ka ‘ohana february 2013

Volume 41, No. 5 February 2013

Ka ‘Ohana now on Facebook

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

A project that could change the lives of future WCC students

will start this summer, thanks to a major grant from the Har-old K.L. Castle Foundation.

In a joint effort with the Castle Foundation and the UH system, WCC will implement Paipai o Ko‘olau, a four-year project for incoming, first-gen-eration, “high risk” freshmen to remove barriers preventing them from succeeding in col-lege.

The Castle Foundation’s grant will provide $922,815 towards the project, while WCC and the UH system will leverage $939,098 for a total of $1,861,913.

The funding will cover things such as financial aid, summer bridge, supplemental instruction support and other services to help students fulfill the dream of a college educa-tion.

The Castle grant is the big-gest single grant given to any college-level program. “As educators we don’t always on a day-to-day basis get to have our dreams come true,” says Dr. Ardis Eschenberg, the grant writer for the project and vice chancellor of student

Castle grant fulfilling dreams

PETER TULLY OWEN

affairs at WCC. “You have these dreams

of, ‘What could we do for students?’ but there’s always the reality that tempers that. ‘Well, if we had the funding we could do this.’ Castle really has given us an opportunity to dream and say, ‘What could we do if we had 50 incoming students that we could do ev-erything we could for…what would we do?’ And that’s re-ally powerful.”

Twenty-five full-time and 25 part-time students will be selected each year and will be referred to the project by various schools, community groups, and institutions on the Windward side.

In the summer, these 50 students will be broken into cohorts, which they will re-main in throughout their time at Windward.

When they transition into the fall semester, they are en-

couraged to take 15 credits but are only required to take 12. In the beginning when everyone is taking their required general education requirements, the students will be a part of the cohort.

However, as time goes on the number of cohort members in each class will decrease, as the students start branching out towards their respective degrees.

The project is primarily

looking for first-generation freshmen who might have thought college wasn’t possible for them. The project is look-ing for students who have the potential to benefit from and contribute to the community.

It gives preference to those who are Native Hawaiian or those with socio-economic needs. If the project shows results after the four years, WCC hopes to institutionalize cohorts, as well as other initia-tives that have helped those in the project.

“I know right now there are high school students who think they can’t go to college for one reason or another,” said H. Mitchell D’Olier, the presi-dent and chief executive officer of the Castle Foundation.

“[But non-graduates] are more likely to be jobless and earn staggeringly less in their lifetime. People in the com-munity don’t understand how important a college degree is in the job market.” Concerning the partnership with WCC, D’Olier said, “Thank you for being a part of the dream.”

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

UH Foundation President Donna Vuchinich, UH Vice President for Community Colleges John Morton, WCC Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Ardis Eschenberg, WCC Chancellor Doug Dykstra, Harold K.L Castle Foundation President Mitch D’Olier, Castle Executive Vice President Terry George, and Castle Grants Manager Beth Murph celebrate the establishment of Paipai o Ko‘olau (the support or encouragement of the Ko‘olau).

Help us get the word out! To become a community partner or to recommend

someone, email [email protected] or call 235-7466.

For generations, women have fought for equal

rights. Thanks to the hard work and success of their predecessors, modern women now have opportunities that were once available only to men.

However, gender inequali-ties still exist in our society and culture. From female portrayal in pornography to the media-twisted idea of ‘beauty,’ women still continue to struggle with sexism.

These social injustices may hold some back, but oth-ers view them as challenges to overcome.

This year’s Women’s His-tory Month honors those who have contributed greatly to the STEM fields through ambition, intelligence, creativity and

diligence. The national theme is “Women In-spiring Innova-tion Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Sci-ence, Technol-ogy, Engineer-ing and Math-ematics.”

WCC sociology professor Kathleen French has once again organized the events, which include a special guest speaker as well as three pow-erful films with follow-up discussions.

The guest speaker, Lee-ward CC mathematics teacher Emily Uribe, will talk about teaching mathematics to indig-enous populations from a fem-inist perspective on Wednes-day, March 20 at 11:30 a.m. in Hale ‘Ākoakoa, Room 105.

Women’s History Month, celebrating feminismb y K e l l y M o n t g o m e r y

Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

“She’s known for her dy-namic presentation style as well as her interesting ap-proach to teaching math,” said French. “Because she uses a feminist perspective in her teaching, she seemed perfect to invite for this year’s series.”

As for the three films, French chose those focused around the social construction of gender.

“We teach people to be male or female–very strict, dichotomous, discrete catego-

ries– and there a r e s e r i o u s consequences when people don’t conform to their respec-t ive ge nder categories,” explained Frenc h. “I’d like people to have the op-

portunity to explore gender in this way.”

All the events are open to the public and will take place in Hale ‘Ākoakoa Room 105, with discussions to follow each film.

“The Bro Code: How Con-temporary Culture Creates Sexist Men”- Thursday, March 7, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Filmmaker Thomas Keith, a professor of philosophy at California State University, provides an engrossing look

at the forces in male culture that condition boys and men to dehumanize and disrespect women.

“Recover ing Bodies : Overcoming Eating Disor-ders”- Thursday, March 14, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Focusing on the story of seven college students, the film looks at the clinical consider-ations involved with anemia and bulimia, and unpacks the extremely difficult personal dimensions of these illnesses.

“Pornography: Andrea Dworkin”- Thursday, March 21, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Pornography is a topic that leaves few people indifferent, least of all Andrea Dworkin, feminist activist and author. This program is in an unnerv-ing exposé of the pornography industry and its implications for wider questions of sexual-ity and violence.

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

2 NEWS of the DAYKa ‘Ohana

Schofield Barracks soldier Greg Gordon could have died on the battlefield in Afghanistan.

Instead, he was shot and killed by Honolulu police officers last month af-ter ramming cars in Waikiki, following a night of heavy drinking.

His family in Alabama said Gor-don had turned to alcohol to cope with the trauma of war.

“We believe he was suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder),” said a family spokeswoman in a Jan. 22 Honolulu Star-Advertiser article. Gordon had done a nine-month stint in Afghanistan, but when he returned, “he came home a different person,” she said.

Gordon’s mother describes his constant use of alcohol, even being admitted to a hospital for alcohol poi-soning. “He told friends that he had to kill people and he couldn’t handle it.” Gordon had reportedly seen a military counselor but had received no further treatment.

“The family believes he should have received more help,” the spokes-woman added.

PTSD is a mental health condition that develops from a traumatic event a person may have witnessed or been directly involved in. The rise in PTSD

PTSD and suicides on the rise

cases and suicides has become a con-cern for both military officials and mental health professionals, as the military suicide rates for 2012 have surpassed combat deaths.

The armed forces saw 349 con-firmed suicides in 2012—nearly one per day—while combat deaths in Afghanistan fell below that number at 295, according to the Associated Press.

