'Iolani School Bulletin Article "Sun of 'Iolani"
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THE HEADMASTER’S COLUMN Sun of ‘Iolani recently returned from Denver and the National Association risks she took to produce the shows. All of them had a social purpose of Independent Schools (NAIS) conference. Our bodies may and included AIDS in Uganda, bride burning in India, the drug war have shivered in the chilly Colorado weather, but our hearts in Colombia, China’s lost children, and the world inside America’s Iwere warmed in the Convention Center by speakers who prisons. She ended by paraphrasing the Maya Angelou saying that were some of the best I’ve ever heard. Oprah Winfrey sometimes uses to end her show: “When you know Dr. Sun Yat-Sen first glimpsed Western verlooking Sullivan Courtyard, better, you do better.” It was a fitting end to an inspirational culture as a student at ‘Iolani School. His a group of students gathers on We began with a compelling presentation by Jim Collins, a Stanford conference. We left fulfilled and challenged. vision led him to become the father of o a lanai. Nearby plumeria trees University professor and author of Good to Great. His words modern China and a leader revered cast morning shadows on resonated with the thousands who heard him and set the stage for After the convention, I enjoyed having dinner with ‘Iolani graduates around the world today. pathways. With open school bags before them and open minds towards the future, the remainder of the conference. Although unintended, what who live in the Denver area, and my mind kept returning to the By Cathy Lee Chong students laugh and talk freely. followed appeared to emanate from his central theme: Greatness. ideas and experiences I had heard about at the convention. I thought On the opposite side of the courtyard, about the deeds of Azar Nafisi, Paul Rusesabagina, and Lisa Ling, “We can’t turn back time, but we can someone else overlooks the grassy lawn. It A presentation by Azar Nafisi, bestselling author of Reading Lolita and the concept of greatness as framed by Jim Collins. I was deeply preserve it from being lost.” is a bronze statue of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, who in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, started us on the path from good touched. Never before have I been more humbled by the acts of — Samsung magazine ad in Shanghai sits regally with one hand flat and one in a to great. Ms. Nafisi was expelled from her professorship at the others in support of others. I thought that our successes and fist. The natural oxidation process has After enrolling in 1879, Sun Yat-Sen graduated from ‘Iolani in 1882. He is University of Tehran for choosing not to wear the Islamic veil. She triumphs pale in comparison to the greatness that these individuals turned the bronze into a blend of subdued revered around the world as the father of spoke of living under tyrannical rule — a place where “imagination have achieved. green and brown radiance. Sun Yat-Sen modern China. is insubordination” — and of teaching western literature to girls gazes over red ti leaf plants, laua‘e ferns in her home at the risk of punishment, even death. Now a professor But then I thought of the heroes and heroines of 9/11 and the Iraqi and into the distance. What does he see? at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, war, people who saved lives at their own peril, and how their names Sun Yat-Sen sees a modern ‘Iolani In the year 2007, he also views a co- educational student body that comes from she spoke passionately about human rights and of people doing the may be lost, but not their deeds. This brought to mind the good School vastly different than the one he attended more than 100 years ago. Then diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds. right thing even when threatened with “going to hell.” She was an work of our own teachers, counselors, staff members, parents and he was called Tai Cheong or Tai Chu. With ‘Iolani students are now generations and inspiration to us all and received a well-deserved standing ovation. students who work hard and sacrifice much to assist others in their long hair pulled back in a traditional queue, cultures apart from the ones he studied growth and development. In a more modest, but no less important he was enrolled in 1879 without knowing alongside. In the late 1800s, ‘Iolani catered The next morning we started the day with another standing ovation way, they too save lives and are touched by greatness. any English. He learned quickly, exposed to Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian boys who as Paul Rusesabagina, author of An Ordinary Man: an to English constitutional law and European were instructed mainly by a British faculty