HPU "Kalamalama" Wins Best College Newspaper for Second Consecutive Year!

The Hawai'i Publishers Association awarded the Hawai'i Pacific University student newspaper Kalamalama its second straight Pa'i Award for best college newspaper in Hawai'i, March 30 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Kalamalama editor Loren Moreno, Jr. also won a Pa'i for best editorial opinion.

The judges said Kalamalama has "a very classic newspaper design-simple and to the point." They wrote, "[it is] easy to read and chock full of interesting and essential school news, covering a vast variety of subjects." This is the second year the Hawai'i Publishers Association (HPA) has offered the college newspaper category, and Kalamalama has won both times.

Moreno, a graduate of Waipahu High School and a current resident of Kunia, won the First Place Pa'i in the Editorial Opinion category-winning over other Hawai'i weekly, and even daily, newspapers. The Hawai'i Tribune-Herald and Pacific Business News won the second- and third-place awards, respectively.

Moreno's winning piece, "Bush v. Constitution: Faith-based initiatives bad for America," is an analysis of the religious agenda of the current Bush Administration. The judges said, "Well thought out insights into our President's faith-based initiative in light of equal treatment to all. The writer challenges the taxpayer on how the President's legislation may indeed pour tax dollars into factions that discriminate."

The Pa'i's are awarded every year by the HPA to honor excellence in Hawai'i publications. Entries are accepted from daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, visitor publications, and college newspapers. The HPA sends entries to be judged by journalists, editors, and educators on the mainland.