LIHU‘E — It could have been a plain white wall with pencil marks on it from where people got too close, said Keith Kitamura, a teacher/adviser for the Kapa‘a High School Peer Mediation ‘Ohana, but it became so much more
LIHU‘E — It could have been a plain white wall with pencil marks on it from where people got too close, said Keith Kitamura, a teacher/adviser for the Kapa‘a High School Peer Mediation ‘Ohana, but it became so much more instead.
Students from the peer mediation group were putting finishing touches on the mural they created for The Home Depot Sunday, wrapping up the work they spent their spring break and a couple of weekends to complete.
“The Home Depot supplied the paint for our Peace Project murals at the school, and when they saw the finished product, they asked if the students could do one for the store,” Kitamura said.
“Orange Embrace” was the theme the store wanted and the students set out to plan the project that is located in a hallway near The Home Depot’s employee lounge and the restrooms.
“ ‘Orange Embrace’ is designed to promote diversity and inclusion between The Home Depot employees and its customers,” Kitamura said. “This is what the store wanted.”
The mural is framed by two film strips denoting life with a strip of film winding the length of the wall, connecting the two framework strips, arching over the earth clothed in an orange Home Depot apron.
The anchor strips represent culture on one side, denoted by a shaka sign, and peace on the other, denoted by a peace sign, with the earth in the center.
“Now when my family comes to the store, I can show them what we did,” said June Kaohelauli‘i, one of the peer mediation students who was working Sunday.
A map of the Hawaiian Islands localizes the mural and personalized handprints of all the students involved further brings the mural home against a background of a soft yellow: warmth generated through the harmonious blending of culture and peace.
“When we started the Peace Project on campus, I didn’t think we would be doing this much,” Kitamura said. “We just wanted the teachers on campus to recognize these students and what they are capable of doing. Now, people are coming to ask us to do things, and things keep coming up.”
Eventually, Kitamura would like to see his students being invited to Kaua‘i and Waimea high schools with their message of eliminating conflict.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
