Ka ‘OhanaU N I V E R S I T Y o f H AWA I ‘ IWindward Community College

N E W S F R O M C A M P U S T O C O M M U N I T Y

Volume 42, No. 7 April 2014

Ka ‘Ohana now on facebook

K a O h a n a O n l i n e . o r g

In 1993, Keoki Faria was working construction when

he decided to give college a try. What happened between then and now is a lesson in persistence that he wanted to share with WCC because “This is where it all began.”

That is one of the main rea-sons he chose to do his master’s defense at WCC April 8.

The last step before some-one can earn a master’s degree is to present a thesis defense. Then a committee evaluates the overall quality of the research and how well the student knows the topic.

Although the defense is usually held on the campus conferring the degree, Faria said he thought WCC was appropriate partly because of “Ko‘olau being such a prolific, taro-cultivating community.”

Faria said his thesis focus-es on developing a Hawaiian

language curriculum on the significance of Hāloa—both as the ancestor of the Hawaiian people and as taro, the staff of life.

His defense was entirely in the Hawaiian language.

After high school, Faria said he lived in California for awhile and would listen to his grandfather’s stories in Hawaiian, but it wasn’t until he returned to the islands that he had the chance to study it.

“I needed a break from flooring and construction,” explained Faria.

“I was fortunate I came through school (WCC and UH) when things were really happening in the Hawaiian language community, think-ing when I graduated I would return to flooring.”

At WCC, Faria took Ha-waiian language classes from kumu Kalani Meinecke, an award-winning professor who has been with WCC for many years.

“He formed the base of my learning and got me ex-cited about our (Hawaiian) language, culture, and his-tory,” explained Faria.

“He has been responsible for some of my most unforget-table undergraduate educa-tional experiences, and I’d like to thank him for that.”

Faria said his long-time friend and WCC recruiting specialist Gus Cobb-Adams helped him decide to hold his defense here on campus.

The two had discussed how long and intimidating the journey to a bachelor’s degree can seem while at WCC.

“I asked (Gus) what he

thought about me doing my defense at Windward, and he said, “Let’s do it,” recalled Far-ia. “I was excited to complete my Hawaiian language experi-ence where it started and give the students an opportunity to see what one possible path for them could be.”

Faria encourages students to work hard, seek help and speak Hawaiian daily.

He said he plans to pursue his doctorate and keep promot-ing Hawaiian values to his students.

“I think Hawaiian is unique because it is not so much an interest but a respon-sibility for all who live here,” said Faria.

“It (Hawaiian language) forces you into a Hawaiian worldview. To me, language is the vocal expression of culture, and culture is the interaction between society and the land.

“This land is Hawai‘i and its language is Hawaiian.”

For WCC grad, persistence is the key to successb y G r a n t K o n o

Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Master’s candidate Keoki Faria in his ‘outdoor office’ at the Kanewai Lo‘i.KA ‘OHANA STAFF

b y A s h l e y S h a n k l e sKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Norm Graffam stands amid his class as they sight-size plaster casts. (Inset) An oil by Cheryl Tsukayama.

SEE ATELIER PAGE 9

It’s 4 p.m. on a summer afternoon in Palanakila 202. Santana strums in the background as students put

the finishing touches on their work. Amid the Greek busts, the easels sprouting like weeds and the artists awaiting their critique stands Norm Graffam, the program director of WCC’s acclaimed Atelier summer program, a six-week intensive course focusing on traditional techniques and classical art. “There’s a certain amount of surrender in committing to this kind of training, to learning what is being taught,” says Bryce Myers, an art lecturer on campus. WCC’s program is one of only a few in the nation. What is Atelier exactly? “Atelier” (ah-tell-ye) is a form of time-tested instruc-tion in classical realism used by the great European masters of the 17th century.

Traditionally, an apprentice would enter the master’s studio and start by sweeping the floors. After about four or five years of laborious work to prove their “worth,” the apprentices would be entrusted to assist on a painting.

In fact, artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Titian all endured the process of “living and breathing” art as they developed their skills under this training.

As for WCC’s program, “Hopefully, the idea is that you get the sense of ap-prenticeship without having to sweep the floors,” says Myers.

Atelier founder and retired WCC

art teacher Snowden Hodges started the rigorous program to immerse students in the classical techniques practiced by master artists. Hodges passed down the proverbial paintbrush to Graffam, his pupil of over a decade.

Graffam, a “Kāne‘ohe boy” and WCC graduate, is a nationally rec-ognized and award-winning art-ist whose work is in public and pri-vate collections throughout Hawai’i

and the continental United States. “Snowden was by-the-book, s o t h e c h a n g e s I ’v e m a d e basically come down to the tools and the order in which we do things. That—and he played classical, I play classic rock.”

Fear not—although Hodges has re-cently retired, Graffam allows students to harvest “old-school” methods while gaining new insight on technique.

Students such as Shryl Matias, Jill

Butterbaugh and Mikki O’Phelan, who have all studied under the direction of Graffam, Hodges and WCC lecturer Jonathan Busse, have gone on to establish their own galleries or received scholar-ships to pursue their dreams as artists.

Fortunately, WCC’s Atelier is open to anyone, not just the most advanced, although students are recommended to have some basic art education.

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W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

2 NEWS of the DAYKa ‘Ohana

A p r i l 2 0 1 4

Have we been lulled into a false sense of security when it

comes to airline safety?When it was revealed that

two passengers boarded the ill-fated Malaysian Flight 370 with stolen passports, alarms went off concerning how this could have happened in a post-9/11 world.

According to Interpol, the international criminal law en-forcement organization, one of the biggest reasons for the pro-liferation of stolen passports is the lack of universal checks.

“Interpol is asking why only a handful of countries worldwide are taking care to make sure that persons pos-sessing stolen passports are not boarding international flights,” said Interpol Secre-tary General Ronald K. Noble in a statement.

Currently there are 40 mil-lion records from 167 countries kept in Interpol’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.

In a CNN report, Tom Fuentes, a former FBI assistant director, stated that despite the fact that Interpol does not charge countries for access to its databases, some of the 190 Interpol member countries may not have the technical capacity or resources to utilize

Ka ‘Ohana is published monthly by the students of Windward Community College. 45-720 Kea‘ahala Rd, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i 96744. Phone (808) 236-9187 or 236-9185. The newspaper reflects only the views

of its student staff. Visit Ka ‘Ohana’s website at www.KaOhanaOnline.org.

Ka ‘Ohana(The Family)

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Kelly MontgomerySTAFF REPORTERS

John Bascuk Creighton Gorai Patrick Hascall

STAFF REPORTERS

Yvonne Hopkins Grant Kono Ashley Shankles JP Spencer Charissa Wittig

PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN

Jessica CrawfordWEBMASTERS

Jessica CrawfordPatrick Hascall

ADVISOR

Elizabeth Young

the network.“It’s just up to the will of

the country to set it up and do it,” Fuentes said.

Interpol created the SLTD database in 2002 following the September 11, 2001 attacks to help countries secure their borders.

According to Interpol, the Austrian and Italian passports used by two Iranians to board Malaysian Flight 370 were reported stolen in Thailand in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

In an NDTV report, pass-port theft is viewed as “a very big and critical problem in Thailand,” according to police Maj. Gen. Apichart Suribunya, who serves as Thailand’s Inter-pol director.

NDTV interviewed Falko Tilwich, a German tourist who refused to surrender his pass-port as collateral at a car rental stand along a popular beach in the Thai resort city of Phuket. The woman pulled out a bag full of passport books from behind the counter to prove he could trust her.

In the same report, the global intelligence company Stratfor explained that pass-port fraud is common among human traffickers, drug smug-glers, arms merchants, money launderers, fugitives and pe-dophiles—many of whom end up in Thailand. According to Stratfor, “only a very small percentage” of those in this

underground trade have links to terror organizations.

