Dec combined pdf

A Student Publication of the University of Hawai`i • Honolulu Community College • December 2013

New Science Center OK'd

By Mathew Ursua

Ka La editor

After years of planning and politicking, it looks like Honolulu Community College is finally going to get a new science complex.

Construction of the new building on what’s currently the parking lot on the ewa side of Building 7 could begin as early as this summer, school officials say.

The science complex -- presently a mere concept rolled up in a thick collection of pages of blueprints that sit under review in the county planning office -- is closer than ever to moving forward, breaking ground, and becoming a real building where students have access to state-of-the-art equipment and training.

Just getting to this point has meant years of lobbying, Continued on Page 2

Ka La photo by Mathew Ursua

Archaeologists are already doing preliminary work on the site of the school's new science building.

School lags in STEM, degrees Missed goals mean a 40% cut in funding

By Mathew Ursua

Ka La editor

The school learned in August that it would be getting less funds than it could have had for next year.

That’s because the school failed to award enough degrees in science, technology, math, and engineering subjects and because it failed to award enough degrees and certificates altogether.

Two community colleges were penalized, but Honolulu Community College was hit the hardest.

Honolulu Community College was the only campus in the university system to get under 60 percent of the additional funds it could have. Hawai'i Community College received 95 percent of its outcomes money. The remaining community colleges received the maximum

receives by meeting goals like awarding degrees and certificates. Honolulu Community College will receive $153,543.

That’s 59 percent of the $260,640 it could have gotten.

John Morton, vice president of community colleges, doesn’t call it a penalty.

“It’s a relatively This chart shows Honolulu Community College, second small part of the budfrom the bottom, lagging behind most other schools in the get,” Morton said. number of STEM degrees and certificates awarded.

Morton said that the college’s overall budget is around $20 amount. million.

It’s all part of the university’s “It’s sad, it’s heartbreaking,” outcomes based funding poliChancellor Erika Lacro said. “We cies, which took effect three years lost a quarter of a million dollars.” ago. The outcomes funding is additional money that the school Continued on Page 7

New leader sees chance to grow along with campus

By Kaleo Gagne

Ka La Staff Honolulu Community College’s new Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services Doug Boettner grew up in Schenectady, N.Y. and lived in Brooklyn for 15 years.

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t familiar with Hawaii.

He has been coming to Hawaii since the sixth grade with his family, and feels that this new position provides a great opportunity to grow.

And he thinks his new home in Waikiki isn’t all that different from New York, because they are both filled with noises of the city.

Continued on Page 4

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i 2

December 2013

Ka Lā, the campus newspaper of Honolulu Community College.

Ka La publishes 1,000 copies every month during the Spring and Fall Semesters.

Ka Lā and all campus publications are funded by student publication fees and advertising.

All materials published in Ka Lā may not be reproduced or reused without permission of the HonCC Student Media Board.

Ka Lā is published under the supervision of the HonCC Student Media Board: Chairperson Derek Choi Publications Director Mathew Ursua Ka Lā Editor Mathew Ursua Faculty Advisers Emily Kukulies Mike Leidemann Staff members Sean Brown Kaleo Gagne Ana Monaghan Jacqueline Miszuk Duke Komomua Angelina Peralta Andreina Keller December 2013 Contact Information editor@thekala.net Student Media Board Building 2, Room 115 Phone: (808) 845-9498 Submissions Ka Lā invites letters to the editor, articles, events, advertising, and classifieds.

Ka Lā reserves the right to refuse or edit submissions.

Submissions must be signed and include a daytime telephone number and email address.

Editors and writers are responsible for content, which does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HonCC faculty or staff.

An artist's drawing of the proposed new building has not yet been made available, but school officials say it will be a two-story building located on the site of this parking lot, ewa of Building 7.

Science center: 2-story building approved Continued from Page 1 said the school’s college chancellor, Erika Lacro.

Lacro said that she frequented the state Capitol for several years, lobbying legislators to fund the building.

Lawmakers finally approved funding for the building this year, but planners have had to scale back the original five-story complex to two stories because of funding cuts.

But Lacro said the school is getting everything it bargained for, and that the original five-story concept was likely to change from the start.

Science instructors say they're grateful for the up and coming building, which will feature the latest scientific equipment.

Just when it seemed the project might finally become a reality, a new challenged cropped up.

