December 4, 2017 by Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

THE AMERICAN IDENTITY PROJECT PG.07-10

KA LEO

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KA LEO O HAWAI‘I: THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

MONDAY, DEC. 04, 2017

NEWS

Reorganization, consolidation, integration: Who holds the reins in the UH administration?

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I NEWS: FLICKR.COM 

Earlier this year Ka Leo wrote an article about David Lassner’s decision to continue his dual capacity job as president and chancellor. MELDRICK RAVIDA STAFF WRITER

On Friday, December 1, 2017, University of Hawai‘i System President and Interim Chancellor David Lassner held a forum regarding proposed changes to the administration, which would create a new Provost position. Quoting Christine Sorensen, Chair of UH Mānoa Faculty Senate Executive Committee, Lassner said, “We agree that some reorganization is needed. Now if we can come to agreement on what that looks like.” The forum, scheduled from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., when some classes were still in session, highlighted the new changes to the reorganization of the ofﬁces. Despite the model’s publication online under “UH Mānoa Campus Forum,” the model that Lassner displayed during his presentation appeared to require some prior understanding of administrative organization. Following his talk he allowed for a session for questions, where most answers diverted to points previously made. Lassner’s proposal signals that the decision has not yet been made, and many are uncertain about how the provost will function. THE PROVOST

Lassner plans on reorganizing the UH Mānoa Chancellor’s Ofﬁce and Vice Chancellors’ Ofﬁces by consolidating three departments under the umbrella of the provost. One of effects

KA LEO EDITOR IN CHIEF Spencer Oshita MANAGING EDITOR Wesley Babcock CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lauren Tabor CHIEF COPY EDITOR Ana Bitter EDITORIAL DESIGN DIRECTOR Amy Lowe ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Erin Cheslow SENIOR EDITOR Chavonnie Ramos SENIOR EDITOR Garrett Hillyer COMICS EDITOR Khari Saffo DIGITAL EDITOR Kristina Kornegay

of the proposed model promises the integration of more research into undergraduate curriculum by bringing together various departments with the College of Natural Sciences. The first change from the previous structure is the provost position and the offices under it. The new job will hold full authority for academic (education and research) programs and the entire academic budget, consolidating the Offices of the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and the Vice Chancellor for Research. Both vice chancellor positions are currently being held by Michael Bruno. Lassner said that the change will create a more natural transition into research with science and other disciplines as well. His presentation clarified that the provost will also have a clear unified reporting and budget authority for all academic units. The holder of the new position will serve as an academic officer for the institution. Due to the increasingly low enrollment for undergraduate and graduate programs, offices under the provost will have to work together to enroll more students and prospective students. Lassner promised that there will be a focus on holistic enrollment management (recruitment and retention) and strategic use of all financial aid. Moreover, the model plans on making UH more inclusive. In order to solve the apparent divide between diversity programs on campus, the  MEET THE STAFF WEB EDITOR Algeo Rosario SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Crystal Fujiwara EXECUTIVE VIDEO PRODUCER Agatha Danglapin PHOTOS EDITOR Krysta Stovall

proposal also combines these programs into one branch. The proposed plan will allow for all ethnic groups to come together and establish a sense of inclusiveness for the campus. A representative from an advising center in the audience agreed, “It would be good to coordinate all advising because it is all split.” This model is only a conceptual draft, which will go through revision. An eighth draft is underway and Lassner claims that it will be published by the end of January and is open to any suggestions. When called for comment, UH spokesperson Dan Meisenzahl said, “Not anything has been solidiﬁed, so there has to be a search like there was for the chancellor.” LASSNER’S POSITION AND CRITICISM

Ka Leo reported in April that Lassner had received approval from the UH Board of Regents to continue in

his role as both UH system president and interim chancellor, after a months-long search to ﬁll the latter position ended unsuccessfully. He said then, “Both jobs are full jobs but it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible, obviously, for one person to do both.” The article later quotes him as saying that he will focus on “priority tasks” of each job and that his main priority is to keep UH Mānoa moving forward. A preliminary result of the faculty senate survey conducted at that time indicated that 91 percent of the faculty who were surveyed feel that is it moderately, very or extremely important for UH Mānoa to have its own independent chancellor. Reasons given for this concern is the “need for independence” from the system because a research university has “unique needs” and a combined role could affect accreditation. At the forum, Lassner also pro-

BEFORE

posed to keep the two positions of president and chancellor separate. The chancellor would be responsible for advancing the overall campus vision and strategies with direct responsibility for external relations and non-academic programs including athletics. The new model includes a new “Chancellor’s Cabinet” with the provost, vice chancellors, vice provosts and the Ofﬁce of the Vice President for Administration, which handles facilities, communication and human resources. Lassner also proposed a new chancellor chair to pull together the right people to work with other organizations such as ASUH in order to reconnect graduate education. Due to the recent tax bill on education, the funding climate, however, is uncertain and in ﬂux. Lassner said, “It’s hard to foresee federal funding for research.” Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

AFTER CHANCELLOR

CHANCELLOR

VC ACADEMIC

VC STUDENT

VC FINANCE

AFFAIRS

RESEARCH

AFFAIRS

& ADMIN

Simplified from a diagram published by the Office of the Chancellor, last updated in July 2014.

PROVOST

VC FINANCE

AFFAIRS

& ADMIN

Simplified from a diagram presented at the forum on Dec. 1 as part of the proposed changes to Mānoa administration.

 ADMINISTRATION Ka Leo O Hawai‘i is the campus newspaper of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. It is published by the Student Media Board biweekly except on holidays and during exam periods. Circulation is 10,000 during the academic year and 5,000 during summer sessions. Ka Leo is funded by student fees and advertising. Its editorial content reﬂects only the views of its writers, reporters, columnists and editors, who are solely responsible for its content.

