The kick-off event for “Aʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia: Building our beloved campus community together,” drew several hundred students, faculty and staff to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Campus Center courtyard on February 7.
“Today we’re celebrating the diversity we have at UH Mānoa and the respect we have for each other,” said Camaron Miyamoto, director of the LGBT Student Services Office and event organizer. “It’s exciting that we have the opportunity to launch a semester-long series of events being sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor and this campus climate committee.”
More than 35 offices, units and organizations were on hand to answer questions. Students stopped by tables in the Campus Center courtyard to get information ranging from UH Mānoa Department of Public Safety services to Title IX and other resources available for students on campus.
Units encouraged helping the campus as well as a global community. Attendees dropped off non-perishable food and toiletry items to the UH Mānoa Food Vault, with the first 50 to donate receiving reusable straws and cleaners, courtesy of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Students. A total of 452 lbs of food and 30.5 lbs of toiletries were collected.
UH Mānoa students Sara Pearce and Daniela Casillas stopped by the Peace Corps table after getting water and Peace Tea, courtesy of Sodexo and UH Mānoa Food Services.
“I’m really interested in the Peace Corps and really want to go to Africa,” said Pearce. “I want to help with the developing communities over there.”
Participating groups were encouraged to showcase how they can help build a better community, including:
- ACCESS
- Best Buddies UH Mānoa/Self-Advocacy Advisory Council
- Campus Arboretum
- Center for Chinese Studies—Confucius Institute
- College of Social Sciences
- Graduate Women in Science
- KOKUA Program
- Mānoa Bookstore
- UH Mānoa Department of Public Safety
- UH Mānoa International Exchange
- UH Mānoa Online Learning Academy
- Mānoa Peer Advisors Program
- Mānoa Dining Services
- Master of Education in Teaching Program and Department of Special Education
- National Student Exchange
- Office of Civic and Community Engagement
- Office of Title IX
- Pause Space
- Refugee and Immigration Law Clinic (William S. Richardson School of Law) and SEED office
- Rehabilitation Counselor Education Program
- School of Pacific and Asian Studies
- Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution
- Student Housing Services/Residential Life
- Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
- College of Social Sciences Public Administration Program
- UH Mānoa Athletics
- Kennedy Theatre
- UH Student Media-Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi
- Waikīkī Aquarium
The following themes will be explored in upcoming events throughout the spring semester:
- February—Empowerment
- March—Community
- April—Respect
Aʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia means “no task is too big when many hands work together.” The initiative was a result of the campus climate committee, whose mission is to provide a safe and inclusive work and learning environment—free from discrimination and intolerance.
