Issue 4, Spring 2013 by Ke Kalahea

KE KALAHEA

Monday February 25, 2013 Issue 3

UNLEASHED The Herald

The 15th Annual Vagina Monologues

The Herald THE STUDENT RUN & WRITTEN PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I, H I L O A N D H AWA I ’ I C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

Letter from the editor EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dorothy Fukushima COPY CHIEF Kellie Wilson NEWS EDITOR Sarah Kekauoha ARTS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Jenna Burns SPORTS EDITOR Keane Carlin LAYOUT DESIGNERS Denarose Fukushima Anthony Hruza STAFF WRITERS Britney Carey Joie Colobong Dennis Fukushima Elizabeth Johnson Maria Karin Walczuk WEBMASTER Alya Azman AD MANAGER Heather Bailey CIRCULATION MANAGER Meghann Decker

It’s hard to believe that we’re already on issue four of Ke Kalahea for the spring semester. And, as redundant as it may be to say, that means we only have four more issues to go before the end of the academic year. Following the recommendation of our advisor, we’re going to put the spotlight on the students and professors and highlight their achievements. A universal goal for college is to gain the required knowledge and skills for an individual’s specific field of interest. There are numerous degree programs here to cater to our various career aspirations. As we navigate through the courses of our majors, we become familiar with our colleagues and sometimes form strong friendships with them. (Nothing bonds people more than shared suffering). However, this also means that our network can be limited to the students and professors in our departments. We can add a decent number of acquaintances and friends to our network from the students we meet taking mandatory General Education requirement courses and joining sports and clubs. But, how many people does the average student really know on campus? Here, we are fortunate to be exposed to people from all walks of life with various different cultural backgrounds. Chances are the person sitting next to you in the library or pass in the hall have a unique and amazing story to tell. In this issue my writers have focused on several students throughout the campus. Jack Musik received two scholarships to travel abroad to Okinawa for a year, where he hopes to immerse himself in Japanese and Okinawan culture. Senior Kiel Meyers reflected on his tenure as a Vulcan on the basketball team, while Anna Claire Masuda and Or Aloni (from Japan and Israel, respectively) shared their experiences of UH Hilo. Dr. Mark Panek of the English department has an ongoing English Brown Bag Series that showcases the work of various professors around campus. While you’re thumbing through this issue, I hope you are as impressed by the accomplishments of the students and professors as I am. I also hope that you are inspired to share your story with us. Dorothy Fukushima Editor in Chief

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Avery Berido Nainoa Kalaukoa

PHOTOGRAPHERS Yuta Momoki Karley Watts

Sports Pg 13 | Senior Profile: Kiel Myers

STAFF ADVISOR Tiffany Edwards Hunt

BUSINESS MANAGER Ke Kalahea Campus Center Room 215 200 W. Kawili St. Hilo, 96720 (808) 974-7504 Fax: (808) 974-7782

kalahea@hawaii.edu

Entertainment Pg 18 | Rants & Raves

Cover photo by Yuta Momoki. Ke Kalahea Mission Statement Ke Kalahea is the student news publication for the University of Hawai’i at Hilo and Hawai’i Community College. We express the voice of the student body using our rights to the freedom of speech and press. The mission of Ke Kalahea is to provide coverage of news and events affecting the university and our community. We offer a forum for communication and the exchange of ideas and provide educational training and experience for students in all areas of the newspaper’s operation. Ke Kalahea operates a fiscally responsible organization, which ensures our ability to serve the university well. Through Ke Kalahea’s publication, we encourage students to take advantage of academic and personal opportunities – ones that will deepen their knowledge, enhance their experiences and broaden their perspectives.

News Briefs

Windows broken by a shock wave caused by the meteor in Chelyabinsk. Courtesy Metro Russia.

Meteor explodes over Russian city Citizens in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia received quite a shock on Feb. 15. A meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere at an astounding 40,300 mph and broke apart just 15 miles above the city, releasing nearly 500 kilotons of energy, NASA reported. Measuring 55 feet across and weighing over 10,000 tons, it was the meteor reported since 1908, NASA said. City officials reported damage to 3,000 buildings, the result of a shock wave so powerful it blew in nearly 1 million square feet of glass, the Associated Press said. Russia’s Interior Ministry reported 1,100 people sought medical care after the blast, with nearly 50 requiring hospitalization, the Associated Press said. A majority of those hurt had been injured by glass, NBC News reported. The event occurred just hours before the recordbreaking flyby of asteroid 2012 DA14 at just 17,000 miles above the Earth, USA Today reported. NASA said the two events were not related, stating the objects were traveling in different directions. Currently, no advance warning systems are in place to alert the public about impeding impacts of untracked objects, but the University of Hawai‘i’s Institute for Astronomy is trying to change that, NBC News reported. The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, which is backed by NASA, is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2015, IFA astronomer John Tonry told NBC News. “If ATLAS were up and running we might very well have seen” the Chelyabinsk meteor, and “could have provided one to two days’ warning,” he said.

Waimea Grenade Scare

A grenade was found in the Waimea Foodland Super Market early in the morning on Feb. 16, 2013. The Hawaii Tribune Herald reported that the grenade was found in the produce section of the grocery store. The building was evacuated for over three hours. The explosive was found by an employee when they were opening a box of mushrooms. Gil Hasegawa, the executive director of Foodland told the Hawaii Tribune Herald that he and the employee didn’t touch the grenade. They evacuated the store with no trouble, and police responded at 8:18 am. The federal Transportation Security Administration was called as well to assist with the explosive. The TSA “confirmed that [the grenade] was an inert training grenade”, the Hawaii Tribune Herald stated. While the device posed no immediate danger to the public, police are investigating the situation as a first-degree terroristic threat.

Hawaii lawmakers aiming to curb youth smoking

If state lawmakers have their way, Hawaii’s already-tough laws against smoking could soon become even tougher – and its air just a little cleaner. State Senator Rosalyn Baker has proposed the illegalization of tobacco use and possession for people under 18 years of age, as well as a $3.20 excise tax per net ounce of tobacco, the Hawaii-Tribune Herald reported on Feb. 7. Senator Baker’s proposals have drawn the support of Senate Health Committee Chair Josh Green, who introduced several additional bills aimed at discouraging youths in the Aloha State from lighting up, including one that prohibits selling electronic cigarettes to children under 18, the Associated Press reported on Feb. 6. However, Hawaii Smoking Alliance co-chairman Micheal Zehner is opposed to introducing additional taxes on tobacco products here, since he feels cigarettes are already too expensive. Hawaii had the fourth-highest cigarette excise tax in the nation as of December 2012, according to The Coalition for Tobacco Free Kids. Also opposing the proposal are the state Department of Health and the Hawaii Youth Services Network, who have both submitted testimonies arguing that it would do nothing to stop tobacco use among youths, according to the Associated Press. Hawaii is known for having some of the strictest anti-smoking laws in the United States. Smoking inside and within 20 feet of entrances and windows of partially enclosed public areas has been banned statewide since November 2006, while smoking in public outdoor recreational facilities has been banned in Hawaii County since March 2008.

Five New Yorkers indicted in O’ahu fake credit card scam

Five Brooklyn natives have been charged with using fake credit cards at several luxury retailers on O‘ahu over a five-day period in April 2012, as reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Feb. 8. The five members of this ‘hit-and-run’ credit card scam have been identified as 19-year-olds Falyshia Pierre-Lys and Isatta Bassie, and 24-year-olds Shawnese Adams, Sean Khani and Tamel Vaughn. Deputy U.S. marshals arrested Pierre-Lys in January, and Khani and Vaughn on Feb. 8. Bassie and Adams were arrested in the Dutch Caribbean territory of Aruba last December on unrelated charges and will be extradited to Hawaii after their cases in Aruba are settled. Hawaii News Now reported that the five Brooklynites were accused of purchasing over $325,000 worth of merchandise from upscale Honolulu stores such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci and Neiman Marcus. They have been indicted by a grand jury and collectively charged with 31 counts of theft, identity theft and unauthorized possession of confidential personal information.

A Journey of Discovery UH Hilo student scores scholarship for study in Okinawa Britney Carey | Staff Writer UH Hilo student Jack Musick will be traveling to Japan at the end of March to begin a year of international study. As the lucky recipient of both the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and the Freeman-ASIA scholarship, Jack will attend the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa. While abroad, Jack hopes to soak up as much of the Japanese and Okinawan cultures as possible. With a fourth-degree black belt in Ryukyu Kempo, a form of karate developed in Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, and two years of Japanese study nearly completed, Musick seems ahead of the game. While in Okinawa, Jack, who has been playing the sanshin for two years, hopes to learn from master Fija Bairon, who some students may remember from his visit to UH Hilo two years ago. “I’m decent,” Jack says, “But it’ll be cool to study (the sanshin) in its birthplace.” Musick would also like to study Uchinaaguchi, a Ryukyuan language spoken on Okinawa Island. “The language is really endangered,” Jack says. “Very few people under 30 know it or can understand it so I’m hoping to study as much as I can.” Jack advises anyone who is thinking about studying abroad to start the process soon. “Even if they’re a freshman, they should start thinking about it early so they’re not in a rush at the last minute,” he says. “Look for as many things as you can and apply for as many things as you can.” As a Japanese studies major, Jack felt that applying to study in Japan would be a natural fit. Aside from his academic interests, Jack is also deeply involved in the community. After studying under Koubushi Bill Gossett, Jack was enlisted to start a new school for Ryukyu East Asian Martial Arts Coalition in Hilo. His school, Big Island Kobudo, operates out of the Waiakea Recreational Center, and at $15 per month, the classes are a steal. Although the school will be closed while Jack is away, he plans to reopen as soon as he gets back. Following his return, Jack and the other members of the coalition will put on an international camp in summer 2014.