VC STUDENT

 LET’S HAVE A CHAT No material that appears in Ka Leo may be reprinted or republished in any medium without permission. The ﬁrst newsstand copy is free; for additional copies, please visit Ka Leo. The Student Media Board, a student organization chartered by the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents, publishes Ka Leo O Hawai‘i. Issues or concerns can be reported to the board via uhsmb@hawaii.edu. ©2017 Student Media Board

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MONDAY, DEC. 04, 2017

KA LEO O HAWAI‘I: THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

FEATURES KO ’ O L A U L OA

WA I A L UA

MĀ LAMA I NĀ AHUPUA‘A

KO ‘ O L A U P O KO

Those who care for the Ahupua‘a WA I ‘A N A E ‘ E WA FILE PHOTO / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I 

On Saturday, December 2, Ulla Hasager and Nelda Quensell were recognized for their 20 years of dedication to the program at MINA’s closing event. JAM HOUGH MANAGING DESIGN DIRECTOR

MINA is a service-learning program which was formed in 1997 by Professor Marion Kelly, Professor Nelda Quensell, Dr. Carl Hefner and Dr. Ulla Hasager. Originally, its name was “Adopt an Ahupua‘a,” similar to “Adopt a Beach.” A few years later, the name changed to Mālama I nā Ahupua‘a (MINA) to encompass the organization’s belief that the ‘aina adopts you and you care for it. The program is run by both students and faculty at the University of Hawai‘ i at Mānoa, Kapi‘olani Community College, Windward Community College, Hawai‘i Paciﬁc University, Chaminade University of Honolulu and the Hawai‘i Paciﬁc Island Campus Compact, with UH Mānoa serving as the headquarters. MINA involves about 150 students each semester, as it works to connect with many disciplines. These students come from different majors, including biology, chemistry, Hawaiian studies and anthropology. The organization also has a extensive network. They connect and work with other programs at different service-learning sites that students can then become a part of. In fact, many of MINA’s students gain connections through these sites and go on to join them after college, becoming leaders and active members of the community. Many of the students are Native Hawaiian and MINA acts as a way for them to connect to their heritage. Some of these students have not had any exposure to the Native

Hawaiian culture, so for them, this experience is very personal. This connection happens at sites that are sacred to Hawaiian culture, such as heiaus, where students learn about traditional Hawaiian practices, such as a Loko I‘a and Lo‘i. But MINA involves more than students. There are many members of the community, of all ages, who participate as students and are encouraged to bring their families. In doing so, MINA is helping to create a

of Kaho‘olawe which MINA encourages its students to visit after they gain an understanding of ahupua‘a. There are several efforts on Kaho‘olawe to restore the island after it was used for bomb and missile testing by the United States military between 1941 and 1990. The Native Hawaiian movement won back the island in the 1980s and began to restore it then, attempting to “heal” it by reestablishing Native Hawaiian culture and practices.

MINA’s goal is to educate students and the community about sustainability by connecting them to the land and the island. “sense of place” for the community and increase its involvement in creating a sustainable Hawai‘i. MINA’s goal is to educate students and the community about sustainability by connecting them to the land and the island. The organization has many, many service learning sites where the students go and do physical work, which is one way to connect to the ‘aina. However, Ulla Hasager argues that MINA’s success comes from taking the time to explain what is going on at the site and working to connect the students to the ancestors of that site. The most wholesome connection to the ‘aina comes from both learning about and understanding the history and sacredness of the site, as wells as its ecology and environment. A prime example is the island

This will take years to accomplish, but the ﬁrst few steps involve connecting the island with a path all the way around and then establishing the ahupua‘a on the island. Students of MINA come to fully grasp what an ahupua‘a is after completing a lowland, midland and upland service-learning activity. The primary lowland site that students attend is the He‘eia Loko I‘a, a ﬁshpond. The primary midland site is Ulupō, where there is both a lo‘ i and a heiau. The primary upland site is Hālawa valley. But there are many other sites in each category which students can attend, including Mākua Access, which MINA has a long history with. MINA has been involved with Mākua Access since they began in 1997. This site served as a place students and the community could go

to connect to the peoples of the past and learn about sacred places and the relationship with the military. Mākua Access is on the Mākua Military Reservation. This means there is a long screening process and a lot of paperwork to ﬁll out before someone is let in. The students are also not allowed to touch anything, and the group is accompanied by soldiers as they walk through. In 2014, however, the Army said it needed to cut grass and imposed a general ban on visiting the site. In November of 2015, the Army allowed access to certain parts of the site, though access to burials, petroglyphs and temples is still denied. This has greatly impacted MINA’s ability to educate their students. But Earthjustice has ﬁled a lawsuit in order to regain full access. Hasager says that the most important thing about the Mākua Access site is that it teaches about sacred places and the relationship between the program and the military. Over the years, MINA has done a lot for the community of Hawai‘i and is now seen as the “poster child” for education about sustainability, sacred places and community involvement. But it is changing, as MINA’s presence is requested in new sites and old sites become impacted by politics and private property ownership. To Hasager, this change is not bad but simply a fact of life. She believes that “it’s important that the people who live here understand the place,” which is exactly what MINA works to achieve. Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

INFO

HAWAIIAN WORD DEFINITIONS

AHUPUA‘A:

land division usually extending from the uplands to the sea, so called because the boundary was marked by a heap (ahu) of stones surmounted by an image of a pig (pua‘a), or because a pig or other tribute was laid on the altar as tax to the chief

