Chaminade University of Honolulu

Humanities, Arts & Design

Honor Roll

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Chaminade bestows Heritage Awards

To recognize their exceptional contributions in personifying the Marianist values, Dr. Darren Iwamoto, Maritel Suniga and Kobe Ngirailemesang ’23 have been honored with this year’s Heritage Awards. It’s a distinction that Brother Ed Brink says “shows the breadth and impact an individual may have on campus and in the community.”

Dr. Lynn Babington presents Dr. Darren Iwamoto with his Chaminade Award.

A testament to that mission is Dr. Darren Iwamoto, Associate Professor in Education and Behavioral Sciences, who received this year’s Chaminade Award, given to a faculty or staff member who has exhibited a continuous commitment to Marianist values in education.

“Yes, these awards are designed to honor individuals,” says Brink, Vice President of Mission and Rector, addressing the Founders’ Day Mass attendees. “But these awards are also meant to remind all of us the mission of the university and the importance of trying to live out that mission on a daily basis.”

“I truly try to live the Marianist Education Core Values and receiving this award is special because it tells me that I’m on the right path,” Iwamoto says. “This award motivates me to continue serving our students in Family Spirit and I’m blessed to be a part of an organization that truly lives its mission and values.”

Bro. Ed congratulates Kobe Ngirailemesang for his 2023 Founders’ Award.

Sharing the same sentiment is Kobe Ngirailemesang ’23, a graduating senior, who was presented with the Founders’ Award, which recognizes a student who has exhibited a commitment to Marianist values by outstanding generosity, respect for others and spirit of faith.

“Personally, this award is about being of service to others whenever it is possible,” Ngirailemesang says. “I never thought of helping others as an obligation. I really just enjoy the company of others, regardless of it being for work/class or not. I am truly honored to have received this award.”

Draped in a colorful ring of lei, Maritel Suniga received the Marianist Award.

Meanwhile, Payroll Specialist in the Business Office, Maritel Suniga was honored with the Marianist Award, conferred to a staff member who has exhibited a continuous and extraordinary commitment to the vision and mission of Chaminade University while drawing others into the collaborative community.

The three honorees were recognized at a special ceremony on Jan. 18, following the Founders’ Day Mass at Mystical Rose Oratory. The event was the culmination of a series of gatherings meant to celebrate not only the founders of the Marianist family—including the university’s namesake—but the characteristics of a Marianist education and the values and mission that are central to Chaminade’s identity.

“We gather today to be inspired,” says Brink, during the award ceremony portion of the Mass, “and to hopefully recommit ourselves to be the best member of this community that we can be.”

Heritage Hill

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Founders’ Week celebrates Chaminade’s roots

It seems to me that we must not become discouraged if we encounter some obstacle in the way of the necessary change. Never has change been done, and never will it be done, without difficulty.”

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Letters, March 23, 1833

In 1955, Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine was declared safe and effective. Rosa Parks was arrested after refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. The United States began its involvement in the Vietnam conflict. And St. Louis Junior College was established and would eventually change its name to Chaminade College.

“Founders’ Week gives us the opportunity to honor our founders, including the university’s namesake Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Venerable Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon and Venerable Marie Thérèse Charlotte de Lamourous,” says Chaminade University President Dr. Lynn Babington. “Central to Father Chaminade’s legacy is his commitment to forming schools as a principal means for transforming society. Today, we perpetuate that tradition and remain committed to a holistic education of the whole person.”

Throughout the week of Jan. 16-21, events are planned to acknowledge Chaminade’s past founders and presidents, who have all significantly contributed to the Marianist heritage of respecting both faith and reason as means to the truth and justice.

“Founders’ Week allows us to affirm our Marianist spirit and carry forward the Marianist values,” says Bro. Ed Brink. “In 1883, eight Marianists arrived aboard the steamboat S.S. Mariposa, but only five would be assigned to organize the fledgling St. Louis College with the other three departing for St. Anthony’s on Maui.”

Honoring the Past

Father Marty Solma once again led staff and students in prayer.

On Tuesday afternoon at 12:30, Chaminade and Saint Louis School communities are invited to gather on the Front Lawn at the Oval for a Lei-Draping Ceremony at the Father Chaminade statue. The annual tradition precedes the week’s festivities, including the Marianist Founders Day Mass on Wednesday, where students, faculty and staff are invited to gather as one Chaminade ‘Ohana in prayer, and the Servant Leadership Day on Saturday.

