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Catholic

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

December 1, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

With the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic rocking much of the country, mental health is taking a serious toll across the nation. A recent NBC News report found that nearly 1 in 4 individuals reported feeling anxious more than half of the previous seven days, and 1 in 5 reported feeling depressed.

But according to the Buddkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK)-Fujitani Interfaith Program at Chaminade University, it’s okay to not feel okay right now.

The program, part of the School of Humanities, Arts and Design at Chaminade, recently invited three guest speakers to share tips on how to stay grounded when things are not okay—the virtual workshop was titled “I’m Not Okay, But It’s Okay: Finding a Middle Way.”

DBK-Fujitani Workshop, Kehaulani Lum

Aunty Kehaulani Lum, president of Ali’i Pauahi Hawaiian Civic Club, began the workshop by sharing the Native Hawaiian perspective of the current coronavirus pandemic.

“Today’s theme, ‘I’m not okay but it’s okay,’ are words that resonate deeply to Native Hawaiian people,” shared Lum. “They speak with wisdom and experience of generations of people who have survived great epidemics in these islands over the course of 200 years or more.”

Lum explained how in 1840, less than a century after British seafarers had landed in Hawai’i, nearly 84% of the Hawaiian population had died from diseases from which they had no immunity.

To Lum, the greatest answers in explaining our current situation come from looking at the source of the coronavirus pandemic. The virus is believed to have originated in bats in Wuhan, China—and ironically, bats are a symbol of health and longevity in Chinese culture. Specifically, says Lum, the virus was from a bat that was taken from a cave and brought to a market where humans coveted it as a delicacy. She believes there is a lesson there.

“We looked to guidance from the Kumulipo and found in the seventh era, just after the birth of the dog and the speckled bird, the springing forth of the bats,” explained Lum. She continued to share that right after the bats, the very last life form to be noted in the Kumulipo, the Hawaiian creation chant, is the man and the woman. “Can it be that by harming our older siblings through the destruction of their habitat and over consumption, we have invited harm upon ourselves?”

Lum believes that the best medicine right now is to commit our hearts and resources to bringing peace and restoration to the natural environment. To her, doing so is “an act of grace, of holiness and total devotion to divinity—not just to ourselves, but to all of our familiar relationships.”

DBK-Fujitani Workshop, Rev. Noriaki Fujimori

Reverend Noriaki Fujimori, the resident minister of Palolo Hongwanji, believes we can use this crisis as an opportunity to change our way of life.

“The Buddhist Master teaches us that encountering adversity is not always a bad thing,” says Fujimori. “It’s a chance to discover a treasure that we never knew we had.”

For Fujimori, anxiety and depression tend to stem from fear, and in most cases, we’re afraid of the unknown. But Buddhism guides people to live their life in the present—right here and right now—rather than worrying about an unknown future.

“The fear I create so easily in my mind is a preoccupation with what is going to happen in the future,” explains Fujimori. “This way of thinking has nothing to do with reality. No one knows what will happen in the future. We must find the joy in living right here and right now.”

He shared Lum’s belief that nature is healing, and explained that working in his garden at home has been very helpful in bringing him back to the present moment and finding joy at home.

DBK-Fujitani Workshop, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo

Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo, a Buddhist nun and professor at University of San Diego, offered several Buddhist truths that may bring comfort during these times of uncertainty. 

The first, said Tsomo, is that life is inherently uncertain. “Life is never satisfactory,” says Tsomo. “Why are we surprised? Whoever said that life was supposed to be a bowl of cherries? It cannot be. But we live in an illusion, we live in a dream world.” The more we can embrace the uncertainty of life, the sooner we will be able to find peace, says Tsomo.

The second truth is that of impermanence. Nothing in life is permanent, yet we continuously grasp for happiness outside of ourselves. We rely on things that are continuously changing, continuously evolving to keep us happy.

Acknowledging impermanence is a very important step to finding happiness, believes Tsomo. “It asks us to acknowledge our own frailty,” she explains. “As human beings, we are actually very fragile. At any moment, it can be ‘poof’ and we’re off to the next life. This body is actually very fragile.”

When we can come to that harsh realization and be honest with ourselves about our own vulnerabilities, it frees us up to rest content in the present moment and set aside all of our fears.

Despite the hardships, there are many silver linings to come out of this pandemic, offers Tsomo.

