May 19, 2020

KA LEO SPECIAL ISSUE

VOLUME 114 ISSUE NO.21 MAY. 19, 2020

C O R O N AV I R U S C L A S S O F

[COVER DESIGN] ELLYN CLARDY MOLE / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

02

ADVERTISING

03

FINALS + GRAD SPECIAL ISSUE  MEET THE STAFF

EDITOR’S NOTE:

GRADUATING DURING A PANDEMIC

What a time to be a senior.

I imagined that my last semester as an undergraduate student at UH Mānoa would be full of surprises. Like many of you who are also graduating, senior year to me is a time to make memories and cherish last moments with friends before embarking into the “real world.”

But I never imagined a pandemic would emerge and change everything.

I didn’t realize March 13 was essentially the last day of “regular” school before everything shifted online. It was also the last day I was able to see my friends, classmates and professors in person.

When news hit about commencement being canceled, I had mixed emotions.

I spent four years working towards two degrees and I was looking forward to wearing my cap and gown and walking across the stage in the Stan Sheriff Arena.

And one of the most beloved traditions of Hawai‘ i graduations: receiving leis and gifts from family and friends.

To have that all taken away because of a pandemic was just devastating.

But I also remembered the bigger picture.

I would rather be safe at home than having to go to a crowded place, potentially risking getting exposed to COVID-19.

These past two months under the stayat-home order were really eye opening and I’ve appreciated every moment of it. I was

able to spend more time with my family and reconnect with friends that I haven’t talked to in a while (virtually, of course).

I think these moments are when everyone should take some time to reflect and appreciate what they have in life.

To the class of 2020, although we didn’t have a physical commencement ceremony, just remember that you did it. We all did it, and all of you should be proud that you were able to get through four years of college and this semester DURING the COVID19 pandemic.

On behalf of the staff at Ka Leo, we wanted to congratulate all of you and present you with this special print issue that highlights you, the graduate.

This is also my last editor’s note and final print issue as the Editor-in-Chief. I am thankful for the four years of experiences and opportunities I had while working at Ka Leo. I am confident that Ka Leo will continue to produce stories and cover events that impact the UH community.

Mahalo for the support this year!

KA LEO EDITOR IN CHIEF Chavonnie Ramos CO-MANAGING EDITOR Kailanianna Ablog CHIEF COPY EDITOR Gradon Wong DESIGN DIRECTOR Amy Lowe WEB EDITOR Jolie Ching NEWS EDITOR Geneva Diaz FEATURES EDITOR Doris Kung ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR Meldrick Ravida OPINIONS EDITOR Kailanianna Ablog ASSOCIATE OPINIONS EDITOR Johanna Leo PHOTO EDITOR Shafkat Anowar

Chavonnie Ramos Editor-in-Chief 2019-2020 SY

 ADMINISTRATION

TA B L E OF CONTENTS

04

CORONAVIRUS TIMELINE

07

UH CREATING COVID-19 TEAMS FREE ‘ŌLELO HAWAI‘I CLASSES WILL CONTINUE

08 10-19

MINECRAFT GRADUATION #MĀNOAMEMORIES: GRADUATION MEMORIES #MĀNOAMEMORIES: GRADUATION SHOUTOUTS #WARRIORSFROMHOME

20-21 22

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS STORIES FASHION SHOW SENIOR DESIGNER: JESSICA ARIST

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.

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. ©2019 Student Media Board

 LET’S HAVE A CHAT

STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS 25

CONFRONTING LOSS: STUDENT VOICE

26

THE ART OF ISOLATION

27

5 ATHLETES TO WATCH IN THE FALL UH ATHLETICS BRACES FOR COVID-19 IN THE FALL

28-29

COVID-19 IMPACTS LIFE IN HAWAI‘I

KA LEO O HAWAI‘I UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I AT MĀNOA 2445 CAMPUS RD., HEMENWAY HALL 107 HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I 96822 NEWSROOM (808) 956-7043 ADVERTISING (808) 956-7043 FACSIMILE (808) 956-9962

KALEO@KALEO.ORG WWW.MANOANOW.ORG/KALEO @KALEOOHAWAII

04

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

COVID-19 IMPACTS ON THE UNIVERSIT Y OF HAWAI‘I

HOW DID WE GE T HERE? [ CHAVONNIE RAMOS | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ]

APRIL 02

•

Two members of the UH community test positive for COVID-19. The first patient is an employee at UH Maui College while the second is a graduate student at UH Mānoa.

APRIL 09 MARCH 12

•

•

UH President David Lassner announces that all 10 UH campuses will move to online classes starting on March 23, the first day of instruction after spring break. In-person classes are scheduled to resume on April 13.

MARCH 19

•

All traditional commencement ceremonies at UH’s 10 campuses are cancelled.

•

UH President David Lassner says, “Students who would have walked in this semester’s ceremony will have the opportunity to participate when in-person commencement resumes.”

UH Athletics events are suspended. All spring athletics teams participating in conference and non-conference competition suspend play indefinitely.

•

UH announces an alternative grading system for the semester. Students will be able to choose a credit/no credit option due to COVID-19 impacting class instruction.

MARCH 20

•

All UH campuses are closed to the public and open only to students and employees.

APRIL 28 MARCH 25

•

UH extends the deadline to withdraw with a “W” grade to April 30 for semester-long classes. The deadline is moved to allow students additional time to adjust to online classes before making decisions about withdrawal.

•

MAY 04

•

MARCH 16

•

UH follows federal recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and cancels or postpones public events of 50 or more people

MARCH 31

•

UH’s 10 campuses to move summer classes online for the first session.

Session one runs from May 26 to July 3, while the second session runs from July 6 to August 14. Dates may vary slightly between campuses.

•

UH offers an Urgent Student Relief Fund for students experiencing “urgent financial distress and/or challenges with their school work due to the circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

MARCH 18

•

UH President David Lassner announces that instruction will be conducted online for the remainder of the semester.

UH extends its socially-distanced operations to May 31.

UH President David Lassner announces that all 10 campuses plan to resume in-person instruction for the Fall 2020 semester. All campuses are planning to implement safety and health regulations.

MAY 13

•

UH partners with the State Department of Health for a COVID19 contact tracing program. The plan for the program is to train around 300 contact tracers.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY AMY LOWE / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

ADVERTISING

05

06

ADVERTISING

07

FINALS + GRAD SPECIAL ISSUE

SHAFKAT ANOWAR / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I 

McCarthy Mall during the stay-at-home order.

UH Mānoa leadership forms COVID-19 teams to plan for next semester CHAVONNIE RAMOS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa plans to have in-person classes again in the fall, officials have formed COVID-19 teams to assess different areas that need to be modified and adjusted to keep everyone safe.

“Here at UH Mānoa, we recognize the need to prepare, respond and adapt throughout 2020 to support the university’s mission as we navigate together the rapidly changing landscape that lies ahead of us,” UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno said in an email announcement. “Of primary importance is the health and safety of our employees and our students. With respect and compassion for our community, we will make our decisions based on the best science and data available.”

Bruno stated that the planning process for the fall semester and beyond “will be transparent and inclusive.” The plan is to engage with faculty, staff, administrators and students, as well as with government and state officials.

Bruno also said that the university is preparing classes to support a hybrid style of learning (teaching and learning both on and off campus) in the event that another outbreak occurs, as well as accommodate: • High-risk students, faculty and staff • Quarantined or ill students, faculty and staff

• International students who are unable to travel to campus A coordinating committee composed of UH officials has been made, as well as working teams with assignments in specific areas. These areas include: health and wellness, student learning, student and residence life, first-year students, research, business processes, communications and space planning, preparation and utilization.

The Fall 2020 semester is expected to start on Aug. 24. Bruno said that students, faculty and staff will be notified of the COVID19 teams’ plans and actions before the first day of school, tentatively on or before June 30.

MORE INFO

WHAT’S THE PLAN SO FAR?

SHAFKAT ANOWAR / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I 

Paige Okamura (left) and Akea Kahikina (right), the instructors for the free Hawaiian language class, give an online lesson at Queen Lili‘uokalani Center for Student Services on March 25, 2020.

Preserving the language Free ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i classes will continue for next three semesters CHAVONNIE RAMOS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

After hundreds attended the free ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘ i classes at the University of Hawai‘ i at Mānoa, the student senate approved a bill that appropriates funding for the classes to continue for the next three semesters.