Jack Musick jams on the sanshin. Courtesy Jack Musick. He also is a member of the local organization Hui Okinawa, and is a karate instructor for their Children’s Cultural Day Camp, as well as a member of their taiko drumming group. As for the future, Jack says he’s leaving it up to the universe, but he’s not ruling out staying put for a while. “Hilo really does feel like home now, so even if I did move to Okinawa or I went to graduate school somewhere else, I would always be coming back to Hilo.” For more about Jack, visit his website at www.bigislandkobudo. com.

A Cure for Lunchtime Boredom The English Brown Bag Series aims to feed your brain Britney Carey | Staff Writer Karly Watts | Photographer

The first talk of 2013 was given by Dr. Very Parham, an assistant professor of ired of trying to find a table in the crowded History. Parham presented her and cacophonous dining hall? Yearning soon-to-be-published research for a way to spend your break from class that’s on the 1970 occupation of Fort both stimulating and worthy of your remarkable Lawton and the development intellect? Then attend a lunchtime presentation of the Daybreak Star Cultural of the English Brown Bag Series. Every month, Center in Seattle, WA. “The Associate Professor of English Dr. Mark Panek experience was fabulous. enlists the help a new speaker to dazzle audiences Probably even more rewarding and flex the intellectual muscle of UH Hilo’s than I expected it to be,” campus community. Parham said. “It ended up being Started in 2011, the series aims to a really nice opportunity to get increase awareness about research being done on feedback outside of my field.” campus. Although geared towards humanities Dr. Kirsten related issues, the subject matter has been Mollegaard, an assistant professor of English, rather diverse. Dr. Panek himself gave the very presented the February talk along with English first talk, with a presentation entitled on his major Robin Belcher. The pair discussed their book, “Big Happiness: The Life and Death of a paper, “Death, Madness, and the Hero’s Journey: Modern Hawaiian Warrior.” Later, in the fall of The Edgar Allan Poe’s Antarctic Adventures,” 2012, Dr. David Hammes, a UH Hilo economic one that they have submitted to the International professor, presented Journal of Arts and Sciences, “You may walk into one of and presented in Rome, Italy. his book, “Harvesting these things and it could “It was a good opportunity Gold: Thomas Edison’s Experiment to Re-invent to revisit our material and talk change your life.” American Money,” a treat about our further research at - Dr. Panek for the economics geek in the Brown Bags,” Mollegaard all of us. said. “This is the kind of stuff that makes me so happy that I am in the kind of job I am. Working oneon-one with a student is really, really very rewarding.” Other presenters have included UH graduates like Emile DeAndreis and Chris McKinney. DeAndreis’ short story, “The Pigs of Hilo,” was published in Bamboo Ridge No. 98 and won the Editor’s Choice Award for best new writer. McKinney has written five novels, including “The Tattoo,” and “Boi No Good,” both about Hawai‘i. Panek hopes seeing successful writers like these will help students to visualize a future they may not otherwise imagine and “see the concrete reality, that this will lead to something.” Aside from the tantalizing topics, Panek encourages students to attend

Dr. Very Parham. the talks so that they can see the plight of the university professor. “They get to see that we’re struggling just like you guys.” In fact, part of the motivation for the series has been to get more faculty involved in scholarship. “One-fourth of our job is the scholarship. That acknowledges that the brain is a muscle. If you earned a Ph.D. 20 years ago and have done no scholarship since, that Ph.D. is really worthless,” Panek said. “The reason why we continue to do the scholarship is so that we can keep that muscle in shape.” Keep your eyes peeled and ears open as the time and place of the talks can vary. The next talk will feature Dr. Kerri Inglis of the History Department on March 19. “You’re in college. College isn’t just doing what they tell you to do,” Panek said. “You may walk into one of these things and it could change your life.”

Dr. Mark Panek

Dr. Kirstin Mollegaard

Students ‘Fess Up Via Facebook UH Hilo’s Confessions Facebook page gives students an uncensored voice Sarah Kekauoha |News Editor Ke Kalahea’s “Rants and Raves” has finally met its match with the creation of the new UH Hilo Confessions Facebook page. Created Jan. 31, the page reached at least 900 likes and 1000 people talking about it by Valentines Day. Students submit confessions to Survey Monkey and an unknown facilitator posts the confessions anonymously in the order they’re sent. While some students openly respond to the confessions or choose to post their own confessions on the page’s wall, other students see the Facebook as either entertaining, a portrayal of an ill matured body of University students, or a risk to some students’ safety. “People abuse the fact of anonymity to say what they want,” Corey Patton, a sophomore majoring in English, said. “The people who post feel like they can get away with saying whatever they want, which, in theory it works. But in practice, it’s really reprehensible. It shows how degenerate and immature students are.” Other students had concerns about the anonymity of the people posting and, although it’s still unknown if UH Hilo is really associated with the Facebook page, the low level of morals exhibited through the posts. “I don’t think UH Hilo should be associated with that page,” said Dennis Fukushima, a sophomore majoring in Marine Biology. “It makes UH Hilo look really bad. And it gets sketchy. Someone knows the people who post all these things and that seems weird to me.” Some of the students also view the page as very degrading. “Nobody posts anything meaningful or anything to build people up,” Patton added. “I can’t imagine any of these posts coming out of somebody’s mouth.” A junior double majoring in Business and Economics, Karyle Saiki, responded in a similar way to Patton. She first noted that students spend too much time on Facebook. “Get some real friends,” she said. “If people had face to face interactions, they wouldn’t say 90% of the stuff they would post on Facebook.” Micah Akau, a junior majoring in English, added to this by saying that the page is “essentially a hook up confession site where people can get their egos boosted. Furthermore, they can hide anonymously behind a computer screen to tell people things they never would in the first place.” Kelii Grothmann, a senior majoring in Hawaiian Studies, said that everyone is allowed to express their own opinion. “However,” he added, “we all need to choose our words carefully.” He shared the phrase, “I ka ʻōlelo no ke ola, i ka ʻōlelo nō ka make,” which means words have mana, or power, and can bring life of death. “The UH Hilo Confessions page can be detrimental to whoever the post is about, and said person has no way to reciprocate their feelings,” he said. “I feel that problems between individuals need to be

worked out in person, and not where everyone can see. Any website that has a potential to create malicious situations should not be enjoyed, but looked upon with much discernment.” Other students actually like the uniqueness of the page, which allows students to respond to and “like” posts, something the students can’t do immediately in the Rants and Raves. “I think it’s an entertaining page to look at,” said Laura Robinson, a senior majoring in Communications, “but I personally feel no desire to post anything on it.” Robinson added that she thinks people post fake confessions but the page is like an extension of Ke Kalahea’s rants and raves. She also noted that posting or sending in confessions for the page “could be jeopardizing to some and these types of pages have the potential to get out of hand, but that is the risk with any online social networking site.” Another student, Sher Toribio, a senior majoring in Linguistics, agreed with Robinson, saying, “ I honestly like it! The anonymity makes it mysterious and the confessions are very raw.” She added that the posts are “out there,” but she found that very intriguing and interesting. “As far as safety,” she said, “I think it depends on the confession.” When choosing to submit a post to the page, the Survey Monkey application states, “These are your confessions as UH Hilo Students. Please refrain from using names and be sensitive and not jeopardize anyone or any of the departments at school. Enjoy.” Though this invites students to take caution before posting, if any of the posts did contain names or sensitive content, would the facilitator cut out these posts? Would specific individuals or departments be safe if something offensive or threatening were posted? What happens if it’s not UH Hilo students posting to the webpage? Who runs the page—is it a group of people or one individual? Has UH Hilo endorsed this as an official UH Hilo Facebook page? Should students feel comfortable posting and knowing they remain completely anonymous? How long will the page run and will the person in charge facilitate it for that period of time? Post #566 gave Facebook users a preview of who might be in charge of the page. “Obviously you don’t know who I am,” the facilitator posted, “because anyone who knows me wouldn’t call me ‘bra’ and also anyone who knows me and had a problem would say it to my face.” Because the Confessions page won’t allow messaging, Ke Kalahea invites the facilitator to email Ke Kalahea at kalahea@hawaii.edu to answer some of the general questions both students and faculty have concerning the page. In the meantime, although these questions remain as ambiguous as the confession posts themselves, students must decide for themselves what level of morality the page encourages, how open they wish to be via social networking, and whom they’re choosing to entrust their confessions.

The UH Hilo Confessions Facebook Page.

Hansel and Gretel: A Children’s Story?

