HAWAII'S SCHOOLS

IOLANI SCHOOL Distinguished poet Li-Young Lee recently shared his views on poetry, life and artistic consciousness with Iolani students.

Brilliant poet
enriches Iolani

Li-Young Lee shares his insights
about what makes great art

Iolani remembers the past with spirit for the future
ABOUT THIS PAGE
YOU ASKED

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By Kimi Fassler
Iolani School

Terrifically talented, passionately poetic, uncommonly intense, Iolani School's 2002 Keables Chair holder, poet Li-Young Lee, embodies all the qualities of a brilliant artist.

Lee has already gained national attention for his innovative poetic style and received several awards, including the Lamont Poetry Prize for his second collection, "The City in Which I Love You."

During Lee's recent visit to Iolani School, students had the opportunity to meet the person behind the captivating images and flowing verse. They discovered that just like his poetry, Lee is a culmination of diverse thoughts, ideas and cultures.

"I don't consider myself a true artist yet," said Lee. "I believe I have another 50 years before I get there."

Working with English classes, Lee offered suggestions to develop students' writing skills.

Thanks largely to the efforts of Charles Proctor, Iolani assistant headmaster, the school hosts notable individuals every year to share their knowledge with the school.

The Keables Chair honors the memory of legendary Iolani English teacher Harold Keables, who was named Life magazine's Teacher of the Year in 1960.

Past guests have included the Oregon Shakespeare Players, journalist Donald Murray and author Paul Watkins.

Iolani is fortunate to have the tradition of the Keables Chair and Lee as this year's guest.

Lee credited the success of his poetry to his attention to detail and awareness of his surroundings. His previous jobs included teaching and creating original jewelry from Pepsi cans, but he feels it is his drawing that really sharpened his perception of the world.

"When I started drawing, I realized that as I walked through the world, I thought I saw it, but I never saw it at all," he said. "The world through an artist's eyes is much deeper than we imagine.

"When you draw a human figure, you'll find that there are things you haven't noticed before. You think you know what a human body looks like, but you realize that you have never even looked at one."

Lee also happily gave two poetry readings, spoke in a chapel session for juniors and seniors, and answered questions during a lunch meeting with the staff of Mane O Ke Ola, Iolani's literary magazine.

At the lunch meeting, he spoke of the differences between inspiration and enthusiasm.

"The Greeks said that inspiration comes from the outside and enthusiasm from within. I think it comes from both. Sometimes I'm very enthusiastic about certain subjects like love or death, whereas other things can really inspire me: the sound of the rain, my wife's voice or my children playing."

These elements seem simple considering the multifaceted qualities of Lee's poems.

While Lee may draw from straightforward sources for his inspiration, his life has been anything but mundane. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, he grew up immersed in Chinese language and culture. His father had been the personal physician of Mao Tse-tung, the communist ruler of China, but later was incarcerated as a political prisoner.

The Lee family later fled Indonesia in 1959 to escape anti-Chinese sentiment, and five years later, after living in Hong Kong, Macau and Japan, the Lees settled in the United States. In America, Li-Young Lee studied at the University of Pittsburgh and taught at various schools, including Northwestern University.

Lee's remarkable history and his uniquely Eastern perspective contribute to his distinctive literary style. But Lee quickly notes that extraordinary experiences are not always the sole sources of great writing.

"Sometimes having too interesting a life is actually a hindrance," said Lee, referring to the solitude of the renowned poet Emily Dickinson.

"I would not say court an interesting life. If you bring poetic awareness to your life, you'll find that there is poetry everywhere. As you walk through life with a deeper, expanded consciousness, you'll find that even your walk to school is a poetic experience."

Lee encourages aspiring poets to develop their senses by drawing portraits or writing frequently. He warns young writers to think carefully about becoming a professional poet.

"Don't do it unless it's an obsession, " he said. "You've got to be insane to write for any other reason other than because you are obsessed."

Even if Lee's visit has not pushed any students to pursue a career similar to his own, his singular style and fascinating persona certainly enriched Iolani's appreciation for poetry and art.

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IOLANI SCHOOL Iolani seniors Michele Ching, Allison Ishii and Kristin Schiereck showed their school spirit during Homecoming Week.

Iolani remembers
the past with spirit
for the future

Students get out and celebrate
their school during Homecoming

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By Laura Shiraki
Iolani School

Pretend you're an Iolani student. You open your closet to pick out your wardrobe for the day.

You opt for the neon yellow and green aloha shirt that even the tourists wouldn't buy and struggle to put your sister's bikini top on over it. Then you pull on a pair of undies over your orange and yellow board shorts and dig out your old soccer socks -- purple for your left foot, green for your right. You complete your outfit with a pair of mismatched sneakers.