Paul Quaglia, a security and risk analyst who has been working in the Asian region for 14 years, stated in a CNN report that not all “lost” pass-ports are necessarily “stolen.”

Some of the “lost” pass-ports may actually be sold by the passport holder. “Some young men and others travel-ing to Thailand, short on cash after extended partying and high living, can be approached to sell a passport, which can be easily replaced at embassies upon presentation of a routine ‘lost passport’ police report,” Quaglia said.

Governments like the United States have fought back against passport fraud by em-bedding radio frequency ID (RFID) chips inside of its pass-ports that contain the name, nationality, sex, date of birth, place of birth and digitized photo of the passport holder.

Despite sophist icated measures taken in fortifying passports, however, people can still obtain legitimate passports using stolen authen-tication data.

According to the PBS pro-gram “Frontline,” David E. Simcox, a former chairman of the board of the Center for Immigration Studies, advised, “The American and Canadian passport system has a major problem because its ‘breeder’

Boarding with stolen identities

document—the birth cer-tificate— is such a weak docu-ment for certifying identity” because it is relatively easy to forge and has no photo or fingerprint requirement.

Due to the current lack of prudent security measures in place at borders and board-ing gates to check for stolen and lost passports, CBS news reported that Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has just pro-posed the Transnational Regu-lation of Identity of Passports

(TRIP) Act. This legislation would deny tourist and busi-ness visas to citizens of any country that does not utilize and monitor Interpol’s SLTD database.

“I sincerely hope that governments and airlines worldwide will learn from the tragedy of missing flight MH 370 and begin to screen all passengers’ passports prior to allowing them to board flights,” said Interpol Sec. General Noble.

The Glades: Another lifestyle for another life

b y Y v o n n e H o p k i n sKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

“Judge me not by the color of my skin, but by the quality of my character.” — Martin Luther King

As part of the Women’s His-tory Month series, film-

maker Connie Florez came to WCC March 20 to talk about a documentary she’s been work-ing on for a decade.

For Florez, “The Glades Project” is more than a film about a Chinatown show lounge, which featured māhūs as drag queens in the ‘60s and ‘70s. It’s about the discrimina-tion and persecution faced by māhūs in Hawai‘i and the rejec-tion of many of the girls by their families.

The drag queens were op-pressed for dressing up as women with make-up, long hair and glamorous clothes. If you were māhū and walked the streets at night, you had to wear a button identifying that you were a male dressed as a female. If any māhū didn’t have

the button on and the police showed up, the girl would be arrested on the spot and fined up to a $1,000 or a year in jail.

Hotel Street was the red light district for the māhūs. Law enforcement en-forced this rule

while on duty; however, some estab-lished friendships with a few of the māhūs on their own time — even to the point of getting married.

“There were plenty of po-lice officers who had relation-ships with the girls but kept it very hidden,” said Florez. “They would act one way when they were on the job and then when they were done, they were with them.”

Wearing the button put the

māhūs in harm’s way because they were singled out, and the button went from being an identification tool to making them a target.

JESSICA CRAWFORD

To prevent fraud, U.S. passports were embedded with RFID chips in 2006 that include digitized information about the passport holder.

“During the height of this time, around 30 girls were mur-dered,” Florez explained.

“There was one notorious case where a john cut open a girl named Sugar, whose body was found at the end of River Street. In retrospect, these were hate crimes being committed that not only affected queens, but ef-feminate men as well. Hearing the phrase ‘kill a māhū’ was not

uncommon,” said Florez.Not only did the girls have

to wear the button, but most places didn’t accept māhūs and they couldn’t find jobs or housing.

Activist Lindsey Lau was one of the first to stand up and attempt to put an end to the

discrimination. “We’re human beings, just like anyone else. We pay taxes; why shouldn’t we be treated like anyone else?” asked Lau.

Certain establishments became safe havens for the drag queens after hours, with the consent of the owners.

These owners heard about the murders and didn’t want them sleeping on the streets, vulnerable to being killed.

“I think the hardest times were when one of the girls was murdered and then they would pull together,” Florez said. “More than anything else, they had each other.”

“More than anything else, they had each other.”

-Connie Florez

b y J p S p e n c e rKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

CAMPUS NEWS 3Ka ‘OhanaA p r i l 2 0 1 4

Rediscover the world with GEOG 151b y J o h n B a s c u k

Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

WCC offers a diverse mix of courses for fall registration

ASTR 130: Introduction to Archaeoastronomy (3 credits)MW 2:30 to 3:45 p.m.Prereq’s: noneInstructor: Mary Beth Laychak

Introduction to the inter-disciplinary study of cultures and astronomy for non-science majors. Topics include naked-eye astronomy, myths and rituals, calendar systems, ar-chitectural alignments and navigation. The Hōkūlani Imaginarium will be used throughout the semester.

BIOL 200: Coral Reefs (3 credits, 4 with lab option)TR 10 to 11:15 a.m. with lab Thurs. 11:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.Prereq’s: noneInstructor: Michelle Smith

Learn about coral reefs, fish and invertebrates and their threats from climate change, land-based pollution, overfishing, recreational over-use and invasive species.

ENG 20: Reading and Writing Essentials (4 credits)MTWR 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. orMTWR 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.Prereq’s: Placement in ENG 20 or “C” or better in ENG 8Instructor: Janine Oshiro

Reading and writing skills are essential for college suc-

cess! Speak to a counselor or ask Lance Uyeda about wheth-er ENG 20 is right for you.

ENG 23: Introduction to College Reading and Writing (4 credits)MTWR 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. orMTWR 10 to 11:15 a.m.Prereq’s: Placement in ENG 23 or “C” or better in ENG 18 or ENG 20 or “C” or better in ENG 19 and reading score of 56-78Instructor: Lance Uyeda or Jenny Webster

Accelerate your reading and writing. Build your aca-demic career on a strong foun-dation of reading and writing skills. Ask Lance or speak to a counselor for more details.

ENG 204B: Introduction to Creative Writing: Poetry (3 credits)MW 1 to 2:15 p.m.Prereq’s: “C” or better in ENG 100 or instructor consentInstructor: Janine Oshiro

This course is designed for students interested in writing

WCC will be bringing back a course this fall that has not been taught on campus in more than a decade: GEOG 151, Geography and

Contemporary Society.Sarmina Rutter, a current LCC lecturer, will be

teaching the course. Rutter, whose parents are originally from Bangladesh, was born in Scotland and studied at Ohio State University and Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition, she has been an educator at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, the largest indoor aquarium in the world.

There will be only one class section, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m to 12:45 p.m. The course could count toward either a foundation or diversifica-tion degree requirement.

GEOG 151 examines a wide range of areas that af-fect how people live today —from agriculture, food and language to race, ethnicity and population.

For example, the course will help students under-stand the different regions of agriculture and develop awareness of food supplies in our world, nutrition and the problem of hunger in certain countries.

“Hunger is prevalent in both developed and devel-oping countries at a time when this shouldn’t be,” Rutter said. “There is enough wealth in the world to feed every single person on the planet many times over.”

Students will also discuss the global dominance of the English language as well as race and ethnicity in a multicultural society and the effect of human activities on the natural environment.

Rutter hopes that many students will enroll in her class because the information is important in appreciat-ing how we are all part of an interrelated whole. “What I hope students will understand after taking this course is how processes that they aren’t even aware of are af-fecting their everyday lives,” she said.

By taking this GEOG 151 course, Rutter added, “It will take us out of this little bubble. . . . This is where you’re going to learn about the world.” WCC lecturer Sarmina Rutter will be teaching GEOG 151.

Students in IS 160L on one of Windward’s three Hawaiian sailing canoes during lab at Kualoa Beach park.

and publishing poetry, who by the end of the semester will have read some famous (and not-so-famous) works by established poets and have written a lot of their own. Stu-dents must speak up in class, read their writing out loud, and be amenable to friendly, productive criticism from their colleagues and instructor.

