Volume 43, No. 2 October 2014

Ka ‘Ohana now on Facebook

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

Crayons and classrooms

b y A s h l e y S h a n k l e sKa ‘Ohana Editor in Chief

ber of Phi Theta Kappa, WCC s̒ honor society.

While juggling her family life, work and school, Kam found time to survey the student body and present the results at the American Association of Uni-versity Women conference in Seattle, Washington last semester.

“The process took about two months, gathering all the data and survey results, as well as visiting child care facilities on other community col-leges and evaluating costs of child care and the length of waiting lists on the Windward side,” said Kam.

Although WCC was not giv-en the grant avail-able in Seattle, AAUW was able to partner with Ardis Eschenberg, vice chancellor of academic affairs, and the student-parent group on campus. Together, they pooled their skills and strengths in pursuit of this goal.

Since the surveys are in accordance with the Master Plan committee, WCC was able to utilize the research for the Title III Grant.

According to the schoolwide sur-vey, more than half of the participants had a child in their household under the age of two.

Although other issues were brought to the attention of the Master Plan com-mittee including parking, renovations and Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) research, child care ranked high among student concerns.

“Child care was a need that wasn’t addressed and would allow us to bet-

ter accommodate our native Hawaiian students,” said Eschenberg.

Even with steep prices ranging from $800 to $1,500 per month, depend-ing on part-time or full-time care, only a few Windward side facilities will ac-cept children less than 3 years of age. With the current ratio of 1:6 (infants) and 1:8 (toddlers), parents are often left on waitlists and without child care.

“We want to eliminate that barrier for students and make education more accessible,” said Eschenberg.

Although the grants allow for only a few years for planning, reno-vation, staffing and implementa-tion, Eschenberg is confident that the program will not only be suc-cessful, but self-sustaining by the end of the five-year marker.

The grant employs staffing that may experiment with new teaching styles, while integrating a Hawaiian immersion approach.

Since Title III rewards efforts in Ha-waiian language and STEM research, WCC found a way to incorporate child care, while prioritizing the value of the Hawaiian language.

Highly trained early childhood teachers will staff the center’s small classes on a “block” schedule that will be able to accommodate up to 23 infants and toddlers.

Among the first to be hired will be a kupuna, who can design the Hawai-ian immersion aspect of the program. After the facility has been established, a student-parent counselor will come

WCC students who are also par-ents face a common dilemma each semester: how to juggle

child care with the demands of school, work and more.

The problem multiplies since Wind-ward is the only UH community college without some form of child care on campus.

The average child care cost for in-fants and toddlers under the age of 3 is higher than a year’s tuition and fees at a public college in Hawai‘i, according to a recent survey. Available spaces are very limited, especially on the Windward side, for the children in this age group.

However, the good news is WCC’s recent $9.9 million federal Title III grant will help student-parents on campus who need a convenient, lower-cost child care option. The five-year project will begin with plans to renovate part of Akoakoa Café and lanai while childcare implementation takes place over the next two years.

According to a recent campus sur-vey, student-parents are more likely to drop out of school, and they most often cite caregiving responsibilities and lim-ited financial resources as their reasons for leaving.

“Being a mother of three, I under-stand the pain a mom goes through to find child care as she’s trying to better herself,” said Michelle Kam, an early childhood education major and mem-

on board to help with the transitional phase for parents seeking higher edu-cation.

“When my kids graduate, I want to know they won’t face the same hardships we do and will be able to seek an education. That is the whole point of this, isn’t it? To educate our community?

“That community has a lot of kids, and for that we need child care,” said Francine Vierra, a liberal arts major and mother of four.

WCC plans to use the “end mon-ey,” totaling under $5 million, for STEM-related projects.

“In the beginning we’ll add per-sonnel to develop curriculum aimed towards an ASNS (Associate in Sci-ence in Natural Science) degree,” said Eschenberg. “In addition, they’ll also renovate classrooms to create better resources for students attending online classes.”

Along with the development of STEM courses, WCC will also develop the “dip” or swale in the lawn near Palanakila to better complement the Imaginarium.

An estimated $2.2 million will go toward the completion of Hale Uluwehi (the agriculture building) renovations, including ventilation and media/tech advancements.

Also, science degree seekers can look forward to the conversion of a dry-to-wet lab in the “Imiloa building within the next three years.

With all the upcoming renovations, WCC hopes to enrich the experience of not only the native Hawaiian popula-tion on campus, but all students alike.

STEM PLANS AND RENOVATIONS “We want to eliminate that barrier for students

and make education more accessible” — Ardis Eschenberg

JESSICA CRAWFORD

WCC awarded $9.9 million grant for child care and STEM

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

O c t o 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

2 NEWS of the DAYKa ‘Ohana

Notorious terrorists strike again

Radicalized American members of the terrorist group Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, are

returning to the United States homeland and pose a threat to national security, according to Department of Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson.

In a 42-minute audio clip released by the terrorists on Sept. 22, an ISIS member states that they are willing to bring down their enemies’ homelands and calls on Muslims globally to attack Americans and other international al-lies. Britain, France, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and five Arab states are among the U.S. allies listed.

Is ISIS capable of orchestrating another 9/11? In a national bulletin released Sept. 23, the DHS and FBI is-sued a warning for “lone wolf” attacks by self-radicalized terrorists. Foreign fighters are a new concept and ISIS has recruited at least 100 Americans; 40 have returned home, according to U.S. Rep. Tim Bishop.

“These guys are not your stereo-typical terrorist group; they seriously want to become a nation state,” says WCC political science professor Roy Fujimoto. In the past, al-Qaeda was considered the worst terrorist group, but ISIS has proved to be even more violent.

“These guys (ISIS) could be far more dangerous in the long run because their intention is to create a caliphate, which includes the entire world,” says Fuji-moto. A caliphate, by definition, is an Islamic state, but in theory is supposed to “encompass” every Muslim on Earth.

ISIS followers believe that they are the only Muslim religion and are willing to use any means necessary to spread their ideology. In their campaign to es-tablish a caliphate, they have executed thousands of women and children of religious minorities, beheaded civilian victims, burned down churches, and inflicted terror in Syria and in regions of Iraq.

“They’re dangerous specifically because they have this ideology behind their actions, and this ideology is their interpretation of Islam, the faith… And it’s a very literal interpretation,” says Fujimoto.

A video released by ISIS on Oct. 3

depicted the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning, who was taken hostage last year. That makes him the fourth Westerner in several weeks to be executed by the Islamic State.

The recent beheading video bears a striking resemblance to previous ex-ecutions of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

In an attempt to recreate a scene from the popular American series, “Homeland,” Haines is shown in front of a desert landscape, wearing an or-ange jumpsuit and kneeling alongside a masked militant.

The militant, speaking with a British accent, holds a knife to Henning’s throat and appears to be the same person in all four beheading videos.

b y P u a G u a r dKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Henning addresses the camera, blaming his death on British Parlia-ment’s decision to attack the Islamic State. American captive Peter Kassig makes an appearance at the end of the clip; the ISIS militant states that Kassig’s execution will be next.

Abducted the day after Christmas, Henning had voluntarily gone to Syria last December to distribute food and water to those affected by that country’s war.

Kassig, a former U.S. soldier, was abducted on Oct. 1 while working in Syria. He had gone to help Syrian refu-gees in a Lebanese hospital and started his own aid group, Special Emergency Response and Assistance.

His group supplied Syrian refugees

with propane fuel tanks, cooking stoves, blankets and other necessities, accord-ing to a 2013 Time magazine article.

