As MENC prepares for its Rally for Music Education on June 18 at the U.S. Department of Education, staffers at the headquarters in Reston, Virginia, are counting Petition for Equal Access to Education signatures. The CMENC Chapter at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in Honolulu turned in one particularly large stack from far away for MENC to pass along to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Chapter members in Honolulu collected more than 1,000 signatures.
David Bandy, the chapter’s faculty advisor, said, “Our students have worked very hard this year increasing their membership, offering free professional workshops to the community, renovating our Music Department practice rooms, and participating in the petition drive, along with numerous other musical and community-based projects. Many of our students helped with the drive. Some of the ways we collected signatures included:
- Distribution throughout numerous classes at the university
- Tables set up at our workshops
- Tables set up at O`ahu Solo and Ensemble Festivals
- An e-mail drive to music educators throughout the state
- Distribution at local concerts and performances
- Individual members collecting from family, friends, neighborhoods, community events, etc.”
2008-09 chapter officers are (from left): Vice President Jason Nomura, President Alan Evans, Secretary Janice Okimoto, and Treasurer Keane Ishii.
In the next school year Okimoto (2009-2010 president) and Nomura (2009-2010 vice president) will be joined by two new officers: Carena Montany (2009-2010 Secretary), and Matthew Cadirao (2009-2010 Treasurer).
In March, MENC presented a Collegiate Chapter Recognition award to the chapter for its efforts to recruit new members.
To read more about chapter activities, visit the chapter Web site.
It was a busy year for the members of the UH Mānoa MENC Collegiate Chapter.
Bandy says the 2009-2010 Board has a number of projects for the upcoming school year, including working to increase the number of Tri-M chapters throughout Hawaii. Nomura will be in charge of that project.
—Roz Fehr, May 20, 2009. © MENC: The National Association for Music Education