The Army, being the largest divi-sion of the combined armed forces, saw

182 suicides, more than all the other branches combined. According to the National Center for PTSD, “Suicide risk is higher in persons with PTSD.” Former Marine Cpl. Jason A. who seeks treatment for PTSD through the Veterans Affairs (VA), said he began suffering from PTSD after deploying to Iraq in 2004. Jason said he thinks about suicide “almost every day. I don’t have the balls. I want to disappear.”

The Department of Defense (DOD) and VA are working to get a better

understanding of the causes of suicide and the most effective treatments for service members. All military branch-es as well as the VA have programs in place to help combat the rising suicides rate, although studies are still being conducted to determine the most ef-fective treatment.

“We continue to seek the best minds from both within our ranks, from academia, other federal health partners, and the private sector to further our understanding of this com-plex set of issues,” said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, the assistant Secretary of Defense for health affairs and director of the TRICARE Management Activity.

While PTSD is believed to be a fac-tor in suicides related to the military, there are many service members who have never deployed to combat that have committed suicide.

Financial concerns, relationship issues, a stressful balance between home and work life, the stress of tran-sitioning into a civilian lifestyle, and substance abuse have also been factors in service members’ suicides.

According to the Defense Survey of Health-Related Behaviors, “Sub-stance abuse, including alcohol and pain killers, was found in 12 percent of military personnel. Almost 30 per-cent of the Army’s suicide deaths from 2003 to 2009, and over 45 percent of the

b y J a i m e e - L i n n S h a wKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Twenty children, six teachers massacred in Newtown shooting.

Gunman opens fire in Colo-rado movie theatre.

Arizona Congresswoman wounded, others killed in deadly shooting rampage.

***These and other headlines

have fueled the national debate on controlling gun violence. But the solutions are far from simple.

Wh at c a n we do to strengthen gun control laws? What about the mentally ill who still have access to guns? How can we still protect Sec-ond Amendment rights?

Solutions range from com-pletely stripping everyone of their firearms to stricter poli-cies on gun purchases, back-ground checks and better edu-cating gun owners on keeping their collections secure.

The issue of gun control is at the top of the presidential agenda. President Obama in a press conference Jan. 16 said, “If there is even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there is even one life that can be saved, then we’ve got an obligation to try.”

Controlling gun violence a complex issueThe president continued,

“As soon as I’m finished speak-ing here, I will sign a direc-tive giving law enforcement, schools, mental health profes-sionals and the public health community some of the tools they need to help reduce gun violence.”

The message from the president was clear that he will not allow America to be overrun by senseless acts of violence.

He is pushing for stricter laws to limit purchase of as-sault weapons, high-capacity magazines and more authority for law enforcement officials and health care personnel to confiscate weapons and report any persons who may be in danger of hurting themselves or others.

However, the National Rifle Association also released a statement that made clear it was not backing down from its defense of the Second Amend-ment and the rights of citizens to bear arms.

“Five years ago, after the Virginia Tech tragedy, when I said we should put armed security in every school, the media called me crazy,” said NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre.

“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”

Hawai‘i has some of the toughest firearms laws in the nation, with regulations similar to those Obama is rec-ommending as a nationwide standard.

Hawai‘i has a 14-day wait-ing period before any indi-vidual can acquire a firearm, including background checks for criminal and mental health history, fingerprinting and a photo taken at Honolulu Police Department’s Firearms and Records Division.

Many states do not re-quire a background check as

rigorous as Hawaii’s. Most states require only the seller, dealer or broker to perform a background check on the in-dividual purchasing a weapon.

However, stricter laws may still not be enough to prevent disturbed individuals from obtaining weapons.

Former youth corrections officer Chris Bush said, “Guns are not the problem; it’s the mentally unstable individuals who believe using a weapon will give them a sense of con-trol.”

However, Bush also em-phasized the importance of gun owners taking responsi-bility for their weapons.

“(That means) requiring gun owners to have their fire-arm secured in a locked safe or room. If someone who is authorized to be in your home gains access to your weapon because it is not secured, then the owner would be liable,” said Bush.

“The only exception to this law would be if someone gained access to your weapon through unauthorized means and proof can be shown that your weapon was locked up.”

As for ownership of mili-tary-type weaponry, political science professor Roy Fujimoto said, “If there are no restric-tions and you can have any-thing and everything, is that a wise public policy?”

However, Hawai‘i resident and gun owner Ikaika Akiona reflected the view of many legitimate gun owners and col-lectors, saying, “Gun laws only hurt law-abiding citizens. To be proactive is to educate and raise awareness about gun safety.”

Attempts to contact numer-ous firearms retailers for this article were unsuccessful. Fur-ther information on firearms policy and gun ownership in Hawai‘i can be found at hono-lulupd.org

Stress from home and military life leaves some military members feeling suicidal.

SEE PTSD AND SUICIDE PAGE 9

b y E l i z a b e t h R u i zKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

ELIZABETH RUIZ

Solutions to personal safety and gun control a hot topic in America.FABRIZIO RINALDI


CAMPUS NEWS 3Ka ‘OhanaF e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3

At LLC, help is just around the corner

Assistive Technology Lab-Room 232

Struggling with a disabil-ity? Need extra assistance? Look no further — Stacie Phasouk and Aaron Gorospe are available to help you. Call 236-9202 or just stop by during walk-in hours.

Mon-Thurs 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Supplemental Instruction- Room 224

SI’s are students who have previously taken a class and did exceptionally well. They use the knowledge they acquired to help the next students be successful too. Check with your professor if an SI is available for your class; most focus on math, English, history, psychology, and other basics. Questions or appointments, call 235-7495.

Mon. 1 – 4 p.m.TWF 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.No Thurs. hours

b y K e l l y M o n t g o m e r yKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Nobody said college was easy. Then again, it doesn’t have to be that hard either.

Luckily, we are all part of a campus that strives to help its students succeed. From teachers of-fering their time outside of class to the Supplemental Instruction programs to free tutoring through TRiO for qualified students, it’s almost impossible to fail.

However, if you still find yourself struggling, head over to the new Library Learning Commons where an array of services awaits. The labs that make up the Ka Piko Student Success Center line the corridor on the way to TheHub coffee shop.

Whether you are struggling with a presentation or need a second opinion on your essay, Ka Piko has it all. And, even better, the are free to use!

The Speech Lab- Room 220Get help for all your speech and presentation needs,

whether or not you are enrolled in a speech class. PowerPoint presentation assistance is also available. For an appointment, call 236-9239 or email [email protected].

Walk-in hours: MW 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.; TR 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 4:30 – 6 p.m.; Fri 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The Math Lab- Room 226From developmental to calculus, free tutoring services are available to anyone who needs

assistance. Hours: MWF 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; TR 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The Writing Resource Center- Room 222

A one-stop-shop for all your writing needs. From organization to editing, WCC English professor Jean Shibuya and UH Mānoa English grad-uate students Lisa Chow and Michael Pak are there to assist you. There will also be various writing workshops offered throughout the semester, date and time TBA. For an appoint-ment, call 235-7473.