ISIS has recently gained notoriety through its online propaganda on so-cial media and websites. Videotaped beheadings of American and British citizens resulted in President Barack Obama’s proposal of a four-point coun-ter-terrorism plan released Sept. 10 to “degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS.”• First, he stated the U.S. and its allies

will conduct a series of airstrikes tar-geting ISIS in Syria, marking the first time airstrikes have been conducted in that country. Airstrikes in Iraq will also be expanded.

• Second, he plans to ramp up combat assistance to the Syrian military in Syria, as well as continue supporting the training of Iraqi and Kurdish sol-diers in intelligence and equipment.

• Third, he said the U.S. will work closely with allied nations to cut off funding and resources of ISIS, and collaborate with allies to strengthen intelligence and military defenses.

• Last, he pledged to continue to pro-vide humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of religious minorities who have been forced to leave their homeland because of ISIS.

What is the difference between the Islamic State, ISIS and ISIL? Are they all the same?

All these names refer to the same terrorist group.

The Islamic State recognizes the group’s self-declared nation state and the terrorists announced in June 2014 that this is their preferred name.

ISIS refers to Iraq and Syria, where as the Levant refers to the region includ-ing most of modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Cyprus, and parts of Turkey. In essence, the Levant includes much more territory than just Syria.

How is ISIS being funded?ISIS has confiscated hundreds of

millions of dollars worth of military equipment from bases in Iraq and Syria, and currently controls territory in Iraq, which produces up to 40,000 barrels of oil a day estimated at $1.5 million on the black market.

How long has ISIS been around?The extremist group has been in ex-

istence since 2004, when they were for-merly identified as “al-Qaeda in Iraq.”

U.S. troops and Sunni militants briefly defeated the group in 2006 counterterrorism efforts in Iraq, but in the years that followed, “Al-Qaeda in Iraq” strengthened its military forces, amassed its assets and recruited mem-bers, rebranding itself the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

The CIA estimates there are 21,000 to 31,500 ISIS members in Syria and Iraq.

What is ISIS’s relationship with al-Qaeda?

ISIS branched off of al-Qaeda in February 2014. Today, al-Qaeda denies its association with ISIS and does not ap-prove of the group’s killing tactics and bans on music and other “un-Islamic” behaviors.

FAQs on ISIS

I believe we should be playing more of a secondary support role. There are an alleged 40+ countries who have allied against ISIS and that in itself should be enough. Instead of controlling the situ-ation, we should bolster others who are in that region to protect their own land, freedom and family.

—Jose Henriquez

I’m going to go against what every-one else says. We do not need boots on the ground. Our fighting force is too split up already, especially after sending 3,000 medics to fight Ebola. I feel it is just adding risk where risk isn’t needed.

—Noah Schuetz

What should the U.S. response be to the terror group ISIS?I believe we should send our troops

over and deal with the threat. ISIS has been killing hundreds of innocent peo-ple before they killed the Americans.

This topic also hits home for me because I was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, there was a little boy that ran across a cornfield just to say “hi” to us. When his father caught up, he said hello and offered us food. So it pains me that this group is giving Islam and Muslims a bad name.

—Alesandro Garcia

I think we need to continue air-strikes with assistance from other countries. They (ISIS) are not just our

concern. Terrorist attacks from Muslim extremists happen all over the world. We need help on an international level.

The people of Iraq are not united and do not wish to defend their country, so they’ll be repeated targets. Someone is going to have to do it for them. With that said, how do you fight a religion?

Extremists have taken the words of the prophet Mohammed and inter-preted them to mean something evil and disturbing. They believe if you are not Muslim, you are the enemy. I know nothing short of the appearance of God himself that will stop these terrorist movements.

— Anonymous

(Top) The black flag with white Arabic writing has become the Islamic State’s trademark.(Bottom from left) Beheaded victims James Foley, Steven Sotloff, and Alan Henning.

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 ‘OhanaO c t o b e r 2 0 1 4

Windward Commu-nity College kicked off its first Job Fair

Sept. 25 with free food, a talent showcase, giveaways and the opportunity to land a job.

“The Job Fair was awe-some,” said Ryan Perreira, WCC’s career and workforce development counselor. With the event being held in the breezeway of Hale Palanakila and Hale La‘akea, more stu-dents were able to stop by the fair between classes.

Students could be inter-viewed right on site. Jonathan Blais said, “It was easy; I filled out an application and (one employer) interviewed me on the spot.”

Blais also has three more interviews scheduled from the many vendors he visited.

“Employers loved the vol-ume of students,” said Per-reira. He estimated about 500 people attended the event. Stu-dents said employers seemed very helpful and gave them the feeling that they wanted to interview students.

What was the best part of the day? “The talent show —lots of talent and laughing,” he replied.

Students could showcase their talents — from classic Hawaiian music and hula to

reggae — to provide entertain-ment for the crowd. Timothy Kim-Vitale said although he didn’t think he did all that well demonstrating his dance moves, he said it was still a lot of fun.

As the talent show contin-ued, so did the giveaways.

Local radio stations and on-campus groups gave out raffle prizes throughout the day. One lucky student won an iPad Mini from the Agree to Degree program, which encouraged students to sign a pledge to complete their as-sociate’s degree or certificate program.

WCC’s Mental Health Group also introduced a new program they will be starting here at Windward called “Post-SecretU.”

Students will be able to anonymously fill out post-cards with their “secrets” and put them in designated boxes around campus. The cards will then be posted once a month.

“People can see what other people have gone through, and maybe feel less alone,” said Mariana Monasi, project coordinator.

Perreira credited the Job Fair’s success to the help he received from many people on campus. “I would like to thank them all,” said Perreira, who added he is planning to host another fair next year.

Hali’a Hester’s life changed for her in 2010. She went from spending

time as a wife and mom, home school-ing and raising her children to enroll-ing at WCC and HCC.

“When my youngest went from home school to private school in the 7th-grade, I decided to go to school to finish up,” said Hester. She initially attended college one year after high school in 1985 but didn’t get to finish.

WCC student William Cook spent two decades in a career in the military. Going through a divorce and not hav-ing a place to live helped him to focus on something else. That “something else” became going to college in Janu-ary 2013.

“I just got out of the military, and I didn’t want to go back to doing that kind of work. I wanted to look at col-lege as a fresh start to see what else is out there besides what I was doing,” he explained.

Both Hester and Cook are what would be considered non-traditional students.

What is a non-traditional student? According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the

primary federal entity for collecting education data, “Most often age… has been the defining characteristic for this population.” At WCC, a non-traditional student is classified as 25 years and older.

Why attend college years after high school?

Hester, 48, is pursuing a bachelor of science degree in computer science at UH Mānoa. She noted how interest-

ing it is to see so many non-traditional students enrolled now.

“I don’t know if it’s just the signs of the times, how things are changing …people having to go back to reconfigure their lives,” she said.

“I know people who got laid off and had to get a new skill. I just want to finish and get a job.”

While she has been attending col-lege, she added that what she has en-

joyed most is the challenge and learning new things.

Cook, 34, is pursuing an A.A. in liberal arts, and may change to an A.A. in Hawaiian Studies. He said college was an opportunity for him to figure things out. In his previous career in the military, he said the pay was good, but it wasn’t helping him to feel fulfilled.

“So in that sense, I didn’t feel like I was helping people and I felt like it was deteriorating my home life,” he explained.

In college, he said he has enjoyed the people he has met, as well as the intellectual conversations and the dif-ferent viewpoints.

According to NCES, two-year insti-tutions had the highest proportion of non-traditional students. At WCC, fall semesters 2012 to 2014 show that 42 per-cent of students were non-traditional. About 64 percent were females and 36 percent males.

