Volume 47, No. 6 March 2019
KaOhanaOnline.org
Ka ‘Ohana now on Facebook Ka ‘Ohana now printed on recycled paper
Duo Mobile: To approve or deny D
by Nathan Runion Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter
uo Mobile was implemented system-wide at the University of Hawai‘i last November and has resulted in mixed reviews from UH students, faculty, and staff. The online security system is meant to protect login data using the latest in advanced encryption. So when logging onto UH Gmail or any university website requiring a login and password such as MyUH or the UH employment website, people have to use the Duo Mobile app to authenticate their identity by having the app send a “push” or by inputting a passcode, which can be received by phone call or directly on the app. The user will then stay logged in for 24 hours before having to reauthenticate through Duo Mobile. As malware and phishing are becoming increasingly more advanced, many businesses and colleges around the world use Duo Mobile to secure their data. Together with their partner companies, Duo Mobile has users in more than 80 countries and over 300 educational institutions, including Ivy league universities like Harvard and Yale. Data breaches happen all the time due to factors such as poor security, lost or stolen media, hacking and even inside jobs. On May 16, 2018, a malware virus infected a server used by Algonquin College in Ontario, Canada. This attack leaked more than 111,000 records. A security breach in April 2013 leaked the personal information, including social security numbers and bank account numbers, of 2.4 million students, staff and alumni of Maricopa County Community Colleges. The FBI found the information
NATHAN RUNION
University of Hawai‘i students are met with Duo Mobile security while attempting to log in.
for sale on an undisclosed website. Up to $7 million is being spent by Maricopa on notifying and credit monitoring services for those affected. Duo Mobile claims its mission is
Inside
Tulsi Gabbard, page 2
Arts festival, page 3
to make its product as user friendly as possible. However, the product has generated mixed emotions at UH. “I’m k inda appreciat ive t hat we’ve gone through this extra step to make sure that we keep as much as
Stairway, page 5
we can of our data secure,” said WCC financial aid manager Dayna Isa. When asked if the financial aid office has had issues with data security in the past, she said, “Not that I know of, but in this day and age, you just never know.” But others question the process involved in using Duo Mobile. “I understand the value, but it feels like a little bit of an inconvenience.” said WCC student and Gallery ‘Iolani monitor Stephanie Shepard. “I think it’s not necessary.” WCC student Danielle Springel feels that she’s now leashed to her phone more than ever. “I think it’s annoying because it binds you to your phone or other electronic device,” she said. When asked if she’s ever forgotten her device that’s linked to Duo Mobile, she said, “Sometimes I have to do my homework on my personal email because I don’t have my phone on me to access the Duo Push for my UH email.” Duo Mobile currently has a 3.7 rating on the Google app store. In one review of the app, customer Kolleen Barclay wrote: “I can’t access any of my undergrad information from abroad because I don’t have access to my U.S. number! Why can’t there be an option to get the code sent to an email? Now I can’t reconnect with my university on the app, I can’t sign in, and I can’t ask the help desk because that would require me to use international calling!” While some users have had a hard time with the app, another comment on the app store left by Michael Willey stated: “It’s incredibly easy to set up, use and administer. Also in about two years, we’ve had only one outage and that was on Duo’s end, and that lasted for maybe about an hour. Keep up the good work!”
