Volume 43, No. 3 November 2014

Ka ‘Ohana now on Facebook

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

Travel the world in four days

On Oct. 14, University of Hawaii President David

Lassner visited WCC for a se-ries of meetings and open fo-rum sessions with students, faculty, staff and business and community members.

ASUH-WCC st udents spent one 45-minute session with Lassner to voice con-cerns about a number of top-ics, including issues about transfer credits, the closure of WCC’s only cafeteria, extending library hours and rescheduling classes to allow students a noon lunch break.

A big concern for stu-dents was the issue of credit transfers.

“Going from here to UH Manoa, for example, there’s some art classes offered at WCC that don’t even qualify when transferring over to

Mānoa for an art degree,” said student and Ka ‘Ohana co-editor Ashley Shankles.

“Then students have to pay to retake those courses they’ve already covered. And that’s not only for art classes, but for other classes as well,”

Lassner told students the issue revolves around faculty planning, “Faculty decide which classes ‘match’ to others. Some classes will transfer and you’ll get the credits, but they won’t count towards the degree. It’s sub-ject by subject.”

Lassner said these issues could be resolved by faculty (from different campuses) meeting and planning to-gether to make sure there are “transfer pathways” so students won’t lose credits or have to retake course material.

“The ones [course plan-ning] that work well are

when the faculty is moti-vated and spend a lot of time together through summits,” he said.

Another concern for stu-dents involved library hours. With a large number of non-traditional students on cam-pus, ASUH-WCC suggested extending weekday library hours during weekdays and

having the library open one weekend day (Saturday).

The library’s extended hours could benefit students who struggle to manage time between school, jobs and/or families. Students also want to see extended hours for much-needed services located in the LLC, such as tutoring, math, writing and

speech labs.ASUH-WCC also pointed

out the limited food options currently on campus. With the closure of the ‘Akoakoa cafeteria, students have lim-ited choices from campus vending machines, the Hub coffee shop or the bookstore. Many students aren’t able to pack lunches or have time in between classes to eat off-campus.

Until a company is hired to provide cafeteria services for WCC, one solution sug-gested was to have “food trucks” service the campus. Students would like to see a variety of food options that are cheaper and healthier than what has been offered in the past.

ASUH-WCC asked for classes to be rescheduled around noontime (one to two days a month), which

David Lassner visits WCC to address concerns

To promote understand-ing across cultures, WCC will celebrate the

2014 International Week, Nov. 17-20, with “It’s a Small World.”

Daily events, sponsored by the college’s International Education Committee and the ASUH-WCC student senate, are planned to highlight food, dance, art and global issues.

“The week will be a great educational experience for everyone,” said Toshi Ikagawa, International Education com-mittee chair.

This year the celebration has expanded from a one-day to a four-day event. New features include a Maori kapa haka workshop on Wednesday and cooking demonstrations of Okinawan, Samoan and Jamaican foods on Thursday.

Kapa haka is the native dance form of Aotearoa (New Zealand). It incorporates pow-erful elements of song, dance, and chant. Kapa haka experts Alice Unawai, and Rahira Makekau will lead the work-shop.

The cooking demonstra-tions will take place in the new Hale A‘o kitchen, with some of Inge White’s botany students.

b y K a ‘ a i n o a F e r n a n d e zKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Monday (Nov. 17)Library Breezeway

10 a.m. — Hawaiian language 10:30 a.m. — Japanese language11 a.m. — Judo demonstration11:30 a.m. — Spanish; SamoanNoon—Martial arts demonstration12:30 p.m. — Language game

Tuesday (Nov. 18) Palanakila Courtyard

10:30 a.m. — Bon Dance: Tanko bushi, Tokyo ondo 11 a.m. — Spanish dance12:30 a.m. —Tahitian dance1 p.m. — Hula; 1:20 p.m.— Okinawan kachashii

Wednesday (Nov. 19) Hale ‘Akoakoa 107/109

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — World Quest Competition. Lunch provided for participants by ASUH-WCC.1 to 2 p.m. — Maori kapahaka demonstration/ lesson

Thursday (Nov. 20) Hale Kuhina 115

11:30 a.m. to noon — Cooking demonstrations: Okinawan miso soup, Samoan cooking, Jamaican cookingNoon to 1 p.m.—International dishes by botany students

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

(from top left) A Maori kapa haka group performs in a video by Alice Unawai. Former chef and WCC student Michelle Broome displays ingredients for a Jamaican dish. An Okinawan lion dancer from the Young Okinawans troupe at a past WCC bon dance.

PHOTOS BY ALICE UNAWAI, JESSICA CRAWFORD AND PATRICK HASCALL

University of Hawaii President David Lassner talks with Janine Oshiro.JESSICA CRAWFORD

SEE LASSNER PAGE 4

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2 NEWS of the DAYKa ‘Ohana

b y E r i c L e v i n eKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Ebola threat raises U.S. concern

Lokelani Correa Ka’ainoa Fernandez

Flora Obayashi WEBMASTERS

Jessica CrawfordPatrick Hascall

ADVISOR

Elizabeth 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.

Ka ‘Ohana(The Family)

CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF

Ashley Shankles Pua Guard

STAFF REPORTERS

Grant Kono Jessica Crawford

Kainoa MakuaEric Levine

Charissa Wittig

How worried should the aver-age person be about Ebola? The answer depends on which

news report you choose to believe. Several medical experts say the

risk of the average person catching the Ebola virus disease from casual con-tact is minimal. However, that hasn’t stopped some people from worrying.

Due to recent events in Dallas and New York involving Ebola-infected patients, quarantine and screening protocols have been implemented at state levels.

Among the Americans who have been been infected with Ebola, two nurses — Nina Pham and Amber Vinson — are the only ones who contracted Ebola in the United States. Both had direct contact with Thomas Duncan, a Liberian citizen, who was being treated in Dallas during the worst part of his illness.

Ebola symptoms usually appear 8 to 10 days after the time of exposure and include fever, stomach pain, vom-iting, diarrhea and internal bleeding.

In the early stages, experts say Ebola is not that contagious; however, once the symptoms begin to show, a patient’s bodily fluids become in-creasingly contagious, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“At this point, in everything that I’ve seen, I don’t think that (Americans) need to be that worried (about catching Ebola), and I don’t think that manda-tory quarantines for people who aren’t symptomatic is the way to go,” said Dr. John Berestecky, a professor of microbiology at Kapi‘olani Commu-nity College.

Dr. Berestecky was working on a project at a university in Liberia during the early months of the Ebola outbreak, and helped in developing education programs about Ebola pre-vention and epidemiology. He also shadowed a colleague who went out into the Liberian community to see firsthand what was going on. Dr. Berestecky was forced to return to the U.S. in early August.

“As far as concern though, the big concern really is trying to figure out a way to stop this epidemic,” said Dr. Berestecky.

Based on the World Health Orga-nization (WHO) reports, there have been nearly 4,960 deaths resulting from Ebola so far, most of which occurred in West Africa. Ebola has indirectly caused many more deaths by hindering the ability to respond to other health ailments.

In Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the already poor medical infrastructure has all but collapsed, according to news reports. Hospitals in these areas are flooded with Ebola patients and the overcrowding has caused a multitude of problems for those countries.

Aside from the fact that Ebola’s survival rate is around 50 percent

according to WHO, the limited medi-cal staff members dealing with the virus are getting sick. Citizens who need care are either too afraid to go to hospitals or aren’t treated in time due to overcrowded medical facilities, Dr. Berestecky said.

In countries where diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and leukemia are prevalent, this poses a very real problem.

“I have never seen a health event threaten the very survival of societies and governments in already very poor countries,” said Dr. Margaret Chan, the director general of WHO in a New York Times article.

The Ebola virus first infected hu-mans in 1976, and since then, various outbreaks have occurred but on much smaller scales. While some experi-mental treatments and vaccines were developed during this time, clinical trials on humans were limited.

According to Dr. Chan, pharma-ceutical companies saw no reason to make these products for countries that could not afford them.

The current Ebola outbreak start-

ed in late March in Guinea, which makes some wonder why these earlier vaccines and treatments didn’t resume production on a wider scale.

“My big problem with the Ebola response is that we waited too long, way too long, to get involved,” said Dr. Berestecky.