Mon 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.Tues 10 a.m. – noon & 4 – 8 p.m.Wed 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.Thurs 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.Fri 10 a.m. – noon

Testing Center- Room 228 This is where students can

do placement, distance educa-tion, make-up or re-take test-ing. Be sure to bring a photo I.D. Ph. 235-7498.

MT 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.WR 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.Fri 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Along with the Ka Piko labs and services, you will also find the office of Dan McAlinden, Mental Health and Wellness Counselor.

He offers free personal counseling for any student that feels stressed, over-whelmed, or just needs to talk. He’s also available to find outside sources that will work with a student’s health coverage, if further assistance is needed.

To make an appointment with his secretary, call 235-7413, Mon-Fri 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Or visit his office in Room 234.

WR 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Students taking advantage of the tutor sessions at Ka Piko’s Math Lab. Shaynalynn Ah Sam, Warren Mamizuka (tutor), Brianna Summers and Matthew Maneha (tutor) take a break from the math work with big smiles.

The English gurus of Ka Piko: Jean Shibuya, Lisa Chow and Michael Pak.

Speech lab assistant Leah Joseph (right) shows student Kim Young that it’s not so scary to give speeches and that practice makes it much easier.

Self-Study Computers- Located outside the Testing Center, just before TheHubTwelve computers have been separated

from the public access computers in the li-brary. They are designated as the “Writing Macs” for exclusive use by students getting help from the Writing Resource Center. Sim-

ply sign in with your WCC username and password prior to using these computers.

All “Writing Macs” have a Ka Piko label on the monitors to distinguish them from the rest.

For additional information on any of the Ka Piko Student Success Center services or labs, contact Kai Noa Libby, Ka Piko coordinator, at 235-7325.

KA ’OHANA STAFF

KA ’OHANA STAFF

KA ’OHANA STAFF

F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3


4 CAMPUS NEWSKa ‘Ohana

For the first time on cam-pus, WCC will present a cosmologic light show

this spring at Hokulani Imagi-narium featuring the music of famous ’70s English band Led Zeppelin.

The shows will run on Feb. 27, April 24, and June 26 begin-ning at 7 p.m. and lasting for an hour. Tickets can be purchased at the door or by making res-ervations by contacting (808) 235-7433. “There is something about Led Zeppelin that’s classic and timeless,” said Imaginarium manager Mary Beth Laychak. This is not a show just for the stargazers sitting on rooftops waiting to catch a glimpse of a shooting star.

Instead, this is an audience interaction-based production that is educational and enter-taining — a 360-degree experi-ence never to be forgotten.

A control panel on each of the 85 seats allows the view-ers the opportunity to not just visualize the show; it allows them to be a part of the show. The visual is produced by a premier projector system called the Digistar II, which allows the audience to experience the illusion of reality. WCC’s Imagi-narium is a huge playground for the mind.

“We have a lot of fun doing the shows” said Laychak. The Imaginarium will also show other features such as “Tales of the Maya Skies,” “Stargazing,” “Astronaut,” “Perfect Little Planet,” “Earth, Moon, and Sun,” “Maunakea: Between Earth and Sky,” “Stars,” and “Two Small Pieces of Glass.”

The costs are $7 for general admission, $6 for UH students, military or seniors(65+) with ID, $5 children ages 4-12, and free for children under the age of 4 (cash only at box office).

Visit Facebook @ WCCi-maginarium for more details.

Spring 2013 Schedule All shows begin at 7 pm.

Feb. 8 Astronaut Feb. 13 StargazingFeb. 22 Magic Tree House Space MissionFeb. 27 Led-Zeppelin

March 8 Maunakea: Between Earth and SkyMarch 13 StargazingMarch 22 Perfect Little Planet

April 10 Stargazing April 12 Stars April 24 Led-ZeppelinApril 26 Earth, Moon and Sun

May 8 StargazingMay 10 Two Small Pieces of GlassMay 24 Magic Tree House Space Mission

June 12 StargazingJune 14 Tales of Maya Skies June 26 Led-ZeppelinJune 28 Perfect Little Planet

Please Note: No late seating. No re-entry after exiting during show. Pick up reserved tickets 15 minutes prior to show.

Led-Zeppelin to rock the Imaginariumb y C h a r l o t t e M a n i n i


Get your trays and milk cartons ready

Get your pencils, pens and other creative utensils

ready because WCC’s award-winning literary magazine Rain Bird is at it again.

Having earned multiple first place awards from the American Scholastic Press As-sociation over the years, Rain Bird is ready to add another prize-winning edition to its collection.

The 34th issue, themed “Food Fight,” is gearing up for another magazine packed with different mediums of art.

“We invite you to come to this food fight armed with poems, short stories, essays, screenplays and any other work of art that expresses an experience with food – good or bad,” says the Rain Bird staff.

The crew from last semes-ter brainstormed until the idea of food sparked the interest of the staff, and from there, they refined it to “Food Fight.”

“The theme of food can vary in meaning from light-heartedness to deep and thought-provoking,” says magazine advisor Desi Poteet.

Whether it’s for our stom-achs, minds, souls, or hearts,

there is nothing quite as pow-erful as this amazing thing we call food. “Have you ever shown someone your love through food? Has your life ever changed over a single meal? Do you secretly crave someone or something? We want to know!” reads the Rain Bird application.

Entries on any subject will be accepted, but pieces that specifically illustrate the theme are definitely encour-aged.

To submit an entry, you must be a current WCC stu-dent, faculty member, staff member, or Writing Retreat attendee and you must submit an entry form with your piece of art.

Entry boxes are located in the WCC bookstore, library and outside of the Rain Bird studio, Hale ‘Ākoakoa 236. You may also mail entries to Rain Bird, WCC, 45-720 Kea’ahala Rd., Kāne’ohe, HI 96744.

Also, don’t forget to check out the launch party for Rain Bird’s 33rd issue themed “Love” on Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. The maga-zine will be unveiled during a “love bazaar” staged in the atrium of Hale ‘Ākoakoa and will feature entertainers along with delectable treats and give-aways.

If you have any questions, contact a Rain Bird staff mem-ber at [email protected].

b y Z a c h a - R y a L u n i n gKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Rain Bird’s 34th issue, “Food Fight,” coming your way

Counselor Gus Cobb-Adams (left) and student government advisor Leslie Opulauoho (right) award WCC student and raffle winner, “Jay,” with a tuition waiver during ASUH-WCC’s Welcome Back event.

JESSICA CRAWFORD

ASUH-WCC’s ‘Welcome Back’ Tuition Winner

F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3

CAMPUS NEWS 5Ka ‘OhanaW I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

‘We Go Jam’ to celebrate heritage

The Library Learning Commons will be bustling with music and guests Thursday, Feb. 21 from

6 p.m. to celebrate the book “We Go Jam.” Icons of Hawaiian music and culture connected to the Windward side will gather to read their contribu-tions to the book.

