ISSUE 7 // STARTISTS [FALL 2015] by HNL FLOW

A 0

L 1

L 5

tenacious

(creative)

relentless

thinkers

STARTISTS

talented

ambitious

T A

innovative

sensational

7 I S S U E S E V E N

skillful

F 2

H N L FLOW .COM

scholarly

EST 2013

staff

FOUNDERS Vina Cristobal

Peter Cheng

Founding Editor-in-Chief

Co-founder

JOIN

GO TO HNLFLOW.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

@CHENGMAN808

@VEEXC_

Raelyn Batacan

Ellie Kakazu

Brittany Reis

Writer / Marketing

Writer

Photographer

@RAELYNRB

Sage Battad (intern) Marketing

@ELLIEKNOWSBEST

Chelan Crane

Jenny Paleracio

Writer

Photographer @JENANPAL

@LIVINTHE808

@CHELANNY

Mark Galacgac

Tasha Mero

Graphic Designer

Writer

@M.GHEE

@ITSMEETASHAAA

Roselle Julian

@BRITTANY.REIS

Ashley Onzuka

Ashley Guzman Photographer / Videographer @ASHGUZ

Rachel Kamita

Videographer / Writer

Videographer

@ASHKIMIE

@WITHOUTYOUITSJUSTME

Graphic Designer @R.CZE

Reina Macaraeg (intern)

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Kahealani Uehara

Writing Intern

Videographer

@REINANANA_

@SHAKAHEA

THE

YOUNG BLOOD

welcome to the family.

YOUNG BLOOD /YҪNG BLҪD/ N.

Derived from a song by The Naked and Famous and an unrelated track with the same name by indie artist Bea Miller. 2. A two-word phrase used to describe the new faces of the HNL Flow Fam.

Kevin Tumbaga

Reese Kato

Clayton Nelson

Graphic Designer

Photographer

Honolulu Community College Graduate

Junior, UH Manoa

Junior, Hawaii Pacific University

@KEVRT

@TOSHIICHI

@CLAYTONBNELSON

Austin Chun

Lindsey Gano

Contributing Graphic Designer

Marketing / Design intern

Junior, UH Manoa

Senior, Mililani High School

Sophomore, Chaminade University

@ALTHIPSTER

@LYN_ZI

@NEONGROWLER

Marleen Tana Photography Intern Senior, Roosevelt High School

@MAR.LEEN

People say, "Blood is thicker than water.” This phrase is often associated with the meaning that your family - your blood - can withstand any obstacle and can accomplish anything together. Between July and October, seven new faces have appeared in the Flow Fam, with an eager curiosity in their eyes and a passion burning in their hearts. Their journey will be filled with victories and failures, big and small, but will withstand their promises as members of the Flow Fam.

Jason Perez Photographer

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TABLE OF CONTENTS OCEAN CREATIONS

KALLIYAN

PNEUMA LIFESTYLES

30 SCARLET CORD

GELLIE CABUYADAO

LOOKBOOK SNEAK PEEK

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44 54

ISSUE 8

MALIA DERDEN

Letter FR O M

TH E

EDITOR Hey Flow Fam, When thinking of the theme for Issue 7, I thought about the time I started HNL Flow two years ago as a college junior at Chaminade University. I always wanted to be a magazine editor because I’d spend my time reading magazines - not just looking at all the glossy visuals, but delving into the stories that accompanied these beautiful illustrations. I wanted my magazine to have a powerful effect on people. I wanted it to be just as awe-inspiring as the magazines I read as a teenager. Years later, I still can’t believe that dream of being a magazine editor has come true. I was only a student when I launched Flow and it was a tireless struggle. My idea of outings became covering events and editing articles and videos. My friends went to bars; I frequented coffee shops instead to do my work. I sacrificed so much just to pursue something that I loved, even though I was young. At first I saw my grades slip, my paychecks diminish, my friendships break, but I had to remind myself, “This is what I want. This is my dream.” Along the way, I was thankful to find people like myself who were creative, passionate, hard-working humble students in high school and college. Flow was no longer my magazine; it was a collaborative effort of all those people I’ve worked with. Speaking from personal experience, going to school and pursuing a passion can be a challenge, but it's doesn't mean it's impossible. I've seen people become successful with something they love, even though there's more sacrifice to it than originally planned. This issue is showcase for student artists to present their work, whatever it may be. Music, art, fashion - there's no limit. It tied into our backstory of being a student-run staff with individual creative talents. We know this beautiful struggle as well as the people we've featured...and it's a rewarding struggle indeed.