“It was very clear, certainly by May, that this was a very different epi-demic. If we had taken this seriously back in June or July, when there were

only 50 to 150 cases… it would’ve been fairly simple. It would’ve been much easier to take care of,” he continued.

With more than 13,000 suspected cases of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) worldwide, the epidemic becomes a bigger threat with each passing day.

“When a deadly and dreaded virus hits the destitute and spirals out of control, the whole world is put at risk,” said Dr. Chan.

CDC/ NAHID BHADELIA, M.D.

CDC/ FREDERICK A. MURPHY

(Top) Picture of the Ebola virus on a transmission electron micrograph. (Bottom) Before being deployed, members of the West African Ebola Response team underwent training with the Center for Disease Control to learn proper protocol in treatment units.

FAQs on EbolaHow is Ebola transmitted?

The Ebola Virus Disease is trans-mitted from mammals to humans; insects cannot transmit the virus. According to the CDC, it is possible for Ebola to spread to others via blood, sweat, saliva and other bodily fluids from an infected person.

Where did Ebola originate?The first recorded cases of Ebola

occured in Nzara, Sudan, and Yam-buku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The village in Yambuku where Ebola surfaced was near the Ebola River, which is how the virus got its name. Since then, Ebola has sporadically ap-peared in Africa, and occasionally in other places.

What is the incubation period of Ebola?

While the average amount of time for Ebola symptoms to appear is 8 to 10 days, it can vary between 2 to 21 days, according to WHO.

What medical research is being done?There is currently no licensed

treatment or cure for the virus, but ex-perimental vaccines are being tested. This includes Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly donating the plasma in his blood to Dallas nurse Nina Pham. Scientists are able to extract antibod-ies from former Ebola patients and transplant them into new victims with relative success.

How long can Ebola live on a surface?The CDC says Ebola on dry surfaces, such as countertops and doorknobs, can survive for a few hours but can be killed with hospital-grade disinfec-tants (such as household bleach). How-ever, the virus in body fluids can live for several days at room temperature.

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CAMPUS NEWS 3Ka ‘OhanaN o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4

Letʻs face it. Technology and the Internet are here to stay.

For some UH students, that has meant they can take classes online while keeping up with their daily lives.

However, there have also been concerns with cyber-classrooms and their effec-tiveness for WCC students. Online students, according to a recent survey, had only a 58 percent passing rate.

Today, WCC offers a wide range of online courses for business, art, science, Eng-lish, world history, Hawaiian studies, ICS, psychology and sociology.

These include hybrid-style courses (a combination of face-to-face classroom learning with online lessons) such as animal science, world history, computer skills, reli-gion, math, and accounting.

With the recent Title III grant, WCC plans to improve online classes to better ac-commodate students.

“(Being an online stu-dent) takes discipline and organizing a realistic sched-ule,” says Ardis Eschenberg, vice chancellor of academic affairs. “The more you com-mit — as you would a regular class, doing the homework and readings, the more likely you are to succeed.”

WCC students respond-ed to a recent Ka ‘Ohana question about their experi-ence with online courses.

“Distance learning is definitely a successful route for students, especially those (like myself) who work full time, and participate in other community and extracur-ricular activities outside of school,” says Daniel Kaa-

nana, a full-time stu-dent and Hawaiian Airlines flight at-tendant.

“All too of-ten, students f e e l o n l i n e means ‘easy.’ I n r e a l i t y, it ’s usually t he oppo -site. Many teachers require more read-i n g a n d more out-s ide t i me to be spent for on l i n e classes.”

Another student said, “Personally, I don’t like online classes because when I physically don’t show face at school not h ing gets done,” says WCC student Kyton Keliiaa. “If there were a class online that required some sort of face-time in-teract ion, that would be awesome.”

Some students felt on-line classes needed various improvements ranging from incorporating live stream-ing videos and improving Laulima to receiving timely feedback from course in-structors.

Although students often regarded this as the fault of the professor or software-related issues, students may not recognize the underly-ing issue: the difficulty of teaching an online course.

“When I was teaching strictly online, I didn’t feel as though I ever really knew my students as well as my face-to-face students,” says Sarah Hadmack, WCC religion as-

Going the distance for online courses

OCN 120: Global Environmental Challenges3 credits

Prereq’s: NoneInstructor: Floyd McCoyMW 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Global climate change is here to stay for the many generations. What exactly is it? What is the science be-hind it? What can we expect? What are the consequences to you? We shall consider all this and the role the ocean will play in the amplifica-tion or remediation of the coming challenge. The course will be de-signed in a participatory style with a seminar format.

sistant professor.“However, I liked that

the online teaching enabled students to learn the infor-mation from anywhere and at whatever time was most convenient for them.”

Hadmack says with hy-brid learning she has the best of both worlds. Students have more flexibility than tradi-tional face-to-face courses, but they also can ask questions about the material in person.

“I’m able to give the stu-dents freedom to learn the majority of the material on their own and then I have the great pleasure of discussing it with them in class,” she says.

“I like that I can read their faces once a week— to assess if anyone is looking confused or if someone has had an epiph-

any about the material that they’re excited

to share with their classmates.”

In fact, there also seems to be an increased demand for m o r e h y -brid classes. Chancellor Doug Dys-ktra is con-fident that hybrid of-ferings will have an in-creased role in the future of distance

learning. “A strong

orientation component for

s t ud e nt s m ay help them to as-

sess their readiness to take courses via

distance delivery,” says Dykstra.

Advice from online pro-fessors?

Hadmack says students must familiarize themselves with a new way of learning that includes computer-based instruction.

“From my experiences, if students don’t learn how to access the right materials within the first two weeks, then they are rarely successful because they start off behind,” she says.

WCC Distance Education: (completely online classes)

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

# of WCC courses: 43 65 86 Fill rate: 90% 86% 84% Completion(>C): 54% 59% 58%

New and infrequently offered coursesSOC 231: Introduction to Juvenile Delinquency3 credits

Prereq’s: NoneInstructor: Angel CamachoTR 1:00 to 2:15 p.m.

This course focuses on juvenile delinquency in the U.S. and examines the issues, causes and trends, and in-stitutional responses to and treatment of juvenile delinquency in the U.S. justice system.

The class will also discuss media coverage of crime and juvenile delin-quency, gangs, schools, police, courts, corrections and treatment and preven-tion strategies.

THEA 296: Special Topics in Theatre (Advanced Actor Training)3 credits

Prereq’s: THEA 101 or THEA 221 or instructor’s approvalInstructor: Taurie KinoshitaThursdays 2:30 to 4 p.m.

Explore multiple theories and training practices in modern acting, spanning the work of Stanislavski, Michael Chekov, and others. Training methods of the Living Theatre and more. Gain an actor’s arsenal of ad-vanced performance skills, and garner important professional preparation such as proper audition technique, resume building, and networking.

IS 204: Themes in Popular Culture (Games and Gaming) 3 credits, WI (writing intensive)

Prereq’s: ENG 100Instructor: Nicolas LogueTuesdays 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.

Enjoy games? Wonder where they come from? Explore the history of humanity’s obsession with games from chess, poker and Monopoly to Dungeons and Dragons and Call of Duty. See where gaming is going in the next decade with augmented real-ity, mixed reality and alternate reality gaming. Get writing intensive credit for playing, analyzing and creating your own games.

b y A s h l e y S h a n k l e s Ka 'Ohana Co-Editor

“Also, just because they’ve used Laulima before doesn’t mean that it will be a breeze the next semester because instructors use the program differently.”

Distance learning teach-ers say to be successful in an online course you really need to be self-motivated. You may not see your instructor or classmates so you don’t have someone reminding you of upcoming deadlines.

They also warn against overscheduling.

Hadmack continues, “I’ve had students with spouses, kids, and a 40+ hour/week job who were also taking 15 credits of coursework.

“I think they see online courses as a way to do it all when, in reality, that’s too much on one plate, and they’re stretching themselves too thin. “

Finally, English assistant professor Lance Uyeda em-phasizes, “The most important thing a student in any class can do is to stay in touch with the instructor. . . Students should plan to do more than check into the course website regularly.”

For spring 2015, students can see the complete list of UH system online and hybrid courses at http://www.hawaii.edu/dl/courses/ or go to the link on the WCC home page.

You’ll never know if you’ll like it until you try it.

