Destination: China

This past summer, three different groups of ‘Iolani students traveled to China. Each journey had a different purpose, but all students shared in the wonders of a magnificent country while contributing to a community in a positive way.

2009 Freeman Foundation Trip to China

by Serena Li ’11

‘Iolani School students were recipients of a two-week Freeman Foundation learning trip to China in June, accompanied by history teachers William Monaco ’87 and  Catherine Fuller ’84.

The students included Aliisa Lee ’12, Serena Li ’11, Teresa Ou ’11, Kim Roy ’11, Stephanie Ung ’11, Alex Tom ’11, Colin Tseng ’11, Kenneth Hu ’11, Jensen Wong ’10, Anders Lee ’10, and Jon Harwell ’10.

Freeman students shared a common interest in the Chinese language, culture, and history.  Students qualifying for the Freeman trip had to have taken a Chinese language course and an Asian history class.
On the first day in China, the students were delighted to see the famous Tiananmen Square and ancient Forbidden City that they had learned so much about. They also witnessed scenes new to them but ordinary to the Chinese people, like mobs of hucksters flashing fake Rolex watches on the streets, and thousands of people riding bicycles.

The 2008 Olympics transformed Beijing into an ultramodern city, and on the second day, the students visited the majestic Olympic sites such as the Water Cube and the Bird’s Nest that have become symbols of
China’s rising power.

The students also laughed at the humorously translated sign in the garden of the Olympic venue that stated, “Tender Fragrant Grass, How Hardhearted to Trample on Them.” That same day, the heroic students climbed up the epic Great Wall of China and lived up to Chairman Mao’s famous saying, “You are not a man if you do not climb up the Great Wall.”

The rest of the trip included visits to such places as Old Beijing, the students rode on rickshaws through the old hutongs, the narrow alleyways, and had lunch at a local family’s house. The owner is a rare snuff bottle painter whose skill was passed down by her grandmother who had worked for the Imperial family. Snuff bottle painting is a dwindling art form due to the emergence of prevalent machine-made art.

The trip also led students to Pingyao in the Shanxi province, Shanxi and the  Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River, Suzhou, and Shanghai.     Students expressed their gratitude to the Freeman Foundation for sponsoring the trip-of-a-lifetime and for opening their eyes to the wonders and history of China.

‘Iolani Peace Project China 2009

by Peter Greenhill
The inaugural Peace Project of the ‘Iolani Peace Institute involved ten students and two chaperones traveling to Xian, China to teach English to elementary school students at Zhong Bu Zi Primary School and to repaint a classroom with a wall-sized mural. The June trip was organized in conjunction with the international organization, Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS).

The ‘Iolani students also learned about different aspects of Chinese culture, such as language, history, and calligraphy, and visited important sites of cultural and historical interest in the Xian and Beijing areas. The cultural activities in Xian were led by CCS Xian staff members.

‘Iolani Peace Project China 2009 was designed to build bridges of peace through face-to-face contact between members of the ‘Iolani community and people in Xian. The results surpassed all expectations, due to the talent and competence of the Xian staff that led the way.

Not only did ‘Iolani students make a lasting impression on the Chinese students and teachers they served, but the students and CCS staff also left unforgettable marks on the members of the ‘Iolani group.

Students on the trip were Andie Enomoto ’10, Webster Ross ’10, Chris Kodama ’10, Andrew Ellison ’10, Asia Ayabe ’10, Rory Zia ’10, Katherine Lum ’10, Tiffany Cheung ’11, Sydney Tamashiro ’11, and Ryan Chang ’11. Chaperones were coach Allison Ishii ’02 and ‘Iolani teacher Peter Greenhill.

Girls Basketball Plays in Nike China Tournament

The ‘Iolani girls basketball team made a nine-day trip to Beijing in July to play three games in a tournament run by Nike China. One of those games was against the number one team in China, Dongzhimen.

“They’re probably like girl Yao Mings,” guard Kylie Maeda ’12 said in a Honolulu Star Bulletin article, referring to the Houston Rockets center from China.

In Beijing, the ‘Iolani girls contended with 24-second shot clocks and international rules. Nike sponsored the Raiders’ trip.

Independence Day Highlights Summer

‘Iolani summer school students in kindergarten to fifth grade marched in the annual Fourth of July parade on July 2 at the school’s Kozuki Stadium.

The theme “Always Faithful” resonated throughout the patriotic program as children waved red, white and blue flags and other homemade banners. Members of the Wounded Warriors Unit from Kaneohe Marine Corps Base served as Grand Marshalls, and the Navy Ceremonial Band played.

Veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion were recognized as special guests and later enjoyed lunch with the Wounded Warriors and their commanding officer.

Student Bronson Gouveia ’17, dressed as Uncle Sam, served as emcee and band leader. Students recited original poetry, sang, and presented homemade quilts to the Warriors on behalf of the school and in gratitude for the sacrifices they have made.

The parade and program were celebrations but also a time for reflection and expressing thanks to those in the armed services.

25 seniors named National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalists

At ‘Iolani, 25 members of the Class of ’10 qualified as National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists for 2010.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $35 million that will be offered next spring.

More than 1.5 million juniors in over 21,000 high schools entered the 2010 National Merit Program by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAY/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semi-finalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state and is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. In Hawai‘i, there were a total of 69 semi-finalists.

‘Iolani’s 25 semi-finalists for 2010 include:

Asia Ayabe Vladimir Bernstein Kiana Block William Chambers Sean Cockey Andrew Ellison Satsu Holmes David Jordan Anders Lee Haley Ling Miranda Linsky Christopher Liu Calixto Lucas

Brianna Lum Gregory Lum Stephen MacMillan Tasia Mamiya Evan Masutani Milena Naitoh Reyn Ono Jason Preble Kira Swope Tyson Tsutsumi Taylor Van Etten Mark Williams

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