3 ‘Iolani • Sun of ‘Iolani2 ‘Iolani • The Headmaster’s Column

Irecently returned from Denver and the National Association

of Independent Schools (NAIS) conference. Our bodies may

have shivered in the chilly Colorado weather, but our hearts

were warmed in the Convention Center by speakers who

were some of the best I’ve ever heard.

We began with a compelling presentation by Jim Collins, a Stanford

University professor and author of Good to Great. His words

resonated with the thousands who heard him and set the stage for

the remainder of the conference. Although unintended, what

followed appeared to emanate from his central theme: Greatness.

A presentation by Azar Nafisi, bestselling author of Reading Lolita

in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, started us on the path from good

to great. Ms. Nafisi was expelled from her professorship at the

University of Tehran for choosing not to wear the Islamic veil. She

spoke of living under tyrannical rule — a place where “imagination

is insubordination” — and of teaching western literature to girls

in her home at the risk of punishment, even death. Now a professor

at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies,

she spoke passionately about human rights and of people doing the

right thing even when threatened with “going to hell.” She was an

inspiration to us all and received a well-deserved standing ovation.

The next morning we started the day with another standing ovation

as Paul Rusesabagina, author of An Ordinary Man: an

Autobiography and central character of the film Hotel Rwanda,

approached the stage. Most of us already knew his story and the

heroic stand he made in saving more than a thousand people seeking

refuge in his hotel as 800,000 others were slaughtered by gangs of

thugs roaming the country. We were humbled by his moving

account of his experiences and the tremendous risks he took to

save others. His heroism stands as a beacon for all of us to follow.

The conference closed with a presentation by Lisa Ling,

correspondent for the National Geographic Channel and the Oprah

Winfrey Show. Her youth belies her experience; we were struck

by the variety of her most notable assignments and the personal

THEHEADMASTER’SCOLUMN

risks she took to produce the shows. All of them had a social purpose

and included AIDS in Uganda, bride burning in India, the drug war

in Colombia, China’s lost children, and the world inside America’s

prisons. She ended by paraphrasing the Maya Angelou saying that

Oprah Winfrey sometimes uses to end her show: “When you know

better, you do better.” It was a fitting end to an inspirational

conference. We left fulfilled and challenged.

After the convention, I enjoyed having dinner with ‘Iolani graduates

who live in the Denver area, and my mind kept returning to the

ideas and experiences I had heard about at the convention. I thought

about the deeds of Azar Nafisi, Paul Rusesabagina, and Lisa Ling,

and the concept of greatness as framed by Jim Collins. I was deeply

touched. Never before have I been more humbled by the acts of

others in support of others. I thought that our successes and

triumphs pale in comparison to the greatness that these individuals

have achieved.

But then I thought of the heroes and heroines of 9/11 and the Iraqi

war, people who saved lives at their own peril, and how their names

may be lost, but not their deeds. This brought to mind the good

work of our own teachers, counselors, staff members, parents and

students who work hard and sacrifice much to assist others in their

growth and development. In a more modest, but no less important

way, they too save lives and are touched by greatness.

A life spent helping others is a life well spent.

2 ‘Iolani • The Headmaster’s Column

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen first glimpsed Westernculture as a student at ‘Iolani School. Hisvision led him to become the father ofmodern China and a leader reveredaround the world today.

By Cathy Lee Chong

“We can’t turn back time, but we canpreserve it from being lost.” — Samsung magazine ad in Shanghai

verlooking Sullivan Courtyard,a group of students gathers ona lanai. Nearby plumeria treescast morning shadows on

pathways. With open school bags beforethem and open minds towards the future,students laugh and talk freely.

On the opposite side of the courtyard,someone else overlooks the grassy lawn. Itis a bronze statue of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, whosits regally with one hand flat and one in afist. The natural oxidation process hasturned the bronze into a blend of subduedgreen and brown radiance. Sun Yat-Sengazes over red ti leaf plants, laua‘e fernsand into the distance. What does he see?

