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In
Kalihi We Say . . .
On September 25, 2001, students, family members, teachers, and the GEAR
UP staff celebrated the publication of In Kalihi We Say at the University
of Hawai'i Mãnoa campus. This anthology contained student work
completed in LACE classes during the spring semester.
Three weeks before the book launching, however, students from Dole and
Kalãkaua Middle Schools practiced reading their work. Because it
was a new experience for all the students, they asked many questions during
the first practice. "Do we have to? Who will be there? Can I read
the short piece? Can I skip this line?" After learning that the reading
was voluntary and that they could read whatever they wanted, the students
were relieved and warmed up to the idea of reading in front of an audience.
Like any new experience, students still felt nervous and excited at the
same time about the book launching.
On that night warm clear evening, students, friends, and family members
gathered at the University of Hawai'i campus to celebrate their achievements.
Upon arrival, everybody was invited to grab a plate before settling down.
Once everybody was settled, family and friends were greeted with the students'
eleven native languages: Aloha mai kãkou, Talofa! Kumusta! Malo
e lelei! Hafa dai! Chao! Hello! Howzit! Yokwe! Hola! and Ran annim! Next,
Terri Menacker, LACE teacher and curriculum coordinator, briefly explained
the plans for the fall semester.
Following the announcements, our special guests Lisa
Kanae and Lee Tonouchi, local writers
of Pidgin, were introduced to read their work. Before reading Kanae asked
the students, "What happens at school dances? Girls on one side and
boys on the other. Well, not much has changed since my days in high school."
With that, Kanae began to read a poem about her experiences at her high
school dance. Next, the pidgin guerilla, Lee Tonouchi tickled the audience
by reading from his latest book, Da Word.
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After our
guest readers treated our guests with their work, we turned to the moment
our student authors were waiting for. "Come on up students,"
I announced trying to make things sound as informal as possible. Only
one Dole student, BN Alafanso, was able to read that night.
The students hovered behind the podium, rubbing fingers, belts, and ears.
Some even tried to hide behind each other. But not for long. Each had
to step up to the mike. One by one, students stepped up to the mike, introduced
themselves, found their work in the anthology, and read. Some started
out nervous but eventually found their rhythm. Others started out very
confident and became even more so as they discovered their own reading
voices. By the end of the reading, students had experienced what GEAR
UP had been hoping for-experiences that will nurture a love for reading
and writing but most importantly experiences that are positive.
Like most authors, students were now ready to sign their books. They moved
to the signing table, which the GEAR UP staff had set up with their names
and copies of In Kalihi We Say, and began
to sign their names using long, confident, and fancy strokes. "I
wasn't going to come, but I'm so glad I did," one parent said. "It's
so true. What she read," another parent remarked. "They're really
enjoying this," said another. These parents were not only celebrating
their sons and daughters' achievements but also in their goals to enroll
and complete a college education at the University of Hawai'i Mãnoa.
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