Changing Hawaii
By Diane Yukihiro Chang
Monday, April 29, 1996
Also last week, hundreds of nurturing adults stepped forward to try and shape the lives of other young girls.
It was this country's fourth annual Take Our Daughters to Work Day, yet another example of a good idea gone goofy.
Started in 1993 by the Ms. Foundation for Women, the event was formulated to help female kids identify potential career paths. The plan was for them to shadow already established professionals like their moms and dads. Girls need such special focus, since research shows they receive less attention in coed classes than boys, thereby hurting their self-esteem.
But, nooooooo, those same folks who demonize affirmative action because it discriminates against white males (well, about time!) have turned this girl-bonding ritual into a me-too event for boys. Now, in some cities, it's called Take Our Sons and Daughters or Take Our Children to Work Day, diluting its potency like watering down fruit punch.
Nevertheless, in Honolulu, the coordinators of the program - the Girl Scout Council of Hawaii and the YWCA of Oahu stuck to the feminine ideal of Take Our Daughters.
Hundreds of youngsters, including entire classes at La Pietra and Sacred Hearts Academy, tagged along with parents or volunteers.
One of these teams consisted of Star-Bulletin police reporter Debra Barayuga and her "daughter" for six hours, eighth-grader Karen Green of Sacred Hearts.
It sure wasn't an ordinary school day last Thursday for this 14-year-old Waikele resident. It started when Karen reported to HPD headquarters at 8 a.m. - where Debra had already started work at 4:30.
Karen toured the home of the "cop shop," where she took a polygraph test (and passed) before following Debra out on assignment: a story on the death of a 16-year Kalihi girl. The suspect is a 14-year-old Kalihi boy.
Karen saw blood smeared on the road site of the alleged crime scene, then went with Debra as she canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses. The kid really got into it. Karen asked questions of Debra, who in turn was grilling potential sources and snooping around near Rose Street.
Later, resting their sore tootsies and eating a fast-food feast in the newsroom, the dynamic duo reflected on the morning. "It was neat. I bet I had the most exciting day of all the students in the school," said Karen, an enthusiastic blond-haired girl with braces. "It was like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle."
"She did very well," reported Debra, a graduate of Waialua High and the University of Hawaii, "although I got a little worried when we almost stumbled on a drug deal."
"Oh, that's what those guys were doing," said the wide-eyed cub reporter.
KAREN won't soon forget Take Our Daughters To Work Day 1996. Neither will the thousands of other girls across the nation who looked to adult ideals like Debra to help them choose their future careers.
Hey, you don't have to literally give blood to help the children of Hawaii. Just take the time and care to show them where, one day, they too might be punching in a timecard.
Karen has already picked out her desk at the Star-Bulletin.