Best, Vina Cristobal Editor-in-chief

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FLOWCAP

JULY 2 7 2015

CULTURE&YOU ISSUE

Readership from last issue (Issue 6):

2,177 MAHALO TO ALL OF OUR READERS!

# S U M M E R F L OW S H OW

AUG 0 8 2015

Flow Show: Summer Edition

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In August, we held our first Flow Show! Thanks to all the vendors and artists that made it possible! Photos and videos (by Blake Abes) can be found on our Facebook.Â

RUN AN AD WITH US

on the next issue. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re searching for a younger reader base to reach out to, HNL Flow is looking for individuals or companies to advertise in our future issues!

For more information, e-mail hnlflow@gmail.com about our advertising rates.

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fashion

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OCEAN CREATIONS WORDS CHELAN CRANE PHOTOS BRITTANY REIS

She’s a triple threat - talented, intelligent, and absolutely gorgeous.

Haelee Tallett, founder and creator of Ocean Creations, defines the whole idea of ‘work and play.’ She spends most of her time at Chaminade University, where she currently studies both business and communication.

Don’t be fooled though. Haelee may be smart at hitting the books, but she’s also one tough cookie. In fact, Tallett is a black belt in Taekwondo and currently teaches both youth and adult classes.

making jewelry for her own personal use. It was then that people began to notice and want her creations for themselves.

Since high school, business for Haelee has been consistently growing. But truth And then there is this. Her passion. Her be told, so are many other jewelry busiHowever, when she is not in class she business. Ocean Creations. nesses in Hawaii. Handmade jewelry is a commits even more of her time in to afpopular trend on the islands these days, ter school programs, most notably the Haelee began making jewelry during and that means Chaminade University Hogan Entrepre- her sophomore year in high school, but neur Program. it wasn’t her intention to turn her craft in to a business at first. She simply enjoyed

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One of the most special aspects of Ocean Creations is that all of its shells come straight out of our waters and are hand picked by her own brother, whom she describes as being a “beach bum.” But what really differentiates Ocean Creations from other local jewelry businesses is the fact that Haelee donates a portion of her proceeds back to marine life conservations. It’s her way of giving back and respecting our

waters in return for providing her with its beautiful treasures. Although Ocean Creations is running solely off of social media, Haelee is currently in the works of creating a website for her growing business.

@oceancreations

competition is always prevalent. Haelee’s solution? It’s simple: “always be one step ahead.”

As far as the future is concerned, Haelee has dreams of one day opening her own storefront. But in the meantime, she’ll stick to building a solid foundation for herself and her business by keeping her priorities straight and focusing primarily on finishing school.

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clothing

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WORDS ELLISE KAKAZU PHOTOS VINA CRISTOBAL VIDEO ASHLEY ONZUKA

Pneuma Lifestyles: a Christian surf brand that hopes to spread positivity and passion around the world. Liane Ancajas launched Pneuma Lifestyles in 2012 and kicked it into high gear in 2015. Since then, the brand has gained a lot of momentum and success, but the reason why it all started will never change. The line was created to inspire people to get out and live a fulfilling life. Her love for fashion, art, surfing, and people is evident through the company and it is a beautiful thing to see.

“It all started when I went on a mission trip in the Philippines. I gave these kids these little fruit erasers and they were so overjoyed, you would have thought they got a brand new car or they got a million dollars. They were that grateful. So just the expression touched my heart so much,” said Liane.

