IMUA 3-13-92 - PCC 50th Anniversary

[ET'S STARTAT THE VERYBEGINNING...Last week's PCC Devotionalwith the theme of 'PERSONAI!7ORIH' attested not only to thepersonal spiritualiry of DavidEskaran, but ir also reflected theleadership and talents ofall theothers included in the program.k began with a musical preannouncementinuoduction of thereworded "HOTI HOTI HOT!'song by Dallin Muti, Tia Muti andDorothy Fa'asou, which humorouslyaddressed pay raises with the reftainof:"Tko dollar paychecks notenough Not! Not! Not!-'We need a pay raise so Imua (LesMoorc's bestowed Hawaiian name)- lWhat?'What? What?"At the podium, Mooreresponded to the beat ofhis owndrum with:"This is the day to Bless, Bless,BlessYou've got a pay raise Yes!Yes!Yes!"In this upbeat mood, theDevotional began.The first speaker, New ZealandCultural kland Manager ColinShelford, expressed gratitude for theopponuniry to share some ofhisinnermost feelings. In rememberingthe February Waitangi weekectivities, he expressed heving hxdno idea ofthe love, dedicadon andunselfish labor ofthose under his ..:managership."Sharing their talents withpeople all over the world is theirstrength," he said. "Although theMaori worken perform the samething on the hour every day,somehow during special times theygive heartfeh performalces whichbring tears to the eyes ofour guests."Reviewing the recognitiondinner for his workers and acommuniq member, Shelfordpresented three awards for seruice toSeini Ikakoula, Milton Kaka and FayCampbell. All other employees hadpreviously received dreir awards inspecial ceremonies several weeks ago.JUNIOR GUIDEPROGRAM HOSIS SLEPPARTICIPANISSome ofour Cultural Centerparents have children in the SLEPprogram in high school which theState Department of Educationsponsors for Students of LimitedEnglish Proficiency.Iast Friday, along with theregular Junior Guide Programstudents which average between800-1200 students per visit, theSLEP panicipants culminated athree-day speech festival with anexcursion to the Center. Thefestival included categories in choralspeaking, storytelling, interpretivereading and poetry recital whichthough the students produced inEnglish, have the same imponanceas cultural skills in traditionallanguage trainiag.The 200-plus SLEP studentsincluded many fiom the outerislands who in the second year ofthe fcstival found the competitionmore challenging with moreparticipants and beoer organization.Lorrin Lee, SLEP teacher atMcKinley High School explained:"The students are basically thosewho come as immigrants and thisprogram gives them the opponunityto improv€ their English skills, sharetheir language differences andsimilarities, learn and appreciateother cultures through multiculturalactivities and become awiueof education opportunities availablefor them around the state."Patricia Park and Melvin Soongofthe rWindward District O$iceand their colleague, Ethel 'ifardftom the State Office ofInstructional Services, said that ofrhe 14-16languages spoken by theSLEP students, Polyne.sian is spokenby many who have had theopponuniry to fellowship withFilipinos, Laotians, Vietnamese,Koreans, Cambodians and Chineseftom both Thiwan and Hong Kongand many other Pacific nations.Velulu Sigavata, PCC's JuniorGuide Program coordinator, hostedthe SLEP participants along withJohn P Sofa, DOE'WindwardDistrict Supednteodent, whobriefly welcomed all pafiicipanr arthe Hale Aloha-