ICS 208: Website Design (3 credits)Fri. 10 a.m. to noon or onlinePrereq’s: ICS 107 or instructor consentInstructor: Vanessa Cole

Website design continues the journey of creating web-sites that begins in ICS 107: Website development.

This course dives deeper into the visual design aspects of websites utilizing cascading style sheets to create respon-sive designs which adjust to various devices from cell phone to desktop screens and everything in between.

IS 160A & B: Polynesian Voyaging and Seamanship (3 credits)Tues. 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. Preq’s: noneInstructor: Floyd McCoy, Joe Ciotti and Bonnie Kahapea-Tanner

Students will learn the fundamental skills of sail-ing — both traditional and modern. Star identification lessons will be asssited in the Hokulani Imaginarium.

Students gain an apprecia-tion of Hawai‘i’s rich heritage in oceanic exploration and dis-covery through an interdisci-plinary approach that focuses on modern physical science and Polynesian culture.

IS 160L: Polynesian Voyaging and Seamanship Lab (1 credit)Sat. 8:30 to 11:15 a.m.Prereq’s: enrollment in IS 160AInstructor: Bonnie Kahapea-Tanner

Laboratory activities are designed to develop student skills in sailing, sail planning

and navigation. Field studies are also conducted to coastal erosion and ethnobotanical studies. Special emphasis is made on the ecology of the Windward coast and Kāne‘ohe Bay. Evidence of medical clear-ance for sailing activities and water survival skills are re-quired.

IS 204: The Zombie Apocalypse and Other Doomsday Beliefs (3 credits)Wed. 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.Prereq’s: “C” or better in ENG 100Instructor: Malia Lau Kong

Do you schedule your Sunday night plans around watching the latest episode of “The Walking Dead?” Do you want to discuss or write about Morgan’s transformation into a madman, or whether Carol’s actions were justified? If so, this class is for you!

Within the context of apoc-alyptic beliefs, this course will explore the state of nature and civilization from a historical, philosophical and psychologi-cal perspective and relate this to our own culture’s fascina-tion with disaster readiness, prepping and zombies.

IS 204: Games and Gaming (3 credits)Thurs. 2:30 to 5 p.m.Prereq’s: noneInstructor: Nicolas Logue

This course examines the human activity of gaming through the lenses of his-tory, economics, education, mathematics, military theory, neuroscience, psychology and anthropology, also introduc-ing students to game theory, the field of professional game design and how certain kinds of games enhance intelligence quotient, creative problem solving and life skills.

April 14 is the first day of fall 2014 registration.

Ka ‘Ohana has once again compiled a list of new and infrequently offered courses to whet your palate.

Whether you’re into writ-ing or stargazing, there’s something for everybody. From games and zombies to coral reefs and Polynesian voyaging, Windward Com-munity College makes ful-filling graduation require-ments a fun experience.

LEIMOMI KEKINA DIERKS

COURTESY SARMINA RUTTER

Rain Bird to launch newest edition

Short TakesASUH elections

Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to make a difference on campus. The Associated Students of the University of

Hawaii – WCC (ASUH-WCC) is still accepting senate nomina-tions until April 17.

ASUH-WCC is responsible for many events on campus as well as being the official voice of our student body. They have representatives on several committees and constantly push for what’s in the students’ best interests.

If you want to join the leadership team, visit the WCC homep-age and search “nomination packets.” All applicants must be in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of 2.0. Also, two other students will need to endorse the senate application.

Elections will be held April 21 – 30 in Hale ‘Ākoakoa 232 (Ka Piko). To vote, students must present a valid WCC ID card.

John Young Scholarship Two lucky student artists could win $2,000 each. The John

Young scholarship fund is accepting applications until April 29.The scholarship was created for students who are in the

beginning of their art education at WCC and are serious about going into the arts as a career.

Requirements are that applicants are enrolled at least part-time (6 credits) at WCC for both Fall 2014 and Spring 2015, with at least one class in the fine or performing arts. Applicants must be a Hawaii high school graduate with good academic standing and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Some degree of financial need is required as well as evi-dence of talent. Applications can be found via the WCC homep-age by searching “John Young 2014.”

Pottery SaleIf you’re looking for a special gift for Mom, the WCC’s Mother’s

Day pottery sale might be a good place to start.The popular fundraiser will be held Friday, May 9 from

9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Hale Pālanakila, Room 216.

The event will feature an assortment of functional and dec-orative pieces made by WCC’s ceramics students and teachers.

The art is sold at reasonable prices with the proceeds going to help run the ceramic studio and to the students, who receive a percentage of their sales.

For more details, contact professor Paul Nash at 235-7323.

Mental Health Awareness Project

Stress can be a major factor in all our lives, especially

around midterms and finals. A lot of folks on campus juggle the responsibilities of parenthood, holding a steady job, and other challenges with a full-time course load.

Thanks to a new project headed by Mental Health Hawaii (MHH), students will have the necessary informa-tion and resources to help raise awareness and cope with mental health issues.

March 19 marked the launch of the project as stu-dents, faculty and staff were invited to stop by the infor-mation booth in the Library Learning Commons breeze-way.

With t ips on mak ing midterms manageable, stress ball making and free snacks, attendees were able to get a better idea of what exactly mental health is and how it affects us.

A college-wide survey earlier in the semester helped MHH gain a better picture of our campus’s understanding of mental health issues.

“It’s good to know where we’re at,” said project coordi-nator Mariana Monasi. “We can create training for our planning committee based on the answers. There’s still a lot (of people) that don’t

know or aren’t aware, but we’re still pretty happy with where we’ve started.

“I feel like people get turned off by the words mental illness, like ‘it doesn’t apply to me,’” Monasi ex-plained about the difficulty in engaging students. “One in five people in Hawaii are affected by mental illness and it affects every aspect of life.

“ T h e t e r m ‘m e n t a l health’ is very broad while ‘mental illness’ is quite spe-cific,” Monasi said. Stress is a mental health issue while schizophrenia and depres-sion would be mental ill-nesses. Monasi hopes the

project will help to dispel the misconceptions and stigmas related to mental illness.

“Our goal is to educate 75 percent of the campus population as well as raise awareness about these is-sues and teach everyone on campus about living an overall healthy and happy life,” Monasi said.

“We’re going about it through training seminars and awareness events.”

The next event will help students prepare for finals week, May 12 - 15. Volunteers are still needed for train-ings and awareness events. If interested, please contact Monasi at 521-1846.

b y K e l l y M o n t g o m e r y Ka ‘Ohana Editor in Chief

On Tuesday, May 6, WCC’s Rain Bird staff is throwing a launch

party for their newest edition, “Appetite for Evolution,” in Pālanakila courtyard at 11:30 a.m.

The festivities will include character actors playing the parts of historical figures such as Margaret Thatcher, a video produced by student Kainoa Makua titled “Illuminated Pinecone” based on her pub-lished story, and a monkey firing off a rocket… you read it correctly!

Food will also be available with the theme, “carnivores and herbivores.”

WCCs Rain Bird is an award-winning annual liter-ary and art journal. A student staff produces the journal under the direction of advisor Robert Barclay.

The latest edition contains works from students, faculty and staff that express how the

b y P a t r i c k H a s c a l lKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

writers envision this year’s theme and more.

The issue contains a broad range of stories and poems —from cannibalism, human

evolution and plane crashes to current events and many other subjects.

“Some stories are about the writer’s hunger for change

Rachel Ferguson, Kathleen Zane and Mariana Monasi helped students make midterms manageable with stress balls and mental health tips.

The Rain Bird staff invites you to the May 6 release of “Appetite for Evolution” in Palanakila courtyard.

in the world, such as politics and other current issues,”said Rain Bird staff member Tif-fany Hayler.

The book was originally

titled “Food Fight,” but the Rain Bird staff decided that the title might suggest throw-ing food at each other.

