More than 100 Punahou alumni, faculty, staff and friends converged on the television studios of Media 3 Ltd. in midtown Manhattan on Friday, February 29 for an alumni pauhana. Media 3 Ltd. is a state-of-the-art live shot media and broadcast facility, owned and operated by entrepreneurs Damon Haimoff ’85 and Taro Hori (a 1985 graduate of Hawaii Prep), a high-tech inviting venue for this Punahou Alumni Relations gathering.
President Jim Scott, Principals Mike Walker (Junior School) and Kevin Conway (Academy), and 20 faculty and staff attending the National Association of Independent Schools conference in New York City, created the perfect convergence of people and timing to gather tri-state metro New York City alumni. Mssrs. Haimoff and Hori were the quintessentially gracious hosts with music by Darin Leong ’95 and friend Andy Wang providing the perfect backdrop for delicious pupu, Hawaiian lei and flowers, and a multi-screen surround of Punahou DVD clips.
In his welcome, Haimoff recalled the impact of Punahou’s IT Department and the launch of Punavision which helped set him on his career path, and Dr. Scott followed with the latest news from the mother ship. High above Fifth Avenue in the heart of midtown Manhattan, alumni representing the Classes of 1948 through 2004 exchanged Punahou stories and New York City updates. Outside it was sleeting and teeth were chattering, but in the Media 3 studios, the aloha spirit was warm and the memories were lively.