University of Hawaii regents are considering freezing all new construction to give the UH system an opportunity to address a half-billion dollar repair and maintenance backlog.

Kudo

Lacro

Board of Regents member Benjamin Kudo proposed the moratorium last month.

Kudo said he's concerned that the school is spending too much on new projects while neglecting of the rest of its buildings.

Repair and maintenance needs across the 10-campus system total $487 million, most of them on the UH-Manoa campus, Hawaii News Now reported.

More than 80 percent of that backlog is on the Manoa campus. Some date from the 1990's.

Even if regents decide on a new construction moratorium, there still might be a way HonCC could get its new building.

Kudo said his plan would include exceptions, but likened them to holes in an umbrella: "The

more you have and the larger the holes are, the more useless your umbrella becomes,” he said.

Interim UH President David Lass­ner worried that a moratorium would hit other campuses hard because most of the repairs are needed on the Manoa campus. He hoped decisions would be made in the best interest of individual campuses if a moratorium is put into place, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

HonCC officials said they're confident the science building would quality for an exemption because the college’s situation is unique. The school secured funds, signed contracts, and says it needs the building badly.

Science instructors have been advocating for a new building for years and praising the building's new safety features, including an upgraded ventilation system. . But some say building a science complex on the school's heavily used parking lot behind Building 7 without adding a

multilevel parking garage will create hazards of its own.

Jacob Morton, formerly a senator for ASUHHCC, was vocal about the parking issues that would arise.

For Morton, it’s about more than convenience.

He said it's about safety.

The school will encourage students to use another parking lot that’s several blocks away/ Morton says it’s too long a walk for students.

The school’s longrange development plan, which is supposed to guide construction on campus, calls for a parking garage to be built during the same phase as the science building.

But there are no plans to build a garage any time soon, according to school officials.

The new construction comes at a time more students are choosing to study science, technology, math, and engineering-largely because of increased job opportunities for people with degrees in those fields.

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i 3

December 2013

Cafeteria, e-cigs top student concerns

By Sean Brown Ka La staff writer

Student gripes about smoking and the cafeteria came to a head in mid-November at a town hall open forum, the first of its kind at HonCC. Five panelists, each representing a specific area of campus, openly discussed the smoking, food and other issues raised in a survey of students earlier in the semester.

The five panelists were ASUHHCC President Kaleo Gagne, Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services Douglas Boettner, Interim Vice Chancellor of Academic Arts Russell Uyeno, Acting Dean of Student Services Wayne Sunahara, and Creations in Catering General Representative David Webb.

Gagne was first to speak on the topic of the smoking policy, declaring that students were not properly communicated with. He expressed fears that HonCC one day would have a similar smoking policy as UH Manoa and KCC, where smoking is banned throughout the campus.

“We as students need to be involved with the process,” Gagne said. “And I feel like we were not spoken to as students about the policy.”

Boettner said that the school’s policy is currently communicated in pamphlets, which are not

Ka La photo by Sean Brown Panelists respond to a question during last month's open forum

widely distributed.

“How many of you in this room have ever seen this pamphlet?” asked Boettner. Nobody raised their hands. “This pamphlet, available in the system office, describes the smoking policy that has been in effect since 2003, so if none of you have seen this, then I understand why everyone is upset.”

While much of the panel agreed on creating more communication about the current policy, as well as potentially creating smoking areas, the panel and the students in the audience were divided on the topic of e-cigarettes.

“E-cigarettes only produce water vapors,” Gagne said. “It is not a harmful tobacco product.”

However, some students believe that e-cigarettes can pose a distrac-

tion.

“Sometimes you see a big puff of smoke in class,” said student Aaron Fernandez. “It's like, whoa, is there someone smoking in class?

It's not harmful, but it can be distracting.”

Students became more vocal once the topic shifted to the cafeteria, raising concerns about the lack of healthy or vegetarian food options in the menu, current pricing, and issues of cleanliness and service.

“I once found a cigarette in my soup,” said ASUH SenatorAt-Large Jeffriken Kanemoto, addressing the panelists. “And a roach in my salad.”

“I want to stress that all such incidents should be brought to our attention immediately,” said Webb.

Many of the gripes stated by students were addressed directly

by Webb, who spoke positively about adding variety to the menu.

“What about Taco Tuesday?” suggested ASUH Vice-President Misty Chiechi.

“Mind if we use that idea?” responded Webb.