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4 CAMPUS NEWSKa ‘Ohana

The Associated Students of the University of Hawaii (ASUH-WCC) held a swearing-in ceremony Oct. 17 for students elected to the senate. Those who attended a

certain number of meetings from April to September were also eligible for induction.

“Right now I just want to open communication to meet concerns that we have been talking about for a while, such as transferring credits, breaks for lunch and club activities,” said new ASUH-WCC President Marleen Keanu.

“We would like to expand weekend availability for the library, as well as the bookstore, to accommodate non-tradi-tional students. In addition, the math, writing and speech labs need to be fully staffed to better serve students.”

With weekly updates every Friday, students are invited to join ASUH meetings in A̒koakoa 221 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss school-related issues.

The new ASUH-WCC executive members : Marleen Keanu, president; Donita Garcia , vice president; Kanoelehua Nakata, corresponding secretary; Marley Puanani Smith, recording secretary.

Senators at large: Jonah Aberilla, Dustin Hamada, Mi-chele Osurman, Bruce Collins , Sean Baptist.

—Ashley Shankles Ka ‘Ohana Co-Editors

Take pride in what you do and do the best you can. Don’t give up

because the sky is the limit, but it takes hard work,” said Jamie Logan, a WCC student and Service-Learning Office assistant.

Logan was recently honored as the only employee in the state and region to receive a “Crew Member of the Year” award from McDonald’s restaurants. Many customers at the Enchanted Lakes store where she works provided positive reviews in the McDvoice survey online and praised Logan’s helpful and down-to-earth personality.

“I was privileged to be recognized for my hard work,” she said, adding the ceremony was a complete surprise.

“I had no idea I would be receiving an award,” she said, explaining how shocked she was when they called her name to accept the Koa Paddle award and lei honoring her for her outstand-ing work.

Managers from all 81 stores, along with storeowners and other employees, attended the luncheon ceremony at the Pacific Beach Hotel.

ASUH: More than free food and events

would provide students time to attend campus activities (which their student fee goes towards), such as the Job Fair, Welcome Back Bash, Rain Bird launch or Mid-Month Munchies.

Another concern was the expansion of online classes. Many students would like to see more hybrid courses of-fered, which are part online, part face-to-face instruc-tion. They feel strictly online courses have low success rates.

Lassner said that he will relay all concerns to the WCC administration, but also en-couraged students to voice

their concerns to campus faculty and administrators.

At the end of their meeting, ASUH-WCC students asked what challenges Lassner faces being UH president.

He replied, “There’s a kind of organizational culture — having people believe that we are capable of changing. There are so many people in the uni-versity system, the employees and the students, who just settle for ‘whatever.’

“That hasn’t been my per-sonality. And I hope it doesn’t get beaten out of me in this job. But I believe we can do better. There’s no reason we have to settle. Let’s be great.”

One pint of blood can help save three lives! If you are interested in

donating blood, mark your calendars for Nov. 19 and Dec. 2.

Sponsored by the Service-Learn-ing Office, the on-campus blood drive will be held in A̒koakoa 101. Blood Bank of Hawaii staff will be assisting donors from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The volunteer Service-Learning recruiters will be asking students, faculty and staff in classes, the library and all over WCC to help the college meet its goal of 57 pints of blood on each of the two days.

Students who are working on the Blood Drive as recruiters are Victoria Chance, Araceli Corona, Jamie Logan, Hoku Myers and Kodey Vigil.

For questions, contact Sharon Mac-Quoid, Service-Learning coordinator at 236-9225 or visit the Service-Learn-ing Office in Hale Manaleo room 115.

The office hours are 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Thurs-day, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.

WCC student honored for outstanding service Currently Logan is working towards receiving her bachelor’s degree in social work. After overcoming addiction and turning her life around, she said she faced a few obstacles with employment.

However, nothing could hold her back from achieving her goals. Through hard work, determination and aloha, her positivity has had a memorable impact on people.

Logan encourages students inter-ested in community service work as part of their course credits to visit the Service-Learning Office in the newly renovated Hale Manaleo building, Room 115.

Students can connect with com-munity non-profit organizations for volunteer work and earn a certificate through the program.

There are more than 400 organiza-tions available for on or off-campus work, including the Hawai’i Humane Society, Sea Life Park or Castle Hospital.

Students can pursue any type of work as long as they follow through with normal employment procedures and service-learning requirements.

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

Give a pint, save a life

UH President David Lassner visits WCC campus Lassner also met with

administrative staff, fac-ulty senate and department chairs throughout the day and ended with an hour-long, all-campus forum. Topics discussed during the open forum ranged from budget costs (reserves, etc.), the “MOOCs” system (Mas-sive Open Online Courses), the future of public educa-tional institutions and how they will operate with tech-nology, distance and online course models, and the “360” review process for adminis-trator evaluation

WCC secretary Carol Okimi brought attention to

the “360” review process for administrators. Okimi and other members of the WCC faculty and staff are con-cerned the review process is flawed and that it could benefit from changes in ex-pansion and transparency.

At both UH Mānoa and WCC, recent firings of ad-ministrators have raised questions about the evalua-tion process.

In the case of UH Mānoa, Chancellor Tom Apple’s ter-mination triggered protests from some faculty and stu-dents.

At WCC, the termination of Dean Brian Richardson

— effective this December — also raised questions about the process.

Closing the open forum, Lassner thanked all who at-tended, said he appreciated the “hard questions” and that he enjoyed the day at WCC.

Lassner has worked for UH for 37 years. He was selected as the new UH presi-dent by the school’s Board of Regents on June 2, 2014.

Prior to his appointment, Lassner, who had been UH’s long-time Information Tech-nology Executive was the interim UH president from Sept. 1, 2013 until his ap-pointment.

ASUH-WCC members (from left front) Donita Garcia, Marleen Keanu, Kanoelehua Kanata, Marley Smith; (back) Michelle Osurman, Jonah Aberilla, Mary Voeller, Dustin Hamada, Bruce Collins and Sean Baptiste.

BONNIE BEATSON

Jamie Logan receives award at luncheon.

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CAMPUS NEWS 5Ka ‘Ohana

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Liko Hoe upholds Waiāhole family legacy

When you see your Hawaiian Studies teacher pounding

poi by the roadside in Waiāhole Valley, you know he’s the real deal.

“This is a little different than what I was doing before,” says Liko Hoe, “but for me, I like that now I get to do more of the stuff that I was teaching about.”

After 14 years of full-time teaching at WCC, Hoe has stepped into a new role, transi-tioning from teacher to restau-rateur to take over the Waiāhole Poi Factory.

The restaurant serves Ha-waiian plates piled high with kalua pig, laulau, chicken long rice, poi and more from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

“It’s kind of a balance now that I’m trying to figure out, but it’s coming along. It’s been exciting this semester,” Hoe adds, as he still teaches part-time at WCC.

Hoe doesn’t project the Type A intensity you normally find in kitchens and restau-rants, but the Poi Factory is more than just a kitchen to him: it’s a family legacy.

“My parents got the prop-erty [Poi Factory] in the early ’70s. It was closing down as

the Poi Factory, so they bought the lease. Then in the 1980s we helped form a non-profit and redid the kitchen — made it into an incubator kitchen and did that all through the ‘90s right up until about 2009. It’s

basically when people have ideas for food production and they need a certified kitchen with low rent.

“At a certain point, it was difficult to get new renters. All the people in the com-

munity basically did all their ideas already, so in 2009 our family redid operations on the Poi Factory. We started off with one day a week, then moved to two days, then the weekend, and now every day.”

The Hawaiian side of the Hoe family has been rooted in Waiāhole Valley for centuries and is responsible for found-ing the Hakipu’u Learning Center on the WCC campus. The Chinese side comes from Liko’s great-grandfather, who migrated from China in the 1800s and added the “e” to the family name to make it more American-like.

“Kind of a unique situa-tion, Waiāhole is,” Hoe adds. “A lot of the old families are still here in the area, which isn’t normal these days.”

Hoe smiles as he shares his preference for poi. “You want it sour. Today, a lot of people like fresh, but I like that tang, kind of like sourdough, yeah? In more recent years people have done all sorts of things with it — baking, pancakes, muffins. To me, the main function is as it is. It’s the center of the meal.”