A review of controversial film ratings for Hansel and Gretel: The Witch Hunters Elizabeth Johnson | Staff Writer The German tale of Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, is one of the most well-known fairy tales of all time. The tale tells about two children, a brother and a sister, who are abandoned in the middle of the forest at night. Wandering around in the forest, they discover a candy made home and are lured into the home by an evil witch who wants to burn the children in her oven. However, they defeat the witch by throwing her into the oven, and take her wealth and candy and live happily ever after. With a story like this designed for children, it was no surprise that Hollywood was able to snag the plot (with a lot of extra and twisted imagination) to release the film Hansel and Gretel: The Witch Hunters. In the plot of this 2013 released film, the children, grown up, pillage the countryside, tracking down all evil witches. Very quickly, this children’s bedtime story held the Grimm name hostage as it spun into a vulgar, sexual pool of blood and guts with these two witch hunters continuing the not-soinnocent story. “The movie has a lot of fun features and some impressive special effects. Lower your expectations (as far down as they’ll go) and you’ll end up enjoying this in-your-face fantasy adventure!” stated Hollywood Soap Box, which expressed the reactions of some viewers. Hansel, as played by actor Jeremy Renner, executed his character as dry and uninterested; leading one to consider he was too busy thinking about his role in the sequel of the next Bourne movie. Gretel, played by Gemma Aterton, was portrayed as gung-ho, and dangerous; however, all she had was her profane mouth to prove that. The brother and sister, now grown up characters in the film, are seen as stone faced, over confident witch killers. The movie took no time in capturing the audience in the action of the hunt. IMDb.com said, “Emerging from the German fairy tale, these two characters are now self-assured over killing one single witch and taking upon themselves the title ‘Bounty Hunters’.” Hollywood Soap Box said that the movie depicted the two characters as if overnight, “the two became world renowned for their ability to track and kill the nasty creatures of the forest.” The film was written and destroyed by Tommy Wirkola. The storyline concentrates on a small village threatened by a ‘grand witch’ (actress Famke Janssen) with Hansel and Gretel fending her off. The plot is obvious from the start and is surely not as intricate as the special effects. From the auto-loading crossbows like the ones on the film Vanhelsing, to the epic broom chases, it leaves one to wonder when the lasers will start firing or when the shields go up as if it were some cheap production of Star Wars. The witches are horrific and foul and have little, if no remorse for the innocent eye. According to Eagle.com, the film itself seemed like “it needed witchcraft to save it.” With this knowledge, film writer Tommy Wirkola put into production two separate films probably hoping that if his PG-13 version didn’t work, he could throw a few drops of nudity with a handful of profane verbal content into his cauldron, in hopes for the perfect spell. The rumors at first lead to much confusion, and the controversy of ratings in many states, areas, and on websites were quickly realized after the release of the film on Jan. 25, 2013. It was rapidly questioned if the movie industry took its next step in what kind of content was allowed in PG-13 films. However, it didn’t take long for that kind of thinking to accompany the exiting audience as they left the building. It didn’t take 88 minutes to find out this film was actually R–rated. Kevin McKay, a UH Hilo student pursuing a major in Psychology said, “If the nude scene is in the PG-13 film, then that’s misguided for parents. If children go to a PG-13 movie and see rated R material, how would parents explain to them about it? They need to be more sensitive to these areas.” UH Hilo student Keeva Avana said, “I don’t like this movie because it’s like the rated R version of the story—but with more provocativeness. I think that even though it’s PG-13 and/or R rated, a lot of the movie release viewers are younger children and I find it unsuitable for younger viewers.” Shanley Apele, a junior majoring in Math at UH Hilo said, “I think that false advertisement is wrong, especially in cases like these where victims could include just about anyone including young children.” She explained that some people don’t appreciate the explicit content in rated R movies and would rather enjoy a more conservative movie. She said, “They [viewers] shouldn’t be led to expect a movie different from its actual rating. I think that as a potential viewer, it is important to be correctly informed so that we can make a good decision.” Fortunately for us, the beloved story of Hansel and Gretel will

Courtesy of bleedingcool.net. remain in the children’s books while the success of Tommy Wirkola in trying to morph the two characters for a teenage/adult audience can just be tossed aside. Leave the bedtime stories in the bedrooms and please—give us something we haven’t thought of already. Thank you!

Ke Kalahea is looking to fill the following positions: Sports Writer Arts & Community Writer Photographer Layout Designer Those interested may pick up an application from Campus Center Room 215.

CSUEB and HAWCC/UHH Dance Exchange Trina Nahm-Mijo | Contributing Writer Ben Ailes | Photographer Eleven students and two faculty members, Nina Haft and Eric Kupers, from California State University at East Bay participated in a 5 day exchange from February 19-23 with dance students and faculty from Hawai’i Community College and University of Hawai’i-Hilo dance programs. The CSUEB students were selected to participate by application for the tour. All students are currently members of the CSUEB Inclusive Interdisciplinary Ensemble and/or CSUEB’s Touring Company. Dancers were selected based on their commitment to the dance program, their reasons for wishing to participate, andtheir ideas for how to make the tour a positive experience. The exchange idea was a collaboration between Eric Kupers, dance faculty member at CSUEB and Trina Nahm-Mijo, Professor and founder of the Dance program at Hawai`i Community College. They have done collaborative concerts since 1999 when Kupers brought his company, Dandelion Dancetheatre, to perform in a joint concert with Nahm-Mijo called “Traces” which showcased works based on ethnic identity. Their second collaboration was in 2006, when Kupers brought his company to Hilo again in a concert called “Vision the Body”. A highlight of the tour was the opportunity for CSUEB students to perform with local dancers in choreography directed by artists from Hilo and from the Bay Area. Nina Haft said: “This was a great opportunity for our students to get an in-depth experience of a vibrant and culturally diverse dance community that we rarely get to interact with at our regional or national college dance and theater festivals. It was also an opportunity for our students

get feedback on their work from new audiences, to learn from artists in Hilo, to perform with other college students, and to premiere their works on a new national stage. Finally, it was a unique opportunity to see what touring is really like as a professional dancer.” HawCC/UHH dance students took master classes from CSUEB faculty members as well as learned choreography which was performed in a culminating concert at the end of the exchange week. CSUEB students took classes with HawCC faculty members Trina Nahm-Mijo and Annie Bunker, who taught them Aerial dance. UHH faculty members, Celeste Staton and Kea Kapahua were also involved in the exchange. The results of this collaborative dance exchange was showcased this past weekend in a performance entitled: “Undercurrents in the Ring of Fire: Works in Progress”. The performance was presented at the East Hawai`i Cultural Center in Hilo to an appreciative and enthusiastic campus and community audience.

Four years to the finish line Vice Chancellor of Academic Services discusses four-year ‘academic maps’ Joie Colobong | Staff Writer If you think about it, attending college is like being in a race against time. Students come to colleges like UH Hilo to learn the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the careers they choose to pursue. Many dream of walking out with a degree, hoping to get hired by potential employers. However, as any student should be well aware, the path to graduation is long and rife with hurdles. And along the way, things can happen or get in the way of reaching that goal, which can force a student to spend more time in school than he or she expected. This, in turn, can cut into the amount of time a person has to build a career – and a stable life – for himself and serve his society before retirement. Let’s face it: we’re not getting any younger, and the cost of living isn’t getting any lower. To that end, UH Hilo is preparing to implement a series of changes in an effort to ensure that students at UH Hilo will have a greater chance of completing their majors and graduating in a timely matter, as well as to better prepare students for careers after graduating. Dr. Matthew Platz, UH Hilo’s new Vice Chancellor or Academic Services, noted in an email exchange that he is “a part of a wonderful team that is using academic maps as a part of our overall approach to facilitate student access at [UH Hilo].” One member of that team is Dr. Jean Ippolito, an Associate Professor of Art at UH Hilo, who has devised a series of sample four-year academic plans for students to follow on their academic journies. Accompanied by Dr. Platz, Dr. Ippolito explained in a brief sit-down interview that her thought process behind devising the sample plans was driven by imagining herself in a student’s position. “If I were a student, how would I map this out?” she asked figuratively. Dr. Ippolito considered several factors when forging the sample plans, including the course requirements for each major, the total number of credits needed to graduate (120 credits), the availability of certain courses, and the frequency in which courses are offered. For example, under a four-year academic plan in which a student would take no more or less than 15 credits every semester, an English major could take all the lower-level (sub-300) courses s/he needs within his/her first two years, while guaranteeing that he or she could finish the upper-division courses requirements for the English baccalaureate degree during his or her last two years. Requirements for electives would be spread out over the four years

and gradually fulfilled. Dr. Ippolito and Dr. Platz also discussed a plan to offer “pre-built” schedules similar to those assigned to high school students to incoming freshmen. Currently, because freshmen are typically the last students to register for classes each semester, they are often left struggling to find the right courses to take when courses they need to take are either filled or not offered during a semester. Furthermore, Dr. Ippolito mentioned that building a schedule can be a daunting task for many freshmen since they come from a system where their courses are determined for them. Pre-planned schedules would give freshmen a “running start” on their academic journeys by allowing them to take not just any 12 to 15 credits in random courses during their first semesters, but the right amount of credits in the right courses, as noted on a page of the UH Hilo website titled “The UH Hilo Freshmen Guaranteed Academic Schedule Initiative.” When asked during the interview if these plans would serve as a way of encouraging students to declare a major before entering UH Hilo, Dr. Platz, who joined the administration of UH Hilo in January, stated that would not be the case. He assured that it would not be the objective of the plans to force incoming freshmen to declare a major and stick with it, and that students would still be free to switch their majors during their time at the university if they wished. However, the plans would be a way to ensure that students would not have to remain at UH Hilo longer than absolutely necessary, or to take courses they did not need. “We would like to see more students graduate in four years,” Dr. Platz said. The plans, Platz mentioned, are UH Hilo’s response to the Hawai’i Graduation Initiative. As its website declares, the HGI is a “strategic initiative” implemented across the University of Hawai’i system that “focuses on increasing the number of educated citizens within the state” and aims to “increase the number of University of Hawai’i graduates by 25 percent by the year 2015.” Part of the HGI is the “15 to Finish” campaign, which encourages students enrolled in the any of the UH system’s ten institutions to take 15 credits (roughly five courses) every semester in order to graduate on time. All in all, these new academic maps can be thought of as UH Hilo's way of giving its students a much-needed boost by helping them reach the proverbial finish line and obtain their coveted diplomas faster.