“‘Food fight’ was meant to convey a global or national is-sue on the fight for food,” said staff member Anyah Albert. Instead, the staff changed the title to “Appetite for Evolu-tion,” to be hungry for change in the world.

So, if you’re hungry for entertainment and feel like adding some calories to your diet—maybe even evolve your way of thinking—stop by to support the Rain Bird staff and pick up a copy of “Ap-petite for Evolution.”

“Come on over,” said Hayler. “It will be a lot of fun.”

If you wish to contribute to Rain Bird’s next edition themed “Under the Influ-ence,” submit entries by Oc-tober 16, 2014 for writings and October 31, 2014 for artwork. Entry boxes located in the library, book store and outside the Rain Bird studio in ‘Ākoakoa 236.

JESSICA CRAWFORD

ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK HASCALL

W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

4 CAMPUS NEWSA p r i l 2 0 1 4

Ka ‘Ohana

W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

CAMPUS NEWS 5Ka ‘Ohana

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Don’t let us down” was the message a voter quickly scribbled on the back of a

manila folder. Those words pressed up against the car’s windshield still impact U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, as she recalls waving “mahalo” to rush-hour com-muters that November morning in 2002, following her first political win.

Gabbard was invited to speak at Hale ‘Ākoakoa on March 17 as part of WCC’s observance of Women’s History Month, where “Celebrating Women of Character, Courage and Commitment” was the theme.

Today, Gabbard proudly serves Hawai‘i’s 2nd District (which includes WCC) in the U.S. House of Repre-sentatives and was just named one of the 10 most powerful women in Washington, D.C. by ELLE magazine.

“We’re looking for diversity, and certainly unique and powerful women, but also those women who …are very much in the mix of things,” ELLE editor-in-chief Robbie Myers said March 19 on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” where she unveiled the list in the new issue of ELLE.

Gabbard’s Twitter account profile reflects her diverse life choices and passions: “Soldier, veteran, surfer, small biz owner, member of Con-gress, doing my best to be of service.”

Growing up in Hawai‘i, Gabbard confessed she “had no inkling, desire or ambition in politics, whatsoever.” Her parents, Hawai‘i state Sen. Mike Gabbard and his wife, Carol, raised Tulsi and her four siblings in a multi-

The Student Veterans Organization (SVO) wel-comed its new chapter at WCC this semester. The

club’s mission is “to provide military veterans with the resources, support and advocacy needed to suc-ceed in higher education and following graduation.”

WCC student and club president Joel Harding agrees the club was long overdue. Having served as a medic in the U.S. Army from ’05 to ’08, with a de-ployment to Afghanistan, Harding understands the issues surrounding servicemen and women seeking higher education.

“It’s common to feel isolated when returning from war,” Harding said, “especially when coming to a community college setting, where you’re sur-rounded by adult learners seeking a better career or 18-year-olds fresh out of high school. We are usually a minority group.”

SVO is part of the national group known as Stu-dent Veterans of America (SVA). According to their website, this “grassroots movement was officially incorporated in January 2008 to provide programs, resources, and support to the ever-evolving network of local student veteran organizations.

“Since then, over one million veterans have re-turned home to pursue a postsecondary degree or certificate using VA education benefits. To meet this need, SVA’s presence at the local and national levels has grown to include over 950 chapter affiliates,

Student Veterans Organization to offer support

Service based in the aloha spirit“

b y Y v o n n e H o p k i n s Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

cultural, multi-religious household. She said they were raised to

believe success was measured by doing one’s best “to make a positive impact on other people.” This has become the true north of Gabbard’s inner compass and motivates her every day.

The calling to serve others is the reason Gabbard said she asks herself, “Why do we do what we do?” when she needs to reorient herself.

“It applies in our own personal relationships…within our family…within our workplace,” said Gabbard, “when we see things in our commu-nity (that) we should take action on, rather than walking by and turning a blind eye.”

Gabbard recalled how she felt when she decided to run for public office. “The first time I was getting ready to knock on doors, I was 21 (years old) and I was sitting in my little aqua-colored Geo Metro in the back of Verona Village in Ewa Beach.

“I was really, really scared,” she said. “I learned a lot about myself.”

What gave Gabbard the cour-age to get to the first door and the thousands of doors thereafter, both literally and figuratively, was the “privilege of being in a position of…impact; the responsibility and privilege of being able to bring voice to people who previously felt they had none.”

Politics, as defined by Gabbard, is “so simple because it’s about people and it’s about relationships that are sincere…and based on the true mean-ing of aloha.”

When Gabbard went to Washing-ton, D.C., she realized very quickly

that we tend to take the power of the “aloha spirit” for granted because we live here. As Gabbard introduced herself as the new representative from Hawai‘i to her colleagues, she noticed they would automatically smile and relax.

“What a great way to start a con-versation,” she said.

When asked if she thought there were still glass ceilings in politics, she replied that although the glass ceiling for race appears to have been broken with the election of President Obama, one still exists with respect to gender.

“Why this remains a challenge, in my perspective,” said Gabbard, “is that many people still don’t realize an inherent bias they have within themselves with regards to gender.”

Whether it be breaking negative

stereotypes or dispelling prejudice, Gabbard believes aiming high and holding yourself to a higher standard is how you overcome those barriers.

“You start to create a positive im-pression and a positive experience,” she said and “not only are you helping yourself but you’re setting up (for) all of those who will come after you.”

So what does Gabbard miss the most about Hawai‘i? “The ocean,” she says.

“I make time to go surfing when I’m home, early in the morning be-fore I start my day,” she said. It gives her not only a positive outlook but a completely refreshed viewpoint that she takes back with her to D.C.

“Why do you smile so much?” some ask Gabbard, and she answers with a teasing smile, “Come on, I go home to Hawai‘i. Sorry you don’t!”

numerous private and nonprofit partners, and most importantly, an expanding list of impactful programs and services for veterans.”

WCC’s SVO offers help in various stages of the educational process, including finding and applying for benefits, seeking scholarships and transitioning to other campuses.

Yet, the organization is so much more than that. “When vets come back (from deployment), it’s

common for them to clam up and isolate. We’re trying to break that,” Harding explained.

“We want those in the mili-tary, their families and veterans to be able to get a proper education and a better start in the workforce. We’re aware that isolation is the key factor in drop-outs of vets.”

The group offers a support system of like-minded individu-als with similar experiences. With 16 members in the club so far, Harding hopes more vets on campus will know that they are not alone and will feel welcome to join.

“I know the stigmas associ-ated with feeling like you’re tak-ing a handout or the need to work for and earn what you have,” he continued. “But these are our vets,

they’ve made sacrifices…they’ve earned all the help their community has to offer.”

SVO services all UH system campuses on O‘ahu and has started to expand to neighbor islands with a chapter at UH Hilo.

Meetings are held every Friday in Hale Alaka‘i 106. There’s no specified time; Harding will be there “all day” and encourages you to come drop by and check it out.

b y K e l l y M o n t g o m e r y Ka ‘Ohana Editor in Chief

Freshman U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard kicked off WCC’s Women’s History Month events.JESSICA CRAWFORD

JESSICA CRAWFORD

WCC student, military veteran and Windward’s SVO president Joel Harding.

. . . and Earth Day tips

HPOWER, honeybees. . .From beekeeping to creating renewable energy from trash...here’s how efforts —big and small—are helping our Earth.

(Top): The exterior of the HPOWER plant. (Bottom left): A Covanta employee operates the “claw” to break up and mix garbage on the “tipping floor” prior to dropping it into the furnace chute. (Mid-dle): Gail Godenzi holds up two bags, one showing garbage prior to burning, the other showing how much ash is cre-ated from burning. (Bottom right): Peering into the incinerator where O‘ahu’s trash is burned and used to create energy.

The massive metal claw grabs a gi-ant “handful” of garbage. As I peer through the window from the control

room overlooking the “tipping floor,” the scale of trash—as high as a two-story build-ing—amazes me.

