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JULY 2009 NOVA scienceNOW Hosted by renowned author and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson ALL-NEW SEASON Leslie Wilcox President & CEO, PBS Hawaii A senior-level staffer at the Honolulu information about student digital-media Board of Water Supply was offering to programs and organize contacts at public, give us 240 hours of work for free, to private and charter schools across the meet the requirements of his practicum state of Hawaii. for a master’s degree in public administra- Glenn had graduated from a local public Learningtion at the University and of Hawaii Giving at Manoa. atschool, the Kalihi’s Same Farrington TimeHigh, and work- Glenn Oyama was interested in learn- ing on the network appealed to him. He ing more about how nonprofits work. He’d saw the broadcast and Web network as work for us if we could give him a project an opportunity for today’s students to that he could start and bring to completion strengthen real-world, transferable skills “Humble, during those 240 hours. such as critical thinking and effective hard-working, Boy, could we! Linda Brock, our VP in communication. charge of the planned September 2010 And so Glenn systematically, painstak- collaborative and launch of PBS Hawaii’s new education ingly and personably went about the job of discerning, he earned initiative, : First Statewide Student organizing the school framework of . News Network of Hawaii, needed some No problem finishing in 240 hours! the deep apprecia- important groundwork to be done. Glenn moved on to our Development tion and admiration We metHiki Glenn N–o and liked him right away. Department. In all, he assisted PBS HawaiiHiki N–o Linda asked him to gather and assess part-time over a 10-month period! of staffers.” Humble, hard-working, collaborative and discerning, he earned the deep appreciation and admiration of staffers. And then he thanked us for the experience! “I really liked working here,” Glenn told me. “It was fun—you have great people and it’s a flat organization.” “Flat” is business-speak for our horizontal organizational structure, with fewer layers of reporting and authority. Glenn’s employer, by virtue of its size and nature, is hierarchical. Our flat model works for us because we’re small and we prize timely information and agile coordination throughout departments. Glenn obviously does well in both types of organizational structures. He has our enduring thanks for plowing the field for our student news network and for bringing insight and energy to other projects. We’ll follow his career with those new initials after his name, signifying his new academic achievement: M.P.A. Hiki N–o Mahalo nui loa, Glenn! Glenn Oyama, M.P.H. PBS Hawaii Board of Directors Chair Vice Chair Andrew Aoki Alan Hoffman Cameron Nekota RobertSecretary Alm Carolyn Berry Hokulani Holt Marissa Sandblom Jimmy Borges Joan Lee Husted David Watumull RonaldTreasurer Hansen Keiki-Pua Dancil, Ph.D. Kawika Kahiapo Robin Puanani Danner Ian Kitajima Tim Johns Guy Fujimura Thomas Koide Ken Hiraki Bill Mills Jason Fujimoto YoungA Trip Hawaii to FilmmakersRemember Receive AwardAmber DeMarco in Washington, is a graduate of Waianae D.C. High School (Class of 2008) and is currently attending Leeward Commu- nity College and working part-time at PBS Hawaii. She’s also a product of Searider Productions, Waianae High School’s award-winning media program. Recently Amber and three of her WHS classmates were invited to Washington, D.C. to accept the Rudy Tokiwa Memorial Award for “True Courage,” the documentary they produced with Hawaii resident Eddie Ichiyama, a member of the legendary 442nd Regimental Combat Team during WWII. The award put the Hawaii students in the forefront of the Memorial Day weekend activities in Washington, D.C. We asked Amber to share her experience by contributing the following article to the PBS Hawaii magazine. “Shopping” – shopping was the first thing that came to my mind when I thought about my trip to Washington, D.C. I knew I would be surrounded by an environment filled with history, but I had learned about all the D.C. monuments and history in class. I wanted to see what the malls were like! Oh boy was I wrong. Once I arrived in Washington, D.C. I traded malls for museums, clothes for Taking in the scenery, from left: Kayla Hines, Brittany Gomes, Amber DeMarco, Recco Eli, and Mhanivel Moresca. conversation and price tags for photos. It was without a doubt one of the most significant trips I had ever taken. I will probably never be able to choose my favorite part of the trip. There were just so many amazing things that I