This transition is the first such change of this type for Hoe in his 14 years of service at WCC. “I definitely help to manage it (Poi Factory); I also pound poi. Right now for me I’m the poi machine, the main

b y E l i a s H e s t e rKa ‘Ohana Writer

poi mill… I’ve been learning how to pound poi for almost my whole life actually, and there’s still more to learn.”

Sharing the views of his kupuna and many of his peers, Hoe envisions a more self-sus-tainable Hawai‘i for the future. “Right now our industry is a lot of tourism, so that is how people eat, but it’d be good to get directly back to making our own food,” he says. “Food . . . food is very important.”

It isn’t just Liko in his fam-ily who feels this way. “My uncle worked on some devel-opments in the Hawaiian diet. His daughter and grandkids are actively doing some of that too. I also have cousins who are full-time taro farmers.”

You can still find Hoe on campus teaching classes, but as his increased focus on the Waiāhole Poi Factory pays off more and more, you may see him less.

“We’re at that point where we want to expand it, take it to that next level, so that’s basically why I’m kind of shift-ing,” he explains. “We’re at that phase where we want to push it more.”

Spend an hour watch-ing happy customers on the grounds of Waiāhole Poi Fac-tory, and it will be very appar-ent that the Hoe legacy runs strong through Keliko.

Lately I’ve found myself complain-ing about where I am on my life journey. Sometimes I wish I had more money, nicer clothes, newer car, etc. I recently changed my pattern of thinking to be more grateful for the things I do have as opposed to what I don’t.

Just living in Hawai‘i,we have much to be thankful for. It’s easy to forget that there are regions of the world where people are starving and don’t know where their next meal will come from. We all have a lot to be grateful for.

—Vaughn Ludwig

I am most thankful for being raised in a middle-class family.

My father always told me he would get me what I need, but not what I want. This saying taught me to have priorities and to budget money. I was able to buy things for school that a poor family wouldn’t be able to afford, but being rich gives an individual no sense of value. My parents raised me properly, and their hard work is what I am thankful for.

—Clyde Pelekai

I am very thankful for my feet. I was club-footed when I was born, and throughout my childhood I have expe-rienced adversity.

If I could not walk today, I am not sure how my mental and spiritual health

would be. I am so appreciative of every step. I guess what I am really most thankful for is my family and the doctors who fixed me up so I can do everything a normal person can.

—Ryan Baptiste

As a military veteran, I understand the hardships of those who are still serv-ing, especially those who are young and far away for the first time in their life.

It’s not easy to sign your life away for x-amount of years to protect your way of life and in defense of those by your side. So I am most thankful for our service members who selflessly continue to serve.

—Erik Ho I am thankful for being able to go to

college in Hawai‘i. I was born and raised in Southern California. I traveled but never left home or my comfort zone until now. I felt I was ready for the decision, but as the date came closer to move, I began to panic.

I came out here, even with all the doubts. When I look back now, it was worth it. Here I am in this beautiful place, on a beautiful campus with amaz-ing people. I am thankful for having this opportunity because without it I don’t know what I’d be doing.

—Alissa Williams

I am most thankful for my dad. My entire life has been just my dad and me since my mom passed away when I was young. He sacrificed a lot for me, like taking me to practices, school events, etc.

Even though I made his life a lot busier, he never told me not to do an activity. When I wanted to do judo, wres-tling and cross-country, he told me to go for it, even though he knew he’d have to drive me to tournaments and practices.

My dad has sacrificed a lot to give me things I wanted. I’m thankful and appreciate all that he has done. Every-thing that I have accomplished today is because of my dad. —Amber Hakkei-Nagauka

I am thankful for removing a toxic family member from my home. The fa-ther of my last two children was abusive in many ways. . . I allowed myself and my children to endure many years of turmoil because I thought I was in love.

Today, I’ve come to realize that I don’t need a man in my life to make me feel whole. It was very important for me to stop the cycle of domestic abuse in my family. When I was young, I watched my mother get beaten. Now I was living a life that upset me when I was younger. It was about to take on another generation soon.

As I lay in the emergency room one year ago, with my daughter in the bed next to me while doctors stitched up my face, I realized that I was showing my children a lifestyle I never would want them to live. I had to stop the cycle.

I pressed charges against their fa-ther. He served time — not long, I must say. But bottom-line is I made a decision that not only saved my life but was also in the best interest of my children.

Today, although everything is still fresh, I am not bitter or angry about what happened to me. Today I am grateful for my children to be healthy and at peace. I am grateful for forgive-ness. Without forgiveness, the only person who hurts, is you.

—Johannah Kinimaka

Students share their attitude of gratitude

Amber Hakkei-Nagauka and her dad.

ELIAS HESTERLiko Hoe, heir to the Waiahole Poi Factory, with a fresh batch of kalo.-

Thanksgiving is a particular-

ly American holiday. The word

evokes images of football, family

reunions, roast turkey with stuffing,

pumpkin pie and, of course, the Pil-

grims and the Native Americans. But

what’s the real story?

The “traditional” account has the

Pilgrims boarding the Mayflower,

coming to America and establishing

the Plymouth colony in the winter

of 1620-21. Popular myths describe

the first winter as harsh. Half the

colonists perished, but the survivors

were hard-working and tenacious, and

they learned new farming techniques

from the Indians. The harvest of 1621

was bountiful, and the Pilgrims held

a celebration, giving thanks to God.

The problem with this official

story is that the harvest of 1621 was

not bountiful, nor were the colonists

hard-working or tenacious, accord-

ing to the award-winning documen-

tary series “500 Nations.” Many of the

colonists chose to acquire food from

the Wampanoag Indian Nation through

unscrupulous means rather than prop-

agate their own.

The governor of the first colony,

William Bradford, reported in his

diaries, archived at the Pilgrim Hall

Museum, that the colonists went hun-

gry for years because they refused to

work in the fields. Instead, he said,

they preferred to take food from the

natives.

He added that the colony was rid-

dled with “corruption” and with “dis-

content.” In the end, the crop yield was

small because “much was stolen both by

night and day, before it became scarce

eatable.”

So how did present-day Thanksgiv-

ing evolve into the image of together-

ness and harmony we have today?

“500 Nations” described how the

Pilgrims’ʻ crops had failed miserably

after their arrival, but the agricul-

tural expertise of a Native American

named Tisquantum (more commonly

known as Squanto), saved lives. The

soul survivor of a tribe wiped out by

smallpox brought by earlier Europe-

ans, helped produce 20 acres of corn,

without which the Pilgrims would have

surely perished. He also helped secure

an uneasy truce with the Wampanoag

Nation chief, Massasoit.

Giving thanks for the “Creator’s”

gifts had always been a part of Wam-

panoag Nation’s daily life. Since

ancient times, the native people of

North America held ceremonies to give

thanks for fruitful harvests and for

the hope of a good growing season in

the early spring.

Tall Oak, a member of the Narra-

gansett tribe, said in “500 Nations,”

“It was the Wampanoag belief that the

Creator gave the bounty of the lands

and that it should be shared, or oth-

erwise it was undeserved and would be

taken away. It was their belief to help

those in need.”

According to the “500 Nations”

documentary, one day, the Pilgrims

invited Massasoit and Tisquantum to

partake in a celebration to thank God

for their harvest that was made pos-

sible by Tisquantum. It was Massasoit,

engaging in the tribal tradition of

equal sharing, who invited 90 or so of

his native brothers and sisters, much

to the annoyance and discomfort of the

Europeans.

Most images portray the Pilgrims

standing over the Wampanoag, handing

them food as the natives kneeled or

sat on the ground. In fact, most, if not

all of the food was likely brought and

prepared by the Indians, whose 10,000-

year familiarity with the cuisine of

the region had kept the Pilgrims alive

up to that point.

No turkey, cranberry sauce or

pumpkin pie was served; they likely

ate duck or geese and the venison from

the deer brought by Massasoit.

An uneasy peace ensued over the

next several days; the Pilgrims con-

sidered the natives “friendly savages”

that were not to be trusted. In the end,

the brief celebration came to a close

without major mishap, and peace was

enjoyed between the settlers and the

natives.

There were no black hats and buck-

les. The traditional images of the

“first feast” developed after Abraham

Lincoln issued an 1863 proclamation

calling on Americans to “set apart and

observe the last Thursday of November

as a day of thanksgiving.”This came

partly to celebrate victories in the

then-raging Civil War.