Sun Yat-Sen sees a modern ‘IolaniSchool vastly different than the one heattended more than 100 years ago. Thenhe was called Tai Cheong or Tai Chu. Withlong hair pulled back in a traditional queue,he was enrolled in 1879 without knowingany English. He learned quickly, exposedto English constitutional law and Europeanhistory in a small, wooden frame schoolhouse at one of ‘Iolani’s earlier locations.

In the year 2007, he also views a co-educational student body that comes fromdiverse economic and ethnic backgrounds.‘Iolani students are now generations andcultures apart from the ones he studiedalongside. In the late 1800s, ‘Iolani cateredto Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian boys whowere instructed mainly by a British facultybrought to Hawaii by the Anglican Church.

“That was his first exposure to aChristian school that stressed fundamentalliberal arts,” historian Al Castle said in thedocumentary Finding SandalwoodMountain: The Migration of Chinese toHawaii. He added that Sun Yat-Sen becamea “very good writer” and wrote for the‘Iolani school newspaper.

Sun Yat-Sen’s first glimpse of Westernculture led towards a movement that wouldeventually change the most populatednation in the world. This early ‘Iolanigraduate began to see the possibilities for abetter China.

Sun of ‘Iolani

o

The ‘Iolani Schoolcampus from 1872 to1902 was located atBates Street and NuuanuStreet. Sun Yat-Senstudied at this campuswhich has since beendemolished. Courtesy‘Iolani archives.

After enrolling in 1879, Sun Yat-Sengraduated from ‘Iolani in 1882. He isrevered around the world as the father ofmodern China.

5 ‘Iolani • Sun of ‘Iolani4 ‘Iolani • Sun of ‘Iolani

Spirit of

Discovery

fter studying Sun Yat Sen, Idiscovered that he was both aregular guy and a genuine

super star,” said Kevin Otsuka ’07, who willbe attending Stanford University this fall.“He was just one man, but he was able tobring so many people together for one goal.”

“Sun Yat-Sen had amazing passion,” saidKarlyn Kurokawa ’07 of his lifelong pursuitto revolutionize China.

“Everything he did was for the greatergood, not just for himself,” added Evan Kam ’07

To ask someone in China if he has heardof Sun Yat-Sen is like asking someone inHawai‘i if he has heard of KingKamehameha, or someone in the UnitedStates if she has heard of George Washington.

Sun Yat-Sen is revered and famed as thefather of modern China.

The Sun Yat-Sen statue on ‘Iolani’scampus was donated to the school onNovember 12, 1965, by the Kuomingtang

Society of Honolulu in commemoration ofhis centennial. It is a replica of one sculpted by Paul Maximilien Landowski inParis in 1928.

Sun Yat-Sen (1866–1925) was born toan ordinary farmer’s family in CuihengVillage, Xiangshan County, GuangdongProvince. In 1879, then 13 years of age, hejourneyed to Hawaii to join his olderbrother, Sun Mei, a successful rice farmerand merchant.

He entered ‘Iolani at age 14. His teacherSolomon Meheula asked him to be a classobserver for ten days since he could speakand write only in Chinese. But when hegraduated in 1882, he was awarded a prizefor grammar from King David Kalakaua. After

‘Iolani, he attended Oahu College (nowPunahou School) for one semester. Hisbrother then sent him back to China, fearfulthat Sun Yat-Sen was becoming overlywesternized.

“As a giant and great patriot in China,a pioneer of the Chinese democraticrevolution in the 20th century, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen made immortal achievements. Heoverthrew the monarchy and founded therepublic in China,” according to a book fromthe Museum of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, Cuiheng.

Sun Yat-Sen led the 1911 revolution andin 1912 was named the first provisionalpresident of the Republic of China.

Documented in many of the hallowedmuseums dedicated to Sun Yat-Sen in otherparts of the world is the mind boggling factthat long ago he was a pupil at ‘Iolani Schoolin tiny Hawaii.

