Chess, big at Kahuku High, will get bigger
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Shane Manalo, left, and Ryan Kelly play chess at Kahuku High and Intermediate School, where Manalo is president of the chess club. A giant outdoor chessboard that will use life-size pieces will be installed at the school
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
KAHUKU — Chess will take on a new dimension at Kahuku High and Intermediate School when an 8-foot-square board is constructed by Kiewit Pacific Co. as part of dozens of campus projects planned for Make A Difference Day.
With chess becoming more popular at the school, officials said a giant board would expose more students to the game. They now play before school and at lunch, overflowing the classroom where they meet.
The game attracts all types, including athletes, band members, star students and those with learning disabilities, said chess club advisor Nate Blevins. More than 50 students at a time have participated in lunch-time games, Blevins said.
Some players are among the school's trouble-makers, Blevins said, but the game teaches them self-control and patience, which could help in the classroom.
"They love to play the teachers, because that is the equalizer," Blevins said. "It is a brain game, and when they can beat the teachers, they're strutting all over the place."
Blevins, an admitted novice, said his students are at a disadvantage because he cannot help them improve. Some schools offer classes on the subject and others bring in tutors, he said, adding that he would like to have experts come to help.
However, the students are motivated enough to try to improve themselves, he said, by reading books and seeking outside help.
"They have books, but they're on their own," he said.
The school expects to buy life-size pieces for the board or have someone make and donate them, said Principal Lisa DeLong. Students will paint the board, which will be placed in the cafeteria quadrangle, she said.
"The lunchtime activity provides a niche on campus and helps students build social skills. And the game teaches them to plan, think ahead, be patient and follow rules," said DeLong, who is credited with initiating the project.
The campus expects hundreds of community volunteers on Oct. 26, Make A Difference Day, to complete other projects such as painting picnic tables, a mural in the fitness room, upgrading bathrooms, landscaping and cleaning.
Kiewit also will install a shelter on the rifle range, but won't be able to start the project until the following week.
The range was begun by the Army, which had to postpone work because of the 9/11 attacks and subsequent military alerts, said Dave Smith, Kiewit project manager. The Army has poured the slab for a 13- by 88-foot shelter, and Kiewit will finish the construction, donating approximately $30,000 in labor.
Chess club president Shane Manalo, 16, said the chess board would be a great addition to the school because everyone would be able to see the moves.
Manalo swears the game has improved his grades.
"It's like a motivator — it gets you going," he said. "When I don't play chess, I get tired."
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com. or 234-5266.
