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| Mr. Heffernan Takes on a New Responsibility as Pac-Five Varsity Football Coach
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| Dear Readers of the What's New,
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| Pacific Buddhist Academy Math Teacher/Athletic Director/Sumo Sensei Kena Heffernan and I had long fantasized what he would do if he was offered the opportunity to coach the Pac-Five football team: “In a heartbeat!” we agreed. But when the opportunity came knocking this May, Coach Heffernan was a little more deliberative than giving an immediate yes – he needed to consult with his family, he wanted to study the opportunity, and he and I needed to consider whether there was enough band-width left in the life of an educator during the era of the COVID-19 pandemic – but I was pretty sure what his answer would be. “It looked like Pac-Five might not be able to field a football team at all, and I didn’t want to see that. PBA Alumni Jayden
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| Williams and Keola Teves were going to lose their legacy as Pac-Five football players. So we held a clinic in May to test the waters. The turnout was great, but only five veterans came out … and Jayden helped me with it also. The overwhelming feeling from that week was a sense of gratitude and appreciation to even play.” Coach Heffernan and the Pac-Five squad faced significant challenges. They lost their traditional practice field at Mid-Pacific Institute. All the varsity coaching staff departed for other coaching opportunities. And Coach Heffernan had to figure out how to navigate the various COVID-19 policies and protocols governing the 10 Pac-Five member schools contributing student athletes to the 2021 Fall Season. Through it all, Coach Heffernan leaned again and again on some fundamental Buddhist precepts PBA emphasizes. “Interdependence. We’ve got to do it for each other. And gratitude. Sure we faced challenges, but we managed, as a team, to appreciate every little thing that came our way. We never talked about the winning and the losing, and every day we practiced like this was our last. We told the kids before each practice, ‘We are the lucky ones. So when it’s tough, be grateful.’” The Pac-Five Varsity squad did earn two wins this season against Damien School and Pearl City High School even though they had to play up a division against D1 and Open Division squads. Beyond that, however, Coach Heffernan established a strong foundation to build on for the future years of the program. “PBA junior Breydon Gono is a player that could be in consideration for Most Improved,” said Coach Heffernan. “He had zero football knowledge prior to the season, yet he ended up learning multiple positions on both sides of the ball. And he’s only a junior so we’re stoked to have him back next year. We are hoping Pac-Five Football establishes itself as a great learning opportunity at PBA.” Breydon Gono thought working with Coach Heffernan on the football field was pretty normal. “He tells me what to do and I do it,” said Breydon. “Do my math homework. Run from here to there. Run faster. It’s all the same to me.” While it is certainly possible for PBA teachers and staff to take on too many assignments, as the school’s leader, I work to make certain our educators have continuing opportunities for growth. The opportunity for Mr. Heffernan to assume leadership of the Pac-Five football team is a great example of how an educator’s continuing growth benefits the total school community. PBA has benefited from our participation in Pac-Five programs for many years. I think it is just wonderful that we are able to share one of our outstanding educators with the student athletes of Pac-Five. We offer our hearty congratulations to Coach Heffernan and all the student athletes of Pac-Five Football! Warmly |
| PBA Class of 2018 Alumna to Publish Study on Native Waterbirds |
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| Alumna Lisa Roerk balances both her new teaching position at PBA and publishing her first scientific journal study. Lisa graduated from Oregon State University majoring in zoology and minoring in chemistry and visual art. Her work experiences include working as a state entomologist studying the biology of insects and tracking endangered owls in southern Oregon. Her most recent work focuses on native Hawaiian waterbirds. |
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| “I am currently in the process of publishing my first scientific journal. It highlights the importance of native waterbirds and how they are conservation reliant. In order for these birds to have a future in Hawaii, active management such as predator control is necessary to study,” explained Lisa. “I am writing about the Herpestes auropunctatus, which is the small Indian mongoose, and how they are detrimental predators to native waterbirds, preying upon eggs, chicks, and adults. By comparing the cost efficiency of various traps, my results can provide insight on both trap and bait preference.” Lisa hopes that her study can eventually be used to help manage areas that are impacted by mongoose in Hawaii beyond waterbird habitats. She credits her high school experience at PBA for instilling her with a desire to make a difference in Hawaii. “I thank PBA for shaping me into the individual that I am. My career path was influenced by PBA’s science curriculum and class called Radical Movements. PBA offered a variety of electives, which allowed me to pursue and delve into my own interests,” said Lisa. This year, Lisa has joined the PBA staff as a math teacher, advisor, and teacher of an elective called Wilderness Survival. “I urge my students to make the most of their high school education. Because I got along so well with my teachers when I was a student, it made speaking to professors in college a breeze. A lot of opportunities to conduct research opened up because of this. I’m excited to develop that type of relationship with my students as well,” said Lisa. Pacific Buddhist Academy is thrilled to have Lisa as a staff member and looks forward to the positive influence she will have on many students to come!
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| PBA Alumna, Chris Knight Leads the First-Ever E-Sports Team at PBA! |
| I still remember for several years, even back when I was a sophomore at PBA all the way back in 2018, the school toying with the idea of creating an ESports team. I was among those that initially scoffed at the idea of an Esports team being “a sport” and not the traditional physical activities of a more traditional sport. However, my opinions shifted almost instantly when I was approached by Mr. Heffernan, our athletics director, to coach the Esports team that was to be created for PBA back in September of this year. |
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| Initially, seven students were interested in the endeavor of competing with other schools in League of Legends (LoL) and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Smash). I was somewhat confident heading in as these were people that I trusted and have even known for many years after going to school with them at PBA and even back to HMS. Heading into the very first week of matches the very next week, I must admit that I became extremely nervous and stressed. Not for the students and their ability to perform, but for my part as the coach, making sure the matches went smoothly and making sure we abided by the lengthy and sometimes vaguely written rulebook provided by the league. I was also very conscious about representing PBA admirably and with good sportsmanship. After the first week of matches and a small hiccup in the second, we really hit our stride in Smash and are on a five match winning streak and counting! I must admit, however, that our LoL games were not going as smoothly as anticipated. While morale was initially high, it dwindled and sometimes got real low as the season dragged on. Despite the setbacks, I am proud to say that the students were very much willing to put time and effort into mastering their techniques and gameplay. And the fruits of their efforts were seen in this past week’s match, where we finally secured our very first game! While many may look at the LoL season and say that it was not worth the effort, I think that this one game alone shows the students’ determination and will to succeed. Myself and Assistant Coach, Branson, are very proud of the students’ drive and teamwork towards securing the game win that day as well as their time and effort to the sport. We are looking forward to supporting our LoL students again for the Spring season next year! That said, our Smash team isn’t quite done yet. They’re currently ranked fourth out of forty teams in the league as of 11/16 and are confidently heading into the playoffs next week. We’ve even picked up one new player to join us in the final weeks! Wish us luck! |
| Student Activity |
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Conceptual Physics class learning about waves | Important Dates November 19 - PBA Sangha Thanksgiving Celebrations
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1754 Lusitana Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
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