Twenty-five percent were full-time students and 75 percent were part-time. An average of 83 percent were pursuing A.A. or A.S. degrees.

A non-traditional student may have a story about his or her college journey. Ask about it because their story might inspire or intrigue you.

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

Non-traditional students take on changeb y D e b b r a B a e t z

Ka ‘Ohana Writer

Geared for careers at the Job Fair

Hali’a Hester William Cook

(From top) The Job Fair featured an iPad mini giveaway from the Agree to Degree program with Krezy Oshiro and Jessica Reed from Island 98.5, HPD recruitment, and voting registration information.

BONNIE BEATSON

ASHLEY SHANKLES

JESSICA CRAWFORD COURTESY WILLIAM COOK

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

4 CAMPUS NEWSKa ‘Ohana

This House believes Daffy Duck has a worse speech impediment

than Elmer Fudd.” Then passion-ate pro and con statements fly back and forth as Daffy Duck fans debate against the Elmer Fudd camp. Novice debaters typically begin their training by taking one side of an issue.

If you want to have fun and build confidence, join the Debate Club and express your opinions. No experience is necessary. Club members say they have improved their communication skills and expanded their ability to think creatively.

In Spring 2013, WCC was the first community college to win a tourna-ment in the state’s history of collegiate debate. Michael Gifford was on the winning WCC team at the 7th Warrior Intramural Debate Tournament at UH Mānoa.

“Debate for me is purely for fun and passion, which is why I believe we have an edge,” said Gifford. “I debate because I want to debate . . .and the

teams from Harvard and Stanford as well as from around the world.

Student Lani Kealoha, studying to be a veterinarian, participated for the first time in the WCC debates on Oct. 11. She will graduate with an A.A. in liberal arts next May and plans to transfer to UH Mānoa to earn a bach-elor’s degree in animal science.

“Debate takes a lot of self-control, and it teaches you to be open-minded,” said Kealoha.

The Debate Club’s goals are to help students improve speaking skills and learn to argue constructively.

The club meets every Wednesday from 2:30 to 5 p.m. in the Speech Lab in Hale La’akea. Meetings are typi-cally lively, fast-paced and filled with laughter.

“No prior knowledge and experi-ence is needed to join,” said Audrey Mendoza Badua, advisor and WCC speech instructor.

“Debate Club is for anyone and will help you learn skills to present yourself with accurate information.”

If you’re interested in participat-ing, e-mail amendoza@hawaii.edu.

MySuccess assists academic journey

College is the land of opportu-nity, and one way to guarantee success is to use those oppor-

tunities from the start. MySuccess is a new tool WCC is launching to help students map their path to higher learning.

This Laulima tool is based on the importance of communication between students and their school. There are many factors that play into both sides of the equation. However, the student is the one who needs to make the choice that this knowledge is important.

MySuccess’ main goal is to help students stay informed about their own academic journey.

“It’s exactly what the name is,” explained counselor Carla Rogers. “For students, MySuccess is here to help them achieve their own success in my time here at WCC.”

Teachers are given surveys with basic questions to answer about stu-dents: not doing well in class, unfin-

ished assignments, poor attendance, and below par test scores, to name a few.

The option is also given to the teacher to leave good remarks or con-structive criticism about students to help them know they are doing well or how they can do better.

When teachers fill out the surveys, any negative marks will be brought to the attention of counselors personally assigned to students. The counselor then contacts the student to offer ad-vice or inquire about the teacher’s point of view.

“We’re trying to help students out before it’s too late,” said Ka Piko coor-dinator Joe Yoshida. “Many students just go to class, then go straight home. We want them to see all the resources that the school offers.”

This semester MySuccess is avail-able only to developmental courses as well as some frosh classes and expects to expand to all classes by the spring.

“We want to build transferrable skills to make students successful in whatever they choose to pursue past WCC,” explained Rogers.

Joe Yoshida and Carla Rogers stand ready to help students in their academic quests.

As a community college, WCC has a much smaller student-to-teacher ratio than our big brother, UH Mānoa. However, many deadlines and dates follow the same process. The last day to withdraw without a W and the last to withdraw and still get money back

from your tuition are important dates for both UH and WCC.

“We care so much about the stu-dents and their success,” said Rogers. “We not only want them to be success-ful, but we want to help them become successful.”

Word knowledge is “POWER”!1. Dissonance: (noun) lack of agreement; an instance of inconsistency.“There is a dissonance between what we are told and what we see by that politician.”

2. Insidious: (adj) causing harm in a way that is gradual or not easily noticed; awaiting a chance to entrap; harmful but enticing.“My friend is in an insidious relationship; I don’t know how to help her.”

3. Reckoning: (noun) the act of calculating the amount of something; time when your actions are judged as good or bad and you are rewarded or punished; settling of accounts.“When the day of reckoning comes, we will have to face some unpleasant truths.”

4. Succinct: (adj) using few words to state or express an idea.“She gave a succinct overview of the project.”

5. Facetious: (adj) treating serious issues with humor; joking or jesting“He was being facetious when he commented on that problem.”

b y G r a n t K o n oKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

JESSICA CRAWFORD

Debaters learn the fine art of persuasionb y F l o r a O b a y a s h iKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

“

First row: Audrey Mendoza Badua (Debate Coach), Gavin Ijima, Jonathan Wong, Liam deClive Lowe. Second row: Jonah Aberilla, John West, Jonathan Lam and Mike Gifford.

art of argumentation grows stronger and allows me to communicate with clarity.”

WCC hosted its second debate tournament on Oct. 11, with teams from UH Manoa, Leeward Commu-nity College, Waipahu High School, LCC Waianae Campus, and Hawaii Pacific University competing.

Topics debated were support for

carbon credits and abolish the penny. The WCC tournament gives first-

time debaters experience to participate in the Intramural Debate Tournament at UH Mānoa held in November.

The intramural experience will carry the team forward to the HPU Pan-Pacific Debates in February 2015. The HPU tournament is an interna-tional competition attracting debate

Spring 2015 Registration Dates

ONLINE REGISTRATION

for continuing WCC students begins November 3. Log on to: myuh.hawaii.edu

COUNSELOR REGISTRATION APPOINTMENTS

for all students begins November 10.

Call 235-7413 for more information.

FLORA OBAYASHI

by Lokelani Correa

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

O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4

Wordsmith emerges from the ashes

Friends say her beauty is undeniable, her intel-ligence praise-worthy and her poems powerful enough to capture your soul.

They describe her as “a force of nature” and “a smoking gun,” a nickname given to her after winning a boxing match in her youth. It also happens to be the image tattooed on her forearm.

But WCC student Ashley Shankles also knows what it’s like to feel hopeless and broken. She admits to being addicted in the past to crack cocaine, meth, Ketamine, Ecstasy, weed and alcohol.

Four years ago, Ashley fled her sexually, physi-cally and mentally abusive partner at the height of the violence, which led to her becoming homeless. In the epiphany of her newfound sobriety, she recognized the need for help and called her parents to come home.

Shortly after arriving in Honolulu, she found out she was pregnant. “I thought I didn’t deserve her. I have to earn her. I need to be an example. How do I earn the respect of my child?” she recalls. Thoughts raced through her mind and fueled something beauti-ful — a second chance at life.

Ashley was born in Okinawa, Japan and moved with her family to Texas and later to New Mexico.

“Because we didn’t know much English, we were often made fun of, so we would hide out in the library,” she remembers. “Between our music teacher and the school librarian, we learned how to read and speak English.”