Artist talk, page 8
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March 2019
Ka ‘Ohana
NEWS of the DAY WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Tulsi Gabbard announces 2020 run for president by Madelyn Barr Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter
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“Filbert” funnies
ulsi Gabbard announced her candidacy for U.S. President last month, and it has caused mixed reactions in the community. Gabbard is a well-known Democratic Congresswoman, representing Hawai’i’s 2nd Congressional District since 2013. Prior to that, she served as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee until February 2016. She is the first Hindu and the first SamoanAmerican to serve in the United States Congress. Gabbard was the youngest person to be elected to the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives at the age of 21, serving from 2002-2004. She served in the Hawai‘i Army National Guard and deployed to Iraq from 2004-2005 where she was in the field medical unit part of the combat zone. She was deployed to Kuwait from 2004-2005. Some of the main issues Gabbard supports are affordable housing, ending the war in Syria, gun control, LGBT and marriage equality, net neutrality, universal healthcare and women’s rights. She opposes the TransPacific Partnership, which is a proposed trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malay-
sia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States signed on Feb. 4, 2016 but that has not taken effect. Gabbard’s solution to the expensive housing problem in Hawai‘i is through public and private projects and making sure affordable houses are not flipped and sold at higher prices. She believes every American is entitled to universal healthcare and believes the government should negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to bring the cost of essential medications down. R e g a r d i n g w o m e n ’s rights, Gabbard says she will make it her mission to ensure women receive equal pay as this right is long overdue for women. Despite her lengthy resume, her run for president has not come without controversy. Much of the criticism stems from her connections to Chris Butler, a Hindu spiritualist who is the head of the Science of Identity Foundation. The group owns many prominent Kailua businesses such as Down to Earth, Wai Lani Yoga and Blue River Productions. There are claims, however, that the foundation is a cult because of the way Butler’s followers allegedly worship him. Gabba rd’s c hoic e for
GABBARD.HOUSE.GOV
Presidential hopeful Hawai‘i Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard
her chief of staff, Kainoa Ramananda Penaroza, also raised many questions as to why someone who had virtually no experience in politics was hired into such a high political position. He, too, has
known ties to the Science of Identity Foundation. Other cricitisms of Gabbard stem from the way she seeks out national media attention, her relationships with right-wing supporters
of Israel, her January 2017 trip to Syria where she met with President Bashar Assad and her handling of constituent concerns at home. “Through personal experience while searching for help for one of her constituents and a friend, Gabbard and her staff said they were more than willing to help, but after her re-election bid was successful they withdrew from any further assistance,” said former WCC student Patrick Hascall. “I feel they were trying to gain favor and a vote.” Despite the critcisms, her brother, Bhakti Gabbard, believes she will make an exceptional president. “I believe my sister would make a great president because of her commiment to service of others before herself and her willingness to speak/ act/vote on what is needed to make the world a more peaceful place, regardless of the political backlash that may follow,” he said. “She is down-to-earth, honest and level-headed. I am so proud of her.” Some in the community are still making up their mind about Gabbard. “I don’t feel strongly about her one way or another,” said WCC student Anthony Davis. Gabbard’s campaign did not respond to this reporter’s requests for an interview.
March 2019
CAMPUS NEWS WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Ka ‘Ohana
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Arts and sciences intersect at Palikū Arts Festival "
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by Ka ‘Ohana News Staff
