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April 6, 2023

Powerful Play Examines Race in the U.S.

Written and directed by Chaminade English Professor Dr. Allison Francis, “The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man” is a three-act play adaptation that evokes the music, imagery and energy at the turn of the 20th century in America.

Jason Lee Hoy plays the play’s lead character.

“James Weldon Johnson wrote the novella in 1912, and it was only about 120 pages,” says Francis, who is the first writer ever to adapt the novel into a screenplay. “The play will feature ragtime music, racial identity and depictions of lynching with the main character traveling across U.S. and Europe.”

The first fictional memoir ever written by a black person who was also the first black executive secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), “The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man” influenced a generation of writers during the Harlem Renaissance, and served as eloquent inspiration for Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison and Richard Wright. In the 1920s and since, it has continually compelled the reader to challenge assumptions about race. It has also given white readers a new perspective on their own culture, revealing the double standard of racial identity imposed on African Americans.

Narrated by a mulatto man whose light skin allows him to “pass” for white, the novella describes a pilgrimage through America’s color lines at the turn of the century—from a black college in Jacksonville, Florida to an elite New York City nightclub, from the rural South to the white suburbs of the Northeast.

This is a potent, painfully honest examination of race in America, a canticle to the anguish of forging an identity in a nation obsessed with color. And, as the late poet Arna Bontemps pointed out decades ago, “the problems of the artist [as presented here] seem as contemporary as if the book had been written this year.”

The three-day performances will run from April 21-23, with shows starting at 7:30 p.m. on April 21 and 22, and a matinee program at 2 p.m. on April 23. Seating is limited at the Vi and Paul Loo Theatre. Click here for tickets.

“It’s an ambitious undertaking to stage this play,” says Performing Arts assistant professor Christopher Patrinos in praise of Francis. “Allison deserves a lot of credit for writing and directing such a challenging theme.”

Family Ties

January 4, 2023

Generations of Kaneohe ‘ohana devote themselves to educating Hawaii keiki

Being an educator runs in Agnes Brown’s genes. Her grandmother was a music teacher at Kapaa Elementary for 30 years. Her mother, Mandy Thronas-Brown, was the principal at St. Ann’s before it closed in 2021 and now serves as Associate Superintendent with Hawaii Catholic Schools. And most of her aunties and cousins are also educators. It’s only fitting then that the Elementary Education major would follow the same trajectory.

“Growing up with my mom as a teacher at St. Ann’s, I was always inspired by how she engaged her students,” says Brown ’23. “I knew that education was always a passion of mine, and I knew that I loved working with kids, especially younger kids.”

However, like many events that were paused—or canceled—due to COVID-19 restrictions, Brown’s observation in the classroom was also sidelined, forcing the school to turn to Teaching Channel videos as a way to supplement students’ field experience.

“COVID impacted all of the education programs because students were not allowed in schools,” says Katrina Roseler, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Education and Director of Teacher Education Programs. However, she points out that as restrictions eased after two years, Agnes and her peers did get the chance to experience working with students at Palolo Elementary School during after-school tutoring.

Starting in 2023, Brown will lead her own classroom at Sacred Hearts Academy, her alma mater. “I’m a little nervous, but I’m going to make it fun for the kids,” says Brown, with a smile. “Education was not always fun for me. It was definitely more of a chore than anything to be excited about.”

As a lifelong learner, Brown plans to take cues from some of her previous teachers and professors, who, she says, made concepts interesting and easier to understand. But there will be challenges, just like with any profession. The Kaneohe native accepts that she will encounter tough days, from planning engaging lessons to responding to classroom distractions.

“My advice, stay calm,” says her mom, Thronas-Brown, who has been in the education field for 28 years. “The fears I think she is experiencing are being able to plan lessons accordingly and being responsible for the education of her students in her classroom, which is always a concern of all new teachers.”

Thronas-Brown also offers another sage nugget: strive to be the best teacher you can possibly be and treat each child in your classroom with compassion while ensuring you meet all teaching expectations.

