We first gathered on September 4, 1973 in a classroom of the temporary buildings that would be our "home" for the next three years.
Who were we? Who else was in that classroom? The images below from the "University of Hawaii School of Law 1973 Faculty and Initial Class" brochure show the faculty and my law school classmates.
We were greeted by the Dean, David R. Hood. We then heard remarks from William S. Richardson, the Chief Justice of Hawaii's Supreme Court.
Ka'upena Wong next chanted an Ancient Hawaiian Prayer-Chant of Dedication:
The gods dwell in the forest
Hidden away in the mists,
Under the low-lying rainbow.
O beings sheltered under the heavens,
Clear our paths (of all things that may hinder
or trouble us)
Let us be inspired.
O Ku 0 Kane, O Lono,
Let down the gift of life,
And all of the blessings with it,
Till the heavens and earth be heaped high,
Let them be raised up by Kane-of-the-living waters
May there be life from one boundary to the other,
From above to below.
From roof to foundation.
May there be life, everlasting life.
The taboo is lifted!
There is freedom!
This assembly may have included remarks from each faculty member describing what we could expect from our classes. The only part I remember was a statement, possibly by Professor Miller: "The United States uses the adversarial system..."
It's also possible I was the first student to ask a question: "What other systems are there? " I don't recall if I got an answer...
Next: Chapter 2 - Vive La Difference!
January 3, 2024