Published by the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, the book is meant to highlight the musical culture, or “soundscape,” of Hawai‘i.

A collection of essays, memoirs, lyrics, fiction and oral history, “We Go Jam” is filled with writings from well-known island authors, musicians and cultural icons.

Readers at the event will include: •Celebrated musician Jerry Santos; •Puakea Nogelmeier, a Hawaiian

language professor at UH Manoa; •Aiko Yamashiro, a Castle High

graduate and doctoral student at UH Manoa;

•Thelma Chang, author, reading her article about Calvin Hoe;

• Calvin Hoe, who will play the nose flute and give a talk;

• Susan Yim, who edited the book’s collection.

“It’s going to be really great to both celebrate the book and to give people an opportunity to reflect on

what music means to them,” said event organizer Janine Oshiro.

A book giveaway will take place at the event. To win a book, you must write 100 words or less about what music means to you.

There will be two winners: one judged and selected by Oshiro’s English class, the other chosen in a

random drawing. Students can bring their piece of writing to the event or be inspired at the reading.

The event will begin with music by TRiO students outside of the library’s main entrance, with refreshments offered.

Readings from the book will begin inside the library at 6:30 p.m.

b y M a r i a H a r rKa ‘Ohana Editor in Chief

New music teacher on campus

There is something beau-tiful about being con-

nected to Hawaiian music, but it seems sometimes there is not enough time to connect to something beautiful,” sighs WCC’s new music instructor, Carlton “Ka’ala” Carmack.

Carmack sits poised on the hard wooden bench be-hind the piano, looking as comfortable as if he had been relaxing in his favorite La-Z-Boy recliner.

His eyes are closed, but his fingers move instinctively, gliding across the black and white keys.

The class sings “Nani Ko’olau” as he plays. Carmack tilts his head for just a second, picking up on something that untrained ears might have missed, then rearranges the students.

“You stand there, and you there, and you over there,” he gently directs. After a couple of pointers and some laughs, the classroom fills with music again.

It’s only the second week of school for Carmack. Yet ev-erything seems so natural that it’s quite surprising to learn that he had only a month’s time to transition from 25 years in San Francisco back to his birthplace, Hawai’i, to begin his new job as WCC’s music instructor.

Carmack learned his art mostly from his grandmother, but his family as a whole brought music into his life.

“Growing up, when we got together we knew two things were for sure: we would eat and we would play music,” he laughs as he reminisces.

At a young age Carmack learned that music and sing-ing are “part of who we are.” While his brothers and cous-ins would play ball and throw firecrackers outside, he would stay indoors to play music with his elders.

Carmack moved around a lot as a child, from Panama to Japan, and throughout the United States.

Forced to adapt to new people and places, cultures and lifestyles, he gives thanks to his family for “blessing” him with Hawaiian music and “feels very fortunate to have had it along the way.”

This semester, Carmack is teaching MUS 114 -College Chorus , MUS 121B- Voice 1, both with an emphasis on Hawaiian music, and MUS 177- Intro to Hawaiian Music . He can be found in Palanakila 211, where his classes are held, or in his office at Hale Pala-nakila 130.

Carmack has accom-plished much as a musician, singer, pianist, and teacher. He has taught at Stanford Uni-versity and San Francisco State University and has master’s degrees in vocal pedagogy and choral conducting, as well as ethnomusicology. He is also a music producer, director, and conductor and has produced and directed a stage production at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

Carmack has also toured with hula halau Na Lei Hulu I ka Wekiu as one of their lead singers and guitarists.

At an age when most peo-ple are enjoying retirement or at least thinking about it, Carmack is taking on new challenges to teach people more about what he believes to be the “human condition.” Whether you are talented or not doesn’t matter. Music is “the fabric” of who we are, he says.

Carmack wants his stu-dents to realize that while some may have threads of one color and some threads of another, the same basic fabric is woven in all of us.

He wants students to rec-

Ka’ala Carmack plays the piano while his chorus class sings along.

ognize that and be inspired to “own it.”

When asked what it is that keeps him motivated,

b y K y r i e P u a o iKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

he replies, “The beauty of Hawaiian music drives me, and it is worth it because it is beautiful.”

Applying for UH scholarships made easier

If you’re worried about how to make ends meet and still

pay your school tuition, the WCC Financial Aid office can help. The staff in Hale Alaka‘i Room 107 is available to help you in applying for scholar-ships, grants, and loans.

New this year is the UH system Common Scholarship Application, which has a filing deadline of March 1, 2013.

“They wanted to make it simple,” said Hylie Santos, WCC financial aid specialist.

The UH Common Scholar-ship enables you to fill out only one application for multiple scholarhips.

Take the time to go online to https://uhsys.scholarship.ngwebsolutions.com, fill out the required information and the system will automatically send your information to the committees of each UH schol-arship you qualify for.

The WCC financial aid home page lists numerous scholarships available ex-clusively for Windward stu-dents.

“Last school year the UH Foundation gave out approxi-mately $55,000 in scholarship awards to approximately 60 students,” said Steven Chiga-wa, WCC financial aid direc-tor.

Students can receive any combination of scholarships,

grants, and loans up to the amount of the cost of atten-dance at the student’s school of enrollment.

The priority deadline to fill out the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) is April 1, but applicants are urged to file as early as possible. You can fill out your FAFSA by visiting www.fafsa.gov.

Visit the financial aid of-fice in Hale Alaka’i Room 107, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. or call the Financial Aid office at 235-7449.

On weekends, stop by One-Stop at the Windward Mall (first floor next to Gyu-Kaku Restaurant), Fridays 5-9 p.m. or Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

b y E l i z a b e t h R u i zKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Jerry Santos Puakea Nogelmeier Calvin Hoe

KYRIE PUAOI

“

COURTESY PUAKEA NOGELMEIER PETER TULLY OWENCOURTESY JERRY SANTOS

People are lazy now, and the Internet with its overload of information has caused that. Instead of getting to know someone in person “the old - fashioned way,” people would rather just look up the other person online and assume everything about them.

Clear Chat History

Kimo 10:40 am

“No commitment and I can focus on more

things like school.” – Ashley

“I can do whatever I want. I like not hav-

ing to spend money on things that don’t

make sense.” – Eric

“I like being able to focus on myself and

my own goals. Also, flirting is really fun.”

– Natalia

“You get to be as selfish as you want with

your time, space, and habits.” – Alex

“I get to be selfish and don’t have to worry

about a whole other person.” – Sarah Beth

“I don’t have to pretend that I am looking

at a street sign when I am really checking

out a girl.” – Jared

What are the perks of being single?Love is in the air... or is it?

Instead of meeting someone

casually you meet people on

social networking sites such

as Facebook, Instagram,

or Twitter. These sites take

away from the mystery of the

first date because everything

you’d ask on a first date you

can already read online about

someone.

Clear Chat History

Dina10:35 am

Yes, I think it definitely has. A lot of people aren’t really into being exclusive anymore. Many people would rather just “talk” to people to keep their options open, I guess.