‘AINA: land

HEIAU:

ancient religous site; temple

LO‘I:

taro patch

LOKO I‘A: fishpond

MĀKUA: parent

MĀLAMA:

to take care of, tend, attend, care for, preserve, protect, beware, save, maintain; to keep or observe, as a taboo; to conduct, as a service; to serve, honor, as God; care, preservation, support, fidelity, loyalty; custodian, caretaker, keeper

MINA:

to prize greatly, value greatly, especially of something in danger of being lost

KA LEO O HAWAI‘I: THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

MONDAY, DEC. 04, 2017

FEATURES  EARTHJUSTICE/FACEBOOK

 KINILYNN/BLOGGER

MĀKUA VALLEY 2012

 HAWAIIAN PADDLE SPORTS WEBSITE

SERVICELEARNING SITES KAHO‘OLAWE

HĀLAWA VALLEY HEIAU 2010 JAM HOUGH MANAGING DESIGN DIRECTOR

ULUPŌ HEIAU 2008 AHAHIU MALAMA I KA LOKAHI WEBSITE 

HE‘EIA FISHPOND 2011 KALEI NUUHIWA / PAEPAE O HE‘EIA WEBSITE 

In 1997 a group of people got together and founded an organization which would teach the community about its connection to the environment. Today, that organization persists and has built a history of involvement and accomplishment. Ulla Hasager works day and night in order to make MINA what it is. Nelda Quensell came back for this special occasion to celebrate Hasager, though she did not know that she would be thanked for the years of work she dedicated to the program.

MONDAY, DEC. 04, 2017

KA LEO O HAWAI‘I: THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

OPINIONS CONSERVATION THE BITE CONVERSATION

Saving wiliwili TIM KROESSIG / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I 

According to the Native Plants Hawai‘ i website, the lightweight wiliwili wood was the preferred choice to make surfboards. STACY TORIGOE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Between invasive species, human interference and limited knowledge, native plants are not doing so well. Fortunately, researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa are doing their best to protect these beautiful and important elements of the Hawaiian landscape. Carefully inspecting a fuzzy brown pod, Emily Grave, a second-year master’s student in botany at UH Mānoa, gently plucks it off the branch and untwines the small purple wire around its twiggy end. “This was an outcross,” Grave says. “Look at how much bigger the pods are. And three of them.” The three healthy pods have cracked open, revealing hard, bright red seeds like little beans. Next to it, a single twisted, galled pod quavers in the wind. Grave picks it, even though the pod is still green, so that she can harvest the seed and assess viability before gall wasp larvae eat into it. This one was self-pollinated, and it is obviously smaller and sicklier. The pods belong to wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis), king of the Hawaiian dry forest trees. Their orange-barked trunks, once famously used for surfboard wood, are gnarled and majestic. A few bright orange flowers remain from this summer’s flowering season, when the trees drop all of their leaves and bloom. Grave estimates that most of the trees in this grove are over fifty years old. Unfortunately, wiliwili is threatened by an invasive Erythrina gall wasp from Tanzania, which lays its eggs in the leaves and pods of vulnerable native wiliwili. The Hawai‘i Department of Agri-

culture released a biocontrol wasp in 2008, which lays its eggs next to the gall wasp’s and eats them before the harmful parasitoid can cause damage to the native tree. A more recent invasion of bruchid beetles in 2008, which lay their eggs on ripe seeds and hatch into hole-boring, embryo-munching larvae, may be an even bigger threat to wiliwili reproduction in the long term, based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture. Without beetle larvae holes, wiliwili seed germination rates are high in the lab, Grave says – over 70 percent. When a larva eats just one hole through the seed coat, potentially allowing infection and rot to set in, germination drops dramatically. Wiliwili trees flower in clusters of showy orange and pink. This summer, Grave and her partner, Tim Kroessig, also a second-year master’s student in botany, performed a series of experimental pollination treatments: autogamy, or self-pollination; geitonogamy, or pollination from another flower on the same tree; outcrossing or pollination from a tree 40 meters away; and an open control. So far, outcrossed flowers had produced more pods with more seeds across the board, an indication of how important it would have been for native honeycreepers to cross-pollinate the flowers. On a revisit to her field site at Koko Crater Botanic Garden, Grave is investigating wiliwili reproduction. Which trees flower when and how many? How many seeds are produced by each tree, and is it enough to carry on the population? What pollinators are visiting the flowers and how effective are they at carrying pollen between trees? How is reproduction being affected by invasive species,