“I wanted the brand to be around the concept of doing the things that fuel your In addition to inspiring others to get out spirit, doing things you love, the things and enjoy their environment, the company you’re passionate about.” wants to reach out to those who are in need around the globe. There are many ways to fuel your Pneuma (which means “Spirit” in Hebrew).

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just get out there and experience life in abundance. Life is too short to be cooped up at home by the TV or behind a computer.

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“It can be anything from something simple such as DIY projects and art, singing or playing an instrument, to going on amazing adventures around the world and helping those in need,” explained Liane. Surfing the waves of Oahu or Kauai is one way Liane enriches her spirit. Her love of the ocean and staying active is reflected in many of the designs. Good vibes, positivity, and Christian values are some other things that are embodied in Pneuma Lifestyles’ apparel.

Lifestyles. Touching people’s lives and making an impact, big or small, is very important to the company and its founder. Here is a encouraging message that Liane would like to share with all of the HNL Flow readers:

“Just get out there and experience life in abundance. Life is too short to be cooped up at home by the TV or behind a computer. I would definitely recommend everyone to just take some time to immerse themselves in creation, reflect As the brand continues to grow, Liane hopes on their spirituality, and hopefully get to to someday visit third world countries to know the God who loves them.” share the love and compassion of Pneuma

I would definitely recommend everyone to just take some time to immerse themselves in creation, reflect on their spirituality, and hopefully get to know the God who loves them.” 15 H N L FLOW .COM

The world should really embrace the ideas that this brand symbolizes. It is time to take a break from the laptops and the smartphones. Enjoy the outdoors. Do things that fill your spirit with joy and ignite a fire of passion. If you would like to purchase Pneuma Lifestyles apparel or learn more about the company, visit their website or Facebook page. Also, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to follow them on Instagram!

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pneumalifestyles.com

FB.com/PneumaLLC

@pneumalifestyles

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HNLFLOW.COM

musician

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Kalliy

WORDS TASHA MERO PHOTOS JASON PEREZ VIDEO VINA CRISTOBAL

WATCH OUT, WORLD! NAME: Kalliyan Davis AGE: 15 year old

Kalliyan Davis is a young girl with some big talent.

SKILL: Vocalist & Musician

yan

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She’s a singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist—and oh yeah, she has her own rock band. Kalliyan comes from a musical family and as she was growing up, her parents would always play rock music in the car. Because Kalliyan’s parents loved this kind of music so much, she became interested in the rock genre at a very young age. Kalliyan started playing the piano at around age 5 and began performing at age 6. She initially started off on the acoustic guitar and then fell in love with the electric guitar, which she’s been playing since she was

8 years old. Kalliyan mentions that she is influenced by bands such as Weezer, Young the Giant, The Smashing Pumpkins and Led Zeppelin. She has a small collection of various guitars, but says that she really likes her Baby Martin acoustic guitar because she can take it anywhere.

currently taking a break, but together, they’ve performed at numerous venues both in the state and on the mainland as well. Kalliyan enjoys getting up in front of an audience because she feels that she is a natural performer. Kalliyan recalls that even when she was younger, she was never afraid to perform in front of people.

Since age 10, Kalliyan has been part of a band called Chaotic Five, so she is already “My favorite part is after you’re finished familiar with being on stage. The band is performing,” explains Kalliyan. “[When] everybody claps for you, that’s like the best feeling.” Kalliyan’s debut EP, “Ascend,” was released earlier this year and showcases her singing ability, as well as her talents on the electric guitar. The EP contains four different songs: “Whispers,” “Broken,” “Turning My Back” and “Ascend.” When it comes to songwriting, Kalliyan draws inspiration from personal situations. Each track in her EP, which is available on iTunes, is based off of various points in her own life. She explains that the lyrics in “Turning My Back,” talks about turning away from troubles and was based on a time when she was dealing with friendship troubles.

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Kalliyan “I hope that I can improve on teamwork and being a leader, [to] just improve my music in general and have fun,” says Kalliyan. “I feel pretty accomplished, but I know I can do better in the future, so I just hope I can keep going.”