uilding STEAM” is the theme at this year’s Palikū Arts Festival, a unique interactive arts experience set for Saturday, April 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in and around the Palikū Theatre, plaza and art and science spaces on campus. The festival is free to the public and open to all ages. All art supplies are provided. “This year’s theme invites people to note the common ground between the arts and the sciences—the art of science and the science of art,” said festival co-chair Ben Moffat. “Scientists and artists have more in common than many people think. For example, scientists often use intuition in their research, and they have to be creative in designing experiments—and artists often geek-out about their materials and techniques.” The festival’s emphasis is on playing and exploring artful interests that intersect with science. WCC art professors, instructors and their students will be on hand with supplies to assist those who want to express their creativity in a variety of ways—from painting, drawing and sculpting to moving, acting or making music, prints, poetry and prose. A sampling of creative activities include: • Tie-dye making in front of the gallery with Toni Martin • Gyotaku fish printing with Michelle Smith • Puppet making with Sarah Hadmack (ages 2 and up) • Face painting • Blue Zones Project spin bike • Ceramics activity and demonstration with Jake Jackson • Piano open lab • Open drawing studio–draw or have your portrait drawn • Woodcarving with Jordan Souza • 3D sculpture with Bryce Myers • Stage combat demonstrations • Improvisation performance with students of theatre director Tau-
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BONNIE BEATSON
rie Kinoshita • Screenwriting and life writing workshops with Desiree Poteet • Write a Poem, Make a Book workshop with Susan St. John • T-shirt printing • Hakipu‘u Learning Center Arts • Stage performers, and much more! At 1:11 p.m., there will be a Palikū Arts Festival “Art Strut” where attendees are encouraged to come in costume or festive clothing, or they can dress-up at the festival. Palikū Theatre will run two free performances of a world premiere Hawaiian Youth Theatre play entitled The Epic Voyage of Kāne‘āpua, based on Hawaiian folk tales written and directed by Moses Goods and performed by WCC Theatre 260 students and alumni. The show is appropriate for all ages. The 45-minute performances are at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Gallery ‘Iolani will be open with its new exhibit, “Brave New World,” which features young artists who studied at WCC and are now professional artists. The Hōkūlani Imaginarium will be showing a 30-minute familyfriendly fulldome show about lunar and solar eclipses called Totality. The show runs at 12:30 p.m. Admission is $3. The Imaginarium will also run a free show called Music of the Spheres at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Displays of deep-sea fish x-rays, volcano eruptions, NASA rocket and the Hōkūle‘a voyaging canoe will be at Hale ‘Imiloa, in addition to activities for kids such as gyotaku fish printing and plant pressing. On the outdoor stage, a variety of musical acts will perform, including the Royal Hawaiian Band, BYUHawai‘i’s Shaka Steel Band, The Jeff Ho & Mike Kato Jazz Experience and other Windward area talent. ‘Ono food will be available from Erin’s Shave Ice, coffee, sandwiches and frappes from The Hub Coffee Shop at the WCC library and more. For more information about the festival, go to www.palikuarts.com or contact festival co-chairs Ben Moffat at 724-1808 or ben517@hotmail.com or So Jin Kimura at sojink@hawaii.edu.
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March 2019
Ka ‘Ohana
CAMPUS NEWS WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Latest THEA 260 production inspired by Noh theater
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by Ka ‘Ohana News Staff
he latest produc t ion by WCC’s theatre program features ghosts, poetic text and startling visual images and deals with tragic subject matter. Directed by WCC t heatre lect urer Taurie Kinoshita and performed by THEA 260 students, Burning/Memory runs March 8 to 17 at Palikū Theatre. The three cross-cultural, one-act plays take dramatic theories of Noh theater and translate them for a contemporary western audience. The three plays are Cane Fields Burning writ ten by Kemuel DeMoville and Memory of a Dream and Remembering the Fall by Taurie Kinoshita. Cane Fields Burning is about a young man who replicates the abusive actions of his father. The play uses a chorus of actors to depict the repeating cycle of domestic violence. In Memory of a Dream, adapted from the Noh play Matsukaze, an itinerant priest meets a ghost. The ghost is Matsukaze, a woman trapped between worlds forever longing for her lost love. The play uses poetry from wellknown western poets to achieve a poetic-referencing technique used in Noh theater. Remembering the Fall is ver y loosely inspired by the play Atsumori and based on the life of James Foley. It deals with the death of war cor-
COURTESY OF BONNIE BEATSON
(From left) THEA 260 students Juvylyn Lucina, Daphnei Hussein, Chivalry Butler and Cassidy Keiko Patmont in Burning/Memory
respondents. The production is performed by WCC theatre students Raymond Zach Thompson, Daphnei Hussein, Juvyln Lucina, Noah Schuetz, Shantel Au, Caleb Cordova, Micah Souza, Cassidy Keiko Patmont, John R. Barajas Jr., Stuart Featheran Jr., Manuel A.