even drier and harsher, reducing the chances of young trees surviving. “I can’t imagine a Hawaiian dry forest without wiliwili,” Grave says. “They’re the keystone canopy species – they’re the shade for all kinds of understory species.” Alahe‘e (prized for its hard wood used for spears), lama (a Hawaiian persimmon) and other dry forest species depend on the shade that wiliwili provides. Hawaiian dry forests have been reduced to less than 90 percent of their original area since human habitation, according to the World Wildlife Foundation; they have been some of the most heavily impacted in the Hawaiian Islands. On the way out of Koko Crater, Grave points out several young trees. She croons over the babies, which had come up naturally and survived Even if you don’t care about native after botanic garden staff irrigated the young saplings. Several were outbiodiversity, we still need to drink water planted by garden staff after being to live. grown in the nursery to supplement the population. – TIME KROESSIG Already, several are being attacked MASTER’S CANDIDATE IN BOTANY by the gall wasp – their leaves are painfully twisted and covered in pollinated by native honeycreep- mate seeds, there will be no young lesions. But several are healthy, ers in the past. But the nectar-sip- wiliwili trees to replace the ancients putting out new green leaves and ping native birds are now virtually when they die. armored spines, ready to face the hot, Also, climate change, according dry world ahead. extinct in low-elevation wiliwili habitat because of avian malaria spread by to a recent study that assessed cliTogether, she and Kroessig are mosquitoes. Instead, Japanese white- mate change risk for native Hawaiian learning about what makes for eyes, myna birds, and invasive ants plants, will affect the wiliwili by mak- healthy native plants and how to preand bees visit the flowers, often steal- ing its already dry, harsh environment pare them for their harsh new world. ing pollen and nectar for food without transporting the precious pollen. STACEY K. TORIGOE SITS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE SOCEITY FOR Kroessig continues to juggle sevCONSERVATION BIOLOGY HAWAII CHAPTER. STACEY IS A GRADUATE STUDENT AT eral roles in the world of plant conTHE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I AT MĀNOA, PURSING A M.S. DEGREE IN NATURAL servation. In addition to working at RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN DR. CREIGHTON LITTON’S the Lyon Arboretum seed lab and LAB. HER RESEARCH FOCUSES ON THE PROTECTION OF RARE AND ENDANGERED carrying out his own research on ENDEMIC PLANT SPECIES IN HAWAII. STACEY IS ALSO EMPLOYED AS A FIELD Hawaiian Lysimachia, or primroses, BOTANIST WITH HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK, MAUI. he also volunteers as a field assislike the Erythrina gall wasp and the bruchid beetle? Quickly, the messy reality of field biology sets in. Wind and rain threaten to blow the mesh bags off and take flowers with them, and one well-meaning visitor had already removed all of their mesh bags and thrown them in a nearby trash can. In the past, Kroessig has observed several novel interactions: plants and animals that have never before been scientifically noted as visiting wiliwili blossoms. “It’s an amazing assemblage of floral visitors, and 100 percent of them are nonnative,” he said. “The [curved] flowers are obviously bird syndrome – they produce amazingly copious amounts of sugary nectar.” Kroessig said they might have been

tant for Emily, his girlfriend. “It’s been really cool to help [Emily] out and be her boyfriend at the same time,” Kroessig says. “We’ve had lots of awesome camping adventures and had some challenges too. But I guess we’re stronger because of it.” Together, Kroessig and Grave are unraveling the mysteries of the life cycle of native plants. Native plants are irreplaceable parts of our watershed, Kroessig notes. “Even if you don’t care about native biodiversity, we still need to drink water to live. And many of these species were here long before humans.” In a world beset by invasive species and other challenges, the wiliwili seem to be hanging on, so far. But the threats to its survival are real. If bruchid beetles continue to deci-

The American Identity Project

THE

A m erican

IDENTITY PROJECT

THE FOLLOWING IS A COLLECTION OF VOICES: OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR FAMILIES AND OURSELVES IN A RANGE OF CREATIVE APPROACHES ANSWERING THE QUESION: WHAT IS YOUR AMERICAN IDENTITY?

The American Identity Project

MONDAY, DEC. 04, 2017

Who are you?

0 1.

THE COMPONENTS OF OUR IDENTITY ARE SIMPLE. WHAT WE LIKE, WHAT WE DON’T LIKE, WHERE WE’RE FROM AND WHERE WE’RE GOING ARE STARTING POINTS FROM WHICH WE BEGIN TO TACKLE THE COMPLEXITY OF PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION. THE AMERICAN IDENTITY PROJECT WAS STARTED AS AN ATTEMPT TO BUILD THIS SIMPLE QUESTION AND TURN IT ON A COMPLEX NATION. “WHAT IS YOUR AMERICAN IDENTITY?” NOT ONLY DO WE ASK WHAT MAKES YOU WHO YOU ARE - WE ASK WHO YOU ARE IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS COUNTRY AND HOW THIS COUNTRY HAS SHAPED YOU. THE UNITED STATES IS HOME TO A MULTITUDE OF ETHNIC CULTURES, A MURKY CESSPOOL OF POLITICS, AND A HISTORY MORE GRAY THAN RED, WHITE AND BLUE. AS SUCH, THIS PROJECT GIVES POWER TO VOICES OF THIS COUNTRY SEEKING TO CREATE THEIR OWN DEFINITIONS OF IDENTITY, BUT IT ALSO SEEKS TO PROVIDE A SPACE IN WHICH WE MAY BETTER UNDERSTAND OURSELVES.

SOME KIND OF PERSONAL ATTEMPT AT A NATIONAL EXPLANATION What and Why: The American Identity Project When the American Identity Project (AIP) was first published last year, there was an election about to happen. Even amidst the youthful neurosis of a college newspaper office eight hours before print was due, there was some type of subtle hope and crass humor that permeated the energy of the room. Perhaps that was what sparked the energy of the Election Issue in the first place. There was a sense that the United States was going through a crossover between a Saturday Night Live skit and reality. The AIP was first instigated in my own bedroom, cut off from the world and well before Alec Baldwin became president. The foundation of this project was never on the pillars of politics. The mission of the AIP was a selfish one. The psychologist-in-training side of my brain wanted to know what identity was. Could we give identity a definition? Was there such a thing as a universal sense of identity? The question of “What is your American identity” came not out of nationalism but out of convenience. The means were easy: Have people convey their American identity how they saw fit. Open-ended, free response to an enigmatic question. All that was required of myself was to compile the responses. For an eighteen-year-old, wanna-be

intellect, such as myself, American identity seemed the perfect mix of hot button issue and “wokeness” to catapult my own curiosity to collegiate publication. The decay of the nation’s grip on reality made the AIP more imperative and powerful than ever intended or acknowledged. The AIP is a vessel, not to reach some new shore, take in a new view, or even deliver a new understanding. Rather, the AIP is a private charter in public waters. “What does it mean to be American?” The answers to that question presumably build a narrative: create a sense of cohesion, direction, and order in a nation that has no apparent understanding of validity within itself. However, this project does the opposite. It shows us how different we are. It shows us how wrong and how right we are about everything we have believed. It is a question so simple that it becomes convoluted. Why does this happen? There is a disorder to the narrative of this nation so deeply seated within each of us that the “disorder” is arguably the national identity. The battle between the individual and the national is so distant and so intimate that when we try to combine the two we realize we