I can make out parts of mattresses, a large cardboard box reading “diapers,” a dented and twisted bathtub, a leather sofa that appears brand new—all mixed among a “garbage potpourri” of shredded wood, plastic and paper materials.

It made me realize that some of my gar-bage may be mixed in.

O‘ahu’s HPOWER (Honolulu Program of Waste Energy Recovery) plant, owned by the City and County of Honolulu and run by Co-vanta Energy, began operation in 1990, with an expansion of the plant in 2012. The facility handles the waste disposal needs of 850,000 O‘ahu residents and more than 6 million visi-tors per year.

Gail Godenzi, business manager for Cov-anta Honolulu and my tour guide for the day, mentions there are 44 Covanta plants across the country and this facility is the only one in Hawai i̒. It can process up to 2,200 tons of O‘ahu’s municipal solid waste per day.

So where does all this trash go?HPOWER doesn’t put this garbage into

landfills. The plant is an energy-from-waste facility, which means it actually helps to keep garbage out of landfills. According to Cov-anta’s website, “energy-from-waste facilities offer a safe, technologically advanced means of waste disposal while generating clean,

renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting recycling through recovery of metals.”

HPOWER uses RDF (refuse-derived-fuel) technology. The waste is prepared and shredded, then combusted in furnaces with temperatures reaching nearly 2,000 degrees. The RDF is reduced to an inert ash at about 10 percent of its original volume. The heat from the combustion process is transferred to boilers and used to create steam to power a turbine/generator, and finally—electricity.

The energy HPOWER creates is sold to HECO and then sold to customers. The facil-ity supplies O‘ahu with about 8 percent of the island’s energy needs (nearly 60,000 homes), and supplies approximately 75 percent of O‘ahu’s renewable energy.

Not only is energy created through the process, the plant also keeps an estimate of 800,000 tons of garbage out of landfills each year. Godenzi says that for each ton of waste processed at HPOWER, it creates enough energy to divert one barrel of oil.

Also through the process, ferrous and non-ferrous metals are separated, recov-ered and recycled to companies, such as Island Recycling, through a bid process. An estimated 22,000 tons of metal (ferrous and non-ferrous) is recycled each year.

According to the Solid Waste Associa-tion of North America (SWANA), energy-from-waste facilities are “economically sound investments that provide multiple financial and environmental benefits to communities that utilize them.”

b y J e s s i c a C r a w f o r dKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

PHOTOS BY JESSICA CRAWFORD

b y J o n a t h a n H a n k iKa ‘Ohana Staff Writer

There’s a honey badger in Kailua making honey. That “badger” is Max Towey, a WCC student and Sustainability Club president, who raises

bees and considers himself a true nature lover. “When I was a little, I really liked playing in the

garden,” said Towey. “I don’t think I ever stopped. I just kept looking for a bigger tomato patch.”

When you see Towey suit up to harvest the honey, he looks like a surgeon tending to his pa-tients. Preserving a healthy environment for his bees is very important to him.

However, his biggest challenge is that he is allergic to bee stings. Whenever he gets stung, he swells up. The remedy is to apply ice and take Benadryl. However, if he were to get stung multiple times, he would have a hard time breathing.

“One time after checking on the beehives, I realized that my veil wasn’t sealed properly,” he recalled. “I got stung on my scalp so I sat very still and took deep, slow breaths to help me feel better.”

Towey’s interest in beehives started when he volunteered at Na Pohaku, a section of state land overlooking Kawainui Marsh, for a WCC service-learning project about three years ago. His men-tor, Steve Montgomery, gave him some empty bee boxes for storage. But while Towey was on a trip, a swarm of bees moved in.

This was the beginning of the honey badger’s quest to have his own beehive.

Towey’s inquisitive nature led him to want to observe these amazing creatures firsthand. How-ever, beekeeping is still more of a hobby for him. According to Towey, you need at least 200 hives to become a professional beekeeper. He has less than 10 hives.

“You have to be very committed to have your own beehives and be willing to get stung,” he said. “Beekeeping isn’t for the faint of heart.”

He’s also concerned about the bee population on O‘ahu. “We need good pollinators because that’s where food comes from to grow crops.”

This semester at WCC, Towey is taking math and chemistry and hopes to pursue a possible career in one of the sciences. Last year he was chosen to represent WCC at the UH system’s first annual sustainability summit.

“I was very impressed with the energy and

people who attended,” he said. It was great to be around so many like-minded people. It kind of just took off from there. I wanted to share the sense of inspiration that I felt at the summit with my fellow students.

“Since then, I became president of the Sustain-ability Club at Windward. We’re working on various projects around campus, the most notable of which is the rain garden.”

Towey said the UH sustainability summits are good for networking and morale. “It fires people up and gives them a re-alistic picture of what can be accomplished on each campus.”

During the summer, Towey goes to Oregon to help his family, who owns 49 acres of farmland. His duties include taking care of bees, planting trees, raising geese and chickens, herding sheep and other chores.

He said he loves working at his family farm. “It’s very rewarding to see progress in real- time, especially if you have a hand in it. Last season we planted approximately 2,000 pear trees. It’s nice knowing at the end of the day that what you have done is good for the environment and society as a whole. It’s an honest day’s work and a step in the right direction.”

When he isn’t in school, Towey spends most of his time working various jobs such as maintaining other people’s yards. He also does home repairs and yardwork for his family.

In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, kayaking and surfing—anything that involves being outdoors.

“My goal is to have many options in life,” he said. “This is why I work so hard to gain experi-ence in different jobs. I look forward to challeng-ing myself in many ways.” (Top): Max Towey prepares to inspect and maintain

the beehives. (Above): Frames from a beehive show queen cells and worker bees.

COURTESY MAX TOWEY

SECOND-HAND DOESN’T MEAN SECOND-BEST Consider buying items from a sec-ond-hand store. Second-hand stores often sell items in excellent condi-tion for a fraction of the cost of a new item, and the stores will generally take back items when you no longer need them.

AND FINALLY. . .SHARE! Take any tips you’ve learned and pass the knowledge on to others. Maybe they’ll share some of their own.If every person you know could take one small step toward being greener, the collective effort could be phenomenal.

CHOOSE MATCHES OVER LIGHTERS Most lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel, both petroleum products. Since most light-ers are considered “dispos-able,” over 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year. If possible when choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood. Wood matches come from trees, whereas most cardboard matches are made from recycled paper.

HANG DRY Get a clothesline or rack to air-dry your clothes. Your wardrobe will maintain color and fit, and you’ll save money. Your favorite T-shirt will last longer too.

CHANGE YOUR LIGHT If every household in the U.S. replaced one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb, the pollution reduction would be equivalent to remov-ing one million cars off the road.

GO VEGETARIAN ONCE A WEEKOne less meat-based meal per week helps the planet and your diet. For example: It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. You will also save some trees. For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainfor-est land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed.

WRAP CREATIVELY You can reuse gift bags, bows and event paper, but you can also make something unique by using old maps, cloth or even newspaper or product packag-ing. Flip a paper grocery bag inside out and use stamps or markers to create your own wrapping paper that’s envi-ronmentally friendly and extra special for the recipient.

GO TO A CAR WASH Professional car washes are often more efficient with water consumption. If everyone in the U.S. who washes their car them-selves took just one visit to the car wash we could save nearly 8.7 billion gallons of water.

BRUSH WITHOUT RUNNING THE WATER You’ve heard this one before, but maybe you still do it. You’ll conserve up to five gallons per day if you brush without running the water. Daily savings in the U.S. alone could add up to 1.5 billion gallons—more water than folks use in New York City.

BAN BATHTIME & TAKE A SHOWER Have a no-bath week; take show-ers instead. Baths require almost twice the amount of water. Not only will you reduce water consumption, but also the energy costs associated with heating the water.

USE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES Each year 15 billion batteries are produced and sold. Most of them are disposable alka-line batteries. Only a fraction of those are recycled. Buy a charger and a few sets of rechargeable batteries. It’s an upfront investment that will pay off in no time.

