UH Manoa to celebrate summer 2005 commencement

George Takei - Star Trek's Mr. Sulu - will address the graduates

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Jim Manke, (808) 956-6099
UH Manoa Chancellor's Office
Posted: Aug 9, 2005

The University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa will hold commencement exercises for nearly 800 students this Sunday, August 14, 2005, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The ceremony — at the lower campus Stan Sheriff Arena — will include conferral of degrees for both undergraduates and graduate degree candidates.

Serving as keynote speaker for the ceremony is George Takei, critically acclaimed stage, film and television actor who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mr. Sulu in the long running television series Star Trek.

While his acting career has spanned more than four decades, Mr. Takei has also been a dedicated political and community activist at the state, national and international level. He has run for political office in his home city of Los Angeles, and served on advisory boards in the administration of LA Mayor Tom Bradley.

He served two terms on President Clinton‘s Japan-US Friendship Commission, and has been recognized by the Japanese government as a recipient of the Order of the Rising Son, Gold Rays with Rosette. He received the decoration from His Majesty, Emperor Akihito, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo just last November.

Michelle Buysse, a graduating senior who will receive her bachelor‘s degree in English, will speak on behalf of the summer 2005 graduating class. She is a member of Sigma Delta Pi National Honor Society, and a published poet. She plans to attend graduate school to pursue advanced degrees in English.

Also receiving recognition during the ceremony will be Regents‘ Scholars Micah Komine, Gavin McCall and Bradlee Sako. The Board of Regents established the Regents‘ and Presidential Scholarships in 1987, the university‘s first full scholarships based solely on academic excellence and reserved for Hawaiʻi‘s best high school and community college students. Candidates graduating with honors are Fumie Arai, Brent Fujioka, Mandakini Goode, Lance Kobashigawa, Maira Mehr, Krystalynn Ontai, Nell Williams and Christopher Yogi.

Doors to the Stan Sheriff Center will open at 8 a.m. for the combined undergraduate and advanced degree ceremony. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis; there are no tickets issued. Balloons and strollers are not allowed inside the Stan Sheriff Center.

Free parking will be available in the lower campus parking structure; there will be no shuttle service from upper campus parking lots. Friends and family members may greet graduates following the ceremony at Les Murakami Stadium. Authorized lei vendors will be located in front of Les Murakami Stadium. There will be a live webcast of the ceremony. For information on the webcast and further details about the commencement ceremony, visit http://manoa.hawaii.edu/commencement.

For more information, visit: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/commencement