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. 4 December 2013

Ka ‘Ohana now on facebook

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

“Art is not about itself, but the attention we bring to it.”

–Marcel Duchamp

Over the years, WCC’s art department has built a

reputation as one of the best in the islands.

Gallery ‘Iolani, the sum-mer Atelier, the ceramics studio and photo lab, and the Palikū Arts Festival have all played a major part in promoting the arts.

But while the college’s art professors nurture the talents of aspiring student artists, one thing is missing: a WCC associ-ate degree in fine arts.

Progress is being made to expand the art department’s

Windward to Ivy League

At the outset, Erik Mori-naga, 27, appears to be a man of few words.

Then you listen to him describe the details of his life, and the proverb “Still waters run deep” comes to mind.

Morinaga, who graduates from WCC this month, just found out he was accepted at two Ivy League colleges —Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania — for spring 2014.

He has chosen Penn and is looking forward to pursuing an interdisciplinary degree in philosophy, political science and behavioral economics.

So how did Morinaga gain admission to two of the nation’s top-ranked schools? “Persever-ance is huge,” he said. “I’m a big fan of that.”

He said he has drawn inspi-ration from studying successful men throughout history, such as Thomas Edison, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali — all who endured numerous failures before achieving a breakthrough of success.

After graduating from Castle High School in 2004, Morinaga joined the Marine Corps in early 2005.

Having scored 95 out of

99 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test, he was given his choice of fields, ranging from nuclear technician to military intelligence.

Staying true to his favor-ite boyhood stories of valiant Spartan and Viking heroes, Morinaga chose the infantry.

Following basic training, he was assigned to the 3rd bat-talion 3rd Marines (3/3), an in-fantry battalion of the Marine Corps based at Kāne‘ohe Bay.

Although he received recognition as Marine of the Quarter (having been nomi-nated by his company), he also experienced the shame of a non-judicial punishment for underage drinking, along with a driving under the influence citation.

Feeling ostracized by his fellow Marines and restricted to the base, Morinaga began to reconsider the choices he was making in his life.

While surfing the Internet, he came across a quote from Lois McMaster Bujold: “Repu-tation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.”

Morinaga said these words put him on track as to how to live his life going forward. “I needed that quote,” he added.

Soon afterward, he left

on a seven-month combat de-ployment to Iraq. On Sept. 16, 2006, just four days before his unit was to return to the U.S., he said, “I found myself on a dusty concrete floor, watching the blood pool spread out from my face.”

An enemy bullet had rico-cheted off his grenade launcher and entered through his lower lip, dislocating and breaking his mandible (jaw).

He was immediately evac-uated and taken into surgery where they replaced his blood loss, inserted a tracheal tube in his throat so he could breathe and wired his jaw shut.

He could only “eat” blend-ed soup, yogurt, or applesauce through a large syringe he would shoot through the gap in his teeth.

For the next two years, he endured numerous surgeries along with rehabilitation. The first year involved major max-illofacial surgeries, including bone grafts from his hipbone.

He was advised prior to his facial surgeries of possible nerve damage, which would leave him without the ability to smile again or result in loss of feeling. Luckily, he survived without a permanent disability.

While Morinaga recuper-ated on post, he was assigned

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

academic subject certificate in art to an A.A. in fine arts, which could be available by spring 2015.

Ellen Ishida-Babineau, WCC interim vice chancellor of academic affairs, and art colleagues are working on an

Planning under way for new A.A. in Fine Arts

“authorization to plan” for the new degree.

The proposed program will enable students to gradu-ate from WCC with a degree tailored to their future major and career.

“Many transfer without a

degree,” but “a survey showed that there were 200 art students willing to stay at WCC to earn an AA in fine arts,” said Paul Nash, humanities department chair and ceramics professor.

UH statistics showed that former WCC students who transferred to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa represented 6.9 percent of the UHM art program.

WCC offers a variety of art classes of which some at the 100- and 200- level apply toward a bachelor of arts or fine arts at UH Mānoa.

“I like Windward. Some of my B.A. courses can be done at the community college,” said Genji Lamansky, a UH Mānoa ceramics art major and WCC alumnus.

“For future majors, train-ing in the fundamentals is important,” said Nash.

Kainoa Makua is among many students on the path to earning their A.A. in liberal arts. However, the proposed new degree may change her and others’ academic journey.

“I was interested in nurs-ing, but if there were an A.A. in fine arts, I’d switch,” said Makua, who spends most of her personal time painting, writing, performing poetry and video editing.

Nash explained, “Any art-ist needs a strong foundation in the fine arts, including draw-ing, design, painting, sculp-ture, etc. WCC emphasizes the importance of knowing how to draw, which is the basic foun-dation to becoming an artist.”

What jobs are there for art-ists in Hawai i̒?

Undergraduates who pur-sue an art degree have a vari-

b y A n y a h A l b e r tKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

jessica crawford

SEE MORINAGA PAGE 3

SEE FINE ARTS PAGE 5

(Above) WCC student Erik Morinaga looks forward to graduation this fall and attending the University of Pennsylvania in the spring.

(Left) Morinaga’s CT scan image shows the gunshot wound to the jaw he suffered while deployed in Iraq.

courtesy of erik morinaga

Genji Lamanksy (left) with art instructor Bryce Myers in the ceramics lab.anyaH aLBert

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3

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

The roads were strewn with downed power lines. . . and there were

hungry children, their hands outstretched, carrying home-made signs that read only ‘HELP.’

“Closer to the city, the first corpses were visible—some in body bags, some exposed on the sodden ground,” accord-ing to Time magazine’s Nov. 25 article.

Super Typhoon Haiyan was believed to be the strongest storm ever recorded to hit land. With sustained winds of 195 miles per hour and gusts as strong as 230 miles per hour, wind strengths made it equiva-lent to a Category 5 hurricane.

“Many scientists think this one (and many others recently) became so powerful because of global warming,” said WCC professor Toshi Ikagawa.

“A higher temperature means more energy for a storm. We can predict severe weather, but we cannot stop it.”

According to the Hawaii Red Cross, “The storm affected 4.3 million people across the 36 provinces, and evacuation centers are housing more than 330,000 people left homeless.”

Tacloban, the city at the center of the storm, had thou-

sands of people living in the area and left many of them no other choice but to evacuate their homes.

Although the death toll is still rising, authorities said at least 5,200 people were killed in this disaster and a vast number of people are still miss-ing. Some 3.39 million people are estimated to be displaced because of the storm.

“The winds reached up to 200 miles per hour, with chaos and crashing everywhere, but all they could do was pray through it all,” said WCC stu-dent Jhanavi Telander, who heard from friends what the traumatic experience was like.

“I lived in the Philippines

for two years, so the typhoon re-ally impacted me. A few of my friends are doctors there and have been on the news helping victims of the typhoon.”

Three days after the ty-phoon hit, the airport reopened, allowing the first relief supplies into the city.

“Our church, Hope Chapel Kaneohe Bay, partners with an organization, Compassion International, and they sponsor children in the Philippines,” said WCC student Amanda Twidwell.

“We sponsor an 8-year-old boy named Mark Lawrence Marcos. (He) lives right in the town the typhoon hit.”

The Philippine Red Cross

Ka ‘OhanaEDITOR IN CHIEF

Kelly MontgomerySTAFF REPORTERS

Anyah AlbertArian-Nicole Aragaki

John BascukYvonne Hopkins

Austen Taylor MatroAJ Montgomery

(The Family)JOuRNAlISm WRITERS

Creighton GoraiGrant Kono

PHOTOgRAPHERJessica Crawford

WEbmASTERJessica CrawfordPatrick Hascall

ADvISORLibby Young

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.

