Center for Student Life & First Year Programs

CENTER FOR STUDENT LIFE & FIRST-YEAR PROGRAMS

Hawai ‘i Pacific University

At HPU you are encouraged to experience the world and get involved with your peers and the University.

Choosing a university and a field of study takes time and intentional evaluation of your interests and strengths. Hawai‘i Pacific University offers many resources to help you develop and build on your natural aptitudes.

We know you are here to earn a degree, and we want to help develop your full potential. We support you being fully engaged in the classroom and in the HPU community. Finding your niche at HPU is a joint responsibility between you, your peers, and the University.

Why Get Involved?

When you get involved at HPU, you will have the opportunity to • Meet new people with similar interests.

• Develop your leadership potential.

• Be exposed to new ideas and people from around the globe.

• Enrich your HPU experience.

What We Do OUR MISSION The Center for Student Life and First-Year Programs develops and implements comprehensive co-curricular and extracurricular programs, activities, and services that support and enhance the college experience at Hawai‘i Pacific University. In partnership with other HPU departments, the Center strives to connect students with their peers, faculty, and staff; promote school spirit and pride; foster social and learning communities; offer leadership and mentorship opportunities; and acclimate students to the University and Hawai‘i. In addition, we advise student groups and scholarship programs; engage students in thoughtful discussion on local and world matters; and support students’ development including, but not limited to, establishing identity, cultivating interpersonal relationships, appreciating diversity, clarifying personal values, and developing integrity.

Student Life Student Life oversees the Registered Independent Organizations (RIOs), leadership development, undergraduate student government, spirit scholarship programs (Cheer, Dance, Mascot, and Spirit Club), President’s Host program, and Sea Warrior Center (student center). Student Life staff are located on both the downtown and Hawai‘i Loa campuses. We are available to assist students, coordinate small-scale and campus-wide events, and serve as a resource to our student leaders. Activities and annual events include leadership development experiences, Movie on the Mall, Talented Tuesdays, Music on the Mall, Welcome Week, Club Carnival, Da Freakshow (talent show), Halloween Hoopla, and much more.

First-Year Programs (FYP) First-Year Programs (FYP) collaborates with various departments in Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to provide academic and student support services, acclimate first-year students to University life, and connect new students to returning students, faculty, and staff.

Key First-Year Programs Opportunities: • Passport Week: New Student Orientation– Offered fall, spring, and summer, Passport Week aims to ease the student transition to HPU and help first-year and transfer students become more familiar with the University community. Orientation Leaders assist with Passport Week and serve as valuable student leaders at the University.

• Be My Guest – Designed to cultivate student-faculty relationships and extend learning and conversations outside the classroom, Be My Guest encourages students to invite a professor and a fellow classmate to lunch.

• Live Hawai‘i – This series of events explores O‘ahu communities through people, places, and traditions.

Live Hawai‘i has two themed series of events, O‘ahu Neighborhoods and Urban Landscapes.

• Alternative Spring Break – This program is an opportunity for students to learn about themselves, connect with other students, and explore Hawai‘i.

Experiences have included leadership development activities, community service, and outdoor adventures.

FYP supports a variety of out–of–class initiatives including HPU Reads: Common Book Program, Secrets of Success, Viewpoints Film Series, and First-Year Advising.

Leadership AT HPU

You are invited to get involved in undergraduate student government, Registered Independent Organizations (RIOs), and as Orientation Leaders during New Student Orientation. The Center for Student Life and First-Year Programs is eager to work with you as you develop skills and apply them to making HPU and the greater community a better place.

Student Government The Associated Students of Hawai‘i Pacific University (AS-HPU) is the undergraduate student governing body.

All students taking at least two classes are members of AS-HPU and may attend weekly meetings, usually held on the downtown campus. Students are encouraged to voice their comments and concerns about their experience at HPU to AS-HPU representatives. Elections for AS-HPU officers are held in the spring. The council coordinates various activities throughout the year for students including: •

• • •

Club Awards Banquet is an opportunity to recognize individuals and organizations for their contributions to the community during the year.

Monster’s Ball is the annual event celebrating Halloween. Don’t miss this event!

Regular Community Service experiences are provided for students.

Thank Goodness It’s Friday (TGIF) – Almost every Friday midday, you will find students gathered to celebrate the end of the week on upper Fort

Street Mall. These events vary from trivia contests and karaoke to bungee runs and planting Native Hawaiian plants.

Student Government Meetings are Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. Contact ASHPU@campus.hpu.edu for more information.

Registered Independent Organizations Seventy clubs and organizations offer you the opportunity to contribute to campus life at Hawai‘i Pacific University.

These Registered Independent Organizations (RIOs), supported by the Center for Student Life and First-Year Programs, provide a wide range of social, academic, recreational, and community service activities to encourage student participation. The HPU RIOs are divided into four categories: academic and professional, cultural and religious, special interest, and activity. Students are encouraged to find an organization which meets their interests and are welcome to propose new organizations.

