IMR: People: William

Matsuda, William John Aliases: Will, Bill, The Sarge E-Mail: matsudaw@hawaii.edu, makura@aloha.net Web: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~matsudaw/

I've known William since August 1994, when he came in to Ke Kalahea after seeing a poster I'd made advertising for writers. He was the best, if not the only, news reporter UH-Hilo ever had. When I transferred back to UH-Manoa to run Ka Leo, he was appointed Ke Kalahea News Editor. He transferred to Manoa a year later and continued with me in the world of student newspapering. He quickly gained the reputation as the most prolific (and intense) writer on the Ka Leo staff. Judy, his editor, came to depend on him to fill the front page. William churned out an unprecedented 73 articles that fall. He was promoted to News Editor the very next semester. To date, Ka Leo has never seen more genuine, non-fluff content on the front page than it did during his tenure. As my term ran out, he and Micheal applied to succeed me as Editor-in-Chief. However, not-so-coincidentally, William, Greg and I were simultaneously dragged through assorted inquisitions over allegations of nastiness. Suffice it to say, William didn't get the job. The Ka Leo Era ended with a whimper, and over the summer of 1997, we formed University aVenue. By the last issue of the year, we came this close to breaking even. But with his pending graduation, my pending fatherhood, and Micheal's unceremonious return to Ka Leo, he motioned to dissolve the partnership in January 1998. He soon started working for ITS, and graduated in May 1998. He is now a graduate student in Japanese literature, and in 2006, departed for Kyoto, Japan, on a two-year grant to write his Ph.D. dissertation. William served as best man at my wedding in November 1997. Signing the certificate with a proud flourish, he said, "Now you'll never be able to forget me... even if you wanted to." He is also godfather to Katie, and helped us select her Japanese name, Masami.

Vitals:

Born 10 April 1976 in Hilo, Hawai`i. Graduated from Waiakea High School in 1994. Attended UH-Hilo, then transferred to UH-Manoa in Fall of 1996. Graduated with a B.A. in Spring 1998, and entered the graduate program to pursue a M.A. in Japanese literature. Currently studying in Kyoto, Japan.

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