“We all learned that Dr. Sun was thecreator of modern China and that he wentto Hawaii as a boy because his brother wasthere,” says Helen Chow, a China TravelService tour guide in Hong Kong. “AllChinese students know Honolulu becausethat’s where he started.”

Sharing Sun

Yat-Sen’s story

Documentary: “Finding Sun Yat-Sen”Airing May 2007PBS Hawaii A collaboration between ‘IolaniSchool and Wai‘anae High School

mpower young people with toolsto express themselves, and letthem tell an important story. The

result will be an educational experienceworthy of the community’s attention and the creation of learning opportunitiesfor others.

Thus, ‘Iolani and Wai‘anae high schoolsjoined their talents. “Finding Sun Yat-Sen”will be broadcast on PBS Hawaii, and appearin the Shanghai International Film Festivaland the Hawaii International Film Festival.

“‘Iolani is one of the top schools in thestate and we’re really proud to be workingwith them,” said John Allen, director of thedocumentary and advisor for Wai‘anaeSeariders Production.

Likewise, Wai‘anae has thetop student video productionteam in Hawai‘i, and ‘Iolani’sstudents were honored to workwith the talented and creativeWai‘anae students.

The project’s executiveproducer Melanie Kosaka wantedto do a documentary about SunYat-Sen with a fresh, more edgy tone.PBS Hawai‘i had received a grant from thestate Department of Business, EconomicDevelopment & Tourism for a collaborativemedia project on China.

“In China, there have been a lot ofhistorical documentaries on Sun Yat-Sen’slife,” Kosaka said, “but we wanted astudent’s perspective on the experienceshe had in high school and in Hawai‘i. Wethought, ‘Why don’t we tell a good storyfrom a personal view?’”

Kosaka approached ‘Iolani in early 2006with the hope that students skilled inresearch and writing would be inspired tolearn more about a charismatic leader whowas about their age when he first saw theworld beyond China. She then got Wai‘anae and their Emmy-award winning Seariders involved.

‘Iolani students worked on thedocumentary as an independent studyproject under the guidance of ‘IolaniDirector of Studies Dr. Deborah Hall. Theyvisited Bishop Museum, met with severalsources, read history books and articles,watched videos and talked to descendantsof those who knew Sun Yat-Sen.

They interviewed Steven Ai ’72, presidentof the Sun Yat-Sen Hawaii Foundation anda member of the ‘Iolani Board of Governors.Steven Ai is the grandson of Chung Kun Ai(1865–1961), who was an ‘Iolani classmateof Sun Yat-Sen’s and a dedicated supporter during the early years of therevolutionary movement.

‘Iolani students also talked with LeighWai Doo, a founding member of the Sun Yat-Sen Hawaii Foundation and president ofthe Palolo Chinese Home, whosegrandfather was ‘Iolani School graduateYoung Sen Yat (1891–1923). Young Sen Yatwas Hawaii’s first land and seaplane pilotand went to China in 1918. Sun Yat-Sencalled him the Father of China’s air force.

a“

e

“This is my Hawai‘i.Here I was brought up and educated; and it was here that I came to knowwhat modern, civi-lized governmentsare like and whatthey mean.”

— Sun Yat-Sen in 1910

In 2005, the Huang Huahua, (second from theleft) governor of Guangdong Province, China,visited ‘Iolani and paid his respects to theschool’s statue of Sun Yat-Sen.

At the Dr. Sun Yat-SenMuseum in Hong Kong,students working onthe documentary“Finding Sun Yat-Sen”gather beneath a statuethat portrays him atage 17. He holds twobooks, one Western andone Chinese, torepresent his allegianceto both cultures.

Tributes to Sun Yat-Sen were written inEnglish and Chinese. This sign was posted atthe University of Hong Kong.

7 ‘Iolani • Sun of ‘Iolani6 ‘Iolani • Sun of ‘Iolani

Young Sen Yat raised money for the airforce to support Sun Yat-Sen’s revolutionand died in a battle fighting for its cause.

