Kamehameha High School - Ka Nai Aupuni Yearbook (Honolulu, HI)

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Sarah 'llialoha Quick and Marvelle Kanani Balutski What value do we place on our mother tongue? Sarah 'Ilialoha Quick is an instructor of Hawaiian language at Kamehameha. Kanani Balutski is a 1985 graduate who studied Hawaiian here for four years. She now attends UH Manoa and majors in Social Sciences. e get upset when people call us KAM SCHOOL. The first headline in last year's Ka Na? Aupuni read: It is not Kamg it is Kamehameha. We hear: Kamehameha was Ha- waiian, not Chinese, referring to the fact that Kam is a Chinese surname. But how many of us say Kameamea instead of Kamehameha? Too many! It is not enough to know which is proper. We must take the next step and say it correctly. If not, then we are saying that we don't care. We get upset when non-Hawaiians mispronounce people, place, and street names. But when we mis- pronounce them, we think little of it. We are more at fault. The difference is that we know what it should be, and they don't. Hawaiian names are not just consonants and vowels put to- gether to produce euphonious sounds. Rather, they are made up of individual words that have meaning. Kamehameha is made up of two words - Ka, , which means the, and mehameha, which means lonely. He was referred to as The Lonely One because he was raised in an isolated area. If we take Kameamea, ka means the, and meamea is thing or so and so. We know that he would not have been named The So-and-So. A 1 The community looks to us for answers, for verification, for, help when it comes to things Hawaiian. We need to raise the awareness of our Kamehameha 'ohana to the point where we care enough to live up to our obligations. Teachers and ad- ministrators must care enough to pronounce and write Hawaiian correctly so that their stu- dents will emulate them. Our language is slipping away from us. Our native speakers are passing on. What is to become of our 'olelo Hawai'i? Who is responsible for its continuance? Is it not our responsibility as Hawaiians to see that it never dies? Is it not Kamehameha's responsibility as an educational leader to accept that trust? We at Kame- hameha have been admonished by our Southern cousins - the Maori and Cook Islanders - to do some- thing about the plight of our native language. Nobody is going to do it for us. We must do it ourselves. E mau i ka 'olelo o ka 'aina, ka 'olelo Hawaiii. Perpetuate the language of the land, the Hawaiian language. -Sara 'Ilialoha Quick t upsets me when I hear students making up words and speaking tourist- Hawaiian. They're saying that our language has little value. They are kicking it when it's down. I lose my temper when students and teachers grumble over Mrs. Quick's language corrections at Song Contest rehearsals. Why is she so picky? Whatls the big deal? It's only a little mark. The deal is that a tiny mark can make a big difference. Take the words lcaua and lcaua. They differ only by kahako, but one means we two and the other means war. The presence of an 'okina also alters a word's meaning. Take kai and ka ii. One means ocean the other means enter. Our English teachers correct us all the time, we should expect the sam from Mrs. Quick. Kamehameha must place more value on our mother tongue. W say that our students should know their heritage and we re- quire a year of Hawaiian cultur and history courses for gradua- tion. But there is no language requirement. This I can't understandg is not language the root of any culture? Why are we paying attention to branches and leaves when the root is withering? Our language is preciousg where else but at Ka- mehameha can it be given life? -Kanani Balutski

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Al, Florence, Todd, and Allyson Apo The Apo family enjoys a unique position at Kamehameha: they live, work, and go to school here. Kamehameha is their home. Al, a 1960 graduate, met his wife at CSU. They returned I 7 years ago to teach math, advise in the dorms, coach, and see their children through The Schools. Todd graduated in 1985 and is at Brown, Allyson is a 10th graderg Andrea Knot pictured or interviewedj is at Princeton. n 1954 my father asked me if I wanted to attend Kamehameha. My answer was a definite Yes. Since then, I have wondered many times what would have happened to me if it were not for Bernice Pauahi. I have seen Kamehameha through the eyes of a student, alumni, teacher, coach, and parent. I have seen it as an undergra- duate student at Colorado State, and as a teacher at Brawley, California. Since my return in 1969, I have also seen it from the giving end. And now my children are the receivers. I see the oppor- tunities Kamehameha provides for them, and now, after some thirty years of being asso- ciated with Kamehameha, I realize how much of an impact it has made on me and my family. The quality of Kamehameha's education is top-notch. This quality is not something that just happens. It takes planning. It takes dedicated students, alumni, parents, and faculty. Each one of us has the obligation to perpetuate Kamehameha's excellence. Imua Kamehameha. -Al Apo Q We don't think enough about the value of our education. Often we do not realize what Kameha- mehameha stands for and what it can do for us. Those who do realize the value of education here are the ones who get the most out of school. They are active in sports, clubs, extra- curricular activities, and - most of all - active in their educational experiences. They value what they learn, and they use it to improve themselves. They put a lot into our school, and because of this, they receive much from it. Hawaiian is more than just another nationality. Being Hawaiian allows us to parti- cipate in this extraordinary 'ohana at Kamehameha. We need to show how proud we are to be Hawaiian and how much we value what Kamehameha has to offer. There are so many facilities, activities, and opportunities for us to enjoy. Kamehameha is ready to give, to those who really want it, a great education. We have to really want it. -Allyson Apo As a dorm advisor, I hope to give the girls incentive to do their best and grow to be positive parts of the community. Many of them return to visit, and just to see them as mature adults is rewarding. As a teacher, I believe that learning to be courteous and aware of the hurts and needs of others is just as important as learning math. If I can expose my students to life, I am satisfied. Having to discipline students in the classroom or halls is most disheartening because the expectations at school are no more than what is expected in life. As a part of Kamehameha, I hope that I am carrying out the traditions and values of the legacy that has been such a great influence on our family. -Florence Apo Let hills and valleys loud our song prolong. We always sing these words, but does anybody look at their significance? There are many things we do at Kamehameha that we just do and never really look at. They are just done because they have to be. I feel like our pride is disappearing. The school song is a good ex- ample. When we end our song, how many people are talking, fooling around, or walking out? Too many! Also: everyone knows that we have a beautiful campus, but look at the graffitti and litter. How can you thank Pauahi with a can of spray paint and a profanity? How much effort does it take to carry a soda can to a rubbish can? Many of our problems with campus environment and school unity can be alleviated if we would develop more pride in ourselves. And we must remember that no one can teach us pride or force it into us: we must each think about it, find it, and put it into ourselves. -Todd Apo