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kalliyandavis.com

When asked about her future after high school, Kalliyan says that she is interested in studying engineering in college. But in regards to her career as a musician, she hopes that she can continue on this path and create more music.

@kalliyanmusic

“I hope that I can improve on teamwork and being a leader, [to] just improve my music in general and have fun,” says Kalliyan. “I feel pretty accomplished, but I In addition to being a musician and a know I can do better in the future, so I just student, Kalliyan also gets involved in hope I can keep going.” some side projects as well. She recently made her debut as an actress in a local short film called “Jackie Claxton: Greener Pastures.” Her character, Jackie Claxton, is a teenage superhero who battles evil forces and has the power of teleportation. The sci-fi film, directed by Tony Young, also features some original music by Kalliyan.

facebook.com/kalliyandavis

She dedicates a lot of time to work on her music, estimating that she practices at least 7 hours a week. However, in the midst of being a musician, 15-year-old Kalliyan is still a student, first. She is a sophomore at Punahou High School and has had to juggle numerous responsibilities. Although Kalliyan feels that she isn’t very organized, she says that it somehow all works out and that she’s still able to manage her busy schedule.

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HNLFLOW.COM

musician

F R E S H L Y P R E P P E D Four amazing talents rock it out. Fresh band, fresh style of music, freshly prepped.

There’s something about live bands that gets the people going. Being a fan of many genres that sometimes crossover, I’ve always favored alternative bands for many reasons. Knowing how to play an instrument takes discipline. Working as a team with your band members takes patience and commitment. Being in front of a crowd wondering if they’ll like you or not and still showing great stage presence takes courage. Now imagine being a student and applying all of that.

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WORDS PHOTOS VIDEO

RAELYN BATACAN CLAYTON NELSON VINA CRISTOBAL

I watched the Fresh Preps perform at the Flow Show: Summer Showcase this past summer and watched Josh, lead vocals, do a one-handed hand stand before their cover of “I Feel Good” by James Brown. I thought to myself, ‘Dang these guys are good - how could I have not heard of them before?’

“It’s really the coolest thing we’ve ever experienced as a live band,” said Joshua. “Because they stop and they see us, not meaning to. They give us money which is unbelievable, they don’t even know who we are.”

Sure enough, the more I listened, the more I liked them. As they performed “Zombie Song”, an original track inspired by the movie Zombieland (Streetlight Cadence was a featured artist), these four amazing talents rocked out wearing Plants vs. Zombies masks singing about Twinkies being covered in guts. I immediately became a fan.

open mics and did performances in the streets of Waikiki.

Modeled after their parents and their love of Rock Bands and Guitar Hero, these four have been playing their instruments for years. Aaron Garcia (lead guitar, vocals), Daniel Lyons (bass, vocals), and brothers Joshua (rhythm guitar, keyboard, vocals) and Joseph (drums/percussion) Stephens put together their talents and formed the Fresh Preps in 2013. Inspired by their friends, they played together at

Why do they call themselves the Fresh Preps? One night during an open mic session, a homeless man showed up, saw them play, got on stage and started to sing with them.

“It’s really the coolest thing we’ve ever experienced as a live band,” said Joshua.“Because they stop and they see us, not meaning to. They give us money which is unbelievable, they don’t even know who we are,”

Shortly after, he said they should call themselves The Fresh Preps!

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“We’ve seen him a couple times because we didn’t know his name, so we’d drive by and say, that’s the dude – [he’s the one who] named the Fresh Preps and started it all!” said Joshua. Inspired by bands such as the Beach Boys, Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, among others, they dedicate five to six days of the week to hone their craft and perfect their sound. There’s artistry in mixing and putting together a song, so the band members became conscious of creating their music that didn’t stop them from creating just a demo. When recording “Don’t Ask Me Why”, they never stopped recording until they got it perfect; eventually they got it mixed and mastered professionally. “Sometimes it takes a lot of time... That and there’s a plane flying over,” stated Daniel. The Fresh Preps practice in the Stephens’ home in Mililani. “We’ve been super grateful to our neighbors because they never complain about us,” said Joshua. When “Don’t Ask Me Why” came out, they held a release party in their cul-de-sac and invited the neighborhood. Sharing the stage with their friends, Crimson Apple, Amanda Frazier and the Ron Artis Band. The three bands rocked out together in their own town.