ASUH approved Senate Bill 40-20, which will appropriate a total of $15,900 in funds for “awards for service” for two graduate student kumu and one undergraduate assistant from the Kawaihuelani

Center for Hawaiian Language.

When the ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘ i classes were held in-person, there were over 300 people in attendance. The Campus Center Ballroom, courtyard and Bilger Hall were needed to accommodate the large crowds.

Due to COVID-19, the classes were shifted online toward the end of March, and have received around 70,000 views altogether.

“When hundreds of people gathered in our first class, I had no doubt that this class needs to continue,” ASUH Vice President Raiyan Rafid, who was the author of the

bill, said. “I’ve witnessed the beauty of ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘ i and how it unites people. As we continue to receive everyone’s support, I believe this class will continue for a long time.”

During summer, the classes will be held online on Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. starting on May 27. It will be streamed on the following Facebook pages: • facebook.com/ktuhfm • facebook.com/nhssuhm • facebook.com/hshkuhm Past classes and presentations are available on ASUH’s website: asuhmanoa.wixsite.com/asuh MORE INFO

• All UH summer classes will be conducted fully online for Session I • No plans yet whether or not Session II will be conducted online, but UH said that most classes will be delivered online because of the uncertainty of health conditions and government restrictions • UH will seek approval for each campus to pilot a small number of classes to be safely offered in person or hybrid • All UH campuses are projected to return to in-person classes on Aug. 24

‘ŌLELO HAWAI‘I SUMMER CLASS SCHEDULE TIME 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

PLATFORM Facebook Live

ADRIEN ACE / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I 

The class being held in the Campus Center Courtyard before moving online.

DATES May 27 June 3 June 10 June 17 June 24 July 1

08

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

UH Mānoa students recreate campus on Minecraft during stay-at-home period [Chavonnie Ramos] Editor-in-Chief

 SCREENSHOTS COURTESY OF BRIANNE TENGAN

Birds-eye view of the lower campus parking structure.

MORE INFO

University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa students are getting crafty and developing ways of being on campus — even during the stay-athome period.

Students are recreating the campus in Minecraft, and hope to hold a virtual commencement ceremony since all traditional ones were canceled due to COVID-19.

The inspiration came from other schools hosting virtual ceremonies in video games.

For UH Mānoa sophomore Alan Tong, he thought it was a cool idea, but did not think it would actually get this far.

“I kind of thought it would be a joke that wouldn’t last too long, and it lasted quite a while,” he said.

Tong, a sophomore mathematics major, hosts the Minecraft server where the project is being created. He said that his friends who

wanted to recreate the campus asked him for help because he had experience with using Minecraft.

The students are using Google Maps versions of campus landmarks as a layout to make the virtual models similar.

The project started in mid-March, and students have already built buildings such as the Stan Sheriff Center, where commencement was supposed to be in person on May 16.

Tong said that a worker from Microsoft contacted their group to give them pointers and help hold a virtual ceremony on Minecraft (Microsoft owns Minecraft).

The students are organizing a virtual ceremony on May 23, where other students who have Minecraft can participate. Others who are interested in watching have to sign up at this RSVP link: aka.ms/ UHMGrad.

UH MĀNOA MINECRAFT COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY SPRING 2020 DATE Saturday, May 23, 2020 HOURS 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

WEBSITE To watch the livestream, RSVP at aka.ms/UHMGrad

 SCREENSHOTS COURTESY OF BRIANNE TENGAN

Les Murakami Baseball Stadium.

 SCREENSHOTS COURTESY OF BRIANNE TENGAN

Minecraft characters dressed in a cap and gown.

 SCREENSHOTS COURTESY OF BRIANNE TENGAN

Stan Sheriff Center viewed from the outside.

 SCREENSHOTS COURTESY OF BRIANNE TENGAN

Inside the Stan Sheriff Center.

ADVERTISING

09

10

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

11

FINALS + GRAD SPECIAL ISSUE

Graduation Messages | #MānoaMemories

Despite our traditional celebrations being postponed, we still have so much to celebrate! Class of 2020, we recognize you!

Graduating seniors, submit your message at manoanow.org/together

DOMINIQUE OCAMPO

ISHMAEL SALAMEH

KEZZO JET PACANUAYAN

MICAH ANTHONY LEVAL

B.S. in Travel Industry Management San Diego, California

B.A. in Communicology Kalihi, Hawai‘i

B.B.A. in Finance Waipahu, Hawai‘i

B.A. Political Science and Communicology

MĀNOA MESSAGE

MĀNOA MESSAGE

Congrats to us! We got hotter by one degree ;D

JU YON PARK B.S. in Nursing MĀNOA MESSAGE

Thank you UHM Nursing 2020 for the greatest memories!

RACHEL KAULUPALI

MĀNOA MESSAGE

MĀNOA MESSAGE

Just getting started.

Congrats Class of 2020! Use your degree and make a lot of money!

Take what you’ve been given and run with it! #MadeMānoaMine

JULIANNE GONZAGA

LISA NAMATAME

KATHERINE “KATE” OZAWA

B.S. in Nursing Mililani, Hawai‘i

B.A. in Public Health Certificate in Peace Studies Wailuku, Hawai‘i

MĀNOA MESSAGE

UHM Nursing 2020! We did it, I’m so proud!

MĀNOA MESSAGE

Mahalo to everyone for their support during my 4 years at UH Mānoa!

Thank you, mom and dad.

MARY WILSON

LEAH VAN LIESHOUT

ALEXANNA NATHAN B.S. in Biology

B. Ed. in Elementary Education Kahului, Hawai‘i

B.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences Kapahulu, Hawai‘i

B.S. in Nursing Kingston, Washington

MĀNOA MESSAGE

MĀNOA MESSAGE

MĀNOA MESSAGE

#MānoaMemories

Wailuku, Hawai‘i

Congrats!

So proud of me and all of my classmates for making it this far!

B.A. in Political Science MĀNOA MESSAGE

MĀNOA MESSAGE

Grad Photos 2020 style!

12

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

Graduation Messages | #MānoaMemories

MARI MCCLENNEY

ALYSSA GAONA

KAYLI CHING

B.Mus. in Piano Performance Honolulu, Hawai‘i

B.Ed. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education Ramona, California

B.S. in Global Environmental Sciences

MĀNOA MESSAGE

I wish every 2020 graduate the very best with everything and encourage them to never give up their hopes, dreams, and passions! We’ve got this!

MĀNOA MESSAGE

This picture is me sharing my cap and gown with my students during an online meeting.

I am in the COE and have been student teaching my final semester. I never imagined this would be done online, and from across the ocean in California. They poured out words of encouragement for me!

I am a graduate from the Global Environmental Sciences program that is a part of the School of Ocean Earth Science and Technology college. I enjoy field work and being outside.

KELLY MURASHIGE

MARINA QUESADA

JESSIELYN HO

JASMINE TERNURA

B.A. in English and Political Science Honolulu, HI

B.S. in Animal Sciences

B.S. in Dietetics MĀNOA MESSAGE

After a long road as a single mom, I’ve finally reached the end of the road to getting my BS in Dietetics! As a parent, don’t let anything stop you from your dreams! I can proudly tell my son and baby girl on the way to never give up on their dreams!

MĀNOA MESSAGE

You can change your mind.

You can make mistakes.

You cannot lose your passion.

YOU CAN DO THIS. Thank you for this opportunity, I hope you’re all well.

PAUL BRIAN BALICO B.S. in Dietetics Ewa Beach, Hawai‘i MĀNOA MESSAGE Cheers to the graduating class of 2020! Look at us go! Graduate for 2020.

ALYSSA HIRONAKA

MĀNOA MESSAGE

I became an animal science major to rescue all animals. I was inspired by my rescue pug who is in the picture.

RAIYAN RAFID B.S. in Psychology Bangladesh MĀNOA MESSAGE Although we missed a traditional commencement ceremony along with many other celebratory events; I’m sure one day we’ll all look back and be proud of our collective contributions to flattening the curve. I’m proud of my fellow graduates and proud to be in class of 2020.

B.A. in Chinese MĀNOA MESSAGE

MĀNOA MESSAGE

B.Ed. in Elementary Education Honolulu, Hawai‘i

I’m so excited to announce that I will be graduating with the class of 2020!