Typhoon Haiyan’s deadly havoc

volunteer rescue and relief teams are providing assistance in the hardest-hit communities, including assisting in search and rescue efforts and distrib-uting food and relief supplies to survivors.

If you would like to help,

you can mail a check to “Ameri-can Red Cross” and indicate “Philippine Typhoon.” You can also go to redcross.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS. UNI-CEF, CARE and many other organizations are also taking donations.

“I lived in the Philippines for two years so the typhoon really impacted me.” – Jhanavi Telander

“I grew up in the Philippines and half my family lives there. It’s been hard to watch the news.” – Joshua Garcia

“I have relatives in Olongapo near the typhoon area, but, thankfully, they just had rain.” –Alex Overby

“Our church and Compassion International sponsor children in the Philippines.” –Amanda Twidwell

COuRTESY NOvE FOTO DA FIRENzE

b y A r i a n A r a g a k iKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

“

Thousands of people trying to get their hands on food and clean water.

Obamacare made easy: what you need to knowb y K e l l y M o n t g o m e r y

Ka ‘Ohana Editor in Chief

The term “Obamacare” should sound familiar, con-

sidering the controversies and widespread media coverage surrounding it. Yet, how well do most of us know the actual law and all it entails?

As the 2014 New Year ap-proaches, it’s time to get the facts straight. With the conse-quence of tax penalties and the possibility of free or lower cost health insurance, Obamacare is something we should all care about. What is Obamacare?

It’s officially called the Patient Protection and Afford-able Care Act (PPACA), but more commonly referred to as the shortened Affordable Care Act (ACA). The act was signed into law on March 23, 2010; however, the most significant provisions take effect January 1, 2014.

There are four major things the ACA aims to do: increase the quality and affordability of health insurance; lower the uninsured rate; expand public

and private insurance cover-age; and reduce costs of health care for individuals as well as the government. Individual Mandate

The main provision of the ACA is the individual man-date. Basically, this provides individuals and families with two options: to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty in the form of a tax.

Those who receive medical

coverage through employment are exempt from the mandate, assuming their employer has made arrangements to continue coverage under the new law.

Much of the controversy surrounding the ACA arises from this mandate. Those op-posed to it say the government cannot force people to buy something.

The counterargument to this is the fact that uninsured

people must still be treated at a hospital’s emergency room. Their inability to pay for their medical expenses forces the hospital to incur those costs. As a result, the medical facility may raise prices for treatments and copayments of the insured patients to help offset expenses.

A positive aspect of the mandate is that it forbids health insurers to deny coverage to those with “pre-existing” con-ditions. This means that any-one who was denied health coverage before because of a condition they already had no longer has to worry about that being the case.

All premiums are calcu-

lated based on only two demo-graphics: age and location.

This means that two 25-year-olds in Kāne‘ohe might have the same health insurance price, even if one of them is healthy and the other suffering from cancer. The only pre-exist-ing condition that could affect your premium is tobacco use.

Those who choose to pay the tax penalty instead of pur-chasing insurance are looking at a fee of up to 2.5 percent of their annual income, or $695 a year—whichever is the higher.Essential Health Benefits

As part of the ACA, a mini-mum standard of health care

SEE OBAMACARE PAGE 11The Hawai‘i Health Connector website, our virtual “marketplace.”PATRICK HASCAll

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3

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 ‘Ohana

Tracking satellites, build-ing ampl i f iers and launching rockets are

just a few of the projects for ‘IKE students at WCC.

The Indigenous Knowl-edge in Engineering, or ‘IKE program, was created specifi-cally to encourage native Ha-waiians and other minorities to pursue careers in engineering fields, regardless of their start-ing point.

The program, now in its fourth year, allows engineering students to participate in vari-ous programs, including sum-mer bridge programs, under-graduate research projects and peer and faculty mentoring.

WCC student and aspiring electrical/computer engineer Helena Morris participated in SEE 2 (summer engineering experience) at UH Maui. Morris said, “It was a great experience working with professional en-gineers and advanced electrical equipment.“

The Maui SEE focused on an electrical engineering path, where students spent their mornings in math courses and their evenings in a pre-engineering course creating sound amplifiers.

With the weekends free, Morris said, “We would al-ternate between visiting sig-nificant engineering centers

like touring MECO (HECO on Maui) and volunteering at Hawaiian culture centers. For instance, my group tended a lo‘i patch.”

The six-campus collabora-tion program is government funded through a National Science Foundation grant and is offered only at WCC, HCC, KCC, LCC, UH Maui and UH Mānoa.

WCC ‘IKE faculty advisor Jean Okumura said, “Engineer-ing is about solving problems. If you like figuring things out, give engineering a try.”

The majority of the pro-gram’s students are in their final year of pre-engineering classes and well-prepared for the next step at UH Mānoa.

WCC student Danny Kong, ‘IKE member and future civil engineer, attended SEE 1 at KCC. “Math in the morning, then science in the evening — what more could an engineer want? Working with actual civil engineers made the expe-rience even more memorable,” Kong added.

Replicating the descent of satellites using cans was the primary science focus of SEE 1. “We figured out how fast a satellite can fall from space and where it’s going to make impact using specific formulas and GPS tracking on our models,” said Kong.

Some of the current under-graduate research experiences include aquaponic research,

soil chemistry and rocketry. Kong is currently part of the SLP (student launch program), which is a NASA-sponsored, research-based, competitive experimental project involving high-powered rocketry.

With launch dates set in May, the national competition will take place in Utah at the Bonneville Flats.

Kong said, “It requires teamwork, time management and patience when it comes to building rockets.”

With previous teams’ rock-ets soaring to almost 5,000 feet, Kong and his teammates hope to double that altitude in this year’s competition.

Dr. Mike Chun, former City and County chief engineer

‘IKE program offers new opportunitiesand Kamehameha Schools president and headmaster sees engineering as having lasting value. “Engineering integrates mathematics, science and tech-nology. By acquiring these skills, anything is possible,” he said.

Chun was the guest speak-er at this year’s ‘IKE sym-posium, where he explained the importance of Hawaiians pursuing engineering careers.

“An engineer can become a history teacher, lawyer or even a doctor. The skill set is totally transferable to any profession,” he said.

“Our kupuna were amaz-ing engineers. Building a ca-noe, for instance, required the knowledge of dimensions, shape, design, strength, dura-bility and many other factors. The results were a canoe that was close to being geometri-cally perfect. Engineering is in our blood.”

He added,“STEM disci-plines are rigorous but relevant, and as Hawaiians we have the capacity to handle a rigorous schedule.”

The program is the first real initiative to boost native Ha-waiians within the engineering community, and organizers have high hopes for the future.

For more information, con-tact Jean Okumura at jokumu-ra@hawaii.edu or visit the ‘IKE website at http://windward.hawaii.edu/careers/engineer-ing/ike/.

b y A J M o n t g o m e r yKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

grunt work such as mowing the lawn and cleaning the toi-lets for his superiors. “I was miserable,” he said.

When he complained to his father about how he, a combat vet wounded in the line of duty, was above this kind of work, his father replied, “Ev-erything you do is like your stamp is on it. If someone walks into that bathroom, if you don’t clean it, it says ̒ Erik .̒”

Morinaga said he real-ized, “Whatever you see—my school work, dressing appro-priately, being on time versus five minutes late — everything is a reflection of who you are.”

