Chaminade University of Honolulu

Campus Event

Chaminade Holds ‘Prayer for Healing and Peace’ Interfaith Service

In the wake of the Las Vegas massacre and natural disasters in Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas, Chaminade University held a “Prayer for Healing and Peace” interfaith service in the campus Mystical Rose Oratory.

Chaminade Vice President for Mission and Rector Bro. Edward Brink, S.M. described the Oct. 6 gathering as “an opportunity for healing, reflection , and comfort.”

A homily/reflection by Deacon Michael Weaver pondered the question of how God could have let the Las Vegas shootings and catastrophic hurricanes occur. Deacon Weaver emphasized that “God was there” when first responders rushed to help the shooting victims. And “God was there” in the global outpouring of aid relief following the deadly hurricanes.

Campus Ministry Director Bro. Allen Pacquing, S.M. shared a quotation from Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, who counseled that  “you will find peace for your soul through prayer.” Bro. Allen also pointed out that Bishop Joseph Pepe of Las Vegas urged people to “stand together in the face of violence because we cannot let hate and violence have the last word.”

The service also featured prayers for peace from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist religions offered by Nashawna Smith, Dr. Hank Trapido-Rosenthal (Associate Professor of Biology), Adam Perez and Lisa Furuta.

Concluding the interfaith gathering was a pledge for peace and candle-lighting ceremony. The pledge proclaimed “our firm conviction that violence and terrorism are incompatible with the authentic spirit of religion,” while calling for mutual respect and esteem “to help bring about a peaceful coexistence between people of different ethnic groups, cultures and religions.”

New Silverswords: Chaminade Welcomes Class of 2021, Transfer Students to Campus

Chaminade University enthusiastically welcomed 214 first-year students and 123 transfer students to campus prior to the start of fall classes on Monday, August 28. The 2017-18 academic year starts later at Chaminade than at most other Hawaii colleges and universities.

Among the orientation highlights for new students was a Sunday-morning hike to the summit of Diamond Head led by Dr. Lynn Babington, who began her tenure August 1 as Chaminade’s tenth President. More than 100 people took part in the strenuous climb, including many students and their families from the Neighbor Islands and Mainland cities.

Another highlight was the academic convocation held at the campus Mamiya Theatre. This traditional ceremony featured a procession of faculty to formally introduce students to their educational journey.

Other well-attended orientation activities included: trolley tours of Chaminade’s Kaimuki neighborhood, a mystery bus ride, a resource fair and social at Henry Hall with shave ice and a photo booth, and a colorful “Tastes of Hawaii” luau on the Sullivan Family Library lawn.

During a “Burgers with the Brothers” informal luncheon at Hale Malia, students and parents excitedly mingled with Chaminade’s Marianist community. Among those on hand were University Rector Bro. Ed Brink, S.M., and Bro. Allen Pacquing, S.M., the recently appointed director of Campus Ministry.

Students also became acquainted with members of the Silversword women’s soccer team, who warmly greeted newcomers by helping them move into their Hale Lokelani campus apartments.

Chaminade’s Class of 2021 reinforces the University’s distinction as one of the most multicultural campuses in America. Student ethnicities include: Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (40.2 percent), Asian (30.8 percent), Caucasian (10.7 percent), Hispanic/Latino (4.2 percent), African American (1.4 percent) and two or more races (5.1 percent).

The incoming class drew students from 17 states, three U.S. territories and two foreign countries. Notably, 43.9 percent of these freshmen are first-generation college students.

Chaminade University Celebrates 2017 Spring Commencement

Hundreds of exuberant graduates celebrated their achievements with their families, friends, faculty, staff and colleagues at Chaminade University’s 59th Commencement. Approximately 429 students graduated this spring semester with nearly 335 participating in the May 15 ceremony held at Neal Blaisdell Arena.

The program featured as its keynote speaker Shelley J. Wilson, the president and chief executive officer of Wilson Homecare and vice chair and secretary of Chaminade University’s Board of Regents. In 1996, Wilson founded Wilson Homecare, one of Hawaii’s largest private-duty home health care agencies. Wilson Homecare provides in-home health care services island-wide. Also in 2013, Wilson Senior Living Kailua, a state-licensed Adult Residential Care Home opened in the Aikahi neighborhood.