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who helped me throughout this journey and I cannot wait to move on to the next chapter in my life. #MānoaMemories

Mahalos to the University of Hawaii at Manoa for training me to be the Warrior I am today! Class of 2020, we made it! If we can get through this together, we can get through it all.

SHEENA CARMELA JULIANO

AIRA MAE CORPUZ

B.Ed. in Elementary Education Lihu‘e, Hawai‘i

B.A. in Psychology Waipahu, Hawai‘i

MĀNOA MESSAGE

MĀNOA MESSAGE

MĀNOA MESSAGE

If these past four years taught me ANYTHING is that I can get through ANYTHING.

College is a place of learning and discovery. Take your time to learn as much as you can while making new friends along the way!

13

FINALS + GRAD SPECIAL ISSUE

Graduation Messages | #MānoaMemories

KELLY ZALOPANY

AVERY NUEVA

LEROY BANKS

ERIC HALL

B.Ed. in Exceptional Students and Elementary Education Hawai‘i Kai, Hawai‘i

B.A. in Communications San Clemente, California

B.B.A. in Management Information Systems Wuizburg, Hawai‘i

B.A. in Biology Cincinatti, Ohio

MĀNOA MESSAGE

Thank you to the professors and advisors at UH Mānoa that have guided me these past 3 years in my undergraduate journey. Thank you to Alpha Gamma Delta and all of my Panhellenic sisters for making Hawai‘i feel like home. Last but not least, thank you to my friends and family who have supported me along the way. Mahalo UH Mānoa!

PRINCESS MAE VISCONDE

ELLYN AMALIA CLARDY MOLE

M.P.H. in Health Policy Certificate in Nonprofit Management Ewa Beach, Hawai‘i

B.F.A. in Graphic Design Certificate in Spanish Santa Maria, California

MĀNOA MESSAGE

Despite classes and commencement being canceled due to COVID-19, the Office of Public Health Studies sent the graduating students a package to get excited for our zoom celebration on May 15.

MĀNOA MESSAGE

I’d like to give a shoutout to my husband, my parents and my grandparents who have also supported me along my journey. I would also like to say thank you to the staff at Ka Leo and Manoa Now for giving me the best UH job I could have asked for!

To all of the amazing Engineering Professors, Graduate students who TAed for labs, my peers in civil engineering who struggled with me, all my sorority sisters in Beta Beta Gamma, Leilani Au and all of the lovely teachers at the UHM Childrens Center, and finally my 3y/o son Lionel for being my inspiration for following threw with my education.

Thank you so much to NREM for being such a spectacular department to help foster my educational experience at UH! Most of all thank you to my friends and family for all their support during my time obtaining my degree! Congratulations class of 2020 we did it!! :D

ALEXIA RAVYN THRASH

PRECIOUS DIANA VALENZUELA

ALEXANDER MARSHALL

KENDRA HORVATH

B.S. in Travel Industry Management Santa Clara, California

B.S. in Travel Industry Management Minor in Japanese Ewa Beach, Hawai‘i

B.S. in Geology and Geophysics Melbourne, Australia

B.B.A. in Marketing, Entrepreneurship and International Business

College of Education Graduate for 2020.

MĀNOA MESSAGE Thank you to my family and friends who constantly and consistently supported me and encouraged me and my dreams. ‘In everything, give thanks’.

Much of my praise, energy, and capabilities are made possible by God, thus we say ‘Mahalo e ke Akua’

MĀNOA MESSAGE

MĀNOA MESSAGE It’s been a great 4 year college journey! I’m grateful for all my amazing opportunities and experiences at UH Manoa. I’ll never forget the memories and the friends I’ve made. Mahalo!

MĀNOA MESSAGE

MĀNOA MESSAGE

You definitely get out what you put in, so get as involved as you can on and off campus for a better college experience.

DIANA NOMURA

JORDAN SHELLY

B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering Ewa Beach, Hawai‘i

B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Management

I want to thank god for keeping me faithful in college and keeping me focused. My family helping me along the way. Lastly, I want to thank myself for never quitting.

MĀNOA MESSAGE

MĀNOA MESSAGE This has been an extremely trying final semester for us graduates, but it is worth it. We may be sad to lose our ceremony, and the application of our classes, but lets be happy to be alive and graduating! Congratulations to you all, you deserve it all.

San Ramon, California

MĀNOA MESSAGE

Camas, Washington MĀNOA MESSAGE

Thank you to everyone who helped me get here! I especially want to thank my parents for always supporting me and showing me unconditional love. Thanks for an amazing ride, Manoa! ’Sko Bows!

14

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

Graduation Shout-outs | #MānoaMemories Dear Student Media Graduates, As you no doubt already know, our uncertain present has plunged a bright future into darkness. Our current moment has shown us more than ever that the lights that shine brightest during the darkest of times are those that belong to essential workers. Our communities, cities, and our nation continue to turn to the arts and to those in media to help guide us forward. As you join the rest of the nationwide Class of 2020, be confident in knowing that the skills youʼve taken with you from student media will be with you always, but especially when you (and when we all) need them most.

Congratulations!

CHAVONNIE RAMOS

KAILANIANNA ABLOG

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i Editor-in-Chief B.A. in Journalism and English

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i Co-Managing Editor and Opinions Editor B.A. in Anthropology Certificates in Korean and Ethnic Studies

ELLYN AMALIA CLARDY MOLE MānoaNow Advertising Senior Designer B.F.A. in Graphic Design Certificate in Spanish

DORIS KUNG

ANA BITTER

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i Features Editor B.A. in Journalism and B.S. in Fashion Design and Merchaning

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i Associate Design Director B.F.A. in Graphic Design Minor in French

JANA SASAKI

MARC ITO

ZOE DYM

MānoaNow Advertising Senior Designer B.F.A. in Graphic Design

KTUH FM Hawaii Events Director B.A. in Communications

KTUH FM Hawaii Program Director B.A. in Socioloy

RACHEL STEELE

DAN ZUCKER

TAYLOR TWADELLE

MānoaNow Advertising Senior Designer B.A. in Art Studio

KTUH FM Hawaii Monday Night Live Creative Director B.A. in English

KTUH FM Hawaii Assistant Music Director B.A. in Art History

15

FINALS + GRAD SPECIAL ISSUE

Graduation Shout-outs | #MānoaMemories

MOANA KIMURA

JEREMY SONNE

ASHLEY GANTI

NATHAN TRAN

CCB Activities Council B.B.A. in Finance, Marketing and International Business

CCB Activities Council B.A. in Psychology

CCB Activities Council B.B.A. in Accounting

SODEXO B.B.A. in Accounting

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations Jeremy! Thank you for your hard work planning awesome events for the students and UH community. It was a pleasure working with you and we will truly miss your positive energy and enthusiasm. You will do amazing in whatever life brings you. Wishing you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

Congratulations Ashley on your graduation and for being accepted to a Masters program! Thank you for all your hard work and continued support of our council. I am proud to see how much you’ve grown as our Executive Assistant and I look forward to continuing to work with you as our Graduate Student Assistant!

Thank you for being a part of the Manoa Dining Services Marketing team! Best wishes to you in all your endeavors!

RACHEL YASUNAGA

THOMAS HAO

JIE GAO

MIE TOBIAS

SODEXO B.B.A. in Marketing and International Business

International Programs Outreach College M.A. in Music: Piano Performance

International Programs Outreach College M.A. in Second Language Studies

Congratulations Moana! Thank you for your hard work planning awesome events for the students and UH community. I am proud to see how much you’ve grown as a student leader and I know you will excel in anything life brings you. Wishing you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

SODEXO B.B.A. in Marketing and Management

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Thank you for being a part of the Manoa Dining Services Marketing team! Best wishes to you in all your endeavors!

LEESEUL PARK

BLISS RAY

International Programs Outreach College M.A. in Second Language Studies

National Student Exchange B.A. in Ethnic Studies and Psychology

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

We were honored to have Bliss with us. Her dedication, brilliancy, thoughtfulness, and caring soul have made a meaningful impact on our students and us. She is a complete joy to be around and we will miss her so much. As sad as we are to see her graduate and leave our office, we are happy to know that the future will be a better placce with her in it.

Thank you for being a part of the Manoa Dining Services Marketing team! Best wishes to you in all your endeavors!

