Chaminade University of Honolulu

University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade’s spring musical ‘Into the Woods’ wins 7 awards from Hawaii State Theatre Council

The Hawaii State Theatre Council honored Chaminade University’s spring production of “Into the Woods” with seven Po‘okela Awards – including “Overall Musical” and “Ensemble Performance in a Musical” – thus tying for the second-most accolades at the August 7 ceremony.

Winning a “Pokie” for “Director of a Musical” was Bro. Gary Morris, SM, with Chaminade’s Division of Humanities and Fine Arts. In addition, the associate professor of performing arts won the “Leading Male in a Musical” award for his role in “1776: The Musical,” staged at Windward Community College’s Paliku Theatre.

Chaminade’s production was also recognized for:

  • Sound Design & Engineering (Daniel Yoo);
  • Set Design (Michelle Bisbee);
  • Lighting Design (Christine Sutrov); and
  • Hair, Make-Up and Wig Design (Grace Capellas).

Serving as stage managers were Chaminade students Marchella Verstegh ‘18 and Ava Wong ‘20. The musical ran from March 31 to April 9 at the campus Mamiya Theater.

“Into the Woods,” with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, offers a modern twist on classic fairy tales with a “be careful what you wish for” theme. The Tony Award-winning musical premiered on Broadway in 1987. Walt Disney Pictures released a film adaptation in 2014.

Silversword standouts Goodwin and Kuany sign with pro basketball teams in England, Australia

Two former Chaminade University basketball players – Rohndell Goodwin ‘17 and Kuany Kuany ‘17 – will compete this season for professional teams in England and Australia, respectively.

Rohndell GoodwinGoodwin, honored as “Male Athlete of the Year” at Chaminade’s annual Co-Curricular Awards, signed a one-year contract with the Bristol Flyers of the British Basketball League. The California native is one of three “imports” from outside the European Union allowed on the Flyers roster under league rules.

During his two seasons with the Silverswords, Goodwin averaged 18.4 points per game, the third-highest scoring output in school history. The 6-foot-5 guard was also selected for the 2016-17 Pacific West Conference First Team and All-West Region Second Team.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to be a professional basketball player,” Goodwin said. “Everything that I’ve been working for is starting to pay off. It really hasn’t hit me just yet. I feel it will really hit me once I get on the plane and land in Bristol.”

Kuany Kuany '17Kuany inked a two-year contract with the CQUniversity Cairns Taipans of Australia’s National Basketball League. The 6-foot-5 guard was then sent to the team’s developmental squad, the Cairns Marlins of the Queensland Basketball League.

“I’m happy and excited to continue to play the game I love here in Australia,” said Kuany, a South Sudan native who grew up in Melbourne. “It’s a great opportunity to play for the city of Cairns in the NBL and continue to pursue my goals.”

Kuany, Chaminade’s first-ever four-time All-Pacific West Conference selection, finished his career as third on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,600 points and second in rebounds with 876.

Chaminade University competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II level as a member of the Pacific West Conference. The university fields men’s teams in basketball, cross country, golf and soccer. Women student-athletes compete in basketball, cross country, soccer, softball tennis, and volleyball. For more information, visit goswords.com.

Alum McDonald Embraces ‘Think Global, Act Local’ Mantra as BEARPAW’s VP of International Sales

For alumnus Kevin McDonald ‘06, one of his biggest takeaways from Chaminade University involves thinking globally and acting locally to make the world a better place. Now he applies that high-minded philosophy in his duties as vice president of international sales for the BEARPAW footwear company.

Kevin McDonald '06“Think global, act local perfectly sums up and applies to business and causes that are important to me,” says McDonald, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. “Instead of focusing outward, we have looked to help the immediate region surrounding our head office just outside of Sacramento.”

BEARPAW charitable activities include donating about 6,000 pairs of girls’ boots to the Ticket to Dream Foundation, which provides services for foster children. BEARPAW also sponsored and participated in the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event supporting WEAVE, a nonprofit group that helps victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking in Sacramento County.

And, yes, McDonald joined other men in completing WEAVE’s playful, mile-long charity walk while teetering on red, high-heeled shoes.

McDonald joined BEARPAW three years ago after receiving a phone call from company founder Tom Romeo and president John Pierce. Now that he manages all global sales outside the USA, McDonald is responsible for product selection, pricing, forecasting, marketing, presentations, customer service “and just about anything you can imagine.”

The alum gained an appreciation for international business between his junior and senior years at Chaminade when visiting China through the Hogan Entrepreneurs Program.

Kevin McDonald '06“This was my first time traveling outside of North America,” McDonald notes. “Fast forward to today, I have been to over 30 countries. Each has similarities, but being open and aware to the cultural differences has had a major impact on navigating these markets.”

