Spring 2009 - Issue 5

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Aulama’s Latest Journal Released

Karina Suzuki, Arts and Entertainment Co-Editor

On Oct. 28, the Spring 2009 issue of Aulama, Chaminade University of Honolulu’s literary journal, was released.

Dr. Allison E. Francis, the instructor and mentor of the ENG 371 Applications Workshop, told the Silversword she was “very delighted and proud” of the Aulama staff who composed most of the poems and artwork.

The release took place in the Black Box Theatre in Ching Hall. The theater had bohemian decorations along with an atmosphere of romanticism, which surrounded participants in the little dark space. Glimpses of light and shadows were perfectly positioned on the stage, focusing attention on the guest speaker as well as students.

Guest speaker Darron E. Cambra, an arts and education director and writing workshop facilitator for Youth Speaks Hawaii, performed some of his poetry. The work was filled with sarcasm, humbleness and compassion for the human race.

Cambra, who considers himself a poet mentor, said he finds great inspiration in teaching and guiding the youth speakers of Hawaii. He believes that everyone has the ability to express his or her feelings, and there is no better way to do that than through poetry.

“When students perform, they have the opportunity to reach people with their words, to tell people stories that are not in a book,” Cambra said.

The audience laughed and applauded Cambra’s poetry, sympathizing with his metaphors about this world that we live in.

Francis introduced her students one at a time and each of them read their own poems while Chaminade faculty and students watched on in support and encouraged their fellow classmates.

Other members of the faculty had the chance to read some of their own inspired poetry as well; some students also read from the new Aulama book, reading the poems as if they were their own.

Francis emphasized that ENG 371 is provided not only to English majors but to whoever wants to nurture the little poet inside.

When about the future ambitions of this class, Francis said she wishes “for more exposure in campus, making it an interdisciplinary highly active-interactive workshop.”

The Applications Workshop meets once a week Mondays from 2 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. during fall and spring semester.

The Spring 2009 Aulama was dedicated to the Late President of Chaminade University Sue Wesselkamper, who passed away last January.