These tips (and more) from www.50waystohelp.com

b y C h a r i s s a W i t t i gKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Former inmates present ‘Voices from the Inside’

“All I ask is for you to listen, I mean really listen, not just

hear. The cry of our hearts, the struggle, the fear, as we pour out our soul of how we fight,

push, reach and long to accom-plish our dreams.”

On March 18, three former inmates from the Wom-

en’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC) shared the struggles they face and the ac-complishments they have made through creative programs that transformed their lives. Their appearance at WCC was part of the Women’s History Month speaker series.

Similar to a poetry slam, the women expressed their con-cerns through poems and skits. They explained the transforma-tion process of building their self-image after a life of crime, drugs, prostitution and abuse.

Public safety officials be-lieve transformation can and does happen in prison by pro-

viding creative programs like the gardening and writing projects at WCCC.

The program helps prison-ers start over and heal from within by accepting who they are and strengthening their self-image.

Public safety officials are working with community groups and private citizens to help fund and establish a transi-tional shelter for prisoners.

“Defeated by the ‘glamor-ous’ life of drugs with no return, I am stuck on a road with no end.” Karen shared a poem de-scribing the struggles she faced in her life and how inmates used creative writing to heal their wounds and establish a positive future within the community.

The original program called “Prison Monologues” has been presented to more than 40 schools. It has now evolved to “Voices from the Inside.” After parole, the women decided to carry on the work outside of prison.

Lucy was one of these par-ticipants; she was sentenced to a 40-year prison term but is now

on parole. The judge told her she was a “menace to society” but she admitted she was a menace to herself. She shared a poem, “Day after day I was just adding to my crime. I’m on the inside looking out and, trust me, this is not what life is supposed to be about.”

Janice was sentenced to three 10-year terms, but she said by the “grace of God” she is now on parole after four years. She shared her poem, “23 hours and 7 days a week, confined,” speaking about her dreams and the mental struggle she faced while confined in prison.

While serving their sen-tences, the women were left to their own thoughts and the humiliation and guilt they had locked inside.

They spoke about the dif-ficulties they face within the community and the judgment they have to face once they are released.

Karen said, “Sometimes we don’t even get enough support to where we just don’t want to go back to society.”

Poetry served as an outlet to

The women’s identities from ‘Voices from the Inside’ are being keptconfidential and their names have been changed in the article.

Community NewsA p r i l 2 0 1 4

W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

8 Ka ‘Ohana

Going beyond the human canvas

When you walk into Koi Tattoo, you’ll see owner and versatile tattoo artist Dodge Distad

hard at work. There are two chairs in which Distad and long-time friend and coworker Lisa Filmore create their per-manent art designs.

The teal walls are lined with Dis-tad’s paintings as well as a wall mural of samurai and dragons. With the buzz of the tattoo machine and the smell of “green soap” disinfectant, you know you’re in the presence of professional tattoo artists.

Long before he picked up a tat-too machine, Distad was getting himself tattooed often. He’s hard to miss, stand-ing about 6 feet tall, bald with a full goa-tee and tatted out from neck to toe.

However, unlike most tattoo profes-sionals, Distad sets himself apart by be-ing a well-rounded artist first, not just a one-dimensional tat-too artist.

Distad was a sculptor and painter in acrylic, oils and watercolors, all before picking up a tattoo machine. Originally from Southern California, he owned an art gallery in San Diego where he sold his pieces for a few years before getting into the tattoo industry.

Previous to professional tattooing,

b y M i c h a e l S a n t o sKa ‘Ohana Writer

Distad had drawn many pieces for friends to get tattooed on themselves. “I felt honored to draw a permanent thing for someone,” he explained as he hunched over a client’s leg, getting ready to carefully push ink just below the surface of the skin.

He got his opportunity to break into the business in San Diego about 15 years ago when a couple of tattoo artists he had established good relationships with offered Distad guidance into the busi-ness. They taught him how important sterilization is and how significant it is to the success of the profession.

Eventually, he was able to get an internship at “Superfly,” a recognized and successful tattoo shop.

After a couple of years of tattooing in San Diego, Distad moved to Kailua and opened up Koi Tattoo. At the time, it was only the third shop in Kailua, and now there are seven.

Un l i k e s ome shops, you can’t just walk in and choose a design off the wall. Clients make an ap-pointment for a con-sultation with Distad to discuss their ideas, size, and placement of

the tattoo. Following the consultation, the client makes an appointment for a fu-ture date when the work will take place.

“I believe in being patient and facilitating the situation for the client,” he added, explaining how this can go a long way when someone tells the story

of their tattoo.“I see tons of decent or mediocre

tattoos. Far more rarely do I see a beau-tiful tattoo that I’m taken aback by,” he said. “Most tattoo artists tend to be one-dimensional. If they are great at drawing skulls, then they can’t wrap their heads around drawing a unicorn.”

Distad credits his partner Filmore for much of the work done on him, as well as long-time friend and mentor “Tattoo Mike” from San Diego. His standout tat-too is on his hand; it is a demon with its horns chopped off. He said he sees this piece several times a day, and it reminds him to be a nicer person and to live with more aloha.

When he isn’t tattooing, Distad is doing live paintings at events such as “Eat the Street” in Honolulu and “Yo

Garden” in Kailua. Distad has mixed feelings about tak-

ing on apprenticeships for people trying to become tattoo artists. “It’s a thankless job,” he said. “You’re creating competi-tion for yourself and your business. If you do make an attempt, then have an incredible sketch book, well-varied.”

He explained how if an artist does take on the task of teaching, he or she won’t teach anyone with inferior art skills. “If your art skills are superior to the teacher, then you might be consid-ered.”

Koi Tattoo is located at 35 Kainehe St. in Kailua. You can contact Distad or Filmore by walking in or calling 261-2230.

Visit www.Koitattoohawaii.com to see pictures of the shop as well as a small sample of their art.

“I felt honored to draw a permanent thing for someone.” —Dodge Distad

heal, accept and adjust to the re-alities they had to deal with and the challenges to overcome. The harsh reality is that they have to gain support, acceptance and trust within the community.

The former inmates have started a program called Wom-en Supporting Women to help others gain a second chance to

change their lives. Karen said, “If we can touch one person, then our job is done.”

They held their first fund-raiser at Kapiolani Community College on March 28 to obtain funding to support more tran-sitional programs for women prisoners and plan to continue their outreach.

Artist Dodge Distad of Koi Tattoo in Kailua stands by a wall mural he created at his shop.JESSICA CRAWFORD

ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK HASCALL

W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

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9Ka ‘Ohana

‘Out Loud in the Library’

“It’s a commitment,” says Graffam, “You have to know you are invest-ing in yourself, and if you work hard, it pays off. Sure, it’s a bit costly, but people come from around the world to be a part of this program and get our results, and that is saying something.” Graffam’s mantra of “step back” “squint” and “go darker” pushes students to lose the need for instant gratification so they may surrender to methods that have shaped artists over the centuries.

Students and professors have also described the intensity of the almost eight-hour days of painting, drawing, lectures and producing a final product.

“It’s a lot of work, but the amount of knowledge and skill you walk away

with, it’s worth the time,” says Mark Mitsuda, arts major.

In fact, the long hours spent in the studio may reduce long hours in other art labs after completing the program.

“I went to Atelier for the first time in 2006, and I enrolled in media arts the following semester. I realized how much doing the Atelier helped with the digital arts and, in fact, I’ve incorporated a lot of the traditional teachings into my work,” says Cherie Tsukayama, a digital arts major at UH Mānoa.

In the program, students will un-derstand the concepts of tone and value, draw from live models, plaster casts and paintings, as well preparing a canvas and cooking their own mediums.

“It teaches you how to really see

the shades and values as well as their relationship. So you learn how to really see what you are putting down on the canvas or paper,” says Butterbaugh, a veteran of the program.

