Two faculty and staff members from the Global Education Center and Global Education Section visited Hawaii to exhibit at the 41st Okinawa Festival (September 2-3), an annual event that is organized by the Hawaii United Okinawa Association (HUOA), a partner organization of the University.
Participating staff members provided a wide range of information to event attendees, including details on short-term student exchange programs, highlights of the University’s education and research, and introduction to the University’s campus. In addition to high school and university students who were interested in studying abroad at the University, the booth was also visited by members of the Hawaiian Okinawa diaspora, as well as many residents, who stopped to engage in lively exchanges with our staff.
In a show of solidarity and support for the local community in the aftermath of large-scale fires that ravaged the historic town of Lahaina and the western part of Maui Island earlier this year in August, message cards and origami cranes were collected from university faculty, staff and students. Collection boxes were set up at the University Library, the University Co-op (Central branch), the Central Cafeteria, as well as in each of the University’s faculty offices and main administrative departments. In just one week, the drive collected approximately 2,000 paper cranes and numerous message cards. The organizing staff members would like to express their sincere gratitude to all faculty, staff and students who contributed their time and effort to the solidarity drive.
Paper cranes collected from the drive were strung into handmade wreaths by staff volunteers, and the completed works were displayed at the University’s exhibition booth. The display generated significant interest at the festival, with many event attendees expressing words of appreciation, while others were moved to tears upon viewing the display.
The exhibited paper cranes were presented formally to HUOA leadership at a dinner reception held at HUOA headquarters on September 4, before they were delivered to the Maui Okinawa Kenjin Kai (MOKK). The paper cranes are expected to find a home at the MOKK headquarters as part of a permanent display.
The University’s exhibition booth at the 41st Okinawa Festival, with President Mutsumi Nishida and Executive Vice-President for Education, Student Services and International Exchange Masahide Ishihara
Origami paper crane wreaths displayed at the University’s booth
Presentation of paper crane wreaths to HUOA President Clarisse Kobashigawa and President-Elect Brendan Nakasone
