The emotionally charged poem left a cancer survivor dabbing at her eyes and the audience in solemn awe which slowly turned into a thunderous applause.  After the poem Mr. Mali auctioned off an unreleased copy of his soon to be published book What Teachers Make, promising to donate the proceeds to the American Cancer Society in Tony’s memory.

A wild bidding war erupted, which eventually narrowed down to two determined bidders who kept outbidding one another.  When the bid amount exceeded $250, Mr. Mali decided to give each of the bidders a book for $250 dollars.

Mr. Mali is also growing out his own hair as another way to honor his former student.  Mr. Mali planned on cutting his hair when it
reached ten inches to donate it to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that makes wigs from real hair for children who are suffering from hair loss due to a medical condition.

Before his final poem Mr. Mali held a question and answer session.  During the session he revealed that his favorite poet was Billy Collins, a former ‘Iolani Keables chair himself.  He also talked about how it was his dad’s love for poetry that gave him his first interest in poetry.

The audience leapt to their feet in wild applause as Mr. Mali’s final poem concluded.
Mr. Mali’s unique style has opened up the eyes of many ‘Iolani students to the true boundless nature of poetry.  Mr. Mali can be easily found during the school day by simply listening for the sounds of students and faculty alike laughing and clapping.  His humor and life have absolutely invigorated the school during his performances and Mr. Mali has definitely set the bar high for the next Keables Chair!

Taylor Mali’s guttural monk chants and wisdom echoed through St. Alban’s Chapel Thursday as he skated on the boundaries of ‘Iolani’s Episcopalian beliefs with his chapel speech.

He melded wisdom and an unapologetic sense of humor fresh to the campus, tying in his jokes to religious theme.

Alerted by a stream of camera clicks to the presence of yearbook staffer taking his picture, he struck a comic pose and implored the yearbook staffer, “Take it already!”, taking his audience in stride as only true masters of performance can.

Irreverent of routine but imparting the serious message that in faith, “It’s the intention that counts,” and “Miracles don’t always come in the form you expect,” he added a wild and freer spirit of hilarity to the usual routine of chapel.

Taylor Mali will be holding a free poetry reading, “Bringing Poetry to the Boxing Room,” from 7p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 31st in Seto Hall. More information can be found here.

Friday’s homecoming festivities started out as they usually do: with students dressed in “All-Out Raider” attire, anticipating Cheerfest, and getting their faces painted by father-and-son duo Jungle Bob and Mr. Roberts. The homecoming chairs even planned a mini-fair in the Center Coutyard for students to compete against teachers in activities such as mini-basketball and a chopstick skill test.

But the energy emanating from the number of people in the courtyard was enough to hint to those who were around that something was up. Some had even lined up on the I-building stairs in anticipation of what was about to happen.

At 12:20 p.m., the familiar tune of the Japanese action show, Kikaida, began to ring out from courtyard speakers like a rousing battle cry to Park students near and far. His students lined up into position as Mr. Park made his way to the front, leading his students into a spirited and energetic dance.

Jobs’s death on Wednesday after a long, public battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 56 sent shockwaves throughout the world, eliciting condolences from the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steven Spielberg, and President Obama.

“Steve was among the greatest of American innovators,” Obama said in a statement released by the White House. “Brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.”

As pictured, Apple’s homepage has been converted in tribute to its co-founder and foremost visionary, featuring a grayscale photo of Jobs as well as the years marking his lifespan. The following is Apple’s obituary for Steve Jobs as found on their website:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

Across the country, from Cupertino to New York, mourners have expressed their grief. At the only 24-hour Apple Store in the nation, on Fifth Avenue in New York, people have left flowers and candles outside the glass doors. At Jobs’s home in California, people have written messages on the pavement fronting his house.

Despite his position as a corporate CEO, Jobs clearly was able to personally touch the lives of those he worked with and those whose lives he helped to improve. Whether people consider themselves “Macs” or “PCs,” the innovations credited to Jobs and Apple are likely to have changed and even revolutionized the way they live their daily lives.

Through simple, clean, and intuitive design, Jobs turned the once-formidable computer into a user-friendly, easy-to-use machine for the average consumer. To say the least, Jobs truly made the computer personal.

Even recent updates to Microsoft’s operating system (OS), Windows, have reflected a tendency to follow Apple’s lead with its OS, Macintosh. Through the releases of Windows Vista, and eventually Windows 7, Microsoft has worked to create that same, clean feel Macs seem to exude.

With the advent and rise of the cell phone came the need for greater functionality. So Jobs put the power of a phone, the internet, a camera, a personal organizer, and a gaming console into the hands of the consumer when Apple released the iPhone. Sports scores, news stories—and later—status updates and tweets could be found at a moment’s notice, while on the go.

And likely the most far reaching of all, Jobs completely changed the way we listen to music. In a world dominated by cassette tapes and CDs, Jobs introduced the iPod and turned the music industry in a completely new direction. Suddenly, thousands of songs could be held your back pocket and could be played at the push of a button.

Jobs’s personal charm and charisma wowed audiences and won hearts in a way that few big-business CEOs and top executive ever could.

Jobs did all his presentations, which he called keynotes, in a conversational, casual fashion, with the intent to inform, explain, and show off in simpler terms. He did all his keynote presentations in his trademark black-turtleneck-and-jeans combo and let off such great enthusiasm and warmth that it was hard not to absorb everything he said. His commitment to Apple and to you, the consumer, made each product seem to be made customized with you in mind.

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me,” Jobs once said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in 1993. “Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me.”

Through his innovations and breakthroughs, Steve Jobs has changed our ways of thinking, our modes of communication, and awareness of each other. May he rest in peace knowing he has indeed done something wonderful.