Monday, April 4, 2016

Experience the rich diversity of HPU

Faith Lopez at the 2015 Intercultural Day celebration,
holding the flag of the Philippines.
Hawai‘i Pacific University student Faith Lopez looks forward to welcoming HPU students, faculty and staff, and the general public, to the university’s Intercultural Day (ICD) celebration being held on Friday, April 8. This year — for the first time — the event will be at Aloha Tower Marketplace, starting at 6 p.m.    

Lopez, the cultural events programmer for the Campus Activities Board (CAB) and chair of ICD 2016, and a committee of student volunteers, will share the rich diversity of HPU through the event featuring cultural booths — with games, artifacts, costumes, pictures and more — and live performances.  

“Just walking down Fort Street you hear people talking in different languages…and they’re classmates,” said Lopez. “We’re so diverse!”

Thirty-two years ago, ICD was established at Hawai‘i Pacific. Howard Markowitz, Ph.D., former international student advisor and current assistant professor of psychology, and a small group of students, organized the first event as a way for student “ambassadors” to portray the values and beliefs of their cultures.
     
The event — which is now an HPU tradition — has a new generation of leaders, but the purpose to showcase students’ countries and cultures remains the same.

“I like to learn about people’s cultures. It really intrigues me,” said Lopez. “Figuring out how people express their way of learning about their own cultures to show other people is a big thing (to me).”

While showcasing the international learning community of HPU through ICD is a special annual event, Lopez, who is from Mililani, O‘ahu, experiences the diversity of the university community on a daily basis.    

“My roommate is from Connecticut, but she’s actually a Cook Islands citizen,” she said. “Two of my friends from CAB are Norwegian. My CA (community advisor, HPU Waterfront Lofts) is German.”

Lopez’s exposure to the multicultural environment of HPU has heightened her interest in international destinations and possible career opportunities that include travel.

“I’ve always been curious (about culture and travel). Coming to college is adding to my curiosity,” said Lopez, who is a pre-nursing major. “I want to be a traveling nurse who can go around the world…because of my job.”     

Additionally, Lopez’s HPU experiences and interactions deepen her understanding of the culture of her “home,” Hawai‘i, and the Pacific region. Now in her second year at HPU, she recalls being exposed to the Hawaiian values HPU embraces — aloha (kindness and grace), pono (honest and moral) and kuleana (responsibility and concern) — starting with new student orientation. To fulfill her Hawai‘i and the Pacific General Education requirement, she enrolled in an Oceanic arts class, learning about tribal art. The Hawaii Spotlight events sponsored by Student Life further Lopez’s appreciation for the Islands and stewarding its land and culture.

She also observes her fellow HPU classmates from other countries or from out of state, embracing the Hawaiian culture.

“I know people (not from Hawai‘i) and they take hula and they perform at hula performances for HPU,” Lopez said. “It’s nice to know there are people around the world who want to learn about your culture and actually know Hawai‘i.”     

For Lopez, meeting people and making friends, is largely due to her involvement with CAB, starting her freshman year.

“One of my friends said, ‘come with me to one of these (CAB) meetings,’ and I ended up going and liking it,” Lopez said.

Over time, she got to know more about CAB through her Peer Academic Counselor (PAC), who previously served as the cultural events programmer.   

“I would help my PAC leader on events, and I learned the ins and outs of how to work those events like FunFest, Intercultural Day.”

Campus Activities Board members at the 2015 Intercultural Day 
Now, Lopez and the 2016 ICD planning committee are leading the way. They are tending to the final details to make this year’s event an action-packed experience for their guests.

“I hope people are able to take information — maybe something that they didn’t know about their own culture or from another culture — they enjoy learning about,” she said.

For more information on Intercultural Day, go to:
www.hpu.edu/intercultural

Campus Activities Board (CAB):
All HPU students are invited to get involved with CAB. General meetings are held during the semester on Mondays, 1 p.m.-2 p.m., Aloha Tower Marketplace, Multipurpose Room 1. Students who aren’t able to attend the meetings, are welcome to email cab@my.hpu.edu, expressing interest in CAB.    


April 5, 2016: Announcements

Waterfront Lofts: An HPU urban experience
Applications are being accepted for the Waterfront Lofts. Don’t miss out on this unique residential community experience. The Lofts are moderately furnished; laundry facilities are on site; and residents have access to the Learning Commons, lounges, outdoor common spaces, and much MORE. Details here; the application is on HPU Pipeline. Questions? Call 808-236-3540 or email waterfrontlofts@hpu.edu.

Last chance to take Student Campus Climate survey
Students’ responses are invaluable to creating a safe and welcoming environment at HPU. Take the survey today by clicking here. Your responses are completely anonymous and confidential. Survey respondents have the chance to win a Fit Bit and other HPU giveaways (survey responses are not tied to the giveaway link). The survey will close on April 6, 2016. Questions? Contact mkaptik@hpu.edu.