“Trust yourself and give yourself time to develop your style of teaching,” Thronas-Brown advises. “Never be afraid to ask for help. No teacher is given a ‘playbook’ for each child in their classroom stating the best way to educate that individual.”

Kindhearted, curious, empathetic and leadership have defined Brown since she was a child.

“I was still in elementary school when I knew that I wanted to become a teacher,” Brown acknowledges. “I know I want to become a teacher that likes to help kids who don’t get it right away—like me when I was in school. And I want to provide the same nurturing environment that some of my former teachers created.”

Brown’s mentors have also taught her the value of an education, especially a Catholic one. And while friends have questioned her choice of career, based on pay grade—in Hawaii, an elementary teacher’s entry-level salary ranges between $45,593 and $51,209, according to Hawaii State Teachers Association’s 2022-2023 salary schedule—she would rather accept a lower income doing what she likes best than a higher one that would blunt her passion for teaching.

“We are truly blessed with a self-driven, dedicated, loyal, compassionate, and loving child who knows God and seeks to be the best version of herself each day,” Thronas-Brown says. “We are extremely proud of our daughter Agnes, and we wish her nothing but the best in her life and future career.”

Data Mining

December 21, 2022

Alumna sifts through databases to produce Hawaii’s Uniform Crime Reporting

For most of us, a dashboard primarily indicates a vehicle’s rate of speed, RPMs, engine temperature, gas gauge, mileage and maybe even a personal playlist. However, for Zoey Kaneakua ’22, an instrument panel means something completely different. A 2022 Chaminade University alumna with a degree in Data Science, Analytics and Visualization (DSAV), the 22-year-old Kauai native implements dashboards to measure crime statistics in Hawaii.

“In my sophomore year, I considered leaving Chaminade because I wasn’t enjoying my choice of major,” recalls Kaneakua, a recipient of the Ho‘oulu Scholarship, which is awarded to Native Hawaiian students pursuing a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). “Then my mom suggested that I major in data science, which I wasn’t sure about, but I’m glad I listened to her. She was right.”

In middle school, Kaneakua developed an interest in computer coding just so she could personalize her Tumblr profile. Data science, though, was not in her purview nor in her future. But forensics was, or so she thought. Now she’s a self-described “research geek,” who prefers math over the arts, and enjoys designing dashboards with custom colors and functions.

“I really grew an interest in juvenile justice and criminal justice data when I was at Chaminade,” Kaneakua asserts. “I wanted to use data science—using statistics and computer science—to make it more understandable, interactive and accessible to the public.”

Kaneakua was the ideal candidate for the Data Science program, which encourages students to work in grassroots and community organizations, a fundamental principle in the pedagogical approach at Chaminade, which the National Science Foundation (NSF) INCLUDES Alliance selected to lead a groundbreaking $10 million grant project aimed at creating new opportunities in STEM and data science careers for historically underrepresented populations across Hawai‘i and the Pacific Region.

“You can apply data science to every field—education, healthcare and mental health, environmental science and climate change, and criminal justice,” explains Dr. Rylan Chong, director of Chaminade’s Data Science program. “It’s not just about crunching numbers, but ensuring the numbers reflect different viewpoints and getting those numbers into the right hands.”

Sitting in front of two screens at her office in the Department of the Attorney General’s Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division, Kaneakua demonstrates how she monitors and reports crime statistics in Hawaii and then uploads the data to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), an incident-based reporting system in which law enforcement collects data on each crime occurrence.

“When I was in school, all my research was in criminal justice,” Kaneakua says. “And I was especially interested in looking at juvenile justice.”

Ironically, the crime reports that Kaneakua once poured over are now her kuleana (responsibility). She also now understands how there could be discrepancies in the numbers. Hired in September as a data analyst with the Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division, the former Silversword is now the point person, to whom police departments on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island and Kauai submit their monthly crime reports. Citing her education at Chaminade—and specifically her mentor Dr. Chong—as reasons for being in her current position, Kaneakua points out that she wasn’t even aware that this position was open.

