Chaminade University of Honolulu

Student Life blog

Wellness Week is a Wrap!

The first-ever Wellness Week at Chaminade University ended Friday with positive reviews from the campus community and calls for another one next year.

Organized as a way to help students reduce stress and recharge halfway through the Fall Semester, Wellness Week featured dozens of campus events organized by colleges and departments.

Instructors also organized mini wellness-themed activities with their classes, taking a break from regular lectures and instruction.

Cheryl Edelson, Ph.D., co-Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, said she heard very positive things about Wellness Week from students attending the wellness sessions. Her college organized a handful of events, including a “sound bath” in Loo Theatre, a lunch at the Conference Center featuring games and a scavenger hunt, and movie screenings.

“They appreciate the break,” Edelson said, sharing the reactions she’s been receiving from students.

“We were prepping for the midterm exam but also talking about their papers,” she added. “And so, for them, a slower pace, I think, is giving them a little bit of time to catch a breath. The idea is to basically help them kind of recharge.”

The week kicked off with guided meditation sessions at the Mystical Rose Oratory and Zuberano Lawn. Yoga lessons were on offer, along with cooking demonstrations, including lessons on making the perfect onigiri and Spam musubis hosted by Aramark Dining Services.

Carlson Fitness Center guided students on how to design suitable workouts depending on their fitness goals.

Meanwhile, the campus chapter of the Psi Chi honor society of psychology majors organized the “Plant, Paint, and Pause” event on Wednesday. The hour-long gathering was held “to support student wellness by creating an intentional moment to slow down during the semester,” Psi Chi explained.

Pizza was also offered at that special Psi Chi event.

Other Wellness Week activities were more educational in nature. “We tried to put together some arts and humanities-related and science-related activities throughout the week,” Edelson explained.

Wellness Week also saw the return of therapy dogs to Chaminade University. Organized by Campus Ministry, students were invited to the “Puppy Love” therapy dog session held over the Thursday lunch hour, an opportunity to unwind with the official therapy dogs while enjoying rock painting.

Shannon Sheehy, a junior Sports and Event Management major, said she and her friends really appreciated the week-long opportunity to unwind.

“I think it’s been very beneficial,” Sheehy said. “I play volleyball here, so I feel like for our team, it’s been nice to get out and see puppies and have time to take care of ourselves and put the students first.”

Sheehy admitted that a busy first half of the semester had her feeling a bit overwhelmed earlier, but Wellness Week was a good fix for that. “It’s been pretty stressful, but after this week, I feel that it was a good reset to have,” she said.

Mahina, a freshman nursing student, said she and her fellow students were enjoying Wellness Week but that some students suggested a simple break from classes might have been better.

“I feel like it’s going pretty well,” she said.  “But from what I’ve heard, from both my classmates and also just being around, some students preferred to just have a fall break.”

Still, Mahina said Chaminade students were happy with the schedule of activities and of the opportunity to pause mid-semester. “The events have been very well received from what I have seen,” she said. “A lot of people had fun at the events.”

Wellness Week emphasized students’ academic wellness.

Organizers hoped that the mid-semester pause would help students who may be struggling to have a chance to take a break and get the help and attention they needed. With the pause in regular course instruction, faculty members were afforded chances to reconnect with their students and lend assistance to anyone who may need additional support.

Edelson said Chaminade’s leadership plans to poll students afterwards to see what worked well, what didn’t, and how Wellness Week may be operated differently should it return in Fall 2027. She said the concept of a Wellness Week is relatively new but starting to spread rapidly at college campuses across the United States.

“It’ll be interesting to see the data at the end of it,” she said.  “This is really a time of the semester where we can help students kind of turn things around if they need to, or if they’re doing great, they can continue that way and still get a breath,” Edelson added.

Sheehy said Chaminade should definitely consider holding another Wellness Week next year.

“I think it’s very beneficial for everyone.”

Chaminade’s Service-Learning Shares Manao at Home and Across The Nation

Staff presented workshop at WASC Meeting, Students Represent S-L at CUH State-wide and Nationally

Service-Learning staff presented workshop at 82nd Annual WASC Meeting

Richard Kido, Candice Sakuda and Wayne Tanna presented a workshop on Service-Learning at the 82nd Annual Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Meeting: “From Compliance to Commitment: The Inquiring Institution,” on April 11 -14 in Irvine, Calif. Their presentation was entitled titled “Service-Learning, the Next Generation; Passing the Torch or Igniting the Flame.”

The three members of Chaminade’s Service-Learning program shared their data and findings on service-learning and its direct effects on students and on the community.

“We have found that engaging students in service-learning in college tends to instill in them a greater sense of civic awareness and a deeper empathy for those in the community who are less economically blessed,” Tanna, professor of accounting, said. “We have also found that students become less self absorbed and more engaged in life-long learning and service.”

WASC invited proposals in six areas. Chaminade’s service-learning team chose the Whole-Person Learning track, which includes topics such as valuing skills and ethical competencies; measurable indicators of character development; civic engagement as a defined learning experience; self-reflection and lifelong learning as defined competencies; and transformational learning.