Moreno and Chivalry Butler. Due to adu lt sit uat ion s a nd themes, the play is recommended for ages 14 and older. The show runs Thursday, March 7 at 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday, March 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 10 at 4 p.m. Tickets can
be purchased online at www.palikutheatre.com, or call (808) 235-7315 for more information. To lear n more about t heat re classes at WCC, contact assistant professor Nicolas Logue at 236-9138, logue@hawaii.edu or go online at windward.hawaii.edu/theatre.
Campus service learning program gets new start W
CC’s Service Learning program was rebranded this year as the community engagement program ‘Ike Kaiāulu. On Feb. 1, the newly refreshed and re-energized program celebrated its relaunch with a blessing and lunch in Hale A‘o. According to program coordinator Michelle Tupou, the programʻs goal is to “connect ourselves, our course learning objectives and our students with our local community partners.” For more information about the program, email wccserve@hawaii.edu.
PHOTOS BY EZZIO LAVARELLO
March 2019
Community News
Ka ‘Ohana
WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
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Keeping Heaven's Gate open? by Ian Jenss Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter
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i ndwa rd O‘a hu’s Stairway to Heaven hiking trail has again become a focal point of controversy with the upcoming Environmental Impact Statement to be published this May. Based on the statement, a decision will be made as to whether the stairs will be taken down or left up. The trail is currently not open to the public and has been a contentious issue in the Crown Terrace neighborhood as hikers brave the darkness in the pre-dawn hours to elude the security guard that monitors the area. Many times amid barking dogs, hikers park their vehicles and prepare themselves for the climb. Residents have also complained that hikers have trespassed on their properties coming from and going to the base of the stairs. Breaking the trespassing law has a hefty price tag of a $1,000 fine. As recently as December 2015, a teen from the Big Island went missing after posting pictures on social media indicating that he was on the trail. After extensive searches by the Honolulu Fire Department and the military, he was never found. With the advent of digital cameras such as the GoPro and smartphones with high definition capabilities, the hike has developed a reputation worldwide with hiking enthusiasts and adventure seekers and has become one of the most popular hikes on the island. Ascending 3,922 steps up a steep ridge in Haiku Valley, it lies in the backyard of WCC. The breathtaking views and panoramic scenery from the
Despite being closed to the public, hikers are attracted to the breathtaking views on Stairway to Heaven.
summit have created many proponents over the years who are supporting efforts to preserve and maintain the stairs. Haiku Valley has a long history that goes back to ancient Hawaiʻi as Hawaiians used it as a kind of apothecary and source of healing medicines and plants. Before western contact, it was an important resource that was used by Kahuna Laʻau Lapaʻau (medicinal and spiritual healers). It was once a home for an active, flourishing Hawaiian community and numerous heiau (sacred sites). Kahekili Heiau was located at the top of the valley and was built to honor the god of thunder and lightning. In 1942, the U.S. military obtained the land usage rights and built the wooden stairs
SCREENSHOTS TAKEN FROM THE YOUTUBE VIDEO ILLEGAL FAMOUS STARIWAY TO HEAVEN HIKE
for easy access to the top of the mountain, where they were building the Haiku Radio Station. The military used the natural shape of the valley and
The remnants of the U.S. Coast Guard's radio antenna sit at the summit of Stairway to Heaven.
stretched cable across it to create an antenna to transmit low frequency radio signals to ships that were then operating throughout the Pacific.
Then in the 1950s, the station was decommissioned and the U.S. Coast Guard used the same site as an Omega Navigation System station, the first global-range radio navigation system operated by the United States in cooperation with six partner nations. At that time, the stairs were replaced by sections of metal steps and ramps. In 1987, the stairs and trail were closed to the public after a severe storm knocked out a small portion of the stairs and it became unusable. Even though closed, hikers continued to ignore the no trespassing signs. As the Haiku stairs started gaining more attention, residents around the base of the stairs became wary of the amount of traffic going through their neighborhood. Today what remains of the site is stewarded by the Koʻolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club. Local resident Kevin Louie stated in the documentary film SEE STAIRS PAGE 8
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March 2019
Ka ‘Ohana
Editorial
Title IX ... and you
WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
by Karla Silva-Park and Jordan Lewton
The PAQ is here!
