[Hawaii's Schools]
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Opportunities abound WHEN MOST people hear that a student attends Mid-Pacific Institute, the renowned School of the Arts comes to mind.
at Mid-Pacific Institute
Students will soon be able to
learn skills in high technologyMid-Pac’s Ho‘olaulea 2002 will host popular isle bands
ABOUT THIS PAGE
YOU ASKEDBy Anne Holloway and Nora Kobashigawa
Mid-Pacific InstituteFor those unfamiliar with MPI School of the Arts, it is best described as a school within a school, where students may train in the performance arts (dance and theater), visual arts, media or instrumental music.
A certificate program is offered to those who wish to excel in any of these programs, but noncertificate students may take a selected course as an elective during the school year. MPSA faculty members are professionals who are talented and active in the community in their art forms.
In two years, however, there will be more to talk about than the School of the Arts.
Last March, Mid-Pacific announced it would build an integrated technology center specializing in mathematics, science and technology. It will be the first in Hawaii and the sixth nationwide.
The center will have state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms used for mathematics, science and technology, with the most up-to-date computer hardware and software. There will be conference rooms with videoconferencing capabilities and a distance learning center, both of which will enable Mid-Pacific students to communicate and collaborate with other students around the world.
Also planned is a "global commons" area, where students will be connected to current events worldwide; a biotechnology center that will educate students on health issues, agriculture and aquaculture; and a digital video studio for cinematography students.
With the workplace catapulting into a new technological era that is ever-changing and diverse, the need for educated and technologically adept students is a must in the competitive job market. With the new technology center, students will be able to equip themselves with a firsthand, interactive approach to better understand the ever-changing technologically geared world.
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IN SPITE OF these changes, the main campus will remain the same, with the usual facilities and established curriculum open to all students.Mid-Pacific has been a boarding school for students all around the world. Facilities house students from Japan, China, Korea, the Marshall Islands, Europe and the mainland, as well as students from the neighbor islands.
With 74 dormers, the diversity lets cultures come together and enrich the campus, an experience few private schools can offer.
Mrs. Tekak, the director of boarding, said: "This is my fourth year as the director, and every year I enjoy it even more. As a whole they are a great group of kids, and I enjoy working with them. Boarding is tough because the boarders are away from their home, family, and loved ones. So the staff and I do our best to provide a home away from home."
The dormers interact with one another like brother and sister, helping each other not only through the bond of friendship, but in studies and homework. It's no wonder that 75 percent of the boarders have been on either President's List or Honor Roll at least once this school year. There is a sense of unity among dormers, a unity that even regular students envy.
MID-PAC IS THE first and only school in Hawaii to offer the International Baccalaureate, or IB, program. Similar to Advanced Placement classes, the IB program is a higher-level program for students who wish to challenge themselves. The difference is that students follow the same curriculum and assessment as students worldwide.
Toward the end of the year, students take oral examinations and written tests in their respective courses, which are incorporated into the final grade shown on a student's report card at the end of the year. If IB tests are passed, college credit is given. One senior at Mid-Pacific has a possibility of receiving 30 quarter credits in the University of California system.
Seventy to 100 students are enrolled in one or more IB courses. Students have been very successful in IB. In 2000, Hawaii had the highest IB Diploma pass rate in the nation -- and Mid-Pac is the only school in the state to offer the program.
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The latest excitement in the hallways of Mid-Pacific Institute is over Ho'olaulea 2002. Mid-Pac’s Ho‘olaulea 2002
will host popular isle bandsMid-Pacific Institute staff
In hopes of elevating school spirit, the student government officers submitted a proposal that would give the student body a day of kicking back and relaxing with music, food and fun. Due to the enthusiastic response by students and teachers, MPI's Ho'olaulea was born.
Mid-Pacific Institute is proud to announce that on April 12, from 3 to 7 p.m., the MPI ohana will be entertained by some of Hawaii's most popular bands. The Opihi Pickers, Natural Vibrations and Koa'uka will perform tunes that will make one feel "irie" and "skank" all the way home.
The fun does not stop there. With the amount of talent here at MPI, it was easy to find homegrown MPI performers.
The winners of Mid-Pacific Institute's Star Quest will provide entertainment with tunes of their own. These talented young performers include MPI's student body president, Lars Mitsuda, as well as seniors Justin Ogasawara and Wade Takano. Along with junior Chris Lefebvre, they will blend their voices and ukuleles to swoon the hearts of all.
And what is a Ho'olaulea without food? Ono grinds will be provided at the school cafeteria.
Though there is a charge for tickets to the event and food, Ho'olaulea is not a fund-raiser. It was planned to build school pride and spirit, showcase student talent and bring MPI's ohana together.
Proceeds from this event will go back to the students, which means more dances, events and maybe even a bigger and better Ho'olaulea next year!
Pre-order tickets are $5; at the door is $10. So come on down for a day of entertainment, food and fun.
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Each week, Hawaii's teenage reporters and photographers tell us about their high school. This week's school is Mid-Pacific Institute. ABOUT THIS PAGE
Newspaper: Na Pueo
Editor: Nora Kobashigawa
Faculty adviser: Ed Tompkins
Next week: Hilo High School
MID-PAC FACTS
Address: 2445 Kaala St., Honolulu, HI 96822
Phone: 973-5000
Fax: 973-5099
Web site: midpac.edu
President: Joe Rice
High school principal: Rich Schaffer
Students: 1,072 (587 male, 485 female)
Faculty and staff: 179
Mascot: The owl (pueo)
Colors: Green and white
Notable alumni
>> Maryanne Kusaka, Kauai mayor (1953)
>> Lisa Matsumoto, actress and playwright (1982)
>> Ronald Moon, Hawaii Supreme Court chief justice (1958)BACK TO TOP
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YOU ASKED
What was one of your most embarrassing moments at Mid-Pacific Institute?
Dane Yoshimura
"I went through three-quarters of the day with my pants on backwards."Whitney Miyahira
"On the way to Damon Hall I slipped in the mud and slid down the hill on my back side."Neal Ching
"I was trying to find out if a banana really made you slip if you stepped on it. So I stepped on one and nearly fell down the stairs."Clint Zavakos
"I came to school with my socks on, but not my shoes."Branden Leung
"Last year, two of my girlfriends held me down and plucked my eyebrows."Justin Tom
"I accidentally mooned the camera during a TV commercial shoot."Leicie Yamasaki
"During admissions, I was sliding around on the first floor of Kawaiahao (Hall) in my socks. I almost fell twice."Karla Heath
"I was changing in a room closet and almost fell out when I leaned on the door."Justin Ogasawara
"I was showing off with my Heelys on the way to art class when I ate it in front of everyone passing between class."Carly Kanemaru
"I fell asleep in the front row in class during a lecture, and no one woke me."
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