Trajectory: the path followed by a Leeseul moving through space.

The sky’s the limit as you pursue your UHM PhD this Fall.

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Jie arrived in Honolulu, a little nervous but so eager to join UH-Manoa, and she dedicated herself to improving her academic skills in the University Preparation Program. A joy to teach and to be around.

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Mie arrived in Hawaii full of passion for learning and for English. Her energy and desire to help others also lead her to volunteer many times too in her community such as at the Foodbank’s Hunger Walk. Great qualities in a teacher and a human being.

For more graduates, check manoanow.org To recognize your graduate email us at connect@manoanow.org.

16

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

Graduation Shout-outs | #MānoaMemories

MOON SEONG “ANDY” KIM Theatre and Dance Department B.A. in Theatre

JORIN YOUNG

SARAH SWILEY

ROBERT SANCHEZ

Theatre and Dance Department B.A. in Theatre

Theatre and Dance Department M.A. in Theatre

Theatre and Dance Department M.F.A. in Theatre

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

KEKELA OKU FERNANDEZ

BRYCE JOHNSTON

LILY DELA-CRUZ

TYLER HAUGEN

Theatre and Dance Department B.A. in Theatre

Theatre and Dance Department B.A. in Theatre

Theatre and Dance Department M.F.A. in Theatre

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

Theatre and Dance Department B.A. in Theatre

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

KAT ALTMAN

KELA NEIL

DEAN MO

Theatre and Dance Department M.F.A. in Theatre

Theatre and Dance Department B.A. in Theatre

ANNASTASIA FIALA-WATKINS

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

Theatre and Dance Department M.F.A. in Theatre GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

Theatre and Dance Department M.F.A. in Theatre GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

17

FINALS + GRAD SPECIAL ISSUE

Graduation Shout-outs | #MānoaMemories

MURRY HUSTED Theatre and Dance Department M.A. in Theatre GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

NICHOLE PALMER Theatre and Dance Department Minor in Dance GRAD SHOUT-OUT

KRISTEN JOHNSON Theatre and Dance Department B.A. in Dance

TIANA WONG

TAVEHI TAFITI

Theatre and Dance Department B.A. in Dance

Theatre and Dance Department B.A. in Dance

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your achievements!

Congratulations on all your achievements!

ANGELA SEBASTIAN

SOPHIA CARTER

MELISSA VARGAS

Theatre and Dance Department M.F.A. in Dance

Theatre and Dance Department M.F.A. in Theatre

Congratulations on all your achievements!

Theatre and Dance Department M.F.A. in Dance

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your achievements!

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

CHRISTINE LAMBORN

ALEXIS “LEXI” CHONG-TIM

EMILY STEWARD

TREY DELOS REYES

Theatre and Dance Department M.F.A. in Theatre

Theatre and Dance Department B.A. in Theatre

Theatre and Dance Department M.F.A. in Theatre

Theatre and Dance Department B.A. in Theatre

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your achievements!

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

Congratulations on all your achievements!

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations on all your accomplishments - Break-a-Leg!

18

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

Graduation Shout-outs | #MānoaMemories

MAIA GOEL

LEO YAMASHITA

KEANE MIYAMOTO

KOKUA Program B.A. in Creative Media Minor in Art

KOKUA Program B.S. in Biology and Psychology

KOKUA Program B.A. in Economics and Geography

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

The KOKUA Program will miss your bubbly personality, kindness, laughter, and art influence around the office. We wish you amazing success in your future endeavors! We’re so grateful to be part of your college journey! Congratulations MaG!

Cheers to our senior student staffer Leo (LeoY)! Thank you for providing 3 ½ years of excellent academic access services to our KOKUA students! We appreciate your dedicated work. We’ll miss you. Mahalo Leo for work well done! Good Luck to you as you pursue your Med School dreams!

Congratulations Keane! We appreciate your 2 ½ years of dedicated service as a Disability Access Service Assistant. Your constant and steady good work will be remembered. You are a humble and musically talented guy!

Thank you for your service. Good luck as you continue on in your graduate studies in Urban Planning. We’ll miss you!

RACHEL TZE EE LU

SHELBY ENOS

ARIEL GAINES

KOKUA Program B.S. in Biology

KOKUA Program B.S. in Food Science and Nutrition: Sports and Wellness

Office of Admissions B.A. in Sociology

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations Ariel!

GRAD WeSHOUT-OUT are so proud of you and congratulations on graduating. Thank you for all your hard work in Admissions and we will miss you.

Best of luck to you in Nevada!

KAITLIN TILITILE

AMANDA WITTIG

Office of Admissions B.A. in Public Health Minor in Business Administration

Office of Admissions B.S. in Biology

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations Amanda! Best of luck to you in your new job. Your dedication to our office is greatly appreciated and we will miss you. We wish you well in your next chapter and will be thinking of you.

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

KOKUA would like to wish you the best in your future endeavors! We appreciate all that you have done and for always assisting our students in any way possible.

KYLE SWARDENSKI Office of Admissions B.S. in Travel Industry Management GRAD SHOUT-OUT

Congratulations Kyle! We will miss having you around in the office, but we know that you are ready to embark on a new adventure. As you take on your new job, we want to wish you well and express how proud we are of you. A Hui Hou!

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

The KOKUA Program will miss your positivity, kindness and ‘go get em’ attitude. We are blessed to have had time with Rydell and to see you grow into a mama. Congratulations SE! Excited to see where the future takes you!

Congratulations Kaitlin! To see you making the commitment to serve our students by continuing on in your own academic journey in Higher Administration, makes us so proud. We hope to continue to work with you and can’t wait for your adventure to continue with what comes next.

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

GRAD SHOUT-OUT

19

FINALS + GRAD SPECIAL ISSUE

#WARRIORS FROM HOME WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING AT HOME? ADD YOUR SUBMISSIONS ON MANOANOW.ORG/TOGETHER

ASHLEY YAMACHIKA MAJOR:

DENTAL HYGIENE

TAYLER BERTELMANNCHING

CLASS:

2021

CHELSEA NGUYEN MAJOR:

ACCOUNTING CLASS:

MAJOR:

2024

PHARMACY

MESSAGE:

CLASS:

2021

New hobby!

KIALY BARKER MAJOR:

NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT CLASS:

2021

THOMAS YEUNG MAJOR:

SECONDARY EDUCATION MATHEMATICS CLASS:

2022

KAILEA BOERSTE MESSAGE:

GABRIELLE ROSE BAGUIO MAJOR:

Me and my dog Kona have been embracing #warriorsfromhome by appreciating nature and embracing all the time we have together, we have walked 2 marathons since quarantine started and explored many new places!

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ELENA WILLIAMS

CLASS:

MAJOR:

2022

ANIMAL SCIENCE CLASS:

2021

EMILY SMITH

MESSAGE:

MAJOR:

Sunsets walks around campus and last day zoom calls with my favorite classes are what brings campus to home for me.

CREATIVE MEDIA MESSAGE:

The way that I’ve been brining Manoa home is by admiring and going out to nature. Now that we are quarantined, I realized how much I took the Manoa campus for granted.

The Manoa campus is extremely tropical and natural. Walking in between classes, the air was crisp and and there was always a nice view. I’ve been going on walks by myself and with my dog to different scenic areas. It reminds me a lot of the Manoa campus because it helps distresses me and is beautiful.

LILY JENKINS MAJOR:

GEOGRAPHY WITH A CERTIFICATE IN GIS

ZIXUAN RUAN

CLASS:

MAJOR:

MESSAGE:

DENTAL HYGIENE MESSAGE:

I miss cleaning teeth in clinic at UH

2021 Study session and fishing break in North Carolina while taking online classes at UH!

20

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TROUBLED BY THE PANDEMIC

‘COVID-19 completely disrupted my life’

[ SHAFKAT ANOWAR | PHOTO EDITOR ]

It isn’t easy to suddenly move back home when home is across the ocean.

The coronavirus pandemic has altered the reality of international students currently residing in Hawai‘i.

It has left them struggling with the uncertainty of whether to stay in America or return to their homes, to face the consequences of being quarantined in an undetermined place, and to put their loved ones at risk.

STUCK IN HAWAI‘I

Mengshin Lin from Taiwan is a former student of Kapi‘olani Community College currently getting her bachelor’s in photojournalism from a college in Chicago. She had plans to spend her spring break in Hawai‘i, but due to the lockdown in Chicago, she purchased a one way ticket to stay in Hawai‘i for the rest of the semester.