In 2009, he was sent to Af-ghanistan, where he was em-bedded with the Afghan army for 18 months in a mentoring capacity. It was during his time there that Morinaga decided he wanted to do more work with indigenous forces on behalf of the U.S. government.

In his application to the University of Pennsylvania, he wrote, “I want to end conflicts

before they begin through an understanding of economics and political science.”

During his five and a half years in the Marine Corps, Morinaga was awarded 11 medals and ribbons, includ-ing the Purple Heart and the Navy Commendation Medal, for both tours of duty.

Upon completion of his Af-ghanistan tour, he was notified that the Marine Corps would not approve his reenlistment to the Marines Special Ops due to his non-judicial punishment in 2005. He was honorably dis-charged at the rank of sergeant in October 2010.

Morinaga spent the next two years participating in vari-ous Special Ops assessment training — first with the Navy and then with the Marine Re-serves — while they reviewed his request to waive his DUI record. Unfortunately, he was denied both times.

However this did not deter Morinaga. “I want to go for-ward and big. I have no desire

to settle,” he said.“You need to set yourself

apart,” his mentors advised. “Get a degree. It will change the perception of you.” So at the same time and at his own cost, Morinaga began taking a couple of evening courses at WCC, which has led him to his A.A. degree.

Through a series of events,

he was put in touch with the Leadership Scholars Program (LSP) which helps honorably discharged Marines gain ad-mission to over 200 universities and colleges across the nation.

In addition, the Veterans Affairs (VA) office is working with the Yellow Ribbon pro-gram/GI Bill entitlement and the University of Pennsylvania

so that Erik’s tuition is covered and will also provide him with a stipend for housing.

Morinaga’s former English teacher, Janine Oshiro, wrote in her letter of recommenda-tion about him, “(Erik) has the discipline to push himself to strive for the absolute best…He knows firsthand what it means to suffer and make a sacrifice for a higher purpose.”

As for Morinaga himself, you get the feeling there is nothing he can’t achieve. “Aim big…don’t tell yourself you can’t do something”and limit yourself before you even try,” he maintained.

Morinaga: from WCC to the University of Pennsylvania

‘IKE faculty members and students pose with Chancellor Doug Dykstra (with lei) at the ‘IKE symposium.

FroM PagE 1

joE kWAN

“I want to end conflicts before

they begin through an understanding of economics and political science.”

-Erik Morinaga

Erik Morinaga (far right) with a fellow Marine and afghans from a village between Kabul and Jalalabad.

CoUrtESy Erik MoriNAgA

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3

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 NEWSKa ‘Ohana

One of WCC’s many treasured teachers is art professor and Gal-

lery ‘Iolani coordinator Toni Martin. With her soft voice and small frame, she sometimes blends in amidst a sea of students and colleagues scurrying to their classes.

On Oct. 5, however, Martin was the center of attention at the Linekona School Gallery of the Honolulu Museum of Art. She received the First Place Award for her art piece “Purple Dawn” at the Pastel Artist of Hawai‘i’s 2013—10th Annual Open Juried Show.

Peers congratulated the late-arriving and oblivious Martin. “I was shocked,” she said, unaware that three of her paintings were on display.

Martin explained that the exhibit was a statewide exhibition of local pastel works juried by Elizabeth Mowry, Master Pastelist of the Society of America and a Distinguished Pas-telist in the Pastel Society of the West Coast. Only 50 pieces were selected from works artists had entered.

“I’ve been a member of Pastel

Artists of Hawai‘i (PAH) for 10 years,” said Martin of the non-profit organi-zation. PAH’s primary focus, accord-ing to its website, promotes awareness of soft pastel as a serious art medium, and secondarily, to develop and main-tain a national society standing.

What is soft pastel? “Soft pastel is chalk medium,

which can easily be manipulated by applying layers of color to create a soft, textured surface rich in color,” said Martin.

In 2004, Martin earned PAH’s highest award for Best In Show for an earlier artwork depicting Kāne’ohe’s Ho‘omaluhia Gardens. She is pres-ently recognized as a Master Pastelist, but the awards have not changed her intentions of doing art.

“I received my master’s degree in painting from UH Mānoa. I’ve been painting in oil, acrylic and pastel for the past 30 years,” said Martin. “My primary medium is in pastel.

“Organizations like PAH have given soft pastel its own revival, gain-ing popularity with artists around the world,” said Martin.

Martin’s dedication to teaching art, operating the gallery and mentor-

ing students is a joyful commitment that she s̒ grateful for the many roles she plays at WCC.

The Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts purchases works from local artists to place in state buildings. Several years ago three of Martin’s works were selected and are currently on display at WCC.

Two pastels from her Ho‘omaluhia

Every morning in Hale A‘o a group of WCC students gathers with their kumu, Evaline “Tuti”

Kanahele, to practice what once was not allowed in schools.

Hawaiian is an official state lan-guage of Hawai‘i, and the new Hawai-ian language club on campus, Hui ‘Āpuakea, is eager to find new members as well as encourage the growth of the language.

“I’ve always wanted to do anything that perpetuates Hawaiian language,” said Tuti. Born on Ni‘ihau and raised on Kaua‘i by her grandmother and aunty, Tuti’s first language was Hawaiian. After attending “DOE school” as she called it, there came a time in her life when Hawaiian was not her language of choice. Her family would speak to her in Hawaiian, but she would reply only in English and because of this, part of her childhood was spent relearning her native tongue.

“If Hawaiian was always common-place for me and I didn’t go through those struggles, I don’t think I would be here (teaching) today,” explained Tuti. She went on to say that WCC is where she has always wanted to teach because, “You can still feel the old-time style here where everyone helps to take care of each other.”

In the past, WCC had a club for Ha-waiian language, but as time went on, the club slowly faded. This past October, Hui ‘Āpuakea was organized by the HAW 201 students after Tuti brought the idea to the class.

In the 1800s, some Hawaiian activi-

ties were forced underground because of Western philosophy. Hula was taught in private and not performed in public. In schools, children would be disci-plined accordingly if they spoke any language other than English.

“My grandma was part of the gen-eration that was not allowed to speak Hawaiian in public. She would be hit if she spoke Hawaiian in school. I grew up thinking my native language was only done in private,” said HAW 201 student Josephine Malina.

The language is popular at WCC, and Hui ‘Āpuakea is eager to provide an environment where anyone who wants to speak Hawaiian can build the confi-dence needed to take their knowledge into the world and utilize it.

In Tuti’s class, she emphasizes that to learn Hawaiian or any language, you need to surrender yourself to it. In a western way of thinking, people

attempt to be in control of everything in their life—from their spouse to their future career.

The Hawaiian thought process is very different. In a Hawaiian way of thinking, everything has its place. There is only so much people can try to do be-fore they have to surrender themselves to the grand scheme of life.

Tuti compares the different ways of thinking to being a piece on a game board. “You can’t control the game board; it comes with all the rules al-ready. You can only control certain fac-tors for how you play the game.”

Hawaiian language, like many other things, is something that needs to be practiced regularly. Many students and faculty on this campus feel that the perpetuation of Hawaiian language is important because language drives a culture.

“It (Hawaiian language) is impor-

tant because, without it, we as a people would cease to exist. As long as we keep the language going, we as a people will keep going also,” said student Lopaka Maikui.