Reflecting on his Chaminade education, McDonald is especially grateful for the knowledge shared by Dr. Margaret Friedman, an associate professor of marketing.

“I was not the best-in-class student,” McDonald admits, “but Dr. Friedman connected and always provided great nuggets of information that were easily digestible and applicable. These helped to expand the thought process when addressing a consumer or business need/want and outlining or brainstorming your strategic approach.

“All things truly come back to the 4 P’s” (price, product, promotion and place), McDonald says, pointing out that these simple marketing concepts “are often and easily overlooked.

Any career advice for current business students?

“Keep an open mind and be ready to jump if an opportunity presents itself,” McDonald counsels. “Absorb as much as you can from as many people as possible, from as many different walks of life and career paths.

“Have fun and enjoy the journey,” he adds. “It is just beginning and never ends.”

Chaminade’s School of Business and Communication offers undergraduate programs in Business Administration, Accounting, Communication, Management and International Studies (International Trade). The school also offers a Master of Business Administration graduate program with concentrations in Accounting, Island Business and Not-for-Profit Management.

Chaminade Students Present Abstracts at National Conference on Undergraduate Research

Three Chaminade University students – Madison Choi, Alexander Jankowski and Kawehiokekai Moefu – were among the presenters at the 2017 National Conference on Undergraduate Research. The 31st annual event, held at the University of Memphis, promotes research, scholarship and creative activity in diverse fields of study.

Choi, whose faculty mentor is English Professor Allison Paynter, gave an oral presentation entitled: “A Critique of American Reality T.V. in Collins’ The Hunger Games.”

“The entire process of preparing, editing and delivering my speech – both methodical and emotional – was a learning experience I definitely could not have received in a classroom setting,” Choi said.

“The pressure to deliver to an audience of people I don’t know was daunting, but now I know that I’m capable to doing it so next time I won’t be as nervous or apprehensive,” Choi continued.

“The positive feedback I got from other students and faculty was also encouraging to hear and gives me a newfound excitement not only for research, but also for the specific topic of pop culture, film and literature.”

Moefu, whose faculty mentor is Dr. Cheryl Edelson, gave a presentation entitled: “Disney’s Moana (2016) and Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke (1997): The Depiction of the Female Heroine in Film Spanning over Twenty Years.”

Moefu pointed out that the conference is “not just about research work” but also “acts as a stepping stone for graduate school.”

“I had the opportunity to talk with representatives from some universities that I have an interest in attending for graduate school – like Purdue University, University of Georgia and NYU – to gather contact and program information,” Moefu said.

Madison Choi, Professor Amber Caracol Noguchi, Professor Eva Washburn-Repollo, Kawehiokekai Moefu, and Alexander Jankowski
Madison Choi, Professor Amber Caracol Noguchi, Professor Eva Washburn-Repollo, Kawehiokekai Moefu, and Alexander Jankowski

“I would recommend that every undergraduate student take the opportunity to do research on a topic that they are interested in, and then go and present it to an audience,” Moefu added. “It will forever change the trajectory of their life’s course and possibly guide them to travel even further in their academic journey.”

Jankowski, whose faculty mentor is Communications Associate Professor Dr. Eva Washburn-Repollo, gave a presentation entitled: “The Kids are Alt-Right: A Cultural Window Into the Disenfranchised.”

Choi and Moefu developed their abstracts through Chaminade’s Title III-funded Undergraduate Research Mentor Program, which helps students in the humanities and social sciences strengthen their applications to graduate schools.

Information is available at: https://chaminade.edu/undergraduate-research/

Students of Advanced Taxation Help Poor Families Complete Tax Forms

Professor Wayne Tanna wrote: Students in Advanced Taxation participated in a Service-Learning project as part of their course requirements. The project involved doing tax returns for people who are living in homeless transition shelters (Maililand and Loliana, Sponsored by Catholic Charities, and the Weinberg homeless village in Waimanalo) and homeless emergency shelters (The Institute for Human Services – IHS – men’s and women’s shelters). The work was done at these various sites. Since the work was done at the actual sites and not on the Chaminade Campus or in some posh Bishop Street Office, the experience provided an awakening for many of our students. The Chaminade students prepared both federal and state tax returns for homeless and low-income people. The experience was beneficial for all: the students, while providing a meaningful and valuable service, got to learn and further develop their interviewing and tax preparation skills. I, as the instructor, got to take a part of my usual teaching out of the classroom and into a real life situation. The clients got assistance in legal and tax compliance that all citizens have a duty to fulfill but for one reason or another they could not do it by themselves.