got to experience. Perhaps the most important part for me was the Stories of Service Legacy Banquet. At this ban- quet we were placed at a table with Al Tortolano, a World War II veteran. He was one of the soldiers who was part of what is most commonly known as the “Lost Battalion”. This meant that he was one of the men rescued by Eddie Ichiyama, the subject of our interview and veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Throughout the trip I had many conversations with Mr. Tortolano and attended a handful of events where he was a featured speaker. In every conversation and every speech he expressed his sincere gratitude to the men of the 442nd. Because of their courage, he survived. I realize how fortunate I am to have been given the opportunity to meet and speak with both of these men. Eddie Ichiyama and Al Tortolano served our country, and hearing each man’s personal account of this famous WWII rescue is an honor and privilege I will never forget. Above: From left, Kayla Hines, Brittany Gomes, Recco Eli, John Allen III, Amber DeMarco Receive Rudy Tokiwa Memorial Award at Legacy Banquet in Washington, D.C. Left: Amber DeMarco with WWII Veteran Al Tortolano The most impressive part is that I didn’t ington, D.C. was with Senator Dan Inouye. it just continued to flow. If I were to pick a hear it from a reporter or a family member. When we arrived at his office we were told part of the conversation that had the most It came directly from the memory of the he was out of the state. But, while we were impact on me it would be what the Sena- “rescued” and the “rescuer.” No text book speaking with his assistant, Van, I saw a tor said at the end. He started to talk to us or history class could have taught me what familiar face walk past the door way. “That’s about the war and his experience as part of I learned from these two men. The most the Senator”, I said. Van excused herself and the “442”, fighting with fellow veterans like memorable conversation I had while in Wash- soon came back saying the Senator was busy Eddie Ichiyama. Senator Inouye’s message but he may be able to to us was not about bravery or serving one’s spend a few minutes country. with us. We were told to prepare a few He spoke to us about what it means to be questions for Senator fair and not to judge people by the color of Inouye. their skin or the shape of their eyes. This was something that was taught to me a long time Within a short time ago. But it meant even more to hear it from the Senator met with someone who really lived the experience of us. Our “few minutes” being judged unfairly and yet overcame that eventually turned into discrimination. It was like he took us back in a half-hour conversa- time, and we got to relive history through his tion, and we didn’t memories. even use our ques- tions because the The most exciting part of the trip was talk was so casual and sightseeing. Our group had just spent three A visit with Senator Dan Inouye in his D.C. office whole days with veterans, listening to their stories, and walking with not been a major topic. Why? This seriously upset me. I took a look them in the National Memorial Day Parade. We had a whole new per- at some of those names for a long while and eventually a family came spective and respect for those who dedicated and gave their lives to up beside me. They started looking for a name so I stepped aside to protect our country. So being able to go to the Lincoln Memorial and give them more room. Their fingers scrolled the wall, and eventually see that tribute to one of the greatest Presidents in our history, and stopped on one of the names I had been looking at earlier. to stand at the exact spot where Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech – it was all so amazing. My trip to our nation’s capitol taught me to never forget and always respect and appreciate the men and women who dedicate their lives Visiting the Vietnam Memorial and seeing the magnitude of that wall to defend America and to ensure the freedom of all of its citizens. For made me wonder – in all the history classes I have taken, this war had that I will always be grateful. Left to Right: Mhanivel Moresca, Kayla Hines, Amber DeMarco, Recco Eli, Brittany Gomes after Marching in the National Memorial Day Parade ALL-NEW SEASON The fast-paced science magazine series NOVA scienceNOW returns to PBS Hawaii this summer with a 10-week season full of fresh new perspectives, fascinating scientists, cutting-edge innovations and pro- TUESDAY NIGHTS | 9PM vocative stories from the frontlines of science, technology and medi- cine.

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