In January 2015 Lynette Lo Tom began writing a monthly column in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser:  Back in the Day. The column spotlights old-style dishes of various cultures and traditions. This effort represents a change from Lynette’s many years in journalism and public relations, a change towards her love of food, cooking, and the culinary arts. And who among us wouldn’t love a career change at this stage in our lives?!? Lucky Lynette.

Lynette’s new cookbook.

As many of you know, I’m someone who has a passion for food, from beginning to end! I like thinking about recipes, looking for new ingredients, comparing notes with other cooks, cooking up dishes and most of all, sharing it with family and friends. Cooking has been a passion, all my life, passed through some terrific cooks, starting with my mother, Lorna Lee Lo.

Guess what I just finished? My very first cookbook: A Chinese Kitchen. It’s filled with stories and great recipes from my mother, Lorna Lo, maternal grandfather, John Sau Lee, and paternal grandmother, Louise Ho Lo.

I also got to talk to lots of Chinese cooks, and got more great stories and recipes from the community.

Lynette’s “Japanese Style Kim Chee” was served on Friday night at our 40th reunion. Did you have any? Yummy!

A Chinese Kitchen shares 112 recipes and is 212 pages with colorful photos and stories about growing up Chinese in Hawaii. It is the fourth in the series of ethnic cookbooks by Mutual Publishing and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. In addition to recipes, it includes stories about the history of the Chinese in Hawaii and interesting tidbits about popular restaurants and dishes.

The book will be formally “launched” through signing and events organized by Mutual Publishing (see below). I am also going out in community with fundraising events, signings, samplings and talk stories. I’m starting with a book celebration and pick up on Saturday, September 19th from 10am to 2pm. My mom and I will be at the ChefZone, a great food warehouse store. There is lots of parking there.

A Chinese Kitchen has a retail price of $21.95, but for family and friends, the price on pick up day is $15, includes tax. Because of the special price, I need to know many you would like, (there’s 20 in a case if you want to buy for your neighbors!) I’m happy to autograph any that you buy. Please mail the A Chinese Kitchen Order Form to Bright Light

A look inside the stunningly beautiful book which is, as Lynette says, a good gift. (Photo credit: Mutual Publishing)

Marketing, PO Box 235865, Honolulu, Hawaii 96823. Make checks out to Bright Light Marketing. Or fill out the charge card information. If you can’t make it on the 19th, your books will be held for you at Native Books/Na Mea Hawaii (Maile Meyer’s ’75 store), at Ward Warehouse for pick up until the end of September.

I’m hoping A Chinese Kitchen will make a good gift for your friends on the mainland and for the holiday. In writing the book, I learned so much about the Chinese in Hawaii and in my family. I appreciate your support. Please send in orders as soon as possible if you’d like to pick up the book on September 19.

Book signings

Meet author Lynette Lo Tom

Come to meet the author! Photo credit: Doug Young a.k.a. Babs Miyano Young’s husband. :)

» Sept. 16: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mutual Publishing, 1215 Center St. (with her mother, Lorna Lo)

» Sept. 19: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., ChefZone, 2888 Ualena St. (with Lorna Lo)

» Sept. 27 (Maui): 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Chinese Moon Festival at Bailey House Museum, 2375-A Main St., Wailuku

» Oct. 3 (Hilo): 1 to 3 p.m., Sig Zane Designs, 122 Kamehameha Ave. (discussion of Chinese food with Sig Zane)

» Oct. 28 (Kauai): 5 p.m. book signing, 6 p.m. talk, Lihue Public Library, 4344 Hardy St.

Cooking demonstrations

» Oct. 7: 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., Windward YMCA, 1200 Kailua Road, reservations required, call 261-0808

» Oct. 17: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., lesson on Chinatown Crispy Roast Pork and Cake Noodles, CookSpace Hawaii at Ward Warehouse, 1050 Ala Moana Blvd., $80 (includes cookbook), register at cookspacehawaii.com (with Lorna Lo)

» Oct. 27: 11:45 to 12:45 p.m., Mililani YMCA, 95-1190 Hikikaulia St., reservations required, call 625-1040

» Nov. 14: 11 a.m., Native Books Na Mea Hawaii at Ward Warehouse, 1050 Ala Moana Blvd.

Note: This recipe for Pickled Mustard Cabbage (Tsin Choy) comes from the kitchen of Esther Lo Chinn. She’s Lynette’s aunt and Bruce and Brian Chinn’s mom. The book’s acknowledgements list three classmates: Carrie Chang Talwar, Lei-Sanne Doo (for two art pieces), and Taren Taguchi (for encouragement). Lookin’ good ’74!  … or should I say ni hen haokan?

The exhibit’s run has been extended, but only until Saturday, October 10. The time is now to see it before it’s gone. The time is Thursday for Punahou74 to see it together. And here’s a special invitation from Melanna to encourage you to be there.

Meleanna in a still from the KalamaProductions video that’s linked below.

Aloha dear classmates!

It would be great to see you this Thursday at a special mural exhibition event at Marks Garage in Chinatown. The focus will be an important work that I and my artist friends have created.

The piece has to do with healing and Hawaii’s history. Our creative insights are being offered as a salve and hope for our greater community. A film sketch will also be presented that describes the documentary I am working on with David Kalama and Alice Walker.

Now for the important information: Wine and pupus, of course!

So come by for some pau hana reunion time. The Garage is easy walking distance from downtown and there’s parking if you have to drive (Duh. It’s a garage!)

Experience this work for yourself and get involved. Please come! You won’t be disappointed.

ʻĀINA ALOHA Mural Installation

The Arts at Marks Garage

1159 Nuuanu Avenue

6-8 p.m.

The “trauma” side of the mural. What’s on the other side? Guess you’ll have to get to Marks Garage to find out!

Still not convinced?

Learn more while taking a look at Mele starring in the following:

KITV News Coverage

http://www.kitv.com/news/thismorning/chinatown-exhibit-features-24foot-long-twosided-mural/35042814

KalamaProductionsInc: Six artists, several alakaʻi, family and kokua, gather for a spiritual ceremony in Art.

For those of you who don’t know, I am on campus most Fridays volunteering in the Punahou archives. I have a lot of fun there and the work is interesting. It also gives me the opportunity to stay involved in the school. It’s not the intimacy that I knew as a student or a parent but I still get the vibe. 

September 2015 Edition of Ka Punahou

On some Fridays I scan the school newspaper, Ka Punahou. The periodical is a far cry from what it was in our days. First, it’s a monthly publication. Second, it conveys little information about daily campus life.