Today, Ashley, 24, is a campus leader and a “word-aholic” who loves reading, writing and performance poetry. She’ll write at stoplights, in lengthy lectures or on a break, and she loves random conversations.

She also admits to being a very driven individual. She tutors for nine different subjects at school, is a creative writing facilitator for Pacific Tongues and serves as president of the Poets’ Society while working as editor in chief of Ka ‘Ohana.

With all that on her plate, she still makes time to be a friend; friendship isn’t something she takes lightly. It’s through friendship and hope that she plans to change the world.

Looking back on her dark days, Ashley recalls how her life was out of control and hopeless. She was a high school dropout, serious drug addict and sleeping wherever she could rest her head.

But it was during those years that she was given hope through the friendship of her high school

sweetheart, Jesse De Santiago, and her “Crossroads” counselor, Sharon Baty.

“Jesse was my best friend, my teacher and my strongest motivation,” she said with tears streaming down her face.

He, too, was a high school dropout who possessed extreme talent that no one noticed, “yet he believed in me,” said Ashley.

“Sharon taught me how to empower myself as a woman and a person…seeing that I had any influence at all means more to me than half of my achievements.”

Ashley quickly lightened the conversation by describing the project she is currently working on — a non-profit program dedicated to at-risk teenagers and domestic violence victims.

“How do you teach them that they are special?” she asked. “Believe in them until they believe in them-selves. That will make the change and start a wave.”

As a former participant of Domestic Violence of Adults and Children (DVAC), she currently facilitates workshops to help other participants. Ashley believes in the power of community.

“The community is my family and, by teaching my family, I hope they will teach others…and together we can raise an active-minded society,” she says. “I’m not a teacher, I am a facilitator. The goal is that we don’t know who is helping whom by the end of the program.”

The youth program is planned to be statewide in 10 years and is dedicated to Jesse and all other artists. “He is the one person who made the greatest change in me, both positive and negative…he is a treasure,” she adds.

Ashley has definitely emerged from the ashes but remains grounded in reality. She battled stage one cervical cancer over the summer, and it hasn’t slowed her down one bit.

In fact, this is her third semester on the Dean’s List, while taking five-to-seven classes each term. As a high school dropout and former drug addict, she considers this an absolute feat in itself.

“I am very ambitious and fueled with caffeine and hope,” says Ashley, who plans to graduate this semester and transfer to UH Mānoa.

She has a 15-to-20 year plan in which she wants to attain at least two master s̒ degrees and maybe a doctorate. She credits everything she s̒ learned about what she wants to be in life to WCC — from professors and administrators to fellow students and custodians.

“Knowledge is everywhere, and everyone has an impact on your life. Whether or not you choose to see it, they will shape you. You’re the only one who puts a limit on yourself.”

She laughed how she can fit 57 hours into her 24-hour day through micro-management and always making time for herself.

“Because if you lose yourself, you lose your star player and you lose the game, son,” says Ashley matter-of-factly. “And you don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’re from.”

Ashley’s life is the epitome of community effort, and she recognizes the amazing network of support from her family and friends.

“I couldn’t have done any of this without the hard work and determination my parents lived by. My two beautiful sisters are Samantha, who is powerful and influential in my life and Scarlet, who is basically Lyla’s daddy. I probably don’t thank her enough, but she defines what it means to be family.”

And to her daughter, Lyla, she would say, “Love will conquer fear . . Never regret the things that made you smile!”

“All I need — all anyone needs — is a partner in crime, or someone to share the last scoop of ice cream.”

HPD and domestic violence

Honolulu police sergeant Darren Cachola was re-

cently placed under scrutiny after a leaked video showed the off-duty police officer purport-edly punching and chasing his girlfriend, Deberah Aton, at a Waipahu restaurant.

A grand jury decided on Oct. 8 that there wasn’t enough evidence to indict Cachola with assault after viewing several other surveillance videos that were not made public and after hearing eyewitness tes-timonies.

One of the videos present-ed to the grand jury depicted the couple laughing and jok-ingly pushing each other before Aton takes off her high heels

and strikes Cachola.HPD officers who respond-

ed did not file a report after Cachola’s girlfriend claimed it was “horseplay,” and are cur-renty under investigation, ac-cording to Deputy Chief Marie McCauley.

Former women’s shelter ex-ecutive director Kilauea Tolbert believes that domestic abuse among law enforcement fami-lies continues to be an issue.

“Being a police officer does not excuse them. They’re held to a higher standard in society,” said Tolbert.

In fact, domestic violence is two to four times more com-mon in police families than the general population, accord-ing to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Tolbert and a coalition of

supporters lobbied for Haw. Rev. Stat § 709-906: Abuse of family or household members. A section of this law requires the abuser to be arrested if there’s evident physical injury, regardless of whether or not the victim wants the abuser to be taken into police custody.

HPD and state lawmakers met at the State Capitol on Sept. 30 to discuss how officers re-spond to domestic abuse cases. “Police Chief Kealoha needs to educate his police department more vigorously,” said Tolbert.

For over four and a half years, Tolbert worked at a women and children’s shelter in Makawao, Maui called Women Helping Women.

She taught classes that educated police officers in how to speak to a woman after she’s

been physically or sexually abused.

“They (HPD) receive only one hour of training a year for how to react to domestic vio-lence cases. It’s just not enough,” says Tolbert.

Tolbert believes that there needs to be a program in the police department specifically for police officers who deal with domestic abuse cases.

Cachola’s police powers

have temporarily been revoked. Kealoha announced that Ca-chola and the responding of-ficers are currently under an administrative investigation that may last several months.

This could result in a writ-ten reprimand or suspensions or dismissals. Kealoha said that HPD would evaluate the entire incident to see what policy or standard of conduct violations occurred.

b y P u a G u a r dKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

b y L o k e l a n i C o r r e aKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Ashley Shankles flashing her “smoking gun” tattoo.JESSICA CRAWFORD

NEW WEST WALES COMMUNITY NEWS NETWORK ARCHIVE

Domestic abuse is an issue that cuts across all sectors of the community.

for families

and fans of

fright

Halloween events

The Scream Team is backThe Scream Team has traveled the

world to bring some of the most fright-ening and never before seen special effects to create a night guests will not forget. Two locations will host different events from Oct. 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31 and Nov. 1.

• “Dr. Carnage’s House of Horrors” is bringing their “greatest scare to date” to the parking structure out-side the Windward Regal theatre. Enter at your own risk after 7 p.m. until varying closing times of 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. with a special night dedicat-ed to “no light” besides that of a glow stick. Tickets are available for $15 at Windward Mall, MWR locations, Razor Concepts, UH Campus Center and scream808.com. Ages 13+.

• Hawaii Extreme Paintball will host “General Savage’s Zombie Upris-ing” from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. This out-door haunted attraction features the “zombie killing field” where guests are invited to join “master zombie hunters” in the apocalyptic battle against the “infected” inhabitants of Oahu. Paintball equipment will be provided to help bring down the zombie infestation. 12 and over wel-come. $15 for attraction. $15 to shoot zombies. $25 for both. Tickets can be purchased at the Hawaii Extreme Paintball Field, 91-1041 Midway Street Kapolei.

Windward Mall hosts family-friendly events

• Oct. 18: Kids World Mall-o-Ween Event and Costume Contest. Satur-day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Great for kids of all ages. Get a head start on Halloween with this safe and fun event featuring a keiki costume con-test, entertainment, arts and crafts and more.

• Oct. 25: Pumpkin Carving Festi-val. Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Featuring entertainment, activities and pumpkin carving. Watch a local artist carve a 600-pound, organic pumpkin. Families can carve their own masterpiece by purchasing a “carving kit.” ($35 package includes pumpkin, carving tools, gloves and stencils.) Proceeds will benefit two local charities.