Ipo

Has dating changed and, if so, how?

Some WCC students say there are perks to being single while others have fond memories of past V-Days. Still others say people don’t really “date” anymore — just text or go online.

What happened to hearts and flowers and romance? Whatever the dynamic, Valentine’s Day will never be the same.

Now it seems that no one really talks to each other. Many people text instead of talking in person or even on the phone. Also, it seems that a lot more people are meeting online through Facebook or online dating sites. It seems weird because you really don’t know if it is the person you’re talking to. In my opinion, dating should be like the old days.

Cindy Feb 1, 2013

Ideal Valentine’s DayWith all the stress of school, job hunting, house hunting, and wed-

ding planning 2,500 miles away from my bridal party, I think my ideal

Valentine’s Day would be a nice long spa day with my hubby-to-be. It’ll

be a great time for the two of us to just relax , unwind, and enjoy each

other’s company. Who wouldn’t like to be pampered, get massaged, and

soak their troubles away?– Terinna Chen

Last Valentine’s was the most memorable one for me yet. My

valentine and I were seniors in high school, Castle and Kailua.

When school got out, he caught the bus to my school, present-

ing a home-made bouquet of tissue paper roses, an origami heart,

and a love note. He took me to watch “The Vow” and after the

movie I presented the brownie I made with “Prom?” spelled out

in M&M’s.– Alonia Alabanza

She’d been deployed for seven months. I was wondering what

she might be doing when a loud crash broke my thought. I ran

to the kitchen and saw that someone had been there! I grabbed

a potato peeler for protection, turned around, and there she

was. In the excitement, I forgot to put down the peeler so when

we hugged I accidentally stabbed her, creating a heart-shaped

scar. She’s deployed again, but now every Valentine’s Day apart

brings a giggle.– Mari Fujiyoshi

On: February 14At: Hale Palanakila Courtyard

From: 11 to 1 p.m.Bring WCC ID for free pizza and salad.

For more information on the One Billion Rising event, go to www.onebillionrising.org

Job Fair and One Billion Rising Valentine’s Day event

F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3


8 Ka ‘Ohana Arts & Entertainment

At the Gallery: ‘Old Dogs New Tricks’b y C h a r l o t t e M a n i n i


You can break out the leashes, but there’s no holding back a group of

artists who have put together an exhibit called “Old Dogs New Tricks” in WCC’s Gallery ‘Io-lani, on display through Feb. 28.

The artists were UH stu-dents who got together in the late ’70s and early ’80s to ex-press their emotions through artwork.

“You cannot put a time frame on how long it takes to complete a piece of art,” said one of the artists, Doug Doi — a sentiment that also applies to their enduring friendship as the group has maintained their contact over the years.

The breed of “old dogs” also includes Stephan Doi, Jon Ham-blin, Michael Harada, James Kuroda, George Okuhara and Lilette Subedi.

“We were once puppies; now we are old dogs with new tricks, evolved into what we are today,” said Doug Doi.

“We’d always talk about having a showing together in school. Some of us have shown together over the years.” said Subdei, another “old dog.”

“Maybe we’re just better at mastering our old tricks,” said Steven Doi, describing his meaning of “new tricks.” The exhibit will range from ceramics to recycled painted tin roofing created from tech-niques or “new tricks” the group of companions learned over the years.

“Art allows a special op-portunity to connect with other people….Art is always about expression and communica-tion,” said Subdei. “It’s a vehicle for each of us to put ourselves out there.”

Of the exhibit, gallery di-rector and WCC art professor Toni Martin described it as “a testimony to the virtue of a fine arts degree.”

“Four of them are instruc-tors at high schools and col-leges. Another is at the Hawai‘i State Foundation in the Art in Public Places program. The other three are working artists.”

After a stunning turnout of over 100 attendees at the

last “Out Loud in the Library,” WCC’s literary reading event is back on Thursday, March 7, at 6 p.m.

The theme is “Words Plus,” which event organizer and English instructor Ja-nine Oshiro explains as being “works that intersect with another art form.”

Oshiro says she was par-ticularly interested in how words interacted with images. The other art form will be mostly visual art. “Something more interesting than just readings,” she adds.

Featured guests will be poet and book artist Lynn Young, who will read her po-etry and share her handmade books, and visiting husband-and-wife team from Portland, Oregon, Tyler and Wendy-

Chin Tanner. They will present imag-

es from their graphic novel, “American Terrorist,” and poems. The graphic novel is about political activism, which Oshiro hopes will interest students.

The event will be held on the first floor of the Library Learning Commons in Room 102, with music and mingling at 6 p.m. and readings starting at 6:30.

PHOTOS BY KEVIN A. MILLER

(Top row, from left clockwise): Art by Jon Hamblin, Michael Harada, Doug Doi, Stephan Doi, George Okuhara and Lilette Subedi.(Ar t from James Kuroda not pictured.)

If you want to know the lat-est in modern technology,

check out the 6th annual Un-conferenz Saturday, March 2 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Hale Pālanakila.

The Unconferenz is de-fined as a “grassroots technol-ogy gathering . . . to foster sharing and interaction among participants,” according to the website.

It is also part of “Code

Unconferenz HawaiiAcross America: A Week of Civic Innovation,” a national event where citizens come together to make their cities better.

Fifteen slots are reserved for WCC students to attend for free. To apply for one of the spaces, contact Burt Lum at [email protected]. Be sure to include an explanation of why you would like to attend, as well as what you hope to learn from this event.

The name “unconferenz” was created to promote more group discussion where at-

tendee participation is not only encouraged but necessary.

“Unconferenz has built a strong history of bringing together a diverse group of geeks, coders, designers, entre-preneurs, thinkers and simply curious people to share, learn, create and look ahead,” said founder Lum.

Several sessions are held during the day, the topics of which will be voted on by everyone present in the first hour.

“It is peer-to-peer positive collaboration and action,” said Lum. “No one is appointed moderator or speaker, but we are all facilitators.”

Lum is a WCC computer science lecturer and host of Bytemarks Café on Hawaii Public Radio. His courses are an overview of popular social media and Web tools ranging from YouTube, Facebook to Tumblr and Twitter.

Students also get to estab-lish their own personal Web channel by the end of the semester while learning how to maintain and update the information.

b y C h a r l o t t e I o a n e a n d K e l l y M o n t g o m e r y

Ka ‘Ohana Staff

‘Out Loud in the Library’b y M a r i a H a r r

Ka ‘Ohana Editor in Chief

Awards for excellenceEvery year WCC calls for nominations to recognize faculty and

staff who have demonstrated excellence in the work they do.The awards include the UH Board of Regents Excellence in

Teaching award; the Frances Davis Award for junior faculty; and the WCC Chancellor’s Award for campus service by a full-time civil service or APT employee.

The deadline for all the award nominations is the first week in March.

If you have questions, call Dorene Niibu, the WCC chancel-lor’s secretary at 235-7402 or email [email protected].