Although Thanksgiving has evolved

into a day of family celebration, it’s

important to remember the true his-

tory behind it.

by Patrick Hascall

Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

The real ThanksgivingThe real Thanksgiving “I am most thankful for my parents. I am 26 and going to community college, working full time and still living at home because the cost of living in Hawaii is so high.

I am very lucky to have parents who have supported me when I’ve failed, but continue to push me and believe in my success. Once I get my associate’s degree, I hope to gain my independence.

Even more than just letting me live at home for cheap rent, my parents teach me things for when I eventually move out. When my car is acting up, my dad is right there to help me fix it. The same goes for changing a light fixture or fixing a leak. I appreciate the knowledge that they are passing down to me, and one day I hope to share it with my own children.”—Katherine Souza

“I am thankful for my wife. Most men think that being married is like having shackles on their bodies, weighing them down, keeping them from succeeding in life. I think those men are wrong and are probably in the wrong relationship.

Jasmine, my wife, is the focus and structure in my life. The focus I get from her is through the desire to succeed, so I can take care of her. I want her to live a comfortable and happy life. To do that, I need to have a driving desire to succeed. She is a constant reminder that I can never give up and never accept failure. Every time I start to have thoughts of not doing homework or working out, I think of her. She is the voice in my mind that whispers, “Go, I believe in you,” even when everyone else is doubting me. She is the compass when I get lost. Her name alone keeps me going north.

I am thankful for my wife, who is my structure, conscience, hope, and compass guiding me forward through life.”—Douglas Locklear

Traditional ways for modern days

With the Thanksgiving season quick-ly approaching, you can hear the

subtle growl of tummies everywhere. For the past 18 years, WCC’s Hawaiian club, KuPono, has provided turkeys from their own imu, along with all the fixings, to homeless families, domestic abuse shelters or others facing hardship.

Former WCC teacher and kumu hula Frank Hewett founded the original Hawaiian club, Hui Laulima, in the early ‘80s. He passed the torch to Winston Kong, WCC counselor, assistant profes-sor and advisor to KuPono.

Hewett left behind the legacy of helping others through traditional Hawaiian values, and today KuPono continues to thrive under the leadership of Kong.

KuPono has reached out to the rest of WCC, the community and the nation at the World indigenous Peoples Confer-ence on Education (WiPC:E) to empha-size the importance of putting Hawaiian values into practice. They have provided many opportunities to serve others in need through activities, programs, out-reaches and education for over 20 years.

“Hawaiians are social and willing to help,” says Kong with a big grin on his face.

“WCC was all book and void of hands-on,” recalls Kong, referring to his arrival at WCC. “The book is the re-

sult of hands-on. First you do, then you write!” recalling the style of learning he received growing up and its value today.

Through the KuPono club, Kong helps anyone who wants to learn to connect with traditional Hawaiian roots or learn about native culture. You do not have to be Hawaiian to be a member, volunteer or a recipient of their services. If you’re willing, they are able.

In the past, KuPono held an annual Intercollegiate Thanksgiving Volleyball Tournament to raise funds to provide food baskets for families in need. The

basket contained a frozen turkey with its fixings and was delivered by club members with a huge smile.

Then one day Kong said, “Self, I have a great idea…” he recalls, shaking his finger in the air. “What if we cook the tur-keys and provide a hot meal?” That was the beginning of their Annual Thanks-giving Stewardship Imu. This provided an opportunity to feed others through traditional ways, while reinforcing the values they stood for.

When October approaches, Kong says his phone starts ringing with volun-

teers and organizations in the commu-nity seeking reassurance the imu will be fired up and asking how many turkeys they will need.

KuPono and their volunteers gather the day before Thanksgiving to prepare and fill the imu. The next morning they return to open the imu and retrieve the prized turkeys to fill empty tummies in the community.

The leftovers, if any, will be frozen and given to other clubs or departments within WCC to use for fundraising.

“We don’t keep any; it doesn’t feel right,” says Kong.

In May KuPono presented another one of their projects at the WiPC:E con-ference, held in Waikiki this year. They described their loʻi project, which they have been working on with the Wom-en’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC). KuPono members work with the women to build and tend the loʻi as the women rebuild their lives.

“When you’re in the loʻi pulling out the weeds, you are pulling out the junk in your life as well,” says Kong

KuPono plans to continue their Thanksgiving endeavor for now, but for the future they’re looking for different ways to serve and share.

“With an increase in awareness, the need for our services (the Thanksgiving project) is shrinking,” continues Kong. “We may have brought enough light. We may have to find another cause. We need to be open.”

Whatare you thankful for

?

by Lokelani CorreaKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

“I’m most thankful for my grandparents. My grandma passed away on March 20, 2014 and my grandpa passed away May 25, 2014. I was completely devastated. 2014 quickly proved that it was going to be a tough year. I miss them so much and I think of them every day. In the time that I had with them, I was taught so many life lessons. Both of my grandparents were born and raised in Guam. I was taught some of their culture but not nearly as much as I wanted to.

The one thing that my grandpa taught me that will stick with me forever is to always give. He was always giving food to his neighbors and giving candy to the doctors and nurses during appointments. He was known as the “candy man.” There is so much more that I could tell you, but I am running out of room.”—Mackie Chun

The KuPono Club learns the techniques of building a traditional Hawaiian emu.

A painting of the first Thanksgiving portrays Pilgrims standing over and serving Native Americans. The image suggests that it was the Pilgrims who helped the Native Americans and began the tradition of Thanksgiving. This “revisionist” history spins a story that is quite the opposite of what actually happened.

PATRICK HASCALL

PAINTING BY J.L.G FERRIS

CAMPUS NEWSN o v e m b e r 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

Christmas FantasyGet your loved ones unique, local and original gifts this holi-

day season at WCC’s Christmas Fantasy event. Artsy, aesthetic creations by students and community mem-

bers will be for sale at Gallery ‘Iolani from Friday, Dec. 5 through Sunday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. This is an arts and crafts display you won’t want to miss.

On sale will be prints, paintings, photos, fiber, wearable art, handcrafted jewelry, Christmas decorations, and so much more.

The annual sale is a fundraiser to support programs and events at the gallery.

Christmas Pottery SaleYou can never have too much pottery, so come on down to

the ceramics studio, Palanakila 216 on Friday, Dec. 12 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There will be a wide variety of handcrafted plates, mugs, vases, bowls and art pieces made with love by WCC ceramic stu-dents. Add a little feng shui to your day and stop by to support WCC’s aspiring artists. The artists keep part of the proceeds and the rest goes to support the ceramics program.

Bamboo Ridge at ‘Out Loud’ Nov. 20b y K a i n o a M a k u aKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Out Loud in the Library” is back and ready to inspire aspiring writers and poets alike.

The event will be held in the Li-brary Learning Commons, Thursday, Nov. 20 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. This year the “Out Loud” event celebrates the 35th anniversary issue of Bamboo Ridge and will feature authors published in the issue.

“‘Out Loud’ gives people who have never been to a literary reading an opportunity to hear the writer’s own voice, poems, and stories,” said Janine Oshiro, WCC English teacher and “Out Loud” coordinator.

“A lot of the writing life is solitary, so I think it’s a wonderful thing when writers can actually leave their solitude and share their work with others to make a more personal connection.”

The talented local authors who will be sharing their words include Donald Carreira Ching, Richard Melendez, Misty-Lynn Sanico, Joseph Stanton and Kevin Won.

Donald Carreira Ching, who earned his M.A. in Creative Writing

from UH Mānoa, was born and raised in Kahalu’u. He recently completed his first novel, “Between Sky and Sea: A Family’s Struggle,” to be published by Bamboo Ridge Press.

Richard Melendez is a writer and editor whose work can be found in Ab-stract Magazine, INhonolulu Magazine, and other local publications, including Bamboo Ridge.

Misty-Lynn Sanico, who is the co-founder and editor of HawaiiReads.com, maintains a literary website dedi-cated to promoting local books and au-

thors. She is a freelance writer with work published in Abstract Magazine, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, The Huffing-ton Post, and other online publications.

Joseph Stanton is a professor of art history and American studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He has published four books of poems, many of which appeared in Poetry, Harvard Review, Poetry East, Bamboo Ridge, New York Quarterly, and many other journals.

Kevin Won, a jack-of-all-trades, recently received his M.A. in Creative

Writing from UH and is excited to be a part of Bamboo Ridge’s 35th Anniver-sary Issue.