“Before flying back to Hawai‘i, I was considering going back to Taiwan where there still has not been any community spread cases and lockdown,” she said. “But I would have to quarantine

and live with my mom, my sister, brother-in-law and my one-year-old nephew.

The risk of traveling from the U.S. back to Taiwan stops me to do so.”

Currently, Lin spends her time attending her online classes, doing her class projects and documenting what it is like to be in Hawai‘i during a pandemic. However, the five-hour time difference has forced her daily routine to start earlier, requiring her to attend her online classes at 4 a.m. HST. According to Lin, the most challenging part of her experience of this pandemic has been covering events as a student journalist. She specifically remembers a conflict during the recent “Re-open Hawaii” protest.

“A motorcycle guy kept pushing the gas and trying to hit me from taking photos of him. After I explained I was covering the event, he still grabbed my press ID and yelled at me,” she said.

“Communication becomes an essential part to covering the news, but the language barrier and pressure during coverage often lead me to make mistakes.”

The majority of college campuses have shifted the remainder of classes online. While many local students have moved back in with their parents, foreign students did not have that option and are stuck on O‘ahu.

According to a report from the Institute of International Education, more than one million international students were enrolled in college campuses during the 2018-19 academic year.

“Based on emails and appointment enquiries received from students and campus community, students are troubled by the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 pandemic. This ranges from issues relating to travels, employment benefits and visa application,” Karen Mikel, director of International Student Services at UHM, said. UHM currently enrolls almost 1,000 international students.

Mikel went on saying that homebound and returning students may face unfamiliar situations and anxiety due to the temporary entry bans and travel restrictions. “Students have to be prepared to change travel plans with little or no warning at all,” she said.

Although the physical office of ISS is closed, staff and advisors are working remotely and continue to provide support and services to international students and the campus community. ISS is currently conducting appointments and workshops by telephone or Zoom meetings alongside processing immigration document requests electronically, providing mailing services for original documents when required, responding to emails, and communicating immigration related news and events to students via email blasts.

According to ISS, incoming international students for the Fall 2020 semester are expected to confront visa application delays due to U.S. embassy and consulate visa service suspensions. “If and when they receive their visas, students will still be faced with challenges making travel plans amidst COVID-19 related travel restrictions and uncertainties,” Mikel added.

UH officials are planning accom-

modations for when all campuses are projected to open in the fall. UH Mānoa’s Fall 2020 start date is Aug. 24.

UH President David Lassner said that the university will follow state and CDC protocols for when students fly in from the mainland, international and interisland.

“We’re beginning our conversations now with the state Department of Health to understand how we’re going to be able to screen, test and contract trace for people who arrive on our University of Hawai‘ i campuses from somewhere else,” Lassner said.

The situation is constraining for the graduating students who have plans of getting their desired jobs and for international students the situation is even more complex. Many students had high hopes for their post-graduation plans.

However, with the economy going downhill, finding jobs for international graduates is predicted to be tough.

FINDING WORK IN HAWAI‘I

UHM psychology Spring 2020 graduate Gako Kurayoshi from Japan sees finding a job after graduation as a major concern.

“Because of the current economic situation, many people are unemployed now, and for non-U.S. citizens including myself, it will be extra challenging to find a job,” Kurayoshi said.

Hawai‘ i has been a home to Kurayoshi for the past eight years, having also graduated from high school in Hawai‘ i. Although she has family in Japan, she has not considered moving back. “I have been living in Hawai‘i for several years now. I have my loved ones here and it would be hard for me to leave,” she said.

Kurayoshi had previously worked as a front desk receptionist at UHM. While she still worked during the pandemic, her hours declined. Besides running necessary errands, she mostly isolated herself in her apartment in Makiki while limiting grocery shopping to once or twice a week.

MENGSHIN LIN PHOTOJOURNALISM, JUNIOR (COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO)

21

FINALS + GRAD SPECIAL ISSUE

FARJANA SNIGDHA ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, GRADUATE STUDENT

GAKO KURAYOSHI PSYCHOLOGY, SENIOR

An increasing number of foreign students are facing the horror of seeing their financial lives drift apart.

Visa restrictions prevent international students from working off campus.

SAVING MONEY FOR COLLEGE

However, students like Yung-Hsuan Yu face a different circumstance. Yu is from Taiwan and a former KCC student. She is currently working for an architectural farm in Honolulu under optional practical training (OPT), which is a year-long job permit that allows international students to work off campus postgraduation.

During her time at KCC, she faced unforeseen financial hardship which led her to work as a make-up artist at Waikīkī’s T Galleria by Duty Free. After the store temporarily closed due to COVID19, Yu faced an impermanent layoff until

YUNG-HSUAN YU WEB DESIGN

further notice from the company.

Currently, she is focused on saving money to go back to college and earn her bachelor’s degree. Although her bank account dwindles, her aim is to relocate to a college in the continental U.S. by saving money from her current job as a web editor.

“After my graduation I tried to earn enough money. That’s why I applied for OPT for a year and maybe if I have enough money I can transfer to a college to finish my degree. But this thing (the pandemic) happened at the beginning of this year so I am super worried about earning enough money to go to college,” Yu said.

She hopes to transfer to a university to major in web design this year.

However, with the deadline approaching, her uncertainties continue.

Yu also started showing symptoms

of the coronavirus at the beginning of the pandemic, which later turned out to be negative. Because of this, she strictly quarantined herself in her apartment for fourteen days.

PUTTING LIFE ON HOLD

This pandemic didn’t frighten Farjana Snigdha at first. It was not until coronavirus concerns escalated among the residents at the UHM graduate housing that things changed. Snigdha is one of the few graduate students from Bangladesh finishing a master’s degree in electrical engineering.

She chose to leave graduate housing after some residents began showing symptoms and were quarantined in a separate housing facility. She has temporarily relocated to an apartment off campus and hopes to return to the housing after the pandemic abates.

Snigdha was on schedule to graduate this semester, but the pandemic has disrupted the flow of her research work.

“All my classes became online but my lab is closed to ensure the safety of all the students. I can’t do my lab work online. All my research work has stopped for now, so I have to extend one more semester to complete my master’s,” she said.

In addition to graduation, her internship and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers conference were cancelled as well. Being a research assistant, her funding to support her degree was accepted until this semester, but now she is actively searching for a funding source to continue her research work for the next semester.

The rippling effects of the virus did not spare Snigdha’s personal life either. Right after finishing her master’s degree, Snigdha was supposed to get married this summer at her home in Bangladesh. While she was planning to purchase a ticket to fly back home after two years in the U.S. to get married in front of her family, the pandemic changed her timeline.

“We had to cancel all our wedding plans, now we are not even sure when we can meet as my fiance lives in Canada,” she mentioned. Currently, the U.S.-Canadian border is closed to nonessential travel.

Most of her friends had left the island before she could bid them a proper farewell. She now fears the uncertainty of seeing them again.

Although she could fly back home, she says that the flight route she intended to take has a long layover and is now risky.

Even though the whole world is falling apart for her, she believes this stay-at-home time is the best chance to finish chores, organize belongings and learn new skills.

“I am doing an online yoga session, cooking a lot of new recipes for the first time. I am also trying to learn how to play ukulele. I am planning to learn a new coding language on Coursera, this is the best time to learn a new thing,” she said.

“Everything has an end,” she added.

“So, this too shall pass. During this time, we need to be strong and keep our friends and family close and connect with them frequently.”

22

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

DK

Her final year DORIS KUNG | FEATURES EDITOR Senior fashion designer Jessica Arista finished her final year with designs inspired by the late Queen Victoria and Tim Burton films.

Filled with color, ruffles and shine, Arista’s three designs are in a collection called “Misunderstood Monarch.” Her all-black design features in another collection called “Tim Burton: A Nightmare Extravaganza.”

In an email interview, she talks about finishing the semester online, her future plans after graduation and her thoughts on the fashion program.

How does it feel finishing your senior year online?

JA

At first, I was really sad that there wouldn’t be a spring fashion show or graduation ceremony. But I’ve been able to see the bright side, as Kimmy and I have been offered chances to present our looks in the fall and in next semester’s show.

DK

What are you planning to do now that you are finished with school?

