Graduation lessons

UH often is target of criticism, but the one thing it does well — really well — is graduation day.

Observations from yesterday:

Prior to each graduation ceremony, student-athletes and their families are invited to meet in the Nagatani Academic Center, where they are offered refreshments and presented with a white student-athlete stole. The UH athletic department and UH Letter Winners Club are joint sponsors. It also is one of the few times the public is allowed to tour the academic center. With the center’s resources and a staff always helpful and available, it would take great effort for a student-athlete not to succeed in school. All the counselors and advisers were at the event, many of whom were beaming with pride. They’re underpaid for the amount they care.

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Ed Gallegos, a former UH athlete, paid the Letter Winners’ annual membership fee for 20 former student-athletes yesterday. At $25 for Ha‘aheo-level membership, Gallegos’ donation totaled $500. Nice gesture by a nice guy.

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Don Weir, a former UH quarterback, also donates in many ways — he sponsors fund-raisers on the mainland — but on graduation day, he’s known for his baking skills. His speciality is apple-banana banana bread.

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Generational story: Tiare’ Nakashima, who competed in cross-country, earned a degree in communications yesterday. Her brother Rico also is a UH graduate. So, too, are her father Rick (a former UH athlete and track coach) and mother Renee’ (a former Rainbow Dancer). Rick co-owns several restaurants, and Renee’ is successful in the hotel industry.

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Football graduates:

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At the graduation ceremony, he’s announced as Donnie Lebron King. Lebron? Oh, wait, Lebron … King. I get it.

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Volleyball graduates:

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Good things:
> Organization: There were parking attendants, special-duty officers, strict ushers (“You can’t save seats,” an usher scolded. When a woman said her friends were about to arrive, usher scolded: “Where? Where are your friends?”)
> Chancellor: During news conferences, the Manoa Chancellor acts like he is scheduled for a root canal in the afternoon. But during his commencement address, he was clear, purposeful, concise … inspiring. When he’s not hiring or firing ADs, he’s a very good speaker.
> UH AD: A month into the job, David Matlin remains humble and unheralded. He stays in the background, supportive yet allowing others to take credit. Now, if he could learn to make apple-banana banana bread …
> Anticipation: Noon at Ching Field is SPF-50 hot. UH set up a tent where they offered free iced water while lei-bearing family and friends waited for the graduates.

Bad things:
> Because the record number of graduates, Ching Field and Les Murakami Stadium were needed for lei-giving. Problem was there was a lone opening separating both areas. It was like “300” as people entering and exiting tried to cross.
> UH tried to get traffic moving. But when Dole Street narrows from two lanes to one in the diamond head direction, and there are cars exiting Upper and Lower campuses, it resembled the H-1 when the Zipper breaks. Conclusion: The traffic and parking can never support an on-campus stadium.

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When brother Mike learned that our father died before he could earn a doctorate degree, he promised our mother he would earn one. She died in 2001. But our parents were there in spirit — a picture of them was in his cap — when Mike and his wife earned their doctorate degrees yesterday.

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And at the other end of the country, proud father Chris “Demo” Demarest attends daughter Junelle’s graduation.