2012-11-09 Windward Transcript Connections

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involved in this query, when I graduate in June; I’ll be long gone if and when the campus is constructed. When we were shown the signs that had gone up around Kaūmana, we were stunned by their bold letters and blunt words…No Connections in Kaūmana, because to those opposing the construction of the campus, a school in the community means more traffic, or harm to the environment, or worse, it means a crowd of teenagers in the immediate vicinity. First of all, the campus itself is going to be made of green materials, not to mention the plan to teach students about, I’m sorry, I’m really nervous, sustainable methods of living, and cultural appreciation for the land. This shows an obvious consciousness about the surrounding environment, but I will go no further with this subject because you will hear from supportive professionals and those managing the Kaūmana project regarding raised issues such as the effect of traffic and on the ecosystem as well - Leaving it to myself and the large portion of Connections’s student body present today to represent ourselves, through testimony or simply watching the proceedings. The new campus is important to us, and so is ensuring that the community, ensuring, assuring the community that we are not who they think we are; we are going to be constructive and valuable members of society, too. My mother sent my siblings and I to Connections instead of one of the big public charter schools, public schools, excuse me, because she never wanted us to have to protect ourselves the way she had to when she attended a public school. Students come to Connections because it’s not occupied by a bunch of juvenile delinquents, and there aren’t fifty other students in every class that they’ll never know, competing for assistance from the instructor. I spent one week at Connect, I’m sorry, Keaau High School at the beginning of my freshman year. In that week, I made fewer friends than enemies, and I felt smaller and more insignificant than I ever had; that’s not the kind of person I am. It was my personal experience, and I had seen all I needed to; and I went back to Connections. When I was a freshman new to the Nani Mau campus, I was invited to join the very small high school community with open arms, and that is why this issue is important to me. What I love about Connections High School is the attitude that the students perpetuate in one another. Someone who is treated with kindness, respect, and tolerance will feel inclined to pay it forward, and that’s what has been happening at Connections. We bring out the best in one another, we make it alright for all to express their individuality without criticism, and that open-mindedness is a model for the future. I’ve met lifelong friends at Connections and I had the privilege of studying under the wisest and most inspiring teachers. And I’m here to disprove, to defeat the sweeping generalization that my peers and I are untrustworthy and undeserving of improved facilities. The team assembled to advocate for the Kaūmana campus is working hard to amend the community’s concerns. I’ve previously attended a hearing and a meeting in which I heard Mr. Thatcher and Mr. Hong, in all sincerity searching for reasonable resolutions to the foreseen problems. This is not a dispute between parties; we want to build a relationship with the community and address these issues. Today we reach out to Kaūmana, asking them to give us a chance, tell us what we can do to change their minds. Every effort is being put into addressing the issues that divide us, and we can only hope that the community will put their best effort into 7 EXHIBIT A