“It’s a disaster, and it’s especially a disaster for the poor,” says Tsomo. “But it also has the benefit of making us reframe our lives, stepping back and taking a closer look at our priorities. All of the things we’ve been wrapped up in, maybe they’re not as important as we thought. This pandemic can be a teacher.”

Tsomo believes a good first step in shifting priorities is to focus on love.

“Everyone loves to talk about love, now all we have to do is practice it,” says Tsomo. “We may sometimes get so wrapped up in our own pursuits that we forget about the other 7.5 billion human beings out there, not to mention the billions of fish and insects and animals. We can send loving kindness to all of them. This helps us feel love in our hearts, and this love overcomes so much of our anxiety and depression.”

Filed Under: Campus and Community, Catholic, Humanities, Arts & Design

Most Reverend Larry Silva Visits Campus

October 26, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

Each year, Dr. Lynn Babington, president of Chaminade University, meets with Most Reverend Larry Silva, Bishop of Honolulu. The annual meeting serves as a way for the university and the diocese to discuss and share their shared mission of serving the people of Hawaii.

Most Reverend Larry Silva visits Chaminade University and speaks with Dr. Lynn Babington and Dr. Helen Turner
Dr. Helen Turner, Most Reverend Larry Silva and Dr. Lynn Babington

This year’s meeting took on a different form, with Chaminade having the extreme honor of safely hosting the Bishop on campus. The visit was an opportunity to explore how the university and the diocese could come together during these unprecedented times of need to serve our community.

“I thought that meeting some of the people that are doing work that contributes to the shared mission of the diocese and the university would be helpful to him and to us,” says Brother Edward Brink, Chaminade’s vice president of mission and rector who helped arrange the visit. “I hope the visit will help both the Bishop and those of us who met with him to think creatively about how the university and the diocese can serve the people of Hawaii.”

Most Reverend Larry Silva began his visit by meeting with Father Martin Solma, Chaplain; Dr. Dave Coleman, professor of Religious Studies; Dr. Dustyn Ragasa, director of the Master in Pastoral Theology Program; and Jeremiah Carter, director of Campus Ministry. Wearing masks and maintaining a safe distance, the small group discussed Marianist values, focusing on the formation of faith on campus and in the community. Next, he met with Dr. Lynn Babington, president, and Dr. Helen Turner, vice president of strategy and innovation.

For first-year students Jerseylee-Rayne Mahiai and Ashley Yoshikawa, the Bishop’s visit left them feeling connected and inspired. They were part of a group of students who joined the Bishop for a safe luncheon after his morning meetings.

Most Reverend Larry Silva visits Chaminade University

“The biggest takeaway I had from lunch with Bishop Silva was how engaging he was,” says Mahiai. “One thing that stuck out to me was when he said that we were future leaders. It may not seem like much and I’ve heard that term many times, but Bishop Silva spoke to us as if the world’s next decision had to be made by the five students that were in that room at that moment.”

The Bishop asked the students for their thoughts and opinions on how to solve some of Hawaii’s most pressing issues, like homelessness.

“It caught my attention because he asked us for ideas of how to solve this issue,” says Mahiai. “He is so full of wisdom and he has experienced so much, and here he was asking us for advice. It felt like such an honor. The ideas that were brought to the table were very interesting and some things I would have never thought.”

Yoshikawa was struck by hearing how the Bishop’s work and church communities have been affected by COVID-19 in many of the same ways as Chaminade. 

“Hearing about his experiences with learning to adapt to COVID-19 regulations was really eye-opening,” she says. “Especially as he mentioned that some were critical of his choices.”

As the group sat six feet apart from each other and took precautions to keep each other healthy, many shared their own experiences with COVID-19. For some of the students who are new to the university, one of their biggest takeaways was just getting to meet each other and feel connected during these socially distant times.

“It isn’t very often that we can meet with others and talk with them,” says Yoshikawa. “And especially as a first-year student I’ve missed out on a lot of opportunities to meet and get to know people. So I enjoyed being able to have that in-person connection with people.”

Mahiai agreed. “It was good being able to meet new people while feeling safe during this rough time,” she said.

Their shared experiences allowed them to explore the reality of COVID-19, and discuss how these challenging times have affected everyone across the board. Together, the Bishop and the students explored their joint responsibility to care for their community.

