Synopsis: The removal of Tom Apple as chancellor of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa came as a surprise to students and faculty alike. Newly appointed President David Lassner’s explanation on Thursday added to the suspicion and confusion.
‘Auhea ‘oukou e ka po‘e paipai ‘imi na‘auao no ka pono o ko Hawai‘i pae‘āina nei, e ala kākou! Eia nō i kēia au a kākou e noho nei, he ku‘ia e hemahema ai ka ho‘ona‘auao ‘ia o kā kākou po‘e keiki. ‘O ia ke kīpaku ‘ia o Tom Apple, i ka Pō‘akolu nei, mai kona kūlana aku, ‘o ia ho‘i, ke Po‘o o ke Kulanui o Hawai‘i ma Mānoa.
‘A‘ole nō i mōakāka loa ke kumu o kona ho‘opau ‘ia ‘ana. ‘O ka nui o nā mana‘o ho‘ohuoi ma waena o nā haumāna a me nā polopeka o ke kulanui, ua lilo ia nīnau he mea wāhi pūniu. No‘u iho, he kanaka ‘olu‘olu ‘o Apple, a ua ho‘oikaika ‘o ia i ka mālama ‘ana i nā “town meeting”, kahi e hō‘ike ai kēlā me kēia kanaka o ke kaiaulu kulanui i kona mana‘o no ke ala e holopono ai. Me he mea lā, ua ‘ike ‘o ia a ua paulele ho‘i i ka mana‘o o ka po‘e Hawai‘i, ‘o ia ho‘i, i ali‘i nō ke ali‘i i ke kanaka. A ua maopopo ho‘i, e hili hewa ana nā mana‘o o ka lehulehu ke ‘ole ke kūkākūkā. Mahalo nui ‘ia kona ‘ano ‘olu‘olu. ‘A‘ohe wahi ‘ano o ke kala‘ihi.
Mai ka lani nō a ka honua, ua puka mai ka nūhou no ko ia ala kīpaku ‘ia mai. Kāhāhā ihola ka mana‘o i ka pū‘iwa. A ‘o ke kumu mai, ua lawelawe ‘ia kēia hana i loko o ka wā kauwela, he wā kāka‘ikahi o ka po‘e e maka‘ala ana. Kohu pōā hana malū nāna e ānehe mai i ka pō. A he aha lā ho‘i ko Apple hewa? Wahi a David Lassner, ka Pelekikena o ke Kulanui, ‘a‘ole ‘o Apple i ho‘omakauli‘i i ke kālā i loko o ka mo‘ohelu kālā. ‘O ka ‘oia‘i‘o na‘e, ua emi mai ke kālā e loa‘a mai ana mai ka ‘aha‘ōlelo a ua ho‘ā‘o ‘o ia e ho‘omakauli‘i ma o ke kāka‘ahi hou ‘ana i ke kālā i loa‘a. ‘O wai kai ‘eha? Aia nō paha i laila ke kumu o ko ia ala kīpaku ‘ia ‘ana.
Hele a he ‘oia‘i‘o kēlā mana‘o i hāpai ‘ia maila ma luna, ‘o ka puni mana a me ke ake kālā nā mole i kupu mai ai kēia lā‘au kākalaioa. Nui nō paha ka po‘e poho lalo e makaleho ana i ia kūlana hana, ‘o ke Po‘o Kulanui.
‘O ka mea ‘āpiki, ‘o ia ka nānā ‘ole ‘ia o ka pono o ke kulanui, ‘o ia ho‘i, nā haumāna a me nā kumu. Ke ‘ole nā kumu a me nā haumāna, ‘a‘ohe kulanui. I ka Pō‘ahā nei, i ka wā e heluhelu ana ua ‘o Lassner i kāna ha‘i‘ōlelo i mua o kekahi hui haumāna a me ona polopeka, ua kahamaha mau ‘ia kāna heluhelu ‘ana me nā nīnau like ‘ole, a ‘o kekahi mea nui, ‘o ia ho‘i penei: No ke aha i kūkākūkā ‘ole ‘ia ai kēia nīnau me nā haumāna a me nā polopeka ma mua o ke kīpaku ‘ana iā Apple? Wahi a Lassner, ua pololei, ‘a‘ole i nīnau ‘ia kēlā mau hui ‘elua akā, ke hana hou, aia ka pono i ke kūkākūkā mua. Auē! Ua hala ‘ē ka Pu‘ulena!
Ua lohe au i ka ‘ōlelo pinepine ‘ana a kekahi luna kula. Wahi āna, e kūkākūkā wale nō ‘o ia ma ke ‘ano he luna a he luna. Mai nō a poina, ‘eā, i ka ‘ōlelo no‘eau a ka po‘e kūpuna: I ali‘i nō ke ali‘i i ke kanaka.
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E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka i ā m āua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
>> kwong@hawaii.edu
>> rsolis@hawaii.edu
a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
>> 956-2627 (Laiana)
>> 956-2627 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Ha