“You wonder where China would betoday, if Sun Yat-Sen hadn’t come to Hawai‘iand experienced the different values here,such as democracy and Christianity, andfound his supporters,” Kosaka remarked.

After months of research, the ‘Iolani andWai‘anae students embarked on a 12-daytrip in January 2007, visiting places whereSun Yat-Sen lived to gain a deeperunderstanding of who he was.

The students on the trip included KevinOtsuka ’07, Karlyn Kurokawa ’07, Sarah Fang’09, Alex Chantavy ’07, Evan Kam ’07, JonalynArao (Wai‘anae ’07), James Kapu-Kaaihue(Wai‘anae ’06), Marshall Mole (Wai‘anae’07), and Alapaki Silva (Wai‘anae ’07).‘Iolani’s Dr. Deborah Hall, Mandarin teacherMaria Au Hoy, and Director of InstitutionalAdvancement Jane Heimerdingeraccompanied the students. Also on the tripwere the documentary’s director John Allen, producer David Lato, and stillphotographer Catherine Beaver, allprofessionals on the Searider’s team.Terrence Quinsaat, who represented PBSHawaii, also made the journey.

The group first stopped in Hong Kongand visited the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Museum,which opened in December 2006 in thenewly restored 90-year-old Kom Tong Hall.Sun Yat-Sen graduated from medical schoolat what is now the University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Osmand Chan, the museum’s chiefcurator, led the students through themuseum’s three stories. They saw areconstructed scene of Sun Yat-Sen withthe “Four Desperados” (Yang Heling, ChenShaobai, Yau Lit and Guan Jingliang). Theyread Sun Yat-Sen’s answer sheets for ananatomy examination in 1888. They sawone of his actual suits behind a glass case.Chan visited ‘Iolani two years ago whiledoing research.

“Do you think Sun Yat-Sen expandedChristianity,” Kevin Otsuka ’07 asked of Chan.

“Yes,” answered Chan and then shared

stories about how events in Sun Yat-Sen’slife revealed his ties to Hawai‘i.

Sun Yat-Sen introduced his medicalschool roommate, Guan Jingliang, to hisfriend, Lee Kam Amoe, who was a womanlaborer from Hawai‘i, and the couple gotmarried in To Tsai Chapel in Hong Kong.Chan noted that Sun Yat-Sen was baptizedin Hong Kong.

“His relationship to Christianity datesback to his time in Hawai‘i,” Chan explained.

At the Hong Kong Museum of History,students gathered around a giant bust ofSun Yat-Sen in the center of the front lobby,posing for a photograph the way fans flockto rock stars.

The ‘Iolani and Wai‘anae group alsotraveled to Sun Yat-Sen’s birthplace inCuiheng Village in Zhongshan, GuangdongProvince, China. They saw his childhoodhome with the original furnishings purchasedin Hawaii and sent back to China.

Near his restored home thatincorporates western and Chinesearchitecture is the two-story Museum ofDr. Sun Yat-Sen, Cuiheng.

The first floor focuses on his education,work, and revolution. A large photograph of‘Iolani’s old Willis Hall from the Nuuanucampus is on display with the description:“In the autumn of 1879, Sun Yat-Senenrolled in the ‘Iolani School in Honolulu.He began to receive Western education.”

The second floor of the museumhighlights his family and friends. Studentslearned that Sun Yat-Sen had three wivesover different times in his life.

His first wife was Lu Muzhen, who wasalso from Cuiheng. They married in 1884and had a son, Sun Fo (a graduate of St.Louis School in Honolulu), and twodaughters, Sun Yan and Sun Wan. Sun Yat-Sen’s second wife, Chen Cuifen, was throughcommon law marriage. They were partnersin the early stages of his revolution.

But his most famous wife was SoongChing Ling. She married Sun Yat-Sen in1915 and, after his death in 1925,continued the cause to better China untilher death in 1981.

Dr. Osmand Chan describes a scene withmannequins depicting Sun Yat-Sen and theFour Desperados.

