HPU United Nations Club Attends National Model United Nations Conference in Canada

On Friday, Nov. 17 through Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, HPU United Nations (UN) Club members participated in the 2017 National Model United Nations (NMUN) Conference in Banff, Canada. Eleven HPU students (pictured above from left to right): Essi Korhonen, Isabelle Klewstigh, Hunter Burrows, Gabriela (Victoria) Ristikangas, Kristine Kivle, Sharon MacAllan, Ashley Ubben, Lesly Valdez, Emily Macri, Cherie Soria and Nicole Masulit, along with the UN Club faculty advisor, Serge Marek, Ph.D., participated in the conference. 

At the NMUN Conference, university students from around the world represented various countries in committees to discuss international issues relevant today. The HPU delegation represented two countries in various committees. The Uruguay team consisted of six HPU students in the General Assembly (GA), Security Council (SC) and UN Environment Assembly (UNEA). The Vietnam team consisted of five students in the GA, UNEA and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) committees. The Uruguay UNEA team won the award for Outstanding Position Paper, making this the first HPU delegation to win the position paper award. HPU was also recognized as an Honorable Mention during the closing ceremony. 

The NMUN Canada Conference was a success, as each student did their utmost to represent HPU, the UN Club and their respective countries in the best way possible.

Applications are currently available for the next Model United Nations Conference, to be held in New York in March 2018. For more information on the HPU UN Club, please contact the Secretary General/Club President, Haven McKay, at hmckay@my.hpu.edu or the UN Club faculty advisor Serge Marek, at smarek@hpu.edu.

Conference Team:

Hunter Burrows, Freshman, Marine Biology major from New Jersey
Kristine Kivle, Head Delegate/Secretary General, Senior, Diplomacy and Military Studies major from Norway

Essi Korhonen, Senior, International Studies major from Finland

Isabelle Klewstigh, Junior, International Studies major from Sweden
Sharon MacAllan, Junior, Marine Biology major from Germany/U.S.A.
Emily Macri, pursuing a master's in Global Leadership and Sustainable Development, from New York
Nicole Masulit, Sophomore, International Business major from Kauai
Lesly Pamatz, International Business major from California

Viktoria Ristikangas, Junior, International Studies major from Finland

Cherie Soria, Sophomore, Nursing major from Oahu
Ashley Ubben, Freshman, International Studies major from Texas  

News submitted by Nicole Masulit, UN Club PR Officer

Q&A with the New Dean of the College of Extended and Interdisciplinary Education

— As Told to Tameron Hodges

Human Resources turned the spotlight on Mani Sehgal, the new Dean of the College of Extended and Interdisciplinary Education. Sehgal has been a vital member of the HPU ‘ohana for over 16 years.  Originally from Edmonton, Canada, Sehgal completed his undergraduate studies in math and business, receiving a B.Sc. from Concordia University.  Moving to the U.S., he received his M.B.A. in Finance and an M.Ed. in Math Education, from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.  He is currently Ph.D. ABD in Math Education, at the University of Victoria, in B.C. Canada.

Dean Sehgal joined HPU as a Visiting Instructor of Mathematics in 2001, became a regular faculty member in 2003, and moved over to the School of Education in 2011.  He has served as the 3-2 Engineering Coordinator and Secondary Education Program Director, and for the last four years, Sehgal has been the Director for the School of Education.

To find out something we didn’t know about Dean Sehgal, we recently posed the following questions:

Q: What led you to higher education as a profession?

A: Serendipity. (Truth be told, it was by chance that I stumbled upon higher education.) My background is in Math and Finance. I strongly believe in financial literacy for high schoolers and young adults. Incidentally, I was given the opportunity to develop a course, “The Common Sense of Finance,” and taught it for several years at the high school level. One opportunity led to another and I was offered an adjunct position, teaching Math at HPU.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge in your life?

A: I am naturally a very private person, so to be quite honest with you, talking about myself.

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: In every situation I encounter, I try to approach it with integrity and compassion. I give credit to my parents for instilling this in me.

A: Why have you chosen to be part of HPU for nearly 17 years?

A: I love teaching. While teaching Math, I (quickly) realized the impact I could make helping students understand a subject that many find very challenging (because I was able to break it down and help students with content they weren’t able to understand before). It was inspiring to see students able to make sense of difficult formulas and algorithms.  Then, I was provided with the opportunity to teach Education majors. I have to say that it was more rewarding than I could have ever imagined (getting a chance to teach future teachers). It gives me a chance to indirectly create effective teachers, which in turn helps students of the future who will then contribute to building a better society.  I love what I’m doing.