Kido (Assistant Professor of Accounting), Sakuda (Director of Service-Learning), and Tanna (Accounting Professor) explained how to move both established programs and start-up projects to higher levels of transformational activities for students. They discussed how new class structures and course offerings can bring students to a greater awareness of their civic responsibilities – not only as current college students, but as engaged and concerned citizens after they leave the security of college.

The team shared student reflections to demonstrate the effectiveness of long-running projects, and also shared students’ calls for new projects that will empower them to address issues important to them. They discussed how service-learning builds academic skills while developing students’ abilities to empower them after they graduate.

Tanna said, “We see service-learning as transformational learning that creates engaged citizens out of our graduates.”

Fourth Annual Statewide Service-Learning Conference

Still “hot” from Service-Learning Day, three Chaminade Service-Learning students presented their work at the Fourth Annual Statewide Service-Learning Conference. The March 4 conference was hosted by Kamehameha Schools’ Kapalama Campus, and was sponsored by the Hawaii State Department of Education, State Farm Insurance, the Hawaii and Pacific Islands’ Campus Compact and Youth Service Hawaii. Featured keynote speakers included Julie Chavez Rodrigues, granddaughter of the great Cesar Chavez, and Hawaii State Representative Brian Schatz.

Chaminade students conducted a breakout session that demonstrated best practices and successful programs. Celia Pang, Donna Diaz and Kapualani Mashima highlighted student leadership development through both the Project SHINE tutorial and TCP’s mentoring initiatives. They were also invited to showcase their work in a poster session.  All three are enrolled in BU 480 at Chaminade and are exploring civic engagement and sustainability in managing non-profit organizations.  Of course, all three are also instrumental in the service-learning projects they represent.

Ninth Annual Continuums of Service Conference in Bellevue, Washington

The Service-Learning gang had a busy semester. In addition to a faculty presentation at the WASC conference, four CUH students presented at the ninth annual Continuums of Service Conference in Bellevue, Washington. This year’s theme was “Engaging Leadership: New Visions, Voices, and Models.” They generated exciting conversations and ideas from a large audience.

“Our facilitation of the discussion at the conference yielded many tools and different perspectives on the pressing questions around sustainability. The synergy was exciting for me,” said Celia Pang, one of the student presenters from Tanna’s business law and ethics class. “Everyone who came to our presentation was there for the same reason … exploring sustainability, student leadership and the importance of service-learning in reaching out into the community.”

Donna Diaz, another BU480 student presenter, agreed. “Through the conference, we were able to share our knowledge and experiences, but we actually gained a wealth of material on how to better manage and sustain our projects.”

Presenter Kapualani Mashima said, “The skills and experience we gained through our BU480 course and numerous presentations have helped us to prepare for our diverse career paths. We all need to feel empowered to stand up, speak out, and make changes to ensure a better and brighter future for all!” she said.

Candice Sakuda, director of Service-Learning, also attended a special day-long pre-conference session titled, “Service-Learning and Indigenous Communities Forum,” which addressed service to Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, as well as Native Americans. Tanna and Gail Grabowsky gave a presentation on service-learning as a means to achieve a “deep fix” for social issues, exploring ways to move beyond “band-aid” service to offering service that helps solve problems (through advocacy, legislative testimony, research, etc).

Dahlia Asuega, a Service-Learning community partner, brought the entire conference to tears and laughter with her inspirational keynote speech. She spoke of Mutual Housing’s Palolo efforts and their appreciation for service-learning’s role in the changes that they’ve been able to realize. She recognized Sakuda and Chaminade University several times, along with the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and Kapi’olani Community College, in the speech.

Fall 2018 Welcome from the Dean of Students

Aloha and welcome to the fall 2018 semester!

Below you will find some important updates and information for the fall 2018 semester.

Day Undergraduate classes begin on Monday, August 20, 2018.

Take care when making off-campus calls from campus phones. Did you know that anytime 911 is dialed from a CUH campus phone, HPD, & Chaminade Security are automatically alerted? Please take care, especially when dialing long distance numbers, to ensure that you are dialing correctly.

Student Handbook
The 2018-2019 Student Handbook is available on the University website. Please refer to the Handbook for emergency information, policies, and general information on support services. We are going green and no longer printing hard copies, so please refer to the web link.

Athletics
Show your Chaminade spirit by supporting our student athletes. Admission at all home games is FREE for students, faculty, and staff presenting a current, valid Chaminade student ID. Visit the Chaminade Athletics Website or see the University Events Calendar for game schedules. You can also refer to the Events Calendar for other happenings on campus.

Counseling Center & ADA Accommodations
The Chaminade Counseling Center is located in the Student Support Services Building. For referrals and questions, contact Dr. June Yasuhara at (808) 735-4845 or [email protected]. The Counseling Center is open Monday-Friday, 9am-7pm. Encourage students to make contact early in the semester.

The Counseling Center also oversees the “De-Stress Zone”, a resource center for all students, located in Henry Hall, Room 209. The De-Stress Zone will be open beginning Monday, August 20th, from 10am to 1pm, Monday-Friday.