At the Hong KongMuseum of History,the group from‘Iolani, Waianae andPBS Hawaii posewith the giant bust of Sun Yat-Sen.

Following a graduation at the University of Hong Kong, a group of girls embrace a statue ofSun Yat-Sen that is situated in a garden with a pond and tall trees. Behind them, a billboardpromotes a Sun Yat-Sen exhibit.

The ‘Iolani students visited the Salesian School in Hong Kong and askeda panel of English speaking boys their impressions of Sun Yat-Sen.

At Sun Yat-Sen’s childhood home in CuihengVillage, Zhongshan, Guangdong Province.Left to right, Evan Kam ’07, Alex Chantavy’07, Kevin Otsuka ’07, Sarah Fang ’09 andKarlyn Kurokawa ’07

Students visited theMuseum of Dr. Sun Yat-Senin Cuiheng Village.

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9 ‘Iolani • Sun of ‘Iolani8 ‘Iolani • Sun of ‘Iolani

The ‘Iolani students learned that SunYat-Sen as a boy had a rascally side to him.Hoisting boom mics and cameras,Wai‘anae’s students filmed their spirit ofdiscovery and their youthful reactions.

“I enjoyed hearing the story about Sunas a young boy,” said Evan Kam ’07. “Sun’sfriend played a joke and bullied him. Inretaliation, Sun broke the wok that hisfriend’s family used. This story revealed alighter side to Sun and made him seem like a regular person, especially sincefamous historical people like Sun are placedon pedestals.”

The group also traveled north to the cityof Nanjing where his mausoleum and tombrest. While he died in 1925 in Beijing ofliver cancer, his body was moved to Nanjingin 1929.

Chilly 20 degree temperatures did nothinder the students from hiking 392ascending steps divided by ten platforms tothe mausoleum. The final height is 70meters, with a heavenly view that overlooksmajestic mountains. A guard waved offphotographers overlooking the tomb in asunken circle of the mausoleum.

Just east is Nanjing’s Dr. Sun Yat-SenMemorial Hall. Here, Sarah Fang ’09 andKarlyn Kurokawa ’07 stopped to look at alarge painting of Sun Yat-Sen at the age of13 standing on the deck of a ship bound forHawaii.

“Before going on this trip, we all didextensive research on him so that wepractically knew his life story,” Fang said.“However we were still able to learn a lot ofnew things about him.”

Fang was born in China and entered‘Iolani in the 9th grade as a FreemanScholar, a program that grants four yearsof ‘Iolani tuition to students from Asia. Onher application for admission, she wrotethat she wanted to attend the school whereSun Yat-Sen studied.

There is also a photograph of old ‘IolaniSchool on display at the museum in Nanjingwith the caption: “From 1879 to 1883, Dr.Sun received the western educationsuccessfully in Iolani School and OahuCollege in Honolulu where his desire toreform his motherland was burgeoning.This is Iolani.”

The trip then led students to Shanghaiwhere they visited the residence where Sun Yat-Sen lived with Soong Ching Ling.They also toured the Shanghai UniversityFilm School and met with the dean and professors.

“When people visited our school, theywere surprised to see your students doinga story on Sun Yat-Sen,” said Jin Guanjun,dean of the film school. “This story wouldbe made by professionals. It’s good to makea documentary to help Americans under-stand the greatness of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen.”

From Shanghai, the group traveled north to Beijing where they visited theChina Soong Ching Ling Foundation and met with Cunyu Wu, director general ofthe foundation.

Later in her life, Soong Ching Lingserved as the Honorary President of thePeople’s Republic of China. The foundationwas established in 1982 to safeguard worldpeace and strive for social progress andpeople’s happiness.

“Madame Soong Ching Ling did so muchfor women and children,” Wu expressed.“And we don’t want this to die downbecause she died.”

The students agreed, reflecting on whatthey learned during their journey for whichWaianae shot 50 hours of video tape and2,000 still photographs.