9Ka ‘OhanaF e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3

Community News

to 2009, involved the use of drugs or alcohol.”

Pentagon studies show that white males younger than 25 were more likely to commit suicide. More than half the suicides studied in the 2011 report were carried out with a personal firearm, not a military issue weapon.

Senior officials are calling for troop handlers to focus on resilience, to be vigilant of changes in behavior, and immediately seek help for anyone showing signs of suicidal ideation.

“As important as any step, we have also made great attempts to remove stigma from seeking mental health services, a stigma that is common throughout society, and not just in the military,” Woodson said.

Jacqueline Garrick, act-ing director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, told the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press

Service that many service members fear getting help be-cause it may cause difficulty in one’s career.

For Jason, the transition to civilian life has been dif-ficult. He said of coworkers at the restaurant where he works, “They treat me dif-ferent. They’re scared of me and think I’m a threat. I can’t relate to anybody. I tell people to leave me alone, but once I start getting irritated, they ask me if I took my pills and that s--- pisses me off.”

He continued, “Therapy doesn’t help. It just makes me want to go back — back to Iraq and war — because life was so simple. You just get in the zone. It’s what I was programmed to do, and I just don’t know how to turn it off.”

PTSD and suicide from page 2

WCC graduate and former Ka ‘Ohana editor in chief Theresa Worden filed this story last month from Washington, D.C., where she witnessed President Barack Obama’s inauguration. Theresa will graduate this spring with her master’s degree in museum studies from Johns Hopkins Uni-versity.

* * * The roar of the crowd was unlike anything I had ever heard.

As the President and First Lady stepped from their limo onto Pennsylvania Avenue during the inaugural parade, they electrified a nearly fro-zen crowd. Voices rumbled across the National Mall like thunder, echoing in the chill January air.

Attending a presidential inauguration is at once an honor and a test. Long lines, intense security and bitter, bitter cold — these are the physical challenges for visi-tors intent on witnessing this national spectacle.

The reward is a tangible image of our country’s col-lective spirit, engaged and renewed through ceremony and celebration.

My attendance on Jan. 21 was the culmination of a master’s seminar to study how American history is docu-mented and packaged in the digital environment. Inte-grating technology into our

A front row seat at the inaugurationb y T h e r e s a W o r d e n

Special to Ka ‘Ohana

daily lives affects the way we shape our collective memory and construct our history. But as the influence of digital media grows, we are only just learning the full extent of the shift.

The availability of smart phones and the popularity of apps like Twitter, Instagram and other social media tools have changed how we expe-rience the world and share in history-making events.

Once only a passive view, accessible by radio or televi-sion, such events can now be a transient “participatory” ex-perience. Free of commentary pundits, it can be a conversa-tion, a collaboration of many voices and viewpoints.

This conversation, how-ever, can only exist so long as bandwidth and battery-life allow. An estimated one million people attending the inauguration created a drag

on cellular networks and taxed new cell towers erected just for the occasion.

By lunchtime, I was wor-ried my iPhone was going to die. Although I metered my cell and camera use, by the end of the day I didn’t have nearly as many pictures as I thought.

Going to the inauguration was more than just a seminar requirement, of course; it was an incredible opportunity. It was in many ways a milestone in my journey from Kāne’ohe to Washington D.C.

Over the years, I’ve strug-gled to balance a return to college with work and family responsibilities, but managed to graduate from WCC in 2008. I finished my bachelor’s at UH Mānoa and earned an internship at the Smithsonian Institution in 2010.

Finding a job soon after al-lowed my educational pursuit to continue, and in May I will

complete my master’s degree in Museum Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

As different as my life is now, Hawai‘i never seems that far away. The immediacy of 4G interaction continues to bridge this distance.

As the birthplace of Presi-dent Obama, Hawai‘i had a place of honor near the begin-ning of the inaugural parade line. The Hawai‘i state float, dedicated to the late Sen. Dan-iel Inouye, led the Punahou and Kamehameha Schools’ marching bands toward the White House reviewing stand.

Whether the inaugura-tion is an opportunity for the president to establish a tone of leadership, an excuse to spend exorbitant sums on formal dresses, or to reorient the country around our founding ideals, at the end of the day the same challenges remain that faced us the day before.

But I will always remember President Obama’s voice reso-nating through me as he spoke the oath of office, and that mine was one in a sea of cheers during his second inaugural address, supporting each call for equality, unity, and action.

Members of WCC’s staff and student body came together for a short vigil on the Great Lawn in observance of the

120th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom on Jan. 17.

The ceremony began with counselor Winston Kong blowing the conch shell to welcome guests. Hawaiian language lecturer Tuti Kanahele gave a short prayer to start the event. Speakers Gus Cobb-Adams, Tommy Young, Loea Akiona, Kanahele and Kong gave an overview of the history of Queen Lili’uokalani’s debate over the Bayonet Constitution and the subsequent overthrow.

Cobb-Adams asked for any thoughts or comments on the historical event from the crowd. “This is a date that gets me very upset, physically, emotionally and spiritually,” he said.

The 15-minute event closed with singing “Kaulana na Pua” as a group, led by new WCC music teacher Carlton “Ka’ala” Carmack. Most students and faculty who attended the vigil joined in the song.

“It’s important to recognize that the self-determination of the Hawaiian people has not yet been realized,” Cobb-Adams said of why it was decided to hold the vigil. Earlier he had said, “We’re not just talking about issues that happened 120 years ago, but also what is going to happen to us 120 years from now.”

THERESA WORDEN

THERESA WORDEN

[Above] Theresa Worden with her son Austen take a self-photo while at the inauguration.[Left] President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama walk down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom

Tuti Kanahele and Gus Cobb-Adams address a crowd for the short vigil.

“Therapy doesn’t help.” - Jason A.

The DOD has been care-fully examining all of its programs to ensure they are not funding treatment pro-grams that are ineffective.

According to Woodson, peer-on peer-mentoring is one treatment method that has been effective. Also ef-fective is the assistance of high quality mental health professionals capable of eva luat ing and t reat ing those at r isk for suicide. More eff ic ient screening for PTSD is also believed to be an important variable in tackling suicide within the military.

If you are veteran or service member – or are con-cerned about a veteran or service member – showing signs of suicidal behavior, don’t wait until it is too late, call the Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 Press 1.

For non-military Oahu residents, call 1-800-753-6879 or 808-832-3100.

MARIA HARR

Community News10W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

Ka ‘OhanaF e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3

Bean-to-bar with Madre Chocolateb y J e s s i c a C r a w f o r d


Although it’s been open since January 2011, some may drive by

the tiny Kailua shop and not even notice it’s there. That’s the beauty of it; you feel like you’re part of some delicious secret.

But as it turns out, many know about Madre Choco-late. Their chocolate has been winning awards and gaining acclaim, winning six Hawaii, U.S., and international choco-late awards.