Body Modification: A Culture Visible on the Surface of the Skin Jenna Burns | Arts and Community Editor Nainoa Kalaukoa | GraphicArtist To make art is to be human, and these days, people are finding more and more ways to decorate their bodies with various kinds of art. Historically, the human race has always practiced the adornment of the body. In ancient Hawaii, tattoos were a common form of body modification. Today, the term body modification expands to any form of deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason. Some common examples of body modification include various types of piercings, trans-dermal (beneath the skin) implants, tattoos, and plastic surgeries like breast implants. Some less common forms of body modification can include removal of certain body parts, removal of genitalia, tongue splitting, binding (foot-binding, wearing corsets, etc.), ear pointing (to look elf-like) or ear stretching (with gauges), branding, tooth filing (to look like a vampire or animal), and scarification (cutting ones own skin to produce patterns). Most of people that often practice body modification work in fields like art. Many fields of work have strict dress codes, and will not let their employees express themselves as freely. If you go to a tattoo shop or a punk show, you will likely see several people with all kinds of body modification. But why do so many creative people choose to adorn their bodies in such flamboyant and sometimes disturbing ways? J.O., a student at UH Hilo who wishes to remain fairly anonymous, says “I got tattoos as a way to remind myself of my values and realizations every day with a bigger meaning, since I know that a tattoo is not a temporary thing. It will stay on my body.” Freshman Katie Kluzak says that she has 6 piercings. When asked about which piercing was her favorite, she pointed to her nose, where a shiny little stud sat on the side of her nose. Another of Kluzak’s favorite piercings would be her tongue piercing. When asked if she was planning on getting more piercings, she said “no”. She didn’t give a specific reason for getting her piercings; she just said that she liked them.

The way you present yourself can tell others a lot about your beliefs. The visual stimuli people receive when they look at you can be often stronger than the impressions that people will get just from talking to you. For example, a current cultural figure in the media who exhibits a great example of body modification is Rick Genest, otherwise known as “Zombie Boy”. Genest uses his body modification as a source of communication of personal beliefs. Genest, or “Zombie Boy” grew up in the punk subculture in Canada. He ended up covering his entire body, including his face, in a fullbody skeletal zombie-like tattoo. Now he is an artist, and actor, and a fashion model. He was featured in Lady Gaga’s music video “Born This Way.” Genest has some pretty heavy reasons for modifying his body in such an extreme way. “As in my life, I was often out-casted, hated or misunderstood for being so. The zombie concept is also often used as a metaphor for runaway consumerism. This is the idea that we live through the notions without reflecting, as a commercially programmed bio-organism. Rebelling from this notion is the very meaning of punk; defining the tenuous line between civilization and barbarism. Understanding that the first step to anarchy is defiance; the notion of being alive while dead, is defiance to the very laws of nature itself.” (http://www.planetnotion.com/2012/12/19/ interview-rick-genest/) In ancient Hawaii, people thought similarly to Rick Genest. They found the process of tattoo to have significant cultural meaning and used it to communicate their rank in society. The ancient Hawaiian art form of tattooing is known as ‘kakau’. Hawaiians marked their bodies with tattoos to show loyalty to their chief, commemorate life events, establish relationships with people they loved and places of importance, as well as express their devotion to their gods. Some warriors known as the Pahupu had solid black tattoos that covered every part of their body except their teeth and eyes. The masters of various arts, including the art of kakau, were the kahuna in Hawai’i. The kahuna was knowledgeable of both literal and figurative meanings of motifs and their placement. When someone wanted to be tattooed, the kahuna decided not only what designs were appropriate, but also whether the person was ready for tattooing. Once a person was deemed ready, then the kahuna would decide what design of tattoo the person would receive, and explain the story of the tattoo to the person receiving it. The act of tattooing was a spiritual one, and people were sometimes asked to fast in order to be cleansed spiritually before receiving the tattoo. The process of tattooing in Hawaii is nearly as important as the tattoo itself. Once the design was inked onto the skin, the master would pound a bone needle into the receiving person’s skin. The ink used for the process of tattooing was made by mixing the soot from a burnt candlenut with candlenut oil, sugar cane juice, water, or coconut milk. In Hawai’i, rinsing the tattoo in the ocean immediately after receiving it was said to speed up the healing process. Today, the tattoo in Hawaii remains as a representation of one’s commitment to their culture and community, and serves as a form of adornment. For more information about ancient Hawaiian tattoo, watch the movie “Skin Stories”. (http://www.pbs. org/skinstories/culture/ index.html) Many people, especially the younger generation, are choosing to represent their culture visually in the form of tattoos and piercings, which will inadvertently impact the culture around us. How body modification affects the culture remains to be seen.

PA R T I E S

in the Wilderness of Life

Historic Palace Theater celebrates Mardi Gras

Joie Colobong | Staff Writer Yuta Momoki | Photographer

ccording to the History Channel, Mardi Gras – pronounced ‘mardee grah’, and also known as Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday – is an annual celebration observed across the world, held on the day before Ash Wednesday. Dating back thousands of years, Mardi Gras marks the last day before the 40-day religious observance known as Lent. As Lent is traditionally observed by fasting or giving up certain luxuries as a form of repentance, Mardi Gras is an opportunity for people to “go all out” and indulge in the joys and excesses of life before Lent begins. In fact, the name of Mardi Gras, which is the literal French translation of ‘Fat Tuesday’, refers to the longstanding tradition of feasting on rich foods such as meat, eggs and dairy before the start of Lent. In many countries and regions where Mardi Gras is observed, it is typically celebrated with public parades, during which people often dress up in outlandish costumes and masks. In the United States, although Mardi Gras is not observed nationwide, several cities and regions across the country – including those with large Roman Catholic populations or pronounced French or Spanish cultural influences – host noteworthy festivities. The celebrations held in New Orleans are arguably the most well-known in the United States; other cities with renowned Mardi Gras festivities include Miami, San Diego, and Galveston, TX. On Tuesday, Feb. 12, Hilo hosted its very own Mardi Gras celebration, coordinated by the Palace Theater. According to the Palace Theater, this was Hilo’s first Mardi Gras celebration in 20 years. The festivities kicked off with a short parade starting from Mamo St. and

leading into the lobby of the historic downtown Hilo theater. Dozens of spirited, wildly costumed Big Islanders of all ages breathed vigorous life into downtown Hilo as they marched past storefronts, cheering and adorning spectators with colorful beaded necklaces while the melody of “When the Saints Go Marching In” played on the French horn filled the air. Among those in the procession were local B-97 radio personality DC Carlson and actress, musician and Big Island Weekly editor Yisa Var, who were crowned king and queen of the festivities respectively. After the parade, in line with the whimsical, circus-like atmosphere of the evening, members of the Pahoa-based Hiccup Children’s Circus performed an energetic juggling routine in the Palace Theater lobby to an enthusiastic crowd. The celebration concluded with a special presentation of the critically-acclaimed 1994 Australian dramedy The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Hailed for drawing international attention to the Australian film industry and for its positive portrayal of the queer community, the film starred Hugo Weaving (of The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings), Guy Pearce (Memento) and Terence Stamp (Smallville, Yes Man) as two drag queens and a male-to-female transsexual, respectively, who encounter a colorful assortment of characters while traversing the Australian outback in a tour bus christened “Priscilla”. With its vibrant characters and off-the-wall plot, The Adventures of Priscilla tied in perfectly with the overarching theme of the night: celebrating the abundances and the multifaceted nature of this journey we call life. While Hilo’s first Mardi Gras in 20 years was relatively small and low-key compared to those found elsewhere in the United States, it will hopefully pave the way for more, larger Mardi Gras celebrations in Hilo the future.

Who’s Who?