In regards to current pricing, Creations In Catering Representative Francis Wong spoke up to explain current prices, suggesting that the cafeteria tries to keep prices as low as possible.

“We don't even make 10 cents on the dollar that we take in,” Wong said.

Webb also addressed recent controversies in regards to food portions, suggesting that the fluctuating food portion sizes are due to attempts to create a standard in the kitchen Webb confirmed that the cafeteria hired a new chef who should assist in improving the quality of the food. The open forum concluded later in the evening, with students and panelists alike converging in the student lounge to share pizza purchased by ASUH. “I feel like my questions were answered,” said HCC student Issac Soaladaob. “I wish changes were more immediate rather than long term, but there will be changes, at least.”

“We'll see,” Kanemoto said.

THE KEYS TO SUCCESS ARE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Most students enter college thinking they’ll graduate on time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen often. In Hawai‘i, on average, full-time students take 5.6 years to earn a 2-year degree.

This means more time and more money. Besides tuition and fees, not finishing on time also costs you more in terms of lost income.

Shift the odds in your favor by taking 15 credits per semester. Students who earn 15 credits are more likely to finish college on time, earn better grades, and have higher completion rates. On average, residents in Hawai‘i with associate degrees earned $10,000 more per year than residents who did not earn a college degree. It pays to earn your degree; and earning it faster means you’ll make more money over the span of your career!

Take control! You determine how long it will take you to graduate.

The first step is to register for 15 credits each semester and take English and Math courses in your first year of college. Students who take 15 credits per semester and complete English and Math courses early are more likely to graduate on time.

The next step is to be proactive and ask for help. Know the courses you need to take to graduate, and meet with your academic advisor, who will help you map out a plan to finish on time. If you can’t take 15 credits a semester, then take summer classes to stay on track.

TM

Part of the Hawai’i Graduation Initiative

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i

Sean's gaming corner Divekick goes back to basics and kicks ass

Everyone loves fighting games, right?

No. Not everyone. But why?

The fact of the matter is that for most fighting games the barrier to entry is complexity. Players must learn about each of the characters, how to perform special techniques, and master precision combinations on a six-button layout just to be able to compete.

Divekick throws all the rules out the door and introduces simple yet absurd gameplay. The madness begins with a simple premise: there are no movement controls, and there are only two buttons: Dive and Kick. Pressing Dive makes the player dive into the air. Pressing Kick while in the air causes the player to kick downward towards the opponent. All divekicks are one hit kills.

In a time when fighting games regularly introduce complexity, it’s refreshing to see a game that breaks fighting games down to the bare essentials; strategy. There are no long combos to memorize, no comeback super techniques. With no complexity, all that’s left is mind games; the ability to fake out your opponent, the rush of emotion when a plan is executed and comes together flawlessly.

While Divekick is generally understood to be a parody of the fighting game genre, it also unearths concepts that have been buried under layers of complexity for too long and brings the genre back around full circle. Divekick is a must-play for any fighting game enthusiast.

By Sean Brown

4

December 2013

New leader feels right at home Continued from Page 1 He enjoys being in the outdoors and living a healthy lifestyle. He loves the beach and body surfing. Since New York is not known for its surfing, he is ready to take advantage of our many beaches.

Before coming to Hawaii in November, Boettner was executive director for the Division of Innovative, International & Professional Studies and Office of Campus Event Services at Queens College, City University of New York, also know as CUNY. He managed and coordinated the school’s holistic approach to meeting the needs of its adult, nontraditional, and international students, and those looking to host events on campus. Boettner also oversaw the Adult Collegiate Education, Summer/ Winter Session, Weekend

Ka La photo by Mathew UrSUA

New Vice Chancellor Douglas Boettner says he wants to focus on policies that will make the school a more student-friendly environment.

College, and Professional & Continuing Studies Programs, and the English Language Institute, Before making any big changes at HonCC, Boettner wants to see what campus life is like here.

His goal is to improve the

policies and procedures that are needed to better create a student-friendly environment.

“We are going to manage that process the best we can. Change and moving is always very difficult, so I understand people’s

concerns regarding it, but the goal is to make it smooth as possible,” Boettner said.

He also said he is excited about the school’s new science building, and hopes to make it a campus focal point.

nity College, head of the accreditation team evaluating HonCC, provided some positive feedback.