RIOs are an excellent way to meet new people from around the world and enrich your HPU experience. The most current list of RIOs is on the Internet at www.hpu. edu/studentlife. If you do not see the perfect match for your strengths and interests, or would like to help “reinvent” one of the inactive clubs, stop by the Center for Student Life and First-Year Programs to learn more.

Involvement AT HPU

College students share similar goals of meeting new people and finding ways to get involved.

The Center for Student Life and First-Year Programs supports this goal by offering fun, entertaining, educational, and innovative programs. Some of the events you can look forward to this year include: • Cooking Demonstrations celebrate the diversity of Hawai‘i and the world through food. Join us in the Sea Warrior Center to experience culture through culinary delights.

• Club Carnival features booths by HPU’s Registered Independent Organizations at the beginning of each semester.

• Da Freakshow is HPU’s annual talent show.

• Final Fiesta is an end of the year celebration.

• Halloween Hoopla is a fun community event celebrating the season while introducing our men’s and women’s basketball teams.

• Movie on the Mall brings intriguing and thought-provoking cultural films to the community. In collaboration with Honolulu Culture and Arts, this event is held on upper Fort Street Mall in downtown Honolulu.

• Music on the Mall occurs monthly on upper Fort Street Mall featuring talents from the Islands and afar.

• Talented Tuesday brings student and professional talent to the stage in the Sea Warrior Center.

• Welcome Week occurs during the first week of fall and spring semesters. Events vary, but often include food, music, and a fun kick-off to the semester.

Staying In The Loop If you want to learn what is happening at HPU, look at these places.

• HPU online calendar www.calendar.hpu.edu • Read HPU Pipeline e-mails and announcements • Subscribe to the HPU Weekly by sending an e-mail to studentlife@hpu.edu

• Bulletin boards • Kalamalama, the University newspaper • Banners on upper Fort Street Mall and at Hawai‘i Loa campus

Photo by Xtreme Shots Photography

SPIRIT PROGRAMS

AT HPU

Hawai‘i Pacific University spirit programs promote school spirit and members serve as ambassadors for the University.

learn more about the Cheer program, please visit www. hpu.edu/cheer.

• The Cheer Program has two national champion cheer teams comprised of male and female athletes highly skilled in gymnastics and stunting. The teams promote school spirit for HPU athletic teams and perform at HPU volleyball and basketball games as well as various community events. Within the National Cheerleaders Association Division II, the HPU cheer teams hold numerous national titles since 2003. To

• The Dance Team are five-time National Dance Alliance Division II National Champions since 2004.

HPU dancers are talented individuals with impeccable technique who perform at HPU volleyball and basketball games and entertain the crowds at University pep rallies, Club Carnivals, and orientations. To learn more about the Dance Team, please visit www. hpu.edu/dance.

Members of the Cheer program and the Dance team have been active in the community with the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Hawai‘i State Cheer Competition, Cop on Top, AIDS Marathon, and the Kane‘ohe Christmas Parade.

• In the fall of 2003, Hawai‘i Pacific University introduced our mascot Sharky the Sea Warrior. Sharky has increased school spirit and interacts with fans at HPU’s volleyball and basketball games. In addition, he appears at many other campus events, including graduation ceremonies, and community events. Each year, Sharky joins the Cheer and Dance teams at the National Cheer Association College Championships.

In April 2005, Sharky was the Mascot National Champion at the NCA National competition.

The cheer, dance, and mascot programs require auditions and that you are a new, first-time incoming student to HPU. • The Spirit Club is comprised of energetic, motivated students who promote HPU athletic teams and assist the University at other campus events, such as pep rallies, health fairs, Halloween Hoopla, and Club Carnival. The general members and Sharky Squad serve as volunteers for many community service activities, including Toys for Tots, Hawai‘i Food Bank, and Cop on Top. The Spirit Club Scholarship is only available for new incoming freshmen graduating from Hawai‘i high schools. For more information, please visit www.hpu.edu/ admissions and www.hpu.edu/scholarships.

A Place of Your Own

The Sea Warrior Center is located on the first floor of the Blaisdell Hotel on the downtown campus and is a comfortable gathering space for the HPU community. You will find pool, ping pong and foosball tables, a big screen television, and couches to enjoy with your friends. Many events happen in the Sea Warrior Center weekly. Open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m during the fall and spring semesters.

HERE TO HELP YOU The Center for Student Life and First-Year Program staff is here to help make your time at HPU interesting, rewarding, and a growing experience. We will support your academic endeavors, answer your questions, and offer you a well-rounded collegiate environment.

For more details on any of these topics, please visit www.hpu.edu/studentlife, call (808) 544-0277 or stop by the downtown office at 1188 Fort Street (MP building, Suite 105) or the Academic Center at the Hawai‘i Loa campus.

Hawai‘i Pacific University CENTER FOR STUDENT LIFE AND FIRST-YEAR PROGRAMS 1188 Fort Street Mall, Suite 105 Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813 From U.S. and Canada: 866-CALL-HPU (866-225-5478) Student Life www.hpu.edu/studentlife studentlife@hpu.edu First-Year Programs www.hpu.edu/fyp readysetgo@hpu.edu