Over the years it’s devolved into musings about getting into college (“Learning to Love the Liberal Arts), politics (“Political Parties Explained”), and sports coverage that doesn’t cover sports (“Club Soccer’s Costly Focus on Fundraising”). The fact that it is primarily a community/general interest rather than a school report makes me think, “Why not read the Star-Advertiser which is so much better with broad-based coverage?” Little wonder that that Ka Punahou, which once won annual recognition as one of Hawaii’s best high school papers, has failed to win a Hawaii High School Journalism Award for years.

A Lost Perspective

THE NEWS OF THE DAY: Ka Punahou on November 9, 1973. (Click the photo for a larger view.)

For someone who regularly researches the school’s history it makes me wonder, how will my counterpart conduct this research in fifty years? Where will she find stories about the students and how they learned, played, and celebrated life?

Sadly, this information will be hard to find. Today’s stories are crafted by communications professionals writing information for the general public. In this process the student perspective is sorely lost.

I recently wrote a piece about the history of Senior Skip Day. Integral to that story was Ka Punahou‘s coverage of the incident. Do you think you would find coverage like this on Punahou’s online news feed?

Then their whole attitude changed. There was a mad dash for cars and a hurried change of clothes. Some of the boys didn’t even take time to remove their bathing suits. They put their pants on over them and took off for town. On the way in to town the boys began to contemplate what school they wanted to go to next. They even went so far as to learn the alma maters of several of the other schools. The whole bunch stopped at the Blue Bird for a hurried bite of lunch and then returned to school. (Ka Punahou. 12 Nov. 1940.)

Stopping for a bit of lunch at the Blue Bird before you meet with Principal Slade. What a laugh! Such is the value system of the ravenous teen age boy.

But maybe I am idealistic. While amusing at times, are there times when the teenage perspective is better left unsaid and unseen?

See no evil. Hear no evil. DRAW no evil.

Jeff Sia discovered that, sometimes, the adults would rather you kept your student perspective to yourself. At least that’s what then Punahou School President, Dr. Roderick “Rod” F. McPhee had to say:

ROD MCPHEE NOVEMBER 14, 1972 MEMORANDUM to Jeff Sia. Source: Personal collection of Jeff Sia.

“Objectionable”? “No place in a school newspaper”? What in the world was he writing about? Take a look.

KA PUNAHOU CARTOON published November 9, 1973.

In commenting upon the incident on his facebook page, Jeff had this to say:

Here’s a sample memo of what I had to contend with periodically from the Administration over the content of the weekly Ka Punahou newspaper when I was editor. The “illustration” in question was something I asked Jim Simpson to create when we did not have enough copy to fill a large space during the weekly layout session held on Wednesday afternoons. He was the one who came up with the “find the …” theme. We worked on the types of items to find and he drew it. The result was harmless, but obviously (from the Memo), “Rod” (he signed it “Rod McPhee”) saw much more into it than was actually there. Perhaps, he was upset when I wrote an editorial criticizing him for only addressing students at the opening speech on the first day of school, the graduation ceremony, and whenever he busted someone for a dress code violation while on the way to a meeting in the Academy area of the school. Don’t get me started on our Dean. … I kept this Memo from “Rod” especially because he was so upset, he repeated himself that the cartoon did not belong in a school paper.

KA PUNAHOU STAFF in November 1973.

Now that you know what Rod and Jeff think, what say you? Student perspective, school coverage … or not.

Hmmm … I think I need to find that editorial. Will do! (Jeff, McPhee did speak to me when my friends and I were playing Trumps while sitting outside MacNeil Hall. That was supposed to be a card free zone and he let us know that!)

Do you know that Punahou is celebrating the 175^th anniversary of its founding this school year?

LOOKING OVER THE FLAMING “P” set up from the Dole Hall balcony.

If you haven’t been on campus I would forgive you this oversight. If you have been, I would have to ask, “Where have you been?”

The signs of the anniversary are everywhere. And, with this Friday marking the 48^th burning of the Flaming “P,” buff ‘n blue demisemiseptcentennial fever is at a heated pitch.

A “175” SITS to the right of the “P.”

And boy do I mean heated. Situated to the left of the “P” was a “175” ready to burn. But that wasn’t the only sign.

Look at the following pictures for some more examples. And if you have something to say about what you see there’s a #Punahou175 hashtag for you to join the conversation!

Note: Many anniversary items are available for sale at Punahou’s Buff ‘n Blue Store (“the offical store of Punahou School). Carnival wear, available for purchase through the Punahou Faculty Association office, also has “175” items appropos the 2016 event’s theme of “Rewind the time …The Punahou Journey”.

I heard this on the radio as I was packing up to leave work tonight. I was speechless. My reaction was not unique. By the time I arrived home the news was on 73 sites around the Internet.

BACK IN THE DAY OF THE BIGGEST WAVE. This picture had been posted on Alec’s facebook page.

Alec Cooke was reported missing today.

He was last seen at 4 p.m. Tuesday leaving his Waialua home to go surfing on the North Shore.  His truck was found early Wednesday in the parking lot of Saints Peter and Paul Mission near Waimea Bay. His dog and keys were still inside.

Click here for a Hawaii News Now story to learn more. Definitely on the prayer chain.

HAWAII NEWS NOW covered the “Search For Missing Surfer: Alec Cooke.”

For those of you living outside of Hawaii, the search for Alec Cooke was called off. Both the Coast Guard and Honolulu Fire Department helicopter crews unsuccessfully searched 8,930-square ocean miles for him. A friend found Alec’s surfboard but Alec himself is now considered lost to the sea.

Alec Cooke c. 1983

A memorial paddle out service–“Keep The Ocean Blue”–is planned for January 30, 2016 at Waimea Bay, the spot at which he was last seen on October 27. Final details are pending but funds for the service are currently being solicited here. I see that some classmates have already donated. I encourage your generosity if you feel so moved.

Since his loss much has been written about Alec a.k.a. “Ace Cool” and his adventuresome spirit. Most articles detail his riding “the biggest wave” on January 5,1985 at Outside Pipeline. Others mention his exploits as the showboating “Evel Knievel of big wave surfing.” Such were his adventures that he earned a place in The Encyclopedia of Surfing alongside surfing legends such as Duke Kahanamoku, Fred Hemmings, and Peter Cole.

Alec used his water fame to highlight ocean pollution traveling 160 miles in 70 hours over 10 days while swimming around Oahu in 2008.

When out of the water Alec still maintained his ocean connection by giving radio surf reports, writing surfing columns for the North Shore News, and operating his store, the Country Surf Shop.

Alec is reported to have been born in Boston (in 1956 as were most of us) and raised on both Kauai and Oahu.

