Millennium Moments
Like many things native, the Hawaiian language came dangerously close to extinction -- until a conscious effort was made to nurture it back to life. Hawaiian language
makes a comebackThe Hawaiian way, pre-contact, involved a rich oral tradition tied to the gods, land and family, according to Eric M. Kapono in "Atlas of Hawaii" edited by Sonia and James Juvik.
When the missionaries arrived in the early 1800s, Hawaiian alii adapted the foreigners' literary tradition to create hundreds of schools to teach the reading and writing of Hawaiian. By that century's end, Kapono notes, 90 percent of Hawaiians could speak, read and write in their native language, and more than 90 Hawaiian-language newspapers existed.
But in 1896, the language was banned as a medium of teaching, and stigma over speaking Hawaiian grew for generations.
It would take until the 1960s for a Hawaiian cultural change to occur. The language itself regained status in the 1970s around University of Hawaii campuses, and in 1978, the Constitutional Convention declared Hawaiian one of the state's two official languages, Kapono says.
Launching of the Punana Leo and Kaiapuni Hawaii programs in the mid-1980s started the Hawaiian language on direct, bold strides toward recovery.
With these Hawaiian immersion schools offered to children, enrollment by 1995 swelled to more than 1,000, says Kapono -- and demand continues to grow there, as well as on the secondary-school and college levels.
PR group to fathom newspaper's challenges
The local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America is sponsoring a program on the challenges facing Honolulu's morning newspaper after the Honolulu Star-Bulletin's scheduled closure at the end of the month.Michael Fisch, publisher of the Honolulu Advertiser and president of the Hawaii Newspaper Agency, and Jim Gatti, Advertiser editor, will speak at a lunch program Oct. 20 at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel's Kohala-Kona Room.
Call 254-3286 for reservations by Oct. 15, or e-mail at PRSA@hawaii.rr.com.
Taking Notice
Scholarships and academic awards
Hawaii Pacific University has awarded more than $25,000 in grants to 16 faculty members for their professional development. They include Rob Borofsky, Patricia Clancy, Kenneth Cook, Eric Drabkin, Carl Farrell, Gerald Glover, Philip King, Leroy Laney, Tien-tsung Lee, Howard Markowitz, Brett Saraniti, Ken Schoolland, Saundra Schwartz, Arthur Whatley and Leslie Wiletzky.Tanner Tatecki Fahl of Iolani has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship by the Radio Shack/Tandy Scholars program. He is one of 100 recipients nationwide to be named a prize winner.
Eleven University of Hawaii science students have received $5,000 scholarships from ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists). They are Christopher Robinson Mullis, Spencer V. Nyholm, Rebecca A. Randell, also Rebecca A. Rundell, David S. Matus, Cecilia Y. Kato, Kevin M. Shiramizu, Anna M. Tarrant, Caron Hong, Ronald R. Bozak, and Robert J. Thornton.
Mullis, Scholar of the Year, received an extra $1,000. Professor David Bercovici received the Scientist of the Year award.
McKinley High School teacher Jeroldine Cy Chun is Hawaii's recipient of the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Program award, worth about $35,000. She will use the funds to conduct a project on industry standards to help prepare students to function in a high-tech world.
Erin C. Fuse, a Dartmouth College senior from Honolulu, has been awarded the $14,000 James B. Reynolds Scholarship for post-graduate study in Japan, where he will study the art of wood block printmaking.
Stacey Yanagawa of Kaneohe has been awarded a full scholarship to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, by the Drake National Alumni Association. He is a recent graduate of Castle High School.
Mary Jo Murray, a retired Mid-Pacific Institute teacher, has been appointed by the National Council of Teachers of English to serve as Hawaii state leader for the 1999 Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines.
Honors earned
Benjamin Curlee of Punahou attended the National Student Leadership Conference on International Law and Diplomacy in Washington, D.C., this summer. He was the only Hawaii student out of 160 outstanding high school students from around the world chosen to participate in the 11-day program.Representatives from 22 high schools were honored for their outstanding language proficiency at the 19th annual United Japanese Society of Hawaii awards ceremony. Each of the following students received $100 and a dictionary: Tai Arakawa of Kalani; Laurie Ann Ching, Pearl City; Nancy Cho, St. Francis; Lane Fujii, St. Louis; Victor Higa, Kailua; Glen Ishii, Kahuku; Terry Iwata, Leilehua; Amy Kai, McKinley; Lei Kobayashi, Mid-Pacific; Cheryl Koito, Hawaii Baptist Academy; Kristen Kong, Kamehameha; John Lau, Castle; Iris Lee, UH Laboratory School; Brian Lee, Lutheran; Nicole Mew, Maryknoll; Matthew Muranaka, Mililani; Patrick Ramos, Damien; Jayson Ryckman, Punahou; Erin Singletary, Iolani; Marcia Sistoso, Waialua; Keiko Takahashi, La Pietra; and Jeremy Young, Roosevelt.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa -- Police have rounded up the last of more than 15 inmates who made a break to freedom during a fiery riot at the Territorial Correctional Facility. All escapees from Samoan
Associated Press
jailbreak caughtMost of the escapees surrendered within hours of Saturday's riot, which saw the prison's four cellblock buildings burn to the ground.
The final four, including a convicted murderer, were arrested yesterday, according to a Department of Public Safety officer who asked that his name not be used.
The violence erupted as corrections personnel, under orders from department Commissioner Teo J. Fuavai, barred the minor children of inmates from entering the prison for a visitation, the officer said.
Early reports said the inmates were particularly upset because yesterday was White Sunday, a religious territorial holiday dedicated to children.
But Fuavai's order was only in effect for Saturday, not yesterday, the officer said.
A fireman and a policeman, the only reported injuries, were treated for smoke inhalation.
No charges had been filed as the investigation continued.
With the cellblocks gone, the prison's 110 inmates are being housed in four large tents.
Police charge suspect in Nanakuli beating case
Police yesterday charged a 28-year-old man with last Thursday's beating of a teen-ager at her Helelua Street residence in Nanakuli.Kenneth Batongbacal of 87-140 Helelua St. is charged with second-degree assault and first-degree burglary. He is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Batongbacal was arrested Friday at 9:45 p.m. in Waianae without incident after the victim, 18, hospitalized at Queen's, identified him to police.
Visitor dies of injuries suffered in auto accident
A 24-year-old woman visiting from Australia died yesterday of injuries suffered last weekend in an auto accident involving a drunk driver, according to police. A doctor at Queen's Hospital pronounced her dead at 4:25 a.m.She was involved in an auto accident Oct. 2 on Ala Moana Boulevard. A driver of a Nissan pickup truck hit the Honda Civic in which the woman was a rear-seat passenger.
Police arrested the driver for failure to render aid and for driving under the influence of alcohol. Police classify the accident as a negligent homicide.
The woman's death was the 35th traffic fatality on Oahu this year, compared to 48 at the same time last year.