Are you working on designs for your brand Sirens and Surfers?

JA

Now that I have completed my degree, I’ve been working on new designs for my swim line and have been inspired to begin a clothing line of my own ready to wear designs.

DK

What are your thoughts about the fashion program and how have your designs changed since freshman year?

JA

I really enjoyed my time in the UH fashion program and would like to thank all of my professors who made each year especially memorable. I think that my designs have evolved into something that I can be proud of and still encapsulate my overall aesthetic. During my freshman year in the fashion department, my garment designs were usually very simple ready to wear designs, whereas now I can say that Minako has helped me to explore my hand in the couture world.

 COURTESY OF JESSICA ARISTA

After graduation, Jessica Arista plans to work on new designs for her swim line.

Student entrepreneurs deal with new challenges during COVID-19 pandemic CHAVONNIE RAMOS | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

FACTOID

FACTOID

 COURTESY OF AUSTIN YOSHINO

Austin Yoshino and his partners at Manaola Innovations presented in a virtual tech conference.

Businesses are struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, but for Austin Yoshino, he sees it as another opportunity.

“The whole game of an entrepreneur, the goal is to be able to adapt and be creative,” Yoshino, a senior mechanical engineering major at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, said.

“So this, in essence, is just another obstacle that entrepreneurs need to overcome and find ways to find silver linings in these opportunities.”

Yoshino’s medical technology startup Manaola Innovations has pivoted its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. He and his partners now conduct meetings through Zoom.

Before COVID-19, Yoshino and his

partners were supposed to travel to compete in two competitions: one was for $100,000 and the other was for $50,000. They were also supposed to go to Japan to meet with a potential partner.

Regardless of that, Manaola Innovations plans to launch a presale campaign this summer for one of its products.

For UH Mānoa senior Savannah Adler, she was planning to expand her sustainable fashion company, WeAreWorthy, after graduation.

Adler hoped to include children’s wear and launch a children’s book series for her company.

When she heard that commencement was cancelled, she was disappointed.

“I’ve lived a nonconventional life that didn’t really encompass many of the well-known milestone celebrations as is,” she said. “I was looking forward to this ceremony, especially after spending years working toward my degree.”

But despite commencement being cancelled, Adler was grateful for the time she was able to spend at home with her family and loved ones.

“I felt it was a much needed change of pace,” she said. “Learning about the environmental benefits in addition to wildlife helped me stay quite positive.

I was, however, very saddened by the death count and those who suffered through this process.”

COURTESY OF AUSTIN YOSHINO 

A U ST I N YO S H I N O CLASS: Senior MAJOR: Mechanical Engineering STARTUP: Manaola Innovations WEBSITE: www.manaolainnovations.com

COURTESY OF SAVANNAH ADLER 

SAVA N N A H ADLER CLASS: Senior MAJOR: Fashion Design and Merchandising COMPANY: WeAreWorthy WEBSITE: www.we-are-worthy.com

ADVERTISING

23

24

ADVERTISING

25

FINALS + GRAD SPECIAL ISSUE

What COVID-19 means to graduates With commencement cancelled for all UH campuses, seniors express the disappointment that came along with it.

ILLUSTRATION BY JAMIELYN MENDAME/ KA LEO O HAWAI‘I 

UH grads, despite the twists and turns of their last semester, have recognized the solidarity in dealing with the loss of commencement.

ESTHER KIM STAFF WRITER

With the curve flattening and the exceptional progress Hawai‘i has made in tackling COVID-19, people are adapting to the new social-distancing lifestyle and our frontline workers are receiving the recognition they deserve.

And while we have been able to recognize the tragic loss of lives and the sacrifice made by so many in this trying time, there are still many losses to mourn for students who looked forward to commencement and the celebration of their educational achievements. The COVID-19 pandemic has also put a halt to their well-earned job prospects and field learning.

Many students have expressed, with full knowledge of and respect for the predicament at hand, the disappointment they are experiencing.

While the UHM administration was swift in ensuring the safety of its students by having all classes transition online, students deserve to share their perspective of this shift in reality.

Precious Diana Valenzuela is a senior Travel Industry Management major who was confronted with both the loss of a graduation ceremony and a career opportunity.

“Right now is just a lot of uncertainty. I applied to a lot of jobs, especially the management training program that a lot of TIM students such as myself are looking forward to getting the email if we are going to get accepted to,” Valenzuela said.

Since TIM is highly focused on tourism, the halt on nonessential flights to Hawai`i has been difficult for hotels and businesses that rely on the travel industry to stay afloat.

“I was on the list to be a part of one by Marriott, but at this time I am not really going to ask how my application is doing. I already know that if they are going to furlough the full-time and part-time employees. How much more for interns and management trainees? Tourism might not recover as fast as we

thought it would,” Valenzuela said.

When asked how she and her other TIM classmates are feeling in regards to this uncertainty, she said: “What is going to happen to us as freshly new graduates? All my other friends are asking what we are going to do. Are we still going to go to our training programs?”

With the prospect of Hawai‘ i restructuring its economy to be less dependent on tourism, Valenzuela expressed relief as well as worry.

“I feel kind of relieved and glad that they are looking at other opportunities to have this state get more money besides tourism … but at the same time, I am thinking ‘What about us?’ I am just looking at the bigger picture for the state and the economy right now.”

While students like Valenzuela feel a loss regarding their job prospects, those in the nursing program have expressed concern about the absence of clinicals and hands-on experience in a hospital.

Jordyn Yee is a Graduate Entry Program in Nursing student at UHM. The GEPN program lasts only one year, so every moment is crucial. However, with clinicals being cancelled to protect the GEPN students’ health and well-being, Yee expressed that she is nervous about being unprepared for the realities of a nursing occupation.

“For our program, it sucks because we have such limited time to be in the hospital in general that every single week we are missing is so big for us. We get literally less than twelve months of clinical total,” Yee said. “A lot of us have a fear about being competent nurses. It feels really bad to think I am going to be a nurse but I have only been in the hospital for a few months.”

Additionally, many of the clinical experiences that have been cancelled due to the pandemic are areas of interest for Yee such as Pediatrics (PEDS) and Obstetrics (OB).

“We are doing PEDS and OB all online for June... I was really wondering if I was going to like PEDS and

that was one of my biggest interests.

I know that liking children and being in PEDS are two very different things.

I’m really personally bummed and a lot of other people in my program feel this way,” she said.

However, along with the fear of competency comes the stress of an extended program time as many students like Yee made plans to move off island or relocate.

“Assuming that we can do our preceptorship in July, we are going to graduate in August. They are kind of just waiting it out till July. If we can’t, we have to re-evaluate at that point,” Yee said.

Alexis Brisette is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing student who has similar feelings towards the loss of clinicals. Although the BSN program has a longer duration of clinical experience and opportunities,

her BSN degree, Brisette said that she expects delays as many health institutions are on hiring freezes for the time being.

“I applied for a unit assistant position at Castle for the Mental Health Unit. They got back to me like a week ago saying that they are in a hiring freeze right now. I think a lot of facilities are in a hiring freeze because they are not making a lot of money because there are no elective surgeries going on,” she said.

Uncertainty surrounding their clinical experiences and occupational future for both Brisette and Yee has certainly been disappointing. But for some students like Francisco Grijalva, a Bachelor’s of Social Work graduate this spring, the disappointment lies in the loss of formal recognition for his accomplishments and achievements.

No one in my family has graduated from college, so I was going to be the first one to do it.

– FRANCISCO GRIJALVA UH MĀNOA SPRING 2020 GRADUATE

Brisette expressed that the most important section, the preceptorship, has been cancelled.

“The loss of a preceptor is a true loss in the clinical setting and in any healthcare position that you take. The preceptorship is where you put everything together. It is supposed to be the accumulation of everything you have learned in nursing school,” Brisette said.

The uncertainty of finishing her preceptorship has been exacerbated by the additional question of when the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) required for nurses to be employed are to be administered again.

“Half of the facilities (to take the NCLEX) across the U.S. are open, but just not here,” Brisette said.

In regards to finding a job using

Grijalva expressed that commencement meant so much more to him because he is the first generation of his family to be a college graduate. He also had to face countless hurdles in his achievement of a BSW including drug addiction and learning disabilities.

