February 7 by Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

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Botany department receives National Science Foundation grant R EMINGTON TAUM Contributing Writer The National Science Foundation presented the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa botany department with $1.4 million to develop a Consortium of Pacifi c Herbaria, a digital botany resource. A herbarium (plural herbaria) is a scientifi c collection of plants that have been dried and pressed. The plants will provide physical evidence along with the scientifi c names of each species. The plants that are collected can be compared to those that are found in CPH institutions, explained Tom Ranker, De partment of Botany chairperson. Online access to the collections creates a new window to view this information. The CPH will be available as a free online source to students, administration, faculty and the community. The online access will help workers identify species that are being studied, as well as document where the species can be found. Citizen scientists will have the op tion to research where dif ferent can be found in the Pacif ic Islands and where they are held. “It’s a digital library,” said Dr. Michael B. Thomas, collections manager. As each specimen is collected, it will be dried and mounted on paper. T he plants will also be labeled by name, location found, collector and date collected. Next, the specimens will be recorded in the database and digitally photographed. The species included in the collection will be from Polynesia, Micronesia

CORRECTION The UH Chancellor is named Virginia Hinshaw. The cover article on Friday, y, Feb. 4 article instead referred too her as Victoria Hinshaw.

and Melanesia. Thomas explained that a methodology will be developed while sifting through the paper collections and photographing the plants. A fter this, the information will be brought to the Polynesian Islands where workers will be able to perform this opera tion themselves. The project will last an estimated three years, and

over a million specimens will be recorded. Scaling up the information will take a great deal of labor.

The department created a proposal for funding in collaboration with the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum and the National Tropi - cal Garden over a period of four to six months. The department finally landed the NSF grant after a two-year process and two attempts at securing funding. Any university or research institution can compete for a grant. The university was selected to receive the grant money because Hawai‘i is located in an area with a high diversity rate. This region of the world includes more than 5,000 native plants, and many are at risk. The plants found only in this region are referred to as endemic, according to Thomas. Planning for the CPH project is expected to begin on Friday, Feb. 11. The project will begin with local organizat ions holding a meeting, and will follow with outreach to places like Palau, Samoa and American Samoa. “We’re doing this to increase access to the collections,” Thomas explained. “Historically, it’s been difﬁ cult to gain access to the specimens.” SHINICHI TOYAMA/KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

2 F EATURES

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i FEATURES @ KALEO.ORG

EDITOR REECE FARINAS ASSOCIATE ALVIN PARK ASSOCIATE HAIYA SARWAR

MONDAY, FEB. 7, 2011

Dancing Greener

Recent UH graduate takes on the Capitol We catch up with Linda Ichiyama for her first feature-length newspaper interview

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Rep. Linda Ichiyama (D) graduated from the William S. Richardson School of Law in May 2010 and is now serving as the state’s youngest lawmaker.

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ELLISE A K AZAWA Managing Editor Unlike most students in the last semester of law school, Linda Ichiyama wasn’t sitting for job interviews or studying for the bar exam. “I was actually campaigning,” she said. The then-23-year-old ﬁ led the paperwork declaring her candidacy for the State House of Representatives, District 31, in Feb. 2010, and won the seat in November. In her ﬁ rst full-length newspaper interview, Rep. Ichiyama shares why she knew she wanted

to run for ofﬁ ce, how she prevented her youth from becoming an issue and her plans for the future.

TO THE MAINLAND AND BACK Rep. Ichiyama (D) was born and raised in the Salt Lake, Hawai’i and earned her B.A. at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. In the nation’s capital, she interned for then-Congressman Neil Abercrombie and came home during summer breaks to volunteer at the First Circuit Court and Honolulu Corporation Counsel. While many graduates of Hawai‘i high schools stay on the

mainland after college to pursue careers, Ichiyama decided to return to Hawai‘i to attend the William S. Richardson School of Law. “I knew I wanted to come home,” she said. “Going to law school at UH has really big advantages for people who want to practice [in Hawai‘i], because of the relationships and networks that are built between the legal community here and the law school.”