David Elliott, co-founder and production manager for Madre, has traveled the cacao-growing regions of Bolivia and Ecuador for many years, working on social and envi-ronmental issues. After living in Oaxaca City, the chocolate epicenter of Mexico, Elliott saw an opportunity to create a business that could produce fine chocolate and help make a positive impact in the lives of cacao farmers and their com-munities.

The other half of the Madre equation, Nat Bletter, has a doc-torate from the City University of New York in ethnobotany,

which is the study of the re-lationships between people and plants. He also authored a chapter in “Chocolate in Me-soamerica.” After becoming interested in chocolate-making, he tried his hand at making his own out of his New York apartment, using only a food processor and a coffee grinder. Upon moving to Hawai’i for postdoc study, he thought Ha-waii would be the perfect spot to make chocolate. He dubs himself the “flavormeister” for Madre.

In an industry known for using child and slave labor, Madre prides itself on being “direct-trade.” By cutting out the middleman, they work directly with growers, forming close relationships to ensure a better standard of living and pay for the farmer. Knowing this, it makes their chocolate taste that much better.

With cacao sourced di-rectly from small organic coop-eratives in Hawaii and Central America, their chocolate bars are divided into two lines: the Kokoleka and the Xocolatl. The 1.5 ounce bars run from $6 to $10 each.

The Xocolatl line combines

traditional ingredients, such as in their Rosita de Cacao bar, which landed in Saveur Magazine’s top 100. Inspired by the ancient Mayan choco-late drinks, it contains the tiny white Oaxacan flower and prized Xoconusco cacao.

The Kokoleka bars use local ingredients and cacao that comes from the Hamakua Coast, cacao’s “Napa Valley of Hawaii.” Hawaii is the only state where cacao is grown, and one of the furthest-north locations. Bletter refers to Ha-waii as “the North Pole of Chocolate.” Their Coconut Milk and Caramelized Ginger bar is popular with fans of both dark chocolate and milk chocolate. It is also a finalist for a Good Food award for 2013, along with their Triple Cacao bar.

Madre also offers tastings and a variety of classes. You can learn about the history of chocolate and the chocolate-making process in a “bean-to-bar” class. You can even purchase a chocolate-making kit, to get started crafting your own bars at home.

More information can be found on their website: Madrechocolate.com.

Top: A selection of chocolate bars from Madre Chocolate. Bottom: Madre Chocolate owners David Elliott (left) and Nat Bletter (right) display a few of the products their store carries.

JESSICA CRAWFORD

JESSICA CRAWFORD

The Hawaii Pro Football League will open its third season at Aloha

Stadium Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. The HPFL cur-rently consists of four teams, including one from Kauai, who play for the love of the game.

The North Shore Raiders, Ko‘olau Hurricanes, Waianae Sharks and Kauai Crusaders make up the league. Players come from all athletic backgrounds and range in age from 20 years old to 47 years old.

The culmination of the season will be in April when the top teams play in the Island Bowl for the championship. A press release from the HPFL states that the winner of the Island Bowl will travel to China to play the China All-Star team in summer 2013.

The HPFL, the brainchild of Carson Peapealalo, has been more than 20 years in the making.

“I had this concept of creating a football league for quite some time,” said Peapealalo.

“(I was) watching my nephews when they should have had the oppor-tunity to play in the NFL — watching them not able to move on to college so they gave up the sport they still craved.”

Peapealalo wanted to give these players a second chance. The league motto “always accept challenges” fits the league and its players perfectly. It was exactly what Peapealalo did as he made his dream a reality.

Hawaii Pro Football League gears up for 2013b y J a i m e e - L i n n S h a w


JAIMEE-LINN SHAW

Coach and team member Josh Noga practices with the North Shore Raiders’ offensive linemen at Hau'ula Community Park Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

A new children’s musical and the spring show of renowned direc-

tor Ron Bright, “Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale” will have performances at Paliku Theatre Feb. 16 and 17. Created by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman, writers of Paliku’s last musical, “How I Became a Pirate,” this show has been performed only once in the creators’ hometown of Cincinnati.

Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $10

for students and children.No military or senior discount

offered.

TOM HOLOWACH

“I was a late football bloomer, went to Kahuku High School and played with many great football athletes such as Vil-iami Fehoko, Reggie Torres and Darren Johnson,” said Peapealalo.

He also played under UH coach Bob Wagner during the 1992 – 1993 season.

The HPFL has had players go on to other leagues. Warren Tauanuu, for-merly of the Ko‘olau Hurricanes, went on to play Arena Football in Everett, Washington while Jason Rego, formerly of the Kailua Storm, is playing rugby in Australia.

Most currently, George Kawalu of the Waianae Sharks is being looked at as a potential player to send to the NFL tryouts.

“There is no greater feeling when you’re running out of that stadium tun-nel with your head held high, suited up and ready to fight,” said Isaac Silva of the North Shore Raiders.

Silva has quite a few reasons why he chose to play for the HPFL. “I’m playing for three reasons: to be an example to my children, to stay fit, and because I love this sport! I have a passion for the game of football and always will,” he said.

Members of the North Shore Raid-ers practice nightly at Hauula Com-munity Park. Practice for the Raiders brings players’ families out to support them. The team runs drills and does lots of cardio conditioning.

The HPFL is looking forward to growth in its 2013 season and beyond. Anyone interested in playing should visit their website at www.hawaiipro-football.net or call Carson Peapealalo at 841-1997.

Season tickets are available through the Aloha Stadium box office. Ticket prices range from $5 to $11 with dis-counts for children, seniors and military personnel.

RAPUNZEL

F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3


Editorial 11Ka ‘Ohana

Ka ‘Ohana

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Maria HarrSTAFF REPORTERS

Eric LevineZacha-Rya Luning Kelly Montgomery

Kyrie PuaoiElizabeth Ruiz

Chelsea MeeriansCharlotte Manini

(The Family)Jaimee-Linn Shaw

Anyah AlbertJessica Crawford

JOURNALISM WRITERSCharlee Ioane

Theresa WordenWEBMASTERS

Patrick HascallJessica Crawford

ADVISORLibby Young

Ka ‘Ohana is published monthly by the students of Windward Community College. 45-720 Kea‘ahala Rd, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i 96744. Phone (808) 236-9187 or 236-9185. The newspaper re-flects only the views of its student staff. Visit Ka ‘Ohana’s website at www.KaOhanaOnline.org.

What can be done to control gun violence?It’s a double-edged sword.

On one hand, you could do nothing and episodes such as the recent school shooting might continue unabated. On the other hand, overregulation would be stripping us of our constitutional rights as well as ill-equipping the innocent from those who don’t abide by the law and possess firearms despite regulations.

So it’s a mixed barrel, but we opened Pandora’s box when we created the things; these are merely the reper-cussions. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

–Jeff Green

I believe that people who want to buy guns should have to undergo not only a more extensive background check, but also a psychological evalu-ation as well. This only covers guns from the legal side. As far as illegal guns, I believe that if someone is caught with one, there should be severe consequences such as heavy jail time.