At a final dinner reception in Beijing,Otsuka and Kurokawa delivered a speechto about 30 guests living in Beijing with tiesto Hawaii. ‘Iolani alumnus and attorneyRussell Leu ’75 coordinated the event.

“After overthrowing the Ching Dynasty,Sun Yat-Sen brought the people of

China together under a single republic,” relayed Otsuka. “Even now, Sun Yat-Sen has brought ‘Iolani and Waianae togetherthrough this documentary. . .we hope that through this film, we can awaken the Sun Yat-Sen in others, just as he hasawakened inside each of us.”

This paintingwas amongthe exhibitsin the SunYat-SenMemorialHall inNanjing.

‘Iolani and Wai‘anaestudents visitedseveral exhibits onSun Yat-Sen. Thiswas at the memorialhall in Nanjing.

After climbing nearly 400 steps to reachSun Yat-Sen’s mausoleum and tomb,students saw this view of ZhongshanMountan National Park.

‘Iolani and Wai‘anae students viewed a film about Sun Yat-Sen at the Shanghai UniversityFilm School archives.

In Beijing, the ‘Iolani and Wai‘anae group metwith Cunyu Wu, director general of the ChinaSoong Ching Ling Foundation. Wu presented‘Iolani Director of Institutional AdvancementJane Heimerdinger with a portrait of Sun Yat-Senand Soong Ching Ling. Attorney Russell Leu ’75,right, coordinated a Beijing reception.

The trip concluded with a visit to the Great Wall.

11 ‘Iolani • Sun of ‘Iolani10 ‘Iolani • Sun of ‘Iolani

‘Iolani and

China’s Longtime

Connection

early 30 years ago, back in1978, ‘Iolani was the firstHawaii school to visit China

when now retired Dean of Students WilliamLee ’53 led a tour of 37 students and 10chaperones. Part of this group was alsoinvited to meet Madame Soong Ching Lingin person.

“This was before diplomatic relationsbetween the U.S. and the People’s Republicof China were established,” Lee said.“China was beginning to reach out to theoutside world. But we had to prepare thestudents because the feeling was very anti-American in China.”

Lee recalls the People’s Liberation Armylining up and toting rifles at Loulu Bridgebordering Hong Kong and China. Barbedwire topped walls, and portraits of Mao Tse-Tung and other communist propagandascenes were plastered in public places.

“I remember crossing the border, seeingthe Red Guards, and thinking, ‘I hope wereturn,’” reminisced ‘Iolani Director ofSpecial Programs Ann Yoneshige, who was ayoung teacher and chaperone on the trip.

Of the larger group, four students andsix chaperones were granted a 45-minutevisit with Soong Ching Ling at her Beijinghome on July 29 that year, according to astory in the Honolulu Advertiser. Theywere not allowed to take photographs. The

n

students recited speeches in Mandarin and presented their distinguished hostesswith gifts from Hawaii. In spite of her failing health, Soong Ching Ling welcomedthe delegation from ‘Iolani and honored the school from which her husband had graduated.

“It was an honor to go to China and tovisit her,” said Earl Ching ’80, who was ajunior in high school at the time and is nowa member of the ‘Iolani Board of Governors.“That visit has been the subject of a numberof my children’s essays in school.”

Then China was different from themodern, more westernized country oftoday. Ching remembered that doors hadno locks, and people could only drink plainbottled orange soda or water that had beensterilized by boiling. The communist guardswatched them carefully, even confiscatinga camera and film from one student

who took pictures at a train station. There were few cars and countless bicycleson the roads.

“When I tell people I was there in ’78,they look at me like, ‘whoa!’” said MelKaneshige ’66, who was then a youngattorney on the trip. “Before then, I neverthought I’d have a chance to see thehistorical places I had read about.”

‘Iolani has long recognized the signifi-cance of China in its curriculum.

The school first offered Mandarin tostudents in the 1960s. Today, more than120 high school students are enrolled inMandarin, which is taught by two full time teachers.

Mandarin courses have also beenavailable through ‘Iolani’s after schoolprogram for Lower School children, as wellas through summer school for Upper School students. Last summer a new,popular course was “Chinese Language and Culture.”