don’t fully understand either. Through this disorder, however, there is a universal truth that this project highlights: there is inherent power in a voice. It is the voices that answer this question that make us listen. Voice and stories have the unbelievable potency to affect cognition. The way we think of ourselves is merely a reﬂection of the way we have heard other people think about themselves. The AIP shines a painful light into the eye of our national dissociation. So, the questions then become: How do we heal this dissociative nature? Can we? Is it getting worse? Is the narrative of the country so misunderstood that no one can understand it without a smudged lens of objectivity? Maybe the answer, any answer, will not come from objectiveness. It is the subjectiveness of the AIP that brings cogency. In a country where we struggle for unity, the difference in who we are and how we identify ourselves allows us to come to our own deﬁnition. So, tell us what your American identity is, whether it is beautiful, ugly, painful, sad, broken or whole, because — we promise — ours is some kind of similar, we equally struggle in giving a name.

TZANA SALDANIA PROJECT CURATOR

0 2.

AMORICA ALAN FRASIER JR. CONTRIBUTOR

Every day, as I walk out into the world of this country, my eyes need to adjust to the news. I am not a minority, but I reserve a second sense of self beyond what my outward characteristics suggest. As a white man, I’m part of the bloated majority, polluted intravenously by the grabby reactionary class that has gained such an alarming stronghold. Embarrassed to say so, I need a mental way out. I struggle to understand my place with the many white Americans who either quietly sit on their displaced fury as they wait for the chance to explode, or bloviate with empty hate – narcissistic to the outer border of megalomania and petulant at its threshold. These, my “people,” have a mythical anxiety, which is given form in a boogeyman named “Other,” with many colors, religions, songs of speech, and unimaginable horrors to run from. Worst of all, of course, is the ignorance. And the compulsion to take back the advantage that history reveals as having been gained at the disadvantage of the “others.” Me, I compartmentalize my associations with these tendencies, shelving them carefully in a drawer labeled “WHITE PRIVILEGE.” It is real and indelible, always humming in my basement, like a detuned radio left on. At my worst, recognition of this sad legacy and disparity is all I feel I am allowed to contribute. That’s the bad news. The good news is, we are waking up. Amidst the threats of ignorance, we have been given cameras. When we see bullies at the bathroom stalls, we can point our lens and speak. When those who chose an insupportable path with their vote struggle to justify it, we can calmly listen and suggest alternatives for the future. We are learning all of the words we need, from jingoism to plutocracy, because these do not represent us as Americans … and there are definite terms for the many aberrant behaviors of this dysfunctional republic. We have to put the body politic on a better diet, one less predisposed to bile and rejection. There is nutrition in the wild influx of the yet unfamiliar flavors that new people bring; our strength is in adaptation, not insularity and mono-meals. The healthiest America is a cobbled street, not a melting pot. We mustn’t disturb the integrity of the individual identities in the name of integration. The original self, the true self, can exist, while an interpersonal self is maintained and held accountable within a greater community. This universal American identity is non-threatening; it is all-inclusive. It acknowledges newcomers for their value and perspective, discerning but in a cooperative sense – offering a share in the company. Let’s retire the platitude that this is the best country in the world. But... secretly believe it. It’s true that if I walk down the street and smile at people, they don’t always smile back. But the ones that do, I remember — and those people don’t all fit a single category. They aren’t of a certain color, class, shape or direction. They might not always be in that right mood, and neither am I, but it takes just one of us to reach out to the other. Circumstances bring us to these lovely intersections, where we just happen to find ourselves at the same time, to reflect something hopeful in each other. I want that. I love America as a kinetic invention, as an exercise we must keep up. There is no need to make it back into anything else ‘again.’ Just as the path of our life doesn’t lead back to a naïve childhood, neither should that of our nation.

MONDAY, DEC. 04, 2017

SPONSORED BY

0 3. “MAMA MAUI” I was having brunch at a nice water-front restaurant, waterfront in Kihei, Maui. This was my first time ever seeing Maui, and it didn’t seem to match the stories of expansive sugar cane fields I was hearing in my agro classes. It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining and everyone was sitting out on their floaties on shore. I sat there and watched as I took a sip from my Bloody Mary. I was out with my best friend and his mother, who had flown all the way from Port Clinton, Ohio. She and her husband visit every year for about four months. Still busy with work and running their own business, they still managed to have a few glasses of Ketel One vodka and enjoy tanning in the sun. It was 10:47 a.m. and she was already working on her second

drink. She is a bold and bodacious woman, my friend’s mother, with all of her smiles and the lack of seriousness she has with life. “I remember a while back when I was visiting, my girlfriend and I got so drunk and crashed Oprah’s house party. We just sat there drinking more wine, until people started to realize we didn’t know anyone there.” She then offered to pay for my ticket home, so that I could stay longer to enjoy this mini vacation we were sharing. I had to get home to return to studying for a degree so that, one day, I could be her audacious partner and crash more of Oprah’s parties. We gave a cheer to each other and shared these Bloody Marys and spectacular weather.

KAHEALANI ACOSTA CONTRIBUTOR

0 4.