She commended the college for its quick response to the determination of the warning status from the accrediting agency. In par-

ticular, she cited the way the college gave immediate attention to the critical recommendations regarding Distance Education and General Education.

Okada noted that an understanding of Student Learning Outcomes

(SLOs)/Service Area Outcomes (SAOs) now permeates the college.

Okada will submit a report to ACCJC, which will meet next in January 2014 to determine whether or not the college’s warning status will be changed.

Accreditation chief praises school progress Ka La staff

Honolulu Community College seems to have passed a first major hurdle in keeping its accreditation.

In a brief exit report to the campus at the end of her visit on Nov. 12, Mary Okada of Guam Commu-

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i

5

December r2013

On the front lines of marriage bill Fight was long, hard but worth it

By Kaleo Gagne Ka La staff writer

Hawaii last month became the 15th state in the nation to allow same-sex couples to marry. With the state Legislature’s approval of same-sex marriage, gay couples in Hawaii can now receive all the same marriage benefits as heterosexual couples.

But the road to that point has been anything but quiet and smooth, and. for me, it was personal and a path filled with hurt.

After the U.S. Supreme Court in June struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which had defined marriage as between a man and a woman, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie called for special session legislative session to start on Oct. 28 so that the issue could be dealt with here.

At the state Capitol that day, I joined more than 1,000 people who testified on the bill for more than 11 hours before a Senate committee.

Listening to hours and hours of cruel and hateful testimony was very difficult. Every time I heard someone say that gay people were the cause of AIDS and that allowing same sex marriage would increase AIDS or even bestiality, my soul was being raked over the coals. I finally left at 8 p.m. and cried.

At 10 o’clock that night, Judiciary Chair Clayton Hee felt there was enough testimony to make a decision and had his committee vote on SB1 to move out of the Judiciary Committee, but many outside were angry because they never got to testify.

The following day SB1 was under debate for many hours in the Senate chambers, and finally

Ka La photo by Mathew Ursua

Several Honolulu Community Colleges students, including ASUH-HCC communications director Janel Dulan, spent hours outside the state capitol last month both supporting and protesting the states's new same-sex marriage law. received a 20-4 vote in favor. Late that afternoon the bill moved to the House of Representatives, where there was known to be more opposition.

You just knew that things were going to get worse, and they did.

The House felt that the Senate should have let everyone give their testimony, and was very upset that they did not, so they allowed it to happen. Some 5,187 testimonies were filed and all of them were heard over the next five days.

I was No. 838, and I got my testimony done the first day.

By the fifth day people were angry and started to get violent.

When the House met for the second reading of SB1, opponents went into hysterics, holding their signs that said “Let the people vote!!!” and chanting “Kill the Bill!” which eventually became the chant “Kill, Kill, Kill!”

Sitting inside the House chamber, I was frightened, and so was the sergeant at arms. We were not allowed to leave the chambers for two and a half hours, because of all the yelling. We were all in lock down. When the vote passed the second reading, some of the opponents looked at the LGBT community and started yelling “Let’s kick their ass!”

Those who supported the bill had to leave the Capitol by groups so that we would not get attacked.

I was verbally attacked. I was called a fucking faggot, and told that I should be gone.

Two days later, when the House met again to consider the final and last reading, it was a shock. The capitol was divided in half with metal fences separating the supporters from the opposition. What was an even more shocking was that the LGBT community came out in full force from all over the

er, said they saw it as a non-issue or said they didn’t know enough about the specifics of the bill to comment further.

That didn’t stop people from having strong opinions on both sides of the issue.

A faculty member at HonCC simply stated, “The people who oppose same sex marriage really are stuff in the dark ages, a time

when things were very different.”

Janel Dulan explained “Everybody should have the right to be married. It's us who pay for all of the paperwork that needs to be done.

At the end of the day marriage is not about religion for some people.”

Many others, however, said they didn’t know much about the bill, even though the debate over

state. We actually out numbered the opposition to 3-1.

One of the most amazing parts of that day was when everyone on both sides of the dividing barrier started singing Hawaii Pono`i. It was spectacular to see and hear, and I felt there could be some hope of healing between the two sides. Sometime after 10 p.m., a final final vote came and the bill was passed.

On Monday the bill went back to the Senate for a final vote. It was passed within 5 hours, and the long journey was finally over.

On Nov. 13, Abercrombie signed the bill into law.