“Ōlelo Hawai‘i keeps me connected to my kūpuna (ancestors) while helping me to have a sense of appreciation for who I am…teaching me how to become a better person in how I think, speak, and, most importantly, how I react” said HAW 201 student and Hui ‘Āpuakea vice president Kahealani Kim.

In most high schools and elemen-tary schools, Hawaiian language is not a a major part of the curriculum. Spanish and French are more commonly found on a high school schedule.

Hui ‘Āpuakea members believe that if students are introduced to Hawai-ian earlier in their academic careers it will spark an interest before they get to college.

“There are people who want this (growth) for the language. They just need an outlet to do it, and Hui ‘Āpuakea can be that outlet,” said president Kapali Bilyeu.

The club is open to anyone who enjoys Hawaiian culture. The group is planning field trips to learn about the land and the language.

The people of Hawai‘i are slowly learning more about the Hawaiian lan-guage and culture through groups like Hui ‘Āpuakea.

In the recent history of these islands, the voice of the Hawaiian people was hushed but not silenced, and that voice is now being heard again.

For more details, contact Leialoha Largo at rl2011@hawaii.edu or visit huiapuakea.wix.com/huiapuakea.

series can be seen in the lobby of Hale Pālanakila and one acrylic painting from her early works is on the second floor of Hale La‘akea.

For more information on joining Pastel Artist of Hawaii, visit www.pastelartistsofhawaii.org.

For a listing of art classes by Toni Martin, visit windward.hawaii.edu/People/Toni_Martin/.

b y G r a n t K o n oKa ‘Ohana Writer

b y A n y a h A l b e r tKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Martin wins first place award in pastel

New club gives voice to Hawaiian language

BONNIE BEATSON

Windward’s art professor Toni Martin with her award-winning pastel “Purple Dawn.”

Tuti Kanahele (right) with members of Hui ‘Apuakea, a new Hawaiian language club.

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3

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

During the first week of spring classes, Jan. 13-16, stu-dents and others on campus will be asked to respond

to a survey on how WCC’s academic departments encourage participation in decision-making.

The survey is part of an accreditation assessment process that helps determine whether the college is meeting certain standards. One standard involves evaluating governance — how decisions and policies are made, and even which classes and degrees WCC offers.

“Accreditation is important because only accredited in-stitutions are eligible for certain programs, and their degrees and certificates are recognized by other colleges and employ-ers,” explained assessment coordinator Renee Arakaki.

“A college that is not accredited cannot offer state or fed-eral financial aid to its students, and its credits and degrees may not transfer to other institutions.”

To increase student participation in the surveys, a sam-pling of classes will be asked to complete the surveys in the spring. Here are some sample questions from the survey:

• I am encouraged by members of this department to approach them with ideas and feedback for improvement of student learning programs and services.

• If I approached this department with ideas to improve student learning, my input would be welcomed and valued.

• This department encourages all members of the cam-pus community to participate in campus-wide discussion of ideas for improvement of WCC.

• This department’s role is in alignment with the college’s mission statement.

Students as well as all faculty and staff will be encour-aged to participate in the survey.

ety of careers to choose from, many of which will be based on their portfolios. These are an artist’s version of a resume containing samples of his or her artworks.

Aspiring artists will also need to build their network-ing skills with fellow artists and established businesses to help maintain opportunities for their work to be noticed and obtain work. “There is a good job market in Hawai‘i for art,” assured Nash.

In May 2012, the U.S. De-partment of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics issued a report that Hawai‘i’s fine art-ists, including painters, sculp-tors and illustrators earned an estimated annual mean wage of $37,890 and an estimated $67,460 as art, drama, and mu-sic teachers.

“Having an art degree will increase opportunities for students in job markets where a two- or four-year degree is required, such as public or private academic institutions, agencies, museums, galleries, and the hotel industry,” Nash

explained.Art students at WCC have

a confident outlook on their future in the arts.

“I hope to use all the skills I’ve learned in sculpting to teach other aspiring cake de-signers,” said Kuincey Banac-Aricayos, who works as a pastry chef and private chef.

“I’m working on becoming a children’s book illustrator, maybe even a writer,” said Leilani Galindo, a sophomore in liberal arts.

Students interested in fine arts courses can talk with WCC art faculty or see a campus academic counselor at 235-7413, Hale ‘Akoakoa, Room 212.

Fine Arts: career aspirations from page 1 Spring survey set

Maori art on display

Pathways out of Poverty

Gallery ‘Iolani will be opening an exhibition

from New Zealand, “Ngā Uri o Tangaroa” on Jan. 31, from 4 to 7 p.m., showing the work of Tai and Kaatrina Kerekere.

In addition, a delegation of 23 Maori will attend.

‘Ngā Uri o Tangaroa,’ which translates to ‘Descen-dants of Tangaroa,’ tells the story of the origin of Māori art through Tangaroa, the god and guardian of the seas. The works also connect New Zea-landers throughout the Pacific.

Some silver jewelry pieces by Kaaterina will also be on display.

Pictured here is one of the paintings to be featured at Gallery ‘Iolani, Jan. 31 to Feb. 27.

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

WCC offers a unique program for those interested in pursu-

ing a nursing career.The “Nursing Pathway

out of Poverty” is a nationally recognized, award-winning program developed in 2007 by WCC associate professor Jamie Boyd.

The program provides aca-demic and Native Hawaiian cultural training to support students who qualify to transi-tion from Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) to Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to Registered Nurse (RN), including a Bach-elor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN).

“When I worked for UH as a family nurse practitioner, I noticed the population at the clinic weren’t prepared for high-wage jobs. They’re experi-encing financial and economic hardship in a world of insecuri-ties,” said Kumu Boyd.

The Pathway was started as a solution to the problem, so academically and economi-cally challenged students could reach a living wage job in the competitive field of nursing where Native Hawaiians are poorly represented.

Not only that, but it shapes future nurses into well-round-ed professionals, competent not only in their career but in the

Hawaiian healing arts as well.Hawaiian values are em-

phasized heavily in the pro-gram—from language to prac-tice. Students are encouraged to sustain these values as part of their education in nursing, along with the human science learned in the classroom.

The Pathway also helps its members build their resume while still in school. Commu-nity outreach plays a major role in the program.

Partnerships with KEY Project, ‘Imi Hale (Native Ha-waiian Cancer Network), ku-puna care at Lunalilo Home and many others allow the students to put their training at WCC into practice with hands-on experience.

Some partnerships even offer the students a chance to learn from the professionals directly as they work beside a

registered nurse—a very nec-essary opportunity for Native Hawaiian ways of learning, yet a very rare opportunity for prospective nurses.

Another resume booster is that members of the Pathway return to WCC to volunteer as teacher-assistants to share what they have learned and help train future CNAs.

In addition to this, ev-ery member of the Pathway also serves as a leader on one of eight committees, as the Pathway is self-governed by students. This adds leadership and management skills to the list of experiences.

The program also nurtures a mala‘ai (healing garden) located behind Hale A‘o. Stu-dents assess the plants like their patients and tend to them accordingly.

Students care for the mala‘i

as ‘ohana and invite family and friends to join them in mainte-nance and upkeep.

Students are taught the nu-tritional and medicinal value of each plant. On Thursdays, they harvest the produce and prepare a delicious, nutritient-rich meal, targeting a disease process or a population, such as homeless children.

Another major perk of be-ing part of the Pathway is that they have a recent partnership with Chaminade University as well as Kapiolani CC—which accepts only 40 students per semester. This helps WCC stu-dents transferring from CNA to nursing school.