AMERICA… THE SHORT ESSAY America is mostly a nation of immigrants. While anyone who holds this premise to be invariantly true is ignoring the 5.2 million Native Americans presently inhabiting their immigrant-occupied lands, a hyperbolic, unserious appreciation of this statement will bolster my thesis pertaining to my American identity. I am an immigrant. I am an American. Immigrants are what make America great, always (and by logical induction, there is no need for an update to restore greatness as it never was lost). (See also, Cool J, L.L. et al, 1990- ‘Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years.’) While possession of immigrant status is assuredly not trussed to my precise origins (I was born in Philadelphia), I retain 46 chromosomes of inherited immigrant that deﬁne me as such.

The 23 chromosomes that comprise my paternal lineage descended from immigrants from Northern France, who ﬂed religious persecution in the eighteenth century, seeking protected restitution in Pennsylvania. The other 23 chromosomes that contain my maternal lineage, witnessed their ﬂight from Austria-Hungary in the early twentieth century, to escape the perils of World War I. (Ain’t nobody got time for that…) Presumably, my ancestors were tired, poor, huddled masses, yearning to breathe free (somebody else’s words, greatly disregarded presently by the GOP, but not mine). I believe this echoes today. While there are time-based disparities in when we individually immigrated to America (including the aforementioned Native Americans – I see you coming

across that Bering Land Bridge 13,000 years ago), nobody is from here completely and therefore no one patently owns the right to declare himself or herself a ‘real’ American (except maybe Hulk Hogan, but only because he provides a remarkably compelling case). We are all, at one point or currently, huddled masses of tired and poor people, simply yearning to breathe free. Whether this yearning was fulﬁlled 300 years ago, or is in the future hopes of those presently huddled in their own respective places of origin (I’m looking at you Syrian refugees…Come on over!), all are Americans (or will be and shall be treated as such). I am an American. I’m an immigrant. I am what makes America great – currently, not again.

ANDREW DEWALD CONTRIBUTOR

KA LEO O HAWAI‘I: THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

MONDAY, DEC. 04, 2017

OPINIONS This is not the ﬁrst time that I have encountered this strategy, better known as “whataboutism,” or “the practice of answering a criticism or difﬁcult question by attacking someone with a similar criticism or question directed at them,” according to Cambridge Dictionary. This kind of argument has started to gain popularity over the last few months, especially among conservatives, but why? It is a weird and pointless argument to be using, and it just avoids a conversation that needs to be had PRESIDENT TRUMP

SOURCE: FOX NEWS / YOUTUBE 

Deflecting from discussions of the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia, Sean Hannity talks about reports that the Obama administration engaged in a collusion of its own.

Whataboutism What it is and why it is invalid DAVID BUBBINS STAFF WRITER

Not too long ago, I was involved in a Twitter war with a friend of mine over the rise of neo-Nazis. The argument was not even about

neo-Nazis, it was about the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Because he — along with a shocking number of people — thought the BLM movement was a domestic terrorist group, he believes it was hypocritical for supporters to demonize the neo-Nazi movement.

After an hour of trying to convince my friend that BLM was the exact opposite of a terrorist group, I realized that, unintentionally or not, he had derailed the conversation from something that needs to be talked about to something completely unrelated.

Even though the whataboutism argument has been around for a while, especially in Russian propaganda, it started to gain traction during the 2016 presidential election when President Trump began using it to defend his actions. During the second debate, shortly after his audio tape leaked, he invited a group of women who claimed that President Clinton assaulted them to sit in the audience, not to discuss these accusations, but to get the focus off the scandal. And that is not the only time he has used this argument. He has repeatedly used it on his Twitter account to attack anyone that opposes him in order to distract the media. Another example, that happened after the election, was when the media started reporting that Senator Jeff Sessions and the Russian ambassador were in contact with each other. Trump’s whataboutism claim was that President Obama secretly conversed with the Russians, and that that suddenly made it okay to have secret conversations off the record

that could have led to his presidency. What President Obama did or did not do can and should be talked about, but at another time. WHY WHATABOUTISM IS INVALID

It seems like in the wake of Trump saving his own butt, those who lean toward the right have adopted this strategy. But it basically says that since someone that you supported has done something similar in the past, you have no right to complain about what someone that I support has done. But that removes the possibility of having a meaningful discussion about something that could be impacting our country. The tactic of whataboutism is just a cowardly way of backing out of a conversation because you do not have anything insightful to say, while also not wanting to admit that you are wrong. If you want to talk about how some BLM members have repeatedly used violence to promote their anti-cop perspective, if President Clinton sexually assaulted women or if President Obama had connections to the Russian government, then we can talk about that as a separate issue. That being said, neo-Nazis are still a terrorist group. Sexual assault is still a bad thing. And if Russia intervened in the election, that needs to be discussed. Mentioning these topics during a related conversation does not invalidate the other things being discussed. From now on, if someone uses whataboutism to deﬂect, we should say “We can talk about that later, but for now, let’s talk Ka Leo O Hawai‘i about the topic at hand.”

The EPA is heading towards disaster DAVID BUBBINS STAFF WRITER

CONSEQUENCES OF CUTTING ADVISORS

The worst decision that President Trump has made so far is appointing Scott Pruitt the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pruitt’s biggest sin, and one that should make anyone worried about the direction the EPA is taking, was revealed shortly before Halloween, when he stripped six EPA scientists of their advisory positions and banned most scientists from advising the EPA and performing research for them. It is equivalent to saying that the National Weather Service cannot hire weather forecasters. What is the point of having an agency that protects the environment if they lack the knowledge to do so?

Pruitt’s cuts are in advisory positions only, but the EPA does not hire their own scientists or perform their own research. The agency sends grants to academic researchers, like the ones at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and those individuals perform the research for the EPA as a way of advising their policy decisions. Cutting those ties means the EPA will lose valuable information when faced with pivotal decisions, and risk replacing that information with the motivations of companies with conﬂicts of interest (like the coal industry). This could lead to more pollution in our air and water, which could increase the number of people who die each year from pollution.

