Synopsis: Will David Matlin, the new athletic director of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, be the savior of the athletics department?

Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu. Ke lana nei ka mana’o o ko ‘oukou mea kākau, he kāko’o ‘oukou i nā hui ‘ālapa o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa, nā Koa Ānuenue ho’i.

He nui nō ho’i nā hui ‘ālapa o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa, he ‘ehiku hui ‘ālapa no nā kāne, he ‘umi kumamālua hui no nā wāhine, a he ‘elua hui no nā kāne i hui pū me nā wāhine.

Ma mua o ke kama’ilio ‘ana no ia pouhana hou o ka Hale ‘Ālapa o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa, he mana’o ko ‘oukou mea kākau e hō’ike aku i ka mahalo i ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa no ka mālama ‘ana i nā hana ‘ālapa he nui, ‘oiai he mea ia e kāko’o ai i kekahi po’e ‘ōpiopio i ke komo ‘ana i loko o ke kulanui. Inā paha ‘a’ole i loa’a ia mau hana ‘ālapa ma ke kulanui, inā ‘a’ole paha i komo aku kekahi po’e ‘ōpiopio i loko o ke kulanui a puka. No laila, he mea nui nō nā hana ‘ālapa ma ke kulanui. A he mea nui nō ho’i ka luna o ke Ke’ena ‘Ālapa. A pēlā pū nō me ke kāko’o o ko Hawai’i a me nā hui ‘oihana like ‘ole o Hawai’i nei.

‘Akahi nō a kūkala ‘ia a’e ka luna ‘ālapa hou o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa. ‘O David Matlin kona inoa. He koa wiwo ‘ole nō paha ‘o ia nei e lele po’o ana i loko o ke kai hohonu i piha i nā niuhi ‘ai holopapa. ‘Eā, ‘o Hugh Yoshida paha ka mea hope loa i lō’ihi loa nā makahiki i hana ai ma ke ‘ano he luna ‘ālapa no ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa, he ‘umi makahiki a emi iki mai. ‘O Herman Frazier ka luna ma hope mai o Yoshida, a he ‘eono wale nō ona makahiki i hana ai ma ia kūlana. ‘O Jim Donovan ka luna ma hope o Frazier, a he ‘ehā wale nō ona makahiki. ‘O Ben Jay, he ‘elua wale nō makahiki. Ua emi mai nā makahiki o ke kau o kēlā me kēia luna ‘ālapa ma hope mai o Yoshida. ‘Ehia ana lā makahiki o Matlin e hana ai ma ia kūlana? He ho’okahi wale nō paha?

He aha ka pilikia? Wahi a Yoshida, i kona wā e hana ana ma ke ‘ano he luna ‘ālapa no Hawai’i, ‘o ka mo’ohelu kālā, he 20 miliona kālā. A i kēia manawa, he 30 miliona kālā. ‘A’ole paha i pi’i like me ke kūlana waiwai o Hawai’i nei. I ka makahiki 2002, he $1.71 o ke kālani kakalina maoli kēpau ‘ole. I ka makahiki 2014, he $4.17 o ke kālani. Ua pālua a ‘oi. Inā paha i pi’i like ka mo’ohelu kālā o ke Ke’ena ‘Ālapa o nā Ānuenue, inā paha ua pau nā pilikia o ia ke’ena.

Ua mākaukau nō ‘o Matlin e lawelawe i ka hana, a he mau mana’o maika’i kona. E kūkākūkā ana ‘o ia me nā haumāna ‘ālapa, nā luna kulanui, nā po’o ka’i a me nā luna kau kānāwai. A he makemake kona e ho’oulu i ka hoi o ka lehulehu no nā hana ‘ālapa o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa. Ke lana nei ka mana’o, e holo mua nō ‘o Hawai’i ma lalo o Matlin.

Eia mai kekahi mana’o. E mālama ‘ia paha kekahi mau papa ‘ālapa ma ke kauwela no nā keiki ma Wai’anae, ma Waimānalo paha ma nā wahi i nui nā keiki Hawai’i, a pēlā pū paha me nā keiki ‘ano ‘ilihune paha. A he mau papa manuahi ia, akā, he mau papa e ho’oulu ana i ka hoi o ia mau keiki i nā hana ‘ālapa, a e ho’oulu ana paha i ka hoi i ke komo i ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa a e pā’ani nō ho’i i ka pōpō hīna’i, ka pōpō pa’ipa’i a me ka pōpō pekupeku paha. A ‘o ka pā’ani ‘ana o nā keiki o Hawai’i nei, ‘o ia paha kekahi mea e nui ai ke anaina māka’ika’i ma nā ho’okūkū a e nui ai ho’i ke kālā o nā Ānuenue.

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.