Many people asked me why I stayed so long at the Capitol? My answer is very simple: It was the right thing to do. I needed to be a voice for those who could not have one. Not only was I fighting for my family, but all families in the state that I call home.

Same-sex marriage gets general support on campus

By Duke Komomua Ka La staff writer

By a 2-1 majority, people in the HonCC community support the legalization of same-sex marriage in Hawaii.

That’s the result of an informal survey that reached out to more than 50 people on campus.

Even those who supported supported same-sex marriage, howev-

its passage received wide-spread discussion and news coverage.

"I don't know enough about it," explained one of the undecided voters. Many others echoed the same puzzled understanding of the wording of the bill.

The majority of those who opposed same-sex marriage were coming at this issue of equality from a religious point of view.

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i

6

December 2013

MELE growing faster than expected

By Souraj K. Dutta Ka La staff

Honolulu Community College started a music program to encourage students to follow a musical career, whether in the business part of music production or actually producing music for audiences to hear.

"Everything from record companies, musical publishing companies, artist managers, booking agents, marketing and promotions, all of these types of career pathways are all involved in the industry,” said Eric Lagrimas, the program’s interim coordinator and music business instructor.

Hundreds of students have gone through the MELE program since it was launched in 2007.

The selections of equipment used in our studios are state of the art recording programs and boards that help students acquire up-to-date training in the music production field.

The selection of this equipment is maintained and guided by MELE’s advisory board, which includes experts in the music industry. Some names that are

MELE's music classrooms and studio are the best in the state. behind the HCC MELE Program Advisory council members are Leah Bernstein and Jon DeMello, who are the president and CEO of the Mountain Apple Company, and Charles Brotman, the CEO of Palm Records.

The Mike Curb Studio is made up of two classrooms, three recording studios and one tech shop all located on one floor in Building 2. The Studio was designed by Shimokawa Nakamura architects and Belmont University.

This program at HonCC has been growing more quickly than

expected. When they held this semesters meeting to promote the MELE program, the meeting was packed and all the professors kept mentioning the program's growth, They went through the program description and even brought in our very first generations of alumni’s to talk about their careers after graduating here. The alumni had interesting stories to share and have been working with some big projects and artists on the U.S. Mainland and even Australia.

A lot of MELE students like to

hang outside Building 2 where the Mike Curb Studio is, spending their time listening to music, playing instruments, and playing original music best suited for each moment there.

These students include musicians, sound engineers, business majors, even emcees, who currently host and throw performance parties and concerts during the semester.

The HonCC MELE program is rapidly increasing and classes are starting to really fill up, so if you’re undeclared and have a high interest in anything music related, here are some things this program can offer you: A&R coordinator, Recording Engineer, Promotion Manager, Website Marketing manager, Director of Publicity, Artists relations, Disc/video Jockey, Talent coordinator, Personal Manager, tour managers, and the list keeps going.

Go visit your counselor or come see the program director for more information on anything that may interest you in your educational career.

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i 7

December 2013

Open Mic puts school talent on display

The school's second open microphone event of the semester drew more than a dozen performers on Nov. 21, including singers, dancers, poets and artists. The event was sponsored by the Student Life & Development Office.

Funding cuts hit school Continued from Page 1 She said the school wants the money, but acknowledged that the college must earn it.

Now with funding as an incentive, the race is on to retain students and get them their degrees.

The school is emphasizing tutoring and its Academic Success Center, which opened its doors last semester.

The center rolled out a new program aimed at keeping more students by ensuring they pass their classes. It’s an early warn-

ing system that gives instructors the ability to pair students at-risk with more counseling and tutoring.

Ina Miller-Cabasug, a coordinator for the center, said that the goal is to retain students.

Morton said outcomes based funding is working.

“Even though the amount is small, it keeps people focused on the priorities,” he said.

“We’re not penalizing,” Morton said, “we’re just saying meet the goals.”

Fall Final Exams Final Exam Schedule for Fall 2013 * (1) Locate class in boxes below based on class meeting day/time.