• Oct. 31: Safe Trick-or-Treating in the Mall from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Night MarchersAccording to Hawaiian legend, night marchers (huaka‘i po in Hawaiian)

are ghosts of ancient warriors. They supposedly roam large sections of the island chain and can be seen by groups of torches. They can usually be found in areas that were once large battlefields (the Nuuanu Pali on the island of Oahu is a good example.) Moanalua Gardens is another place the night marchers are said to roam.

Legend has it that if you look a night marcher straight in the eye, you will be forced to walk among them for eternity, but if you have a relative taken by them, you will be spared.

Hawaiians say that in the presence of night marchers, you should lie down on your stomach, face down to avoid eye contact, stay quiet, breathe shallowly, and not move. Some say that they may nudge you to provoke a reaction so they can take you.

Carrying pork over the Nuuanu PaliLocal folklore on the island of Oahu says that one should never carry

pork over the Pali Highway that connects Honolulu and Windward Oahu. The stories vary, but the classic legend is that if one carries pork of any kind over the old Pali road (not the modern Pali highway) by automobile, the automo-bile would stop at a certain point on the way and not restart until the pork is removed from the vehicle.

There are many versions of the story. Some require the pork to be raw; others say that this happens after dark. Sometimes, a white dog or an old woman in a holuku will appear at the time the automobile stalls, and you must feed the pork to the dog to proceed.

This legend has its roots in ancient Hawaiian mythology. According to legend, the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele and the demigod Kamapua‘a (a half-man-half-pig) had a turbulent relationship, and the two agreed not to visit each other. If one takes pork over the Pali, the legend goes, one is symbolically taking a piece of Kamapua‘a from one side to the other, and it is said that Pele would stop that from happening.

The Green LadyThe story of the green lady is that of a woman who would visit the gulch

of Wahiawa, which also contains the Wahiawa Botanical Garden, with her children. One day while visiting, one of her children became lost and was never found.

She still wanders the gulch looking for her child, or children, and will take any child that she comes across in the gulch. There have been several reports of seeing a green woman covered in moss or mold wandering the gulch.

Some say that the green woman closely resembles that of a Japanese mythological creature called the kappa. This creature is said to resemble a turtle-like humanoid that steals children to feast upon.

The last known sighting was said to have happened in the mid-to-late 1980s. In modern times at night, children and teenagers dare each other to dash across the bridge that runs over the gulch. Most speculators say that this story was made up to keep children from wandering into the gulch alone.

Urban legend oF Morgan's CornerMorgan’s Corner, on the Windward side of Oahu, was considered to be

a hang out for drinking and for lovers to have some alone time. One night, a couple decided to park their car at Morgan’s Corner. When

it was time to leave, the car would not start. The young man left to get help. Before he left, he told the young woman to lock the doors and not open them for anyone. She promised she would do what he asked.

While she sat there and waited for him to come back, she was afraid be-cause she heard noises, like something dripping on the roof. She thought the noises could have been rain, so she ignored them. She then heard scratching on the roof. She thought tree branches were scraping on the roof, so once again, she ignored the noises and eventually fell asleep.

Later, she was awakened by knocking on her window. There were blue flashing lights and a police officer shining a flashlight on her. She rolled her window down to talk to the officer. The officer told her to get out of the car and walk toward the police car. He also warned her to not look back.

As she walked towards the police car, she took a glance and saw her boyfriend hanging from a tree. His feet were tied with a rope and his hands touched the roof of the car. She realized the noises she heard were from his fingernails and the dripping of his blood.

Legends, myths and ghost stories Compiled by Patrick Hascall

LAYOUT & PHOTO BY JESSICA CRAWFORD

What triggers f ea r in you and why?Clowns freak me out. I’m not sure why. Maybe from

a very odd trip to Circus World as a child where the elephants almost defecated on their trainers and everyone left gagging, and then I got a skin infection from the clown make-up they put on me.

-Ardis Eschenberg

The sound and music in scary movies trigger the fear I have for horror movies. I hate horrors, how-

ever, I were to watch them without background music, the scenes would be less scary and memorable. I not only close my eyes, but also plug my ears. Once I hear the sound and see the scene, it burns into my mind and I literally can’t sleep alone for at least a week. -Courtney Lopez

It’s very interesting how the littlest things can scare people. In the past people have tried many things

to scare me, spiders, scary masks and even popping out of nowhere. The best way to make me jump is the sound of something creepy. I am that one person in the theater who sits with their hands over their ears watching a scary movie.

-Latisha Sambrana-Sojot

I’m not ashamed to admit that cockroaches bring out the worst fears in me. My biggest problem with

the roaches is when I see them up in the corner of the ceiling, staring at me and the way they move their antennae is like they’re taunting me. Roaches are the scum of the earth, and if they were to suddenly go extinct, the world would be a better place.

-Zachary Bocchieri

Haunted in Hawai i’

CAMPUS NEWSO c t o b e r 2 0 1 4

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8 Ka ‘Ohana

Gallery ‘Iolani brings clay to life

Close your eyes and imagine the sound of the pū (shell) as its sound

commands attention. Chanters in their native tongue invite you to glimpse a scene from old Hawai i̒.

As the ceremony continues, you are led into a traditional wooden hale, surrounded by lo i̒ kalo (taro patch) and mala (garden).

That is only the beginning of a dream for instructor/ coordinator Kalawai‘a Moore and the students, faculty and staff of WCC’s Hawaiian Studies program.

“We are happy with the extensions of the Hale A̒o building,” he said, refer-ring to new classroom areas and kitchen facilities. Yet, as a visionary, the dream continues for him, for WCC, and for the community he shares.

Next spring the Hawaiian Studies program hopes to host a pa i̒na (celebra-tion) to unveil the new extensions of Hale A̒o to the community and the future partners of the WCC program. This pa i̒na would celebrate the growth of Hawaian Studies at the college with the two new buildings, additional courses and plans for future projects.

One building can be converted into two separate classrooms or one large meeting room located to the left of the original Hale A̒o Building. Names were given for both buildings —Kekala and Kelakela, both meaning excellence —but for now they are officially called Hale A̒o Complex.

The students, teachers, and faculty who are the ‘ohana of the complex will be providing food and entertainment, as well as a chance to tour the area and walaa̒u (talk story). The entertainment at the pa‘ina would showcase WCC’s own musical and dance talents.

Those invited could include the “extended o̒hana” within the commu-nity: Paepae o He e̒ia, Papahana Kuaola, Waimanalo Homestead Association and others who will help mold and grow the

program to the next level. “We have come far over the last

five years,” said Moore. “Now we have something to offer… and in order to get close to them (community partners), we need to show them who we are.”

The Hale Ao̒ Complex is a place where several hundred of po e̒ (people) could gather and practice traditional protocol at a different level.

Moore’s dream consists of, but is not limited to, partnering with No Kahawai to build a mala (garden) in the two-acre lot near the complex next spring. He also hopes to partner with sustainability group Mahuahua ‘ai ohoi.

“There is 400 acres by King Inter-mediate that (could provide) a lot of internship possibilities,” said Moore. Then there’s Papahana Kuaola to help train in their lo i̒ (kalo patches) and help WCC start its own.”

Moore leaned in with elation as he shared the numerous possibilities of the Hawaiian Studies Program.

