Farrington
Scholarship winner
can hit the right notes

Star-Bulletin staff

The University of Hawaii marching band might have a new recruit.

The top scholar -- and one of the top musicians -- in Farrington High School's graduating class will go home from this afternoon's graduation ceremony with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin-endowed Wallace Rider Farrington Scholarship for 1999.

Wayne Orly U. Layugan, 18, will receive $4,000 per school year, renewable for up to four years, as the newest Farrington Scholar to study at the University of Hawaii -Manoa.

Charles Hite, Farrington's great-grandson, was to present the award.

Layugan, son of Orlando and Helen Layugan of Kalihi, plans to study electrical engineering "because as an engineer I will always be in contact with new technology and its application toward the betterment of society."

Besides playing for four years on the Farrington marching, jazz and concert bands, Layugan was a copy editor on the staff of The Governor, the school's award-winning newspaper.

Finishing his high school academic career at the top of his class with a grade-point average of 4.037, Layugan is also a member of the National Honor Society and the varsity rifle team.

Previous Farrington winners now at UH also will see an increase in their scholarships from $3,300 to $4,000 a year. This is to keep pace with rising UH tuition, said John Flanagan, Star-Bulletin editor and publisher and chairman of the scholarship committee.

The scholarship was endowed during World War II by the Star-Bulletin to honor Farrington, former governor of Hawaii, who also was the newspaper's publisher. It is administered by the Hawaii Community Foundation.

The Farrington Scholarship is based on merit and limited to students who plan to attend UH-Manoa. Annual renewal depends on maintaining satisfactory academic standing.