Q: What led you to seek the administrative position of dean?

A: I wanted to make a difference. I felt like it would give me the opportunity to make positive changes for the students, staff, faculty, college and the University as a whole.  I initially was not even thinking about the position, but the support of faculty and staff throughout the College (and University) made me reconsider.

Q: How will you measure success as a new dean?

A: Unite the college, create opportunity for the (military) bases, serve adult learners who want to transfer their quality education and experience, get rid of division, and strive for all around better communication.  I’ll let my colleagues and peers “measure” how successful I am…

Q: If you were not an educator, what would you be?

A: An Entrepreneur.  I owned two restaurants before I moved to Hawai‘i, and it’s true what they say…once you’re an entrepreneur, you’re always an entrepreneur.

Q: What brought you to Hawai‘i?

A: After I sold the restaurants in Canada, I bought a ticket for a trip around the world with Hawai‘i as the first stop.  After arriving, I decided to extend my stay and ended up cancelling the remainder of the trip to remain in Hawai‘i.  A trip around the world is now at the top of my “bucket list.”

Q: What books are waiting on your bookshelf to be read?

A: Pragmatic Capitalism, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, and a stack of EAB books the Provost dropped off at my office last month...(wink wink).

Q: What is your ideal vacation?

A: Plenty of sleep.

Q: What is one thing that people would be most surprised to know about you?

A: I am allergic to cheese, but I love deep dish pizza. I just make sure I take tons of Benadryl before and after.

History and Asian Studies Professor Receives Grant to Attend Seminar in China

Dr. Corcoran at the Jinhua Middle School
and High School, Shanghai

College of Extended and Interdisciplinary Education Assistant Professor of History and Asian Studies James Corcoran, Ph.D., received a grant from the Council for International Education Exchange (CIEE) to attend the seminar, "Chinese Students in Context: Strategies for a Globalized Campus," in Shanghai in May.

The seminar was designed to help university administrators and faculty to more effectively integrate Chinese international students onto U.S. campuses. Participants developed their own general intercultural competence, as well as a deeper understanding of modern Chinese culture. Moreover, participants gained a greater knowledge of Chinese educational culture, as influenced by both ancient traditions and more recent historical events. Finally, participants discovered tools and activities to respond to linguistic and cultural challenges in the classroom and in the wider campus community.

Corcoran will provide a fuller report when the fall semester begins, and he will also provide presentations during the fall semester to the HPU community on the results of the seminar.

Political Science Faculty Receives Fulbright Award to India

Carlos Juarez, Ph.D., adjunct faculty and retired Professor of Political Science (1997-2016), has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in Political Science/International Relations. Juarez will lecture on Development Studies at the Birla Institute of Technology & Science in Goa, India, during the fall 2017 semester. His work is part of a project to also explore global learning initiatives in India’s higher education system.

Juarez has had previous Fulbright grants to teach and do research in Mexico (2000), Czech Republic (2003, 2005) and Austria (2015), and has also been a visiting professor in Colombia and Mexico, most recently at the Universidad Iberoamerica in Mexico City.

At HPU, Juarez is scheduled to teach International Relations online during the fall 2017 semester. He has served as the university’s Fulbright Program Advisor, helping to mentor students and faculty interested in Fulbright grant opportunities.

Congratulations, Spring 2017 HPU Graduates!

Hawai‘i Pacific University held its Spring 2017 Commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 11. The University proudly and warmly welcomes its newest graduates into its global network of alumni, comprising more than 45,000 individuals.

Mahalo to the valedictory speakers, Wesley Chai (BS Criminal Justice) and Louis C. Hare III (MA in Communication), for representing the graduating class with their thoughtful remarks. (Pictured left Hare and right Chai with HPU's mascot Sharky)

HPU Board of Trustee and alumnus Ray Vara (BSBA ’93), who delivered the Commencement keynote speech, was presented with an honorary doctorate degree in recognition of his professional accomplishments, commitment to community causes, and the advancement of higher education.

Alumna Naomi Hazelton (MA in Communication ’05), publisher of Pacific Edge magazine, Green magazine, and Las Vegas Bound magazine, lead the graduates in the recitation of the HPU Alumni Pledge. The pledge signifies the official welcome of the Spring 2017 graduates to the HPU alumni community.