In the ideal America there would be no guns, but in real-ity there will always be guns no matter the laws. I believe the answer is to make legally owning guns harder and to make illegally owning guns so difficult (with serious punish-ment) that the risk of having one is no longer worth the “reward.”

–Jesse Rowell

In order to control gun violence we need stricter gun control laws like in-depth background checks as well as mental health screenings. We also need a ban on assault weapons. No one should be able to purchase any military-grade weapons of any kind.

–Gerard Antoine

The Sandy Hook massacre really shook me to the core. I am hoping and praying that VP Biden will be successful in getting some measures passed —such as restricting sales at gun shows and by private par-ties, a ban on assault rifles and a drastic reduction on clip size.

That being said, we can all sit back and we’ll be waiting a long time unless we’re willing to put our money where our mouth is.

For the first time in my life I have made a donation to an anti-gun organization. The NRA has tons of money and we have to make sure our side has the “ammunition” to go out there and fight the good fight. NRA VP Wayne Lapi-erre said, “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” Well, the only thing that stops a bad guy with money is a good guy with money.

– Carol Okimi

To control gun violence in the U.S., we have to ban anything related to guns, such as possession, use, and sales of guns, although it might be difficult because of the 2nd amendment.

In my country, Japan, guns are completely banned by law, and obviously crime and violence caused by guns are overwhelmingly low compared to other countries. Therefore, if the U.S. hopes to stop gun violence seriously, they have to change the law and the citizens’ conscious-ness about guns.

–Hiroki Takamiyagi

Just like every other is-sue, education is key. I believe the approach should be as aggressive as the HIV aware-ness campaigns of the ‘90s. We should definitely bring about awareness of gun con-trol, starting with the school systems, public information programs, commercials, and getting well-known people involved.

It’s not about “yay” or “nay” towards gun owner-ship, it’s about addressing the concerns that come with owning guns so that we can effectively restrict and estab-lish laws.

–Hannah Taua

Nothing. It’s already too late to control guns in Amer-ica. The only hope we have is

to modify the 2nd Amend-ment. We declare that a citizen has the right to own deadly weapons only if he or she is of sound body and mind.

There is no easy way

around this topic and someone is going to get hurt. The sooner we face this fact, the better.

–Wyatt Munroe

T h e m e d i a shows guns and violence to be not only accepted but admired. There is a sense of re-spect l inked to the person hold-ing the gun. They portray it as pow-erful; whoever holds t he g u n holds the author-ity.

T h e m e d i a should limit the

emphasis placed on guns. They know violence and sex sell, so that is what their money and time is in-vested in.

Most people don’t know

they are being conditioned and shaped by things they watch on TV and in movies.

The more you accept vio-lence as normal and a part of your daily life, the less affect-ed you will be when it arrives at a neighborhood near you.

–F’tahn Bey

Enforce exist ing gun laws that are on the books. The biggest problem is that background checks are not complete. Background checks will prevent many gun-relat-ed acts of violence.

The second biggest thing is to prevent people who have a history of mental illness from being allowed to buy powder-charged firearms.

It must be said that for the [small number of people] who have committed mas-sacres, there are millions of gamers and movie-goers who are completely non-violent.

–Aaron Carrier

ENTERTAINMENTF e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3


12 Ka ‘Ohana

While “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Les Miserables” may be

receiving the most Oscar buzz, another major motion picture has been making its mark.

“The Impossible,” star-ring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, is the English-lan-guage Spanish film recount-ing the true story of a family’s struggle for survival through the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

As residents of Hawai’i, the word tsunami hits close to home for many of us… literally. Monthly siren tests along with the sporadic “false alarms” serve as reminders of our own vulnerability.

However, for Spanish doc-tor Maria Bennett (Watts) and her family, a tsunami was the last thing on their minds during their 2004 Christmas vacation in Phuket, Thailand.

While lounging poolside on Dec. 26, 2004, one of the world’s deadliest disasters swept the family away in dif-ferent directions. In the wake

‘The Impossible’: A story of survivalb y C h e l s e a M e e r i a n s


of the tsunami’s destructive path, Maria and her eldest son, Lucas, find themselves lost in a sea of other survivors, as they desperately search for the rest of their family.

The Spanish family’s story of survival against all odds

became the inspiration for the film directed by Juan Antonio Bayona. The cinematography is brilliant, to say the least.

Through his craft, Bayona submerges the audience be-low the tidal wave’s surface and manages to create scenes

that leave viewers breathless. Audience members are left feeling almost guilty for find-ing the scenes of the natural disaster beautiful.

Watts’ role also helped to earn the film critical acclaim. Playing the wounded matri-

arch of the family, Watts gives an emotionally and physically demanding performance. In the film, her character’s moth-erly kindness extends not only to her own children, but to complete strangers who have also been caught in the disaster.

In a recent review for the Denver Post, critic Lisa Ken-nedy said that Watts “gives one of her finest, most physi-cally commanding turns.” In addition, Watts earned Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for “Best Actress” for her per-formance.

Unlike many other com-mercial disaster films that have been produced in the past, “The Impossible” leaves viewers not recalling the hor-rific and graphic moments depicted, but rather the un-derlying theme of human compassion that resonates throughout the film.

The film can be seen as a beautiful articulation of resil-ience despite complete confu-sion and chaos, while making audience members feel as through they are transported into “The Impossible.”

I’d have to say my favorite movie of 2012 was “Pitch Per-fect.” Being in a show choir and an avid fan of “Glee,” I thought this movie was a knee-slapper. Who knew Anna Kendrick could sing and what a hoot Rebel Wilson is!

— Terinna Chen

Not to be evil but (my choice is) the last of the “Twi-light” movie franchise. Why? Because now it is finally over, and all the hype is said and done. — Kuincey Banac-Aricayos

My all-time favorite mov-ies were “Cloud Atlas” and “The Hobbit.” Both movies were long, but they had amaz-ing storylines and kept me entranced the whole time I was watching them.

— Niana Stevens My favorite movie of 2012

was “Lincoln.” I thought the movie was wonderful; he cap-tured Lincoln so well, and the rest of the cast was amazing. A close second was “Argo.” It was incredibly suspenseful.

— Mary Beth Laychak

TELECINCO CINEMA

Naomi Watts (left) with co-star and newcomer Tom Holland, in Juan Antonio Bayona’s “The Impossible.”

Cinematic hits and Oscar contenders of 2012Students and staff

members chose their favorite film of 2012.

The nine films of 2012 in the Oscar running for “best motion picture”are...

(Clockwise from top left): Django Unchained, Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, Lincoln, and Les Miserables. Other nominated films (not pictured) include: Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Silver Linings Playbook.

COLUMBIA PICTURES

FOX 2000

A BAND APART

WORKING TITLE FILMS 20TH CENTURY FOX

ka ‘ohana february 2013

Documents

incoming students

parttime students

fouryear project

castle foundations grant

lives of future wcc

high school students

o r ga project

project shows results