R E A DY T O RU N

Despite her youth, Ichiyama was a public service veteran when she declared her candidacy. As a

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Ka Leo O Hawai‘i EDITOR REECE FARINAS ASSOCIATE ALVIN PARK ASSOCIATE HAIYA SARWAR

FEATURES @ KALEO.ORG

Ichiyama

MONDAY, FEB. 7, 2011

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senior at Moanalua High School, she was elected a student member on the Hawai‘i State Board of Education. It was her responsibility to represent the public school student population to the organization charged with their oversight. This experience, she said, “got me interested in policymaking.” Ichiyama has an extensive community service background, including volunteering for Lanakila Meals on Wheels, the Moanalua Lions Club, and the Japanese-American Citizens League, among others. A legislative career was a natural next step. “It was actually something that I thought about for a long time, because public service is so important to me,” she said. “I was working as a community liaison for Rep. Glenn Wakai [the district incumbent] when the opportunity arose to run. I felt like the timing was right and it was something that I really wanted to do.” Ichiyama was the ﬁ rst candidate in what became a four-person race for the Democratic nomination for the District 31 seat. She was the youngest candidate, but felt that her age was an advantage. “I think in some ways [my age] was to my beneﬁt, because people really want to see young people getting involved in politics. They want to see them stepping up, to say ‘Hey, I’m going to be around for the next 50 years and I want to take part in what Hawai‘i is going to look like.’”

H OW T O W I N Ichiyama ﬁ led for candidacy nearly two full months ahead of

her other competitors. In fact, she credits her early start with helping her to win. “I knew that this was something I wanted to do, and I had the support of our current representative, so I was able to get out there much earlier.” Ichiyama comfortably secured the Democratic nomination in her district primary, capturing 64.8 percent of the vote. As her campaign progressed to the general election, she also garnered 23 endorsements from organizations as diverse as the Hawai‘i Carpenters Union and the Planned Parenthood of Hawai‘i Action Network. “My prior activities in the community helped with those endorsements, because I was able to build on relationships that I already had.” It took more than previous relationships to get those endorsements, however. “Throughout the whole interview process for endorsements, they interviewed [each candidate] and they were able to say that ‘We think you would do the best job for the community.’” Another key factor in her primary and general election victories was her ability to raise a considerable amount of money for her campaign. “It was tough, especially because of the current economic situation. I was really fortunate to have a lot of support from my family,” she stated. As Ichiyama’s campaign continued, however, community members opened their wallets. “A lot of folks in the community believed in my campaign and believed in what I could do for them, so they stepped up to support me. The [ﬁ -

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nancial support] was something that I really wasn’t expecting.” Her hard work paid off on Nov. 2, however, when she defeated Republican opponent Garner Shimizu by carrying nearly 65 percent of the vote.

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A REAL PERSON Despite her new ofﬁce at the Hawai‘i Capitol, her responsibilities as an employer of four, and her duties as a state lawmaker, Ichiyama insists that she is a regular person. “The people who work [at the Capitol] are regular people. All the legislators up to the governor’s ofﬁce … They’re all here to help the community, to serve the state of Hawai‘i.” Ichiyama also finds some time in her busy schedule to relax. “I listen to a lot of music from ‘Glee,’” she admits. “I like movies. I like to go to the beach. In my last year at law school I took up rock climbing.” She also loves to read. “I’m reading ‘Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.’ It’s really fascinating.”

AN E VE N BRIGHTE R FUTURE Ichiyama is planning to take the Hawai‘i State Bar exam this July, and hopes to practice law in the future. Currently, however, she is concentrating solely on her job as a state representative. “For now, I’d like to focus on being a good lawmaker. That’s my ﬁ rst and foremost goal.” She continued, “Public service has always been so important to me. It’s a value that my parents instilled in me growing up, and so I hope to continue [doing that] in whatever career I choose.”