Beyond the academic and technical aspects required to be a successful accountant, the students also were exposed to a social policy issue. That issue revolved around the basic need for a tax system and why such a system is so difficult to adhere to. Additionally, students were pushed into asking the questions: Why do the poor and the homeless need to be concerned with taxes? Why are the poor and the homeless taxed to begin with?

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, on 4 March 1999, reported that the tax tab for Hawaii’s poor is the second largest in the U.S. The threshold for tax liability for a family of four in Hawaii is $6100, less than half of the national poverty level ($16,550.00). The students know from class that the standard deduction for a married couple filing a joint return is $6900 and that the four personal exemptions at $2700 each come out to a total of $17,700. They also know that these amounts were set by Congress because they roughly approximate the poverty-line income level for a family of four in the U.S.

As a result, some students ask why the state taxes those who have so little to begin with. Hopefully, this leads to thoughts and discussions as to equity or inequity among different groups in the state. Hopefully, this Service-Learning experience has started the students thinking about why the state’s policy is the way it is and how it could be changed to lessen the burden on those who are least able to pay. Borrowing from anthropologist Margaret Mead and Rhoda Metraus, from their work entitled “Aspects of the Present”, we offer a salute to our students who have forgotten, remembered and now learned something of substance about themselves and their abilities.

“We live in a society that has always depended on volunteers of different kinds – some who can give money, others who give time and a great many who freely give of their special skills, full-time or part-time. If you look closely, you will see that almost anything that really matters to us, anything that embodies our deepest commitment to the way human life should be lived and cared for depends on some form – more often, many forms – of volunteerism.”

To this we humbly add Service-Learning.

Chaminade receives “Presidential Award for Service to Youth from Disadvantaged Circumstances”

The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes colleges and universities nationwide that support innovative and effective community service and service-learning programs. The Honor Roll’s Presidential Award is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.

  • In 2007, Chaminade University was one of only 3 to be awarded “Presidential Award for Service to Youth from Disadvantaged Circumstances.”
  • In 2006, Chaminade University was one of 10 to be awarded “Presidential Award FINALIST for Excellence in General Community Service.“

Award Levels:

  • The Presidential Award is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive.
  • About 100 were given titles of “Honor Roll, with Distinction”.
  • Over 500 were accepted to the Honor Roll.

Selection Criteria:

  • Reviewer evaluations of the scope, innovativeness, and evidence of effectiveness of the service projects described in the application.
  • Percentage of total student enrollment engaged in community service activities and academic service-learning courses.
  • Percentage of total student enrollment engaged in at least 20 hours of community service per semester.
  • Extent to which the institution offers academic service-learning courses.
  • Whether the institution requires academic service-learning
  • Whether the institution rewards the use of academic service-learning through faculty promotion and tenure decisions, or other means.
  • The institution’s Federal Work-Study community service participation rate.
  • Whether community service or service-learning is cited in the institution’s mission statement or strategic plan.

Much of the work that was highlighted in the award application centers on Palolo Valley. Our community partners, faculty, and students collaborate with the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Kapiolani Community College to provide tutoring, early childhood/family education, computer literacy, and more. Chaminade’s service-learning classes focus on diversity in these broad, entry-level tutoring programs. Then, as students progress in their majors and gain specialized knowledge, they move down a “pathway” of service-learning projects that allow them to apply that specialization to help the community. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) project, for example, prepares intermediate accounting majors for the senior-level VITA project and the nonprofit consulting projects.

A quote from CUH President Sue Wesselkamper:
“As an institution for higher learning, Chaminade University emphasizes integrated service-learning as a way to enrich its academic curriculum. By using service opportunities as deliberate learning opportunities, this integrated approach helps our students to develop skills, broaden their understanding and knowledge base, as well as build awareness and sensitivity to diversity. In our service-learning Pathway of Projects, we worked together to address issues systemically and with intentionality, building tracts for student leadership and deepening engagement across semesters. 

We thank our students, faculty, staff, and community partners for their commitment to service and humbly accept the CNCS recognition on their behalf.”

A quote from Candice Sakuda, CUH Director of Service-Learning:
“Chaminade is a small university with a big heart and many willing hands. What is especially meaningful about the President’s Award is that the work we do in our own local communities can be of national significance.”

Recommendations from the Awards Panel

  • This award should give Chaminade the momentum to KEEP UP the impressive work.
  • We should look to the examples for which we’ve won, to inspire service-learning pathways in other disciplines. All areas should encourage students to sustain service through leadership.
  • We should keep focusing on quality integration of service-learning – not as an “add-on,” but as an integral part of academic education.
  • We should encourage faculty participation through the formal valuation of service-learning and community-based research in the RTP process.