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CC pr ides it sel f as being a campus `ohana where we all support each other on a daily basis no matter what the challenge might be. Sometimes that’s not how our students feel. Often our students find themselves on the receiving end of microaggressions or other forms of harassment that can impact their time here at WCC when they identify as part of our LGBTQ+ community. One of the goals of Title IX is to protect our campus from gender-based harassment, including harassment based on actual or perceived sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. However, our last Campus Climate Survey indicated that many do not feel supported and are unaware of where to go if they felt they were a victim of harassment. Part of our campus goals has been to begin to provide training for the larger campus community and support to our LGBTQ+ `ohana here at WCC. Our WCC psycholog y
COURTESY OF PIXABAY
instructor Lisamarie Bensman and history instructor Ryan Koo are our campus commissioners with the UH Commission on LGBTQ+ Equality. Both Lisamarie and Ryan work to create a culture of equality, acceptance and respect on our campus. While their role includes a variety of
functions such as Safe Zone training, which aims to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ safety and inclusion, they also work to build the skills of allies who can help to identify and stop harassment from occurring on our campus. Our Climate Survey from 2017 indicated that our LG-
BTQ+ `ohana suffers from sexual violence and domestic violence at significantly higher rates than the rest of our campus population. Seeing this, they recognized the need to create a space for our campus `ohana that can be both fun and supportive while our students are going to school.
Sustainability Matters What can economics teach us about sustainability?
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loha, my name is Paul Briggs, and I teach economics here at Windward Community College. Christian Palmer has given me the opportunity this month to write about the intersection of the environment and the economy. I will be teaching a course in the fall 2019 semester called Environmental Economics (ECON 220) in which we will explore that issue. It is a Writing Intensive course, and it has a Sustainability focus as well. Our course textbook, Environmental Economics and Natural Resource Management, examines economists’ belief that people face tradeoffs as the earth’s resources are scarce. In order for humans to survive, we need the oxygen that is generated from plants, moderate temperatures and clean water. But we humans also enjoy many comforts such as manufactured goods, housing and travel (primarily by automobile) at the expense
of the environment. The human impact on the environment can often be described as side effects or what we economists call externalities. Externalities are impacts that are felt beyond the individuals causing the effects. There are two types of externalities, positive and negative. Examples of negative externalities are things like second hand smoke, generating waste and the burning of fossil fuels. Examples of positive externalities are the planting of trees in one’s back yard or the wearing of cologne (the right one, of course!). In a market economy, people tend to purchase too many goods that cause negative externalities and too few goods that generate positive externalities. Economists have devised some ways to help people feel for themselves the external effects of their own behavior. It is difficult for people to impose these methods on themselves in the marketplace, so government acts as the agent to do it for them. These methods can include direct regulation, taxes, subsidies and the creative use of property rights.
This is how PAQ was created. PAQ is WCC’s Pride Alliance of Queers, which is open to both the LGBTQ+ community as well as anyone who would like to become an ally to those who are. UH students and alumni are welcome for official membership and all others are welcome to the meetings and events as guests. At PAQ, individuals are able to connect and support each other while having fun and being able to have a space where everyone is accepted. The PAQ club planning meetings are held on the first and third Thursday of the month from 4-5 p.m. in Hale Na`auao 103. Club events take place throughout the month. Upcoming spring events include a game night in March, a movie night in April and much more to come! You can find the PAQ on Facebook as PrideAllianceofQueers and on Instagram @pacwcc. Should you want more information, you can contact the faculty advisors Lisamarie at bensman@hawaii.edu or Ryan at rkoo@hawaii.edu.
with Paul Briggs
GRAPHIC BY PATRICK HASCALL
In last month’s column, Christian Palmer nicely described t he most elega nt method of dealing with the problem of climate change: the carbon tax. The carbon tax is a way for individuals to feel the impact of the negative externality (global warming) as a result of the burning of fossil fuels. The idea is that if you make the ac t iv it y more expen sive, fewer people will do it.