Since the first student tour to China in1978, several others have been made by‘Iolani student groups, including recent summer trips sponsored by theFreeman Foundation.

Reaching beyond campus borders,‘Iolani last year published a set of beginningMandarin language text books written byThomas Tze-yi Chao, who taught at ‘Iolani for29 years. Other schools have alreadypurchased these books for their students,and Chao recently completed a second level of the books which comes with twocompact discs.

“There’s definitely an increased interest in learning Mandarin because ofChina’s growing prominence in the world,”said ‘Iolani Director of Special ProgramsAnn Yoneshige.

Now retired Dean ofStudents William Lee ’53,far right, led the first ‘IolaniSchool trip to China in July1978 for nearly 50 people.Students and chaperonespose for a group photo.(Photo courtesy AnnYoneshige)

In 1978, People’s Liberation Army guardsstood in towers above the streets. The towersare no longer in use today.

In 1978, streetsof Beijing werefilled withpeople dressedin white shirts.Today, peopledress asindividuals.

13 ‘Iolani • Editor’s Note12 ‘Iolani • Sun of ‘Iolani

—Cathy Lee Chong

There are two obituaries on my desk rightnow. One is about a man who was born inBoston. The other is about a man who wasborn in Kalihi.

For a short while, both of these men’spaths led to ‘Iolani.

It was impossible not to finish readingone of Donald Murray’s Boston Globecolumns once you started.

He turned private moments in his lifeinto universal experiences for readers ofall ages, around the world. Over the years,he wrote about his wife’s aversion toChristmas shopping and the death of his20-year-old daughter. His final column wasabout finding pleasure in the challenge ofa blank sheet and how he tries to “capture a fragment of life and reveal itswonder.” That one was published onDecember 26, 2006. Four days later, at theage of 82, he died.

In 1990, Murray served as the ‘IolaniKeables Chair Holder. That was back whenthe Keables program was just a toddler.Murray taught classes in the I Building,spoke in the old amphitheater, met withfaculty, and carried on the teaching legacyof the late Harold Keables.

Even after Murray returned to BeanTown, his power for the written wordlingered here. Assistant Headmaster andDean of Faculty Charlie Proctor, now retiredand substitute teaching, used to forwardMurray’s “Now and Then” columns tofaculty and staff for our fix of a reporter’swit, a reason to smile, or a 600-wordreminder of common wonders.

Like so many kids who watch from thesidelines, he looked up to the coaches asthough they were kings. When Kaulukukuistepped down as head football coach,Hamada began his 30-year journey in theposition.

We are all connected: coaches from thepast and players in the future, teachers inthe past and students in the future. WhenKaulukukui or Donald Murray inspires oneperson, later that person somehow nudgesor influences another person. Then ourlinks to one another extend beyond theboundaries of generations and place.

Two obituaries lay before me. One isfrom the Boston Globe and the other fromthe Honolulu Advertiser. One is about aformer ‘Iolani Keables Chair who touchedcountless lives through his writing. Theother is about a former ‘Iolani coach whomade an indelible impact though hisathletic achievements and vision.

Along the highway of their long lives,‘Iolani was a rest stop. But they each madean impression that won’t be forgotten.‘Iolani is a better community because ofthe time they shared with us. The worldis a better place because of what theyaccomplished in their lifetimes.

For that, they live on.

I miss those columns.Also greatly missed by the community

is Thomas Kaulukukui, ‘Iolani head footballcoach from 1956 to 1960, who died onMarch 9, 2006, at the age of 94.Kaulukukui was a legendary multi-sportathlete from Hilo who in 1935 became the University of Hawai‘i’s first footballplayer to be named an All-American. Healso founded Pop Warner football inHawai‘i and served in the Office ofHawaiian Affairs.

When Kaulukukui was at ‘Iolani, hisassistant coaches included a pool of the Island’s finest: Eddie Hamada ’46, Harold Han ’50, Willy Keola, Sr., and Moses“Moki” Kealoha.