Wilson inspired the audience with her story.  She found her passion during one of the most difficult times of her life.  Returning to civilian life as a wounded warrior, Wilson had to deal with the challenges of recovery in the home.  Her experiences gave her empathy for in-home-care patients. In response to those hard times, she founded Wilson Homecare.  She encouraged the soon-to-be graduates to find a cause and to dedicate themselves to that cause with a passion as a way to find purpose and meaning.

Commencement student speakers were Taylor Seth Stutsman, the undergraduate representative, and Rezettakahealani Eric Mulitalo, the post-graduate representative.

Stutsman graduated with his B.S. in Forensics Sciences, Cum Laude.  That night his family came from five different states to cheer for him. He moved to Hawaii from Pennsylvania and appreciated the diversity of Chaminade. “Hawaii has taught me more about acceptance and tolerance than I could have imagined,” he said, appreciative of the multi-cultural experiences made available to him at Chaminade.

Mulitalo graduated that night with her M.S. in Criminal Justice Administration. Raised in Western Samoa, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wellington, New Zealand. “You do not have to know what you are going to do with the rest of your life yet,” she reassured the graduating students. She advised them to remember what the Scottish scholar William Barclay had said. “’There are two great days in a person’s life –the day we are born, and the day we discover why,’” she quoted. “Watch your choices, follow your dreams and love what you do.”

Breaking Through Student Stress with Fun Relief

It was the last week of classes, and the traditional stress storms had hit the campus with a flurry of craziness. Deadlines, unfinished papers, misbehaving printers, readings, chapter reviews and last minute questions for professors compounded by events to attend and job responsibilities stirred up a maddening spirit across the campus. Oh, what’s an exasperated student to do?

The Chaminade Student Programming Board (CSPB) created some healthy ways to release those tensions from May 1-5, the last week of classes. Crazy fun and playful distractions provided students with opportunities to shake off their distress.

The board launched the week with an inflatable obstacle course and a free barbecue lunch on Monday.  Students and faculty members kicked off their shoes and rushed up a balloon mountain, sliding down again.  Many did it over and over again, breaking into a mild cardiovascular sweat. The physical relief from some strenuous exercise made students smile again, and then to do it with their faculty members added cheers and laughter to the noise of the crowd on the library lawn.

The Chaminade Student Government Association (CSGA) also introduced its newly-elected board on Monday at the barbecue. Serving in 2017-2018 are Ashlee Navarro (president), Rena Pascual (executive vice president), Jenny Rose Anacan (vice president of Programming), Tyler Cartaino (vice president of Finance), Marvin Trantham (vice president of Communications), Mica Mariano (vice president of Internal Affairs), and Filmore Timothy (chair of the House of Representatives).

On Tuesday, the programming board set up a mini golf putt course on the lawn between Henry Hall and Clarence T. C. Ching Hall.  Focusing their attentions on their game seemed to refresh students as they forgot their cares and sucked on free Jui Moi pops. Ah, the power of play!

On Wednesday, 200 students enjoyed free smoothies from Jamba Juice and healthy snacks, served at the CSGA office in Clarence T. C. Ching Hall.  The free pick-me-uppers energized the students for the next mile of their academic marathon. CSPB and Residence Hall Association (RHA) also offered an evening at David & Buster’s for some additional fun and relief.

On Thursday morning at Henry Hall Courtyard, Koa Café provided a commuter breakfast for students. The menu included fried rice, scrambled eggs, bacon, Portuguese sausage and guava lava mochi waffles. Students were grateful and hungry. Nothing like a good breakfast to meet the day’s struggles.

On Friday on the library lawn, the programming board presented the “Chaminade + Carnival” portion of the week.  As students hiked up or down Kalaepohaku, they could take a respite on the library lawn and play carnival games, eat a free bento, have a bit of refreshment, and unwind momentarily. The fun sparked their plugs, and the food added fuel to their bodies.

The week’s activities kept the fun alive and provided a bit of sanity during the last week of school, thanks to CSPB members Jerri Francisco (chair), Jenny Rose Anacan, Chris Kanamu, Jana Lazarte, Melissa Ponce, and Angela Williams.

