Sophomores in their Peace Core course titled Effective Altruism spent last cycle learning about how nonprofit organizations give back to the community. They took a field trip to Waikalua Loko fishpond where Herb Lee’s nonprofit has been restoring the land since 1995. Joining them was USA Today reporter Alia Wong who published the experience online. 

 Alia’s article focused on how Hawaii’s schools hope to lead climate education across the country. According to Alia, “Education leaders in Hawaii say the key to enabling young people to thrive in the face of a changing climate is bringing them back

Herb shared with PBA students vision that today’s young people can learn to revitalize ancient Hawaiian aquaculture saying, “I really believe that it’s going to benefit us - maybe not in my generation, but maybe in your generation or for your kids.” Student Lycan Devol commented, “This field trip taught me that through education, students can learn how ancient Hawaiians lived to be completely self-sufficient. If we can learn how to grow and harvest our own food, we can live a heathier and less co-dependent life.”

Alia’s full article is available on USA Today’s website at the link below through a subscription or free two-month trial.  

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/02/28/climate-change-hawaii-schools-indigenous/6911712001/?gnt-cfr=1 

is to teach the younger members as much as we possibly can so that they can keep the club going in the future,” said Matt.  

Matt emphasized that some of his most meaningful college memories and closest friendships have been made practicing with Hidaka saying, “I’ve grown a lot as a taiko player because of the close-knit dynamic of our members.”  

Another challenge for Matt is balancing taiko and schoolwork, especially during weeks with mid-terms and finals. “As president, I’ve tried my best to skip as few practices as possible to consistently teach and run practices. However, my goal has been to establish taiko as an activity that reduces stress rather than adds to it. Therefore, I encourage our members to take days off when they need, especially if they are overwhelmed by their schoolwork. This encouragement also applies to me. Being able to forgive myself if I miss practice to prioritize my academics has helped me achieve a balance between taiko and school,” said Matt.  

Matt reflected on his high school taiko experiences, saying, “My favorite memory while performing taiko at PBA was during my senior year at our annual Taiko Fest. That performance was a symbol of my hard work and showed me how far I had come. I remember feeling so happy and fulfilled after performing the senior piece with my three classmates, Dillon Tsubota, Kurt Villa, and Sheera Tamura. I'll never forget my high school experience because it marked the beginning of my taiko journey.” 

After graduating from SU with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Matt plans to take a gap year to work full-time and save enough money to pursue a graduate degree. “I am still undecided on what specific area of study I will pursue, but my current interests involve the field of counseling and therapy,” said Matt. “One thing I wanted to add is that I am super thankful to Maya Viloria ’17 for convincing me to join Hidaka Taiko in my freshman year. Being able to practice alongside my friends and work towards our performances together has made taiko so much fun!”