NPIEN BLOG: February 2010

Friday, February 26, 2010

Maui Hawaiian BBQ in Whittier Sponsors NPIEN Fundraiser

Maui Hawaiian BBQ in Whittier, CA will be hosting a fundraiser for NPIEN on Monday March 8, 2010, 5:00-9:00 p.m. at its restaurant in the Whittwood Town Center, 15628 Whittwood Lane, Whittier, CA 90603 (562) 947-5627. NPIEN will receive 15% of the proceeds that evening. Please bring your friends and ohana (family) and eat a lot of ono grindz (good food) so we can earn a lot of money! Print a flyer, located on our website at www.npien.com, and bring it to the fundraiser. Mahalo!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

www.npien.org

Long-time NPIEN friend and colleague Matt Finucane of Washington D.C. recently donated the rights to www.npien.org ro NPIEN. This means that you now have two ways to find us! Thank you very much Matt!

Donate to Cars 4 Causes and Support NPIEN!

Our President Falanai Ala discovered a new way to support NPIEN. Do you have an old car that you are not sure what to do with? What about your neighbors? By making a donation to Cars 4 Causes, NPIEN receives 70% of your donation! Cars 4 Causes will come to your home or office and tow the car away! Remember we are a 501.c3 nonprofit organization, just as significant as any of the others you donate to.

Visit our new Cars 4 Causes link at www.npien.com to make a donation.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Sustaining Membership Drive - Have You Joined Yet?

NPIEN recognizes the first to renew their membership for 2010:
Sandy Silverstein, Teresa Molina, Christina Grimaldi, and new member Yuki Sato.

What are you waiting for? For only $30 dollars, you can help to support NPIEN's outreach, mentoring, ukulele instruction, and annual conference programs. Visit www.npien.com and use Pay Pal to make your donation. Of course, we are a 501.c3 nonprofit organization, so your donation is tax deductible.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Cabrillo High School Sounds of Polynesia

Cabrillo High School's Pacific Islander Club presents Sounds of Polynesia, featuring entertainment, food vendors, and cultural displays on Saturday February 20, 2010, 2:00-5:00 p.m. at Cabrillo High School, 2001 Santa Fe, Long Beach, CA 90810. Tickets are $5 pre-sale, $7 at the door. Contact Manaia Petaia at (562) 375-3275. Cabrillo HIgh School has been a long-time member and supporter of NPIEN, and we encourage you to attend this great event! The picture above is from the 2006 NPIEN Conference at Cabrillo.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Recent CBS News Story on Samoans in the NFL

Listed below is information on a recent news story which brought positive attention to American Samoa. NPIEN recognizes the many Samoans and other Pacific Islanders (Native Hawaiians, Tongans) who play professionally in the National Football League. Troy Polamalu noted that football is an opportunity for Pacific Islanders to further their education. Since only a smal percentage of Pacific Islanders will become NFL players, we hope that CBS and other news agencies will equally recognize other Pacific Islanders who excell in other professions. Dr. Tagaloa Tulifau. podiatrist (Lakewood, CA), Kimo Marquardt, Oceanside High School (CA) principal, Pua Palei, researcher, Long Beach (CA) Memorial Hospital, Ruth Perez Ashley, Long Beach Unified School District (CA) assistant superintendent, and Dr. Maenette Benham, University of Hawaii professor, are just a few from the Pacific Islander community that have keynoted at NPIEN's annual education conference. The 2010 conference will be held on November 13, 2010 at Artesia High School, Lakewood, CA.

Why are Samoans flocking to the NFL? Watch "60 Minutes" Sunday

WHY DO MORE NFL PLAYERS COME FROM A TINY GROUP OF SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS THAN FROM ANY OTHER PLACE IN AMERICA? “60 MINUTES” FINDS OUT – SUNDAY ON CBS

NEW YORK -- 60 MINUTES goes to American Samoa to find out how a territory with a population less than the capacity of a pro-football stadium sends more players to the NFL than any similarly populated place in America. In fact, boys born to Samoan parents are estimated to be 56 times more likely to play in the NFL than other Americans, reports Scott Pelley in his story to be broadcast Sunday, Jan. 17 (8-9 p.m., ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The Samoan people tend to be on the larger side and the islands’ six high schools have sent 10 linemen to the NFL in the last five years. One of those 10 NFL linemen who played Samoan high school ball is the Cincinnati Bengals’ Domata Peko, who says Samoans’ speed plays a role as well. “The combination of size and ability and speed, that’s kind of hard to find. Big dudes who can have nimble feet and are able to run and go sideline to sideline,” says Peko. Peko’s teammate, another Samoan named Jonathan Fanene, is a defensive end who proves Peko’s point with his six sacks and a touchdown this season. Says Fanene, “With the talent that we have, we have to take pride of it, especially when you have the opportunity to come to the mainland.”

Fanene’s little, well, not so little, brother, 17-yr.-old Aiulua, is poised to follow in Jonathan’s footsteps. At 6-5 and 280lbs., he’s considering offers from Arizona University and Oregon State. Like many other Samoans, he does a day’s worth of chores before school starts. His father, David, thinks the discipline has a lot to do with his kids’ football success. “That’s how he’s been brought up. Discipline. Obedience should be involved in this house and I am expecting our children to obey us,” Fanene tells Pelley

Jonathan Fanene built his family a palatial home in Samoa with the seven-figure salary his NFL career affords him.

Perhaps the most famous Samoan in the NFL, Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu – born in the U.S. to Samoan parents – says the island is lucky to have the option of football. Beyond a career in the NFL, Samoans have little opportunity beyond the military or work in a tuna canning industry based there that is threatening to pull out soon. “The beautiful thing about football is it’s allowed us to get into education,” says Polamalu. “Football is something that comes naturally to us,” he tells Pelley.

There are currently more than 30 Samoans in the NFL and another 200-plus playing Division 1 college football. There are just 65,000 people living on the islands. “What if there were 120 million Samoans,” wonders Polamalu. “How many Samoans would there then be in the NFL?”

McDermott Scholars Program

As Eugene McDermott Scholars, students pursue their choice of majors while having a variety of opportunities for academic advancement, leadership, service, and social involvement. Scholars have a rigorous academic experience that includes access to UT Dallas leading professors, McDermott Alumni and a network of mentors and career contacts. The McDermott Program specifically supports Scholars in being models of engagement and agents of change for a lifetime of positive impact on their communities and the world.

McDermott Scholars have studied abroad in over 50 countries from Argentina to Zambia. They have won prestigious awards such as the Fulbright, Marshall, Harry S. Truman, Barry M. Goldwater, U.S. Department of State/CAORC Critical Language, and NIH/Ox-Cam scholarships, as well as the David L. Boren, Leonard M. Rieser, and NSF Graduate Research fellowships. Program alumni have gone on to further study at institutions including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Virginia, Cambridge, London School of Economics, Northwestern, Emory, University of Michigan.

Could a student from your high school be a future McDermott Scholar?

The programs website (www.utdallas.edu/mcdermott ) and the hyperlinks below provide an overview of the remarkable opportunities this award provides please click through to learn more. While we have completed the application process for the 2010 Class, please share this information with your juniors so they may apply to be in the 2011 class