FROM SHOE BOXES TO SHADOW BOXES SHOWING ARCTIC SCENES: (L-R) Theodore Lau, Jerry Hopper, Susan Yee, Alec Cooke, Nancy Dew as pictured in the 1966 Na Opio.

What has not been described about Alec is what we know. He joined us at Punahou in the fourth grade as a member of Mrs. Leong’s class. (Do you remember him then Keith, Meredith, Jeff, Brendan, and Frank?) He was with us for ten years and I am sure many of you have memories to share about Alec and his “small kid” days. Did you surf with him? Were his future exploits something that you foresaw?

As usual, I would like to share Punahou74’s impressions of a departed classmate. Please share your memories by commenting below or email them to me here. I will compile what is received and report back to you via a future post. Thank you in advance for the gift of your remembrances.

Did you see the recent annual giving report for Punahou?

The magic of our 40th reunion keeps on going.

Punahou74 did itself proud. Of the 82 classes represented, we were the 11th most generous and tied for 19th with regard to the percentage of classmates participating–and that’s with 16 reunion classes in the mix.

Punahou74 Class Giving – $113,820

Punahou74 Class Participation – 24%

Can’t wait to see how we do in 2019! Class pride for sure. Now you can see why I write, “Aloha members of the great Punahou Class of 1974!” right at the top of the blog for all to see. Journalists know. No better defense for what you write than the truth. (Thank you, Edith Ann.)

But I had a long career in sales and you know what? You’re only as good as your last sale. (At least that’s what my manager always told me.) On to 2016 for which Tom Farrell has a message for you:

You probably opened your mailbox the other day, and saw a solicitation for The Punahou Fund (the new name for what used to be called the Living Endowment). 

For our 40^th Reunion last year, many of us sent in a five-year pledge.  If you did that, Punahou will automatically charge your credit card on whatever schedule you gave them when you filled in your pledge form.  Many of us also specified that our gift should go the Class of 1974 Endowed Scholarship Fund.  Today our scholarship fund stands at $123,434.   Not bad, considering that when we started we only had about $50,000 in the bank.

I’m taking musical theatre. It’s really fun. Right now we are learning the dance for one of our songs called “sparkle, jolly, twinkle, jingly.” — Sixth grade Class of 1974 Endowed Scholarship Awardee. Click to see her full thank you letter and learn more about our scholarship at work.

The goal is to fully fund one scholarship by our 50^th Reunion.  We’ll need to grow that fund to a half a million dollars, but we can do it.  So if you missed the chance to contribute, don’t wait until our next reunion.  When you send in that little card with your check, please write on it “Class of 1974 Endowed Scholarship.”  If you’d like to do a multi-year pledge (like, from now to our 45^th), let us know and we’ll be happy to send you the form.

Mahalo to everyone who has contributed—let’s keep our scholarship fund growing!

Misplaced your mailing? Not to worry. Just pull out your credit card and click here. Prefer to write a check? The address hasn’t changed. Mail your contribution to:

Punahou School

1601 Punahou Street

Honolulu, HI 96822

Stephen Milbank Spalding                        11/12/1955 – 8/31/2015

This blog reported earlier on Stephen’s death and provided his obituary. His family has now set a Hawaii memorial service for friends and family. You are encouraged to attend.

The service will be held on Saturday, December 5^th at 9:30am. Lunch will follow.

Holy Nativity Church

5286 Kalanianaole Highway

Honolulu, HI 96821

Time to extend the spirit of the holidays into 2016. We are looking for a few more volunteers to help at the Punahou Class of 1974’s 60th Birthday Volunteer event. This event is also part of the 175 Acts of Service in honor of Punahou’s 175th anniversary. (We are among the first classes to participate in this!) Can we count on you to help make this happen?

Advertisement in the Lanakila December Newsletter. Let’s not disappoint them!

Gaye Miyasaki has put in a lot of time arranging what is to be an excellent event for an expected one hundred seniors at the Lanakila Multipurpose Center. (Thanks, Gaye!) This looks like a great time to help the community while learning useful information that can be helpful to oneself as well.

Here are the specifics:

An Event In Celebration of the Punahou Class of 1974’s 60th Birthday and

Punahou School’s 175th Anniversary

A Community Day at Lanakila Multipurpose Center

Thursday, January 7, 2016

at 9:30 a.m. (volunteers come at 9:00 please)

1640 Lanakila Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96817

Headlining the event at 10 a.m. will be Dr. Terry Shintani.

This handout will be distributed at the event. It lists senior resources available throughout the city and county of Honolulu.

A 1968 Punahou graduate, the doctor has spent his life focusing on nutrition and human health. His “Eat More Weigh Less Diet” catapulted him to national fame for promoting the eating of whole grains and other starchy foods while limiting refined foods, fat, and meat. The weight-loss successes that followed were backed up by medical and scientific study. Given the number of weight loss ads that are saturating the airwaves during this post-holiday period, Dr. Shintani’s advice may be quite timely for many of us!

Also scheduled to appear is Tommy Amina from the Nuuanu YMCA. Amina will do a 45 minute tai chi session. This exercise has proven especially effective in teaching seniors about fall prevention.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Provide a donation for the lunch which will follow the presentation. To reinforce Dr. Shintani’s presentation, the focus will be on providing healthy refreshments. We currently have wrap sandwiches, Ceasar salad, grapes, pineapple, and bottled water.
2. Come to assist the presenters, pass out brochures, help seniors get around, clean up, and offer everyone a hearty welcome! Help is requested between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
3. If you cannot attend the event itself donations are being solicited for Catholic Charities. These can be mailed to Lanakila at the address shown above.

Time commitments are flexible. It is a work day after all so, if you can’t come for the whole time, come for the time that you have. Please let Gaye know of your attendance.

After two weeks off from work I took yet another day off this week. I wanted to help with the health fair that Punahou74 was running at Lanakila. Was it worth the investment of my time?

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY, Punahou74! Other classes may celebrate by taking trips but we celebrate by helping others. Pictured above (L-R) are Lisa Yamaguchi Bowden, Gaye Miyasaki, Alvin Cabrinha, Renee Ahuna Cabrinha, Lynne Gartley Meyer, and Pauline Chang Chin. The cake was baked by Renee’s daughter. Note the number zero is a winged “O”!

Punahou74 is leading the way for other alumni classes in Punahou’s quest to collect 175 acts of service in honor of the School’s 175th anniversary.  For Punahou74 such service was delivered through our January 7 community day at the Lanakila Multipurpose Center. Significantly, the event showcased the energy, tenacity, and leadership skills of Gaye Miyasaki. Stellar job. Gaye, you’ve set the bar high for the classes who will follow us.