Professor Horgen Named Teacher of the Year

2016 Teacher of the Year Margo Bare presents David Horgen, Ph.D.,
the 2017 Teacher of the Year award

Annually in the spring, HPU graduating students are asked to nominate candidates for the Teacher of the Year award. Professor of Chemistry David Horgen, Ph.D., was named the 2017 HPU Teacher of the Year. He was presented the award by 2016 HPU Teacher of the Year Margo Bare, retired professor of social work.

Horgen, who is the chair of the chemistry and biochemistry program, joined HPU in 2000. His major research interest is in marine natural products chemistry. He is the head of HPU’s Shared Instrumentation Facility, which has been funded by the National Institute of Health since 2002. One of the research team’s accomplishments is the discovery of new biological activity for a naturally occurring marine compound, waixenicin A, which is produced by a soft coral that grows only in Hawai‘i. It may be a resource for finding new therapies for cancer and stroke.

Additionally, these biomedical research laboratories — known as INBRE — support instructional lab courses and increase undergraduate and graduate student research opportunities. Under the mentorship of this year’s teacher of the year and his biomedical faculty colleagues, nearly 100 students have participated in INBRE research projects and 40 undergraduates have coauthored scholarly presentations and manuscripts.

One of the participants in the student instrumentation-mentoring program that Horgen organizes said, “Programs like this have given students like myself not only a remarkable opportunity to get involved in what the Chemistry department has to offer, but the ability to make ourselves marketable in our field, with experience many other schools cannot offer their students.” This graduating senior has been accepted to a competitive summer research experience program at a graduate school of biomedical sciences, and she thanks Horgen for his support. This student is one of the many students he has impacted.

  

‘Declaring War’ Author Engages with Military History Course Students

Noted author on the topic of declaring war, Brien Hallett, Ph.D., addressed his books and America's history of going to war, in a three-hour presentation for the U.S. military history course of Jim Corcoran, Ph.D., at Hickam Air Base on April 10. Hallet, Associate Professor at the Matsunaga Institute for Peace at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, conducted a lively exchange with Corcoran's College of Extended and Interdisciplinary Education's (CEIE) Military Campus Program, History 3666, class of 20 students, 13 of whom are combat veterans of Afghanistan, Iraq, or both, with multiple tours accounting for a total of 25 tours (Afghanistan, 10 tours; Iraq, 15 tours) and over 25 years of combined combat experience.

Hallett and Corcoran, both Vietnam War veterans, were able to engage the students with a particularly high level of rapport, addressing the issue of America's entry to war over its 241 year history as laid out in Hallet's books, "Declaring War: Congress, the President, and What the Constitution Does Not Say" (2012, one of the course texts) and "The Lost Art of Declaring War" (1998). A number of the students have other combat experience (Desert Storm, 1991; Operation Restore Hope, 1993, Somalia; Balkan peacekeeping operations, etc.), three are ROTC "Green to Gold," noncommissioned officers seeking active duty as officers, and 5 are Department of Defense civilians.

Hallett also discussed the book he is currently writing, a critical assessment of the role of Clausewitz in American national security strategy, and Corcoran and a few students agreed to read and comment on drafts in preparation for publication. Student background and high level of interest, current events, and professors' experience all made for a rich learning experience.  

CEIE, Military Campus Program, U.S. military history course, History 3666, guest lecturer Brien Hallett, Ph.D., Matsunaga Institute for Peace (center, grey pullover) and course members, Hickam Air base, April 10, 2017.

 Professor Brien Hallett, Matsunaga Institute for Peace, engages History 3666 students Brian Catron (left), former U.S. Army Ranger, and Eugene Ahn (center), former U.S. Navy member, both of whom served in Iraq.

Faculty and Staff: Join the Hānai Program

Beginning in Fall 2017, the Office of First Year Experience, in partnership with the Office of Human Resources, is rolling out a new way to engage first-time freshmen with HPU faculty and staff!

Currently, first-time, full-time freshmen are placed into groups with a Peer Mentor (previously Peer Academic Coach), who provides support and guidance during the student’s first year at HPU. Faculty and staff are now invited to support a group of new students through the Hānai Program.

The Hānai Program and the Peer Mentor Program will work in tandem to formulate for each first year student their HPU 'Ohana (1 Peer Mentor, 1 Faculty/Staff, 15-20 students). This new volunteer position is designed to help bridge the divide students often feel when engaging with professionals, by making faculty and staff more accessible in a casual setting.

So, what will you do? Great question!

