Ka La -- Student newspaper of Honolulu Community College

A Hawaiian renaissance is happening on HonCC -- Page 4 A Student Publication of the University of Hawaiʻi • Honolulu Community College • Dec ʻ16/Jan ʻ17

Above, students in an English 100 class worked in and wrote about Ka Māla o Niuhelewai (The Garden of Niuhelewai) at HonCC. Below, an image from the schoolʻs new "We are Honolulu" campaign.

Putting culture first at Honolulu CC Whether someone is new to the campus this semester or has been at Honolulu Community College for a while, they have probably noticed changes in the air, including the addition of Hawaiian place names on buildings; renovations to the cafeteria and Building 5, new class offerings, new paths to graduation, and even a new campus slogan: We Are Honolulu.

These changes are in alignment with the University of Hawai‘i’s plan that recommends all campuses incorporate Hawaiian cultural understanding at all levels and help students navigate through the system quicker.

Read the stories in this issue to learn more about these changes on pages 2-5.

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

Ka Lā, the campus newspaper of Honolulu Community College.

Ka Lā publishes 800 copies each 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 Angelina Peralta Board members Alyssa Baligad Tiera Spencer Nakemiah Williams Writers Ramic Santiago Emily Rose Head Sharayah Gentry Timothy Harris Chris Garcia Larry L. Medina Steffanie Sobitz Photographer Tiera Spencer Nick Smith Contact information hcckala@gmail.com Student Media Board Building 2, Room 115 Phone: (808) 845-9213 Ka Lā invites letters to the paper, articles, events, advertising and classified ads. Ka Lā reserves the right to refuse or edit submissions. Writers are responsible for content, which may not necessarily reflect the opinion of HonCC administration, faculty or staff.

Dec 2016/Jan 2017

Co-requisite classes

New choice accellerates a path to success

By Chris Garcia Ka Lā staff writer

English students can now take modified classes to help get them to the 100 course level faster, gaining the knowledge they need from a couple of classes by taking just taking one.

Referred to as co-requisite classes, they are integral to the new co-requisite system which allows for more peer-to-peer study during class, and utilizing in-class tutors to answer the questions the teacher might not address right away. School officials are trying this new approach to help get students up to the basics quickly and get students to graduate faster.

HonCC counselor Scot Parry said, “[HonCC administration] wanted everyone who was in remedial classes out of remedial ASAP.” The new classes - English 100T and English 100S - replace several formerly developmental ones.

By taking courses under this new system, students who need extra help can work on their basics while completing their 100-level requirements, with assistance from instructors and tutors in-class and through the English labs.

Jeff Stearns, chairman of Language Arts, said, “corequisite classes are different...[offering] more interaction with the instructor. ” Co-requisite classes often include “embedded coaching” by English tutors, put a student tutor in the classroom every day alongside the professor.

The tutor’s focus is on students. It increases face-toface assistance during time granted by the professor for bookwork. Stearns also says that “it not [like] Accelerated classes,” the format used for HonCC’s Math courses.

But how was the initial reaction? Stearns says, “I’ve asked the English faculty thoughts on the new model...skeptics see the wonderful impact on stu-

Ka Lā photos by Christopher Garcia

Co-requisite classes like the ones above give students extra class time with a professor and a chance to work with student tutors, as well. dents and its success.” He, along with Professor Jerry Saviano, and tutors promote the use of the co-requisite model. One student enrolled in an English 100S class said, “The workload is tough, but the tutors are helpful.” Although the classwork is ultimately up to the teacher, who ultimately controls the flow of the class, many agree that English classes are graduating toward more peer-topeer interaction.

English tutor Emily Rose Head has experienced the tutoring environment for five semesters, but this semester is her first as an official tutor. “Embedded coaching is fun,” she said.

One of the most beneficial factors of embedded classes is that “it makes

students feel cared for.”

Head said that “she's dealt with dickhead teachers... rapport isn't something you build in a five- minute segment.” To her, and several others dealing with co-requisite classes, the system addresses not only the academic issues that students have, but also the psychological ones.

It is a system that relies heavily on the student’s willingness to improve and the system proving the support given to those seeking improvement.

Head classified the embedded tutors as "educational lubricants" who help prepare students for a surprisingly pleasant experience of learning. “If the teacher lectures the whole time,” Head says, “then it won't

work.” The system relies mainly on study time, so that students can get a bearing on what they need to work on.

Originally, the environment of tutors working in class with students originated from the college faculty. Stearns said that “the idea came from a conference of all the community colleges in Hawaiʻi...

Administration never dictated anything.” Acting under the supervision of the Deans and Vice Deans, college instructors formed this theory with their own terms and applied it to English classes during the Fall semester 2016.