“It has been a difficult time because of COVID-19,” says Yoshikawa. “It has impacted so many communities, and it is more important than ever to reach out to those in need.”

Filed Under: Campus and Community, Catholic

Mackey Lecture Explores Racism

October 19, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

Father Alapaki Kim knows a thing or two about racism. His paternal grandfather emigrated to Hawaii from Korea to work on the pineapple plantations. His paternal grandmother arrived as a mail order bride. Together they had eight children, one of whom was his father who married his Native Hawaiian mother.

He identifies as half Korean and half Hawaiian and he is the pastor of the largest Hawaiian parish, St. Rita’s Parish. His parish is on Hawaiian Homelands in Nanakuli, Oahu and celebrates both Hawaiian culture and Catholicism. They’ve found a way to seamlessly integrate the two.

Father Kim focused on his Hawaiian heritage as this year’s Mackey Lecture speaker, a lecture series that continues the legacy of Father Robert Mackey, founder and first president of Chaminade University.

This year’s lecture focused on racism in Hawaii, a timely discussion given current national events and sentiments. Chaminade students, faculty and staff joined St. Louis School, the Marianist Center of Hawaii and the general public to view the lecture, streamed as a YouTube video because of pandemic social distancing requirements.

Kapono Ryan, a lay community member, set the stage for an open and honest exploration of racism by sharing a prayer of humility and hope. “All of us have our personal ignorances and arrogances,” said Ryan. “Forgive us. We humbly ask for your mercy and for your discernment, understanding and wisdom. May this session awaken in us a new way…such a way that we can respond to each other with greater humility and greater love.”

Right off the bat, Fr. Kim created common ground by acknowledging that throughout history racism has affected people of all skin colors.

“In the U.S., it’s not just people of color who have suffered racism. The Irish did when they first came. The Italians did. The Jews did. The Chinese came to build railroads, and Chinese children weren’t able to receive an education until priests and nuns violated laws in San Francisco.”

But, he says, people of Native American and African American heritage have experienced the worst of it. He followed with an example of the horrific treatment of the people of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe who protested the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Despite so many ethnic communities having similar histories based on discrimination, we struggle to find common ground when discussing systemic racism. “If we don’t have the same experiences, we have a hard time understanding,” says Fr. Kim.

But to Fr. Kim, the key to understanding is through education. That was what inspired him during this year’s Mackey Lecture about racism in Hawaii.

Fr. Kim took participants on a journey through Native Hawaiian history. Because, as he mentioned during the question and answer session at the end, “If we don’t know, we cannot empathize.”

Along the way, he used poignant examples to help everyone relate to Native Hawaiian experiences.

For example, when describing Hawaii’s first constitution in 1843, he explained that the constitution introduced division of land for the first time in Hawaii. “Hawaiians didn’t own land, they believed land was their grandmother,” he explains. “How can you sell your grandmother?”

Throughout the lecture, Fr. Kim spoke from experience. He has experienced racism and has seen it in his community throughout his whole life. And his upbringing was shaped by the racism his mother experienced as a child.

His mother grew up in a household that only spoke Hawaiian. By the time she went to grade school in the 1920s, Hawaiian was her primary language. One day, after speaking in Hawaiian with her cousin on the playground, a teacher called them over.

“She called them ignorant and stupid in front of all the kids,” says Fr. Kim. “Hawaiians were not rugged individualists at the time, and did not like to be singled out for praise or to be chastised. My mother was horrified.” The teacher then began to beat the two girls in front of the whole school.

The trauma his mother carried as a result was lasting. She hardly ever spoke in Hawaiian when he was young. His grandmother was the one that taught him his native language. She would come and stay at their home for a while and speak only in Hawaiian. But as soon as she left, his mother would pull him aside and say ‘you don’t talk that, it’s bad luck.’

As a young priest on the Big Island of Hawaii, Fr. Kim witnessed a family be evicted from lands they had lived on since before the arrival of Captain Cook. Their land had become Hawaiian Kingdom government lands earlier in history, but they were still allowed to live on it. Eventually, the lands became part of a seeded land trust which came under jurisdiction of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), and when they found the deed they handed it over to the National Park Service.

Suddenly, the National Park Service was telling the ‘ohana what they could and couldn’t do with their land. For centuries they had relied on a loi kalo and a fish pond for food. But the park service said that was no longer allowed.

