5 years ago today, I graduated from the University of Hawaii-Manoa. I had earned a bachelor's degree in sociology.
I started UH in August 1999, and I graduated in December 2004!
Going to UH-Manoa was a childhood dream! So it was a proud moment that not only did I enroll at UH-Manoa, I made it to graduation :) :) :)
1) The ceremony itself!
The graduation ceremony took place in the Stan Sheriff Center, where they usually have volleyball and basketball games.
We stood in a line outside Stan Sheriff Center until 9am, then we all walked in outside and sat in our chairs.
The college graduation ceremony is different from high school. In high school, we're supposed to rehearse singing the songs a week before graduation. At UH, there's no rehearsal! You just show up on that day.
During the graduation ceremony, we heard speeches from school officials, a student speaker, and a guest speaker Tommy Lasorda. Lasorda used to be a baseball player and manager for the LA Dodgers.
Because there were no rehearsals, some weren't prepared for how long the ceremony would be! I've been to the ceremonies before, so I knew how long it would be! However, one well-known athlete sitting next to me never been to the UH graduation ceremony before, so he was totally unprepared for how long it is, and he kept complaining. I told him that before the Stan Sheriff Center was built, the graduation ceremony used to take place in the baseball stadium. Meaning, you're sitting outside in either the hot sun, or in the rain!
After the speeches were over, we walked out to the UH athletic fields to see our family & friends. Leis were given out and photos taken!
We were the last class to wear the black cap and gown. After that, the graduating class started wearing green cap and gowns.
2) The dream of going to UH.
My oldest brother is 11 years older than me, so he was at UH when I was in elementary school. That was one of the influences that inspired me to go to UH!
I wasn't interested in moving to the mainland for college. Going from high school to college is a big adjustment in itself, and I had no interest in experiencing extra culture shock by going to a mainland college! Plus, why be at a mainland college, when you can go to school in paradise!
In high school, I had some brochures mailed from Hawaii Pacific University and was considering going there! But I didn't turn in the application.
When the people from UH had a meeting for possible future students at my high school, the recruiters were talking about the many activities at UH. At that point, I was going to UH!
I just needed to pass all my classes, including Algebra II which was the hardest class I had my senior year!
No disrespect to the community colleges, but I wanted a university experience. There isn't as much activities at community colleges as there are at universities!
So I was proud to pass all my classes, and to be admitted to UH :)
3) A few weeks before starting UH, I attended the New Student Orientation, where the older student told us about academic advisers, gave us a campus tour, and talked at various activities on campus.
I also met a few students I haven't seen since middle school at the orientation!
I totally encourage future college students to attend their orientations so they don't get lost during the 1st semester!
4) My first day as a UH student was memorable in itself. I remember my 1st class, Sociology 100. The professor was Dr Manicas, but people called him Maniacs (notice the a & c switched places in his name)! In the 1st day, he was already running around the classroom and yelling into people's faces at random! The 1st day, he was talking into a girl's face, but gender didn't even matter. I remember the same professor getting into one of the men's basketball players face, and his teammate was laughing at him!
5) While Manicas was known for expressing his political biases, at least he was a funny guy! While many professors were left-wing liberals, most at least understood the difference between fact and opinions. As long as they understood that, I'm fine with it!
However, there were a few who were arrogant in thinking their opinions are facts, and damn anyone who didn't think otherwise.
I wrote about them at http://www.kaleo.org/2.13243/teachers-subject-class-to-opinions-1.1810071
I wasn't talking about all professors, just a few! But that editorial got a lot of controversy and backlash!
6) Dorm life
In my first 4 years at UH, I was living in the dorms. My parents moved to the other side of the island and I preferred living near campus.
While I loved living near campus, I don't like having room-mates. My room-mates weren't bad people. I got along with them. I just want privacy.
So I was happy to have an off-campus apartment near Puck's Alley all to myself! :) And I still live there :)
I wrote on this issue at
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2004/06/my-latest-ka-leo-editorial-it-is-about.html (my blog)
http://www.kaleo.org/2.13243/uh-needs-additional-one-man-rooms-1.1801508 (Ka Leo's version : the editors wrote the title, I'd prefer "one-person rooms" instead of "one-man rooms")
http://www.kaleo.org/2.13243/student-housing-policy-troubled-1.1799287
http://www.kaleo.org/2.13243/former-dormer-asserts-views-1.1799614
I'll tell future college students, better to have your apartment than to live on campus!
