Kealoha scores a SLAMdunk at `Iolani

During Tuesday’s Extended schedule on October 2, the ninth graders attended a special session during meeting period to experience – many for the first time – a Slam Poet. 

Thanks to an invitation from Mrs. Schroers and Mrs. Miyamoto, performing Artist Kealoha Wong provided memorable moments for all, starting from his very first piece entitled, “Recess,” to his poem about being Native Hawaiian in the 21st century (“Dichotomy”), to “beat boxing” with a new addition to the ninth grade, Taumata Vaea. 

In between each high-energy performance piece on Seto Hall’s stage, Kealoha answered the many questions posed by the crowd, including what it takes to be Hawaii’s first Slam Poet to reach the international level (placed 8th out of 325 of the world’s best poets at the 2007 National Poetry Slam), and why he switched from engineering/business to poetry writing (published in Bamboo Ridge, Wordstew, and Honolulu Weekly) and performing. 

His responses resonated with the ninth graders.

According to English teacher, Ms. Otsu, "This man held the students' attention  the entire period.  No one came out of Seto Hall grumbling when we overlapped a little into lunch period.  It was a success."

When asked in their English class what they remembered from the session, students recalled Kealoha sharing how important it is to “write for yourself; write like no one else is going to read it,” and that when speaking or performing in front of an audience, "don’t be afraid of what they will think of you: we’re all just people and get nervous, too -- everybody’s just human, right?”