Class of ’89 Gathers for 20th Reunion

By David Oyadomari ’89

Reunion activities kicked-off with golf on July 24 at Ewa Golf Club. In attendance were Travis Armstrong (Chicago), Kevin Awaya, Mike Ching, Mark Cornish (San Francisco), Mike Inouye, Travis Kinoshita, Jason Masaki, Kenneth Matsuda, John Matsumoto, Jonah Miyahira, Garett Muranaka, James Ng, Jason Nishikawa, Mike Pila, Mike Plumb (California), George Pusins, Kevin Suehiro, Ryan Takata, and Kanoe Winchester. Mike Plumb retained his Class of 1989 Reunion Low Gross Title, and Kevin Suehiro, who returned home from Osaka after selling his business, made a great showing. Rumor has it that George Pusins was able to pay for his round with his (ahem) handicap and “lucky” shots.

The next morning, July 25, a group of classmates led by Vivian (Lee)  Arita refurbished the class gift (two large planters) in front of the Father Bray Athletic Complex.

Later on July 25, a group of classmates lead by Colleen (Young)  Teramae, Chad Ito, and Jason Masaki put together a family movie and game day for inpatient children and their families at the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children. Kakimochi popcorn, drinks, candy, goodie bags, and amazing door prizes like a MP3 player were all part of the festivities. ‘Iolani No Ka Oi!

After a long afternoon nap, the 89ers reconvened at Rumours Night Club for stag night with old friends and 80s music. Who said that stuff is “old school"?  Yes, there were rumors that people joined the 60-year-old blonde in the cages. Although for many of us, one hour into the evening (we started at 9 p.m.) it was already past our bed times, we relived the days when 12 a.m. was just the beginning of the evening. Several of our classmates even closed down Rumours, and John Matsumoto still has a great story to tell about why his cab ended up at Hawai‘i Kai Golf Course instead of his house after leaving Rumours!

For those who survived the previous night’s activities, the “new” ‘Iolani School campus welcomed us back for an afternoon get-together on July 26. The 20th Year Reunion slide show produced by Dean Ishida was the highlight of the afternoon. After the 16 minute slideshow/film, most people commented that they had trouble wiping the smiles off their faces.

And, for the diehards, the Headmaster’s Reception on July 30 and the 14th Annual A Touch of Iolani on August 1 were fantastic ways to cap an amazing week of reconnecting with old friends. I mean literally “old” friends. We’ve now spent more of our lives out of ‘Iolani than time spent in ‘Iolani, and yet, there’s that bond that goes way back. We’ll be mailing out 20th Year Reunion DVDs, free of charge, to classmates who requested them. Cy Ohta put them together. Class photos will be uploaded for people to download and order online.  Check your e-mail and the class Facebook page for details. For more pictures, visit the class web page on the Iolani Alumni Web Page (www.IolaniAlumni.org) and Facebook (and there are many other pictures out there as well).

There’s already talk about a 25th Year Reunion in Vegas. Stay tuned…

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