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Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities eNewsletter, May/June 2015

A Message from the Executive Director

Thirty spokes converge on a hub
But it's the emptiness
That makes a wheel work
--from Verse 11 of Lao-tzu's Taoteching

The Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities is like the empty center of this wheel: Convening community conversations and facilitating public discussions that explore our social and civic life. Not empty of ideas--certainly we love ideas and the values and stories with which they are wrapped--but empty of an agenda or an ax to grind.

As a hub of the humanities--the core metaphor that emerged from recent strategic thinking--we seek more and more collaborations, for we are nothing without them.

How can we nurture and deepen healthy and flourishing partnerships? What new or revised grant lines might open trusted relationships? How can new models and programs demonstrate public humanities in action together?

On the 25th anniversary of Hawai‘i History Day, for example, we celebrate those who regularly join HCH in bringing this program to life, including the participating teachers, students and their families, of course, but also a rich cast of judges, consultants, and partnering museums, libraries, archives, and cultural centers.

HCH Welcomes Dr. Cathy Gorn to Hawai‘i

National History Day (NHD) Executive Director Cathy Gorn will be heading over to Hawai‘i from the NHD headquarters for a week-long visit in May to celebrate Hawai‘i History Day's Silver Anniversary.

Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, which has sponsored the history education program for students and teachers in Hawai‘i for 25 years, is seizing the opportunity to commemorate the program's enduring success with Gorn's visit.

As a special guest of HCH, Gorn will tour several O‘ahu schools and spend the day with teachers and students on Moloka‘i, History Day's newest island participant.

Anyone interested in meeting Gorn and learning more about the NHD program, which was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2011, is invited to attend a public talk on Friday, May 8, at Pearl Harbor.

For 30 years Gorn has been a national leader in bringing history to life through NHD's unique hands-on learning approach.
(Photo of National History Day Executive Director Cathy Gorn)

Hawaiian Historical Society presents a talk by anthropologist Yosihiko Sinoto on "A Life of Research at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum" on Thursday, May 7, at Kapi‘olani Community College, Hale ‘Ohia, at 5:30 p.m. Dr. Sinoto is renowned for his research on fishhook typologies and Marquesan prehistory, and has made significant contributions to the fields of Hawaiian and Pacific archaeology over the last 59 years at Bishop Museum. The soon-to-be-released Curve of the Hook: An Archaeologist in Polynesia is a book project on his life and research and is supported by the Mānoa Foundation in partnership with HCH. Event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (808) 537-6271. Click here for the official event flyer.
WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument NPS ParkED TEAM is hosting a meet-and-greet with National History Day Executive Director Cathy Gorn on Friday, May 8, at the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument auditorium, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dr. Gorn will talk about National History Day and the award-winning academic program's success in strengthening the teaching of the humanities in American schools. Event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to reserve your space.

National History Day named longtime Hawai‘i History Day teacher Amy Boehning of Mililani High School as Behring Teacher Fellow for summer 2015. Boehning, who is one of two teachers currently serving as Hawai‘i's Behring Teacher Ambassador, was the only teacher in the nation selected for the inaugural fellowship.

As a Behring Teacher Fellow, Boehning will spend two months working in the NHD offices in College Park, Md., developing programming opportunities for teachers and students and helping with teacher ambassador training. Her fellowship award includes airfare, housing, ground transportation and a $6,750 stipend. (Photo of Hawai‘i History Day teacher Amy Boehning of Mililani High School)
Young historians took center stage at the 25th annual Hawai‘i History Day State Fair in April. Over 300 students from the islands of Hawai‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i and O‘ahu gathered on the Windward Community College campus to showcase their projects and compete for the chance to represent Hawai‘i at the 2015 Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest. Hawai‘i History Day State Coordinator Lisa Yamaki will be leading a delegation of over 100 students, teachers, parents, family members and chaperones to the national competition at the University of Maryland at College Park in June. Click here to view a complete list of this year's NHD qualifiers as well as Special Awards winners.

At the state fair, HCH gave awards to two outstanding History Day teachers--Scott Clarke of Baldwin High School and Danette Holdren of Waialua High and Intermediate School--in recognition of their excellence in teaching and longtime dedication to its signature program. HCH also recognized History Day teachers Jeffrey Hackler of ‘Iolani School and Dana Goldenson of ‘Ewa Makai Middle School as state finalists (senior and junior division, respectively) for the national Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award; each was honored with a $500 check.
HCH Executive Director Bob Buss traveled to our nation's capital this past March for the annual Humanities on the Hill event to visit Hawai‘i's congressional delegation and to advocate for the humanities. He met with staff from the offices of all four congressional members, discussing with them the impact the humanities have on their constituents and making the case for keeping humanities strong in Hawai‘i. All members of the Hawai‘i delegation signed Dear Colleague letters in support of funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities, and their staff showed great enthusiasm for public humanities programs that preserve local history and cultural heritage as well as reach diverse populations, boost local economies and spur lifelong learning.
HCH recently awarded, for its February 2015 grant deadline, three grants totaling $15,340 for development and production of public humanities projects throughout the state. The grant recipients and the amount of each grant are: HI-story Urban Arts Festival, Hawai‘i Capital Cultural Coalition, $3,300; Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, Hawaiian Mission Houses Domestic Arts Project, $10,000; and William S. Richardson School of Law Library, UH-Mānoa, Law Library Archives and Special Collection Conservation Project, $2,040.

Board Member Spotlight

In the March/April 2015 eNewsletter you met board member Philip Bossert, now we would like to introduce you to Helen Cox. Ms. Cox is currently the head of Kauaʻi Community College. She has served on the HCH Board of Directors since 2013.

Name: Helen Cox
Island: Kaua‘i
Occupation: Chancellor

What is your favorite humanities-related activity?
I love to read and to attend plays, musical performances and lectures. I enjoy museums and art galleries, and I love to read and write poetry.

What book changed your outlook on life?
I am in the middle of reading This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein and already it has changed my outlook. It is a very readable book about how we need to respond to climate change, and although I was already very concerned about climate change, this book really made me think about what needs to be done, and how we have the opportunity and the challenge not only to save us from disaster but also to build a more equitable and caring society in the process--but only if we act! No more heads in the sands!

With what fictional character do you most identify?
This is a tough one, but I love the main character in The Bean Trees (I last read it some time ago so have forgotten her name) by Barbara Kingsolver because she is so open to the wonder and possibilities. I hope I am like that too.

Which historical figure would you most like to have dinner with – and why?
Another tough one, but I guess I would probably pick Mahatma Gandhi or Václav Havel because they both led amazing transitions for their countries. Or maybe I would pick Georgia O'Keeffe or Willa Cather because I love their paintings and books and think I could learn lots from them.

What type of music do you listen to in your car?

I listen to classical music almost all the time, but sometimes Hawaiian music.

Why do you support the humanities?
I support the humanities because they are what make us human--that ability to consider, to discuss, to make decisions in community and using "third things" like books, art, music, history, etc., to help us engage in that oh-so-important discussion.
(Photo of Helen Cox, HCH board member)

The mission of the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities is to connect people with ideas that broaden perspectives, enrich lives and strengthen communities.