“They ignored it, because it was how they got their food,” explains Fr. Kim. “Eventually the DLNR police came and evicted the family in riot gear. Now, the National Park Service brings tourists there to show them how Hawaiians used to live.”

With systemic racism dominating conversations across the U.S., Fr. Kim says the first step we can take is to educate ourselves. Once we understand the historical context of what is happening, then we can determine how we best fit in to tackling the issue of racism. And as Christians, it’s our duty to do the work.

“As Christians, we are called to stand for equal rights in racial issues and religious issues,” says Fr. Kim. “Jesus tells us that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love one another. He also says if you say you love God but you hate your neighbor, you’re a liar. God chose to become human…therefore we must love our brothers and sisters, that’s a requirement. If we don’t love them, we can’t love God.”


Mackey Marianist Lecture: “Racism in Hawaii: A Faith Response”

Filed Under: Campus and Community, Catholic, Featured Story

Race Relations in Hawaii

October 13, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

As part of Chaminade University’s Mackey Marianist Lecture series, a virtual presentation on racism in Hawaii will be available for public viewing beginning Sunday, October 11. “Racism in Hawaii: A Faith Response,” with native Hawaiian priest Fr. Alapaki Kim from St. Rita’s Parish in Nanakuli, sheds light on systemic racism and the commonalities and differences in issues of race as it pertains to the Mainland and Hawaii.

As the pastor of a parish located on Hawaiian Homelands, Fr. Kim integrates in his teachings the wisdom and practices of his Native Hawaiian spirituality and culture. He also proposes how people of faith can respond to racial inequalities.

Due to social distancing guidelines, Fr. Alapaki’s recent presentation was made via Zoom with a group of invited students, staff and faculty from Chaminade University and Saint Louis School. The students then posed questions after the initial presentation.

“Racism in Hawaii: A Faith Response” will premiere on the Marianist Center of Hawaii’s YouTube channel on Sunday, October 11, 2020. The recording of this Zoom presentation can be viewed here. The recorded presentation is free and registration is not needed.

This is the 25th anniversary of the Mackey Marianist Lectures, which is sponsored by the Marianist Center at Chaminade University. The Society of Mary (Marianists) founded Chaminade University in 1955 and continues as its sponsor.

# # #

Chaminade University of Honolulu provides a collaborative and innovative learning environment that prepares graduate and undergraduate students for life, service and successful careers. Established in 1955, the university is guided by its Catholic, Marianist and liberal arts educational traditions, which include a commitment to serving the Native Hawaiian population. Chaminade offers an inclusive setting where students, faculty and staff collectively pursue a more just and peaceful society. For more information, visit chaminade.edu.

Filed Under: Campus and Community, Catholic, Press Release

2020 Hawaii Catholic Schools Teacher of the Year

September 14, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

Growing up, the library was always a place where Laurel Oshiro felt safe. It was a place where she could just be herself and explore her own interests. So when her friend introduced her to a master’s in library science program, it felt like a natural fit. Oshiro was in her final semester of student teaching at the time, about to graduate with her bachelor’s, and fell in love with the idea of becoming a school librarian.

“I prayed and prayed for guidance before I graduated,” recalls Oshiro when asked about her decision to become a librarian. “One day, while I was praying, I went to the library and the librarian was super nice. I’ve always loved the library, and I decided to apply for a school librarian graduate program. As soon as I did, it felt like all these doors opened up. My interest in learning was reawakened.”

 Laurel Oshiro, the 2020 Hawaii Catholic Schools Teacher of the Year awardee

Fast forward to 2020, and Oshiro has obviously made the right career choice. She was recently named the 2020 Hawaii Catholic Schools Teacher of the Year, an annual award that’s presented by Chaminade University, Catholic Schools Hawaii and John C. and Mary Lou Brogan. The recipient receives a golden pine“apple” trophy and $1,000.

Oshiro’s passion and love for her job are evident the moment you start talking with her. She is the school librarian for grades JK-6 at Sacred Hearts Academy and she is known for her creative programming and knack for bringing new ideas and programs to the school.

“One of my administrators joked that I’m a Jill of all trades,” says Oshiro, laughing. “But that’s why I love Sacred Hearts so much…my principals give me so much freedom and so many resources to try to influence and create new programs.”