Health Fair Showcased Students On Their Way To Becoming Competent, Caring Nursing Professionals

The School of Nursing at held its fifth annual Wellness and Health Fair as the spring semester drew to a close. Sophomore students enrolled in the course Nursing 291: Health Promotion set up their poster boards on various critical health issues. Health Promotion professor Dr. Joy Bliss coordinated the efforts, assisted by the faculty and staff of the School of Nursing.

School of Nursing 2017 Health and Wellness Fair

The displays were opportunities to share with the Chaminade ‘ohana the outreach work students had done during the semester to promote healthy behaviors in the community at large and to promote healthy choices with faculty, staff, and students who attended the fair. The students provided health information on a broad range of topics such as diet and nutrition, oral health, heart health, cancer prevention and early detection, domestic abuse, suicide prevention, sexual health, and more.

Held in the Henry Hall Courtyard on April 28, the Friday before Lei Day weekend, the fair took on a Hawaiian ambiance. The Saint Louis School Hālau made a guest appearance to open the program.

Three Papakōlea women strung lei of plumeria and shared them with the crowd. The community leaders of Papakōlea had conducted a health needs assessment of their Native Hawaiian Homestead residents. Based on the results, project possibilities emerged. The ideas focused on promoting ‘ohana health and aging-in-place safely, enabling the community to remain whole, while providing education and access to healthcare. Students participated in training opportunities for direct service to Papakōlea as furnished by the valued partners. Papakōlea leadership shared with Chaminade School of Nursing students the gift of their mana’o through training sessions of cultural competency, an understanding of community, perspective on the contexts for healthcare and public health nursing, and their respective roles.

Keeping with the Lei Day theme, the fair offered a healthy Hawaiian food plate (low salt, low fat and still ono) and at another table the traditional healing drink of kava. Kupuna (elders) shared their expertise in Native Hawaiian healing therapies including la’au lapa’au (Native Hawaiian herbal remedies) and lomi lomi (Native Hawaiian massage therapy).  The fair also offered alternative and holistic therapies such as “Healing Touch,” an energy therapy in which practitioners consciously use their hands in a heart-centered and intentional way to support and facilitate physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health.

School of Nursing 2017 Health and Wellness Fair
Michelle Selga, Ciana Russ, Shenaniah Romias, and Kyle Ranochak present “Health Promotion for Hawaii’s Homeless”

Dressed in dark blue Chaminade School of Nursing polo shirts, Michelle Selga, Ciana Russ, Shenaniah Romias, and Kyle Ranochak presented their “Homeless in Paradise” project.  They displayed a poster board with accompanying slides on a laptop and discussed details with those who had questions.

The four students did their service learning project in March at a homeless campsite adjacent to Waianae Boat Harbor. Mrs. Elisala, a nurse practitioner and faculty member at the University of Hawaii, coordinated a tour of the homeless community and informed the students on the health needs of the community.

In her reflection, Selga described her experience. “From the outside, you would not even imagine what goes on inside their community. The first step inside, you’re greeted by makeshift houses lined up along a beaten pathway. As you dive further in, you begin to realize how amazing these people are. Towards the center of town, which consists roughly of 200 people, lies a garden and chicken coop,” Selga remarked. “The biggest eye-opener for us was seeing how much help these people needed. A doctor there, who volunteers his time every week, explained to us that the greatest problem is they don’t have enough people to help.”

All the students felt that the experience was meaningful and wanted to do more. “It would be nice in the future to see us collaborate with Mrs. Elisala’s team and be able to give back to the people here in Hawaii. As nurses, we want to be able to give more to the community and expand our experience in the nursing profession,” concluded Selga.

The Homeless project was just one of many presentations exhibiting the broad range of topics that students undertook for their research. The Wellness and Health Fair successfully showcased competent and caring students who were well on their way to becoming competent and caring nursing professionals.

Chaminade’s School of Nursing is a four year, full-time undergraduate program that offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The unique program immerses students in nursing preparation with educational curriculum, human-patient simulations, community outreach projects, and service-learning and supervised clinical experiences. The curriculum for our undergraduates program is consistent with the Baccalaureate Essentials of Nursing produced by the American Association of Collegiate Nursing. The nursing program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

The Fujitani Interfaith Program at Chaminade University Focused on Pathways to Peace

Maya Soetoro-Ng, Ph.D., the keynote speaker, asked the crowd to reflect in silence on their personal definitions of peace and peacebuilding.  The nearly 100 people in Mystical Rose Oratory obediently paused and reflected.  They had gathered on April 28 – a Friday night – for a presentation by the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) Fujitani Interfaith Program of Chaminade University featuring “Pathways to Peace in the Workplace: How Practices of Faith Bring Peace within Diverse Career Fields.”