But as Christian pointed out, there are unintended consequences to the carbon tax. Some lobbyists may be able to find loopholes for their industries and the tax can make the cost of living in Hawai‘i more expensive as most economic activity requires the burning of fossil fuels (i.e. automobile travel). But we economists would also argue that other behaviors that help the environment (electric cars, solar
panels) should be subsidized in order to encourage their use. I encourage you to check out my new course in the fall. Environmental economics has a number of practical applications: it can help the business student see the environmental consequences of many business decisions, and it can help environmental students understand the power of markets and incentives.
March 2019
Editorial
Ka ‘Ohana
WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
7
What do you think of the new Duo Mobile UH security system? I have not used or been introduced to the Duo Push UH security system yet or that I know of. But I think any steps in security for students and faculty should be welcomed. – Jessy Russell I think the new security system adds a heightened sense of comfort on the campuses. As a female, it is nice to k now we are “double” protected. Safety is a big factor on campus and increasing campus safety is extremely beneficial to all. I actually learned about the new system through UH email and thought that this
is a positive step in the right direction. – Isabella Waerei I absolutely hate it! Everytime I need to check my UH account, I have to open my phone. That in itself is a pure distraction for me. Sometimes I don’t have my phone and just my computer, so therefore I can’t login on my computer and do homework. I think it’s an extra step in protecting our identity which is great, but the inconvenience it has on users is terrible, and that’s my personal opinion. I talk to other people about it, and they have the
same idea. I work at the school’s library so I was required to start the Duo Push awhile back. It was a straight death trap when my manager made me sign up for it. I dislike the Duo Push, but I appreciate the concern for students. – Rayn Kekai Ruperti Yans I think it is a great idea to protect our personal information within the school system. I preferably do not like having to go through a double way of getting online to do my work. Most of the time I’m in a rush to get online on a school
computer, and this is actually a hassle. But if it does protect us that much more, then I guess it is worth it. – Czarina I have mixed feelings about the new UH Duo Push security system. I strongly agree that it is to help keep our i n format ion safe because I see it and have used it everyday before I log in to MyUH. I always have to put a code in or wait for an acceptance from my phone. It allows me to know and fully trust that everything I do at school and my personal info cannot be seen by other
people or hackers. But on the other hand, having to push a button on my phone before getting into my email can become annoying. It t a k e s up t i me a nd doesn’t allow things to go as fast as before. I had a classmate who had to show a presentation and before they could do that, a code or push had to be entered to verify that it was them. It took up to 5 minutes of class time and made the class have completely awkward silence. It’s a good security system because it works, but it’s just a hassle. – Kaila Aiu-Furtado
With Hawai’i importing 90 percent of its food, what ideas do you have to increase food self-sufficiency in the state? With food waste being such a big issue, especially in the U.S., I think the first problem to tackle should be this. One idea is to use the land we have wisely. Golf courses, luxury hotels and other large space consuming entities take up a large portion of the island’s limited land. Sure, many crops may not grow in this kind of environment, but many others do. In addition, the state/federal government should provide subsidies or other incentives for those who grow produce locally. I also think it should be easier for people to obtain things like starter seeds so they can begin to produce food for their own families. The government/state shou ld be encou rag i ng household gardens, community gardens and crop sharing. I think if the tools/supplies necessary to begin were more easily accessible and less expensive, people would be more inclined to begin producing for themselves and their families – Hailey Modzelewska There are a lot of different ways to grow our own foods without cutting down trees and hurting the wild life. There is a lot of good