“No one in my family has graduated from college, so I was going to be the first one to do it. And I’m the black sheep of the family. I’m the one who had a lot of issues and letting my family down. And this is my one time to not prove anything to anyone, but to just have that one moment to celebrate a commencement,” he said.

His pursuit of a college degree began with joining the military, which made him eligible to receive educational funding from the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment pro-

gram. This Chapter 31 program aids veterans with disabilities.

“That money is money from everyone in the United States, tax payers for veterans. So I owe it not to myself, but to my country, that I better learn.

People are paying for you and buying into your success. I wanted that moment to show not only myself but to graduate and be like ‘Hey, this is your tax dollars.’ The dude who came from a really impoverished area, that he joined the military to go to college,” Grijalva said.

In a passionate re-telling of what his past four years at UHM has been like, Grijalva was candid about feeling proud of his achievement of a BSW while struggling with a learning disability. This is all the reason more that commencement meant more than a diploma to him.

“I have a learning disability, and I have a hard time writing and I need to talk to text... So grammatical errors are all the time and it takes a process for me to do it. I don’t tell people that stuff. I don’t tell them that every semester is a battle. So I just wanted that one moment to be like anybody can do this. I have a lot of things that are supposed to be wrong and not made for the system. I’m not supposed to have success,” Grijalva expressed.

Along with the shutdowns and other precautionary measures that have proved effective for Hawai‘i’ in regards to controlling the spread of COVID-19 came the loss of commencement, job opportunities and celebrations. However, Grijalva offered one last sentiment as to how he, and likely many others, has been able to accept the disappointment at hand.

“I have pain about this, but I have to move on because the whole world is feeling it. That’s the one part that I like which is that I am not alone,” Grijalva said.

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

26

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

Finding the good Seeing positivity in the midst of COVID-19

 KAILANIANNA ABLOG / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

According to flowermeaning.com, sunflowers can represent “Seeking out positivity and strength.”

KAILANIANNA ABLOG MANAGING EDITOR

I was enjoying a banana and matcha green tea smoothie when it happened.

During spring break, you expect to enjoy late nights with no school work - maybe some travel if you can afford it. As a graduating senior, the last break of my undergraduate career was bittersweet, but one Messenger notification from Chavonnie Ramos, Ka Leo’s Editorin-Chief, made the mood turn sour: “Commencement is cancelled.”

I lost my appetite.

I was supposed to walk at graduation this spring and see my family who no longer live on-island, including my biological father who moved to Saipan two years ago. I understood the severity of COVID19 and knew that there would be a chance to celebrate graduation later, but that did not change the fact that there was a sense of loss.

My mood worsened a few days later. Stay-at-home orders were given across the state and many in the service industry found themselves filing for unemployment. Some local businesses had to close, as they were deemed non-essential. My health fears increased, but not for myself; my stepfather and my partner’s parents are immuno-compromised.

Essential workers, some of whom I call family and friends, continue to work in their capacities despite the current health situation.

These times are not kind. Some may be dealing with mental obstacles or other circumstances that make staying home difficult. Worries

about health and safety may have increased, especially within families that have immuno-compromised individuals. With the current state of things, it is easy to remain negative - and those feelings are valid.

However, it is also important to note that everything is not all doom and gloom, even if it seems like it is. Within pockets of fear and stress lie kindness and synergy. For the icky feelings COVID is bringing to light, it is also providing space for positivity to form.

SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES

One demographic that has been impacted by COVID-19 is local business. Non-essential stores have been closed, which means many, including Shop Toast and Ten Tomorrow in Kaimuki, had to shift their sales online. While the pandemic has negatively affected how local business owners and workers generate income, there have been many initiatives that have been taken to support them during these times.

For example, the Keep It Kaimuki Small Business Relief Fund was set up by UH and William S. Richardson School of Law alum Ross Uehara-Tilton and fellow Keep It Kaimuki members to monetarily support Kaimuki businesses. Shops such as Twiggy Hawaii have held sales on their pages to raise money to support other businesses, especially those who are making and selling masks such as Valia Honolulu. Others who are unable to support local businesses monetarily have been sharing and commenting on Instagram posts, as well as leaving reviews.

During times of helplessness and

financial worry, a simple act of support can go a long way. As Summer Shiigi, owner and creative entrepreneur of “Ten Tomorrow,” shared with me, she is grateful for those who are making purchases from their website and showing support on social media.

“I will not take the positives of COVID-19 for granted,” Shiigi said.

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY BY BRIDGING PHYSICAL GAPS

When we are unable to see those we care about as freely as before, feelings of isolation and sadness can develop; however, technology has helped connect people virtually.

Over the past two months, my use of social media has increased (No, I did not download TikTok).

Perusing apps like Instagram and YouTube led me to finding local artists and businesses, including Kristi Sakaguchi of Riskit Design and Alex and Whitney Young of Kitt and Bunn Supply Co. What started off as simple dropins on Instagram Lives turned into comments, then DMs. Now, Sakaguchi, the Youngs, myself and others that I now call friends have weekly Game Nights, where we log onto Discord and play Jackbox Games, “irreverent party games” created by a studio with the same name. Our favorite games are “Push the Button,” where you have to figure out who among the space crew is an alien, and “Monster Seeking Monster,” a dating game in which players are secretly monsters, but you do not know who is which monster.

For those who may not be as well-versed in technology, such as kupuna, letter-writing initia-

tives such as “Letters for Kupuna”

by Coronavirus Hawaii are aiming to keep all members of our society included and feeling seen.

ACCLIMATING TO A TRANSITION: A WORD ON TELEHEALTH AND CALMING NERVES

Telehealth offers a positive space for people to navigate their emotions surrounding social isolation.

According to the Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, the term “telehealth” is defined as “the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, professional health-related education, public health, and health administration.”

UH alum Sarah Schick is a licensed clinical social worker and a cognitive behavioral therapist.

She also does individual, couples and group therapy at Paradigm Hawaii Counseling. According to Schick, the switch from in-person services to using technology has come with its learning curve.

“Administratively, it’s really heavy depending on what platforms you are using. I have been using it off and on for about a year, but I have never had to transfer all my clients over. So that was just a challenge in the beginning,” Schick said. “There is trying to help them get all set up and connected while also trying to set up things on my side.”

After the initial hump, Schick adds that she has seen an overall positive shift. For clients who do not have access to transportation or childcare, telehealth can be help-

ful. However, moving services online removes a vital aspect: intimacy.

While telehealth may not fully replace face-to-face contact, it does provide us with a means of grounding ourselves and finding creative ways to healthily deal with negative emotions, which can often stem from a need that we have.

“Every emotion that comes up says something about who we are as people so we have to be a little more creative in grounding ourselves in other ways to express those needs. But if we just dismiss that need then we miss that opportunity,” Schick said. “Ask: What are some of the things I can do to address this feeling? Instead of the structure of things that we are used to doing, we are grounding ourselves into values and those needs that we have. And that will always lead to a feeling of empowerment.”

SEEING COVID-19 IN A DIFFERENT WAY

At the conclusion of the interview, Schick said this: “With every transition, there may be losing some things, but gaining others.”

Although COVID-19 has caused many people to feel a sense of loss, it also offers us an opportunity to seek and create communities of support and resilience. If we are to come out of this strong, we must continue to maintain a healthy relationship with ourselves and others in order to promote kindness and synergy on all levels of society.

Staff Writer Esther Kim contributed to this article. What do you think?

Let us know @KaLeoOpinions

27

FINALS + GRAD SPECIAL ISSUE

5 athletes to watch in the fall semester TANNER HAWORTH | SPORTS WRITER

FOOTBALL

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

SOCCER

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL

CHEVAN CORDEIRO

HANNA HELLVIG

KAYLA RYAN

NAE NAE CALHOUN

SAMUTA AVEA

Redshirt Sophomore Quarterback

Sophomore Outside Hitter

Junior Forward

Sophomore Guard

Senior Forward/Guard

Chevan Cordeiro never shied away from competition. Cordeiro is 3-0 in games he started, as well as almost leading an amazing comeback against Fresno State in which the ‘Bows scored two touchdowns within a minute of each other only to lose from a last second field goal.

Cordeiro finished the year with 907 yards passing and eight touchdowns.

With new head coach Todd Graham coming in, Cordeiro looks to be the immediate starter for the football team and will (hopefully) suit up against Arizona on Aug. 29, a rematch from last year’s opener.