“He was a soft spoken guy who neverhad a bad thing to say about anyone,”Hamada recalls of Kaulukukui. “But heknew his football and I learned a lot fromhim. He was a great guy.”

Kaulukukui could transform a negativesituation into a positive one by remainingcalm instead of turning angry or excitable.He didn’t raise his voice. The volume ofhis message was amplified by the dignifiedway he carried himself.

Elroy Chong ’69 was in the first gradewhen he was a water boy for Kaulukukui’steam. He still remembers Headmaster Rev.Canon Franklin McDonald in chapel making the announcement that if ‘Iolanicould beat Kamehameha in the 1958Turkey Day game, the school would get aholiday. That offer rattled even thesleepiest boy in chapel.

Well, the bonus holiday never came.Kamehameha beat ‘Iolani 14–7. But Chongnever forgot the thrill of being part of an‘Iolani team back when he was a tyke.

The Big Three

The rapid changes in China arerevealed in this story told by Jerry Mao,a tour guide in Beijing with the ChinaTravel Service.

Mao told the ‘Iolani and Waianaestudents that, according to Chineseculture and society, before his fatherwas allowed to get married he had tohave the “Big Three” first. These three were a watch, a sewing machineand a bike.

But when his father’s youngerbrother got married, the Big Three had changed just as the countryaround them was becoming moremodern and western. The Big Threebecame a television, a refrigerator anda washing machine.

Now Mao, who is in his late 20s,wants to get married to his sweetheart.But before he can settle down, he mustaccumulate the new “Big Two” whichare a car and an apartment.

China Travel Service tour guide Jerry Mao.

Dr. Sun’s Legacy

in Hawaii

ike Sun Yat-Sen, generations ago,many more Chinese in Hawaiicame from Guangdong Province in

southern China. Descendants of Sun Yat-Sen’s supporters still remember how theirparents and grandparents were membersof his revolutionary organizations such asthe Hsing Chung Hui and Tung Meng Hui.

Raymond Lum, co-author of the book SunYat-Sen in Hawaii: Activities andSupporters, is the son of Lum Chee, afollower of Sun Yat-Sen who kept acollection of the revolutionary’s letters andmilitary bonds. Raymond Lum donatedthem to the Sun Yat-Sen Society in Beijingin 1985.

“During his years at Iolani and Punahou,he was exposed to Western culture, wasstrongly influenced by it, and in his youngmind, the seeds of Western democracy wereplanted,” Lum wrote.

Even though Hawaii is geographicallyisolated and small, compared to the rest ofthe world, this island community was ableto influence a boy who would eventuallylead the most populated country in theworld and now a powerful economic leader.

“We helped create that in some way,”said Steven Ai, “because we helped educateone of their leaders.”

‘Iolani archivist Romy Panko talks withmany visitors each year from China whowant to see the school that Sun Yat-Senattended.

One of them was the governor ofGuangdong Province, Huang Huahua, and hisdelegation which arrived by limousine andtour bus on October 13, 2005. They paidtheir respects to his statue and heard apresentation in Mandarin by students JeffYang ’06 and Roberta Wong ’06.

Plans are being made to create a SunYat-Sen garden on campus where his statue willbe prominently and permanently displayedand honored. The pedestrian walkway,Convention Drive, will also be landscapedto reflect a Chinese theme in honor of hislegacy. Panels describing significant aspects of his life will accentuate the areaso that future generations of ‘Iolani studentscan be inspired by his remarkable part inworld history.

“Sun Yat-Sen, a member of the Class of1882, is our most famous graduate,” saidHeadmaster Dr. Val Iwashita ’67. “Theimpact he had in bringing forth modernChina was monumental and is felt to thisday. We would do well to emulate hisleadership and his courage, and, as such,his legacy is important to celebrate and topreserve. We are proud to call him one ofour own.”

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‘Iolani School was the first andlongest chapter of Sun Yat Sen’sWestern education.