This event is one to attend if you’re an aspiring poet or writer, or if you’re looking to broaden your perspective on literature.

“It’s a chance for people to really learn about each other,” Oshiro says, “and learn to listen to someone else who maybe has a completely different life experience. It’s a space where people really learn more about being human … together.”

In the end, there were many pennies — 64,082, to be exact.

They filled cardboard box-es, plastic bins and the back of WCC history instructor Ryan Koo’s pick-up truck.

It took three Safeway shop-ping carts to wheel them into the Kāne‘ohe branch of First Hawaiian Bank, where six stunned tellers had to total up the loot.

The spectacle was all part of the Penny Pot Challenge led by Koo and English in-structor Annette Priesman for WCC’s Aloha United Way fund drive.

T h e p e n n i e s a dd e d $1,215.87 more to the college’s total of individual donations and brought out the best (and worst) competitive instincts among several faculty, staff and administrators.

“Raising money for char-ity is one of the most worth-while things we can do,” said Priesman. “Every penny col-lected will make a difference in someone’s life.”

Although the challenge was all in fun, among the rules of the game was that people could “sabotage” each other’s penny pots by putting silver coins and dol-lars in them. Those amounts would then be deducted from that team’s total of

pennies.In the end, the winners

were: Team Humanit ies (first place), Team Admin-istrators (second place and the team sabotaged the most), and Team Counselors (third place).

Rumor has it that drama teacher Nick Logue is a stel-lar poker player with a killer instinct and a penchant for pennies.

So if WCC does the Pen-ny Pot Challenge again, be forewarned!

Good causes just make ‘cents’ K a ‘ O h a n a

News Staff

Annette Priesman, Ryan Koo and a truckload of Lincolns.

TORI LANGLEY

A customer shopping at the Christmas Fantasy in Gallery ‘Iolani.

KA ‘OHANA STAFF

“

Misty-Lynn Sanico Joseph StantonDonald Carreira Ching

—Kainoa Makua, Ka ‘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

Community News N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4

9Ka ‘Ohana

Heaven is just above WCC – or at least the “Stairway to Heaven”

is. Otherwise known as the Haʻikū Stairs, this hike has the history, controversy and cultural significance to make it worthy of the name.

A committee formed to de-cide the future of the stairs has recommended that the popular attraction be reopened with ac-cess through WCC’s campus.

The main area of concern is reopening the stairs for public use through a controlled and secured access point.

In the past, residents of the neighborhood at the base of the stairs have complained about noise, littering and illegal park-ing by hikers.

The proposal by t he 13-member community com-mittee formed by Honolulu City Councilman Ikaika An-derson came as part of a plan for future use of the stairs.

“We need to protect public safety, first and foremost,” ex-plained Anderson. “If we can’t find something that works, then the stairs will need to be removed, to ensure the resi-

dents comfortable and peace-ful living that is deserved.”

According to WCC Chan-cellor Doug Dykstra, the col-lege is currently open to ex-ploring the different oppor-tunities that could benefit the school and the students, but is at a standstill until a written proposal is reviewed by law-yers for the UH system.

“This is a great resource for Windward,” said Dykstra, “With (the stairs) in such close proximity to our school, it would hold a unique oppor-tunity for our students to be a part of.”

Understanding the envi-ronment and the landscape is something that Hawaiians have done throughout time. The Ha i̒kū Stairs pass through various microenvironments, and these environments show the different adaptations to different climates.

“The Haʻikū Stairs is a great cultural learning asset and something our students could help be a part of, such as through service-learning, with the right system,” explained Dykstra.

However, any access plan would have to ensure that hikers not be able to park on

campus or disrupt students, faculty and staff at the college.

There are many pieces to this puzzle that must all come together to put a plan into action. The trail that leads up to the base of the hike passes through three different proper-ties owned by three different entities.

The valley floor is owned by the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, the road beneath the H3 freeway is owned by the Department of Transportation, and the new suggested route is owned by Kamehameha Schools.

The next step towards pub-lic use of the stairs lies with the Board of Water Supply and the mayor’s office. They must deal with the ownership of the land beneath the stairs, which currently belongs to the Board of Water Supply, who also has put a 24-hour guard at the base of the stairs.

The trail is still off-limits to the public, and hikers are ad-vised to stay off the stairs until the legal issues can be resolved.

According to the Friends of Ha‘ikū Stairs, the original structure was built of wood in 1942. The U.S. Navy had the stairs installed to reach a top-

secret Navy facility known as the Ha‘ikū Radio Station.

It was used to communi-cate with American ships and submarines throughout the Pacific. The high mountains served as a giant, natural am-phitheater until the radio sta-

Campus entry to Stairway?b y G r a n t K o n o

Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

tion became inactive in 1958.The trail was relatively un-

known until television exposed it to the masses on the show “Magnum P.I.” in 1981. The stairs were closed indefinitely in 1987 because of vandalism and disrepair.

On Oct. 23, crowds of men, women, and children

marched through downtown Honolulu for the 20th Annual Men’s March Against Domestic Violence.

Among them was one marcher who recalled witness-ing his father beat his mother and described the effect that had on his relationships later in life.

“My brothers saw that—they were abusive towards their girlfriends… tBecause my dad was violent, I used to be violent,” he said.

His story is not uncommon; about 80 percent of men who batter had fathers who abused their mothers, according to a study by the National Child Abuse Neglect Data System.

“Later in my life, I wanted to change, and the change came many years ago. If you can just imagine what a person (victim) goes through. Most of them have to face it for the rest of their life—you scar them. And even ‘sorry’ can’t make up for that,” said the marcher.

The Honolulu Fire Depart-ment, Honolulu Police Depart-ment, Bank of Hawaii, First

Hawaiian Bank, and University of Hawaii representatives were among the many groups that came out to walk.

For some men, the desire to change came through sobriety, as was the case of a 50-year-old man who described the role that drug addiction played in his previous acts of violence. He added that attending church and praying also helped in bet-tering himself.

According to the U.S. De-partment of Justice, 61 percent of domestic violence offenders have had substance abuse problems.

A rally at Honolulu Hale

was held after the march where guest speakers from the Domes-tic Violence Action Center, John A. Burns School of Medicine, and Mayor Kirk Caldwell publi-cally addressed the ongoing is-sue of domestic abuse. Women and children who have died as a result of domestic abuse were also given a moment of silence.

Carly Scott, 27, of Makawao, Maui was five months pregnant and went missing on Feb. 9, 2014. Scott’s disappearance is classified as a homicide, and her boyfriend has been indicted on second-degree murder. Scott was among the women recog-nized at the rally.

“To do good, you have to re-spect yourself, and then affirm others, listen and share feelings honestly, including when you’re upset. As a man, it is important that you share that and express it, and don’t use violence,” said Caldwell.

“When you listen, par-ticularly listen to those who disagree with you. Most im-portantly to me, apologize and make amends. True amends are how you change yourself—it’s not the words. It’s the action,” he continued.

Among the honorary chairs of the march was Dr. Jerris Hedges, dean of the John A.

Burns School of Medicine at UH Mānoa. Hedges recalled a childhood of domestic abuse.

“I myself am a survivor of a family with domestic violence, and I think it’s time we speak out. We’ve been quiet for too long,” said Hedges.

Domestic violence has been an ongoing issue in society, the media and in the local commu-nity. Pop culture has also been blamed for encouraging and normalizing domestic abuse.

Anti-violence groups and the Media Literacy Project grew concerned after the release of

(Above) Honorary chairs lined up Oct. 23 at the State Capitol. (Left) WCC counselor Winston Kong and students demonstrated to raise awareness.

Breaking the silence of domestic abuseb y P u a G u a r d

Ka ‘Ohana Co-Editor

PUA GUARD

SEE DOMESTIC ABUSE PAGE 11

JESSICA CRAWFORD

The Ha’iku Stairs has attracted many hikers from all over the world.BUSINESSINSIDER.COM

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CHIP SOMODEVILLA VIA GETTY IMAGESNOEL NEUBURGER

CITIZENFOUR

10 Ka ‘Ohana

The term “blowing the whistle” has been around since the beginning of the

20th century, but early on, it con-tained a negative connotation, implying one could be labeled a “snitch,” “squealer” or a “rat” for informing on illicit activity.