Was she truly a freshman last year? Hanna Hellvig started all but one game last year for the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team and led the team in kills with 348, ranking sixth in the Big West. Not only was she named conference Freshman of the Year, but she was also placed on the All-Conference First Team as well.

The Rainbow Wahine have much to look forward to with Hellvig, as the team’s offensive player of the year still has many years to go as she progresses to her sophomore year.

It was a historic year for Rainbow Wahine Soccer, with the program going into its first ever Big West tournament in its history and even winning the first game as well.

Kayla Ryan was a big help in one of the best seasons from the Wahine Soccer team, as she racked up an All-Conference First Team award. Ryan led the team with 7 goals while only starting in eight of 16 games this season.

In her first start, Ryan tallied two goals in an overtime victory against CSUN, another mark in history as it was Hawai‘ i’s first ever win in a conference opener. This also gave her a Big West Player of the Week award, as the pink-headed sophomore would help lead Hawai‘ i to more success through the season.

Another outstanding freshman for the Rainbow Wahine, this time for basketball. Nae Nae Calhoun was named to the All-Conference freshman team as one of the conference’s best point guards. Calhoun tallied 104 assists, ranking fourth in the conference in assists per game. By the end of the year, Calhoun started to develop as a scorer as well, scoring 23 points in the last two games of the season.

No matter how disappointing the end of the season was, Calhoun will be a bright spot on a solid Rainbow Wahine basketball team that finished the season in the semifinals of the Big West tournament (cancelled due to COVID-19).

As the Rainbow Warriors lost some great talents in the offseason, others are looking to rise up in the absence of graduated forward Eddie Stansberry and grad-transfer Drew Buggs. Samuta Avea, one of four local ‘Bows, has only done one thing his entire career: improve.

Just looking at his jump from his sophomore year to his junior year is astounding. Basically every stat doubled for the Kahuku native, as well as starting 30 out of 30 games this year.

His best performance came against the UC Irvine Aggies, where Avea scored 12 points in four minutes including the game-winning shot with 3.2 seconds left to lift Hawai‘ i over the Aggies.

UH Athletics braces for COVID-19 impacts in the fall TANNER HAWORTH SPORTS WRITER

As the middle of March started to roll through, athletics teams at the University of Hawai‘ i were just getting started.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams were preparing for the Big West tournament. The men’s volleyball team was on its way for a chance at a second national title, being ranked second in the nation at the time. Senior athletes readied themselves for their senior nights, with some having their last chance to shine as an athlete.

Then with one announcement, it was all over.

On March 20, the university announced its move to online courses due to COVID-19. This happened a week after UH Athletics announced the cancellation of all university athletic events.

The semester is now over and the number of COVID-19 cases across the state has risen above 600 cases.

With the state of quarantine and social distancing, what does this mean for the next school year of

college athletics?

In a call with conference commissioners and Vice President Mike Pence in April, the commissioners came together to agree on focusing on the students first, rather than the athletes.

“Our players are students. If we are not in college, we’re not having contests,” Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said.

The commissioner of the Mountain West, Craig Thompson, came out saying how most colleges depend on football as their main revenue to support their other sports.

“The matter of the fact is, if there is no college football this fall there’s very little likelihood there will be any other sports,” Thompson said.

“Because 85 percent of the revenue derived in college athletics comes from the sport of football.”

And as more and more time passes, states and organizations are slowly beginning to ease up.

At Gov. David Ige’s press conference on May 4, UH President David Lassner announced the return of in-person classes for the fall semester.

Although the plans are not to return to normalcy, this should give

hope to sports fans that there will be UH Athletics games to cheer at, right?

Unfortunately, this is not the case.

“We’re not there with a plan for intercollegiate athletics just yet, it’s complicated for student athletes, for fans, and most of all it’s not something UH can unilaterally decide,” Lassner said at the May 4 press conference.

Being a member of different conferences such as the Mountain West, Big West and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the university cannot just start up play without making collaborative efforts with each conference to create future schedules.

UH Athletic Director David Matlin seconded the point. However, he felt optimistic about the plans being made for fall athletics.

“If schools open, which is what we’re planning to do… I think there’s a pathway for athletics,” Matlin said. “I’m optimistic we’ll be playing in the fall … but the timeline when things can be implemented depends on the timeline of the virus.”

As conferences gather together to attempt to plan out how the future will be made, being able

to stick to any premade schedule seems unlikely.

Jack Swarbick, athletic director of Notre Dame, expects many universities to be unable to coordinate with other schools due to differences in policies within universities and states.

While talking to the media, Thompson wondered aloud if football in the Mountain West could resume without its three California teams.

For UH, starting up the football season could be top priority for athletic revenue.

“There’s no question that not playing football would be a revenue impact, because football is a net positive for the program and helps impact the program,” Matlin said.

But just because football may be the more valuable sport when it comes to TV deals, the university shows its strength in its versatility.

“One thing the University of Hawai‘i athletics has is our revenue sources are diversified,” Matlin said.

The men’s volleyball team led the nation in accumulated attendance, almost doubling Brigham Young University’s, both teams being the top two in the nation.

The baseball team also proved to

be a popular spring sport for the islands, doubling the attendance last year of the top Mountain West team, Fresno State.

These are desperate times for all people in the world. While some strive for normalcy, others realize the world may be very different coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether or not fans are let in at any capacity, UH seems to be confident that some amount of games will be played in the fall.

“Lets just say right now, we knew it was going to be Oct. 1 that we were going to be able to play in front of fans in some fashion. I still think you can start in September, and maybe you go fanless in that first month,” Matlin stated hypothetically. “(Both conferences) are planning to compete on time, we’re realistic that the virus is going to drive the timeline, but we are going to prepare for that and have contingencies if we have to start a little late,” he added.

Should we be prepared to miss some sports in the fall of 2020, yes.

But there will be hope that athletics will continue with both the fans’ and athletes’ health in priority.

28

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

Due to ridership  declining, TheBus downsized its service to a modified state holiday schedule.

A North Shore resident being swabbed for a COVID-19 test at the Polynesian Cultural Center on April 18, 2020. 



 Local residents Alani

Bagcal and Ryan Santana spend time at Waikiki Beach on April 10, 2020.

COVID-19 I

SHAFKAT ANOWAR | PHOTO EDITOR ADRIEN ACE | PHOTOGRAPHER

I M PA C T S L I F E I N H A W A I ’ I

A masked Duke Kahanamoku statue in Waikīkī. 

Pastor Rev. Alfred Omar B.  Guerrero holds up the Bible during Newman Center’s online Easter Sunday mass service on Facebook Live.

 Stores across O‘ahu are limiting the amount of

people allowed inside in efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

 Over 100 people gathered at the

state Capitol on May 1 to protest against the stay-at-home order.

29

FINALS + GRAD SPECIAL ISSUE

 Government officials including

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell maintain social distancing during a press conference on March 21, 2020.

 USPS mail carrier

Reyna Yacapin wears a mask and gloves while on duty.

 A digital signboard shows a

cautionary message on Interstate H-1 westbound.

Hawai‘ i has felt the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic through closures, cancelations and more. There are over 600 cases recorded in the state, and in recent weeks the number of new cases has remained in single digits.

On March 23, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell issued a “stay-at-home” order to mitigate the spread of the virus on O‘ahu. Gov. David Ige also issued one for the state on March 25.

The order, which has since been renamed as the “safer-at-home” order, indicates that only essential businesses and activities are allowed.

The original end date of the order was supposed to be April 30, but it was extended until the end of May. Now, it has been further extended until the end of June.

The order has since been modified and businesses are slowly reopening as the state has seen fewer cases.

Here is a look at how COVID-19 impacted the state in the past two months.

 A woman wearing a

mask pushes a dog in a stroller.

 A man wearing a mask

rides his bike down the streets of Waikīkī.  Empty shelves in the Walmart on Ke‘eaumoku Street

on March 15, 2020.

 Churchgoer Calvin

Ahinga (right) and his girlfriend Laura Reeongo (left) participate in an Easter Sunday prayer from their vehicle at First Assembly of God at Red Hill on April 12, 2020.

30

ADVERTISING

ADVERTISING

31

32

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

K A LEO O HAWAI ‘I THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I

Gradualien

Christian Dela Cruz

Allen Liu