farming land that’s not being used at all. For instance going towards ‘Ewa, there is a lot of clear unused land that can be used for cattle or farming. In your own backyards, you can start growing your own vegetables. That way you don’t have to buy from stores. They could always stop the Dole pineapple fields and grow other things like potatoes, corn or anything. There is plenty of land on this island to grow or raise our own food. We just need to stop being so lazy and do something. That’s the biggest problem– nowadays everyone is just is just too lazy to do things for themselves. – Richard Kaluhiwa Shanks It sounds crazy, but I think we should mass produce taro. The Hawai’i taro farms are cool, but if we farmed it using the old Hawaiian way, on an industrial scale, we could create a taro product that we could export that could generate loads of tourism and sustain Hawai’i in the event of an emergency. The taro farms are nowhere near finished, and there is so much fertile land here and potential for jobs and revenue. I think if we farmed taro using the old Hawaiian methods, nobody
would object to it. Also, I think pigs could become an excellent food source. Boars here are invasive and if we developed wide scale methods to farm them, we could sustain all kinds of people living here. I think these two methods would be culturally acceptable and good for the environment and the product would be ‘ono! – Dalton Duffield To have more farms and places that produce food so that we don’t have to import 90 percent of our food from outside of Hawai’i. Plus growing food here will be healthier in the sense that food from outside sources
need to add hormones and other unnatural substances to keep the food from going bad on the way here. Also, I think it would be cheaper if we grew food here because it will be local instead of having to keep buying food from other places. Even if it’s not 100 percent of the food being grown here, at least have a bigger ratio of food to be grown here. Since 90 percent isn’t local–it should be 50 percent or 60 percent. – Jonah Nichols I think that Hawai‘i resource of land management needs to push the idea of self sustainability. We have fishponds that cultivated
enough fish for our ancestors. If we utilize our fishponds to feed our community, then we would be one step up in being sustainable in our food security. Lo’i kalo and farming is such a practical but useful idea in helping our island. We have to keep in mind our geographic location makes it harder to export and import, so why don’t we just stop doing it. Primarily people just love junk, fast, canned foods, and that’s not bad. But if we are looking at a food crisis, the people of Hawai’i are going to need to adapt to a sustainable lifestyle. That is if you want to live in Hawai’i. – Rayn Kekai Ruperti-Yans
Ka ‘Ohana EDITOR IN CHIEF
Ian Jenss
(The Family)
WEBMASTER/LAB GURU
Patrick Hascall LAB ASSISTANT
STAFF REPORTERS
Madelyn Barr Anthony Davis Nathan Runion
Ezzio Lavarello ADVISER
Kimberlee Bassford
Ka ‘Ohana is published monthly by the students of Windward Community College. 45-720 Kea‘ahala Rd, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i 96744. Phone (808) 236-9185. The newspaper reflects only the views of its student staff. Visit Ka ‘Ohana’s website at www.KaOhanaOnline.org. An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution
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March 2019
Ka ‘Ohana
Arts & Entertainment WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Artists share tips and their creative process
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by Anthony Davis Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter
like to think there's a little artist in each of us. Even that really brainy gal I talk to who loves her numbers and insists she has zero art ability beyond stick figures. But drawing isn't the only artistic medium. I often ask people, “Have you ever worked with ceramics?” I spend many hours in WCC’s ceramics studio, and I've known a person or two who had never touched the stuff but ended up having savant-like aptitudes once they got their hands on it. I feel we never truly know where our artistic barriers rise and fall until we dive in. Last month, I had the pleasure of sitting down with the newly featured artists–Jon Hamblin, Jodi Endicott and Sarah Hyland–showcased in “Taking Flight,” the current exhibit at WCC’s Gallery ‘Iolani. I wanted to find out where they got their starts and what advice they had for other artists like me. Water-colorist and current WCC student Sarah Hyland has a uniquelooking style all her own. Wrapped in whimsy and adorned in soothing warm tones, the illustrations lining her portfolios are both striking and inviting. I asked her what sources she tapped to fire her creative flow. “Nature, or