HARD WORK

The community day was the culmination of seven months of hard work. Seeking to find a way to honor our 60th birthdays, Gaye Miyasaki developed an opportunity where our good fortune was shared with others: she developed an opportunity where 100 seniors and other attendees learned about healthy lifestyle choices.

“PUNAHOU CLASS OF 1974” headlined the event. This was the sign on the table as you entered the building.

The first step was to contact Lanakila. The organization was warm to the idea … as long as we paired with another established non-profit organization. She then contacted the Arthritis Foundation. They did have a seminar that could be presented but suggested that Gaye contact Percy Ihara. Percy is the editor of Generations Magazine, a publication whose goal is to be “Hawaii’s Resource for Life” by providing seniors and their families with information on various issues facing our mature community.

The match was fortuitous. Percy had a cadre of businesses that he could bring in to deliver a resource fair for seniors. Among these resources was a relationship with Dr. Shintani ’68 who, as an acknowledged expert regarding nutrition, would draw an audience … and that certainly proved to be the case.

Shintaini’s engaging talk was just the start of the presentation. Also on the stage was a tai chi instructor, Norm Berg ’72, and Percy Ihara himself. Following the presentation there was time to visit the senior health tables and then it was on to lunch!

The menu included wrap sandwiches, Hawaiian Gold pineapple (Lisa’s company), grapes, oranges, salads, as well as a cashew/sunflower seed mix with water to drink.

The lunch that was donated by Gaye and her volunteer team. The main course was in deference to Dr. Shintani but, really, this was a birthday celebration! So, after the wraps, salads, and fruit were eaten, it was time to cut the cake … literally. And what did the seniors think?  I was flabbergasted to see what appetites those seniors had! So ono and colorful was the food who could resist? We received many compliments for our efforts.

Thanks again to all who came to lend a hand to make the event run like clockwork. Donations to Catholic Charities are still being accepted if you want to be a part of the effort. Please mail them to 1640 Lanakila Ave, Honolulu, HI 96817 and note that it is in the name of “Punahou Class of 1974.”

Oh, and was it worth it for me to take the day off? How do you think I would answer that question?

If you missed your chance to volunteer Punahou74’s recent Community Day at Lanakila all is not lost. Why? Because it’s time for the Punahou Carnival. Guess what? Volunteers like you are needed!

2016 Punahou Carnival Logo

If it’s January it’s time for the annual appeal for Punahou74 volunteers for the Ewa Malasada tent. Can you help out?

The theme tag line this year pays homage to Punahou School’s 175th anniversary: “Rewind the Time: the Punahou Journey.” That fits right in for Carnival volunteering … because during one shift you’ll find that there’s plenty of time to rekindle old acquaintances!

Once again we will be sharing the tent with members of the Punahou School class of 1970. They were a great bunch to work with last year and I am sure they will be there in force again. Thankfully, because this is a joint effort, I only have to beg 25 of you to come forward to get your hands doughy.

But … Nancy Dew Metcalf is again our fearless leader and she tells me that she still needs 20 more volunteers. Come on guys. She started asking a week ago and we can do better than this. Why, because we have to! Those malasadas don’t get made by themselves!

Can you help out?

Will your name be on a malasada bag beside Nancy’s when our shift is pau?

Who: Punahou74 classmates, spouses, family, and friends

What: Ewa Malasada Shift

When: Friday, February 5, 2016 from 4:45 pm to 8 pm

Where: Ewa Malasada booth–between Pauahi and Montague Halls

Why: Because we are the great Punahou class of 1974!

To let us know of your coming please comment on this blog or email Nancy Dew Metcalf.

Oh, and don’t forget to bring your covered shoes. Yes, I know you can “rewind the time” but let’s not have our feet go back to those halcyon barefoot days of elementary school!

Let us know ASAP. Mahalo plenty to all and hope to see you in the tent on February 5.

100 years ago today, January 16, 1916 a new tradition started at Punahou School: the school lunch.

When school lunches were made available to Punahou day students, a new accounting system had to be implemented. Tickets covering $5.00 worth of lunches were used first but were replaced by coupon books in 1932. Punch cards, like Rosalyn Won’s (1990) pictured above, were first issued in 1954 in $10 increments. In September 1985, cashiers began charging lunches to student IDs, the charges upon which are billed monthly.

While a noontime meal has been a daily practice since the first Punahou students hung their dinner pails in a closet adjoining the schoolroom, it was not until January 16, 1916 that boarding and day students could enjoy a hot lunch together.

Marcia’s biggest job as the Director of Food Service is feeding everyone at the Punahou Carnival. She’s pictured here dropping in Punahou74’s 2014 Ewa Malasada shift. That’s Cindy Li Taga, one of our stalwart malasada volunteers, beside her.

The school’s cafeteria fare was originally offered to wean students from the peanut and soda wagons that had been an institution at Punahou’s lower gate for years. And, with the exception of the perennially beloved Alexander Grocery (more commonly known as the “Chink Store”), the plan worked.

Students would soon flock across Middle Field to Dole Hall at “seemingly Olympic speeds” with cafeteria tickets and cards in hand to purchase food as comforting as caramel cuts, as tasty as rice and gravy, and as sweet as the honey from the Punahou Farm. The Snack Bar and breakfast service would follow in 1947.

Today more than 3,700 cafeteria servings are issued each day under the watchful eye of Marcia Barrett ’74 Wright, Punahou’s 13th and longest-serving director of food service.

To read the full story of the history of Punahou’s school lunch program please click here.

For those of you who are regular readers of this blog you may remember an invitation to a Chinatown showing by Meleanna Meyer last fall. The exhibit focused upon a two-sided mural which dealt with the concept of healing and Hawaii’s history. It was an interesting and thought provoking display that made for an engaging evening.

The mural is part of a larger film project that Meleanna is working on with a great group of people and for which she welcomes any support–financial or otherwise. (One classmate already generously donated $30,000 towards the cause.)

But that showing was months ago. Paraphrasing Paul Harvey, how’d you like to know the rest of the story?

Meleanna discussing her mural with Punahou students.

During the course of the October showing, Meleanna was visited by a group of Punahou teachers who liked what they saw. Actually, they liked it enough to ask that the Aina Aloha mural be brought to campus for a two week display in the Gates Science Workshop. Along with the mural came Meleanna, who introduced it to students as part of Punahou’s artist-in-residence program.