“This was one of the hardest jobs to pursue because the state requires any new hires to have at least one-year experience,” Chong says. “In Zoey’s case, she needed at least one year of experience in both data science and criminal justice since she was filling the role of a database specialist and a data analyst.”

In her junior year, Kaneakua joined aspiring data scientists from across Hawaii and the mainland to participate in Chaminade’s monthlong Supporting Pacific Indigenous Computing Excellence (SPICE) Data Science Summer Institute.

“That was my first independent research involving juvenile justice,” Kaneakua says. “And I think I built my first dashboard in three days using Python (a high-level, general-purpose programming language).”

For her next project, Kaneakua participated in C4C (Computing for Change), looking at domestic violence across the U.S., and trying to make sense of the data and its limitations. Today, she works on real-time projects, which allow her to use all the skills and knowledge that she learned and honed while attending Chaminade.

“None of this would have been possible without Rylan,” says Kaneakua in praise of Chong. “He believed in me and helped me navigate and find my niche. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity and I am proud to represent Chaminade’s DSAV program as I continue to conduct criminal justice research in Hawaii.”

Man on a Mission

December 16, 2022

Alumnus Continues to Pursue Social Justice Passion

When Antonio Bonnetty ’19 started at Chaminade University, he wasn’t even sure if college was for him.

By the time he graduated, he was inspired to head to law school.

And in Spring 2022, the new dad—married to fellow Silversword Maria Weisser ’19—graduated from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University. In short order, he passed the Pennsylvania bar and was accepted into the prestigious U.S. Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps.

It’s an impressive trajectory—that he never would have imagined for himself before starting at Chaminade. “When I was graduating from high school, I didn’t have all my ducks in a row,” he said. “But Chaminade prepared me for adjustments later in life. It took me a little bit to get there, but I did.”

Growing up, Bonnetty moved around a lot as a “military brat,” and graduated from Moanalua High.

He decided to apply to Chaminade after a friend told him about the university. Bonnetty says he was intrigued by the idea of smaller class sizes and strong relationships with mentors. And it didn’t take long for him to realize he’d made the right decision: he joined the cross country team and student government, eventually becoming president, and was also active in campus ministry.

What he appreciated most about Chaminade, he said, was the strong connections to the community.

He said that he’s still moved when he thinks about a service learning project he participated in as a freshman in which he joined with other students to provide meals at homeless shelters. “When you’re homeless, there’s such a stigma. But for the overwhelming majority, it’s just bad luck and cards,” Bonnetty said, adding that message resonates with him as he begins his law career.

“The government as it stands can do a lot better to support people like that,” he said.

Bonnetty said he also grew his confidence at Chaminade—as he took on new challenges with the support of his professors. His interest in the justice system drove him to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice degree. He also double majored in Environmental Studies because of a personal passion for gardening and the outdoors. It was a perfect combination, he said.

“It was a culmination of different things in my life,” he said.

And it led him to his future career: law. At Chaminade, he said, several professors encouraged him to consider law school and underscored its value to projects of social justice. “I see such great opportunities in law to change policies and help improve people’s lives,” he said.

Also at Chaminade, he met his future wife—on day one of a student retreat for freshmen.

They started dating as sophomores, married after graduation and soon, they’re hoping their story together will come full circle: by baptizing their first baby at Chaminade. “For both of us, Chaminade was just a big part of our lives and our lives together,” Bonnetty said. “There are so many good memories.”

Bonnetty said he also decided to attend Duquesne University, rather than the University of Pennsylvania, because of his experience at Chaminade. “It just seemed similar to Chaminade; the people were so nice and the vibe was perfect,” he said. “It immediately felt like home.”

Looking to the future, Bonnetty said he’s honored to serve with JAG.