Happy Halloween! by Kalani Kuloloia

Eia kākou ma ka mahina ʻo ʻOkakopa, a no laila, e ho o̒mākaukau kākou no ka lā Heleuī! E kipa i̒a ana paha kou hale e kekahi poʻe keiki ō̒lelo Hawai i̒, a inā pēlā, e nānā iho i nā hua ō̒lelo a me nā ō̒lelo pokole no ka mālama a̒na i kēia ahiahi ma ka ō̒lelo Hawai i̒. E akahele kākou a pau i ia ahiahi, o kipa i̒a auane i̒ o̒ukou e nā lapu aloha o̒le! ******

Here we are in the month of October, so let’s get ready for Hal-loween! You may be visited by some Hawaiian-speaking children, so look at the words and short phrases below to spend your Halloween evening speaking Hawaiian. Let’s all be careful on that night, or you’ll be visited by unfriendly ghosts!

Hau o̒li lā Heleuī (Happy Halloween)

Kiliki o lapu (Trick-or-treat)

I kokoleka naʻu (I want chocolate)

I mau kanakē naʻu (I want some candy)

He aha ʻoe i kēia pō? (What are you tonight?)

He lapu au (I’m a ghost)

He tutua nunui au (I’m a huge monster)

He pala a̒i heleuī au (I’m a jack-o-lantern)

Auē! Ua ho o̒pū i̒wa o̒e iaʻu! (Gosh! You scared me!)

Mai poina, e palaki niho i kēia pō! (Don’t forget to brush your teeth tonight!)

Art is a universal language that can bring people together from com-pletely different backgrounds.

Gallery ʻIolani’s latest exhibit features artists who all call Hawai i̒ home.

“Clay” opens its doors to the public on Friday, Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 23.

Although ceramics has been part of many exhibits, “Clay” is the first in the gallery’s history to focus on only ceramic art.

The exhibit showcases 13 artists who are all “masters of their field,” explained Toni Martin, Gallery ‘Iolani director and event curator.

“All of the artists in this exhibit have been featured in numerous shows — lo-cally, nationally, even internationally,” said Martin.

“This has been a lot of hard work,

but I know these artists are all appropri-ate to show together.”

Every artist brings a different back-ground and perspective to art, but all have found a love and appreciation for ceramics.

Originally from Kaua i̒, David Ku-raoka has been involved with clay art for more than four decades. He received his Ph.D. in art from San Francisco State University, where he created an inten-sive, hands-on program as ceramics

department director. “My design philosophy involves

recognition of the beauty of natural forms, combined with a visual language that I believe to be universal,” explained Kuraoka.

Kauka De Silva expresses his Ha-waiian ancestry through his work with their various colors, patterns, and forms. De Silva teaches classes at Kapi o̒lani Community College and is one of the featured artists born and raised in Hawai’i.

He has also studied in Japan, where he learned “mingei.” Known as the “people’s art,” mingei requires years of training and intense study. It is beauti-ful because of its simplicity and refers to traditional Japanese objects crafted for daily use.

“Every artist is a master in their field,” explained Martin. “They are all established within the ceramics com-munity.”

(From left) Kalawai’a Moore, Tuti Kanahele, former UH President M.R.C. Greenwood, WCC Chancellor Doug Dykstra and Keliko Hoe at the blessing for Hale A’o last fall.

_ʻHau Oli La Heleui

_

b y G r a n t K o n oKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

1. There are more stars in the sky than there are grains of sand in the entire planet.2. Brazil prisons offer their prison-ers to reduce their sentence by 4 days for every book they read and write a report on (up to 48 days per year).3. In Ancient Greece, throwing an apple at a women was considered a marriage proposal.4. The world s̒ largest traffic jam took place in Bejing, China. It was 62 miles and lasted 12 days.5. A hippo weighing over a ton can run faster than a human on land.6. There’s a movie theatre in Lon-don that has volunteer ninjas that will “hush” obnoxious moviegoers.

Did you know?...

The dream continues for Hawaiian Studies at WCCb y L o k e l a n i C o r r e aKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

BONNIE BEATSON

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

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9Ka ‘Ohana

Lillian Cunningham, re-tired English associate pro-fessor - Lillian is the innovator behind the literary journal, “Rain Bird,” and the inspira-tion to numerous students who’ve since launched success-ful careers in writing. She was also instrumental in bringing renowned Poet Laureate Ted Kooser to Hawai‘i in 2006.

Even in retirement, Lillian continues to draw numerous community members to the college through her noncredit Writing Retreats.

Elizabeth “Libby” Young, journalism and English pro-fessor - As advisor to the award-winning Ka ʻOhana student newspaper, Libby has has guided her staff to numer-

WCC faculty among UHCC’s finestFifty individuals and programs have been

selected by their peers to receive the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges

“50 Finest”and “Rising Stars” awards as part of the colleges’ 50th anniversary. The awardees will be recognized at a Nov. 14 gala marking the growth of the community college system over the years. Brief summaries of the WCC honorees are included here, but fuller descriptions are available at http://uhcc.hawaii.edu/uhcc50/finest.php.

Joseph Ciotti, profes-sor, physics, astronomy and mathematics and director of the Center for Aerospace Education - Joseph Ciotti is WCC’s master innovator. The creation of the Imagina-rium, the Aerospace Educa-tion Laboratory, NASA Flight Training Aerospace Education Laboratory and the Lanihuli Observatory was the direct result of Joe’s leadership and commitment to the growth of the campus.

Over the past 20-plus years, WCC has gained a reputation as a leader in sci-ence education, locally and nationally.

ous local and national awards, internships and helped many students establish media ca-reers.

Libby has coordinated campaigns to gain legislative and community support for WCC’s many new buildings. She also served as the first public information officer for the UHCC system and helped plan the opening ceremony for WCC in 1972.

Ingelia White, botany and microbiology professor - Inge works tirelessly and selflessly for her students, her program and her college. She is respon-sible for many botanical and educational resources at WCC, including the Bioprocessing Medicinal Garden Complex,

Kuhi La a̒u-Tropical Plant and Orchid Identification Facility, the orchid greenhouse as well as the Tissue Culture and Bio-technology Laboratory.

Her students have gone on to successful careers as horti-culturists, botanists, biologists, biotechnologist, medical doc-tors, and pharmacists.

Sandra Okazaki, retired director of Vocational and Communit y Educat ion- Sandy has served her entire ca-reer advocating for the under-dog. She began as a counselor at Honolulu CC in 1992 and then became the assistant state director of the Employment Training Center (ETC) in 1997 and eventually interim state director.

ETC’s role was unique in the University system, and its faculty and staff made a world of difference to students who came through their door.

Lance Uyeda, English as-sistant professor- Lance is WCC’s “go-to guy” for every-thing. His colleagues say: “If a grant needs to be written, go see Lance. If people need help with a class, they see Lance be-cause his courses are fun, well-organized and super-engaging.

“If students need help, they see Lance because he takes his office hours in TRiO where the students hang out.

“Lance is not only a great mentor, he’s also an amazingly capable and kind person with whom we’re all lucky to work.”

Nancy Heu, retired head librarian and professor - When the Library Learning Commons (LLC) opened in early Spring 2012, the college was indebted to Nancy’s un-wavering determination and resolute follow-through to merge a library facility along with a range of academic services.

With a positive, can-do at-titude, Nancy and a coalition of supporters lobbied legisla-tors, and $41.6 million was subsequently appropriated.

Joe Ciotti Nancy Heu Lillian Cunningham

Libby Young Inge White Sandra Okazaki Lance Uyeda

In a three-hour WCC forum on Sept. 26, the bottom line

seemed to be that there’s still a lot we don’t know about GMOs.

GMOs (genetically modi-fied organisms) have been hotly debated for quite a few years now, with as many false-hoods as there are truths.