This was not Meleanna’s first time as a Punahou teacher. She had the opportunity to serve earlier for a teacher who was on sabbatical. That and other experience served her in good stead while working with the more than 1,300 faculty, students, and alumni who saw the exhibit.

I had the opportunity to see her in action one Friday during her campus appearance. The students quietly colored small sketch books that documented their perceptions of the mural. Along the way Meleanna taught them in the Socratic manner to elicit their reactions to what they saw.

Given the educational benefits of Meleanna’s work I was pleased to see it covered in the current edition of the Punahou Bulletin. For those of you who haven’t received the magazine yet, or don’t have your address on record with the school, you can read it here.

Want to see the mural in person? It will be on display at the John A. Burns School of Medicine in February.

Good job, Mele!

I have occasionally taken a look at the Punahou Carnival facebook page as the year has progressed. It’s usually a fun diversion. This year’s theme is “Rewind the Time” and the page was celebrating Throwback Thursday by rewinding the time back to past Carnivals. The post shown below is one of these efforts. Hmmm. Interesting, I thought. Put up some pictures and emphasize your theme. Good idea. But then they only put up two throwback pictures! Kids. Guess their idea of history differs from mine because I believe that there are many many good memories when it comes to the Punahou Carnival.

A recent Punahou Carnival facebook Throwback Thursday post.

I’ve shared some of those memories through this blog. There’s the story about The Day the Punahou Carnival Died. The history of the Jams and Jellies booth. And, of course, there’s that tale of the 1973 Punahou Carnival and how it was a “simpler affair.”  Talk about a walk down memory lane. That was back in the day!

As you can tell, I love Punahou’s history and love to write about it. And I’d like to introduce a candidate for Throwback Thursday that the kids missed.

Carnival 1955

James Iams as pictured in the 1973 Oahuan.

Punahou74 will remember Jim Iams. While we were in the academy he was the dean of the class of 1975, his final class after having served as a dean starting in 1957. He came to Punahou as a math instructor in 1945 and became Director of Activities from 1946-1956. Following his service as dean, he managed the Career Exploration Program for two years.

With so much hands-on time with students, it’s no surprise that Mr. Iams had memories galore to share regarding his challenges, joys, and experiences over the years. One of his favorite memories was the story behind the photo below and was remembered in his 1978 Punahou School Oral History.

CLEAN FUN, MUDDY FACES. Having taken down tents used in their on-campus carnival, Punahou School students … run down the sidewalk after playing in mud produced by the rain that fell throughout their week-end show. Then, they washed off in the Waikiki surf. Friday’s and Saturday’s showers dampened the carnival grounds but not the response to the annual event. This year’s carnival grossed about $25,000 as compared to $27,000 a year ago. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin caption and photo. Jack Matsumoto photographer)

I think of another favorite Carnival story of mine which I may embellish a little bit to make it sound  better.

In those early days the kids themselves came in on Sunday morning and actually dismantled the Carnival equipment–the tents and the booths and so forth–and Laura Bowers, who was then the P.T.A.-Lokahi person who was doing those things, would come and with some other mothers would provide hot chocolate and coffee and doughnuts for the kids.

This particular year we held the Carnival on the Lower Field [Editors Note: Carnival had earlier been held on Middle Field.] and it rained, of course, all the two days. The mud was literally up to your ankles. So when it came time Sunday morning for everyone to come together and clean up we assembled there for some two or three hours. Everyone was covered with mud from head to toe.

Just about 11:30 or quarter to twelve we finished and the kids said, “Mr. Iams, can we go up and take a shower?” And I said, “Oh, no. You’d clog the drains.” “Well, can we go to the beach?” I said, “Why sure, go to the beach.” Whereupon with no further word these 50 or 60 kids took off in their mud-spattered attire right down Punahou Street, right in the middle of the street.

They went right past Central Union Church. They were letting out so this was a great talk of the town. On down to Waikiki. Right through the lobby of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Out into the ocean.

And, of course, the next morning there were pictures in the paper and all this stuff. And I thought that’s the end of my job. But somehow we got by with it. And that’s one of my favorite stories.

Now, of course, the grounds crew come in and do all the clean-up and the kids don’t have to worry about that any more. But those Carnivals were great things and I have some very fond memories of them.

Punahou students wash off in the Waikiki surf by the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

Don’t mean to brag, but this is really everything you need to know. And, honestly, if it isn’t, let me know and I’ll do my best to get you an answer.

Dates and Times

February 5 and 6, 2016. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily on the lower Punahou School campus.

Weather Forecast

Sure the Carnival’s famous for its rain and mud. In fact, one year it was rained out on Friday! Click here to see what’s in the forecast before you head on out to rain-blessed Manoa.

Parking

After the weather, your next question is probably, “Where will I park?”

Answer: Consider the bus (the #4, 5 and 18) run right through the area to drop you off at Punahou’s front gate), carpooling, or scouring the nearby streets. If that’s not in the cards here’s where to start the search for that elusive parking space. For families coming to campus for Carnival:

• Rice Field parking is available after 6 a.m. Entrance is via the Nehoa Gate.

Campus parking is extremely limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Fortunately, off-campus lot parking is available at nearby locations. Here are some options:

NOTE INFORMATION IS NOT YET UPDATED FOR 2016 CHECK BACK FOR AN UPDATED LISTING.

Central Union Church (1660 S. Beretania St.)
Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6
Friday: 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Cost is $10 all day

The 2016 iCarnival app has real-time Carnival notifications, an interactive map, ride and attraction information, and the #PunahouCarnival feed. It’s the Carnival in your pocket!

Lutheran Church of Honolulu (1730 Punahou St.)
Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6
Cost is $15
Lots open at 10:45 a.m. and close at 11:30 p.m. (no in/out privileges).
Lot entrances are on Dominis Street and Poki Street.

Maryknoll Grade School (1722 Dole St.)
Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6
$15 for 4 hours on both days (no in/out privileges)
$45 all day

Maryknoll High School (1402 Punahou St.)
Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6
$10 for 4 hours on both days (no in/out privileges)
$45 all day

The Parish of St. Clement (1515 Wilder Ave.)
Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6
Friday: 8 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. – 11 p.m.
$16 per day.
Parking passes available: $30 1-day pass (with in/out privileges) and $55 2-day pass (with in/out privileges)

Shriners Children’s Hospital (1310 Punahou St.)
Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6
Friday: 4 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. – 12 a.m.
$10 all day (no in/out privileges)
Parking is not covered and is first come, first served based on parking spaces available.