Autobiography and central character of the film Hotel Rwanda, A life spent helping others is a life well spent. history in a small, wooden frame school brought to Hawaii by the Anglican Church. approached the stage. Most of us already knew his story and the house at one of ‘Iolani’s earlier locations. “That was his first exposure to a heroic stand he made in saving more than a thousand people seeking Christian school that stressed fundamental refuge in his hotel as 800,000 others were slaughtered by gangs of liberal arts,” historian Al Castle said in the thugs roaming the country. We were humbled by his moving documentary Finding Sandalwood account of his experiences and the tremendous risks he took to Mountain: The Migration of Chinese to Hawaii. He added that Sun Yat-Sen became save others. His heroism stands as a beacon for all of us to follow. a “very good writer” and wrote for the ‘Iolani school newspaper. The conference closed with a presentation by Lisa Ling, The ‘Iolani School campus from 1872 to Sun Yat-Sen’s first glimpse of Western correspondent for the National Geographic Channel and the Oprah 1902 was located at culture led towards a movement that would Winfrey Show. Her youth belies her experience; we were struck Bates Street and Nuuanu eventually change the most populated by the variety of her most notable assignments and the personal Street. Sun Yat-Sen nation in the world. This early ‘Iolani studied at this campus graduate began to see the possibilities for a which has since been demolished. Courtesy better China. ‘Iolani archives. 2 ‘Iolani • The Headmaster’s Column 3 ‘Iolani • Sun of ‘Iolani “In China, there have been a lot of “This is my Hawai‘i. Spirit of At the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Sharing Sun historical documentaries on Sun Yat-Sen’s Museum in Hong Kong, life,” Kosaka said, “but we wanted a Here I was brought Discovery students working on Yat-Sen’s story the documentary student’s perspective on the experiences “Finding Sun Yat-Sen” he had in high school and in Hawai‘i. We up and educated; gather beneath a statue thought, ‘Why don’t we tell a good story that portrays him at from a personal view?’” and it was here fter studying Sun Yat Sen, I age 17. He holds two Documentary: Kosaka approached ‘Iolani in early 2006 discovered that he was both a books, one Western and that I came to know a one Chinese, to “Finding Sun Yat-Sen” with the hope that students skilled in regular guy and a genuine “ represent his allegiance Airing May 2007 research and writing would be inspired to what modern, civi- super star,” said Kevin Otsuka ’07, who will to both cultures. PBS Hawaii learn more about a charismatic leader who be attending Stanford University this fall. A collaboration between ‘Iolani was about their age when he first saw the lized governments “He was just one man, but he was able to School and Wai‘anae High School world beyond China. She then got bring so many people together for one goal.” Society of Honolulu in commemoration of ‘Iolani, he attended Oahu College (now are like and what Wai‘anae and their Emmy-award winning “Sun Yat-Sen had amazing passion,” said his centennial. It is a replica of one Punahou School) for one semester. His Seariders involved. Karlyn Kurokawa ’07 of his lifelong pursuit sculpted by Paul Maximilien Landowski in brother then sent him back to China, fearful they mean.” ‘Iolani students worked on the to revolutionize China. Paris in 1928. that Sun Yat-Sen was becoming overly mpower young people with tools documentary as an independent study — Sun Yat-Sen in 1910 “Everything he did was for the greater Sun Yat-Sen (1866–1925) was born to westernized. to express themselves, and let project under the guidance of ‘Iolani good, not just for himself,” added Evan an ordinary farmer’s family in Cuiheng “As a giant and great patriot in China, e ‘Iolani students also talked with them tell an important story. The Director of Studies Dr. Deborah Hall. They Leigh Kam ’07 Village, Xiangshan County, Guangdong a pioneer of the Chinese democratic result will be an educational experience visited Bishop Museum, met with several Wai Doo, a founding member of the Sun Yat- To ask someone in China if he has heard Province. In 1879, then 13 years of age, he revolution in the 20th century, Dr. Sun Yat- worthy of the community’s attention sources, read history books and articles, Sen Hawaii Foundation and president of of Sun Yat-Sen is like asking someone in journeyed to Hawaii to join his older Sen made immortal achievements. He and the creation of learning opportunities watched videos and talked to descendants the Palolo Chinese Home, whose Hawai‘i if he has heard of King brother, Sun Mei, a successful rice farmer overthrew the monarchy and founded the for others.