“Be skeptical, (of) the busi-nesses and (of) the opponents. Don’t just take anything on its face (value),” advised Gill Riviere, State Senate candidate for District 23.

An important decision regarding GMOs awaits resi-dents of Maui County on the Nov. 4, 2014 election ballot.

“If you look at the air-waves, the commercials that

GMO issue on Maui’s ballot as questions persistb y E r i c L e v i n e

Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

are coming out, almost every point can be challenged from a factual perspective,” said Dr. Hector Valenzuela, a specialist at the UH College of Tropi-cal Agriculture and Human Resources.

“For example, the initia-tive on Maui right now. The commercials say that this is a ban on farming,” continued Valenzuela.

“If the initiative moves forward and there’s a mora-torium on GMOs, this would affect about 3 percent of farm-ing culture on Maui. Now if you affect 3 percent, is this a ban on farming on Maui? Of course not.”

Identified on the ballot as the “Voter Initiative, Geneti-cally Engineered (GE) Organ-isms,” this moratorium seeks to temporarily suspend all GE

operations and practices until health and safety studies are conducted and then reviewed by the Maui County Council.

According to the initiative, GE operations and practices consist of “the cultivation of GE seed crops, experimental GE test crops and extensive pesticide use, including the testing of experimental pesti-cides in what is effectively an outdoor laboratory.”

A variety of commercial ads have surfaced due to this proposed moratorium, claim-ing that the initiative is harm-ful and will affect everyone in Maui County.

Some ads even make it sound as though they are ban-ning farming entirely.

The forum discussion also talked about the role that pesticides play in the GMO

controversy.“There’s no reason for us

to go, ‘Chemicals are okay,’” said Gary Gill, deputy director of the state’s environmental health division.

“Anytime anybody’s deal-ing with chemicals — things that persist in the environ-ment — we ought to be wary and concerned, and the De-partment of Health is.”

ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK HASCALL

The cultivation of genetically engineered crops remains an ongoing issue.

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 News10O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4

Ka ‘Ohana

Suppose you’re on a dark street and someone jumps out and tries to grab you.

You have five seconds before he runs away. What did he look like? How tall was he? What color was his hair?

For most people, identi-fying an attacker accurately during a high stress situation is challenging.

“The unreliability of eyewitness identification can largely be attributed to cogni-tive perception issues,” said David Haymer, a professor of genetics at the UH medical school and a DNA consultant for the Hawaii Chapter of the Innocence Project with over 25 years of experience in DNA analysis.

According to the Innocence Project, eyewitness misiden-tification is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide.

Haymer was this month’s guest speaker at the Chem-

istry Forum. He discussed “DNA and Human Identifica-tion: Criminal Investigations, Victims of Mass Disaster and Related Topics.”

DNA analyzed through a certified laboratory can provide factual data comparing the contributor of the biological matter with DNA from the con-victed. The comparable results can determine if the suspect

DNA evidence crucial to identificationb y C h a r i s s a W i t t i gKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

committed the crime. “It can establish true innocence, when it is correct,” Haymer said.

Through DNA evidence, the Hawaii Innocence Project was able to validate the in-nocence of a Maui man who served 20 years for a crime he did not commit.

Comparing genetic vari-ants in an individual’s DNA profile can also provide facts

Preserve the land - Eldean Kukahiko (Republican)

I will speak for my House District 48 covering por-tions of Waiāhole then all of Kahalu’u, Ahuimanu and por-tions of He’eia and portions of Kāne‘ohe.

Living al l my l i fe in the Waihe’e and Ka’alaea ahupua’a, I have a great re-spect for our ‘aina. My ances-tors taught me how to fish the ocean and how to farm the land.

I believe that preserving what little land we have left on the Windward side, already zoned for agriculture, is es-sential in keeping the country, country.

This sentiment is echoed again and again as I attend the monthly neighborhood board meetings of Kahaluu and Waiahole/Waikane com-munity associations.

Members of these boards work very hard in monitoring any potential urban develop-ment and agriculture zoning issues that come up. I will work closely with them.

I also attend the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board meet-ings regularly, and I will work closely with them as well.

Malaekahana Should Remain Agricultural - Gil Riviere (Democrat)

Agriculture is not one activity, but many diverse businesses.

It is important to distin-guish between agricultural lands that may be suitable for vegetables, orchards, flowers, pasture and ranching. What is often lost in today’s conver-sation is the need for grazing lands.

The Oahu General Plan sets forth the long-range ob-jectives and policies for our island. This plan directs devel-opment to the Primary Urban Centers, retains open space and supports increased agri-cultural activity in the rural communities.

Senate District 23 contains most of the remaining rural area on Oahu. The natural beauty of our region is a global treasure enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

The Draft Koolauloa Sus-tainable Community Plan is controversial because it pro-poses, among other things, to allow 875 new housing units, a shopping center, light industrial area, church, school and other infrastructure on what is now Gunstock Ranch in the Malaekahana ahupua’a between Laie and Kahuku.

This is a tremendous in-crease in the number of hous-ing units when compared to the 1,090 Laie residences counted in the 2010 US Census.

Virtually every neighbor-ing community association beyond Laie and Kahuku op-poses this plan because of the urban sprawl into agricultural land and the increased traffic that will surely follow on the already crowded, two-lane Kamehameha Highway.

I am committed to pre-serving and enhancing our rural district by supporting appropriate economic activity and land use decisions.

Let’s promote business development in the light in-dustrial and commercially zoned lands at the Waialua and Kahuku sugar mill sites.

Let’s support the hous-ing plans that were not real-ized in Laie and Kahuku two decades ago. Let’s insist that agricultural lands be used for agricultural purposes.

There is a shortage of graz-ing land on Oahu for cattle, horses, goats and sheep. Ag-ricultural output does not increase by re-zoning to urban use. Malaekahana should re-main agricultural.

Candidates forum: Urban development on the Windward side?

about an individual’s ancestral, medical, and psychological makeup. A DNA analysis can also be used to assess the likeli-hood of future risks of certain diseases.

The evolution of DNA test-ing is developing and progress-ing with technology. Each individual has his or her own unique DNA makeup, with the exception of identical twins. Any slight change from the original sequence forms a mu-tation.

“Be proud of the fact that we are all mutants,” Haymer jokingly said.

Collecting DNA evidence can identify victims of mass disasters or aid in forensic criminal investigations. DNA analysis can be carried out by using the smallest amounts of biological material such as a strand of hair or skin cells. The produced information can also successfully be used for paternity tests.

The Hawaii chapter of the Innocence Project is a non-profit organization and oper-

ated through the UH School of Law. Contributions can be made to the Hawaii Chapter of the Innocence Project through their website.

WCC’s monthly chemistry forums are held in Hale ‘Imiloa 111, free for students and the community. The forums are mostly on Wednesdays be-tween 1 to 2 p.m.

There are usually three to four chemistry forums a semes-ter, depending on the availabil-ity of speakers. The co-sponsor is the American Chemical Society-Hawaii Section.

“I started this way back in 2006,” said coordinator Letty Colmenares, associate profes-sor of chemistry.

”It’s really a good way to bring scientists and commu-nity speakers to the campus. It enhances our STEM programs. Students love it, and some community members come as well.”

Students interested in sci-ence careers can check the STEM programs at WCC listed on the campus website.

State Senate District 23 candidates State House District 48 candidatesHelp for farmers - Jarrett Keohokalole (Democrat)

I am very concerned about the sustainability of agricul-ture as an industry in Hawai‘i. The reality is that farmers need to make a living to con-tinue to keep their ag lands in cultivation.