Carnival Map

Get the low down on the layout for the Carnival grounds. Click here for a map of the 2016 Carnival grounds that you can print out and take with you.Price List

Wonder what a bowl of Portuguese Bean Soup will set you back? Or that spin on the Merry-go-Round? Got enough kala for your Carnival experience? Click here for the 2016 price list. Want some fun? Check out the 1973 Punahou Carnival Price List for a look at what it cost when Punahou74 ran the Carnival.

Paying for It

Got scrip? Almost all Carnival purchases are made using Carnival scrip. (Exceptions include Art Gallery and Alumni Booth purchases.)

Scrip is sold at blue booths located throughout the Carnival grounds. Sales start at 11 a.m. and close at 10:30 p.m. When buying scrip, only cash is accepted. (Don’t worry, there are two Bank of Hawaii ATMs available–and they’re shown on the map–should you run low.)

Ride tickets are required for all rides and are purchased with scrip at separately designated ride ticket booths found in the midway.

Special deal on Friday rides (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)! 4-coupon rides are reduced to 3 coupons; 3-coupon rides are reduced to 2 coupons. Such a deal! (Note: Not yet confirmed for 2016.)

o 1 scrip = 50 cents

o 1 ride coupon = 3 scrip

Check out the following video for a look at the exciting nighttime Carnival ride experience:

White Elephant

Great deals on plants, household goods, clothes, toys, and books. Punahou logo wear, tropical flowers, produce, and (need I say) jams, jellies and Punahou’s famous mango chutney are also available. Can’t schlep your priceless finds and enjoy Carnival at the same time? Not to worry. For a small fee the nearby Will Call booth will babysit your purchases while you enjoy your Carnival experience.

Ono Food

Punahou74 makes and serves its malasadas with a SMILE!

Sure malasadas and mango chutney are the big draws but do you know that there also is corn, Portuguese bean soup, hamburgers, fried noodles, smoothies, and dozens of other great eats at the Carnival’s own version of Kau Kau Corner? (For some pics of these delectable treats click here.) For some, food is the reason for Carnival!

Punahou74 will be working in the Ewa Malasadas booth from 4:45 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, February 6. There’ll be not better time this year to get these Carnival favorites hot and ready to eat!

Hawaiian Plate

Lau lau, lomi lomi salmon, and poi. What could be better? Try lau lau, lomi lomi salmon, poi, and great local entertainment too! Here’s who’s scheduled to play while you scarf down your ono Hawaiian grinds:

Variety Show

Come enjoy this annual extravaganza put on by more than 350 members of the Punahou class of 2016. Performances are scheduled for 2:30, 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. in Dillingham Hall. Tickets are $15 and went on sale starting Thursday, January 28 from 3-5 p.m. at the Sullivan Administration Building. Any left over tickets will be on sale one hour before showtime. Caution! Tickets sell out quickly so buy them when you can

Silent Auction

Want to get a great deal on your next journey back to the neighbor islands? Looking to sweeten the next time you dine at your favorite restaurant? Get your best bids in at the Silent Auction at the Mamiya Science Center, Cornuelle Lecture Hall! There are great prizes such as hotel stays, professional sports tickets, restaurant certificates, and wonderful deals on that weekend getaway. It’s on from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Art Gallery

Opening Night poster for the Punahou Carnival Art Gallery. Gorgeous stuff!

Right in the very heart of the Punahou Carnival is one of the best showcases of local artistic talent in the Islands. With over 1,000 paintings, sculpture, photographs, wooden bowls and jewelry from more than 300 artists there’s something for every taste and pocketbook. Come by the gallery at the Mamiya Science Center and pick out something you like.

Opening Night: February 2, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Sound Booth

Need help? Did you lose your child … or anything else? The Sound Booth is ground zero for this kind of information. While you’re there send a shout out to friends and family by purchasing an announcement to broadcast over the Carnival’s public announcement system.

Ready to rewind the time? Take the Punahou Journey. Punahou Carnival 2016!

New to the Punahou Carnival in 1962 was a game that still graces today’s midway, albeit with some updates. Provided at little cost, it was a money-maker from the start. And its appeal; obviously timeless!

Scenes from the skills game midway of Punahou Carnival 1962. (Punahou Bulletin photo, March 1962.)

After the 1961 Punahou Carnival it was clear that one of the two bean bag booths needed to go. But what to offer in its place?

The Carnival “big wigs” that year were overall chairwoman Mrs. Alex Waterhouse and student co-chairmen Kale Okasaki (1963) and Warren Heiser (1963). There was also “Carnival granddaddy” Leo Piper (Buildings and Grounds, 1946-1965) and dean of the sponsoring Junior Class, Tom Metcalf (Elementary and Academy Teacher, Dean 1950-1990). Working together this group would raise a Carnival gross of $57,025; most of which much would go towards funding student scholarships.

Just two months before the February 9 and 10 event, Warren Heiser had an idea for a booth replacement. He shared his idea at the December 14, 1961 meeting of the Carnival Coordinating Committee:

Warren Heiser suggested a new booth … and presented an outline of requirements.

Student chair Barbara Lam’s schematic drawing of “The Trap.” (1962 Punahou Carnival Report, Student Chairman, Booth #40: Splat-Trap.)

Object: to hit the face of a student target with a blob of starch. Such a booth was a money-maker at the recent university carnival. A suitable name would be needed and an ample supply of student volunteers—possibly officers of student organizations. Clearance with Mr. Curtis will be needed. Mr. Metcalf saw no objection, other than that the starch might find its way out on the Midway.

As late as January 12 no booth name had been chosen. Its Carnival debut would be advertised in the January 1962 Punahou Bulletin as a “dandy newcomer, the ‘SOCK-O’ offering the joy of tossing a blob of starch at campus dignitaries (yet unnamed!).” It took until the opening of the Carnival for the booth to bear its ultimate moniker: “The Splat Trap.”

The original Splat Trap in action. (Punahou Bulletin photo, March 1962.)

The Splat Trap was an immediate hit. Skills Division chairwoman Olive Bonar reported that it attracted a large audience. Her suggestion for even greater success in the 1963? Sign up “big wheel” students: “Popular students, leaders, football players, student officers make most appealing targets.”

Student chair Barbara Lam (1963) reported the importance of getting these students scheduled, “GET YOUR TARGETS LINED UP AS POSSIBLE.” With two traps and 1.5 hour shifts, 16 targets were needed each day. She advised, “It is better if you find targets who have to work (people on the swimming and basketball teams as well as those in the variety show don’t have to work). If you get really desperate for targets you can find volunteers around the carnival (7-8 graders are usually willing).”

The January 1962 Punahou Bulletin drummed up excitement for the Carnival.

