IMUA ‘IOLANI
March 16, 2012
A Voice for Students since 1923
Honolulu, Hawaii
Volume 87, Issue 4
Police probe chapel blaze By Guthrie Angeles and Maya Stevens
When Chaplain Dan Leatherman was preparing the altar for communion on the morning of March 7, he was met by a disturbing sight. A large burn mark, about six inches across, marked the linens on the altar. After further inspection, he noticed a small, quarter-sized mark on the carpet behind the altar and burn marks on the organ speaker cabinet that rests in the back of the chapel. “This saddens me much more than it angers me,” said Chaplain Leatherman. “This person violated the sanctity of this chapel by going for the most sacred object in here.” Police were called the following morning to assess the situation. “It was pretty minor as far as damage goes, but it’s evident from this that someone needs help,” Chaplain Diane Martinson-Koyama said. A student also found a note addressed to Dr. Iwashita on
What’s inside?
Wednesday or Thursday, Chaplain Leatherman said. He turned it in to the Main Office, but since the Headmaster was off campus for a few days, it was placed in his mailbox and not read until Thursday. The letter was addressed directly to Dr. Iwashita and stated that the fires would continue if a certain set of demands were not met. It is suspected that the arsonist either stayed in the chapel or entered it some time on Tuesday evening, stood behind the altar, and tested three spots for flammability using one of the lighters that used to sit by the prayer candles and altar. However, the flames did not spread far from their ignition site. Police speculated that the arsonist is a young student given the methods used to set the fire. Shortly after the incident, Chaplain Leatherman conducted some flammability tests of his own on the materials that compose the speaker cover. He found that while the outer polyester layer did nothing more than smolder, the cotton interior burned easily.
Guthrie Angeles | Imua Iolani A hole burnt in the altar cloth is the result of an intentional fire set in St. Alban’s Chapel. Both layers of cloth cover the speaker cabinet from the floor of the chapel to its roof. However minor the damage, security concerns have led to new precautions, including locking the chapel during the day for precaution. “At around 4 p.m., I would be getting ready to leave,” said Chap-
lain Leatherman. “And once I leave, there’s no one else here – but the chapel is still wide open.” The chaplains think the chapel should be left open to students as a quiet place to collect their thoughts, but students must also respect the chapel as a sacred place. No word has been released yet about potential suspects, but the
investigation is ongoing. “It’s sort of painful that the chapel is closed,” Chaplain Leatherman said. “If there’s one place you should feel safe, it’s here; but we have to acknowledge the situation right now. We’ve sort of adopted a language of defiance; It’s important to remember that we cannot succumb to this.”
Chutney sweetens Family Fair
By Trey Takara
Students donate to the Blood Bank of Hawaii (p.3)
Dr. Timothy Cottrell named new headmaster (p.6)
Luscious and orange is the delicious concoction of mangoes, lemon rind, sugar, and spices of Bernice Tawarahara’s famous mango chutney. Every year for 30 years, Mrs. Tawarahara, 84, has been preparing her renowned preserves to donate to the ‘Iolani Fair. Ensuring that her love goes into every jar, she checks each one, knowing full well it is this very ingredient which delineates her recipe by all as simply “the best.” The `Iolani Fair is an annual event which depends upon the generosity of students, faculty, and ohana, but few can surpass the amount of time, effort, and resources that go into Mrs. Tawarahara’s chutneys and jams, which sell out early almost every year at the Fair’s General Store. Since 1972, Tawarahara has donated 600 to 900 jars to the Fair each year. With this year’s `Iolani Fair right around the corner, Tawahara will have donated more than 25,000 jars of chutney, jams, and jellies over the past 30 years. Among this year’s selections: mango-pineapple, pepper, and original mango. Sure, you could say cooking is her passion, but what about her motivation? Simple. “I do it because I love `Iolani,” she said with a smile.
And indeed she does. Mrs. Tawarahara’s love for `Iolani runs deep, and her connections to the school date back more than 50 years. Two sons, three grandchildren, and a number of nieces and nephews have graduated from the school. Her husband is a first cousin of math teacher Mrs. Kathleen Goto. To top it off, she is best friends with Ms. Jo Okumoto, who has been watching `Iolani sports with Mrs. Tawarahara since 1967. “`Iolani has had a lot to do with my family’s success,” she said, Trey Takara | Imua Iolani “and I feel very blessed to be able to give back to the school-- family Bernice Tawarahara’s smile is as sweet as her chutney. which has given so much to me.” nator to her church’s food fairs, tell people that I’m still healthy, Mrs. Tawarahara begins the where her cooking is not surpris- except my kidneys, and I end up months long process of prepar- ingly a popular sell- out. Revered doing it anyway- for `Iolani.” She ing her chutneys and jams for the by many for more than her cook- smiles. April fair in February. She steril- ing and friendly personality, Mrs. This year, `Iolani Fair runs izes hundreds of bottles, buys the Tawarahara has made a lasting from noon to 10:30 p.m. on April necessary ingredients on her own impression among those who have 20 and 21. The theme is Global budget, and puts them all togeth- worked with her. Getaway, and you’ll be sure to find er in the labor-intensive process “In addition to her hard work, Mrs. Tawarahara’s preserves (for a which takes place the kitchen of she’s a warm and caring person short time, of course) on sale in the her Palolo home. whose generosity is beyond mea- Parisian Vive Le ‘Iolani Country “Sometimes I work for hours sure,” said `Iolani Fair Chair Cher- Store, located in the Marketplace each day,” she said, “but I just say yl Wong. Tent. to myself, it’s worth it for the parkMrs. Tawarahara’s motivation “Hey, if you do things, you ing pass at the Fair.” She laughs remains unfaltering despite receiv- do it because you want to. It’s jokingly. ing kidney dialysis three times per your heart that moves you, you Mrs. Tawarahara’s labors aren’t week. “I can tell I’m aging, and know?” she said. With 25,000 just devoted to `Iolani; she is also every year is a question of whether jars of chutney to her credit, her an avid member and generous do- I’ll do it again,” she said, “but I words ring true.