Commencement volunteers needed
The Spring Commencement ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, May 12, at the Blaisdell Arena. There is no way the university could honor and recognize the achievements of its graduates without the help of dedicated faculty, staff and student volunteers. If you are available to help, please sign up for a shift here. More information here or contact the Commencement Planning Committee at commencement@hpu.edu.

New April hours at Meader LibraryEffective Monday, April 4-Monday, April 25, the beginning of extended hours, Meader Library has new hours posted here. Atherton Library and Learning Commons hours remain the same.     

HPU Libraries workshops
·         Cite in a snap: Learn how to create a bibliography in a snap! Workshops on Zotero and EndNote Basic, free easy-to-use tools that help you collect, organize, share, and cite your research resources. Sessions every Tuesday, Downtown, 10 a.m., and 3 p.m. Registration here. If you can’t make it on a Tuesday, email reference@hpu.edu for an appointment.  
·         Be a master: Join the workshop series, including free snacks and useful knowledge. Open to anyone who wants to master the skills needed for successful information retrieval in a variety of disciplines. Sessions are held mostly on Thursdays, 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Details and registration here.


Distracted driving simulator at ATM April 7

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. In 2014, more than 3,100 people were killed and 431,000 injured in distracted driving crashes on America's roadways.

Students, staff and faculty are invited to try a new state-of-the-art simulator on April 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Aloha Tower Marketplace Atrium. The simulator allows drivers to go through various scenarios and experience the consequences of distracted driving, including crashing into objects, other vehicles and pedestrians.

Malasadas will be available from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., while supplies last.

Learn more and take the pledge at www.distraction.gov/take-action/take-the-pledge.html.



Teacher of the Year nominations: due April 8

2014 Teacher of the Year Pierre Asselin, Ph.D., associate professor of history,
presents the 2015 Teacher of the Year award to Regina Ostergaard-Klem, Ph.D.,
 associate professor of environmental science.
Attention Spring and Summer 2016 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 to tyaward@hpu.edu by Friday, April 8, 2016. 

Teacher of the Year Award Form 

Questions? Email tyaward@hpu.edu or contact Dr. Valentina Abordonado, vabordonado@hpu.edu, 808-544-1143.

Phi Alpha Theta student paper prize winners

Faculty advisor Jon Davidann, Ph.D., and HPU student prize winners Faye Glover, Sara Connis, 
Keavy Hunnigal-Gaw, William Mayer, Brian Chun-Ming, Michele Ezaki.
HPU’s Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society chapter hosted the 32nd Annual Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference on March 19, and students from around the state of Hawai‘i participated in it.  A record number of HPU students — over 20 — presented papers. Six HPU students won prizes at the conference. 

The HPU faculty advisor to the honor society, Jon Davidann, Ph.D., who organized the conference, stated, “This is the largest Phi Alpha Theta conference we have ever had, and the venue, the new HPU Aloha Tower Marketplace, was perfect for it. I am very proud of all the HPU students who  participated, and congratulations to the HPU prizewinners.”


HPU Prize winners: 2016 Phi Alpha Theta Hawai‘i regional conference
William D. Mayer
The Dying Lion of Lucerne: A Royal Situation, A Democratic Transformation
Honorable Mention - Best Undergraduate Paper
Brian Chun-Ming
North Korea and the Korean DMZ Conflict 1966 -1969: Understanding How and Why North Korea Used Military Aggression (Militarism) and Low Intensity Conflict to Meet National Goals
Best Graduate Paper
Sara J. Connis
Sino-Indian Tensions over the Brahmaputra:  The Role of Economic Development and Nationalism in Hydropower
Jerry H. Bentley Prize in world history
Michele Ezaki
Motive and Opportunity: The Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in 1974
Walter Vella Prize
Keavy Hunnigal-Gaw
An Assessment of Finland’s System of Protection against Extremism during the Inter-war Period
Marc Jason Gilbert Prize in the History of Global Conflicts and the Search for Peace
Faye J. Glover
Joan of Arc in the Hundred Years War
GFWC Women's History Prize

School of Social Work at the Capitol

Hawai‘i Pacific University, Brigham Young University and University of Hawai‘i-Manoa
students and faculty in front of the Capitol on Social Work Legislative Day.
HPU School of Social Work students and faculty attended the Social Work Legislative Day at the Hawai‘i State Capitol on March 30. The event is held annually in conjunction with Social Work month and is put together by the Hawai‘i chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Students heard from Kat Brady, coordinator of the Community Alliance on Prisons, about effective advocacy and services available to the public through the Public Access Room.

Instructor of Social Work Paul Tran with Bachelor of Social Work students
Austan Vance and Nia Kearney