In 2010, Oshiro started a digital media club on campus for grades 4-6. They produce movies that are shared with the entire school community and host an annual red carpet event that is open to the public. Several students have gone on to careers in broadcast journalism. In 2013, she established the iTeach808: Empowering Hawaii’s Teachers in Technology conference, a free educational technology conference that reaches over 150 teachers from 40 schools across Hawaii each year.

More recently, Oshiro has been spearheading efforts to create a STREAM Innovation Center on campus and is piloting a new program that has already shown to increase student reading achievement and motivation. An avid sports fan and certified yoga instructor, she’s also been known to coach the school soccer and track and field teams and offer free yoga classes for colleagues. In the summer, she teaches yoga classes at the Sacred Hearts high school for students. She serves as the Vice President of Membership for the Hawaii Association of School Librarians in her spare time.

Oshiro became a mother this summer and is currently taking some time off to spend with her new baby. But she misses her Sacred Hearts community dearly and she’s treating this time away as a sabbatical, a chance to discover new books and catch up on new trends in the field of library science.

For Oshiro, there’s something very special about being in the Catholic school system that she’s excited to return to after maternity leave. She’s a devout Christian and finds fulfillment in being able to share her faith with her students.

“I look forward to mass every month and being able to talk to the children about God,” says Oshiro. “I love praying with them and helping them. It’s one thing to raise kids to be really smart and have high scores, but it’s another thing to develop their hearts.”

She has a profound respect for the teachers that surround her and attributes much of her success to the incredible work that they do every day. “I look at my neighbors, the teachers on my left and the teachers on my right, and I’m like ‘boy, they are working so hard,’” she describes. “I think managing a classroom of 25 kids is much harder than what I do. I have the one place on campus where students don’t get graded. That’s why I decided to become a librarian.”

As for the teacher-of-the-year award, Oshiro is truly honored. “It was so nice of Chaminade, it felt like the Heisman of teacher’s awards—that trophy was enormous!”

But she views the award as something her whole school earned. She believes it’s the result of the support network that she has found at Sacred Hearts Academy and it wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the support of her fellow colleagues and administrators.

“It’s such an honor, I’m very humbled by it,” she says. “I hope to steward it well.”

Filed Under: Catholic, Education, Featured Story Tagged With: Honors and Awards

How will we be the change?

June 4, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

President Lynn Babington’s Statement Regarding Unrest Across the Nation

To the Chaminade community:

We mourn the tragic death of George Floyd and join those around the nation, and the globe, in calling for an end to the institutional racism that has plagued our nation for far too long.

The pain and anguish of protesters gathering peacefully in US cities is palpable and justified.

It is also familiar. And in their chants we hear not only George Floyd’s name but the names of countless other African-Americans and people of color who have been killed. 

Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. This must end. 

Silence is not the answer to racism, to bigotry or to violence. It never has been. Now is the time for a dialogue, for action—and for change.

Now is the time to speak the names of those we’ve lost so they will not have died in vain. 

As a Marianist educational institution, we are proud to stand for social justice. It is written into our mission.

And we believe our work to end racism begins at home. Chaminade University has built a safe and inclusive campus community, condemning discrimination. Over the years, we have sought to examine and amend our policies and ensure that all voices are at the table.

There is always more to do, however, and this moment in our nation’s history should give all of us pause. We must ask ourselves: how will we meet this crisis and seek to right the wrongs that were decades in the making?

How will we be the change?

It is everyone’s kuleana to root out racism wherever it is found. To be intentional, active, urgent and unified in addressing the systemic inequities and injustices that we face as a nation.

The images on the news and across social media should also fuel our resolve: the time for real change is here. This is too important to put off any longer. 

We can begin on a different path forward by condemning as a nation and as citizens these violent acts and offering to support one another in building a new future together. 

Many of you are struggling right now with the strongest emotions: you are outraged, you are grieving, you are afraid. These feelings are both incredibly difficult and absolutely understandable. 

Know that your campus community is here for you at this time and always.

We are here to listen, to learn and to lean into the hard work of racial reconciliation together. As one ‘ohana, we will be part of the solution.

Sincerely,
Lynn Babington, Ph.D.
President, Chaminade University

Filed Under: Campus and Community, Catholic, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured Story, Institutional, President

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