Interview with Alick Pasalo, Kabatak Club President

UH Maui College’s Kabatak Club is the campus club focused on Filipino culture; they have been a club since 2008. Kabatak translates to “coming together”. The Kabatak mission statement: “To promote the Filipino culture through activities and to keep traditions and values alive in today’s generation. Our club will have at least one community service and one activity each month.” I had the opportunity to meet with Alickzander “Alick” Pasalo, the Kabatak President, and discuss the club and his vision as the club leader.

Campus Close Up (CCU): How long have you been President?

Alick Pasalo: This is my second and final year. I’m graduating next fall and I want to be able to pass the baton before I leave. I’m also looking into how I can bring leadership to other clubs before I leave. I’m looking into my options for what I can do on campus and how I can approach it.

CCU: What has been you vision or goal as President of Kabatak Club?

Alick: My goals coming into the President role were to bring the membership numbers up and more community service involvement. Now my goals are bringing back the Filipino languages on campus, getting younger/newer members to have a sense of ownership in the club, and advocacy for classes. My vision is to keep the club alive by linking Kabatak with other school Filipino clubs or binging Kabatak Club into other schools.

CCU: You mentioned Filipino language and advocating for classes, can you expand on that?

Alick: We used to have Ilocano and Tagalog classes here on Maui. We used to have Filipino literature as well. This semester we don’t have either language or the literature being taught. I want to advocate for bringing these back for the students so they have an opportunity to learn more about Filipino culture.

CCU: I agree. Can you tell me more about why or how you want to have younger/newer members have a sense of ownership in the club?

Alick: We have to keep passing the club to the new leaders so they should have a sense of ownership because the club is also theirs. We have scholarships for members of the club to keep the club strong. I want the scholarships to help the younger/newer members feel ownership.

CCU: How did the scholarships come to be?

Alick: We were approached by a potential donor and went through a process of qualifying. The donor is interested in preserving Filipino culture and we were a good fit because that is our mission. The donor is from Chicago. The scholarship is open to all Kabatak members.

CCU: I would call getting a donor for scholarships a big success, what other successes has Kabatak had?

Alick: Getting the name out there. Kabatak has campus and community events for our members and to engage with the campus and community. Other schools recognize Kabatak in community leadership programs. We have community involvement such as: Relay for Life, Suicide Prevention (walk for awareness), Walk in Her Shoes (domestic violence), and volunteering at Science Olympiad. We also participate in the Filipino Chamber of Commerce.

CCU: Other schools recognize Kabatak in leadership, can you tell me more about this?

Alick: We network with other campus Filipino clubs. We’ve had backing from the UH system to visit the other islands and bring the clubs together. Last year we were at Manoa networking and improving our leadership at the Pamantasan Conference.

CCU: What is the club working on now?

Alick: We’ve been selected to host the Pamantasan Conference this year on Maui so we’re organizing all the event details, activities, and leadership organization. The conference is about being proud of who you are and Filipino identity. This is a leadership networking conference for leaders in the Filipino community and within the UH system. It’s a privilege and a lot of work. The conference is on Friday, April 1; it’s coming up quick.

CCU: Wow, Kabatak is busy and that’s not easy for a club of college students, what are some of Kabatak’s struggles?

Alick: Finding time for all the officers to meet, meetings are once a month. Creating a balance between community service, fun, and (Filipino)culture; without this balance we risk losing members. School enrollment clearly affects our club membership potential. Officers don’t get paid, we do it for the greater good of the club and the campus.

CCU: You don’t get paid and it can be hard, how does this leadership role help you?

Alick: I’ve learned to balance college life with responsibility. I can also bring (Filipino) culture into the studies at the school because I know how to do this now. This has also helped me bring the college experience to the campus for my club members to Maui college can be fun and a place we look forward to being. The club has personally helped me feel pride in being a Filipino American and learn more about my history.

CCU: What would you say to a student thinking about a leadership role in Kabatak or any other campus club or leadership role?

Alick: If a person has questions about running for a leadership role, do it! You don’t know what you can accomplish until you go for it. It doesn’t take much to make a difference; one person can do more than you think. In order to make a change you have to start it, create it, and be heard.

Interested in learning more about the Kabatak Club? For the Spring 2016 semester they host their meetings on the second Monday of the month in the Wong Conference Room in Ho’okipa Building at 12:00 pm. The public is encouraged to attend meetings. They also have their upcoming Pamantasan Conference on Friday, April 1, 2016 on the campus.