I walked our district and talked to many of our farm-ers who have expressed how difficult it is to compete with large-scale farming operations on the mainland while also dealing with the challenges that come with farming in Hawai‘i, like the high costs of electricity and equipment, lack of access to water, and invasive species, to name a few.

Currently, thousands of acres of farmland across our state are lying fallow as a result of these challenges. In addition, many of the farmers in our district grow non-food crops, like flowers, because they are more commercially viable.

When we talk about agri-cultural lands in our state, we have to begin by talking about helping farmers and creating conditions that allow them to make a living farming so that agricultural lands, especially ag lands on the Ko’olau side, remain in cultivation.

Gil Riviere

Eldean Kukahiko

Jarrett Keohokalole

Riviere (continued)

ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK HASCALL

Chemistry guest speaker and UH professor of genetics David Haymer.

NO RESPONSE - SENATE DISTRICT 23 CANDIDATE RICHARD FALE

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

Editorial 11Ka ‘OhanaO c t o b e r 2 0 1 4

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

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

Ka ‘Ohana(The Family)

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Ashley ShanklesSTAFF REPORTERS

Grant Kono Pua Guard

Kainoa MakuaEric Levine

Charissa WittigLokelani Correa

(Continued) Ka’ainoa Fernandez

Flora Obayashi WEBMASTERS

Jessica CrawfordPatrick Hascall

ADVISOR

Elizabeth Young

I think Hawai‘i, like the rest of our nation, has lost faith in our politicians. Nothing seems to change for the better, regard-less of the candidates’ political party or political views. I think the people of Hawai‘i have got-ten to the point where every time an election comes around they ask, “What’s the point?”

Our government nowa-days seems too preoccupied with making money and keep-ing everyone happy, that they are afraid to make a change. The people of Hawai‘i feel like they have lost their voice. They know that money, literally, rules the world.

—Bianca Burnett

There are many types of available tools today to make voting much easier in Hawai‘i. Election Day registration [which will take effect in 2016] could be one of the answers to increase voter turnout here in paradise. Walk in, register and vote right away.

—Kimo L. Adams

It seems that the people of Hawai‘i have lost hope or trust in the people that were elected into office because of what they see happening to our state.

Hawai‘i has become a mil-lionaire’s paradise, with [one of] the highest costs of living in the country—housing costs skyrocketing out of control, people losing their homes, and the land being sold bit by bit.

Our homeless situation is out of control, but no one has addressed it, just put a Band-Aid on it and swept it under the rug. Belief in our government has been lost due to greed and politics.

—Sam Kamae

I saw a funny picture on Facebook which had a cap-tion: “Asking me to choose which candidate I want to represent my country is like asking which STD (sexually transmitted disease) I would rather have.”

I thought it was funny be-cause it’s true. I honestly don’t want any of them, so to vote for which STD I would want is just depressing. I think people are

just giving up on politics and the government.

—Lorene Hashida

I think the reason why our state has a low voter turnout is not because we are too busy, but rather too lazy. There are some people I know that don’t want to vote because of the way the system works nowadays; they have pretty much given up on our government.

In my opinion, that is the time when we have to press on because if we don’t vote, we give up on our input on what can make our state a more suit-able place.

Another thing is that if we don’t vote, then we have no right to complain about the re-sults. So it’s either you choose to vote and voice your opinion, or don’t vote and don’t complain about the results.

—Michael Kaaialii

I think Hawai‘i has low voter turnout because people may think that their candidates won’t win, so they won’t bother with their civic duty to get out and make their voice known. Maybe the newest generation of voters see what’s going on as normal, accept it, and don’t think things can be changed.

I don’t see how we can have the lowest voter turnout. You have the option to have your ballot mailed to your home. It takes a few minutes to select your candidates; maybe do some research on the candi-dates first and their stance on issues, then mail it back. It’s honestly not a hard task to take on. People need to get involved.

—Erik Ho

I believe that the problem lies with Hawai‘i’s youth. The younger voters are not seeing the importance of their vote and they are not staying in-formed.

Perhaps it could be their lack of interest, meaning they don’t care, or maybe they don’t believe their voice will make a difference. If we could find a way to better engage our younger voters, then maybe we can achieve a better turnout.

—Kimberly Weaver

In my opinion, people are just not informed. Society has gone from knowing what is going on to just being content with how things are going.

People know more about what’s going on in the lives of celebrities or sports than with their own government. And when they see things they don’t like, they complain about it for five minutes and then live with it because they think no one will change it or it’s not their place to say anything.

—Esei Mataele

I think Hawai‘i has low turnout because people don’t understand the importance of politics and the abilities to make changes. I know only a handful of people who actually vote. People are probably too focused on what is happening now, like their job or school, that they don’t look ahead at how much taxes they will pay or which laws will be passed.

—Clyde Pelekai

Why do you think Hawai‘i has had one of the lowest voter turnouts in the nation?

I believe Hawai‘i has had low voter turnout because of the results it’s had, people do not care anymore, or they do not believe the candidates running will make an impact. There are some logical explana-tions—people may see no sense in voting if they don’t believe there are any decent candidates running.

If you are taking the time out of your day to vote for someone you don’t think is good—what’s the point? Some voters may also be uneducated about the candidates running.

It saddens me because ev-ery vote really does count. We want to hear your voice Hawai‘i. So vote, help make a difference.

—Casey Maloney

I think that lack of educa-tion of politics is one reason [why Hawai‘i has low voter turnout]. Another reason could be that the presidential candi-dates don’t come to Hawai‘i

with their campaign. The elec-toral colleges in Hawai‘i aren’t like that of Florida or Texas.

Hawai‘i doesn’t seem to show pride and much patrio-tism to the nation as the lower 48 states do. There is still some bitterness of the sovereignty of the Hawaiian people being taken away.

Experiencing Fourth of July in both Hawai‘i and on the mainland, I see a difference in national pride of our country. Hawai‘i still holds onto the thought of sovereignty.

Another factor is immigra-tion and non-citizens. We in Hawai‘i have a mixed culture surrounding us. There are a lot of people who have no right to vote.

My sister-in-law finally got American citizenship and is now allowed to vote. It has taken her several years to gain it even though she has been mar-ried to my brother for almost four years.

—Nicole Hayler

Windward Ho‘olaule‘a

That’s how Windward Ho‘olaule‘a chair Bonnie Beatson summed up a day that drew crowds of folks from across the island — despite the steady showers.

One of big attractions was the stellar entertainment line-up that stretched into the evening. Families also enjoyed the WCC booths, food, crafts, silent auction, garage sale, shows at the Imaginarium and Gallery ‘Iolani and more.

Proceeds from the event, sponsored by the Kaneohe Business Group and WCC, will help student scholarships and other campus support.

“No amount of rain could dampen the aloha!”

(Top row, left to right): A member from Chinky Mahoe’s Halau o Kawaili‘ula performs during a rain storm. The closing act, the Brothers Cazimero, wrap up Ho‘olaule‘a 2014.

(Second row): A member from Hawaiian Soul performs. Jerry Santos strums out tunes for fans. Kaiwa Manoa and Mana Manfredi display handcarved Hawaiian weaponry.

(Third row): Jayla Nerveza, Trinity Correa, and Tracy Keliikoa-Comer from the Kahalu’u Ukulele Band. Michael Cobb from the band Hawaiian Soul dances off stage with an audience member during a downpour. Eva Taylor rappels down the rock-climbing wall. Kumu Chinky Mahoe accompanies his dancers.

(Bottom row): Kalehua Krug from Hi‘ikua. The Quisano family enjoys the day at Ho‘olaule‘a. Two hula performers from Chinky Mahoe’s dance troupe.