Running the booth was straightforward. Put some starch in a cupcake holder, hand it to the customer, and let them have at it.  Parent chairs Mrs. Paul Chun and Mrs. Durdan emphatically stated in their booth report, “Play it again!” They liked the Splat Trap so much that they volunteered to chair the booth again in 1963.

The starch used was made on Thursday night and stored in the walk-in refrigerator in the cafeteria. It was mixed to the “consistency of poi” and tinted with food coloring.

At the booth the starch mixture was poured into cupcake holders. Because it was hard to handle and because the targets had some mobility Lam reported that, despite the close proximity of the customer to the target, “the game was neither too difficult nor too easy.”

But those who make the change from observer to paying ten cents for two cupcakes of goo are doing so because there’s a person in the trap that they want to target. Noted one booth chair, “We put the names over the loudspeaker if someone has a lot of enemies.” Lists would eventually be posted at the booth advertising the scheduled appearances of notable individuals.

Taunted by his target, an enthusiastic Bob Krauss takes aim at his stepson, Robert Mickelsen (1970). (Honolulu Advertiser photo)

And then there are the parents who relish the chance to aim at their children. Honolulu Advertiser columnist Bob Krauss described his enthusiasm for the game in his February 8, 1969 column (“Punahou Carnival Fun (or is it?): A Go at the Goo (Splat!) Trap). His target? His stepson, Robert Mickelsen (1970).

I handed over $1 worth of scrip and picked up a cupcake of goo. After allowing for the wind and the twinge in my hip, I let fly. The cupcake sailed about a foot over Rob’s head. The next one missed his left ear. I tried again. The blob curved off to the right.

Five minutes later I owed the management $3.75 and I hadn’t laid a speck of goo on him.

“Why don’t you slide under the counter and get in closer?” said one of the booth mothers helpfully.

So I crawled under the counter and took a stance about three feet from his nose as Rob protested. “No fair! No fair!”

I splattered him three times. But, somehow, it was like cheating at solitaire.

Bob Torrey takes his turn in The Splat Trap (Punahou Archives photo c. 1965)

Teachers, administrators, and staff would eventually join students in the Trap. One frequent target was Bob Torrey (Academy History teacher 1959-1998). He remembered that the goo ” … didn’t fling or carry well as it was put into little muffin papers. Because of its globular shape it just was hard to aim and throw. I got Al Harrington (Academy History teacher 1967-1971) to spend lots of money trying to hit me.”

The Trap would net $279.38 for Punahou in 1962 and untold thousands of dollars since then. At its 1962 debut it was the thirteenth most popular game of the eighteen midway offerings when measured by money raised. In 1963 it would rank ninth.

But don’t expect to experience the thrill of flinging goo when Punahou Carnival 2016 opens tomorrow. The goo is gone. A footnote to history. Cleaning up the targets took time, time during which no money was earned.

Today’s Splat Trap has evolved into a water balloon fight (see video below) with those seeking revenge against their enemies relegated to other outlets. Hey, there are always such possibilities at the Sound Booth. Let’s see, “Will ‘J’ please stop kissing ‘Y’ on the Ferris wheel!”

The time is nigh. Punahou Carnival opens tomorrow. Time for the Punahou74 shift at Ewa Malasadas.

Here are a few quick reminders to get you ready for our shift:

• Check in is at 4:45 p.m.

  DO YOU WANT COFFEE WITH THAT? Proper malasada booth worker attire. “Love” the hat.

• Check out is at 8:00 p.m.
• Wear closed toe shoes. (Just like when we went on field trips in Winne.)
• Bring a hat or enjoy the booth’s haute couture paper version.
• Sleeves needed! (Aren’t we a little old for tank tops anyway? Perhaps a Punahou74 shirt instead?)

You will have the opportunity to purchase up to six malasadas when you check in at the booth. These will be bagged and ready for you to pick up at the end of the shift.

Because they will have to be gathered before your check out, these malasadas may not be as piping hot as you would like. If you insist on super fresh malasadas (and who could blame you?) you’ll have to stand in line. We will do our best to delay the bagging until as close to the end of the shift as possible. But there are no guarantees.

If you want to preorder please have your scrip ready and in hand when you check in.

One scrip = One malasada

Last year several people were loaned scrip up front, picked up their malasadas, and never repaid the loan. Thanks in advance for coming prepared and with your scrip in hand.

Parting shot: Three of our regular malasada booth volunteers are also helping out in the haku lei booth. Look how beautiful they look:

Great job, Catherine, Babs, and Lisa! See you on Friday you super Punahou volunteers!!

Thanks aplenty again to Punahou74 and your wonderful work at Ewa Malasadas for the 2016 Punahou Carnival.

Tom Farrell, Haven Young Rafto, and Lisa Matsumoto Nakamura are three of the Punahou74 Malasada Team.

Ever a glutton for punishment, I made a quick dash back to the Punahou Carnival on Saturday. While there I made returned to Ewa Malasadas to purchase another dozen malasadas for a party I was attending that evening. (And, when I said that the malasadas I brought were from the Punahou Carnival you should have heard the “oohs” and “ahhs.” Wonderful.)

Cheese it! Dr. Scott is entering the tent! (Time to look busy.)

I saw the booth chair with whom we had worked with the previous evening. He was effusive with his praise for our work. “You all really made a lot of malasadas!” Seems that the other shifts didn’t keep up the pace that we did while under the tent. And, as you know, getting the malasada in the bags is the name of the game when it comes to the malasada booth.

I looked around. Students filled the space and he was right. They just weren’t moving the product down the line with the same intensity. Seems honed skills trumped youth in this case. What a way to get noticed, Punahou74! What else is there to say but “great job!”

Well, there’s this … Thanks also for showing up in force so I could have time to take footage for a forthcoming video and so Mike Mikasa could take pictures during the shift. It is both because there are enough people–and because those people are doing a great job–that we can have time for such tasks.

There’s also thanks to Nancy who takes on the behind the scene work for us. She’s the keeper of the names and I will update this post with the full team roster once it is finalized.

In the mean time please enjoy the pictures below (thanks Mikasa!). Can’t you just smell the malasadas?

As promised, a list of those who so generously donated their time to Punahou74’s great malasada booth effort at the 2016 Punahou School Carnival. MAHALO PLENTY! We couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you!

Cynthia Proskefalas Dell, Lisa Matsumoto Nakamura, and Lisa Yamaguchi Bowden smiling despite all of their hard work. What troopers!