A New Ongoing Series about our student and faculty members of UH Hilo Maria Karin Walczuk | Staff Writer Yuta Momoki | Photographer Avery Berido | Graphic Designer Anna Claire Masuda flows so easily between light local pidgin and a sudden Japanese At only 19 years old, Anna Claire Masuda is a treasure to dialect. It’s a curious surprise to listen to her rhythm. At first it is uncertain where to exactly our UH Hilo community...you may not know it yet. pinpoint Anna’s background. This 19-year-old’s Asian appearance is combined with the presence of a Hawai’i local girl charisma. She was born in Tokyo, Japan, but has been visiting Hawai’i since her wee toddler years. Carefree and open, Anna unconsciously intertwines both her cultures of Japan and Hawai’i together, complimenting our UH Hilo global melting pot. I first met Anna on our campus plaza for the “Japan Club” New Year Celebration held on Friday, Feb. 8 at 12:30pm. The event showcased a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony, dancing, and a musical performance of the Japanese instrument, the Koto. As Anna introduced me to the strewn assortment of objects laid out on the tables, I noticed a particular toy. It was a “Kendama” cup and ball attached together by string. This is a simple game where one throws the ball into one of the cups -try as you can, it can go on endlessly. I rapidly found out in my awkward flings and attempts, that mastery in this game takes practice. Yet, Anna effortlessly and with a Zen-like concentration, balanced the ball alternating between the different sized cups, ‘’popping’’ them in, one after the other. With a calm but bright demeanor, Anna wandered around the event, chirping to passersby to indulge in the maccha bitter powder green tea with mochi, or try their hand at calligraphy. Her encouragement to try new things is exemplified within her personal history as well: during one high school year Anna courageously left Japan to study abroad in Canada. She proved to herself how she could adapt and thrive in a new environment and claims, “Because I lived away from everything I knew, now I feel I am a different, better person.” In regards to English, throughout Anna’s childhood she studied English at school but also from her mother. She has gained linguistic dexterity the more she has traveled the globe, most prominently in Hawaii. Fall 2012 was Anna’s initiating semester as a UH Hilo Freshman, with a major in Biology. Anna mentioned, “When I first started university it was very hard, but now I’ve made friends and I am volunteering more which keeps me busy. Good to be busy.” Keeping busy seems to be her motto indeed as she is raising money for Relay for Life, teaching Japanese on the side and learning complex styles of Japanese dance. When asked what volunteering means to her she didn’t hesitate to exclaim, “Everything!” Anna adamantly believes in helping others; she selflessly gives her time, all while balancing having fun. Turns out being in Hawai’i is a great relief for Anna, not only because of our endless summers and beautiful landscapes but because, “Life in Japan was difficult. I was never free, always working as a student.” Part of her high school education meant residing in Hokkaido, where she got ‘’sick all the time.’’ Anna agrees that the simple reality of studying in Hawai’i where she can excel as a student, as a role model for those around her, and bask in the sunshine of our island home, makes Anna’s life all the more rich. While talking with Anna, I had the sweet sense of joy and natural charm from this seemingly quiet but sporadically bubbly young woman. She spoke with genuine devotion to the beauty of volunteering, and the pure and simple pleasures that she derives out of life. Somehow Anna’s delightful balance of kendama, translates to her balance in life. As I left the Japanese New Year celebrations, Anna reminded me how important it is to find that balance...and that maybe I should practice kendama more.

Kedama: Mastering this game requires focus and patience.

/// Fast and Fun Facts About Anna/// Favorite color: Purple Favorite season: Summer Favorite scent: Lavender Favorite country: Korea Favorite thing to do: Volunteer, help people. Favorite catchphrase: Never Give Up Super power: Invisibility (so I can steal questions and answers to a test beforehand!) Favorite Professor: Julie Mowrer, for English as a Second Language. She improved my learning a lot, providing plenty of good challenges and tasks. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? Our Educational System. Biggest Achievement in the Last months? I translated Japanese to English writings, totaling over 45 minutes. Who are your role models? Everyone. I observe people a lot, noticing the good and bad.

Winning With a Losing Record Senior Profile: Kiel Myers has elevated himself, both on the court and in the classroom Keane Carlin | Sports Editor Kelly Leuong | Photographer

On Being a Vulcan:

The Origin of Kiel Myers: Myers is averaging 12 points and 5 rebounds per game this Senior forward Kiel Myers turns 26 in June and is the oldest season and will be graduating with a degree in Sociology and a minor member of the UH Hilo basketball team. At 6-foot-7-inches he is in Communications. He has a cumulative 3.1 GPA, which he said, also the tallest. Myers has been playing basketball since he was four “Has been rising every semester.” After this year he hopes to put and he’s loved the game since he first picked up the ball. “You can his degree towards a job before attending graduate school. Playing go in the gym by yourself shooting and you can completely clear professionally overseas is still a possibility for the sharp-shooting your mind,” said Myers in a recent interview. The game has served big-man, but he said that he is learning towards a career outside of the as a sanctuary for Myers and it has also got him a college education, gym. something he thought wasn’t possible for him to get otherwise. When Being a competitive athlete comes with its ups and downs. he takes off his jersey at the end of the season, it will be a long time When you put out all of your energy in the game and continue to coming, and Myers looks to savor every minute before that moment. come up short, it can be demoralizing. “It really bothers me when we Originally from Sacramento, CA, Myers only played lose; it puts a little more stress on my life,” said Myers, “I could go basketball his freshman year of high school. Joining the team the rest through school, get straight A’s and have a losing season and still have of his high school career was derailed by trouble with grades, but that a miserable time. I care that much about basketball. When you love didn’t stop Myers from playing pick-up games and Rec-leagues. He something, you can’t be satisfied with not being successful.” was always tall and he first dunked a ball when he was a freshman in When asked if he would go back in time and change things high school, when he was just over six-feet tall. After his freshman by going to a different school with a better record he said, “No, year, he shot up four inches. After graduating high school and going everything happens for a reason, it was blessing to come out here from mediocre job to mediocre job, he decided that he and have people to take care of my education and needed a higher education. By this time he was (and “I could go through give me a place to live. It was an opportunity I still is) six-feet seven-inches tall. His game had been school, get straight wouldn’t have if it weren’t for basketball. I wish getting better and better over the years and at the age A’s and have a losing we had won more when we were here, but you can’t of 22, Myers tried out for Sacramento City College. season and still have a regret anything.” To those who think that collegiate “The coach liked my game (and) the first day I played, miserable time.” athletes take a full-scholarship and then cruise –Senior Kiel Myers he signed me up for classes,” said Myers. through a season, Myers said, “I take it hard, my In his first season, he split time with another teammates take it hard, we work hard, but the result player and had what he described as an “okay” season. But over have just not been there on a consistent basis.” When asked why the offseason, Myers fine-tuned his game and strength. He also was they haven’t put it together consistently, Myers said, “There’s not one used to playing with his teammates, one of which who is his current thing, it’s just the little things that have cost us. We haven’t really put teammate and fellow senior C.J. Brown. In his second season of it together consistently as a team.” junior college basketball he averaged 15.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, good In a victory that was decided by a single point against rival enough play to earn first team all-conference awards. Myers, though Brigham Young University of Hawaii, Myers was perfect. He made a post-player, had dialed down an outside jump shot that rivaled other all five shots he took, four of which were three-pointers. Myers called three-point-shooters. He was recruited by over seven schools, but it his most memorable game in a Vulcan jersey, tallying 14 points, 7 chose to play for Coach Jeff Law in Hilo. “It was a hard decision rebounds and no turnovers in 24 minutes. Through a dedication to because I had to think about a place where I could actually live, like basketball and academics, Myers has found a way to win, even with a where I could do my school work and focus on basketball,” said losing record. Myers. “I took a visit to Humboldt State, but I just didn’t get a really good feeling about it. Then I came here and I thought it would be a good idea to come here.”

On Campus Car Theft

Ikaika Veloria shares his story and warns those parking on-campus Sarah Kekauoha | News Editor Yuta Momoki | Photographer Ikaika Veloria didn’t expect car theft, much less car theft in UH Hilo campus parking. Having installed a wheel lock, which is a lug nut that holds the tire in place, and a Viper system, an alarm that sounds when somebody tries to break into the vehicle, car theft was far from Veloria’s mind. However, this changed on Oct. 23 of last year, when Veloria, a senior majoring in Kinesiology, finished working on campus around 6 p.m. He went to the West Lanikaula campus parking and found his car missing. He first called the police and reported his case then followed up by calling Campus Security. “I should have taken down the security guard’s name but I was so angry at the time,” Veloria recalled. “He (the security guard) didn’t know what to do and said he’d call the supervisor.” Veloria stated it took about 1520 minutes until the security finally got a hold of the supervisor. He noted, “I waited out there in the dark.” The supervisor told Veloria that there might be a camera on a nearby traffic light, but Veloria knew better. “There was construction going on at that street,” Veloria said. “So I knew the cameras probably weren’t on.” Campus Security later confirmed that the camera was turned off. The police arrived about half an hour later and took pictures, collected Veloria’s statement, and further investigated the area. Veloria called a friend and caught a ride home that night. For the days and weeks following the car theft, Veloria said he eventually got a hold of Warren Ferreira, the recently retired head of Campus Security. “The first thing he told me was sorry,” Veloria said, “but he said they can’t do anything about it.” Ferreira asked Veloria if he had insurance and when Veloria asked, “What does it matter?” Ferreira responded that it’s the only way Veloria could get compensation. Furthermore, Ferreira told Veloria he signed an agreement stating that the “school isn’t responsible for any theft or damage to vehicles.” Veloria then asked, “So what can we do to prevent this? Can we put a guard shack at each parking lot?” Ferreira responded that that was “out of the question.” So when Veloria asked, “Who’s responsible?” Ferreira said the Hawaii Police Department, but Veloria noted, “the car theft happened on campus.” Veloria then asked Ferreira, “If it’s not your job to watch the cars, what is Campus Security’s job?” The question, Veloria said, was pushed aside and in response, Ferreira said Campus Security is short staffed and UH Hilo is a big campus. “He said there’s about 13 security guards total,” Veloria said, “but the reason I haven’t told anybody about this is that I’ve been trying to find legal aid.” Veloria noted that he should’ve had insurance to cover it, but he only had liability. “And from what the police got,” Veloria stated, “it’s not a solid story.” The police spoke to the neighbors near the parking lot. Someone reported hearing a screeching noise around 10 a.m. and seeing a white car rolling down the hill. However, the police told Veloria it wasn’t solid evidence because the witness didn’t get the car model or license plate number. For the first months following the theft, Veloria said he kept an eye for his car. Because the car, a two door, white 1994 Honda Civic, had been fixed up by Veloria, he said he didn’t think whoever stole it would tear it apart. “I still keep an eye out for it,” he said. “But the main thing I want students to know is that they shouldn’t rely on the security.” He noted that if students have a car they care about, “make sure it’s covered by insurance,” he said. “And don’t put liability because it’s a total loss.” He said that days and weeks passed and he watched the security guards, noting that he “sees them on their phones.” He tried to be sympathetic, adding “I guess it’s minimum wage, but regardless, some people don’t even have jobs. They’re just cruising around.”