In the HonCC Catalog for 2010-2011, the English Sequence pathway required a total of four semesters to complete a 200-level English class.

The catalog for 2016-2017 places all students in ENG100 prior to completing the placement test. If test results were in the remedial area, students will be placed in ENG-100T. If they were below 100-level but above remedial, then they are placed in ENG100S. However, anyone who completes ENG-100, ENG-100S or ENG100-T will be qualified for the 200-level courses.

Reaching the 100-level can be a difficult task, whether it be from not understanding the material to trying to balance school life from other duties, but by the end one will be closer to their end-goal.

The co-requisite classes, Stearns says, are “half college class and half explanation [for the basics],” essentially categorizing them into credited courses.

He said, “Everyone can get English 100 and transfer.”

Other colleges are also adapting this method, but learners who seek to transfer out should talk to their counselor for more information about which colleges specifically will accept HonCC’s co-requisite courses.

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i

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Dec 2016/Jan 2017

STAR: A tool, not a replacement Program makes it easy to track student progress

STAR. Shiara Padron, attending Farrington High Schoolʻs Jump Start program, said "STAR is a great advisement to see what you want next." She has used STAR along with guidance from a counselor to plan her future college degree path.

By Chris Garcia Ka Lā staff writer

One of the most stressful aspects confronting students in college is that of variety. People govern their own lives and all the choices they make with it. College is no different, just a choice with choices. Deciding on a career path is the first step, and the second is making the magic happen. But what about the wrong choices? Now, students have another tool to guide gthem to the right choices - The STAR for Students Program.

STAR for Students (STAR) is an online resource provided by the University of Hawaiʻi used to keep track of oneʻs progress toward a degree, and for access to oneʻs academic record. It can be accessed by all students of the UH system.

It makes chosing and managing classes eaiser, and prioritizing academic needs simpler.

Students may make the mistake of registering for a class that has nothing to do with their intended degree path. Scot Parry, HonCC

Ka Lā photo by Tiera Spencer

Students using the STAR system can get a clear picture of their academic progress and see the classes they need to take next. academic counselor, strongly supports the use of the STAR program.

“Some students in the past registered for a course, but it was the wrong course,” Parry said, “but it is difficult to do that on STAR.” Parry explained that STAR “narrows down choices for each individual student.”

With this tool, students and counselors alike can check studentsʻ academic progress. “It's

writers, photographers, editors and graphic designers for the next issuse. For more information, contact hccartandsoul@gmail.com

easy once someone shows [the student] how to do it,” Parry said.

During the New Student Orientation and Registration, there is a presentation given on how to set up a STAR profile. Additionally, there are online instructions on the HonCC site to assist students with the program. Counselors can provide guidance on its usage as well.

Parry, with other HonCC counselors, advise students not only with alternative academic paths, but on other non-academic issues. “[Counselors] have specific programs,” he said, “but we're all generalists.” While STAR a helpful tool, it cannot advise on life events, (a death in the family, or a military transfer) that would impact a studentʻs academic path.

Counselors will always remain to lend a helping hand, where STAR cannot.

Molena Maquera, another Farrington High Jump Start student, said that "there always need to be that human connnection."

She does not think that anyone can solely rely on STAR along to conquer college, but agrees with other HonCC counselors that it is a great instrument and a wonderful academic course planner.

Parry said that students "may Certain public high schools with spend less time (with counselors) accelerated courses also utilize but that time is valuable."

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i

School has a plan to bring Hawaiian identity to forefront

By Steffanie Sobitz Ka Lā staff writer

There is an ‘ōlelo no‘eau, or Hawaiian saying, that goes: I ka wā mamua, ka wā mahope, which translates to: the future is in the past. HonCC is making a strong effort to link its past into its present this year in order to come together for a stronger future rooted in Hawaiian values and culture.

And itʻs doing it in a number of different ways:

New signage A few years ago a plan was put in place to give the campus buildings Hawaiian place names to reflect the history of the sites they were built on. The college used historical documents which revealed that the campus was built on six ancient Hawaiian land divisions, or `ili.

The buildings have signage that explains the importance of each ‘ili. The signage includes copies of the old land division maps, along with a short history of that specific location.

The new building names reflect the ancient 'ili as follows: Kumupali (Building 2), Niuhelewai (future STEM building), Keone‘ula (Building 14), Pulehu a i‘ole Kapulehu (Building 27), ‘Olani (Building 6), and Kaukahōkū (Building 7).

"We are Honolulu" In September 2016, HonCC won a bronze award for a new 30-second TV ad.

According to schoolʻs Director of Communications, Billie Lueder, “'We Are Honolulu' is not just a catch phrase or a hash tag; it is a statement that we as students, faculty, and staff take great pride in as an institution that has been serving the community for 96 years.”