“Even if you know how to draw, I’ll show you something new,” says Graffam.

As for future goals? “We’re plan-ning on taking the program to Italy by next year,” says Graffam, “I’d also really like to open this to the physically handicapped, and accommodate artists who need a place to fortify their skills.”

However, all this wouldn’t be pos-sible without the teachings of Graffam’s own master, Snowden Hodges, to whom he dedicates his efforts.

“I started as his pupil and we

became best friends. He always knew what to say. When I was ready to quit, I remember him telling me, ‘Stick it out one more semester,’ and it turned me around. I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for him.”

There is only room for 24 students in the Atelier program and spots fill quickly, so be sure to enroll soon.

ATELIER HAWAI‘IMay 27 to July 3, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

in Hale Palanakila 202Non-credit tuition: $ 1,200

Resident credit tuition: $ 1,488 Non-resident credit tuition: $ 2,100 For more information, contact Norm Graffam at 808-236-9148 or normz@hawaii.edu

Atelier: Learning the techniques of the masters

A call to animal lovers

A Pet Hui to bring togeth-er those with a passion

for animals is being formed on campus.

Pet owners from the stu-dent body, faculty and staff will have a chance to talk about their four-legged and feathery friends while shar-ing information.

The next meeting of the group will be set for either April 17 or 24.

At an introductory ses-sion last month, WCC animal science instructor Sam Crad-dock provided information on grooming, introducing a new pet to the home and necessary prevention and treatment.

The highl ight of the affair was Craddock’s dog Abigail, a black lab and Ger-man shepherd mix.

Accustomed to helping

in the animal science class-es, Abigail was a true team player, assisting in demon-strations on how to clean an animal’s ears and avoiding the “quick” in pet nails (the part that hurts if you trim too far).

For more details or in-formation regarding the Pet Hui, contact Windward counselor Kate Zane at 235-7447 or email zanek@ha-waii.edu.

b y K e l l y M o n t g o m e r yKa ‘Ohana Editor in Chief

FROM PAGE 1

KELLY MONTGOMERY

Being on the Ka ‘Ohana staff certainly has its

perks. From being the first to

know about campus hap-penings to getting invited to events such as Pro Bowl parties, the Dalai Lama’s visit and the season premiere of “Hawaii Five-O,” joining the

Soothing strains of classical guitar, thought-provoking poems and excerpts of novels made “Out Loud In The Library” on April 2 a lively

event with a laid-back vibe. This two-hour showcase featured a range of musical and literary talent.

Ian O’Sullivan from the North Shore opened the evening. A skilled classical guitarist, he performed songs “Haleiwa” and “Waialua” from his recent album “Born and Raised.”

Following OʻSullivan’s melodic performance was Jaimie Gusman, a poet who painted a vivid picture with every stanza. When reading poem after poem, Gusman said in a humorous way, “I am going to keep reading and not stop until somebody tells me to,” sparking laughter from the crowd.

When Gusman finished, David Odhiambo, a novelist, was next to read. He recounted his inspir-ing life story before sharing an excerpt from his upcoming novel, “The Slight Bookcase.”

It focuses on a boy in Central Africa and his

b y J o h n B a s c u kKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

adjustment to the death of his parents while at a boarding school run by European settlers.

The finale of the event was Jonah Moananu, a local singer/songwriter known as “Big Mox.” Mo-ananu has a very “big” presence with a smile that lit up the entire room.

Still getting his name out there to become more known in the music industry, Moananu said, “I’m trying to spread myself out there very thinly because as you can see there is a lot of me,” getting everyone laughing along with him.

He ended the event with a bang when he per-formed “Bumbai You Learn,” a song he recently wrote.

The audience applauded enthusiastically for each performance as well as for the organizers who set up the entire evening. WCC English instructor and “Out Loud” coordinator Jenny Webster expressed appreciation for the people who attended.

“I want to thank everybody who came out to support us. You guys who came are really what makes this all happen,” she added.

Out Loud performers (clockwise from top left): Ian O’Sullivan, David Odhiambo, Jaimie Gusman and Jonah Moananu.

journalism team means ex-periencing life as it happens.

JOUR 205 is a course that provides the news writing skills. JOUR 285V gives you the full hands-on experience of producing a newspaper. That includes everything from writing to photography, page design and Web support.

Besides meeting interest-ing and prominent people, learning a variety of skills and earning that dreaded writing intensive credit—with jour-nalism, you literally make the headlines.

For more details, contact advisor Libby Young at libby@hawaii.edu.

Join the team that creates this newspaper

Abigail’s happy face greeted the guests that came to the Pet Hui.

Spring ‘14 staff: Grant Kono, JP Spencer, Charissa Wittig, Kelly Montgomery, Libby Young (advisor), Patrick Hascall, Jessica Crawford, Yvonne Hopkins, Creighton Gorai, John Bascuk and Ashley Shankles (not pictured).

JESSICA CRAWFORD

W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

Community News10A p r i l 2 0 1 4

Ka ‘Ohana

Sustainability Summit highlights the ‘aina

Hawai‘i has a chance to have a stunning impact on sustain-

ability.” Those encouraging words came from Vice Chancellor of the University of California Wendell Brase at this year’s 2nd Annual Sustainability Summit.

Faculty, students and ad-ministrators organized the three-day conference March 13-15 at WCC.

The summit highlighted the importance of building ef-fective strategies for more sus-tainable campuses in Hawai‘i. Networking, education and acknowledging the resources available are key elements to developing a more sustainable future for Hawaii’s schools and communities.

The summit was a good example of effective use of avail-able resources. Attendees were advised to bring their own mug or canister for any beverages provided. The food offered was all organic and served on wash-able plates. The informational guides and schedules were not printed but accessible through an app.

The session began with Brase saying, “I have great respect for the kind of envi-ronmental leadership that is

b y C h a r i s s a W i t t i gKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

coming out of this state.” The majority of his workshop dis-cussed the importance of car-bon abatement, the dangers of greenhouse gasses and their impact on climate change.

He explained the structure for targeting an energy savings project, emphasizing strongly the carbon abatement aspect. “It is an investment in the future and it pays off. Lighting and solar is something institutions should start to review,” said Brase.

He advised schools to not shy away from investing larger amounts of money since the programs will pay for them-selves. He also explained the

efficiency of motion-sensors (to turn lights on and off) and how it helped the University in California save over 86 percent in energy costs.

During the “Indigeneity as Innovation: Utilizing Ancestral Sciences, Technologies and Spirituality to Meet the 21st Century Challenges,” Hawai-ian practitioners spoke about sustainability through cultural eyes.

Mehana Vaughan, assistant professor of the UH Depart-ment of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, emphasized the importance of maintaining resources first-hand. “Sustainability really

depends on the relationships between people and places,” she said.

Maintaining community responsibility and practicing traditions with the land and family are key factors in sustain-ability efforts. Hi’ilei Kawelo, co-founder at Ho’oulu Pacific said, “Food can unify com-munity, family and people. If you aren’t dependent on your environment, then you will not know it.”

Helen Wai, conservation representative for Hawaii En-ergy, described small behavioral changes the community can make to improve energy con-servation. Some examples in-

cluded taking shorter showers. “A 10-minute shower for a

family of four, once a day, can cost about $1,500-$2,000 a year!” She also advised changing out old refrigerators and using wa-ter flow control showerheads.

Jacqueline Kozak-Theil, Hawaii’s state sustainability coordinator, said, “Hawai‘i is a bright spot in the world….Higher education is an impor-tant factor in the contribution towards sustainability efforts. “The indigenous heritage that Hawaii has is a true asset and has given us the advantage to translate vision into plan through traditional understand-ing of taking care of the land and using resources efficiently.”

Kozak-Theil, discussed the process within the state to develop a strong “green” gov-ernment action plan through an international commitment to sustainability and a global island partnership.