environmentalist themes, global warming, animal rites, animals ... ” Hyland said. “I love animals.” Jon Hamblin’s work is a rich tapestry of beautiful acrylics on canvases of aluminum roofing. A mesmerising fusion of metal, paint and symbolism are combined. He spoke to me about his travels, sharing his experiences in the jungles of Belize via the Peace Corps. But it was Jon’s time in Haiti, where his father’s work as a physician had taken him and the whole family, that would inevitably introduce him to his calling. “When I was a little boy, watching with his blue eyes; I was just looking at the Haitians doing the most amazing art from materials that they just found.” Hamblin recalled one artist in particular. ”I’ll never forget this guy. He had old cans ... evaporated milk cans that he made a suitcase out of that he was trying to sell. I just never forgot that.” Jodi Endicott’s display pieces branch into several different styles ranging from assemblage to canvas to hybrid cemented animal forms. She takes her art to the next level with life-sized representations for all her animal forms, including life-sized chickens, pigs comprised of blackened cement, chicken wire and more. During an open gallery session with all the artists, one attendee asked, “What do you do when you have a roadblock? How do you remove it? Endicott replied, “I have a really busy mind. And as long as it stays really caffeinated and there’s really good music on, I have no problem.”
She went on to say, “Driving and listening to music right outside the Pali tunnels where Kailua side going to town is. There must be something really magical or spiritual there because I’ll be thinking about things all the way up, and when I get to that place, it’s like, boom! I see it. I know what to do next! Just go for a drive.” She ended with a hearty laugh Hamblin and Endicott shared the adversities and tribulations that artists will at some point face. They talked about running the gamut from shady art house auctions to finicky buyers who may commision work but later leave you hanging to seedy fundraisers devaluing one’s art to net a bigger profit. “Just don’t ever give up,” Endicott said. “There’s so many obstacles in your way. Now that I’m older, I always I have that saying. It’s like we walk around being insecure all the time. And the other thing that always live by is, ‘Am I moving forward?’” She paused and then said, “And I always know, if I’m seeing obstacles, then I’ve lost sight of my goal. So how did I know I wanted to be an artist? I guess I had to live a lot.” One of the final pieces of wisdom the artists shared was an issue near and dear to all proverbial starving artists: how to conserve cash on quality art supplies and how to get work. Their parting tips: Never go to art supply stores–they are too expensive. Go to the hardware stores and look for discounted mis-mixed paints. Also, people throw stuff out, so drive around. Look at trash piles. And lastly, they said, “A lot of the time we wait around for people to come to us and make things happen, or say it’s okay. Don’t do that. Just go make it happen.”
PHOTOS BY ANTHONY DAVIS
The exhibit “Taking Flight” features the work of Jon Hamblin, Jodi Endicott and Sarah Hyland.
Stairs Should Heaven Be Open? by WCC alumnus Kyle Motonaga, “I don’t think it should be open unless they can guarantee everyone’s safety. People don’t realize it becomes a steep vertical ladder at some points with steep cliffs on both sides ... Since it’s not being used by the military anymore, I think they should tear it down but then again that could be too much money and too much work ... ” President of Friends of Haiku Stairs Vernon Ansdell said, “The stairs provides the perfect opportunity to see the whole ahupua‘a from the back of the valley all the way down to the fishponds. I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world where you can see the whole dynamic of the ahupua’a system from mauka to makai.” Ansdell proposes that the stairs be
from page 5 used as an educational and cultural site. Having a group to take responsibility for the maintenance, security and liability would be key to making it a viable resource. “Having docents and volunteers as well as a robust waiver form, really good signage and a maintenance program to ensure the stairs are safe. If you had that in place, it could be doable,” he said. At present there are many entities working on a solution on what is to become of the trail. This question is one for the combined land owners–The Kamehameha Schools, Board of Water Supply, State of Hawai‘i as well as the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands– to figure out once the Environmental Impact Statement is complete.