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There’s a lot of influence being apart of a band. You can change someone’s mood or you could brighten up his or her day.

“More importantly you can make a positive influence because we all believe in Jesus and we want to spread the gospel and our faith,” stated Joshua. “It’s a really good outlet to do that because we’re in front of so many people. We have influence. We feel the band is a very positive way to do that and still do what we love. Which is writing music together.” “The Way It Should Be” is a song written by Aaron who looked at everything in life having purpose. The song lyric the more we grow, the more we die through this he “realized this is the truth, the more grow in life, the more you experience, the closer you are to death,” said Aaron. “There are things you have to leave behind. All of us have sacrificed different things in life for this band. Friendships you have to leave behind. It’s kind of a bittersweet kind of song,” mentioned Daniel. The Fresh Preps continue to write music and perform at gigs and on the streets of Waikiki. Freshly prepped with great tunes and dressed up with a tie, you can expect a great show.

"There’s a lot of influence being a part of a band. You can change someone’s mood or you could brighten up his or her day."

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are things you have to leave behind. All of us have sacrificed different things in life for this band." 28 H N L FLOW .COM

TheFreshPreps

The Fresh Preps Thefreshpreps.com

You can follow them on Twitter and Instagram @TheFreshPreps and like their page on Facebook as The Fresh Preps. Purchase their music at thefreshpreps.com; for booking, contact Joshua Stephens at thefreshpreps@gmail.com.

"Fresh" up your playlist

Download their single here

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musician

But First,

MUSIC 30 H N L FLOW .COM

SCARLET CORD WORDS REINALYN MACARAEG PHOTOS+VIDEO VINA CRISTOBAL

Five friends. One talented group. Together, they make up Scarlet Cord.

The members of Scarlet Cord - David Nakanishi, Reese Kato, Evan Arashiro, Josh Namba and Preston Kauwe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; met when they were students from Hawaii Baptist Academy (HBA) in Nuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;uanu. Although the band was a fun side project at first, the five friends decided to take it much more seriously by turning themselves into a full-fledged band. Preston leads the band with killer vocals similar to Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy and Jared Leto from 30 Seconds to Mars. Josh, a senior at HBA and the youngest of the group, plays alongside Preston on guitar. David, a junior at UH Manoa, also plays guitar and sings backup. Reese, another UHM junior, brings the bass to the group. Finally, at the back and center is drummer Evan, a Honolulu Community College student.

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REINA:

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HOW DID YOU GUYS COME UP WITH YOUR BAND NAME?

Preston:

It’s a Biblical reference from the Book of Joshua, Chapter 2. There’s a backstory behind that. In that story in the Bible, God’s people were going to raid this land and take over. But they had to send spies over to survey it so that they know what they didn’t want to keep. So they met this one girl named Rahab and the

spies went into her house. Long story short, she said to hang the “scarlet cord” over her house so that’s something they don’t have to destroy.

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How did you guys meet and what made you decide to play together?

What are your plans for the future?

What would you like to say to the people who have been supporting David: I work with a non-profit right now, your ambition?

Preston: We look at weekday nights and Josh: I’m going to try to go to school in the we make sure that it doesn’t interfere with mainland, probably in Southern California. Evan and Josh’s studies. My plan is just to go to college and see what happens.

Is it music over studies?

What are your songs generally about?

Preston: If this all works out, which we hope it does, [we plan to] move to the mainland and make music our livelihood. This isn’t our only option to make music or income. But it is definitely the first option!

Scarlet Cord: Girls. Preston: Not like it’s like one girl for every song, but I guess one girl for each one of us.