As far as the Lanikaula parking lot, Veloria was told that because it’s far and off campus, Campus Security can only check on it in two hour increments. The guard shacks, likewise, are for parking passes and have nothing to do with preventing car theft. Veloria said that there was no way he could get compensation because the car theft had “nothing to do with property damage.” In fact, this was the first car theft that occurred in the Lanikaula parking lot. “I just want students to know that their vehicles aren’t safe on campus,” Veloria said. “The Campus Security is supposed to protect and help us feel comfortable.” Furthermore, Veloria added that when he asked Campus Security what they would’ve done if they saw someone stealing the car, he was given a hypothetical scene. “If the Campus Security actually saw a person breaking into a car,” Veloria was told, “they can’t stop that person. They can only get the best description of the person and call 911.” Veloria then asked, “What if someone’s getting attacked?” The Campus Security responded that was a different scenario. “What’s the difference?” Veloria asked. He said they got angry and told him they had other things to worry about. “I’m a student,” Veloria told them. “Someone stole my car and inside that car was my stuff and books—what’s the difference?” When reporting at the Campus Security office, one of the security guards began talking about Campus Security’s policies but upon being asked if he could be quoted, he didn’t want to comment on the incident or the relationship between UH Hilo and Campus Security. He then referred the reporter to Warren Fereirra who didn’t respond to the reporter’s email to him. However, according to the Campus Security website, it states that the mission of Campus Security is “to foster feelings of safety and personal comfort in which to learn, live, work, and grow. We will accomplish our mission by collaborating with the faculty, staff and students of the university and by partnering with other groups and organization in the community to provide services in a professional and courteous manner. We will ensure that all who we serve are treated with dignity and respect.” With this mission in mind, Veloria’s incident makes students wonder if Campus Security really is ensuring a safe environment for them and their belongings. Could the auto theft have been prevented? Is Campus Security keeping an eye out for student and faculty’s cars? And what association does UH Hilo have with Campus Security? Did students and faculty sign an agreement regarding car safety on campus? Should students feel comfortable parking their cars on campus? Since the car theft, Veloria saved enough money to buy another car. Now when he comes to school, he said, “I do my part to park on the Imiloa hill, right across from the guard shack.” He added, “And I make sure they’re watching my car.” Students have been given a fair warning. More information on Campus Security can be found at their website: http://hilo.hawaii.edu/auxsvc/security/

Theft in the Library Dennis Fukushima | Staff Writer Yuta Momoki | Photographer Taped along the walls of the library are bright orange fliers, reading “Thefts reported recently. Please guard your belongings”. This was shocking to many, considering anyone could leave their bags and laptops unattended as they went to the bathroom or to answer a brief phone call outside of the library. “It’s bad that some students would steal from a library.” Said Kevin Oshiro, a sophomore majoring in Marine Science, adding “the library is a place where students go to help them with their studies.” The items stolen from students range from a backpack to a bandana. The backpack was stolen on the first floor of the library and was officially reported on the Daily Public Crime Log. The incident happened early in February and was reported to both campus security and HPD. Though former head of security Warren Ferreira, who was in charge at the time of the theft has retired, the new head of security commented on the case. Kolin Kettleson said that the library staff, campus security and the police worked together with the victim to get the whole story. Unfortunately, no evidence was found in the immediate area of the crime scene. The library staff handed over surveillance footage to the police to help with the investigation. The backpack and its contents are still missing. Tips that Kettleson suggested was to simply be aware. “The great thing about UHH is that it’s a very safe campus, especially compared to other universities.” Kettleson said. “It’s [because of] the respectful culture Hawaii has from the Hawaiian and Asian cultures. But there will always be jerks who want to take advantage of this. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security.” Other tips Kettleson shared in regards to safety on campus included remembering to lock your doors if you live on campus, travel in groups or pairs at night in well lighted areas, and to guard your things. If you’re even in doubt, remember that you can call campus security to escort you from your

classroom to the parking lot. Helen Rogers, the head of the library, said that there hasn’t been an increase of thefts on campus. “It’s just one really bad incident.” Rogers said during a phone interview. “In general, [our] campus is safe, especially compared to other campuses.” Rogers recalls her own personal things being stolen right from her office. There was a time a few years back that she had her own backpack stolen. It was later retrieved from a tree that someone had tossed it up in to. While her items were soaked due to rain, nothing in it was missing. She can laugh about it now, but at the time it was far from funny. Some tips Rogers shared were to make yourself a hard target. Keep an eye on your things and never leave them unattended. It’s easy to think that it will never happen to you, but theft can strike any individual at any time. While sometimes items are stolen, other times items are simply misplaced. Rogers understands that these thefts can be very troubling depending on the objects that are taken. Before assuming they have been stolen, she suggests that students check out the library’s lost and found, or the one located in campus center. “It’s really not the library staff’s job to ensure that your items are safe when you’re using the bathroom or being unattentive.” said Ashley Garnett, a freshman majoring in Nursing. “That’s ridiculous. I feel safe there. People should just do a better job watching their belongings.”

CSO Recruitment Make a difference; join an organization There are many organizations around campus that offers services for students for recreational and academic purposes. If the idea of having your own work published in the school newspaper, academic journal or literary magazine, consider joining Ke Kalahea, Hohonu or Kanilehua, respectively. If you’d rather help out behind the scenes, the Board of Student Publications may be for you! Board of Student Publications (BOSP): BOSP is the governing body of their three (3) publications, Hohonu, Kanilehua, and Ke Kalahea. BOSP seeks to provide the student body with the best journalistic, literary, academic, and publication services. CC 214, uhhbosp@gmail.com, 808-933-3161 Chairperson Vice-Chairperson Treasurer Secretary Kanilehua is UH Hilo’s student literary and art magazine. They allow for students to publish their creative fiction and visual works. They strive to promote the positive voice of creative arts in the community and strongly believes that art is inspirational in all forms. CC 213, uhhkanilehua@gmail.edu, 808-974-7519 Editor-in-Chief Art Editor Literary Editor Layout Designer Secretary

Webmaster Business Manager Hohonu is a journal of academic writing published for and by the students of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UH Hilo) [and Hawaiʻi Community College (HawCC)]. Hohonu strives for excellence in producing a product reflective of the student body, their talents, and interests. It is the aim of Hohonu to facilitate in sharing of quality academic writing and to exist as a reference for students looking to learn something about writing, a new subject, an attitude, or perhaps even themselves. CC 213, hohonu@hawaii.edu, 808-933-3242 Editor-in-Chief General Editor Hawaiian Language Editor Secretary Webmaster Business Manager Student Activities Council (SAC): SAC provides co-curricular programs and activities that uplift student life for the students at UH Hilo. SAC contributes to the development student leadership skills, program planning, volunteer management, and fiscal management. CC 301A, uhhsac@hawaii.edu, 808-974-7518 Executive Chair Vice-Chair Secretary Publicist Event Planner

Ke Kalahea is the student run news publication for UH Hilo. They represent the voice of the students using the rights of freedom of speech and press. They provide coverage of news and events affecting the university and the community. They offer a forum for coomuncation and the exchange of ideas and provide educational training and experience for students in all areas of the newspaper’s operation. Through Ke Kalahea’s publication, they encourage students to take advantage of academic and personal opportunities-ones that will deepen their knowledge, enhance their experiences and broaden their perspectives. CC 215, kalahea@hawaii.edu, 808-974-7504 Editor in Chief Layout Designer Graphic Designer Copy Chief Photographer Arts & Community Editor News Editor Sports Editor Arts & Community Writers News Writers Sports Writer Advertising Manager Circulation Manager Comic Artist Web Master (Continued on Back Cover)