No, you have not just become a student at a school for the fashion impaired. It's Homecoming Week and like the rest of your school, you're showing your school spirit -- boldly.

Homecoming at Iolani is more than just a football game. It's a week of traditions, both new and old, that brings the school together and forges unity and school spirit.

Katie Brown, Director of Student Activities, reflects on her first Iolani Homecoming. "I was impressed with the scale of it. Everyone was involved in different ways. I was amazed at how spirited it was and how much time and energy the students spent in preparation. I was blown away," she said.

"It's a very exciting time of the year and it helps the students take their minds off school and helps them to relax and just have fun," said junior Erin Kato.

"At Iolani we try to build academics in the students, which is important, but Homecoming is a time for us to build the spiritual aspects, like the lifelong bonds and friendships, as well," said Japanese teacher Linda Tatsuno.

Throughout the week, each class tries to acquire the most "spirit points" by winning the various competitions.

One such competition is the "dress days." Each day, the students are told to dress up according to designated themes and the percentage of participating students is counted during homeroom. The percentages convert to spirit points added to each class' total.

The days vary from year to year, ranging from "Blast to the Past" to "Class Colour." However, there are always the timeless "Fashion No-No" and "All-Out Raider" days.

"They're a lot of fun and they allow all of the students to express their individuality, yet it brings the whole student body together," said senior Carole-Anne Ishimine.

Two of the most popular competitions are the Talent Show and the Lip Sync, in which many of the spirit points are earned. Lip Sync involves a group from each grade lip-syncing to a song or mix of their choice. These performances usually involve props, funny costumes, and choreographed dances.

Over the years, lip syncs ranged from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" to this year's seniors' "Dirty Dancing." Talent shows usually feature a medley of singers, dancers and musicians. This year, the junior and senior classes got creative with taiko drumming and a rendition of Stomp.

By the end of the week, the spirited competitions have everyone pumped up for the game and the electricity coursing through the school is nearly tangible. Everyone is decked out in "All-Out Raider Day" attire: red, black, and white, complete with face paint and hair ribbons.

This year, an addition was made to the festivities.

The entire Upper School gathered in the gym for the first Cheer Fest, which was inspired by activities at other schools. In this final competition, each grade performed a self-written cheer representing their class spirit and unity. The walls shook with stomping, clapping and cheering, and everyone was infused with school spirit.

"It was a good ending because it really brought the class together, as well as the school," said junior Kellie Crail.

"Homecoming is a spirited event which really adds to the flavor of who we are on campus," Iolani headmaster Dr. Val T. Iwashita said. "It gives one a feeling of tradition. It reminds us of the importance of the past and gives us a spirit for the future."

While the energy that radiates throughout the campus during Homecoming week eventually fades, the spirit and pride the Iolani family has in their school never dies.

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ABOUT THIS PAGE

Each week, Hawaii's teenage reporters and photographers tell us about their high school. This week's school is Iolani.

Newspaper: Imua Iolani
Editors: Kimi Fassler and Carole-Anne Ishimine
Associate editors: Melodie Chu, Malia Dong, Howard Fan, Eric Hananoki, Blake Kawamoto, Derek Kawano, Lindsey Libed, Adam Maruyama, Ricky Nguyen, Kyle Okumura, Ravi Patel, Susan Shan, Laura Shiraki, Kathy Totoki

Faculty adviser: Brenda Kwon
Next week: Waiakea High
Iolani facts
Address: 563 Kamoku St., Honolulu, HI 96826
Founded: 1863; at current location since 1953
Headmaster: Val T. Iwashita
Enrollment: 1,785
Average class size: 17
Campus size: 25 acres
Web site: www.iolani.org
Mascot: Raiders
Colors: Red, black and white
Name origin: Iolani = heavenly hawk; named by Queen Emma
School yearbook: Ka Mo'olelo O Iolani
Famous alumni: Sun Yat-Sen, Mufi Hannemann, producer Christopher Lee, UH Athletic Director Hugh Yoshida

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YOU ASKED

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Kelly Higa
Sophomore
"Play sports such as track and diving, and sleep."

Antonio Baclig
Freshman
"Play chess."

Meagan Yee
Junior
"Hang out with my friends."

Vincent Lee
Junior
"Run and study science."

Ashley Chinen
Eighth-grader
"Listen to music."

Mike Bungcayao
Senior
"Paintball, diving, bodyboarding and playing pool."

Malia Dong
Senior
"Chinese dance and rehearsing for the school musical."

Chris Tuthill
Senior
"Mentor, work on computers and sing for a band for Shriners Hospital."

Howard Fan
Senior
"Play 'Dance Dance Revolution,' judo, and the violin; watch anime and wrestle."

James Street
Sophomore
"Basketball, track, singing, church activities, Boy Scouts and volunteering for Special Olympics."

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