Embodying Marianist Values

During the Founders’ Day Mass, Bro. Brink will announce this year’s Heritage Awards honorees. To recognize their exceptional contributions in personifying the Marianist values, Dr. Darren Iwamoto, Maritel Suniga and Kobe Ngirailemesang will be honored with this year’s Heritage Awards. It’s a distinction that Bro. Brink says “shows the breadth and impact an individual may have on campus and in the community.”

This year’s awardees are:

  • Dr. Darren Iwamoto, Associate Professor in Education and Behavioral Sciences will receive the Chaminade Award, given to a faculty or staff member who has exhibited a continuous commitment to Marianist values in education;
  • Maritel Suniga, Payroll Specialist in the Business Office, will receive the Marianist Award, given to a staff member who has exhibited a continuous and extraordinary commitment to the vision and mission of Chaminade University while drawing others into the collaborative community;
  • Kobe Ngirailemesang, a graduating senior, will receive the Founders’ Award, given to a student who has exhibited a commitment to Marianist values by outstanding generosity, respect for others, and spirit of faith.

Sowing Forward

On Saturday, Founders’ Week culminates in service.  Faculty, staff, and alumni will join students to outwardly express their Marianist Catholic values together. From sorting out clothes and household items at the Institute for Human Services (IHS) to refurbishing furniture at Habitat for Humanity, from cleaning up the campus to cleaning out an ancient fishpond in Heeia, Chaminade volunteers devote their energy into doing good work across the island.

This year, the Servant Leadership Day will take place at the Women’s & Family Shelter at IHS.

Join us throughout Founders’ Week to celebrate the Marianist future.

Founders’ Week Recap Video

The Father Chaminade Statue is draped with lei every Founder’s Week celebration.

In Real Life

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Live performances return to the stage at Vi and Paul Loo Theatre

When Things Could Go Wrong play

Luckily, nothing went awry with the recent production of “Things Go Wrong” at the Vi and Paul Loo Theatre. Written by second-year communications major Garrett Hill, the play was flawlessly staged by 13 students and a 2021 alumnus, who is now a full-time surgical intensive care unit nurse. While this may not have been the first student-driven production at Chaminade, it is the first one in a decade, according to Performing Arts assistant professor Christopher Patrinos.

“It was a full house every night,” says Patrinos, who is also the program’s disciplinarian coordinator. Gesturing towards different parts of the “Black Box Theatre,” Patrinos describes the stage layout for the limited five-show performance, with the hotel bar in one corner and the front lobby in another, and a hotel room toward the back.

“We started in a tennis-court-style stage layout (the stage in the middle, flanked by audience members on each side), but as we workshopped the play, we discovered that it would be better as a proscenium stage, which is perhaps the most readily recognizable.”

When Things Could Go Wrong play

With the success of “Things Go Wrong,” Patrinos has ambitions to encourage more student-driven plays, explaining that the production process empowers students to make creative and artistic decisions, from stage design and lights to sound and architecture.

“This is what would make Chaminade a unique stagecraft program,” asserts Patrinos, a Silversword alumnus who went on to attain his MFA at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. “I’ve worked with some great playwrights and directors, but they’ve all been graduate students; our productions would be led by undergraduates.”

Since assuming the role as assistant professor three years ago, Patrinos has bolstered the program and received the support of colleagues Claire Paul (Performing Arts Professor/Technical Director), Tim Carney (Music Professor) and Allison Francis (English Professor). Together, they have fostered a cohesive student theatre community that includes majors from every discipline, whether it be from nursing and business to English and forensics.

“I drive a lot of these projects but I want it to be a collective decision,” Patrinos says. “We’re ambitious and we have a lot of goals.”

One of them is to bring back the summer theatre program, which was initiated in the Spring of 2015 by David Coleman, Ph.D., former Dean of Arts and Humanities. “It has been a project of mine for the past four years,” Patrinos says. “Chaminade definitely needs some type of performing arts curriculum during the summer.”

Patrinos also realizes that students truly have an appetite for the performing arts, as proven by the sold-out shows of “Things Go Wrong.”