Before graduating from high school, Bonnetty said he had actually applied to every branch of the military but was denied for all of them because of a medical condition. “At the time, I was discouraged. But it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. I got into Chaminade and got a chance to really thrive,” he said, adding he is looking forward to serving his country in a different capacity.

“After learning I might be considered for JAG, I applied and got in,” he said.

Now he’s gearing up for what’s next—at work and at home.

He recently took to Facebook to announce he’d gotten a letter in the mail officially confirming his admission to the Pennsylvania bar. The notification, he said, “cemented trust in myself” and had him giving thanks to the people who have supported him through good days and tough ones. He expressed gratitude to his wife and extended family, to his newborn baby “for being my purpose,” and to his professors. “I am so thankful,” he wrote, “for all the help I had along this journey.”

Years of Service

December 15, 2022

Faculty and staff reach impressive milestones

The mood was anything but Bah-Humbug. In fact, it was the complete Dickensian opposite. Soap bubbles floated through the air, greeting guests as they climbed the steps to the Sullivan Library Lawn. Staff, faculty, family and friends competed in friendly games of cornhole. Music blared and the atmosphere was convivial. Even the Grinch (Richard Kido) showed up in a bright pine green suit wearing his Santa Claus hat.

Meanwhile, in the background, Christine Denton and her merry elves—Clair Weichhaus, Lisa Trumbull, Lloree Gamiao and Makana Craig—could be seen scurrying around in preparation for the evening’s festivities, laying out trays of food, stacking beverages into coolers and arranging koa bowls in anticipation of the annual Years of Service ceremony.

‘Twas an event that not only marked Chaminade’s annual Christmas party but also afforded the university the chance to recognize the years of service of some of its faculty members and staff. Among them was Joshua Thinsew ’12, who quipped that he now has twins: a five-year honor and now one for 10. Holding up his koa bowl with gold inscription, the decade-long IT specialist said he was going to proudly place this one next to his other.

President Lynn Babington, Ph.D., was also recognized for her fistful of years of service, remarking that she is proud to serve Chaminade. “Joining the Chaminade ‘ohana has been a tremendous honor and privilege, and I’m grateful for all of your hard work and commitment to our educational mission,” Dr. Babington said. “My commitment to our students, faculty and staff remains steadfast, and I look forward to continuing to lead with compassion, vision and a community-first approach.”

Christmas Party Slideshow

Celebrating Years of Service

Below is the complete list of Chaminade employees celebrating their years of service milestones:

Five-Year Award

Lynn Babington, President
Jonathan Baker, School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Hilary Corcoran, School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Guanlin Gao, School of Business and Communication
Blendine Hawkins, School of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Kahoalii Keahi-Wood, Center for Strategy & Innovation
Makepa Matin, Facilities
Travis Mukina, School of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Claire Nishiguchi, School of Humanities, Arts and Design
Katelynn Perrault, School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Lorin Ramocki, School of Nursing and Health Professions
Claire Reddy, ’19, Chaminade University Montessori Lab School

10-Year Award

Deven Bukoski, ’18, Human Resources & Legal Affairs
David Carter, School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Denise Cooper, School of Nursing and Health Professions
Gail Grabowsky, School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Abby Halston, ’05, School of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Kahala Kabalis-Hoke, ’18, Athletics
Chrystie Naeole, School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Pamela Silva-Patrinos, School of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Mark Speck, School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Joshua Thinsew, ’12, Client Services
Aaron Williamson, School of Business and Communication

15-Year Award

Dayna Bareng, Residential Life
Derek Chung, Network and Desktop Services
Darren Iwamoto, ’98, School of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Hieu Nguyen ’09, Institutional Research
Helen Turner, School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics

20-Year Award

Ronald Becker, School of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Clifford Bieberly, School of Business and Communication
Janet Davidson, Vice Provost of Academic Affairs
Philamerico Dela Cruz, ’10, Management Information System
Richard Kido, School of Business and Communication
Sharon Lepage, Sullivan Family Library
Tomasa Pillos, Campus Maintenance

25-Year Award

Collin Lau, School of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Tracy Trevorrow, School of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Sticking Point

December 13, 2022

Pinning Ceremony marks rite of passage for graduating nursing students

“Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses … we must be learning all of our lives.”
Florence Nightingale

Minutes after completing his final exam, Nainoa Gaspar-Takahashi ’22 began to muse about his remarks for the time-honored Nursing Pinning Ceremony, a rite of passage for soon-to-be graduates or graduating Nursing School students.