PRUITT’S BACKGROUND

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN

It may be a conspiracy theory to think that Pruitt would listen to the coal industry, especially considering their product goes against everything the EPA stands for. However, it is not unreasonable to rethink this when one evaluates Pruitt’s background. The reason that Scott Pruitt was a horrible choice to lead the EPA in the ﬁrst place is because Pruitt had received almost a quarter of a million dollars from the fossil fuel industry when he was Oklahoma’s Attorney General. He has denied the scientiﬁc consensus of climate change in the past, and he has also sued the EPA 14 times for doing their job. Why would you hire someone to lead an agency if he wants to see that agency die a horrible death?

Aside from removing the EPA’s ban on academic advisement and research, and reversing dozens of other horrible decisions, Pruitt needs to be ﬁred immediately. His actions are leading the EPA and America into a potential crisis that could cause American deaths. Pruitt has made it clear that he is looking after Americans ﬁrst. But if that is the case, he needs to stop kissing up to the fossil fuel industry, admit that carbon dioxide is the leading contributor to climate change and do his job. The EPA is responsible for protecting the environment, especially at a time when the Earth is on the brink of environmental catastrophe. If Pruitt will not do those three things, then he has both failed at his job and potentially brought the entire Earth down with him.

MORE INFO

ERIC VANCE / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

SCOTT PRUITT PARTY Republican POSITION Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency since Feb. 17, 2017 PRIOR EXPERIENCE Senator for Tulsa and Wagoner counties in Oklahoma Attorney General for Oklahoma

MONDAY, DEC. 06, 2017

KA LEO O HAWAI‘I: THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

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We will keep you up to date with what is happening on campus.

KA LEO O HAWAI‘I: THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

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CAMPUS RESOURCES JOB LISTINGS

ON-CAMPUS PART-TIME

OFF-CAMPUS PART-TIME

TEACHER’S AIDE UH CHILDREN’S CENTER

EDUCATION INTERPRETER BISHOP MUSEUM

$10.60/hour

$10.00/hour

Close Date: 2/2/18 or when ﬁlled

Close Date: 12/31/17 or when ﬁlled

Gain experience working with children in a classroom setting. Duties range from attending to their physical needs (changing clothes, toileting), assisting with food service tasks, interacting with children, and assisting teachers with activities. Coursework in Education, Human Development & Family Studies or Early Childhood Education is beneficial but not required.

Must be able to stay at museum overnight to run sleepover programs, which may include sleeping on a cot on a concrete or carpeted floor. Position requires the ability to sit, stand, walk, run, climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, and handle. Must be able to communicate verbally with students, teachers, volunteers and co-workers, both in person and over the telephone. Must be able to read and write material of varying lengths, including labels, memos, schedules, and curriculum material. See job listing for more details.

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INTERNSHIPS & COOPERATIVE EDUCATION (CO-OP)*

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Candidates must currently be pursuing a Bachelor’s degree (emphasis in business or engineering is preferred). They should be self-starters, have excellent communication skills and be highly motivated to create new customer relationships. Candidates should also be able to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment. Locations for these internships are throughout the various offices in the Western U.S. (including Hawai‘ i) and will begin in the summer of 2018.

Work with the Sales Director in identifying, managing, building and retaining new and existing client relationships. Duties include but are not limited to: heavy in-person client servicing; generating new business opportunities for our escrow teams, sales, marketing and operations oriented role; and inputting, planning and managing client database. Requirements include a minimum of 3 years of experience in sales, Real Estate sales background is preferred, degree or college courses in Marketing, Business or Communications a plus, etc.

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*What is Co-op? Like internships, Co-ops are education-based and career-related. It is a nation-wide program comprised of a partnership between the employer, the student and the university. Co-ops are paid and require a two semester commitment.

TO APPLY, VISIT HAWAII.EDU/SECE

MONDAY, DECEMBER 04, 2017

KA LEO O HAWAI‘I: THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

SPORTS

A year of Saint Juste CHAVONNIE RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

At the beginning of the 2017 Hawai‘i football season, head coach Nick Rolovich said that he believed senior running back Diocemy Saint Juste could be one of the greatest running backs to ever play at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. With the season at its end, the redshirt senior ﬁnished his football career as the school’s new all-time single season rusher. Saint Juste proved to be a running machine for the Rainbow Warriors this season, racking up a total of 1,510 rushing yards in all 12 games as the starting running back. In the ‘Bows season ﬁnale on Nov. 25, he surpassed a 25-year-old rushing record previously held by Travis Sims, set in 1992. He ranks second in the Mountain West and sixth nationally. Besides being the University of Hawai‘i’s new all-time single season rusher, he also set another single-season record for the most carries (282) and was named to the Mountain West’s second team alongside junior linebacker Jahlani Tavai. The Boynton Beach, Florida native

became the first UH player to rush for 1,000 in back-to-back seasons, and surpassed the 100-yard mark in eight games while finishing his career with 3,102 yards. Saint Juste was the recipient of the Alec Waterhouse Most Valuable Player Award during the team’s football awards banquet on Nov. 26. However, Saint Juste is not the only person that should be credited for his success. He says that the offensive lineman “did a really good job at front.” “He’s been a workhorse for us for two years, and deserves it,” Rolovich said. “The guys up front deserve it too, they helped him, they battled through [a lot of injuries].” Saint Juste has been a workhorse for the ‘Bows, ellapsing 202 yards in two games this season, and scoring seven touchdowns. Although his records and stats are remarkable, Saint Juste would have traded them to see the team win a few more games. Winning was something that fueled the 5’-8, 200pound senior’s speed and efficiency as a running back. He was short, but quick on his feet. “Just bring back more wins and bring back the spirit of aloha to this

program,” Saint Juste said. Even though his career with the ‘Bows is over, he hopes to see the team improve and become successful in the future. “[There were] a lot of ups and downs, but I have conﬁdence that this team will be very good next year,” Saint Juste said. “Just because 241 you’re an undergrad doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try your hardest and 250 you’re never too young to contribute to the team.”

