Background design by Kumu Kahoali'i Keahi Renaud
PROJECT SUMMARY
Chaminade University of Honolulu is more than a beautiful campus with nice people. The Marianists & the Arts: A Sense of Spirit; A Sense of Place began as a year-long project to engage Chaminade faculty, staff and student leaders (undergrad and graduate) in the historical stories of the transformative educational approach- witty, quirky, visionary- of the first Marianists in Hawaii in the establishment of Chaminade. The project aimed to create greater awareness of and to deepen the Catholic and Marianist identity of the University through participants engaging in personal reflection and the production of a Marianist-inspired artifact. One primary goal of this project was to create a sense of ownership and belonging through encounters with Marianist history. With the continued sharing of these stories, may the Marianist sense of spirit and sense of place be strengthened in the common core of the Chaminade ohana here today and beyond the campus.
NARRATIVE
Situation
How many current faculty, staff or students can tell the story of how the building they are working, teaching or attending class in was named? In asking the general populace if they have heard about Chaminade University, how many of their responses go beyond, “It has a nice campus.” “People are friendly.” It is evident that among Chaminade faculty, staff and students, a deeper knowledge of the Marianist identity of the university does not often go beyond the Five Characteristics of Marianist Education found on course syllabi.
A Campus with a Rich Background
Chaminade University did not rise overnight. The first Marianist Fathers and Brothers to Hawai'i literally physically labored breaking concrete with their bare hands, debugging old books, sweeping and mopping on a mission to transform the world (Fr. Stephen Tutas). Even the first President of Chaminade College, Fr. Robert Mackey could be found with paintbrush in hand as Bro. Henry Honnert labored to build the first biology lab.
What inspired these Marianists from different parts of the United States to selflessly give of themselves to the Hawai'i mission, adapt to the new environment and culture, and persevere in their ministry of education to eventually give rise to the present Chaminade University of Honolulu? Undoubtedly, there were challenges. And yet, held in common by the Marianist charism, each met their personal challenges with giving and doing even more. This was expressed not only in civic engagement, being a part of the Commission for Environmental Quality and Control for the State of Hawai'i, or serving on the Advisory Board of Straub Hospital, but also in the arts.
Continuing this search into deepening one's "Sense of Spirit; Sense of Place," the seond year of the program focused on using the Hawaiian translation of the Characteristics of Marianist Education not only as a springboard for discussion, but as a template for translation into other languages. The goal here was that participants would grow in their understanding of the Characteristics owning and embodying them as their own. Thus, when participants graduate or move on from Chaminade University, they also take away the Marianist Characteristics of Education as wisdom values, values for life to share and encourage others with; to live nobly by. This is one way of perpetuating the legacy of Chaminade.
Through a series of diverse art-related workshops offered by select faculty to further the discussion and application among interested students, staff and other faculty, the project aimed to:
1. Build awareness of and deepen the commitment to the university’s Catholic and Marianist identity; and
2. Promote the integral development of people of Hawaii or other islands of the Pacific.