Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 9, 1 September 1986 — Kauila Clark Directs Rap Center [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kauila Clark Directs Rap Center

Melvin KauOa Clark, born in Waialua but raised and educated in Wahiawa where he graduated in 1963 from Leilehua High School, began duties July 18 as director of the Waianae Rap Center. The new appointee is a native Hawaiian still fluent in the language despite living many years on the mainland where he got is higher education — a Bachelor of Arts degree in education, 1%8, from Graceland College, Lamoni, Iowa, and a Master of Fine Arts degree, 1972, from the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Wash. He taught and coached at Mount Ayr High School in Mount Ayr, lowa, and later put in 12 years as an art instructor at Graceland College where he worked on his Ph. D. in child development. He coached football and track at Mount Ayr.

Clark also taught two years at the University of Kansas and three years at Park College, Parkville, Missouri. He had a very successful career in the teaching profession and established a national reputation in the arts, lecturing all over the U.S. While working in Congressman Daniel Akaka's Washington office, he served as chairman of the Native American Cultural Appreciation Team, coordinating 75 team members in orchestrating native American cultural camps in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. "I remembered a while back when I said I would not return to Hawaii until I knew I was fully prepared and ready to go out and help my fellow Hawaiians. That time has eome and I feel I am now ready to meet this definite and positive challenge," he stated.

Clark is fully aware that working with people who have had encounters with drugs and aleohol poses a definite and positive challenge. It is his own deep interest in working with Hawaiians that prompted him to eome home and meet this challenge. In addition to his art background, Ciark was involved in collegiate athletics and has martial arts expertise. Although living on the mainland, Clark never lost his Hawaiian-ness. He has experience in Hawaiiana, including taro, fishing techniques, hula, feather leimaking, quilting and the Hawaiian language. He and his wife, the former Marcee Malie Girdner of Iowa, live in Makaha Valley "because we wanted to make a commitment to the Hawaiians on the Leeward coast."

Malie, who is heavy into Hawaiian music andculture, is a mental health worker at Kahi Mohalu. She adopted her Hawaiian name because of her love for Hawaii and its people.

The Clarks only recently got married in a beautiful sunset wedding July 29 at Pokai Bay's Kuilioloa Heiau. Bandmaster Aaron Mahi of the Royal Hawaiian Band conducted the ceremonies and Office of Hawaiian Affairs Administrator Kamaki A. Kanahele III offered the blessing. Clark also wants to make it known that the Hawaiian Civic Club's scholarship program had a great influence on his life. "A scholarship award from the Wahiawa

Hawaiian Civic Club encouraged me to go to college. I am very thankful for the opportunity," he said. The Waianae Rap Center, located at 84-117 Farrington Highway in Room 5, comes under the John Howard Association of Hawaii. The center's telephone number is 695-8842.

Melvin Kauila Clark