We are looking for between 30-35 volunteers who will volunteer about 6-8 hours of their time per semester. This will include:

·         Having lunch with their assigned group during Orientation week

·         Emailing the group a few times during the semester to check in

·         Being willing to have a holiday meal with students who stay in town during holiday periods like Thanksgiving and the winter break (either by hosting them at your home or eating with them near campus)

However, volunteers are welcome to do more. Engaging with your HPU 'Ohana can also include things like:

·         Attending events the group is doing together (like bowling, a hike or snorkeling trip, typically organized by the Peer Mentor)

·         Inviting students to sit as a group at an athletic event

·         Participating in a community service project together

·         Encouraging the group to attend a Hawaii Spotlight service learning trip

The ideas are only limited by your imagination.

The Office of First Year Experience wants to create an environment for first-year students that shows them that we are a small community where engaging regularly with faculty and staff in a casual way is natural and encouraged. Please join us in making that vision a reality for new freshmen attending HPU in Fall 2017.

Sound like your kind of deal? Sign up at http://bit.ly/HPUHanai.

The Office of First Year Experience will be in touch shortly after that date with additional information.

Source: Office of First Year Experience (readysetgo@hpu.edu) and Office of Human Resources (hr@hpu.edu)

Teacher of the Year Nominations Due Wednesday April 12

Calling All Spring and Summer 2017 Graduating Students!

Each year, HPU recognizes one full-time faculty member for excellence in teaching. The teacher who is chosen for this honor is recognized at graduation and receives a monetary award. 

While you were a student at HPU, who was your most outstanding teacher? Submit your nomination by sending an email to tyaward@hpu.edu no later than 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, 2017. 

Consider the following details as you compose your nomination:

·         Teacher’s First and Last Name:

·         How did the faculty member stand out in one or more of these areas?

·         Communicating effectively with students

·         Motivating and inspiring students

·         Demonstrating excellence in the classroom

·         Demonstrating excellence in course content

If you have any questions, you may send an email to tyaward@hpu.edu or contact Dr. Valentina Abordonado at vabordonado@hpu.edu or (808) 544-1143.

Congratulations on your many accomplishments! We are so proud of you!

The Teacher of the Year Award Selections Committee

Pictured above: 2015 Teacher of the Year Regina Ostergaard-Klem, Ph.D., (left) presenting the 2016 Teacher of the Year award to Margo Bare 

Penny War Event: April 10-24

The Student Alumni Council is preparing for a “Penny War” event that will take place from Monday, April 10-Monday, April 24. The purpose of the event is to promote participation between the colleges and to engage students through fundraising. During this event, jars representing each college will be placed at Sharky’s Cove downtown, and Atherton Library on the Hawaii Loa campus. Students, as well as the HPU faculty and staff, are encouraged to participate by donating pennies into their specific college’s jar. Twenty students from the winning college will be receiving gift card prize giveaways.

Rules for the Penny War are as follows:

·         Pennies are worth one point toward the respective college

·         Silver coins deduct points based on amount of coin (ex. Nickel is minus 5 points)

·         Silver coins are encouraged to be placed in other jars to provide competition

·         Dollar bills will also deduct points according to amount ( $1.00 minus 100 points)

·         A mid war point check will be announced on Monday, April  17 via social media and pipeline

·         Winners will be announced on Monday, April 24 

·         Prize Giveaway winners can collect their prizes at the University Relations office located at Aloha Tower Suite 3100

Please help us promote this event within your college. 

Yours might come out on top! 

For any questions or concerns, please contact Daryn Vorderbruegge in University Relations at dvorderbruegge@hpu.edu

First-Year Writing Anthology Released

The eight issue of Fresh Perspectives, HPU’s online anthology of first-year writing, is released. It includes essays by student contributors Carlo Paez, Jon Davis, Nakoa Gabriel, Joleen Paul, Damon Niesen, Jhumar Ray Domingo, Hajar Tazi, Austin Zmolek, Kula Kukonu, Emma Ferguson, Rachel Gonzales, Sage Bennett, Mackenzie Otto, and Lina Bengtsson. 

Outstanding essays written for Spring 2016 first-year writing courses were nominated by instructors and selected and edited by the team of student editorial interns, Marian Gentile and Jun Dennis Sadang, under the direction of Associate Professor of English and Interim Assistant Dean of Liberal Arts Kathleen Cassity, Ph.D.      

The writing in Fresh Perspectives represents a diversity of voices, topics and perspectives. The anthology has become a regular and integral feature of HPU’s First-Year Writing Program, and it is something that both students and faculty look forward to reading and that students can be proud to share with their families and friends.