An Israelian’s Insights

A native Israelian shares his experience at UH Hilo and his support from the Student Disabilities Services Sarah Kekauoha | News Editor Or Aloni looked forward to a lot of things at UH Hilo, but he didn’t expect to get help as valuable as he did from the UH Hilo Disability Services. A sophomore majoring in Geology, Aloni has ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The disability made it hard for him to stay focused and finish tests or exams on time. UH Hilo’s Disability Services made it possible for him to get the extra help and time he needed as he transitioned from Israel, his native homeland, to Hawaii and continues to assist him as he works towards his Bachelors in Geology. After graduating from high school and completing the four years of required service in the army, Aloni applied to UH Hilo and was accepted in Fall 2011. Before arriving, Aloni worked with the Disability Services Director, Susan Shirachi, to accommodate his needs in the classroom. Shirachi said that working with Aloni had been difficult for her at first because she was unsure of Aloni’s culture. However, after receiving instruction on the Israelian culture from Pat Grossman at the Admissions office, Shirachi said she was able to understand Aloni a lot better. Aloni said the hardest part about moving from Israel to Hawaii was finding living accommodations and improving his English. He said Shirachi made him feel comfortable and made sure Aloni was aware of grants, scholarships, and other benefits he would find useful. “She was very nice,” he said, “and I felt a lot more comfortable coming here because of her help.” Aloni worked as an intern with Patricia “Pat” Grossman and his time as an intern, along with helpful faculty relationships, allowed Aloni to transition smoothly to not only University life and academic demand, but also the Hawaiian culture. “Coming from a third world country, it’s been different,” he said. “But it’s been great.” When asked what helped him choose Hawaii, of all schools, Aloni said it was for the volcanoes and the geology major. “But it’s also a beautiful place,” he said. “I thought this would be a good start for me too.” When asked what he did to prepare, Aloni said he worked very hard on his English. He didn’t receive any grants to come to the university so he had to pay his own way and that took time as well. Aloni said he was thinking of going to visit home for the summer but he is definitely staying at UH Hilo until he graduates. “As far as after school, I’m thinking about a Masters degree,” he said. “But I still haven’t decided.” When asked how he copes with ADHD, he said it was simple to get help from the Student Disabilities. With the documented disability, he was

Or Aloni poses by the river of hardening lava. Courtesy Or Aloni. quickly assisted in his classes. “I notice there are times I lose focus in class,” he says, “and it’s important to know that everything you do will take you twice as long as a regular student without a disability. But I want to say don’t give up. Find something that gives you motivation and know you can get over the disability.” Shirachi said she was very pleased when Aloni received the Scholars with Disabilities Achievement Grant. “He’s so focused,” she said. “He really deserved it and he’s one of the very few that if he didn’t get that scholarship, he probably wouldn’t be with us at the University today.” Aloni stated that if students feel they might have some disability, they should check it with the Disabilities Services. “It’s worth a try,” he said. Shirachi echoed his words by saying that although disabilities may be a sensitive subject, students and faculty should try to get help if they think they have a disability. “Not everyone is comfortable with their disability and my role is to find the middle ground between faculty, students, and the individual’s background so we can make things work.” She noted that the Disabilities Services isn’t just for students. Because UH Hilo is smaller in comparison to other campuses, the Disabilities Services can make programs customized to the student’s disability. “However,” she said, “We don’t want to force those with disabilities to come here.” Comparing the steps Aloni took to get help with his disability, she added, “We want them to choose to get help.”

A Celebration of Life: Honoring the Passing of Helene Hale Sarah Kekauoha | News Editor Helene Hale passed away on Feb. 1 at the age of 94. Her legacy was celebrated at Imiloa Astronomy Center on Feb. 24. The event included special speakers, ranging from Harry Kim, Lorraine Inouye, and Hugh Clark. Hale’s niece, Barbara Hilyer, helped coordinate the event and she said, “I think that she (Hale) is a great example of a real leader, someone who has the vision, the hard work to make it happen, and does the right thing.” She added, “And I think that she had a real vision for the lifestyle that she wanted to see. She worked very hard to bring that about and everyone else needs to understand it takes a lot of hard work.” Hale contributed in numerous ways to the Big Island community. “If you do any research into politics in the Big Island over the last sixty years, you will find that she was actively involved in trying to improve the life of people here,” said Hilyer. Part of Hale’s contribution was founding the Merrie Monarch, Astronomy industry, sewage treatment plant, Ahalanui hot ponds, Pahoa pool, and much, much more. Another part of the Celebration of Life was the announcement of the Helene Hale Citizen of the World Scholarship, a scholarship for one Big Island high school graduate that will be offered every year. Another announcement was UH Hilo’s contribution to documenting Hale’s legacy. Dr. Kerri Inglis, Acting Chair & Associate Professor of History, will work with students to preserve Helene’s papers while the UH Hilo Development office works on the scholarship. Overall, the celebration paid homage to Hale’s lasting legacy. “It’s a great celebration because she got to live 94 really good years,” said Hilyer. “She got to die peacefully in her own home and that’s what she wanted. She got to live and contribute.”

UH Hilo was ‘’Hush Hush’’ for the Vagina Monologues

Maria Karin Walczuk | Staff Writer Yuta Momoki | Photographer

hursday, Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, it’s not just a romantic day for lovers anymore; it’s also come to be known as Vagina Day (V-Day). Eve Ensler, a Tony award-winning playwright wrote the highly acclaimed, “Vagina Monologues,” which is performed annually in over 120 countries. Now having just celebrated its 15 year anniversary, this year’s theme addressed, “One Billion Rising,” calling out for nothing less than a revolution against violence. Our UH Hilo Theatre provided the place for this “Strike, Dance, Rise” setting, with the play performed on Valentine’s night itself. Beforehand, the main question dashing through my mind was, “Will any men show up?” It’s hard to see a title The Vagina Monologues and not help but wonder what the demographic would be. Weii Matsushita has had many friends over the years try to convince him to attend, but he admits he isn’t quite comfortable to go to this play, simply saying, “I don’t think I could relate to this.” No surprise there. Your first question might even be, is it a requirement to have a vagina to enjoy this play? Wendy Mafeae, Program Coordinator for the Women’s Center and producer for the show spoke of how uncomfortable many people are, simply because they are not sure what to expect. She smiled and said, “Vaginas are not something you talk about everyday.” Amanda O’Farrell, also one of the Program Coordinators of UH Women’s Center and producers of UH Hilo’s Vagina Monologues spoke earnestly about the importance of this play and how it provides, “a strong sisterhood for those involved.” O’Farrell remarked upon the significance of this year’s theme, explaining that, “Rising up to dance will be one side to the show that has not been done before . . . Dance is a great metaphor for releasing the inhibitions of these hurt women.” Co-director Hannah Reid spoke of how she hopes the production was received, “If we can connect to even just one individual in the audience, with someone who can have the courage to speak out now, that makes this all worth it.” Co-directed this year with an almost all student-cast, a mixed crowd of fans and curious first-timers came to the show, though not selling-out the UHH’s Theatre of 600 seats. Scattered among the visitors were hard-core

Chioke Mims, performing Spoken Word. supporters sitting transfixed in a kind of hypnotism through the duration of the play. Others sat stupefied, including myself, unsure of what to make of the production. The messages of Eve Ensler are so powerfully poignant, that it is difficult not to tug on the heartstrings of its viewers. The play is staged with the actresses reciting their stories one by one in the Reader’s Theatre style, holding onto red note cards. I couldn’t help but scrutinize the show through my performing arts background, and I was unfortunately not satisfied. The overly simplistic style of lighting, silent awkwardness in-between changes, and various weak performances mixed with occasional experienced actresses, created an internal discomfort. Disappointed, I was left with not much of a strike, perhaps more just a sizzle. The production didn’t “rise” until the very end, where musically, the band Female Trouble finally created a nice atmosphere and groove. The show should have certainly started on this note. However uncomfortable or comfortable you would feel sitting through a two-hour show that includes such details as, “If my vagina could talk what would it say?” there is no doubt that a meaningful message resounds, beyond the show and beyond V-Day. Through this play, confrontations were utilized as a catapult directly aimed to the audience, addressing issues of: domestic violence, rape, genital mutilation and unnecessary silence. Hannah Lipman, producer of the Vagina Monologues believes further still that, “This is not just a woman’s issue, bashing guys, it’s everybody’s issue.” To many, V-Day provides a reality check about violence and sexual harm in our societies in the past to today. But for me I wonder, where indeed is the revolution? The views expressed are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the UH Hilo body. Maria Karin Walczuk is a Performing Arts Major and staff writer for Ke Kalahea. Have an opinion? Share it with Ke Kalahea. Further questions to consider: How does this event strike us as a community? What actions should males and females take to deal with violence? Send in your thoughts to kalahea@hawaii.edu Contact information about the Women’s Center, uhhwomen@hawaii.edu or by phone: 974-7306.