“It’s been almost two years since our last in-person production,” Patrinos says. “Seventy-five percent of the audience members were students and of that number, 75 percent were first-time theatergoers. There was a lot of enthusiasm surrounding this production and there were also a lot of nerves since only three of the cast members had any theatre experience.”

Environmental + Interior Design’s new program coordinator challenges students to think outside the box

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The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live. It is about the realities of what makes for an attractive, civilized, meaningful environment, not about fashion or what’s in or what’s out.
– Albert Hadley

Matthew Higgins with students

Working with his students, Tina-Marie Dust, Alyssa Hofilena and Amisha Singh, on the interior space of a Chinatown restaurant, Matthew Higgins carefully reviewed their choices of color and textiles, reminding them that a room is a behavioral space that sets the mood.

Higgins started at Chaminade University as a visiting professor with the Environmental + Interior Design program a year ago and only recently accepted the position as its program coordinator. In his new role, he will help set the vision for the department and ensure that it retains its Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) accreditation.

“I never take anything for granted,” says Higgins, referring to the program’s CIDA accreditation. “It’s a rigorous process, which requires a three-day on-site review by a visiting team to determine whether a program meets the standards for interior design education.” 

A significant element in this peer review process is evaluating student work to determine achievement levels as an indicator of the adequacy of the required curriculum. Additional factors include academic and professional qualifications of the faculty in relation to the purposes and objectives of the program; adequacy of the facilities for the educational program; administrative structure of the program and its relationship to the institution as a whole; and program assessment methods, and the program’s continued development and improvement as a result of assessment.

“The scope of design has expanded and much broader now,” Higgins explains. “Here at Chaminade, the program added ‘Environmental’ to the curriculum in attempt to breakdown barriers, and to think beyond windows and doors.”

A licensed Realtor, Ruth Simmons decided to attain her BFA at the university, citing that she wanted to be able to offer her clients interior design recommendations. “I see it as complementing my skills as a Realtor,” she says. “The more you can provide your clients, the better.”

Also in their last semesters, Angela Huber and Laura Flor both hope to land jobs with an interior design firm when they graduate. The two seniors agreed that they’ve learned real-world skills that will help them execute the design process.

Matthew Higgins, E+ID program coordinator

“Students can consider a room as behavioral space and change the mood of that room with interior design,” Higgins explains. “They can play with different materials, forms and hues. They get a really good grounding on the principles of interior design in this program.”

Higgins also appreciates the fact that Chaminade students are working toward a BFA (Bachelor’s of Fine Art) instead of a BA, distinguishing that the former demands more diligence and detail, and encompasses a host of topics, including color theory, textiles, sustainability in design, the history of furniture and much more.

“Chaminade has the only CIDA-accredited interior design program in Hawai‘i,” Higgins points out. “And, if for some reason, you didn’t want to stay in Hawaii, the next closest programs are in California or Japan.”

Student Finds Marketing Internships to Support Her Passion for Politics

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Halia Carlbom

If you want to follow Hali’a Carlbom ‘25 around for the day, you’d better put on your tennis shoes.

She is always on the run.

In addition to a full course load as a Historical and Political Studies major (with a minor in Political Science), Carlbom is in the Chaminade Experiential Honors Program and is also honing her social media marketing and communications skills with not one but two separate internships.

Did we mention she’s just about to start her sophomore year?

“I like to stay busy and get involved in the community,” Carlbom said, adding that she’s excited about voting for the first time in the upcoming election. “It’s so important to participate, to vote. I’m doing my research now—trying to read up on the candidates and attend their events. I’m doing my homework.”

Carlbom graduated from Kaiser High School and decided to follow in her sister Trinity’s footsteps to Chaminade. Hali’a Carlbom said she really wanted a university experience with small classes, where she could forge strong relationships with her professors and peers. “I really thrive on classroom discussions and I am absolutely hooked on studying history, looking into the past to understand today,” she said.

Just how much of a history buff is she?

Carlbom said she’s not ashamed to say she’s watched “Hamilton” at least four times.

Halia Carlbom '25 at first year retreat

At Chaminade, Carlbom said the Experiential Honors Program has helped her pursue her academic passions. The program connected her with a mentor and has allowed her to tackle service and research projects through the university’s United Nations-affiliated CIFAL Honolulu Center. “It’s been stressful but in a good way,” Carlbom said. “It’s all about thinking critically and really expanding your perspective.”