Preston: We couldn’t have made it if it was purely ourselves. Thank you for all the support. Evan: Thank you for sticking with us and for the encouragement. Also, thank you to my parents for letting me focus on music over school. Scarlet Cord hit it off with their first EP release on September 27th at Hawaiian Brian’s. In the meantime, you can check out their music on Soundcloud and YouTube.

@scarletcordband

David: Definitely music over studies, but school is still important.

Reese: Thanks Mom!

fb.com/scarletcordband

but hopefully I can enter this program that Preston: We all started off at the music will allow me to teach in Japan. That’s the ministry at our church. Since we all got goal. But music is definitely first. along and shared a passion for music, we decided to play together. Reese: I’m going to UH to study art, so one of my current passions is photography – Since everyone of you aren’t in and also videography. So hoping to do similar grade levels, how did you something mainly with that, and create a guys figure out when to play? small source of income.

Evan: We write about our experiences with girls who break our hearts.

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artist

WORDS SAGE BATTAD PHOTOS SAGE BATTAD / @DIETCOKEDEALER

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GELLIE

C A B U YA DA O Extremely talented young artist, Gellie Cabuyadao looks to make waves and express her ideas through her different styles of her craft. A canvas, paintbrushes, paint, and some inspiration. That’s Gellie Cabuyadao’s tools for creating her artwork. Gellie, a Moanalua High School senior, had pursued art at a very young age from the help of her father whose own drawings influenced her. “[I thought], ‘Wow, this is pretty nice’,” she said. “I would copy him, or like the stuff that he does, and then later on I decided to develop my own type of style.” Majority of her artwork is put together at either home or at school. Her main style is painting and drawing with a pencil. Her artwork ranges from natural and realistic, to dark and distorted pieces.

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This looks familiar. It’s a replication of UK artist D*Face’s Pow Wow 2015 mural, which can be found in Kalihi.

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“You know when you’re just by yourself and there’s these memories that you don’t want but they just come out of the blue anyway?” Gellie said. “That’s like waves. So that’s why I made tidal waves coming in through the door. It’s just basically her living room and just waves are crashing in. You know how stressful they are - just like memories. And it’s just hitting her, and as the viewer and the audience, we’re just seeing that destructiveness in her mind or her perspective. Like in reality we would just see a girl sitting down but you don’t know that something is destructive in her mind or something’s hitting her real hard.” Gellie states that her girlfriend is the one to thank for giving her inspiration for her artwork. “Just looking at her face and her details makes me think, ‘Wow, it’s so beautiful,’ and I start to see the world and their details and how it’s beautiful. It just makes me want to paint it. If it’s something so beautiful I want to make that in my own perspective on how it looks so beautiful.”

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Gellie plans to put aside showcasing her art for a little while as she plans to improve her craft. She understands how difficult it is for an up-and-coming artist to be known, especially one at a young age.

“What makes you think that you out of everybody else is gonna make it to the top?

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I think that as long as I pursue, or anybody else, they can do it, as long as you pursue it and know what you want to do. You know how those cliché quotes like, ‘Do what you want to do?’ It’s actually true. You will get what you want as long as you work for it and that you have the motive to do it. So that’s what I’m aiming for. And I’ll get there someday. Just working towards little by little with each piece.”

Dietcokedealer Gellie Cabuyadao

H N L FLOW .COM

Poet

SPEAKING OUT ON E D U C AT I O N 44 H N L FLOW .COM

MALIA

DERDEN

WORDS RAELYN BATACAN PHOTOS JENNY PALERACIO + @MALIAS_AFRO VIDEO ASHLEY GUZMAN

Malia Derden is an award winning Black Filipino spoken word artist, who seeks to express her thoughts to the world. School has always been an institute to prepare you for what’s next, whether it be college, the working force or the military. For Malia Derden, being in school made her eager to get involved with her community. Constantly finding ways where she can make a difference for organizations working toward a bigger goal. As an award winning black Filipino spoken word artist, advocate for the LGBTQ community and growing up in a dominantly Filipino community, Malia tells us how she grew as a person during her time as a graduate of Farrington High School.

