HIKI NŌ Kids Cover Dalai Lama

Among the press pool gathering in the early morning hours at a Honolulu hotel to follow the Dalai Lama on the first full day of his Hawaii visit were two middle school students from Kauai.

Not just any middle school students--digital media standouts Kasey Enomoto and Laura Koga from Chiefess Kamakahelei School in Lihue. These girls already have experience in covering news of community-wide interest.

Thanks to Pierre and Pam Omidyar and the Hawaii Community Foundation, hosts of the Dalai Lama's visit, for giving the students this opportunity! They were accompanied by their teacher, Kevin Matsunaga, and PBS Hawaii's Lawrence Pacheco. Under Matsunaga's leadership, Chiefess students have picked up a bundle of awards at the annual national Student Television News Challenge competitions. Kevin serves on HIKI NŌ's statewide Teachers Steering Committee.

Kasey and Laura will produce a story for INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAII this week and another report for airing later on a HIKI NŌ newscast. We'll see how these young people choose to cover the Dalai Lama's visit.

We're proud of HIKI NŌ students for stepping up to the plate and going outside their comfort zone. Last year, HIKI NŌ students from several Oahu schools accepted a special invitation to work alongside national and international correspondents, covering the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Waikiki.

Comments

[Damon]

Great job being the Mistress of Ceremonies today at the Dalai Lama Public Talk!

[Matt Glickstein]

Dear Leslie,

My name is Matt Glickstein, and our video (Lana'i Class of 2020) was featured at the Dalai Lama event today. By the way, great job emceeing and thanks for doing a nice introduction to our video. I just wanted to pass along the Youtube link to view the music video, and also share with you another music video that the students and I (again Lana'i Class of 2020) have created called "Every Day is Earth Day," which will be featured next week at Sea Life Park's Earth Day event (April 22nd). Six students and another teacher and I will be flying over for the day to participate and do a live performance of the song.

Here are the video links:

"Singing to the World:" http://youtu.be/7xXnlmitQWc

"Every Day is Earth Day:" http://youtu.be/daBNZqaOZPA

For more info, you can visit my website at http://www.mattglickstein.com, or http://www.HawaiiKidsSing.com for more about "Singing to the World."

Thanks for doing such a great job today, and I hope you enjoy the videos!

[Leslienotes]

Hi Damon, good thing the event was livestreamed because it was sold-out, the seats filled with about 9,000 people who really wanted to hear what the Dalai Lama had to say. You saw that he didn't speak from a text, just shared, and he was powerful in his simplicity and clarity of thought. And he laughed gleefully many times. I was just the emcee, but on his way out, the Dalai Lama turned around and presented me with a white shawl as a blessing...Aloha, Leslie

[Leslienotes]

Dear Matt, your Lanai High and Elementary Class of 2020 song and music video delighted the Dalai Lama and the audience at the Stan Sheriff Arena on Sunday. Very well done. I hope everyone reading this goes to Youtube and checks it out. Thanks for the links! Here's to you and your 4th graders...Aloha, Leslie