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

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Donald Akana, Bob Ramsey, Dawn Farm-Ramsey What are the values of Kamehameha? Of Hawaiians? Donald Akana ISecurily1, Bob Ramsey IRecreationa1 Facilitiesj, and Dawn Farm-Ramsey ICommunicationsj share their views on what Kamehameha and the Hawaiian community should perpetuate. t is important that we search for our Hawaiian- ness: in chant and dance, in arts and crafts, in the land and sea. But it's hard. As Hawai'i left World War II and entered state- hood, much of the old way of life was left behind. And as the older people left us, Hawaiian language and culture began to slip away. This also happened at Kameha- meha. As the school increased its ROTC program and grew into an academic institute, it turned its back on basic Hawaiiana. I am happy to see that things are changing. Hula is back, culture and language are gaining new emphasis. Kamehameha has always been looked on as a leader in the Hawaiian community. But it must do more to help the Hawaiians know about themselves. Kamehameha needs to make Hawaiian language and culture classes mandatory through 12th grade. It should encourage learning about life on the land. It should be the one to help bring Hawai'i back to eher people. After all, Kamehameha Schools is Hawai'i. -Donald Akana Since coming here, I've experienced the Hawaiian culture in ways rarely offered to non-Hawaiians. My perspectives have changed over the years because of some very special people. My awareness of things Hawaiian came from a language class I took from Pilahi Paki. She taught me the beauty of your language, and I saw in her an inner peace that I had never known before. I will not forget her patience and under- standingg these qualities helped me to define what I consider truly Hawaiian, and what I hold most dear. I have since encountered many students and staff who share Aunty's traits. But I also know others who do not have any appreciation for Hawaiian culture and what it offers us. 1 There is often discussion among our staff as to what's more important for our students to learn: Hawaiian or Western values. I hear complaints about class time lost to Founder's Day and Song Contest, and I wonder why some people can't see how valuable such experiences are. Other people stress competitiveness in a way that runs contrary to the nature of our students. There's nothing wrong with competition, but a lot of us have to be careful of the degree to which we push it. No culture has a lock on good values, but those of us from other backgrounds need to be aware that the true Hawaiian way is often more sensitive and effective than what we,ve brought here. -Bob Ramsey I know of kupuna who felt ashamed of being Hawaiian. When they grew up, they were treated as inferiors, and they came to believe it. Their ties to Hawaiian traditions and values pulled against their desire to be accepted and respected. Many even denied their ancestry. We have suffered for genera- tions in this tug-of-war of values, and we still often have to choose between our old beliefs and the expectations of the dominant culture. We are supposed to be a carefree people, in fact, we suffer much inner conflict. A child taught at home to be modest, downplays his ability in school and is labelled: underachiever. An adult raised to value the concept of alu like fworking togetherj, flounders in a business that recognizes only individual accomplishment. How do we prepare our youth for today's world? Do we continue to teach them patience, humility, and modesty when leadership roles in downtown Honolulu go to those who are assertive, aggressive, and opportunistic? Are the re- wards of money and power worth striving for if they undermine the values that we Hawaiians have been taught to respect? Is Kamehameha responsible for choosing between these values? know more than I do. -Dawn Farm-Ramsey

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Sherri Orton, Kevin Sasaki, Joyceline Lee Dr. George Kanahele, a Kamehameha graduate, is presently writing the history of The Schools. Three of the students he talked with - Sherri Orton, Kevin Sasaki, and .Ioyceline Lee -- agreed to share their opinions about Kamehameha with us. Sherri is an '85 gradua te majoring in Hawaiian Studies at U.H. Hilo. Kevin is a senior and president of Hui Lama. Joyce, an '85 graduate, attends Tufts University. believe in holding on to the things that were taught to me in hula. I try to retain not only the culture and language of old, but also the humility, confidence, and disciplined behavior that bring pride to the kupuna. Sometimes it is hard for me to uphold these important things. Sometimes it does not seem that my peers or teachers share my belief in the importance of the old ways. Last year, the seniors - my class - made a wave,' at Founder's Day. Was that a fitting salute to Pauahi on the one day and hour that we set aside to thank her? During a May Day assembly, a brave freshmen girl got up to dance for her uncles, The Makaha Sons. Soon two boys dressed as girls were gyrating on the floor and making Cin my eyes at leastj a mockery of the song. I cannot forget the sadness I felt, and the lone- liness too, as I sat among others who laughed and clapped at what was going on. I wonder about discipline at Kamehameha. I don't under- stand. Sometimes I feel set apart from everyone because of the things that I've come to value. My classmates often think I'm too emotional and that I lack a sense of humor. I don't believe this is true. It's just hard to cherish things that others don't. It's hard to hold on. -Sherri Orton hile talking to friends, I often hear gripes about teachers, lunch, and the school as a whole. My friends even have the nerve to praise other schools at our expense. I want to tell them Maybe you'd be better off there. Still I thought I might be missing something, so I went off on an exchange program to you-know-where. It didn't take me long to realize that Kamehameha has so much more to offer than our grumblers want to think. The grass is definitely not greener on the other side. We have more here than most of us know what to do with, and we should spend time taking better advantage of everything. It only took a day off campus for me to become even more proud of attending Kamehameha than ever before. That is how it should be. -Kevin Sasaki hose voices behind me have not shut up since this ceremony began. They are talking about last night's party. Now they are talking about how boring this is. In fact, they have not stopped talking since Bac- calaureate this morning. In fact, they've talked through Song Contest and Founder's Day. I believe that they have not stopped talking since the first day of ninth grade at our first class meeting. They are complaining that Kame- hameha has been their prison. It is a shame, isnlt it, how they've been forced to get a good education up here. They were never happy at school . . . unless they were getting away with something, putting someone else down, talking stink. Their excuse for showing up was to see their friends and sneak off to corners Now Sons of Hawai'i is being sung. But those voices are too busy crying to sing. I guess they're overjoyed at their release. Now the ceremony is over. So is their prison term. Funny, now it's silent, I don't hear them any more, what could be wrong? If my guess is right, I'll be hearing those voices again one day soon. They will be telling their younger brothers and sisters, their nieces and nephews, their own children: Kam School, thassa good school, but they're not strick enough anymore like they were when I wuz there. Now they let the kids get away with anything. Still, 'as a good school, you go there and take advantage of all they get. You lissen to what they tell you. And bla bla bla. Voices. What ever happened to nana, ho'olohe, pa 'a ka waha? To look, listen, and shut the mouth? -Joyceline Lee

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