Read the Editors’ Welcome by Marian Gentile, Jun Dennis Mata Sadang and Kathleen Cassity, Ph.D., on page 3.

Meet the Writers!

Lina Bengtsson is originally from Sweden and is majoring in Marine Biology. Her goal is to become a shark specialist, and her favorite thing about living in Hawai`i is the sunsets.

Sage Bennett grew up in the Metro D.C. area—Silver Spring, Maryland, to be exact. An International Business major, Sage hopes to someday own a business or work for an international corporation that allows her to travel as well as tap into her creative side through digital marketing. Her favorite thing about HPU is how diverse our student population is: “Coming from a very diverse area, moving to Hawai`i and attending HPU was such a relief. There are so many students and staff from all over the world, and it is so refreshing.”

Jon Davis is originally from Dothan, Alabama, where he was born and raised until leaving for the military in 2009. His major is Business Management, and his career plans are to work at the S.E.R.E, (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape) school in Alabama, to train soldiers in these tactics while preparing to open his own business in the construction industry. His favorite thing about attending HPU is the small class sizes that allow students to be directly engaged with their professors: “This provides an exceptional learning experience in an ideal environment.”

Jhumar Ray Domingo is from Dumaguete Negros Oriental, Philippines. He is majoring in Criminal Justice, with the goal of working for the Department of Homeland Security. His favorite thing about living in Hawai`i is that it is like “home away from home,” with good food and friendly people.

Emma Ferguson is from Bremerton, Washington, but has lived in Belfair, Washington, for the majority of her life. She is majoring in Biology with a minor in Psychology, with the goal of becoming a zookeeper specializing in large cats. Her favorite thing about living in Hawai`i is the extraordinary opportunity to meet so many amazing and inspiring people that she never would have had the pleasure of meeting had she not come to such a culturally and ethnically diverse location: “It has changed my life.”

Nakoa Gabriel was born and raised in Waipahu, Hawai`i, where he still lives. When not working at the pet hospital in Waipahu, he is pursuing his major in Criminal Justice with a minor in Writing. Upon graduation he plans either to work with the FBI or pursue a degree in law and start his own firm. His favorite thing about living in Hawai`i is its natural beauty: “I’ve lived here for 19 years and have never gotten tired of seeing the ocean. It is important to know your roots and where you come from.”

Rachel Gonzales is from Guam and is majoring in Public Health. Her intended career plans are to align herself with a global health community to promote understanding based on public health principles. Her favorite thing about living in Hawai`i and attending Hawai`i Pacific University is “feeling the aloha spirit everywhere I go.”

Kula Kukonu is originally from Honolulu and is a Communication Studies major who intends to work for the federal government. Her favorite thing about attending HPU is being surrounded by diverse cultures and peoples: “We live in a world of mixed cultures and it's amazing to have a small part of that within the HPU community.”


[Not pictured] Damon Niesen is originally from Round Valley Indian Reservation in Northern California. His major is Nursing and he plans to work in the E.R at Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital in Willis, to help his people. His favorite part of Hawai`i is “getting away from the reservation and not seeing poverty everywhere you look.”

Mackenzie Otto is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A Public Health major, she hopes to join the Peace Corps. Her favorite thing about living in Hawai`i and attending HPU is the diversity: “I get the chance to have classes with and meet people from so many parts of the world. It is fascinating to hear about what other cultures are like. I hope to get some opportunities to travel, and hearing about all these wonderful places motivates me to work hard to be able to experience some of them firsthand.”

Carlo Paez is originally from the Philippines and moved to Hawai‘i when he was three years old. He is currently majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Management Information Systems. He intends to pursue a career within the realm of information technologies, and plans to someday become the CIO or CTO of a major corporation. His favorite thing about living in Hawai‘i is the different types of people he gets to meet each day: “Hawai‘i is indeed a unique place, and there really is no other place like it in the world.”

Joleen Paul is originally from Maui and is majoring in Pre-Nursing. She plans to move back home to Maui to work at the local hospital or clinics. She has also considered moving to the mainland. Her favorite thing about Hawai`i is that “it is always going to be home,” and her favorite thing about attending HPU is meeting people from all over.

Hajar Tazi is originally from Casablanca, Morocco. She is double majoring in Humanities with a concentration in Philosophy, and in International Studies with a concentration in Peace and Security. She would like to work with an intergovernmental organization or do research in ethnography. Her favorite thing about living in Hawai`i is that she can surf whenever she wants: “The waves are perfect!”