University Emergency Information
Refer to the Chaminade University Emergency Information website for updates, Public Safety Alerts, and more. Classrooms will now be equipped with emergency phones and an Emergency Guidebook with information on what to do in various emergency situations. It is always a good idea to review this information at the start of the semester, so check out the Response Guide on the website and don’t forget to review the University Emergency Plan on the Portal.

L. Robert Allen Montessori Laboratory School
The L. Robert Allen Montessori Laboratory School is a preschool/kindergarten for ages 3 to 6 located on-campus. Chaminade University students, faculty, and staff will receive a 20% discount off the monthly tuition for their children and the school also accepts the Pauahi Scholarship from Kamehameha Schools. For more information, contact the Director at (808) 735-4875.

Meal Plans
Meal Plans and Debit Dollars are available for purchase for faculty & staff. Please visit the Chaminade Campus Dining website for more information.

Faculty & staff presenting a current, valid CUH ID are also eligible to receive one (1) complimentary meal per academic year in the Silversword Café (Tredtin Hall).

Medical Withdrawals from the University
Please refer students to the Office of the Dean of Students in Henry Hall, Room 221. The medical withdrawal policy is outlined in both the Undergraduate Catalog and the Student Handbook.

Security
Our goal is to continue to provide a safe and welcoming campus environment for all. Be sure to add the Chaminade Security phone number to your contacts, (808) 735-4792. Please join me in welcoming our New Director of Security, Mr. Gerald “Gerry” Welch.

Tutoring Services & Test Administration
Free in-person and online tutoring is available to all undergraduate students. Test Administration is also available for students who may need to make up an exam (see Tutoring website for policies). The Chaminade Tutoring Center is located in the Student Support Services Building. Contact the Tutor Coordinator, Amanda Lunday, at (808) 739-8305, for more information.

For questions or concerns, please contact the Office of the Dean of Students, located in Henry Hall, Room 221, (808) 735-4710. You may also e-mail Allison Jerome, Dean of Students, or Terrence Armstrong, Assistant to the Dean of Students.

We wish you a successful and healthy semester!

If only commitment was contagious, there would be “no children left behind”

By Nani Lee, J.D., Ph.D., M.S.W.

You’ll find the Chaminade van in the parking lot of Waimanalo Elementary & Intermediate School everyday of the week because 37 students in Ethics 332 committed to mentoring students, who have committed to be part of The Century Program. The Century Program is one of the programs supported by the Foundation for Excellent Schools (FES). FES partners with more than 320 colleges (of which Chaminade University is one) throughout the country. FES schools have helped more than 140,000 students in 25 states strengthen academic performance and pursue post-secondary education over the last 14 years. FES works with a team of educators, parents, and community members at each school to create a plan built on proven practices that help students chart a course toward higher education. In this program, students and educators meet the challenges they face by building college partnerships and networking with other FES schools.

On any given day, you will find CUH student mentors on the Waimanalo campus engaged in helping their scholars chart their course toward completing high school, entering the job market, vocational/technical school or higher education. For some, it means helping them decipher fractions in very creative ways, for others it’s a game of racket ball, cooling down and then trying to figure out what homework to tackle next. WEIS students eagerly wait for their mentors and argue back and forth on “who has the coolest mentor?”. One scholar packs his ukulele to school so that he can share his talent with his mentor. Another gives his mentor a wake up call, calling her at 6:30 in the morning to make sure that she is committed to driving out to Waimanalo for a volleyball clinic.

These 37 committed CUH students were joined by 14 committed women of the Silversword Women’s Volleyball team. Yes, the Women’s Volleyball team unanimously voted to join their fellow students in Waimanalo and committed to a 6 week volleyball clinic with the TCP Scholars and the intramural volleyball team. They travel to Waimanalo (started on 10/5/05) once a week for six weeks to offer a structured skills and personal development clinic. Some of the topics that will be covered are: what it means to be a student athlete, nutrition and team work.

On October 7, 2005, a busload of WEIS students, parents and teachers traveled to CUH to attend the Silversword Vulcan game. The Team generously shared their hard earned fund raising monies and provided the bus transportation, pizza and drinks so that the WEIS students could attend their game.

Parents and teacher chaperones, who accompanied the WEIS students commented on the generosity and dedication of the CUH students. Observers noted the young “cheering section”, rooting for their CUH team. Following the games, the WEIS students gathered under the tent in the Henry Hall courtyard. They agreed to cheer for “their team” as they entered the tent. The youthful energy and exuberance emanating from the tent was contagious. Scholars, mentors, athletes, parents, coaches and teachers… we could feel the commitment. The WEIS students didn’t care that the Silverswords had loss, they were committed to their team. That’s called “applied loyalty”. Why?…for a group of students that feel that they are often “out of the mainstream”, they are witnessing and feeling the commitment of a small dedicated group of faculty, staff and students…51 CUH students strong. While faculty and staff provide the infrastructure for the opportunity to commit, these “Generation Xers” are defying the label and showing that they too can give to others.

Perhaps we should be taking our lessons from the WEIS students. After all, mentoring and commitment is a two way gain.

Commitment Honored in Spite of Defeat by Dr. Jim Miller

Mentors Serve Up Inspiration by Lee Cataluna, Honolulu Advertiser