School News

What's New at PBA - August 27, 2026

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Camp 2026: Welcome to the Jungle

If we were to poll PBA alumni and ask them for their favorite high school experience, I'm pretty certain camp would take the cake. Camp doesn't go off without a hitch for every student every school year, there are extenuating circumstances for select individuals or classes. Over the course of 24 camps in 24 PBA years, I can think of more than one misadventure: homesickness, one rescheduled for a hurricane bearing down, leaky tents, and a few other experiences we will leave to the side for our gentle readers. But, thankfully for us, Camp 2026 was another one of the greats.

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What's New at PBA - August 6, 2026

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000

PBA strikes a pose at the start of the 2026-27 School year

I love the start of a new school year, the good cheer of the students greeting us after a long absence, the resolute focus of teachers and students dedicating themselves to new goals.

For the past decade or so I’ve been the yoga teacher at the school, Tuesday and Thursday mornings with varying class sizes for a 40-minute flow, and we are all out of practice! Our chaturangas don’t hold as long, our lotus poses and backbends a little less flexible than when the school year ended last May.

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What's New at PBA - July 23, 2026

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Omotesenke Domonkai Hawaii Honors PBA’s Sadō Sensei Marion Yasui at the 70th Anniversary of the Hawaii Chapter

It’s been an adventurous summer, from my Oregon trip to watch my niece’s high school graduation (Oregon was frigid at a cool 60 degrees), to daily text flurries with my mom as we avidly celebrated the daily action of the World Cup (¡viva España!), to enjoying the work with returning students and new during the PBA summer school program.

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What's New at PBA - May 21, 2026

Thu, 21 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000

PBA Celebrates the Commencement of the 24 Graduates of the Class of 2026

It’s always an adventure getting to the finish line with a cohort of seniors at Pacific Buddhist Academy, but the Class of 2026 made the four years with us particularly memorable. Working with the 24 students of the class took no small amount of creativity, patience, and effectiveness.

Working with them was also a joy and we miss them already! Here are my prefatory comments about the Class of 2026 from my Commencement Address last Sunday, May 17. We hope you enjoy the beautiful photo spread that follows.

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What's New at PBA - April 30, 2026

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

PBA Finishes the Speech and Debate Season Strong with Two Qualifiers and Championship-Level Competition

I will announce the big news first: PBA senior Maddie Wright was declared the state champion in Original Oratory at the state championship tournament of the Hawaii Speech League held at Punahou School on Saturday, April 18 at approximately 7:07:40 p.m.!

I say “approximately” because I only have video evidence of the announcement of the students placing 6th through 2nd place in that event. Because Maddie and I were the last Dragons standing on the Punahou campus at that time, I was the videographer documenting the champions announcement. The coach of the student declared champion has the honor of bestowing the championship trophy to his or her student, so the moment the emcee declared the excellent Parker School OO competitor received 2nd place, I knew I needed to run down the flight of stairs to grab the trophy and present it to Maddie. Unfortunately. I did not have the presence of mind to carry my phone down with me.

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What's New at PBA - April 16, 2026

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

PBA Students Participate in Re-Enactment of Vietnamese Fishermen v. Ku Klux Klan

Today I took the students of Dr. Benjamin Bruch’s “Civil War, Civil Rights, Civil Disobedience” class, mostly sophomores with a few juniors in the mix, to the Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole Federal Building and United States Courthouse to watch and participate in a re-enactment of the Vietnamese Fishermen’s Association v. Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which was tried before Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on May 10, 1981.

The trial was an important one. Hearing a suit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Morris Dees, the federal court in Texas was persuaded to disband a private army of white supremacists that had formed to intimidate Vietnamese shrimp fishermen in Galveston Bay, refugees who had fled persecution in Vietnam at the conclusion of the Vietnam War, because of their competition with white fishermen as they worked to pursue their economic livelihoods in their new U.S. homes.

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What's New at PBA - April 2, 2026

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

PBA Resumes the West Coast College Tour as a Regular Part of Its School Experience

Anyone that’s known me any length of time knows I am a big fan of Mexican food. It’s a family trait: when my parents were still in their traveling years and would visit me from Oregon once or twice annually, they typically set about finding every Mexican restaurant they could, then complained it didn’t compare to the Mexican fare they could get back home. “Let’s go for lau lau, Mom,” I replied.

So when Dean of Students Liane Viloria, seven PBA sophomores and juniors and I landed at the Long Beach Airport for the first leg of the California College Tour the day after the wrap of our 20th Annual Festival, I had my eyes peeled for the taquería closest to the home we’d rented for our first week in southern California.

Fullerton, CA did not disappoint. After depositing the students and Mrs. Viloria back home to enjoy their midnight Popeye’s dinner, I made a quick jaunt for the flashing lights and long line outside Tacos las de Allison, the first of several burritos I enjoyed while in California.

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What's New at PBA - March 19, 2026

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Okagesamade: A Taiko Festival Story

While the Taiko Festival takes place every second Sunday in March, each performance represents a culmination of a year, or even years, of dedication. Many students begin their journey with Sensei Jay Toyofuku even before they enter high school. By the time they arrive at Pacific Buddhist Academy, Zachary Agcaoili meets them as freshmen, recognizing potential they may not yet see, and guiding them toward becoming future members of Hyaku Sen Ki Kai.

Fundraising for the show is also a year-round effort, sustained by the generosity of the community. New happi coats from Japan were made possible for the 20th Annual Show through a grant awarded by the Japanese Women’s Society Foundation.

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What's New at PBA - March 5, 2026

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Pacific Buddhist Academy Robotics Team Places Third at Hawaiʻi State VEX Robotics Championship

PBA’s robotics team Dragon Mechs earned third place at the Hawaiʻi State VEX Robotics Championship held in February. The event served as a qualifying competition for the global VEX Robotics World Championship, bringing together top robotics teams from across the state.

“Although I will forever lament missing second place by one point,” said senior year captain Collin Hanney, “I think we did really well this year, and I'm proud to call myself part of the Dragon Mechs."

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What's New at PBA - February 19, 2026

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

PBA Go Club Participates in Kisei-sen Tournament Experience

When the idea of starting a “Go Club” at PBA was first pitched to me last year by Advancement Director Megan Lee, I can’t say I was very familiar with the complexities of the game. I knew of its long history in the East and its ties to Buddhism, but had never tried playing it. However, accepting a recent invitation from the Japanese Consulate to attend the Kisei pre-match reception opened my eyes to the strong cultural ties Go fosters between our students and the broader Japanese community.

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