(2) This is Exam Day u (3) This is Exam Time q 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 1:00 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:00 3:30 4:00 4:30 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00

Monday December 16

Tuesday December 17

MW Classes

TTh Classes

Class time 8:30-9:45

Class time 8:30-9:45

MW Classes

TTh Classes

Class time 11:30-12:45

Class time 11:30-12:45

MW Classes

TTh Classes

Class time 2:30-3:45

Class time 2:30-3:45

MW Classes

TTh Classes

Class time 5:30-6:45

Class time 5:30-6:45

Wednesday December 18

Thursday December 19

MW Classes

TTh Classes

Class time 7:00-8:15

Class time 7:00-8:15

MW Classes

TTh Classes

Class time 10:00-11:15

Class time 10:00-11:15

MW Classes

TTh Classes

Class time 1:00-2:15

Class time 1:00-2:15

MW Classes

TTh Classes

Class time 4:00-5:15

Class time 4:00-5:15

MW Classes

TTh Classes

Class time 7:00-8:15

Class time 7:00-8:15

6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 1:00 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:00 3:30 4:00 4:30 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00

* See class syllabus for further details on exam date and time. Maximum exam times are shown above, however actual times may vary. Final Exams and Final Evaluations/Conferences for full semester-length classes are scheduled during the Evaluation Period (December 14-20, 2013).

December 13, 2013 is a Study Period (no classes).

Honolulu Community College Fall 2013

25

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i

8

December 2013

Depression, anxiety on the rise

By Ana Monaghan Ka La staff writer

The number of students with mental health issues on college campuses is continuing to rise -- and Honolulu Community College is no stranger to such problems.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimates that anxiety, depression and general stress are on the rise on campuses across the country. “More than 25 percent of college students have been diagnosed or treated by a professional for a mental health condition within the past year,” according to NAMI. Often, these are students who start college and find themselves dealing with stress, relationships, too much homework, too many classes and, in general, adjusting to college life. These can lead to a lack of time for exercise, sleep, work and family.

If that sounds familiar, you may not realize that there’s plenty of help here for dealing with such problems.

Where to get help Kimberly Gallant, HonCC mental health counselor 845-9180, gallant@hawaii.edu 24-hour line 832-3100 Easy reading www.activated.org www.goodreads.com/author/ quotes/838305.Mother_Teresa Easy listening: www.radioact.org (click on bottom bar, "Tags Audio")

"We have a very diverse campus, with people aging from 17- 80 years old. Everybody brings their own life experiences, " says Kimberly Gallant, head of the Mental Health and Wellness department.

"Our office is open to help students address personal issues that may be impacting their life's jour-

Things to do

• Accept that there are events that you cannot control.

• Keep a positive attitude; rather than defaulting to negatives, give yourself positive messages (''I'm doing my best,'' or ''I'll ask for help'').

• Take a walk or drive in the slow lane to avoid getting angry. ney in a negative way. We hope that all students will be life-long learners and productive citizens.

When students would like someone to talk to, we're here to help.”

Gallant says all students need to find time for good rest, daily exercise and a healthy diet amid all the other demands of school,

work and family.

“We can assist students in figuring out what's going on in their lives, whatever it may be, and try to find the best way to work through things. That is always the goal,” she said.

The Mental Health and Wellness Office provides confidential personal counseling, free of charge, and support services for registered students.

“It's good for people to be able to work on their own, to address their issues. But if you're having a hard time, you've tried on your own, it's OK to reach out for a little help,” Gallant said. “Everyone has something that they are working on."

So, can putting more focus on studies help people overcome adversity?

"Some students can do that, and some have a hard time with it.,” Gallant said. “That is why we meet students where they're at, and help them to explore and identify their own personal needs and concerns."

What students have to say about their stress "The only thing that has stressed me was Algebra, and that was mostly because the teacher made fun of me in front of everybody. It was an every-time thing.

He made weird remarks, like he'd be happy to fail me. I hated that teacher, and I'm fine, since I got out of his class. I like going to school here, otherwise."

A 19-year-old student from Wahiawa

"This is my second year here. I continued on from high school, so I'm in the habit of studying each day. I also work. I hang out with my friends and dance. I don't usually feel stressed."

A 21-year-old male student

"One of my teachers was so harsh that I didn't sleep or eat much, and started taking medication to make it through.

Teachers can't hold up one exceptional student as the expected standard, and then ridicule and condemn others for not being the same. My dad is a state cop, and he taught me respect: Respect myself and respect other people.

An Afghanistan war veteran

"I was bullied a lot in high school because of my accent. Every day was terrible. But I found a friend, and it was OK after that. I don't have that problem so much here."

An exchange student