How has poetry helped you identify yourself? Who you are as a person, your culture, your city and your [ethnicity], a lot of that is portrayed in your art. Me being half black, half Filipino has really formatted the way that I speak and the things I decide to say. That’s really important to me because I’m able to identify with a group that’s not necessarily always privileged. I carry a lot of that in my writing. Poetry really forced me to open my mind and be more liberal and open to different sides. I’ve been exposed to a lot of people and was able to see

the differences. Growing up I was really proud to be Filipino because I grew up in a neighborhood that’s mostly Filipinos [Kalihi]. I took more pride in that than I would black because there was no black people. I didn’t know what it meant to be black. It was through poetry that I really got in touch with my African American side while still being proud of being Filipino. That’s a thing that happens when you’re mixed - you don’t have to choose.

What was it like to be a student and an upcoming spoken word artist? The “success” was to do well and get into college. I saw a lot of kids, whose parents are immigrants, do well and was able to go to school. I also saw a lot of kids who weren’t able to do school. This made me realize that there is a lot of shit that happens to kids that can make or break them. My mother’s stroke changed everything for me. I wouldn’t say I’m broken, I would actually say in that past year, of not being in school I’ve really grown up. Going to school was forced to me. Without my choice, I had to grow and I had to do things that weren’t taught in school and I think that’s success for me.

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What motivates you to write all of these poems? I remember I saw this one thing on Tumblr. I guess it was just an artist that does like paintings, something really bad happened in his life and he was like, “That’s why it’s called painting because it’s painful!” You know painting, because the pain. I think that poetry is all of that. Not just pain, but it’s all emotion. I feel it’s all relevance it’s experience. It’s real shit. "You can’t write heart without the art." Exactly. “Dear Malia” was my first ever, real poem. That was before I got into poetry, activism, culture and stuff. It was a real moment of selfdiscovery. That poem won the “Can You Kick It” Award of that slam. Which was pretty awesome and I believe our team came in first place that year. It was the Interscholastic Poetry Slam where all the high schools compete and it was my first competition. I won with that poem.

Tell me about your poem, “Mom.”

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We have this thing where in poetry, they say, “Write that poem”. What they mean by that is when you’re a poet or an artist, there are things that are relevant in your life that you can’t pretend is not happening and you write it out. Essentially your art is an outlet, your art is a way to let it out. This poem was a “Write this poem” moment. My mother is the only person I know in my family. It forced me to grow up a lot faster than I would have liked. It was just one of those poems where if I didn’t write it I don’t think I would have healed the way I have or the way that I am.

"Your art is an outlet, your art is a way to let it out."

Did winning kick-start your poetry? I think it really put me on the radar, for sure. That was gosh, it was so long ago.

Can you recall the feeling? I remember going home and being in my bedroom, waving my trophy around like I was on a stage bowing in front of everybody when really, I was in my room. I remember that.

Telling your story to an audience must EH GLƫFXOW +RZ GR \RX PDQDJH WR perform your pieces? Youth Speaks Hawai‘i has their Second Saturday Poetry Slam every month. At one point it would be the same people attending the event and I remember talking to my coach saying I didn’t want to do my poem anymore because everyone knew what I was saying. She basically told me, “Whatever you are, whatever stage you’re performing on, always know there’s at least one person who doesn’t know who you are, what you do or where you come from and it’s important that one person knows. So every time someone does a performance, no matter how big the audience, no matter how small, you got to know there’s that one person who needs to hear your story”. I try to keep that attitude of how many times I’ve done this poem, no matter how old it is. There’s always that one person who doesn’t know and that could or might as well need it. When you believe in what you’re saying and you know what you’re saying is really important, it deserves to be on stage. That’s when you really put your heart in it.

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What are you an advocate for? Well, when in I was in high school, I was the president of the Spoken Word Club, I was in GSA, Peace and Justice Club and interned for Hawai‘i Women in Film Making. I was in GSA for as long as I was in poetry, 4 years, and I learned so much in the LGBT community as a straight ally and that too would reflect in my writing.