But by the early 1970s, con-sumer advocate Ralph Nader put a positive spin on the less-than-honorable term by calling for civic-minded “whistleblow-ers” in corporations and govern-ment to step forward to report fraud, corruption and illegal activity.

Today, the term “whistle-blower” has dominated the news media, as people like Ed-ward Snowden, Chelsea Man-ning and others have stepped forward to shine a light on illegal activity, while helping spark a new national debate about whistleblowing, as well as press freedom.

There have been count-less instances of journalists or whistleblowers who find them-selves being persecuted and/or prosecuted for their actions.

Last month saw the release of two new films and a book that highlight cases of whistle-blowing and the crackdown on investigative journalism.

“Citizenfour”

Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Laura Poitras is

no stranger to border crossings and checkpoints.

She claims to have been detained and questioned by federal agents approximately 40 times at U.S. airports and border crossings, even having her com-puter and cameras confiscated and her notebooks and credit cards photocopied.

The interrogations started in 2006 after she began work on her post-9/11 film trilogy. Her first documentary, “My Coun-try, My Country,” was about the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Her second film, “The Oath,” was about Guantanamo.

After learning she may have been placed on a “watch-list,” Poitras decided to edit the third installment of her trilogy, “Citizenfour” in Berlin, for fear her film footage and materials might be confiscated.

“I was filming with several people who were all being tar-geted by the government, and that includes William Binney, the National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower; Thomas Drake, another NSA whistle-

blower; Jacob Appelbaum…and also Julian Assange,” Poitras told Amy Goodman of the news program “Democracy Now.” “I was filming with people that I knew the government had an interest in. I felt like it wasn’t safe for me to travel with the footage. So I had to move to Berlin to edit.”

In January 2013, Poitras started to receive encrypted e-mails from an anonymous source named “Citizenfour,” who claimed to have evidence of illegal surveillance programs run by the NSA and other intel-ligence agencies worldwide.

In June 2013, Poitras, along with reporters Glenn Green-wald and Ewen MacAskill from British newspaper The Guard-ian, flew to Hong Kong to meet their source, who turned out to be Edward Snowden.

Prior to becoming a whistle-blower, Snowden worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as a systems administra-tor. He was stationed in Geneva, Switzerland and responsible for computer network security. With access to a vast amount of information on the Iraq War, Snowden began to become dis-illusioned when encountering information about warrantless wiretapping, drone strikes and torture.

In 2009, Snowden began working for private intelligence contractor Dell in an NSA out-post in Japan. It was while working for Dell that Snowden began collecting documents that detailed illegal government surveillance programs.

In March 2012, Dell reas-signed Snowden to Hawaii, where he worked in NSA’s mas-sive 250,000-square-foot Kunia

bunker. After encountering even more disturbing information about the NSA’s capabilities of the new data storage facility in Bluffdale, Utah, the “last straw” for Snowden was watching di-rector of National Intelligence, James Clapper, lie to Congress about the government’s data collection programs.

In spring of 2013, Snowden resigned from Dell and took a job (and pay cut) with Booz Allen Hamilton in order to gain access to a final trove of secret NSA documents.

Snowden flew to Hong Kong on May 20, 2013 with a pocketful of thumb drives. He was in transit to Cuba when the U.S. revoked his passport, leaving him stranded in Rus-sia where he was eventually granted political asylum and currently resides today.

The film “Citizenfour” chronicles the first of many meetings with Snowden and the ensuing media firestorm as documents detailing the NSA’s massive surveillance programs were published. The film also shows Snowden reunited in Moscow with the longtime girlfriend he’d left behind in Hawaii.

Poitras has won numerous awards for her work, including a 2013 George Polk Award for special achievement in journal-ism. Her reporting on the NSA disclosures also contributed to the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service awarded jointly to The Guardian and The Washington Post.

She co-founded the Inter-cept news website with re-porters Glenn Greenwald and Jeremy Scahill.

Near the end of “Citizen-

four,” Scahill makes an appear-ance as it’s revealed there’s a second whistleblower that has stepped forward with informa-tion about the U.S. government’s watch list programs.

Perhaps there’s a fourth Poitras film in the making?

“Pay Any Price: Greed, Power, and Endless War”

Before Snowden, many people have stepped forward to

speak out about the NSA’s sur-veillance programs—including Thomas Tamm, Russ Tice, Mark Klein, Thomas Drake, James Bamford and William Binney—to name a few.

In 2004, shortly before the presidential election, New York Times reporters, James Risen and Eric Lichtblau, co-wrote an article detailing how the Bush administration, within weeks of the Sept. 11 attacks, secretly authorized the NSA to conduct warrantless wiretaps on U.S. citizens.

But, at the request of White House and National Security officials, the Times waited on publishing the story. It was a story containing revelations that, if published, could have changed the outcome of the 2004 Bush/Kerry election.

After waiting nearly a year for the article to be published, Risen told editors that he was going to include the material in his book, “State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration.”

The editors decided to run Risen and Lichtblau’s story in December of 2005.

The article and the series of reports they co-wrote about NSA programs won both Risen

and Lichtblau the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting.

Risen’s book, “State of War” also included another story the Times did not publish, involving a CIA operation and the Iran nuclear weapons program.

While doing research for the book, Risen’s communica-tions were monitored and traced to Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA operations officer who was under investigation for leaking classified information. Sterling was indicted in 2010 under the Espionage Act.

Risen, who was subpoe-naed by the Bush administra-tion to testify against Sterling in 2008, fought the subpoena and it expired in 2009. The Obama administration renewed the subpoena in 2010.

Risen currently awaits the possibility of serving jail time for not testifying in Sterling’s trial, despite new guidelines is-sued this year to make it harder to subpoena journalists for their records and sources.

Risen’s case is one of the most significant press freedom cases in U.S. history.

In an interview on “Democ-racy Now”, Risen was asked if he will reveal the name of his source.

“No,” he said. He was then asked why.

“You cannot have aggres-sive investigative reporting in America without confidential sources. And without aggres-sive investigative reporting, we can’t really have a democracy, because the only real oversight for the government is an inde-pendent and aggressive press,” he said.

“And I think that’s what the government really fears more than anything else—aggressive investigative reporting in which we shine a light on what’s go-ing on inside the government. And we can’t do that without maintaining the confidentiality of sources.”

Risen’s new book, “Pay Any Price: Greed, Power, and End-less War” details what Risen calls “the homeland security-industrial complex,” and the vast amount of money that went into brand new, unregulated counterterrorism programs post-9/11.

“Kill the Messenger”

The movie, “Kill the Messen-ger” is based on the experi-

ences of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb, who in 1996, wrote the “Dark Alliance” series of investigative articles for

The war on

Last month two films, “Kill the Messenger” and “Citizenfour,” and James Risen’s book, “Pay Any Price: Greed, Power, and Endless War,” were released, all three highlighting cases of whistleblowing and the crackdown on investigative journalism.

journalists and whistleblowersPresident Barack Obama has been criticized for prosecuting more whistleblowers under his administration than all others combined. He also renewed the subpoena for New York Times reporter James Risen to testify in the case of Jeffrey Sterling.

Clockwise from left: journalist Gary Webb, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and New York Times reporter James Risen.

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

SEE WHISTLEBLOWING PAGE 11

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Editorial 11Ka ‘OhanaN o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4

How should WCC improve online classes?

the San Jose Mercury News. Webb’s work exposed how, in order to fund the efforts against

the Nicaraguan Sandinista government, the CIA (in the ‘80s) alleg-edly supported cocaine trafficking into the U.S. by the Nicaraguan Contras. The trafficking was said to have led to the subsequent crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles.

Many WCC students may not have been alive during the ‘80s. It was Ronald Reagan’s “war on drugs” era, a time where it was common to see DARE stickers on cars, and the anti-drug slogan of “Just Say No” preached throughout schools.

Webb’s “Dark Alliance” began to peel back the DARE sticker, exposing the corruption and hypocrisy during the height of the “war on drugs.” To this day, it remains one of the most controversial exposés in American journalism.

A look at Webb’s career shows a dark side to mainstream media. A smear campaign was launched against Webb as peers from Los Angeles Times, New York Times and Washington Post (and others) worked to discredit his work. Documents recently released through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show Webb’s smear cam-paign was watched over and even coordinated by the CIA, showing it used its relations with U.S. media to promote stories that attacked Webb’s research.

