bedifferent thingsfor differentpeople. For me,Leeward offeredthat secondchance.”

HOWARD KONG KAM, JR., CPAPresident, Managing Director,International Liason Partner,

Horwath-Kam & CompanyGraduate of Leeward Community College

A changedattitudemade all

the differenceremembers. But he hadn’tbeen taking the preparatoryclasses to reach that goal.In fact he took the SATonly once, and that day he

10 UH Community Colleges

News Briefs . . .

A tax credit that could givestudents hope—only if theyknew about it

The University of Hawai‘iCommunity Colleges launched amedia campaign at the end of theyear with newspaper ads, radiocommercials and news release on allislands to remind potential studentsof a federal tax credit known as theHope Scholarship.

It was a bit of a Christmaspresent from Uncle Sam that couldoffer hope for anyone who may bethinking of enrolling at one of theseven UH Community Collegesstatewide.

The “gift” is a federal tax creditthat can begin to accumulate as soonas January 1998, but the problem isthat not very many people wereaware of it.

“We’ve asked the assistance ofour local media to let everyoneknow that this is a way to savemoney for anyone about to pursue apost-secondary education,” saidSharon Narimatsu, vice chancellorfor student and community affairsfor the UH Community Colleges.“The program is a federal tax creditthat could mean a free education forsome students at any of the sevenUH Community Colleges.”

The potential tax credit isparticularly important for those whodecide on a UH Community Collegeas their first choice for post-secondary education. There is noage restriction, so it could be theideal opportunity for someonealready in the workforce to get theeducation he or she always wanted.To take full advantage of the federalgovernment’s program, studentsshould begin school this semester.

The federal Tax Relief Act of

Federal tax creditto benefitcommunitycollege students

(continued on page 11)

Aunty Pat Bacon talks story at

Kaua‘iCommunity

College

latest project with the group. Sheis transcribing and translating

that the closer you areto the source, the moreaccurate the information.Students from Kaua‘i Com-munity College’s NativeHawaiian VocationEducation Program(NHVEP) found that

A nyone engaged inserious study of asubject knows

early recordings ofinterviews with MaryKawena Pukui whichtook place 30 to 40 yearsago that tell stories of theNa Pali coast. Sheexplained to the students

to be true with an experience theyhad one evening late last semesterwith nostalgia that could not bebought today.

Native Hawaiian Pat Bacon wasfeatured for the first time on the Kaua‘iCommunity College campus in a “talkstory” session organized by NHVEPwhich is funded byAlu Like, Inc.through a grant bythe United StatesDepartment ofEducation.

Affectionatelyknown as AuntyPat, she is the hanaidaughter of notedHawaiian authorand linguist, MaryKawena Pukui.Bacon, 72, originally from Kipu Kai,near Puhi on Kaua‘i, had plenty to sharewith the students while they had their“talk story” on mats and cushions on thefloor, backstage in the Kaua‘i CCtheater.

“The informal setting, with everyonesitting around, gave us all a feeling ofwhat it must have been like for AuntyPat when she was young,” explainedDennis Chun, Hawaiian studies coordi-nator. “She told us of her experiencesgrowing up in a three-generationHawaiian family where the childrenlearned about the culture and Hawaiianvalues from adults telling them fascinat-ing stories. It seems that everything weneeded to learn could be related in storyform.”

Bacon says that as youngsters, theywere being taught without being con-scious of being taught. And she wasdoing the same thing with the studentsthat very evening. She continued with adiscussion and interpretation of Kaua‘i’soral history. She also described her

that listening to the recordings is verytedious because the Hawaiian that wasspoken then is not the same as theHawaiian spoken today.

“People tell methat the oldrecordings aretoo hard tounderstand.They areconstantlywanting tocorrect thegrammar on therecordings,”Bacon explained.“But that’s the

way they spoke in those days. It hasbecome almost a battle of the academicversus real life.”

She also shared selected verses withthe students from Pukui’s book ‘OleloNo‘eau. She explained how Pukui hasbeen a profound influence on her all herlife.

“My mother died when I was veryyoung. An uncle took the older childrenbut I was too young for him,” she said.“Kawena answered an ad in the news-paper by the Hawaiian Humane Society[as the name may suggest, they handled“human” adoptions at that time] and ateight weeks of age, I had a new mother.”

Bacon now lives in Manoa on O‘ahuand works every day as a culturalresource specialist for the BishopMuseum. She said she would like tospeak with the students on Kaua‘i againsometime. Chun said that he intends toinvite her back, and incorporate aHawaiian music “jam” session with BillKaiwa and Steven Hall.

February 1998 11

A ccording to the students whonominated her, it couldn’t havebeen given to a more deserving

person.Naomi Noelanioko‘olau

Clark Losch was presentedone of only four awardsrecently: “No Ka Hana‘Imi Na‘auao Hawai‘iMaika‘i Loa—In Recogni-tion of the Achievement ofExcellence in HawaiianEducation.” The award isgiven each year by theOffice of Hawaiian Affairs.

Losch is an assistant professor inHawaiian and Indo-Pacific languages andliterature at the University of Hawai‘i atMa noa.