Through grants, donors and fundraising, financial aid is available. Once a student reaches a certain level, stipends may be available to ease the strain of financial stress — so

Pathway members performing an oli at the annual report to community (left). Kumu Boyd teaching in the garden (top).

long as funds are available. Currently, Pathway stu-

dents experience a 100 percent success rate in state certifica-tion among the students who went beyond the CNA—proof that the program is more than efficient.

“When the community sees that you came to Wind-ward, they know that you are not only well-trained, but that you understand excellence in health care,” said Kumu Boyd.

“You understand the gar-den, what the foods are, how to prepare them, who the kupuna are, the sick, the homeless, what are they eating, so many dif-ferent things…more than just nursing. We want to make sure you’re the best for the job.”

Please visit windward.hawaii.edu/giving/Nursing_Pathway.pdf for more informa-tion.

U‘ilANi loPES

jESSiCA CrAWford

Anyah Albert

The scent of vanilla and pine permeates my childhood memo-

ries of Christmas, along with helping my mother wrap presents

and bake cookies. I was convinced that I was an elf helping

Santa. Some nights we just rewrapped gifts my older brother had

tampered with. My parents would laugh at the lies he told because

they knew the truth. At age 3, I couldn’t read yet and my brother,

age 6, was a present-peepster.

One Christmas morning, there were over a hundred presents

covering our living room floor and sofa. Unwrapping that many

gifts was kinda tiresome, but we’d refuel on cookies. Afterward, I

played in the sea of torn and wrinkled paper, tossing it in the air,

making angel figures while my brother practiced his jump shot.

Yeah, we were spoiled.

Greg, 10, wants toys or a skateboard. Twelve-year-old Cassandra is asking for a

drawing pad, and Joelyn, a senior citizen, needs a Christmas tree and stand for her

family this December.

These are just a few wishes from the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree at Windward

Mall — a project that happens every holiday season for families in need.

Along with the well-known Red Kettles, the Angel Tree Program is one of the

Salvation Army’s largest Christmas efforts. It began in 1979 in Virginia when Majors

Charles and Shirley White partnered with a shopping mall to provide clothing and

toys for children during the holidays.

The name comes from the angel cards that used to hang on the Christmas tree

found at each donation site.

According to the Salvation Army, this “sharing program” is all about the “per-

sonal ‘hands on’ approach.” Donors pick a card, choose the gifts and drop off the

unwrapped presents for their “angels” at the same donation site.

Last year, more than 800 children under age 17, senior citizens, homeless

individuals and families with needs became someone’s angel. In the spirit of the

holidays, Central Pacific Bank’s branches in Kāne‘ohe and Kailua sponsored many

of those 800 individuals. Both employees and customers donated.

“Everybody helps,” said Rodriguera. This includes pre-schools, high schools,

various small groups and the donors who signed-up at Windward Mall.

“We are very grateful to the mall management for giving us a venue to display

the Angels,” said Rodriguera. He added that the mall allows “many donors to feel

the joy of helping others.”

This collaboration of Windward Mall, the community, businesses and small

groups helps to meet the needs of local families not only for Christmas, but

throughout the year. As Rodriguera put it, “Need has no season.”

“In my 35 years of being a Salvation Army Officer, I’ve also experienced where

it was doubtful that we will be able to fulfill the need. However, somehow, the Lord

always provided and by making an appeal to the community, they always respond

at the time of need,” said Rodriguera.

In partnership with Central Pacific Bank and Hawaii News Now, the Hawaii

and Pacific Islands Division of the Salvation Army reaches out to families to make

their holidays brighter. If you missed donating to this year’s Angel Tree project,

look for their signs next year.

by Austen Taylor Matro

‘Need Has No Season’

Austen Taylor Matro

Christmas is a time of song, laughter and

elastic waistbands. My family, however, never

needs a holiday (or an excuse for that matter) to

bust out any of those.

For us, Christmas is more a magnification

of our faith in God, unity with each other and for-

giveness of past wrongs. The ups and downs of

each year bring new opportunities for us to show

our faith, love and compassion. Although we may

not be brave or humble enough to take up those

opportunities during the year, there’s something

about Christmas that just lets us be the imperfect

human beings we are. You can be awkward, they

can be awkward, and I am always awkward. It’s

okay. We love and forgive because we were loved

and forgiven first.

Arian Aragaki

When I was younger, I believed in S

anta. I would

leave cookies and milk out for him

. My parents did a

great job of making it look l

ike he came because the only

things left were the crumbs and a few drops of milk.

For my brother and me, the holiday season was

very special to us because he was born on Christmas

Eve and I was born on New Year’s Day. We’d have

two family parties for our birthdays — one at our h

ouse

on Christmas Eve and one at my grandma’s house on

New Year’s Day. My parents would also make sure we

had an actual birthday party and

made it amazing

because I was told they did not want us to feel

like we

got “ripped off.”

Yvonne HopkinsAs we snuggled one December evening, my husband gingerly whispered that a Christmas tree was not in our tight newlywed budget.

I couldn’t believe my ears. I had already pur-chased a string of multi-colored lights on sale for $1.99. Christmas couldn’t be Christmas without a freshly cut pine in our living room.

Despite my best efforts, leads for a bargain tree didn’t materialize. As I sat crying on the floor of our unfur-

nished rental, my tears of disappointment subsided with the sound of our newborn daugh-ter. Deep appreciation grew within my heart as I considered the precious the gifts I had already been given: the love of a good man and our beautiful child.Newfound joy inspired me. I tacked up an

outline of a Christmas tree with my string of discounted lights. I placed my daughter beneath it, and thanked God for revealing the true meaning of Christmas: love.

Libby YoungI believed in Santa Claus until I was

quite old, convinced by two things: 1) seeing him in our living room in Detroit and 2) receiving intricately made doll dresses by the North Pole “elves.”

The Santa apparition was actually my dad — normally a stoic Japanese samurai type who, in a weak moment, decided to put on a Santa suit, complete with furry red hat, white beard and enough padding to “ fool” his only daughter.

The other partner in crime was my mom. She had stayed up late every night for a month after I went to bed to sew out-fits for my dolls. The dresses were works of art: formal gowns with lace and sequins,

suits with matching hats and more. My dad has passed on and my mom

is 99 now, but I’ ll always remember their enduring labors of love.

Patrick HascallGrowing up, I lived in the wilds of Michigan, and everyone who was anyone had a BB gun as a kid. My older brother had one, but not me. Years later, when I was in my twenties, I found a long, wrapped box under the Christmas tree at my family’s house. Upon opening it, I found the gift I had longed for: a Red Rider BB Gun.My brother, whom I never really got along with, gave me the old air rifle he cherished as a child. He told me he always felt guilty that I was the only kid in our neighborhood who never had one. My brother didn’t realize the significance of what he had done. The fact that my brother remem-bered after all those years touched me. It was the best gift I have ever received and probably ever will. Ever since that Christmas, my brother and I became closer.

Kelly MontgomeryI’m the youngest of three kids, each

separated by a two-year gap. My brother was the middle child between an older and younger sister.

Before the sun came up, he’d sneak out of bed and peek through the stockings and presents before waking us up to do the same. It got to the point where my parents started “booby-trapping” the doors and halls with trip wires hooked to a stack of cans or bells that would jingle when something moved.

The sound of Dad’s shout, “Get back to bed!” would be followed by the pound-ing of our feet and the fake snores we weren’t fooling anyone with.

