On Thursday, March 11, the second in a four part lecture series hosted by the Business and Professional Women of American Samoa (BPW) will take place from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m at the Feleti Barstow Library conference room (upstairs).
Head of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) located at the ASCC campus, Herbert Thweatt will be the featured speaker.
His topic will be: “How Can I Improve My Business Management Skills?” Thweatt noted that, among other things, he will discuss the ‘Eight Communication Principles of Leadership’ taken from the SBDC Supervisor and Management course.
Those skills include: Be Visible; Be Available; Be Approachable; Be Responsive; Be Trustworthy; Be Responsible; Be Respectful of the Organization and those Who Work for It; and Be Aware that You are Always Leading by Example.
This same course has been offered at SBDC over the past two years and has trained more than 300 members of various companies and organizations throughout the community. Thweatt said that a question/answer period will follow.
A light lunch of sandwiches and fruit will be available, and a $5 donation per person is requested to pay for lunch.
An RSVP to BPW Secretary Sae Salele at 258-9354 will be appreciated; however all guests are welcomed and encouraged to attend with or without RSVP.
The American Samoa BPW has dedicated itself to advocacy for women in business in the territory, has promoted professionalism in all careers, be they government or private enterprise, and has bestowed almost $25,000 in scholarship money to young women over the past several years.
According to BPW President Mara Ashley, “This year’s “Roadmap to Success” lecture series has invited community and business leaders to speak on subjects meant to empower women, and help them to find success in business by improving their skills.”
BPW’s theme for the 2009-2010 year is “Empowering Women Through the Promotion of Economic and Financial Stability”.
CONSTITUTION FORUM HOSTED BY ASCC STUDENTS
Gov. Togiola Tulafono will address the first public Constitutional Forum hosted by American Samoa Commiunity College students set for Mar. 11 at 12:30 p.m. at the ASCC Lecture Hall, according to a media release from the Governor’s Office.
This forum is a lead up to the 4th Constitional Convention been planned to kick off on June 21. At the March 11 forum, a student panel will ask and provide their views on important issues affecting our Constitional.
Forums for high schools will take place at ASCC on Mar. 18 and Mar. 25 at 12:30 p.m. at the Lecture Hall. All fourms will be televised by KVZK-TV later in the evening.
Discussions leading up to the Constitutional Convention started lst month on KVZK-TV with the first four programs hosted by the governor with a round the table panel discussion.
Among the issues of dicsussions is political status, deed of cession, citizenship, protection of Samoan language and culture and the Legislature.
POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER’S 18TH ANNUAL WORLD FIREKNIFE CHAMPIONSHIPS SET FOR MAY
This May, the world’s most talented fireknife dancers will come together for the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC)’s 18th Annual World Fireknife Championships to amaze the audience and once again turn up the heat as they battle to see who will be crowned champion, according to a media release from the PCC.
From May 12 through May 15, dancers of all ages will compete in the event; and for the first time, the champion will be decided with a two-night finale.
The preliminary competition will take place on Wednesday, May 12, with semi-finals, duet and junior competitions taking place on Thursday, May 13 at PCC’s Hale Aloha Theater beginning at 7:45 p.m. for both nights.
The finalists will then take part in a two-day battle for the championship. Finals will start at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 14 at PCC Pacific Theater during intermission of the Ha: Breath of Life evening show.
The top three will battle again for the championship title on the last night of competition on Saturday, May 15, also during the evening show’s intermission. The 2010 World Fireknife Champion will be declared at the conclusion of the show with a prestigious victory ceremony held in their honor.
“Every year the performers reinvent the art of fireknife and take the competition to a whole new level, which is what makes the World Fireknife Championships such an exciting event” said Logo Apelu, vice president of operations for PCC.
“Many families have been passing the art of fireknife dancing down for generations and as a result, most of these performers were practically born with a fireknife in their hands. Their passion for the art and their much-practiced skill really shines during their performances,” he explained.
The modern fireknife dance stemmed from the Samoan ailao— a warrior’s knife dance performed with the nifo oti, or “tooth of death”.
In addition to the fireknife competitions, the PCC Pacific Theater will also serve as a venue for the annual Samoan Cultural High Schools Arts Festival where Hawaii’s high school students will demonstrate their own cultural knowledge of Samoan traditions with exhibitions in basket weaving, coconut husking and fire making among other events.
The festival will be held at the Pacific Theater beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 15, prior to the World Fireknife Championships face-off that evening.
This year the event is sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines, Henry S. Mataalii & Company, Turtle Bay Resort, Edwards Enterprises, Pepsi, the City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii Tourism Authority and Galumalemana Lester W.B. Moore.
For more information or to make reservations, please call the Polynesian Cultural Center ticket office at (808) 367-7060 or visit www.polynesia.com. In Hawaii, call (808) 293-3333.
Founded in 1963 as a non-profit organization, the PCC has entertained more than 34 million visitors, while preserving and portraying the culture, arts and crafts of Polynesia to the rest of the world.
In addition, the PCC has provided financial assistance to 17,000 young people from over 70 different countries while they attend Brigham Young University-Hawaii. As a non-profit organization, 100 percent of PCC’s revenue is used for daily operations and to support education.