When Webb’s reporting drew fierce criticism, the San Jose Mercury News dropped the “Dark Alliance” series and reassigned Webb. He eventually resigned in ’97 and published his material in a book, released in ‘98. Despite winning awards for his reporting, Webb found it hard to find work. After an eight-year downward spiral, Webb ended his life in 2004 with two gunshots to the head.

In December 1997, the news program “Democracy Now” asked Webb how “Dark Alliance” had changed his life.

“The one thing that really changed my outlook on it was how powerful the press can be when it’s used in the correct way. I mean, when it actually tells people the truth about what the government is doing, when it doesn’t pull any punches and lays it out there, people respond to that.”

Whistleblowing FROM PAGE 10

Domestic violence FROM PAGE 9

Eminem and Rihanna’s song “Love the Way You Lie,” which depicts a couple’s abusive rela-tionship.

“When the media poses questions like ‘Why did she stay?’ or ‘What did she do to provoke the violence?’ it teaches us to view abuse as an equal playing field, as if those hurt physically, psychologically, emotionally or sexually some-how chose this violence,” said Kealii Byer an Outreach Educa-tor with the DVAC.

Byer has spoken to over 40,000 youth across the state, providing them with informa-tion and advice on domestic violence prevention. He ac-tively works with runaway,

homeless youth in Waikiki who have chosen a life on the streets to escape abuse at home.

“If we can reach folks at a young age, we can help them recognize the difference be-tween healthy dating traits and those that perpetuate more violence. We will be equipping young people to actively ad-dress domestic violence,” said Byer.

Passing legislation that ensures the legal system takes the needs of victims seriously, building safe havens for the abused, and providing funds for ongoing health needs and legal representation are among the areas Byer believes will put an end to domestic violence.

As a student who has taken online classes at WCC, I understand how challeng-ing they can be if you are not diligent in your studies. Because of this, classes that should have been easy As̒ for me turned into B’s or C’s. I think it comes down to com-munication.

An online instructor who really cares about the quality of work of their online stu-dents will keep an open line of communication with their students and vice-versa.

—Lokahi Hoopii

I actually prefer online classes because they are a

little more flexible to your schedule. I like that I could see the entire class plan from start to finish. This made it easier to work ahead if I needed to. One thing they could im-prove on is communication. Through the whole course I never talked directly to my teacher. There were no email or conferences. The course could have been improved by providing students a way to send our teacher work to edit before turning in a final product. —Nadia Kamae I would like to see more variety of language courses of-

fered at WCC, such as Filipino, German and French. I would also like to see philosophy classes as well.

—Cynthia Cuestas

In general, it’s good to have instructional videos scattered throughout the mod-ules…Homework and quizzes should allow a forward and backward tab in the case we skip chapters or would like to come back later. —Graco Franco

I like the online courses that we have right now. I am taking history and sociol-ogy online. They both include reading, essay-writing, and both professors were quick to provide feedback.

Some classes do not lend themselves to online format…I do best in face-to-face, where procedural and pronuncia-tion errors can be fixed im-mediately before they become habitual. —Katherine Souza

I feel that WCC should educate students more about online courses, such as in-

forming them on the basics of an online class…I would love to see more classes regarding the medical field since KCC is a bit far for Windward stu-dents.

—Carey Maloney

I took an online course with WCC…I learned a lot in the course and succeed-ed. Perhaps if instructors could post short help vid-eos on certain topics or brief commentary or readings, or a couple of worked prob-lems, it brings more benefits. —Jennifer Au

I would like to see a consolidation of all online classwork to be submitted via

online. There should not be 3 to 4 different sites to complete work on. I would like see more introductory-level classes. For example, English 100, to make room for more challenging classes where face-to-face is beneficial.

—Toni Diforle

Fixing Laulima to ensure that students and teachers are able to effectively share and receive valuable information need to learn course mate-rial. There have been so many times where the server slows or Laulima freezes.

I would also like to see more variety of online teach-ers. We need more options!

—Stephanie Huddy

When hunger strikes, head on over to the WCC bookstore for a new array of food choices.

Selections include personal size DiGiorno pizzas and bur-ritos as well as saimin noodle cups, cereal bowls, cookies, banana nut cake and cheese and crackers.

“With the cafeteria closed until spring, we thought we should help fill the gap with some other low-cost menu items,” said bookstore manager Debralee Goto.

There’s hot water for the soup and a microwave to warm up the pizzas and burritos. The freezer also offers a variety of ice cream sandwiches and treats.

Bridging the campus food gap

Arts & Entertainment N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4

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12 Ka ‘Ohana

WCC gets into theHalloween ‘spirit’

My most bizarre “Black Friday” experience was that I stayed home. Yes! I didn’t go out to line up at Best Buy and cloth-ing stores. I stayed home and just watched the news about people camping outside stores just to buy TVs and stuff on sale.

— Jenell Derrada My most bizarre experi-

ence happened this past “Black Friday.” My family usually splits into groups, and we all spread out and wait in line for what we want. My cousin and I were standing in line to get a wireless speaker from Wal-Mart.

If you ever been to a “Black Friday” at Wal-Mart, you know that the items are random-ly placed around the store, wrapped in plastic.

Around 10:30 p.m., some-one ripped open the plastic and started to grab speakers, which, of course, caused everyone to go

nuts and grab speakers. I was able to secure one for

myself; then it was my cousin’s turn to go in. She grabbed one and on her way out of the crowd, some guy grabbed her, trying to take the speaker from her.

She was trying to pull away, but he was holding her wrist. I ran over and punched the guy in the head.

He let go of my cousin. We were able to run away and buy our speakers. But never again am I going to a “Black Friday” at Wal-Mart.

—Ho‘ea Makaike It has been more than five

years since I last tried to go shopping on a “Black Friday.” My friend’s mom had to work that day, but she had a list of places she wanted us to go.

Our first stop was Wal-Mart, and that year, the store

had people line up outside wait-ing for the doors to open.

We had to wake up at 2 a.m. to get in line. I can’t remember how long we waited or what we needed to pick up. But once we entered the store, there was no-where to walk and people were rushing in and out of the aisles.

Then it was on to Waikele Shopping Center. I remember the line of cars were all the way out to the main roads. I remem-ber giving up after an hour of waiting.

Now I just stay at home or go to work. No sale is that important.

— Latisha Sambrana-Sojot

My most bizarre experience was when I was working at Sears in Windward Mall. I just got hired as seasonal Christmas help, and my first day on the job was “Black Friday” morning at 2 a.m. The lines were out the door

around the whole parking lot. People were literally camping out. I was in a state of shock, staring at all those people I had to help as a cashier.

They were mad and frus-trated for waiting so long. I will never forget how terrifying and stressful that day was for me. — Gerry McMillan

The craziest thing I saw was at Wal-Mart in Mililani. We went around eleven at night so we could wait in the store at different areas that we wanted to get certain items. They open at 11 p.m. but you have to wait in lines until 4 a.m. to purchase items.

Areas with bigger, more expensive items were guard-ed because there were lim-ited items and they had to make sure that people who were there first got first dibs. Since everyone is just stand-

ing around waiting in line, all you can do is meet new people and talk story. It was pretty cool. You get to hear all their crazy stories from past “Black Fridays.”

As soon as the clock hit four, people started ripping off the plastic and getting wild. There were people running around, rudely bumping into people, trying to squeeze their way through, throwing items everywhere, trying to look for certain items they wanted, just like animals in a zoo.

It gets really crazy, but I like the rush it gave me.

–Noelani Rodriguez

Sitting outside Best Buy in San Diego in 40-degree weather, waiting to buy a laptop. Watch-ing and holding my purse (to protect it) from all the crazy mainland people.

— EdiAnn Gomes

First, there was “Monster Monday” followed by “Tacky Tourist Tuesday,” “Wacky Wednesday,” “Look-Alike Thursday” and the culmination, of

course, Halloween Friday.WCC students, faculty and staff roamed the campus

in full costume for the chance to have some fun. One team even invaded Chancellor Doug Dykstra’s office while he was out of town. (Hmmm, chancellor times six — now that’s scary.)

Ghouls and vampires, the Flintstones, court jesters, the Mad Hatter, tourists with plastic lei and umbrella drinks . . . .What more could you ask for at Halloween?

What was your most bizarre ‘Black Friday’ experience?