ear Misguided Rant, According to The National Priorities Project, an accumulated 7% of the Presidents 2013 proposed spending is afforded to our “welfare” social systems. This includes pubic institutions that serve all of us, like public schools, fire stations, public transportation, and public libraries. The myth that there are tons of families out there leaching off the system is in fact a myth. NPP states that the three categories with the highest spending is Social Security, unemployment, and labor followed by Medicare and Health and then military. Private institutions like UH Hilo don’t have anything to do with our welfare systems, and will probably charge for their services. HawCC charges $540.00 a month for daycare. UH Hilo would be wise to see how helping students have better access to their education by employing a childcare facility will in turn help UH have higher graduation rates and better GPA’s. It will also help students concentrate better in child-free classes. Often mothers on welfare are also workers who pay the same taxes everybody else does. I should know. I’m one of them. I go to school full time, I work part time, and I’m a parent all of the time. I believe I am being a good role model to my daughter by going to school to better our situation. Why don’t we want to see people on welfare get an education? Isn’t that how we’re supposed to get out of poverty? Statistics show that as soon as a graduate student gets a good job they pay back any sort of social debt they incurred getting that point within three years. If there is anything my sociology education has taught me, it’s that the more people in society are educated, the better we are off as a whole. If we see a parent bring their keiki to school, we should admire their perseverance and congratulate them for not giving up because you don’t know what kind of hardship people face as parents. It is the hardest thing any parent I know has ever done. Parenting is not such much about “time management,” as if you can just tuck your baby away like a doll while you do your other tasks. It’s about cultivating a balanced loving relationship with a real person. If the keiki are the future, they are part of all of our futures. If they’re not welcome when they are young, why would they want to come when they are older? It is only natural to include a place for them in our most prestigious institutions. Sincerely, Empowered and Empowering I loved the issue. It looks good even though there isn’t a full Kekalahea staff!! Great work layout and everrrryone else!! While I understand the concern many have with Religion at the University, and I’m in agreement with the separation of Religion and Education. I’m more concerned with the anti-usa bias to form an argument, which to validate a movement. We need to look at leaders like the late Senator Inouye who fought for justice but understood that the USA with all its faults has a mechanism to “change” values from within. Our family has many members who proudly served in the military and find it offensive when educators use the anti-military for an agenda. The USA has made many mistakes in the past, but is here to stay, and we need to make changes from within. When Senator Inouye was a young man entering the military he was pulled aside by his father before leaving for a military tour. Senator Inouye’s father told Mr. Inouye to honor his country and that America has served his family well. Senator Inouye was a strong advocate for the disenfranchised, and Senator Inouye knew that this country could be changed from within, if given the time. Although America has a flawed system it still one of the best choices on the planet to fulfill educational as well as employment goals. Im blue, if I was green I would die proud to be Confession #1029 on UH Confessions page! my English teacher Linda Damas is pretty awesome. Who doesn’t like a tiny white lady talking small kine pidgin? (: my bad. -Bill The that hot anatomy student, damn you’re hot and you’re smart. Keep up the good work. To the loudmouths in the housin computer lab, You people need to take your

“party” elsewere:; it a distraction to those who use the lab for its intended purpose, to study. LadyT808 is hot! If you ever break up with your boyfriend let me know ;) why is it that every time me, or one of my friends submit a rant or rave, it’s NOT POSTED!!! We never use vulgar language, nor do we inquire about some random “”hot”” person on campus. oh... I see... I just answered my own question. GREAT JOB KEKALAHEA *said in the most sarcastic tone ever* How many people actually read the articles in the KeKalahea? I mean seriously, I used to look forward to the issues coming out, and now.... I am utterly disappointed. I am not trying to be a “hater” but you guys need to show that you actually give a shit about the paper if you want other people to care as well. Want to know how much the faculty and staff at Hawaii Universities make? http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2011/11/22/13930-hawaii-state-salaries2012-university-of-hawaii/ It’s public information Parking sucks. The main lots is still partially taken up by construction materails, the construction workers take up all the street parking before 7am on Kawaili, the entire lot by the Ag building is closed for who knows what the hell they are still doing, and then assholes parking on Lanikaula take up three spaces because they can’t parallel park. And apparently one of the security dudes is on a mission to boot as many people as can.. what a bunch of bullshit. What does the parking office do with the thousands of dollars they make each semseter??

Why are people being paid to spray herbicides everywhere, including all over the trunks and ground surrouning the ohi’a trees outside STB?? I understand there are situations where herbicide application may be appropriate, but are you seriously so fucking lazy that you gonna waste those incredibly expensive chemicals excessively spraying a little sprout in a gravel lot, instead of bending over to pull it out?? Or dousing the whole tree to kill a couple ferns growing on the trunk?? Stupid ass.. I assumed that being in a college setting I would be surrounded by intelligent people yet I see so many students smoking and eating rubbish food. What gives? What is the point of educating yourself if you are going to die from a heart attack before you turn 35? Wake up people. Please STOP making out in the quiet study areas (such as the bottom floor of library) I don’t want to hear your suck face slobber noises. I don’t understand where people are coming from with the coffee cart. Those girls are fuckin bomb, they know my oder as soon as I go in and they know their shit! The coffee cart girls are amazing!!! Coffee cart girls are fucking AWESOME! To the women who are so upset about lifeguards not wearing their shirts, You should educate yourselves more on our work attire. Bathing suits are required however, shirts and other articles of clothing are optional. Shirts actually inhibits our response time to saving patrons. It slows down swimming and range of motion in water. I think the vagina monologue thing is disgusting!! I’m a female, and I feel like they are just degrading us as women! Vagina pops?! Are you kidding me! I’m sure they wouldn’t do the same for male parts. The women’s center is making our case WORSE! -GROSSED OUT in Hilo To the person who posted a few issues back about not being noticed in this world. You would be surprised who notices you! Every person is a treasure, maybe not in the eyes of MANY, but you are someone’s WORLD! If you have a desire, come to BCM(located across the bus stop and the old gym). It was here that I found a FAMILY just last semester! The best decision I made

19 in my life was coming here. Not religious? That’s fine, you”ll make a ton of friends and have a blast on our trips! Come down we’re waiting! =) To the Asian kid in Bible History, to you the bible might just be a ‘text’ but to me it is a sacred writing. Be respectful and don’t make immature remarks when talking about the bible. I don’t agree with Islam etc. religions but I would not degrade their text either. BCM awesome group of people! Across street from old gym. FREE delicious lunch on Wed. 11:30-1:30. Student converge Thur. 6:15-~8:30. Whoever made the MLA format comment- Ke Kalahea is not MLA format! It is AP (Associated Press) style, which is used for journalism. Just saying. KYLE!!! STOP PLAYING GAMES!!!!!!!!!!! I vote that the school start issuing citations to people smoking in no smoking areas. I don’t make other people suffer from my bad habits, why should I suffer from theirs? Ag Club Rules!

chewed up, spit out, stomped on, and shit upon...by your own wife! Don’t be so quick to judge a man until you’ve walked a mile, or two, in his moccasins. If you’re seriously interested in me, then there is nothing at all wrong with telling me straight up - this is the twenty first century. Valentines Day in the Library Girl I wish I could remember your name but your face I will never forget: That smile so bright, Those lips so sweet, Those eyes that twinkle. Girl you’re so young and pretty and this one thing I swearer is true. When you told me you had no valentine my heart was bleeding for you.

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains Hope that doesn’t ever end Even when the sky is falling I’ve seen miracles just happen Silent prayers get answered Broken hearts become brand new That’s what faith can do

I know I’m so much older, I’m probably repulsive to you. But oh you sexy little Korean, the things I wouldn’t do, for just one night with you.

There are a lot of horny girls on campus Why do the people at the admissions office have no idea what they’re talking about? I always have to talk to someone further up the hierarchy to get the information I need. You guys handle people’s future and education so don’t give me some bogus answer when I ask about something if you’re not sure please ask someone who is. security selectively tickets cars. They don’t tag on grass cause they park on grass at main entrance Feel sorry for the UH Grounds crew they only have 6 workers for this campus. HCC/ Lower campus has 4 Groundskeepers for an area about 1/5 of the campus. Do the math to be equivelent UHH would need 20 groundskeepers. Dear Ryan (w/ the black beard), You are really cool and I want to be best friends with you. Lets hangout sometime. To the soccer, basketball, & baseball boys. You guys are very attractive... too bad most of you are jerks. Emily is WHY HOTTER thanthe other SAC girls! Dear Reader, serious question... How do you get a guy to like you for your personality and not just looks?! :( Sincerely, curious girl p.s. Why is it always about “getting it in?”

I know I’m no young hunk, but this I swearer is true. When we get get under those covers, experience is the best measure, for the greatest of pleasures... And I’d love to share them with you.

Environmental Internship: Kupu now seeking members and leaders for Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps (HYCC) 7-week Summer Program. Make a positive impact on Hawaii's natural environment and travel to unique places! Benefits: $1,175 educational award & college credit; leaders also earn $4,000. To apply: www.kupuhawaii.org.

Why do guys always have shitty attitudes & personalities? get off your high horse, dick Dear Paul B, I saw you at the basketball game against Holy Names and you are really attractive. Even though you have a girlfriend (who is super lucky) I just wanted to let you know, you are FINE. Much Love, your admirer Why Some Guys Don’t Make a Move It hard to make a move when your heart has been mulled on,

DISCLAIMER!!! The Rants & Raves allow students to express their opinions anonymously and appear AS IS. They do NOT represent the views or feelings of Ke Kalahea.

(Continued from page 15) University of Hawai'i at Hilo Student Association (UHHSA): UHHSA is the connecting voice between the student body and the college administration. Their goal is to bring student issues to administration to solve. CC 211, uhhsa@hawaii.edu, 808-974-7500 President Vice-President Treasurer Secretary Senators-at-Large Data Director Student Activities Council (SAC): SAC provides co-curricular programs and activities that uplift student life for the UH Hilo student body that they serve. SAC contributes to student leadership skills, program planning, and volunteer experience. CC 301A, uhhsac@hawaii.edu, 808-974-7518 Executive Chair Vice-Chair Secretary Publicist Event Planner Campus Center Fee Board: CC210, campusct@hawaii.edu. 808-974-7499 Executive Chair Vice-Chair Treasurer Secretary Board of Media Broadcasting: BOMB is the governing body of URH and Lavashoot. CC 202, Executive Chair Vice-Chair Treasurer Secretary Student-at-Large University Radio Hilo (URH): URH is the student body's radio station. CC202, universityradiohilo@gmail.com, 808-933-0421 General Manager Program Director Business Manager Technical Director News Director Music Director Disc Jockey Secretary Lavashoot: CONTACT DENYSE WOO