Her nomination for the OHA awardfollowed a three-week language/culturalexchange with a study abroad group shetook to Aotearoa this past summer. In1996-97, her program hosted severalMaori students who invited the Hawai‘istudents to their homeland. Sixteenfourth-year students raised enough moneyto make the trip and earned six credits atthe same time.

“I am especially honored to have evenbeen nominated for this award by thesestudents,” Losch said with ha‘aha‘a(humility), “I never expected them to dothat.”

Losch began her higher educationteaching career at Leeward CommunityCollege in 1970. She left as an associate

1997, signed into law recently byPresident Clinton, provides for this taxcredit. It is called the Hope Scholarshipand is available to first and second yearcollege students beginning January1998. Eligible students may receive upto $1,500 in “Hope” tax credits fortuition and fees paid after January 1,1998. Since each case may differslightly, students and their parents areadvised to consult a tax adviser.

Students not eligible for the Hope tax

credit may qualify for the LifetimeLearning benefit which allows up to$1,000 for qualified tuition andexpenses after June 30, 1998.

There are additional features in thenew law that may apply to any numberof individuals. More information isavailable by calling the Office of theChancellor for the CommunityColleges in Honolulu at 956-7313.

Although congress passed the billand an announcement was made

several months ago, Washington onlyrecently outlined the particulars of howthe law was to be administered.

“This is the reason we needed toinform potential students about thefederal program,” Narimatsu continued.“Now that we have been told how thetax credit will be implemented, wewant everyone to know that they maybe eligible.”

In 1969 she was selected to dance withthe Kamehameha Alumni Glee Club on atour in Japan.

“I felt really honored, because I didn’tthink I was a good dancer,” she said. “Imean, these girls danced for AuntyMa‘iki’s. Even Coline Aiu, her daughter,was one of the dancers.”

Dorothy Gillette, the glee club con-ductor, was impressed, however. Shehad Losch contact Norman Rian, a musicinstructor at Leeward CC, who was look-ing for someone to teach hula at Leeward.

“I told him I would teach,” she said,“but I couldn’t teach hula.” She was thenoffered a position teaching Hawaiianlanguage. She’s been doing it ever since.

“I enjoyed my years at Leeward,” shereflected. “The classes are smaller. Thestudents are kua‘aina in the best sense ofthe term. They are unabashed andinquisitive and still thirsty for knowledge,especially when they take Hawaiianlanguage or Hawaiian culture courses.”

Losch has been a good role model forher son, Keala Lokahi, who began hiscollege career at Windward CommunityCollege. He went on to UH-Ma¯noa andis now doing graduate work in PacificIsland studies at the East/West Center.He is also president of the East/WestParticipant’s Association.

Losch is a tall Hawaiian woman. Sheis humble, yet she exudes a well-deservedpride. She carries the OHA award withpride. Her students were right.

professor in Hawaiian Language to go toManoa where she has been since 1994. AKamehameha Schools graduate, she

received herB.A. in anthro-pology and herM.A. in PacificIsland studies atthe University ofHawai‘i atMa noa.While at

Ma noa she tookHawaiian

language courses “... for my personalenrichment,” never realizing that shewould be teaching the language yearslater. Her career led her to the BishopMuseum where she worked closely withMary Kawena Pukui as an assistant inanthropology.

Federal tax credit to benefit community college students (continued from page 10)

OHA honors former Leeward prof

Naomi Losch proudly displays her awardfrom the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

University of Hawai‘iOffice of the Chancellor for Community Colleges2327 Dole StreetHonolulu, Hawai‘i 96822

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here they have to know we still have theAloha Spirit, and we’ve got to show it,too”

He echoes a tape that is shown duringthe eight-hour CAT program. It featuresMaile Meyer, CEO of Native Books andBeautiful Things. She says, “...inHawai‘i, putting your aloha shirt on andsaying ‘aloha’ means nothing unless youare really living it.”

Vericker, a former FBI Special Agent,has designed the CAT program foreveryone from traditional police to retailstore employees. It employs threeinstructors: an investigator, a policeofficer, and a cultural and languagespecialist.

“If everybody completes the CATprogram, we and our future generationswin,” Vericker said.

And those who have completed theprogram have nothing but accolades for

it. Charles Reeves, director of securityat the Ilikai Nikko Waikiki hotel, tookthe course and sent 20 co-workers. Hecommented, “It was well worth it. Nowwe can understand the cultural aspectsof visitors who bring with them differentcustoms and understandings thatsometimes make them more vulnerable.Knowing that, we can deal with itbetter.”

According to the Honolulu PoliceDepartment, crime dropped lasted yearon O‘ahu more than 10 percent, butcrimes against tourists increased 14percent. Officials say Hawai‘i maintainsthe image of being a safe destination,but the publicity of just one bad incidentcould ruin our reputation. Florida canattest to that.

Murray Towill, president of theHawai‘i Hotel Association, considersCAT “...a valuable program that helps

(continued from front page)CAT program a successinform visitor industry employees ofprocedures and precautions, and it alsosends a very positive message to visitorsthat we care enough to maintainHawai‘i’s worldwide reputation of beinga safe place to visit.”

Representatives from the Honolulu and Kapi‘olani Community Colleges were on handat the signing of the 1997 Crime Prevention Proclamation.