“Community colleges are the ‘green jobs’ workforce train-ing in the state. Our greatest asset are students as the next generation of leadership,“ she said. “Hawai‘i has an amazing potential to model integrated approaches to sustainability and resilience.”

Some of the projects being worked on are sustainability

SEE SUSTAINABILITY PAGE 11

(From left) WCC Chancellor Doug Dykstra presents a Sustainability in Higher Education award to Danny Kong and the college’s peer mentors for their work on campus recycling. National sustainability expert Mitchell Thomashow talks about building ecological awareness among UH system campuses.

JESSICA CRAWFORD

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W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

Editorial 11Ka ‘OhanaA p r i l 2 0 1 4

I have planted my family’s first vegetable garden, along with a few fruit trees around our house. We also purchase our fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets every month. With a timer installed on our water heater, we use less elec-tricity. My family is also big on recycling everyday trash. We’re actually waiting for our third blue bin to arrive, as two fill up quickly.

—Sonnie Muaina

I reuse soup cans for plant-ing seeds and reuse plastic soup containers to hold my lunch, rather than using zip-lock bags. We also recycle paper towels (if we’ve just used them to dry off our hands) by putting them on a small drying rack. By doing this, we end up saving a lot of paper towels.

—Pua Guard

I am a lifelong vegetar-ian. Not eating meat has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to help the Earth combat climate change. Try to go one day a week without meat and encourage a friend to do the same! #meatlessmonday

—Pali White

What do you do to ‘go green’? Sustainability FROM PAGE 10

indicators that would serve as progress meters. Measurable targets are the next step to advance the common goal of higher education on sustainability.

The Genuine Progress Indicator, also known as the GPI, computes the cost of commuting in terms of loss of leisure time and environmental costs within all realms of the ecosystem. Using the GPI can help recognize the environmental cost for economic growth. Hawai‘i is one of the eight states consider-ing the use of GPI.

David Duffy of the UH Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit discussed a few important cooperative sustainability projects such as watershed partnerships and the protection of the islands from invasive plants and animals. Together, the orga-nizations address problems and work toward common goals.

Robert Franco, director for the Office of Institutional Ef-fectiveness at Kapiolani Community College, discussed mutual benefits with partnerships and goals in big cities.

“Education, employment, environment and housing are important key topics of concern,” he added. “See yourself in the policy, in the plan and in the college’s future.”

He also warned about pitfalls of the digital age. “Technol-ogy can be a stumbling block for the community so be cautious of social corrosion versus social cohesion.”

Some of the other subjects discussed in the conference included the concern for Hawaii’s honeybees, the growth of aquaponics and hydroponics as well as the preservation of watersheds and Hawaii’s natural resources. By promoting healthy lifestyles, the community can tackle problems such as obesity and malnutrition.

In our household we re-cycle aluminum, plastic and glass bottles and cans. When we have a substantial amount, our kids separate and bag them. Then, at the end of each month, my husband and dad take our kids to the recycling center to redeem the items. The kids split the money that they’ve earned. This teaches our kids responsi-bility and how to keep our ‘āina free from more waste.

—Coreen Dijos

Earth Day has a particular impact on me, being my birth-day. Giving back to the land has always been something I care for. It is disturbing to me that a majority of people in Hawai‘i dismiss the natural resources available to us here. My advice: Go on a hike or to the beach and pick up any trash you see. If you don’t think it is your responsi-bilty, then whose is it?

—Noeau James

To go green, I do the usual things like recycling and walk-ing to the store instead of driv-ing. I always make sure my trash ends up in the trash can. I don’t like litter on the ground, especially at the beach, so I’ll

pick that up as well. I have even gone as far as yelling at a group of tourists that left all their trash lying on the beach.

—Jason Martin

The phrase “go green” means different things to dif-ferent people. For me, it means “do your part.” Many people do nothing because they feel their efforts will go unnoticed. They fail to realize that every little bit counts. If everyone did a “small part,” they would add up to a “big part.”

—David Gutierrez

Recently, my family and I installed a solar PV system on our home and we’ve been saving a lot on our electricity bill—about 20 percent each month. We plan to install more PV panels and hopefully get off the main grid completely. This coming summer, we are renovating our house and will use bamboo and other green materials. —Keliimakamae Waiolama

Pāʻani Nane Huaʻōlelo (Crossword Puzzle)No Ka Loko Iʻa

E ho o̒pihapiha i nā hakahaka o luna a e̒ nei i nā hua palapala pololei. Mai poina, he hua‘oko‘a ka ‘okina. E nānā hou paha i ka ‘atikala o kēlā mahina aku nei i kōkua. Laki maika i̒!

(Fill in the blanks above with the correct letters. Don’t forget, the ‘okina is a separate letter. Refer back to last month’s article for help. Good luck!)

Pololei aʻe (Across)5. He mea ho o̒kalakupua kēia. Mahalo i̒a no kona kia i̒ a̒na i nā

wai kapu ma Hawai i̒ nei.6. He pā pōhaku e ho o̒puni ana i ka loko i a̒.7. He ̒ano kupua wahine kaulana mai nā mo o̒lelo o ka wā kahiko.

Kia i̒ ̒ o ia i ka loko i a̒ o nei ̒ āina pulapula o Ko o̒laupoko, ̒o He e̒ia ho i̒.8. He mau i a̒ ʻōpiopio.9. He i a̒ ʻōiwi no Hawai i̒ nei, hānai i̒a ma loko o ka loko i a̒. Ke

nui a e̒ ia, kapa i̒a he a̒nae.

Pololei iho (Down)1. He mau puka ma ka pā pōhaku o ka loko i a̒, e komo ai ka wai.

A̒o̒le paha lawa kona nui e komo ai nā i a̒.2. He mea i hana i̒a me ke kaula a lilo i a̒no e̒ke e ho o̒hihia ai i

nā i a̒ he nui i ka manawa ho o̒kahi.3. He a̒no iwi kēia. Nui ka loa a̒ o kēia ma ka ʻāpapapa. Ho o̒hana

i̒a kēia no ke kūkulu a̒na i ke kuapā.4. He meakanu o ke kai, o̒no nō ke a̒i me ka i a̒ i pokepoke i̒a.7. He ʻīpuka e komo ai nā pua i a̒ i loko o ka loko i a̒. Ke momona

nā i a̒, pa a̒ lākou i loko o ka loko i a̒, a̒ o̒le hiki ke puka hou i waho.

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12Ka ‘Ohana

The UH community colleges took over the State Capitol March 18 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their found-

ing in Hawai‘i.WCC students, faculty and staff from agripharmatech,

veterinary technology, Atelier, Hawaiian studies, drama, journalism and financial aid stepped up to promote their areas.

“The community colleges have opened the door to higher education for the people of Hawai‘i,” said marketing coordinator Bonnie Beatson. “It was great to bring everyone together.”

Community colleges celebrate their 50th

Chancellor Doug Dykstra with a symbolic ‘open door’ to WCC.

A birds-eye view of the crowds in the rotunda.

Sen. Jill Tokuda (far right) visits with Ka ‘Ohana staffers Jessica Crawford, Yvonne Hopkins and advisor Libby Young.

Chase Horimoto from the Hawaiian woodcarving program.

WCC’s 4th Annual Paliku Arts Festival April 5 drew students, faculty, staff and community members to participate in a variety of creative and fun activities in and around Palanakila.

Clockwise from top right: The award-winning group Kaukahi entertains the crowd in Paliku Theatre. John and Angela Posatiere learn to play the piano with Shanae Newman. Art and Hawaiian studies lecturer Lufi Luteru shows onlookers weaving techniques. A small collection of painted stones. Ceramics professor Paul Nash helps Alysa Sato during an open ceramics session. A participant draws a model in the open drawing studio. Center photo: A member of the Royal Hawaiian Band plays for the Paliku crowd.

PHOTOS: JESSICA CRAWFORD & YVONNE HOPKINS