OFFENSIVE : SAINT JUSTE’S SEASON HIGHS : Longest Reception – vs. Utah State

: Reception Yards – vs. BYU

: Longest Rush – vs. Nevada

: Rushing Yards – vs. Nevada 200

150

100

0 YARDS CAREER RUSHING YARD STATS

3500 : 3102

3000 : 2500 : 2000 : 1500 :

1510

1000 :

1006

500 : 241

0 : YARDS 2013

372

2014

2016

2017

total

[PHOTO] ALEXANDER WONG / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I; [INFOGRAPHIC] DYLAN DEANGELO / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

Granato made 15 kills and had a career-best of 21 digs.

capped off set four for the Rainbow Wahine with more kills.

I’m just proud of them ... The way they came back and they fought all the way to the end. – ROBYN AH MOW-SANTOS HEAD COACH

Rainbow Wahine volleyball season ends UH loses l to Illinois ll in ffirst round d off the h NCAA tournament ALEX WONG / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I 

The Rainbow Wahine finished its season with a 20-8 record under first-year head coach Robyn Ah Mow-Santos. CHAVONNIE RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

The University of Hawai‘i women’s volleyball team rebounded from a 0-2 set deﬁcit against Illinois, but came up short and was eliminated in the opening round of the NCAA tournament at the University of Washington’s Alaska Airlines Arena.

Illinois held off a second-half Rainbow Wahine charge to win the match in ﬁve sets, 25-18, 25-17, 13-25, 24-26 and 15-10. UH concluded its season with a 20-8 record under ﬁrst-year head coach Robyn Ah Mow-Santos. “I’m just proud of them,” Ah Mow-Santos said in the post-match

press conference. “The way they came back and they fought all the way to the end.” Senior middle hitter Emily Maglio led the ‘Bows with 18 kills and four blocks. Senior libero Savanah Kahakai racked up 14 digs and moved to the No. 2 spot on UH’s career digs list at 1,417. Junior outside hitter McKenna

Sophomore setter Norene Iosia recorded 33 assists and 11 digs. Junior Faith Ma‘afala notched 29 assists and 14 digs. Sophomore middle hitter Natasha Burns hit a career-high of 13 kills, hitting .524. Sophomore outside hitter McKenna Ross added nine kills and 13 digs. Illinois had an early 7-0 run in the first set, and a 16-8 lead in the second, claiming the first two sets. After intermission, UH rallied from a 4-1 deficit by taking a 7-5 lead. The ‘Bows held off and went on a 11-2 run to extend their lead to 22-11. UH hit .415 and held the Illini to .111. Set four showed an early lead of 15-11 for the Rainbow Wahine, followed by an ace from senior libero Gianna Guinasso. It was a neck-toneck match with consecutive kills from Ross and Granato. Illinois also had three straight kills to put them at a 23-22 lead. Granato’s next two kills helped put UH back in the lead at 24-23, and another kill by Illinois had the set point tied at 24. Granato

Hawai‘i lost the fifth set due to kills from Illinois’ Ali Bastianelli. Illinois claimed the set, 15-10. Six of the eight losses for UH this season were from five sets. They started the season losing five and met the same fate. “Definitely hurts more than other [matches], being a senior being, your last game,” Maglio said. “It was just a good fight towards the end, all the way to the end.” For the ‘Bows, this was their 36th overall NCAA Tournament appearance. They entered the tournament through an at-large bid after finishing as No. 2 in the Big West Conference after leader Cal Poly. This was the first time since 1997 that UH was eliminated in the first round. This was also the third straight year that UH’s postseason was ended by a Big Ten conference member. Ah Mow-Santos’ vision for this season was to change the culture of the team to be fighting-focused, and that’s what they were for this entire season.

KA LEO O HAWAI‘I: THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

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HIGHS + LOWS Despite their 20-point loss to Utah on December 2, the University of Hawai‘ i Rainbow Warriors men’s basketball team has a 4-2 overall record, good enough for ﬁrst place in the Big West Conference. Here is a quick look at some of the players who have left their mark, good or otherwise, on the ﬁrst six games of thvve season. Senior Mike Thomas (left, 13) leads the ‘Bows in scoring at 13 PPG, including a 29-point outburst in an 81-78 ‘Bows win against North Dakota State on November 12.

 Redshirt Junior Brocke Stepteau (above, 2) has been one of the ‘Bows’ most exciting

players this season, with many of his baskets coming in buzzer-beating situations. Despite coming off the bench and standing only 5’9”, Stepteau ranks fourth in scoring for the ‘Bows at 8.3 PPG, and leads the team in field goal percentage at 65 percent.

 Redshirt Freshmen Drew Buggs (above, 1) starts at point guard, bringing defensive strength. He leads the ‘Bows in steals with 1.7 per game. Still, his poor shooting has hurt the team at times. So far, Buggs is 9 for 30, despite a 14-point showing against Utah. If Stepteau continues his efficient play, Buggs’ starting role may need reevaluation.

 Last season, Junior Jack Purchase (above, 12) led the ‘Bows in three-pointers

made and three-point percentage with 72 and 39, respectively. This season he is shooting a paltry 5 of 32 from three. The ‘Bows need Purchase to shake his slump if they stand a chance at the NCAA or NIT tournaments.