Carbom is also actively building her skills with two internships.

She said she found both through Chaminade internship fairs. The first is with Mana Up Hawaii, an initiative to support local entrepreneurs and products. The second is with the Future Collective, a youth culture creative marketing agency based in Tokyo, Japan. Carlbom said she has jumped into both head-first, creating marketing content for social media and helping to craft messaging across platforms.

“It’s about knowing the brand, the mission, what words to use, the design,” she said.

She added, “It’s not easy—but it’s a good challenge.”

Carlbom added she especially likes what Mana Up Hawaii represents and is proud to be supporting an organization that helps local and young business owners get their start. “I’m doing engagement on social media. I’m helping to promote events. I’m putting together posts. It’s really cool,” she said.

Despite her busy schedule, Carlbom is still finding time to remain active in the upcoming Hawaii elections. “Politics really interests me and today, social media is so important to campaigns to be able to speak directly to their audience,” she said. “I’m trying to learn as much as I can.”

And while Carlbom isn’t yet sure what her future career will be, she’s certain about one thing.

“I want to get involved,” she said, “and make a difference.”

Celebrating Student Research at Na Liko Na’auao 2022

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Participants of the 2022 Na Liko Na'auao Symposium

Interpretation of Multidimensional Chromatographic Outputs by Non-Specialists.

Decolonizing Methodologies in Research.

Native Hawaiian Traditional Medicine and its Effects on Inflammation of WISH cells.

Those titles are a mouthful. They also represent just a handful of the hefty research topics undergraduate and graduate scholars at Chaminade discussed at this year’s Na Liko Na’auao Symposium, an annual event dedicated to showcasing student scholarship across disciplines.

Na Liko Na’auao is in its 20th year at Chaminade and gives its student participants an opportunity to showcase their academic and creative work. After going virtual for the last two years, the event on April 8 was held in person at the Clarence T.C. Ching Conference Center.

And in another twist, students got the chance to discuss their research posters and give oral presentations. Participants also came from across fields, including Psychology, Environmental + Interior Design, Data Science, Biology and Nursing—to name a few. Topics explored by students ranged from research into forensic science and body decomposition to the use of statistical models to detect malicious internet traffic.

Amber Noguchi, the director of Chaminade’s Undergraduate Research and Pre-Professional Programs, said expanding participation at the symposium to graduate students was a natural step given the numerous master’s degrees offered at the university on top of three doctoral programs.

Student presents her research poster at Na Liko Na'auao Symposium

In her opening remarks, Noguchi also gave special recognition to the founders of the event: the late Henry Gomes, who was director for Native Hawaiian Partnerships at Chaminade, and Patti Lee-Robinson, former director of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research.

“They had a vision to create a venue to celebrate student scholarship,” Noguchi said.

Also at the event, President Lynn Babington announced the recipient of the 2022 President Sue Wesselkamper Award, which recognizes a student at Chaminade who has demonstrated both outstanding scholarship and extensive service to the community and to the university.

As Babington explained to attendees, Wesselkamper was named Chaminade University’s eighth president in 1995 and was the first woman to head a four-year university in the islands. The award in her name was endowed by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Clark, and recipients are nominated by faculty members.

This year’s awardee: Nainoa Gaspar-Takahashi, a junior at Chaminade who is majoring in Nursing.

Nainoa Gaspar-Takahashi and Dr. Lynn Babington

Gaspar-Takahashi has a strong record of academic scholarship, including research into the integration of Native Hawaiian and Marianist values in student success. In 2020, he co-wrote an article that was published in the Asian Pacific Islander Nursing Journal. He is also a member of the Student Nurses Association and is a peer leader in the Kokua Kakou nursing enrichment program.

His central goal is to make a positive difference in the community, especially in the Native Hawaiian population, and so he is pursuing a career in nursing and hopes to serve in an intensive care unit or emergency room. He also wants to eventually seek a master’s degree in Nursing and continue research projects aimed at improving the healthcare system in Hawaii and the quality of care provided to all patients.

Dr. Edna Magpantay-Monroe, a professor of Nursing who nominated Gaspar-Takahashi for the prestigious honor, applauded his “impeccable work ethic” and said he is a joy to collaborate with.