How has being in these RUJDQL]DWLRQV DƨHFWHG \RXU time in school? I have vivid memories of sitting in class and staring out the door, wishing I were somewhere else. Like I would sit in class and I would wish that I could be doing something else. I really blossomed outside of school being out in the community, doing work. That’s where my head was. All of

these clubs and being apart of these communities where people are so open and are accepting, you feel like you’re working to this bigger goal. That’s what really gets me. I don’t want to learn no algebra. I think a lot of my community work, extends from a lack of excitement in school. I would find people that were awesome. I grew up with a single mother who was always working and paying the bills. I didn’t grow up with a lot of people who thought differently… and that was fascinating. It was just captivating to me to meet these people.

Tell me about all the competitions you won. Pacific Tongues have their annual slams. The Interscholastic School Slam and there’s the Second Saturday Poetry Slam, which leads to their Grand Slam. Grand Slam has 12 poets compete for a spot on the team that will fly to the mainland and represent Hawaii at an international competition called Brave New Voices.

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We’re trying to start our own thing here for our culture and us. We’re even changing how our school slams works. It’s going to be more, how do you say, family centered. We’re still planning it out but our idea is that it’s not really a competition, but a festival for them to work, grow and learn in their art. They’re going to be doing workshops, slams and even have mentors.

Are you working on anything new? Yeah. I want to support different thing. I want to write a poem about black girls. But I also want to write a poem about health care. I also want to write a poem about being young and poor.

What’s your favorite piece to perform and why? IG.com/malias_afro FB.com/malias_afro

I don’t know. It’s funny because you were like I watched all your videos and I don’t like to listen to my poetry. One of my favorite pieces to perform is the one I’m gonna perform today - for obvious reasons - because I like it. It’s called “Filipinos in Education”. I think that’s my favorite because it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot and it’s my reality and my relationship with education. I think that school is not necessarily an institute that is formed for everybody. That everyone is forced to. I think that peoples’ way of thinking, our ideas toward what education is and what it means to be smart, what it is to know thing is so messed up because I know a lot of smart people who don’t necessarily have degrees and I think about that a lot.

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HONOLULU PEEKABOO WORDS + PHOTOS @HONOLULUPEEKABOO

Take a stroll along the various streets of Downtown, and you’ll find that the area is one of Honolulu’s most treasured gems. With just the right balance of past and present, Downtown Honolulu brings a sense of nostalgia to older generations and a sense of wanderlust to its newer, younger inhabitants.

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By night, vibrance fills the heart of Honolulu with people, music and bright lights that could attract a crowd from miles away. By day, Downtown Honolulu serves as an unbeknownst

history lesson, with crippled and majestic buildings acting as the tour guides. “I’m a fan of buildings, and signs with vintage fonts,” Stephanie of Honolulu Peekaboo says. But she told us that she would not include a caption for every photo, as she wants readers to feel the livelihood of old Downtown Honolulu in her photos.

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MOKES WORDS RAELYN BATACAN PHOTOS VINA CRISTOBAL VIDEO REESE KATO

In 2010, three local boys from Kaneohe broke into the Hawaii Hip Hop scene simply as supporters. By doing their homework, showing love to those before them, jumping into cyphers and meeting other rappers, Koins, Izzy I Am and Dae1, collectively known as the Broke Mokes, made their way respectfully as rappers in the Hawaii hip-hop community. READ MORE

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@TEN ELEVEN BAR

Bringing together local vendors, artists, entertainment and food trucks, Street Grindz invites the community to be their own mixologist with a Craft Your Own Cocktail option at the Ten Eleven bar at Makers & Tasters. Utilizing an old crate to house the new bar on the patio at Makers & Tasters, they now offer a limited selection of liquor, wine and beer.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all heard of craft beers that we can choose to be on our flights at our favorite pub, but we can never make up our minds when it comes to cocktails. The Ten Eleven Bar not only has their selection of wine and beer that you can get in pitchers but for an easy cost shared among friends, you can Craft Your Own Cocktail (Yes I said it, you can be your own mixologist)!

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