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Ka Leo O Hawai‘i EDITOR LINDSY OGAWA ASSOCIATE DAVIN AOYAGI OPINIONS @ KALEO.ORG

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Aloha, A TThe ASUH Spring Special Elections are here! Vote online at your MyUH a account during February 15 to the a 22nd to support your candidates. 2 TThe senate has approved Senate Bill 10-11 to provide funding to hold a 1 Reading Festival at UH. The senate is also currently looking into developing a stance for the Gross v. University of Hawai’i case. The case addresses those who were affected by the University’s recent data breaches. Let us know, Andrew Itsuno President, ASUH Political Science ‘11 University of Hawaii at Manoa Contact us at asuh@hawaii.edu or visit our ofÀ ce at Campus Center 211.

The battle between smart phones and so-called “dumb phones” may not actually involve launching fireballs, but it has been heating up as smart phone sales now make up half of the overall revenue generated from mobile phones. PATRICK TR AN Associate Web Editor

By “smarts,” I mean smart phone. Since the release of the Sony Ericsson R 380 in the early 21st centur y, smart phones have matured over the past decade to the ref ined smart phones we see today. Near the end of 2010, smart phones saw a 25 percent increase in overall phone sales, up from 22 percent. In 2010, smart phones made up half of revenue generated of the overall mobile handset, which is quite sub stantial if you consider that one in four mobile devices sold are smart phones. Why smart phones? They provide the user with the capability to do computer-related tasks, such as reading e-mails or scheduling an appointment. W hile certain “dumb phones” also have the capability of reading e -mails or surfing

the web, smart phones allow the users to install apps for various other tasks and ser vices they might need. Does “ there’s an app for that ” ring a bell for anyone? It should. In 20 07, Apple released the iPhone. T he Apple Store app launched alongside the iPhone, providing apps from various developers for many tasks, ranging from taking notes with Evernote to listening to music with Pandora. While these were also possible on a computer, smart phones gave users these capabilities in a much more convenient manner, due to their substantially smaller size and longer battery life. A caveat to using a smart phone is the many cellphone carriers that require a data plan with the purchase and activation of a smart phone. This can increase the monthly rate to nearly double of what you would pay for the ser vice without a data plan. But without the data

plan, smart phones aren’t able to reach their full potential without access to the web outside of WiFi hot spots. Having a data plan on a smart phone provides a user with significant advantage over laptops and desktops that aren’t prop erly equipped with 3G network cards — the ability to access the Internet from nearly anywhere, hot spot or not. With this capability, the user can check their e -mail or stocks on a whim without having to drive through town to find an open network. Users can also tether their smart phones to their computing devices in order to provide them with Internet, bearing in mind the rates of their data plans. With the recent release of the Windows Phone 7 and the expansion of the iPhone 4 to Verizon this week, it ’ll be interesting to see how people react to the ever- expanding smart phone market.

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i EDITOR ANN MACARAYAN COMICS @ KALEO.ORG

MONDAY, FEB. 7, 2011

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MONDAY, FEB. 7, 2011

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

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Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 thru 9. Puzzles will become progressively more difficult through the week. Solutions, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com Go to www.kaleo.org for this puzzle’s solution.

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8 S PORTS Majam’s unbreakable faith Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

EDITOR RUSSELL TOLENTINO ASSOCIATE MARC ARAKAKI SPORTS @ KALEO.ORG

MONDAY, FEB. 7, 2011

Cancer couldn’t stop sophomore slugger RUSSELL TOLENTINO Sports Editor When Kelly Majam was younger, she would practice softball with her father Ros after church. In one drill, he would hit ground balls that Kelly had to ﬁeld. Once, her father said, a ball took a bad bounce and accidentally hit Kelly’s face. “I thought she was hurt, but she jumped up and yelled, ‘Ha! It didn’t get past me,’” Ros said. Perhaps this was one of the ﬁrst signs of his daughter’s resilience. After all, whether it’s competing for a national championship or overcoming cancer, Kelly Majam takes the hits of life with a smile on her face. She said it’s her faith that keeps her going. “God is my strength through hard times,” Majam said. “That’s one of the things I’ve learned. No matter what, he is the center of my life.”

