| Actor and Activist George Takei Visits PBA
| | Dear readers of the What's New, | On Sunday, February 18, PBA co-hosted a reception for George Takei and his husband Brad Takei following Mr. Takei's talk at the hondo, or main temple of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, in observance of the Day of Remembrance commemorating the incarceration of more than 125,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. As attendees ambled from the temple to the
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| PBA Weinberg Building, the reception welcomed the Takeis and more than 150 others with the driving rhythms of taiko drumming from PBA Chaplain Rev. Blayne Nakasone's taiko group Ryugen Taiko. Gradually, the Takeis took their seats as guests of honor near the front of PBA's Founders Hall, where they enjoyed performances by Hawaiian slack-key group Hawai‘i Loa and hula by Halau
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| Hula Lehua o Nana‘ihale. Leaders from the local inclusive mental health clinic Spill the Tea, who received a donation from the Betsuin, addressed the audience expressing gratitude and emphasizing the importance of finding a safe space for LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent pre-teens and teens. PBA junior and Spill the Tea member Kai Chang-Schultz shared his testimony of inclusion at PBA and Spill the Tea, and how transformative the support had been for his life. The event was the brainchild of Betsuin Executive Director Jon Matsuoka. He and Betsuin President Cindy Alm felt PBA would be an ideal location to host the reception, with its warm evening lighting, lovely Fujii Garden, and homelike feel. PBA Advancement Director Megan Lee was deeply involved in the event
| planning and overall conception. "Having George Takei come to our campus was such an honor," said Ms. Lee. I'm very thankful to Jon and Cindy for including PBA in this momentous opportunity. I'm a huge trekkie, and admire what both George and Brad have done for the community." Likewise, I express my gratitude to the Takeis, the Betsuin, and our many guests at the school that evening. It is important, in our lives, to pause, reflect, and remember the injustices suffered in our nation's past and present so we may learn how to construct a more harmonious society. The opportunity to welcome the important actor George Takei, in the vanguard of opportunity for the representation of Asian-Americans and Asians in popular media, as well as his continuing advocacy for redress and inclusion, represented a gift to our school sangha of the highest order. We will take the lessons offered by the Takeis and work ever harder in our school community to ensure our students and graduates work toward the ends of global peace.
| | Get Your Tickets Today! Reserve your seat before it's too late! PBA's Taiko Festival is at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 17 at the Moanalua Performing Arts Center. This year will be like no other! The alumni return to the stage this year with Reverend Blayne Nakasone Sakata ’14, Zachary Agcaoili Sensei ’14, Chihiro Okawa ’23, and Tani Oshita ’23, playing “Miyake” with the present students. Reverend Nakasone will also play the odaiko on a song that he composed and taught to the PBA students called “Ukiyo.” This is the first time that Reverend Nakasone will join the students since returning from the School of Literature at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan to be appointed Associate Minister at the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin. Please spread the news to family and friends. Tickets are $40 for general admission and $30 for students grades K-12 and seniors over 62. We hope to see you there! 
| | Dear readers, We hope you were looking forward to the newest edition of the Karma Chronicle, the school's student-published magazine, because it is finally here! We’ve got plenty of articles and topics for all of your different desires. Whether it be looking for a new anime to watch, or learning about quantum computers, it’s all in this edition. We are glad to have you checking these out, and we hope you enjoy the articles we’ve provided this time! Happy reading, The Karma Chronicle Team 
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