AJ Montgomery

On Christmas eve, my mom would make hot chocolate,

and the family would assemble in the station wagon. We

would then proceed to “hunt” for houses decorated with

lights. We all had our favorite styles: Dad’s were the big,

fat bulbs, Mom liked the purple lights, and the girls liked the

“chasing strands,” the line of lights that would shine one by

one as if the lights were moving. I loved them all. When the

hot chocolate ran dry, we would head home to start t

he

longest night of my childhood years: waiting for Santa! John BascukI am blessed to say that I had the best childhood

ever, especially around Christmas time. I would always wait and listen for Santa to come. Sometimes my siblings and I would sneak downstairs to open gifts while our parents were asleep. We’d also go door to door in a big group singing Christmas carols for families. Sometimes we’d go running around acquiring people’s Christmas lights by simply unscrewing them. I had endless fun around this time of the year. Watching the movie “A Christmas Story” is a ritual that my family does every Christmas Eve.

A Ka ‘Ohana Christmas

Jessica Crawford

I’m originally from Washington, but I’ve lived in

Hawai‘i for nearly five years. One thing I really miss,

especially around the holidays, is the seasons.

I miss the cold, the snow...getting bundled up to

go outside. I also miss our family tradition of putting

together a huge picnic and 4x4ing high up into the

mountains. There, we’d build a giant bonfire and sit

around eating (and drinking). Then, with bellies full of

good food and bodies warmed from spiked cocoa,

we’d go hiking through the snow in search of the

perfect Christmas tree.

Some people seem to have forgotten that the

holidays should be about family, too, not just about

shopping on Black Friday, not just about buying things

and going into debt. I think we all need to have a

“tradition” that includes family.

What’s your best memory of the holidays? We wanted to discover the true spirit of the season: the excitement of children, spending time with family and friends and appreciating our blessings, large and small.

Ka ‘Ohana staff members are sharing a few of their own memories from Christmases past as well as highlighting the Angel Tree project that helps meet community needs.

Here’s wishing everyone on campus a holiday filled with love, laughter and gratitude for what we share together.

The staff of Ka ‘Ohana would like to wish all our readers a merry Christmas.

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3

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 Entertainment

For some people, the two magic words this holiday season are Xbox and PlayStation. These

words turn heads, create heated debates and could make the perfect gift. The two consoles were announced only half a year ago and are available now. This raises the question, “Which console is the one for me?”

The answer depends on your bud-get, product loyalty and whether or not you’re a hardcore gamer.

Sony and Microsoft revealed their new consoles on June 10, 2013 in Los Angeles at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The news for the consoles came out a few months before this con-vention, but it was not really known to non-gamers until the two held a show-and-tell press conference of the console and upcoming games for the systems.

Microsoft started off the day at E3 by showing the Xbox One (Xbone). This was a console not only for gaming but also for entertainment. The Xbone is described as “The all-in-one entertain-ment system.”

Xbone allows you to play games, watch TV, Skype, record gameplay and listen to music — all voice activated. Another feature is the Xbone con-troller, which is recreated with 40 dif-

ferent new features including the first controller with impulse triggers to feel even the slightest gaming movement. Microsoft also stated that along with this new console there will be 300,000 servers supporting the already famous Xbox Live.

“I’m getting the Xbox One because it shows the future of entertainment and gaming today,” says Jason, a gamer.

The Xbone debuted Nov. 22 at the price of $499. You can find the consoles at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Mi-crosoft, Target, Toys-R-Us and Walmart.

At Sony‘s press conference, the Play-Station 4 (PS4) was described as “gamer-inspired and developer-led.” This is a

console made for the hardcore gamer.PS4 is a system of unbelievable

power and performance. The system boasts stunning graphics that view details in games to the smallest pixel. The performance of the system is 50x more powerful than their previously made PS3.

The PS4’s newly created Dualshock 4 controller was made with the look of the Dualshock 2 and 3 with a touch pad and a share button located in the middle of the controller for easier social interactions.

“I chose the PS4 because it has been a console that has never let me down from the time I first played on

the PlayStation,” says Joey, a long-time PlayStation fan.

This console came out Nov. 15 at the price of $399. You can find this console at Amazon, Best Buy and GameStop.

Since the consoles’ release a few weeks ago, several reviews have ap-peared online so consumers can con-sider the advantages of each system.

The first notable reviewer is Imagine Games Network (IGN), an entertain-ment website that focuses mostly on the gaming community. They are one of the most known gaming reviewing web-sites with a reputation for grading items based on massive detail and strictness.

Their ratings for the Xbone was a 7.8/10 and an 8.2/10 for the PS4.

Both consoles were described as having unique differences in a side-by- side comparison, based on the type of potential buyer.

The second notable reviewer is Digital Trends, a technology, news and information website. This website is known for its reviews, publishing news, guides, and how-to articles.

Digital Trends gave for the Xbone 4 out of 5 stars and a 4½ out of 5 stars for the PS4.

The comments about both consoles focused mostly on hardware and soft-ware issues. It comes down to choosing between the all-in-one system (Xbone) or the hardcore gamer console (PS4).

b y C r e i g h t o n G o r a iKa ‘Ohana Writer

Sizing up PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

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

9Ka ‘OhanaD e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3

Community News

Life didn’t go the way Georgi De-Costa expected. When she was 24 years old, she and her boyfriend

awoke to officers from Honolulu Police Department’s Waikiki Crime Reduction Unit raiding their home because he had sold drugs to an undercover officer.

They were both arrested, and she was sentenced to seven months in jail where she gave birth to her third child.

Today Georgi, 38, willingly shares lessons from her own life story with anyone who will listen. In 2008, she acquired her associate’s degree in lib-eral arts from WCC and is currently the senior program manager at the Hawaii Meth Project.

She is passionate about “educating and empowering the next two to three, four generations of people growing up so that they never see meth as an op-tion.”

According to its website, “The Ha-waii Meth Project is a large-scale preven-tion program aimed at reducing meth use through public service messaging, public policy and community outreach.”

Since the project’s launch in 2009, organizers have seen attitudes toward meth changing.

The Hawaii Meth Project integrates the research-based campaign of Meth- Project.org with real-life stories, in con-cert with the affiliate programs in five other states: Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

As a parent who abused drugs, Georgi now considers it her kuleana (responsibility) to reach out to the young ones who either had to grow-up in the drug culture or are currently living in it.

“It’s (Hawaii Meth Project) not just for those who are using, but for me per-sonally,” she said. “I’m very concerned about giving hope to children of the people that are using.”

Imagine her shock when her second child told her he had tried ice.

His father had spent a large por-

tion of his son’s life in prison and their relationship, or lack of one, reflected it. Although he spoke of his father with little regard, Georgi sensed that her son had always hoped they would one day have a relationship.

Her son’s father was released from prison in the mid-2000’s and was in the process of getting clean. In 2010, when her son was 14 years old, he got the news that his father had just overdosed on heroin and some other drugs. He was distraught.

Months went by as her son strug-gled to make sense of it all. Years later he recounted to his mom about his friend offering him some ice to try.

Georgi downplayed her horror by responding with, “Really?”

He said, “Yeah, I hated it. I could hear my hair growing.” And that was his first, and last, experience with meth.

“What I try to tell the kids,” Georgi said, “is that you don’t know what your heart looks like on the inside…everybody’s body and their life and their chemistry is unique and can take a different path.”

She tells of some, like her son, who tried it once. There were some who didn’t have the chance to choose never to do it again because their bodies couldn’t handle it and they died.