Austin Zmolek is originally from Syracuse, New York. His major is Biology – Human Health and Psychology. He changes his mind about the future every day: “Part of me wants to be a gender reconstruction surgeon, part of me wants to move to the forest and live in a tree, part of me wants to get another degree in fashion, and part of me wants to be a Cross Fit instructor; I'll figure that out later.” His favorite thing about living in Hawai`i is “when I hear people cheee-hoo.” His favorite thing about HPU would be the Kaneohe campus.

For archived issues of Fresh Perspectives and more information on literary life at HPU, click here. 

Employer Perspective: Advice for Student Interns

Mike Murray (pictured far right) CMM, CMP, CASE, is the Senior Vice President & Director of Events for Peerless Host Hawaii, Waikiki Beach Activities, Port Waikiki Cruises. Since 2014, Murray has been working with the HPU Career Services Center staff to place students in hospitality, marketing, and management internships at Waikiki Beach Activities (WBA). WBA provides in-house entertainment services for the Hilton Hawaiian Village. They primarily focus on guest/concierge services, staffing and event planning for guests and travelers.

Q&A with HPU Career Services Advisor Ryan Tin Loy, M.A., CWDP, and Murray

What areas of engagement with HPU have proven to be most beneficial for Waikiki Beach Activities? The interns who have completed their internships and some who’re still finishing up with us have been exemplary and wonderful students!  If anything, the question should be flipped, as we have gained more by the opportunities in working with your students. It’s been very gratifying to mentor our future tourism leaders!  Their passion, knowledge, willingness to learn, quickness to learn — with aloha —  has exceeded our expectations!  Bravo to you and your faculty and curriculum, for preparing them into the workforce.

How can an HPU student stand out when seeking an internship or employment opportunity with your organization? 
They should not be shy, and they should be willing to learn, be honest in terms of who they are and recognize their weaknesses and strengths.

What advice do you have for students seeking a career in the hospitality and tourism field?
Don’t get too caught up with your long term goals…the short term goals and outcomes, often times, change the path you initially seek.  You need to be nimble in our industry, guest oriented, have a vision and go after it!   Of course, try to have fun in the process and share your aloha always!! 

For more information on career services, go to: www.hpu.edu/careerservices

Debate Society Competes in Preparation for Regionals and the US Universities Championship

Submitted by Communication Department faculty Lea Dan Yee

In order to build the HPU Debate Society travel squad, we sent two freshmen, Pre-Law/Criminal Justice major, Lisette Robbins, and Environmental Studies major, Kaleigh Smith, along with two senior Communication majors, Leilani Feleciano and Kate McDaniel to compete in the November 2016 California Cup, a three-day tournament, hosted by USC, UCLA, and Claremont McKenna College.  While it was quite the grueling weekend, the families of both the freshmen joined us for additional team support.

Coming off of Winter break, our team worked together to host the 9^th Annual Pan Pacific Championship this past February. It began on a Friday night with our 4^th Capitol Debate. In order to advertise for the event, our very own HPU Student Body and Debate Society President, Chris Morrow, joined former UH Månoa Debater, Ian Ross, and Civil Beat’s Pod Squad host, Chad Blair, on a live podcast, which may be accessed here. Our very own Debate Society Vice President, Kate McDaniel, submitted an op-ed piece on the Rail Debate to Civil Beat. McDaniel and Feleciano represented HPU that evening to debate against UH Manoa, The United States Air Force Academy, Willamette University and East China University of Science and Technology. Adjudicators that evening were former Sen. Will Espero, Rep. Gene Ward, Rep. Cedric Gates, Civil Beat’s Rui Kaneya, Kirk Fehn, and Cody Hensarling.

The HPU Debate Society hosted 12 teams at this year’s tournament: Beijing Foreign Studies University, Brooklyn College, the Christian Homeschoolers of Hawai‘i, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Louisiana Tech University, Cal Poly Tech – San Luis Obispo, University of British Columbia, the United States Air Force Academy, Windward College, Willamette University, and the East China University of Science and Technology. After another challenging three days of competition, The United States Air Force Academy earned the 1st place title for their 3rd year.

The HPU Debate Society will send two teams, Smith and Robbins and Morrow and Ruqi Pei, and one adjudicator, Feleciano, to compete in the West Coast Regional Championship in Tacoma, Washington, at the end of March. We also hope to send three teams to the United States Universities Debate Championship in Denver, Colorado, in April.

Wish them luck!