Punahou74 2016 Carnival Honor Roll

Ralph Aona

Mary Balding

Lisa Yamaguchi Bowden

William “Pick” Bye

Leslie Ching Allen

Cynthia Dell

Monica Del Piano Campanis

Susan Seto Donlon

Tom Farrell

Cliff Halevi

Cathy Kam Ho

Fred Hu

Gene Lau

Landis Lum

Lisa Matsumoto Nakamura

Nancy Metcalf

Lynne Gartley Meyer

Mike Mikasa

Babs Miyano-Young

Richard Moore*

Lee Ann Nicolay

Lynne Obatake Yorita

Haven & Stein Rafto

Faith Sereno Rex

Fritz Rohlfing

Alan Rosehill

Ian Sandison

Catherine Tompkison

Craig Washofsky

Mike Yee

*Our shift newbie. More about him later …

Faith Sereno Rex reaches for a well-fried malasada. It’s one of the hottest jobs on the line and one of many that are needed to get the malasadas cooked and sold.

February has always been a fun month for me. Its days are easily divided into four periods making it a period of weekly attractions: Week One is the Punahou Carnival; Week Two is Valentine’s Day; Week Three is President’s Day (Washington’s Birthday was celebrated on the 21^st when we were at Punahou .. a day I recall was Ann Hughes’ birthday); and Week Four is my birthday!! What more could a child want in a month?

Gaye Miuasaki helped us celebrate our 6oth birthdays at January’s Lanakila Day of Service. How are you celebrating yours?

Speaking of birthdays, February 2016 may mark what would be the birthday midpoint for Punahou74. But it’s hard to be sure. While most of us are born in 1956, Punahou admits its boys months older than its girls. Then there are the classmates who are one year older (think 13+ club members) and those prodigies who accelerated into our class. So who really knows. I’ll just use February for my estimate of our average birthday. One thing I know for sure is that, even if you may not have yet celebrated it, if you’re a member of Punahou74 then your 60th birthday is scheduled in your near future.

Thinking about our birthdays I reviewed the 1955-1957 class notes in the Punahou Bulletins. The notes took no more than ten pages in those days and the rare pictures were far from full pagers. With classes averaging 150-200 graduates there just weren’t as many alumni to cover. Reviewing the news of the day was consequently quick work.

A familiar sequence regularly reported in the class notes.

As one might expect the items covered a predictable range of topics. For the older classes there were notes regarding retirements, travel, and recent deaths. For the youngest, the coverage detailed college graduations, military exploits, and budding careers. For those in the middle years the news that took up the greatest amount of ink included a surfeit of engagements, the consequent marriages and, ultimately, the children of those unions.

And guess whose names were sprinkled in those 1955-1957 birth announcements?

“It’s the Baby Boom, Stupid!”

You know that, if you were born in 1956, you are a baby boomer. What you may not know is that, if you were born in 1956, you were one of 4,218,000 babies (25.2/1,000 population) born that year. The next year would see 4,308,000 babies born (25.3/1,000 population) and mark 1957 as the highest birth year for both the Baby Boom and United States history. Births would not drop below four million until 1965, the end of the Boom. By this time 36% of the United States population would be under the age of 18.

To understand the impact of these Boom births consider this: it would not be until 1989 (when Punahou74 was 32-34 years old–prime “baby” years incidentally) that four million United States births were again recorded (16.2/1,000 population).

The impact of the Baby Boomers upon Punahou School would be enormous.

A “Family School”

One of the many alumni family photos featured in the January 1959 Punahou Bulleting shows a Punahou45 mother with her Punahou74 son. He started with us in kindergarten but left after 4th grade to join and later graduate with Punahou75. Do you know who he is?

Punahou had long considered itself a “family” school. This means that it depended “to a large extent on alumni for support, spirit and stability [and] entrance priority [was] given to qualified children of alumni parents and descendants of missionary founders.” (“Admissions Picture.” Punahou Bulletin. May 1960: 6.)

In 1956 campus enrollment was limited to 2,840. Alumni children were approximately 30% of this number.

For more than one hundred years the admission of missionary and alumni children had been easy to accommodate. But, to paraphrase Bob Dylan, the times they were a-changin’. Not only were recent alumni the parents of an extraordinary number of children but Oahu would itself be home to 41.8% more residents by the end of the decade. Add to this the phasing out of the English Standard Schools, growing suburbanization, and the lack of alternative college preparatory schools and the stage was set for tremendous admissions pressure at Punahou.

With applications on the rise, the school’s first full-time admissions director, Mrs. Dorothy A. Bond, was appointed in 1957. Dr. Fox directed her to “study the needs and problems of the school and Territory, and, with the help of the principals, the president and the trustees, to formulate a basic working philosophy for the selection of students.” (“Admissions Director.” Punahou Bulletin. Jan. 1957: 3.)

Mrs. Bond lasted but one year in the politically sensitive position. Despite campus enrollment growth to 2,970 admissions pressures remained immense. By May 1960, the office would process 1,200 applicants for the school’s 362 K-12 openings. Punahou74 would face its first admissions test that fall.

Some of the fortunate children who made it through the Punahou School admissions process. (Punahou Bulletin, April 1956.)

Punahou74 Alumni (and Missionary) Children

Being a part of the Punahou “family” brought immense admissions advantages. Dr. Fox described these in November 1960:

Yes, Punahou has always been and always will be a family school. … Punahou is unlike Easern college prepratory schools … which admit only students whose tested abilities indicate they are “Ivy League” calibre. For example, children of Punahou alumni (in good standing), who, in the opinion of admissions officials, are capable of maintaining a “C-“ average are accepted over non-alumni children who give promise of being superior students. (“Open Door.” Punahou Bulletin. Nov. 1960: 6.)

Under this policy 80% of the “family” children were admitted. In his 1960-61 report to the trustees (“Punahou and the Pursuit of Excellence”) Fox described the situation that would not be relieved until campus enrollment was expanded over the next few years:

More than ever before, our alumni parents want their children to begin their education with enrollment in the Punahou kindergarten. In fact, 60 of the 70 places for next year’s kindergarten class [this was Punahou74] went to high-priority alumni children. The same situation pertains in grades 1, 2, and 3, where only 100 pupils are enrolled at each level.

Given this outcome it is not surprising that my perusal of the 1955-1957 Punahou Bulletin birth announcements revealed a number of nascent Punahou74 names … especially the members of the 13 year club. Yes many, but not all … including yours truly.

Yes, despite being a daughter of graduates of the classes of 1948 and 1949 (not including grandparents etc.) there was nary a mention of my birth in the Punahou Bulletin. My father’s explanation for the “oversight”? “We were on the mainland then!”

As for those of you whose parents could find a stamp, do you know who you are? My research found about 39 of you. As to the names I’ve written enough for now and will leave that for another post. Until next time …