“All right, please share your thoughts.  We’ll do it popcorn-style,” said Soetoro-Ng.

People popped up with their definitions, ranging from personal peace, spiritual harmony, and working in harmony. She encouraged people to connect with strangers around them and share their definitions of peace.

Affirming everyone, Soetoro-Ng shared that the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution also defines peace as action and will work through public policies and innovative social projects.  The organization looks for “opportunities to nourish peace in the actions we take” as a way to develop peacebuilding leaders.

Soetoro-Ng serves as the director of Community Outreach and Global Learning at the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and earned her doctorate at the University of Hawaii in multicultural education. She has taught multicultural education, social studies methods, and peace education for many years at the University of Hawaii’s College of Education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels

Soetoro-Ng told stories of her mother as a social-cultural anthropologist and as a bridge builder. Soetoro-Ng recalled the poignant story of her mother’s desire to have her ashes scattered in the ocean so that “Mom could share herself and connect with all the people she had ever worked with and loved in her lifetime.”

Soetoro-Ng also shared stories of compassion shown across diverse communities that she saw during her global travels. “The vast majority of the world are comprised of the faithful. What if people of all faiths mandated peace and peacebuilding as their goal? Can you imagine how expansive that embrace would be for the family of humans?” she asked.

Soetoro-Ng then turned the discussion to the respondents.

Vima Lamura had led the audience in meditation earlier that evening.  As the audience meditated aloud, she orchestrated the diverse sounds into a chorus and pulled the participants into a harmonious choir.  Lamura spoke about the value of being at peace and in harmony in work with choirs and orchestras.  She had spent her life immersed in the traditional ancient wisdom of the Vedas, chant, sacred sound and mantra, which have inspired her creative works in music, speaking and writing.  She shared how meditation was useful for her inner peace and in building peace with the people she collaborated with on music tours, concerts, studio recordings, and operas.

Pieper Toyama, the founding head of the Pacific Buddhist Academy, spoke of integrating Buddhist values in an academic setting.  The school discipline, curriculum, and relationships between students, faculty, and staff needed to reflect these values, including the fostering of peace, pursuing inner peace and the practice of peace with others. Toyama has retired from Pacific Buddhist Academy, the first Shin Buddhist high school in the Western Hemisphere, and currently serves as president of Hawaii’s organization of Hongwanji’s 34 Buddhist temples.

James P. Walsh, Jr., the director of Pastoral Planning for the Diocese of Honolulu, worked in Hawaii’s medical field from 1975 to 2009 in various executive positions at Straub Clinic and Hospital and with HMSA.  He has taught at Chaminade University from 1979 to 1999 as an adjunct Business professor. Walsh spoke about negotiating between employees and employers and practicing his faith through conflicts. He encouraged people to become more aware of what they are grateful for and challenged them to look for opportunities to correct inequities.

Soetoro-Ng asked the audience for their thoughts and questions, as well as to connect with others in the room. The discussion was robust.

In closing, Soetoro-Ng shared an Indonesian phrase she learned as a child that translates to “wash your eyes.” “Yes, wash your eyes; refresh your gaze,” she repeated. “Make a commitment to faith and peace in action. Remember small connections can build an organism that can grow to supplant major power. ”

The Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai Reverend Fujitani Interfaith Program, established in 2003, brings together the Buddhist community with all other religious communities in Hawaii to promote interfaith dialogue and provide opportunities for understanding and action for peace and justice in our communities.

Chaminade’s Religious Studies program offers the student an opportunity for in-depth reflection into the nature of religious experience, the communities which arise in response to it, and their actions. Grounded in Roman Catholic theology and Marianist educational philosophy, this reflection is ecumenical and conducted in the context of a multicultural, interfaith dialogue, exploring the meaning of the faith and working for justice among many peoples and cultures. The program fosters an understanding of human responses to the sacred that invite personal and communal commitment to faith in action and spiritual growth.