THE FIGHT FOR LIFE Last year, everything started right for Majam. As a freshman center fielder for Hawai‘i, she led the nation with 30 home runs, was named a thirdteam All-American and helped the Rainbow Wahine softball team make its first appearance in the Women’s College World Series. But following the WCWS, things took a quick turn for the worse. When Majam returned home to Pine Valley, Calif., she discovered a lump on her throat. A doctor diagnosed it as thyroid cancer, and the following week, Majam had her thyroid surgically removed. Luckily, another biopsy confi rmed the cancer did not spread. “The whole cancer thing hap-

Last July, sophomore All-American Kelly Majam had her thyroid removed after being diagnosed with cancer. RUSSELL TOLENTINO KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

pened so fast,” her father said. “I just remember being in shock and it all seemed unreal.” “It was deﬁ nitely not the news we thought we would hear,” her mom, Pat, added. “I remember hearing the doctors talking about how successful surgery and treatment of thyroid cancer is ... but it was still Kelly they were talking about. I was OK, trying to be strong for Kelly, but broke down crying when she went in for some blood tests.” Initially, Majam was discouraged as well. “A lot of things ran through my mind,” Majam said. “The one thing was, ‘Why after such an amazing season?’” But despite the fear, Majam’s faith remained constant. In fact, she said it grew. “My faith was strengthened,”

Majam explained. “I was relying a lot on myself and [the cancer] reminded me that I need to rely on the Lord.” Majam remained positive and saw her situation as an opportunity to share her faith. “It’s very humbling that God let me go through such an amazing season and put me on such a high platform and then gave me cancer,” Majam said. “But the amazing thing was I was able to give him glory. “I am able to play the game I love, and people will listen to what I have to say about my faith and about life in general,” she continued. “It was a blessing in disguise.” Rainbow Wahine softball head coach Bob Coolen acknowledged Majam’s perseverance. “She is willing to accept all the challenges that are forthcoming — as she has done — with a

fortitude to ﬁ ght each day to accomplish whatever tasks she sets out to do,” Coolen said. According to Majam’s parents, their faith in God has always been their family’s foundation, and they are proud of how Kelly handled the adversity. “With all the obstacles and attention, you can deﬁnitely say Kelly has grown bolder in her faith,” Ros Majam said. “To see her grow from these hard times makes me proud.”

JOY COMES IN THE MOURNING On Dec. 27, 2010, Majam had radiation treatment. Ten days later, doctors did not ﬁ nd any cancer cells. Although her doctors said thyroid cancer has a 97 percent recovery rate, Majam still has to get checked periodically (her next checkup is this December), and

will have to take hormone replacement pills for the rest of her life because her thyroid was removed. She said she only feels about 80 percent recovered. Still, it doesn’t lessen Majam’s passion for softball and her excitement for the upcoming season. It starts this Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium with a game against Southern Utah in the Oceanic Time Warner Paradise Classic. In fact, the cancer reminded her how much she loves the sport. “Because I’ve played for so long, I tend to take [softball] for granted,” said Majam, who began playing at ﬁve years old. “I learned ... you can’t take things for granted.” Coolen said Majam’s story showed her character. “People that know Kelly and realize the challenges that she has overcome in her career here at the University of Hawai‘i understand that she is a very positive and focused individual,” Coolen said. “Adversity is not in her vocabulary, but the ability to persevere is.” Majam said she’ll savor every moment of this season. “I’m very thankful I get to play. I’m gonna really enjoy each game and each at bat. It is a gift and I’m just excited,” she said. No matter what, Majam is ready for the next swing in softball or in life, because she said God wouldn’t give her anything she couldn’t handle. “He is why I’m alive and I’m really thankful,” Majam said with a beaming smile. “I’m deﬁ nitely a better person because of it, and I’ve learned a lot.”

C H E C K O U T H T T P :// W W W. K A L E O. O RG F O R A V I D E O I N T E RV I E W W I T H K E L LY M A JA M