Then there are others she calls “functioning” meth addicts who are able to keep their addiction hidden for a period of time until they, too, experi-ence the physical telltale signs of the abuse of this dangerous drug.

As for Georgi, she started experi-menting with drugs at her friend’s

house at the age of 12. Her father died when she was 15 and things escalated from there.

”At 17, I had my first my hit of ice,” she said. She was with friends and “we were going to have ‘fun.’ I put that (word) in quotes because when I came back to it, it wasn’t ‘fun’ because you get really paranoid.”

According to Hawaii Meth Proj-ect’s website, a 2011 survey showed 91

percent of teens and young adults said the Hawaii Meth Project’s ads showed meth as more dangerous to try than they had originally thought.

After Georgi tried meth, her boy-friend introduced her to heroin. It be-came her primary drug of choice. She would smoke it because she never liked needles. By the time she was 18½ years old, she also was the mother of two.

Thankfully, she let her doctors know she was an addict, and they helped her stop using during her pregnancies. Soon after the birth of her second child, however, she experienced postpartum depression and started heavily using meth.

After a big fight with her mom and spending a stormy night in her boyfriend’s van with her two babies, she said, “I went to my mom and (said), ‘Please just take the kids.’ I remember she was at her office. I literally just handed her the kids that morning at the office and left.”

It took Georgi six years of sleeping wherever she could find shelter and doing a lot of different things to make ends meet before she finally got help

for her addiction.“There was one time this drug

dealer was all drunk and driving me up to Kahuku town…and he was ram-bling on and on,” she recalled.

“I was so scared that night. We’re driving in the dark and half in the bushes and I’m thinking, ‘Where are they going to find my body?’”

In May 1999, she and her boyfriend were arrested and sentenced to jail.

While incarcerated, Georgi re-called, “I was plotting what I would do — where I would pick up if I could get out. It wasn’t just the addiction; it was the only life I knew.”

Soon after, she and her newborn son were transferred to the Salva-

tion Army’s Women’s Way, and she participated in their 9-month intensive inpatient program. They provided her with the tools she needed to begin a life of recovery.

Georgi utilizes the principles of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous by keeping engaged and accountable to family, work, and the community, which she holds as one of the keys to success in sobriety.

“It’s all about accountability and that’s why I try to tell my story,” she said. “I tell more and more people.”

Georgi also is aware that she doesn’t just monitor the addiction but is diligent in “monitoring the behaviors that lead up to using.”

Based on her own experiences and those she comes in contact with, Georgi said, “Once you start dabbling in any kind of drugs — substance ex-perimentation — you’re more inclined to be hanging around with people who have access to that.”

Georgi’s bottom line regarding how we can all see healthy and happy keiki in a drug-free community is that “It’s kakou (everyone’s) effort. It’s all of us working together – looking out for one another,” she continued.

“Even the smallest effort, like maybe going to help out, volunteering someplace or sharing a good message or reaching out to someone — that can make all the difference. And they can be a part of the solution in making a better Hawai‘i, a better place.”

Breaking the chains of addictionb y Y v o n n e H o p k i n sKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

(Left) WCC 2008 graduate Georgianne “Georgi” DeCosta is now program director of the Hawaii Meth Project, which has launched a campaign aimed at reducing meth use.

Service-Learning Fair set for Jan.23

Courtesy of GeorGiaNNe DeCosta

PatriCk HasCall

Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the next Service-

Learning Fair Thursday, Jan. 23 from noon to 2 p.m. in Ākoakoa 101-103.

According to coordinator Sharon MacQuoid, all community organi-zations in their database have been invited to set up information booths.

The fair will give students who are looking for service-learning options a chance to meet members of participat-ing organizations.

This semester, doing a service-learning project was offered in 15 courses as an alternative to another assignment.

“It looks great on your resume and can help you when transferring to a four-year college,” said MacQuoid.

Several new service-learning sites have been added in the last few weeks.

b y K a ‘ O h a n aNews Staff

They include:• Kaiser Permanente in Moanalua

and the clinic in Kane‘ohe – for WCC students interested in pharmacy and dietary issues

• Honolulu Museum of Art – for art students

• Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve –

for marine biology or science students• Windward area schools – for

students interested in working with younger students, elementary through high school

For more details, contact Mac-Quoid or one of her assistants at 236-9230 in Hale Na‘auao 132.

kelly moNtGomery

The St. Francis Healthcare System is among dozens of community organizations that offer Service-Learning opportunities to interested students. Meet many more at the Service-Learning fair on Jan. 23.

The event that impacted me the most is the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in Hawai‘i.

To me, this shows that the people of our state are ready to move forward into a new era of thought. This issue has been debated for years and finally, the voices of the LGBT community (and their supporters) are being heard.

While I believe that this decision is long overdue, it is one that is definitely right. For once, Hawai‘i can truly say we are a state of equality.

—Angela Stenberg

I think the one event that has had the biggest impact on my life would be 9/11 because it seemed to stem a lot of animosity between the right and the left.

As a result, this shaped my po-litical views to avoid Democrats and Republicans. It also made me question things more. As a kid, I was raised to believe that America was all about free-dom, equality and liberty. Nowadays, this is not the case, but I still believe in these ideals and will fight for them.

—Andrew Dan

The natural catastrophe in Sri Lanka in 2006 had an impact on me. I remember being happy because it

was Christmas time and families were getting together to bond and have a good time when the tsunami hit. I was around 11 years old and I watched children, animals and families swept away by the waves.

I was young and could not under-stand how something so terrible could happen at a time when everybody should be happy and surrounded by loved ones.

It just shows how precious human life is and how easily everything can turn horribly wrong. Bad things can happen when you least expect it so I want to make sure that I make as much of my time count in some small way.

—Breanna Davis

The event that had the most impact on me was the first Iraq war. When things were starting to get bad in the Middle East and Iraq invaded Kuwait, I had just joined the military. I knew that we were going to war, so I was preparing myself mentally and physi-cally to encounter the hardships that war will bring.

During the war, I was still stateside and the war was over in a few weeks.

I was then shipped into Iraq and was put in a cleanup detail. I got to wit-ness firsthand the destruction of war. I

will not go into detail with what I saw, but many things I did see changed my outlook on life. It made me appreciate the things that I have, and not take anything for granted.

I will never forget how costly war is, and I appreciate all of the service-men and women that are encountering these horrific experiences today and in previous wars. This event changed me and I will never forget it.

—Stephen Caldonetti

Probably when we went to war with Iraq. I know that it had an im-pact on everyone, but it impacted me because my dad is an Airborne Army Ranger.

Right when our nation declared war, my dad was one of the first troops to be deployed. His first tour, they told us that he would be gone for three years. There were times where he would come home for 2 to 3 weeks, but he was never the same until recently.

My daddy is getting close to retire-ment and slowly but surely, the mem-ory and trauma will become easier for him to deal with each and every day.

—Makani Kela

I think the biggest event that had an impact on me was when my son was

born. This is when I realized that it’s not just me and my wife.

Now, it’s my son, my wife and my-self. It made me step back a little and really think about what is important in life. It’s not the big truck, the nice shoes; to me it’s the success of being a great parent and teaching my son the importance of education. If I can ac-complish that, then I can say I’m happy.

—Kawika Miranda

Legalizing gay marriage definitely had a huge impact on me for many reasons.

I have a lot of gay friends and they are no different from my straight friends. I believe that they should have the same rights as everyone else.