7) One of the best things about attending big universities is their sports teams.
In Hawaii, community colleges don't have sports teams! Only UH-Manoa has a football team!
So for those who want to stay in Hawaii, UH sports is the ultimate!
UH students get a discount to watch UH games!
I attended a few games, though I wish I watched more of them!
I started UH the same time June Jones started coaching UH football! So I was there for one of the best turnaround in college sports. The year before, UH football was 0-12 with Fred von Appen coaching. The following year, UH football went 9-4 and winning a bowl game :)
During my time at UH, the men's volleyball won the NCAA Championship in 2002, but was later disqualified due to an ineligible player on the team!
The women's volleyball team was in the Final Four in 2003 [just like this year, but lost in the semi-finals, just like this year too :( ] . Though most of the top 2003 players were gone in 2004 (my last year at UH), the team re-loaded and had an undefeated regular season that year.
The basketball teams did well in conference play, and made it to the NCAA tournament, but lost in the 1st rounds.
The soccer team went from being over-looked to being well-known in my time at UH! The swim, track, baseball, softball, tennis, golf and sailing teams had some success as well.
It was cool to be in the same school and even the same class as the UH athletes. Though most Hawaii people just know them as celebrities they see on TV or in newspapers, they were my classmates! I also met a few more of them when I was living and working in the UH dorms as well!
I'd tell Hawaii high school athletes to play for UH. Bring glory to Hawaii instead of the mainland. If they want a "mainland experience", I'd tell them to wait until you make the pros or wait until you work on your master's degree!
8) Other activities
I always found the political events entertaining! The protests, the controversies on the school's newspapers, meetings, etc.
I still remember in my first semester at UH, student activist Lance Collins getting into an argument with a professor at a meeting! They were yelling profanities at each other! Collins was telling him "(beep) you", and the professor loosened his belt and yelled "you want to (----), let's (----)". More profanities thrown around as people tried to restrain them both!
I never did attend a protest, but I did express my political thoughts on the school's newspaper the Ka Leo! Getting angry complaints about what I wrote was sometimes annoying, but it's all part of the experience!
As for Lance Collins, he was one of my editors at Ka Leo. I heard about rumors about him being hard to get along with. But aside from the bizarre titles given to my articles, I got along well with him. Maybe he just mellowed down by the time he was my editor.
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I took 2 theatre classes and watched some campus plays. Always good to see fellow students acting out interesting stories and occasionally making funny scenes!
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Cultural events, film festivals, etc. --- While I only attended a few of those, I also found them entertaining!
Talent shows. They had late night ones at Campus Center. In 2002, I was thinking about doing Nelly's "EI" but as practiced it, I couldn't sing that fast. So, as a last minute change, I did Nate Dogg's "Never Leave Me Alone" which I also sang it in high school!
My best talent show performance was also a late night one at Campus Center in 2003. I was rapping Ludacris "Southern Hospitality" I was sick and fatigued as hell that day, but no way was I cancelling that! The crowd was into it! They were even yelling out the chorus too! :)
Afterwards, I was drained! Ho'onua was performing there after the students were done performing! Everyone was dancing, but I was fatigued and drained that night!
My last one was in 2004, I did the song Marques Houston did with Chingy "I like that". Even though I was healthier that night, the crowd was more into the Ludacris song I did the year before!
I guess my best performances happen on my sick and fatigued days!
9) My last editorial on Ka Leo, was about my experiences from UH, the culture shocks, how I adjusted, and how I changed. Check it out at
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2004/12/my-last-editorial-on-ka-leo-i-will-be.html (my blog)
http://www.kaleo.org/2.13243/goodbye-uh-manoa-oh-how-i-ve-learned-so-much-1.1813948 (published on Ka Leo)
I'd tell new college students, that there will be times you will miss high schools. Some of your childhood friends might not make it to college.
But I will tell them to appreciate college as it is! There is plenty out there to enjoy - the physical scenery, sports games, campus activities, new people from different cultures, campus eating places, big libraries, etc. You won't be able to do it all, but at least try to enjoy as much as you can!
10) Will I go back?
Right now, my life is at a crossroads. While I'm currently a substitute teacher, work has been slowing down lately! While I enjoy the job, the money is declining!
So I am thinking about eventually going back to school. Maybe train to become a full-time teacher? Maybe get a masters degree in something?
We'll see. The saga continues!