“After all the obstacles, especially when COVID happened, I can finally see the end of the tunnel,” says Gaspar-Takashi, referring to the ritual ceremony. “It has been a long journey for me and I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”

A total of 49 nursing students received their stoles and pins during the ceremony, which occurs at the end of a student’s program in a school of nursing, and signifies the completion of this level of education and an official initiation into the profession.

Gaspar-Takahashi points out that this official observance is different from the commencement that he will participate in May 2023, adding that many of his peers share the opinion that this ritual is even more significant for them. For the Kaneohe native, the Pinning Ceremony symbolizes that a student is now formally a member of the sisterhood and brotherhood of nurses, and is ready to serve the community as a healthcare professional.

“Nursing has often been referred to as a ‘calling’ and this Pinning Ceremony is based on the history of this respected profession,” Gaspar-Takashi says. “I now feel like I’m now on the frontline of helping people get better.”

In Chaminade’s School of Nursing and Health Professionals version of the Pinning Ceremony, it’s a student’s family member—and not faculty like at some celebrations at other schools—who presents the Chaminade-blue stole and offers words of congratulations.

“It’s very meaningful for the student to have a parent or loved one place the stole around their neck,” says School of Nursing and Health Professions Dean, Rhoberta Haley, Ph.D. “My late mom was a nurse and when she attended my Pinning Ceremony, she wore hers. It’s very symbolic and we take great pride in our pins.”

The history of the Pinning Ceremony dates back to the 12th century when the Crusaders were cared for by the Knights of the Order of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist. When new monks entered the order, they vowed to serve the sick soldiers in a ceremony during which each monk was given a Maltese cross badge.

The modern ceremony started in the 1860s when Queen Victoria awarded Florence Nightingale the Red Cross of St. George to recognize her service as a military nurse during the Crimean War. To share the honor, Nightingale —whom many deem the founder of modern nursing—later presented medals of excellence to her brightest nursing students.

In 1916, the Pinning Ceremony became standard practice for new graduates in the United States as a way to welcome them into the profession. While once reserved for outstanding students, today it includes all students who successfully complete their nursing education.

The last time that guest speaker Bridget Lai spoke at a Pinning Ceremony was her own in May 2001. “It’s been a long time, but when I received the invitation from Dean Haley, not only was I thrilled and excited, but all the memories of that day–over 20 years ago—came rushing back to me,” said Lai, Hawaii Pacific Health’s Nursing Education Manager. “While I absolutely value my degree, the Pinning Ceremony spoke directly to me and the personal calling that I answered to become a nurse. Your pin tells the world—you can do anything, four words that have stayed with me, and grown and evolved with my professional nursing practice.”

In addition to the pinning, some ceremonies often include a candle- or lamp-lighting to symbolize the nighttime care Nightingale gave to wounded soldiers by candlelight. Graduates also recite the International Pledge for Nurses.

“We take this oath seriously,” Gaspar-Takahashi says with sincerity. “And now I look forward to being present as an employee and not a student, and making a difference in a patient’s care.”

Gaspar-Takahashi’s education, though, isn’t quite over. His next classroom will be the emergency room at Straub Medical Center, where he will be the graduate nurse before officially obtaining his Registered Nurse license.

“This nursing program instilled in us the Marianist values of service and compassion,” Gaspar-Takahashi asserts. “I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. I was not only taught the nursing academy but I learned a lot about life lessons.”