They are not harming anyone and their business should not be of any importance to anyone else. They should be able to marry whomever they love.

—Stefany Baker

Malala Yousafzai being shot in the head on a school bus because she wanted to learn put my college com-plaints into perspective.

Nothing I face is in the same spec-trum as my peers in other nations and geopolitical climates.

—Erik Morinaga

What event—locally, nationally or globally—made the most impact on you and why?

Local May 6—UH President M.R.C. Green-

wood of “Wonder Blunder” fame officially resigns from UH.

May 29—Hōkūlea begins the first leg of their worldwide voyage by circling the Hawaiian islands.

Sept. 22—More than 100,000 gallons of molasses is spilled in Honolulu Harbor.

Nov. 13—Hawai‘i becomes the fif-teenth state to legalize same-sex marriage.

Nov. 20—Sen. Dan Inouye is posthu-mously awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

International

Feb. 15—Meteorite falls in Russia injuring over a thousand people.

Feb. 28—Pope Benedict announces he will resign—the first pope to do so since 1415—which leads to the appoint-ment of the charismatic Pope Francis.

March 4—Malala Yousafzai nomi-nated for Nobel Peace Prize.

Aug. 21—More than 1,400 killed in chemical weapons attack in Syria.

Nov. 8—Typhoon Haiyan kills thou-sands in the Philippines.

National

Feb. 3 —Ravens beat the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII with over 108.4 million viewers.

April 15—Boston Marathon bombing kills four and injures over 200.

May—Edward Snowden releases top-secret information on government cell phone monitoring and classified documents.

July 15—Twinkies return after less than a year of disappearing from store shelves.

Aug. 21—Army intelligence analyst Chel-sea (formerly Bradley) Manning is sentenced to 35 years for releasing classified documents to WikiLeaks.

Oct. 1 to 16—The U.S. government shuts down.

10W I N D W A R D

Ka ‘OhanaD e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3 Top News Events

—Compiled by AJ Montgomery

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

EditorialD e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3

11Ka ‘Ohana

Obamacare: Know the new health care law frOm page 2

benefits has been established. This requires certain plans to offer coverage for the follow-ing as of Jan. 1, 2014.

According to the health-care.gov website, “essential health benefits are a compre-hensive package of items and services that must include at least the following 10 cat-egories: ambulatory patient services; emergency services; hospitalization; maternity and newborn care; mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment; prescription drugs; rehabilitative and ha-bilitative services and devices; laboratory services; preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management; and pediatric services, includ-ing oral and vision care.”The marketplace

In order to ease the pro-cess of finding the manda-tory coverage for individuals and families, all states are required to have health insur-ance exchanges, referred to as a virtual “marketplace.”

The federal health in-surance exchange is health-care.gov. Hawai‘i is one of 14 states—including the District of Columbia—with its own individualized marketplace. It is known as the Hawaii Health

Connector, an online health care “shopping” site that can be accessed via the federal site or by entering hawaiihealth-connector.com directly into your browser.

The site not only allows you to browse the different coverage options available, but also enables users to purchase insurance through the site.

Those who use the site to buy insurance, as opposed to finding their own private insurance, can be screened for government subsidy eligibility. medicaid

One way the ACA aims to decrease the uninsured rate in the United States is by expand-ing Medicaid to individuals without dependents whose income is up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL). As of 2013, the Hawai‘i FPL was approximately $13,230 for single individuals.

Another aspect of the ACA is the Medicaid expansion op-tion. States have the choice to expand the program by five per-cent, so those with incomes of up to 138 percent of the FPL may now be eligible for Medicaid coverage as well. Hawai‘i is one of 26 states that have agreed to expansion, making the eligible yearly income amount approxi-mately $18,257 for an individual.

SubsidiesSubsidies are simply

government-funded credits on your insurance premium. If you, or your family of four, falls in the low-income bracket (between 100 to 400 percent of the FPL), you may be eligible for government subsidies to reduce the over-all cost to you or your family.

The subsidies are issued on a sliding scale, so indi-viduals or families of four pay only a percentage of their yearly income while the government covers the difference.

The 2013 Hawai‘i FPL for a family of four is $27,090. Those at the lower end, whose income is 133 percent of that amount, could pay up to two percent of their income or roughly $720. The scale in-creases with the amount of income, requiring those at the higher end, with incomes up to 400 percent of FPL (about $108,360 for a family of four) to pay 9.5 percent of their income, which is $10,294.

Controversy and DebateAside from the individual

mandate, there has been much criticism surrounding the Af-fordable Care Act. First, the website launch was full of glitches, making it difficult for users to browse and purchase coverage. Many people couldn’t even log on because the server was too overloaded.

The technical errors have since been handled, and reports are that the website is running much more smoothly now, over two months after its initial launch.

Secondly, the American people were promised that they could keep the insurance plan they had if they liked it. President Obama said that repeatedly. However, waves of cancellation notices were sent to nearly 4.8 million Americans in October and November, informing them of just the op-posite.

To correct the problem, Obama has suggested a “can-cellation fix,” which would allow users to re-enroll in the

same plan through the 2014 calendar year. Yet, there are 18 states, including the District of Columbia, that do not plan to implement the policy, as it is encouraged but not required. Hawai‘i is one of the 19 states that will be implementing the policy and allowing renewal of cancelled plans.

However in a Star-Adver-tiser article on Monday, Dec. 2, both Kaiser Permanente Hawaii and HMSA said they plan to “raise the rates” of the cancelled plans when reinstated.

Whatever your opinion is of Obamacare, it is better to visit the site (hawaiihealthconnector.com) and see for yourself. Those who enroll in a health plan by Dec. 23 will begin coverage on Jan. 1, 2014. After that, enroll-ment by the 15th of any month will begin coverage by the 1st of the following month. You can also reach the Hawaii Health Connector via telephone at 877-628-5076 if you would rather speak to a representative. They are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday library hours

W CC is looking for ways to help students succeed

— especially when it involves having access to computers, library resources and a quiet place to study.

That’s why the college plans to open its library on Saturdays in spring 2014 as a pilot project, funded by a $13,210 grant from the UH Community Colleges’ Part-Time Student Committee.

Librarian Tara Severns said, “We’ve had a lot of requests for expanded hours for nights or weekends.” Tentative Saturday hours are 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Having to juggle classes as well as work during the week, many students aren’t able to use the library during the regular

weekday hours. WCC will be one of three

community colleges on the island with Saturday hours. However, it will be the only college that will have its testing center also open.

The services covered by the grant include the reference and circulation desks, the Test-ing Center, the Speech Lab, the Math Lab and the Writing Resource Center.

WCC will be offering four classes on Saturday, mainly to give students a chance to speed completion of their degrees .

Part of the idea of opening the library on Saturday is to make services available and get people the help they need.

Severns mentioned that the library has several openings for student workers.

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

The WCC library will be open on Saturdays in the spring 2014 semester.jEssica crawford

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3

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

12 Ka ‘Ohana Arts & Entertainment

Looking for a little stress relief from final exams? Here’s a holiday contest to test your skills of observation around campus.

Be among the first three students to correctly identify the most photos on this page by naming 1) the object and 2) its exact location, and you could win a gift card to The Hub coffee shop in WCC’s Library Learning Commons.

Just email your answers to kaohanaonline@gmail.com by Friday, Dec. 20.

Ka ‘Ohana’s holiday contest

1

2

5

4

3

6

7

8

9

11

12

10