The undertone of the commercial is an ‘oli, or traditional Hawaiian chant written by Hawaiian Studies Asst. Professor J. Kimo Alama Keaulana. Below is the English translation of the chant, Ke Kula Kaiaulu ‘O Honolulu: I am from the gourd of the ‘Olauniu wind From the land where the water of Niuhelewai flows, Water that bubbles inland.

From the upland is the fragrance of sandalwood

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Dec 2016/Jan 2017

That streams to the sea of Kawa; Education is a great treasure That bursts in a world of light; It is known.

History teaches that being involved in one’s community, as well as reflecting on and working from the past, is the best way we can thrive together in the future.

In Fall 2016, HonCC officially launched its "We Are Honolulu" campaign through its communication platforms and marketing efforts. In Spring 2017, more elements will be added to support this theme in the hope of making new friends and connections on campus and the surrounding community to facilitate a bright, limitless future for everyone.

Seeking participation “We want everyone to participate and tell us your story by sharing social media posts of you in your program of study, doing a community service project with classmates, or showing off your definition of campus life by using the hashtag #WeAreHonolulu.

See our stories on our Instagram feed,” Lueder said.

Studies show that students who get involved in campus activities, utilize campus resources, and join clubs and study groups at school are much more likely to graduate with high GPAs, as well as move on to four-year universities. Being a part of HonCC's community also helps students develop important leadership skills, become more effective communicators, and practice better study habits. Together, the campus can make a difference in everyone's lives, while increasing chances at success.

If the campus community are looking for ways to get involved and meet new people at HonCC, here are a few. Join a study group; gain support and make new friends while preparing for exams.

Get a job or volunteer for activities on campus - getting to know staff, faculty, and students on campus is a great way to gain additional support. Join a student organization or club; be active on campus and in the community. Students can always pop in at one of the events held on campus throughout the semester, too. There is a ton of history to explore, people to connect with, and culture to appreciate at HonCC.

Photos by Nick Smith

Daily campus life scenes for the new "We Are Honolulu" campaign for HonCC showcasing a connection to Hawaiian culture.

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i

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Dec 2016/Jan 2017

Students in Conred Maddoxʻs English 100 classes spent a day working in the HonCC māla, then wrote about the experience.

Students get acculturated in the māla

By Ramic Santiago Ka Lā staff writer

Conred Maddox teaches English at Honolulu Community College, but he wants his students to know something about Hawaiian culture, too.

Maddox, who has also served as director of the schoolʻs Writing Center for the last four years, decided to take his classes this semester outside to work in the campus māla, or taro patch.

The idea, Maddox said, grew out of his participation in the schoolʻs new Hawaiian Studies Program's Ala ho Cohort. This group is funded by a special grant that seeks to educate faculty and students on Hawaiian and Pacific Islander culture, and to build a sense of place for faculty and students of HonCC. Twenty individuals make up this cohort and were

selected to learn about the cultural education connection in Hawaiian and Pacific Island culture, and to educate the students on the cultural aspects of these places. Maddox wanted to extend this experience to his students.

"Another reason to take students to the māla," Maddox said, "is to provide them a chance to experience service learning first hand, allowing more students to work in the campus and in the community and develop empathy that tends to make education more important."

"Participating in this type of service learning helps students develop life skills they can use to help themselves and other people," Maddox said. Students tend to feel better about themselves after participating in this type of service learning.

For Maddox, having the students work in the māla as a team instilled a sense that if you invest effort and time in working with others, you will find that we all are equal.

"By working together you go beyond looking at people from a surface level," he said. By working together students develop a common bond. Lastly, working in the māla improves the school and also the student’s attitude.

Maddox has taken two classes to the māla since the start of the year, and had them write about the experience.

At first, many students were very apprehensive. They did not want to get dirty, and had little to no experience working in a māla.

Yet when the class got the chance to work in the māla, many of the students enjoyed getting outside

and being in the fresh air.

Maddox explained that the more the students learned about the māla from another HonCC instructor, kumu Alapaki Luke, and others, the more the students were interested. Many of the students were surprised to know that the food they were cultivating was going to be harvested for the annual HonCC ho'olaulea held on campus.

Since working at the māla in class, many of Maddoxʻs students have begun to volunteer on their own time on Fridays and on Malama Days at the HonCC māla.

Boyzie Burdet, a student of Maddoxʻ in his English 100 class, said working with the class in the mala provided students a chance to learn about the land and the culture. "It was hard but fun," he said.

What students wrote after their day of work

W

orking in the māla helped me realize the benefits of volunteering for myself and my community, and has motivated me to seek volunteer work when I am done with college. One thing I took away from this experience was that volunteering can be a fun and great way to learn about your community and yourself. When volunteering, it is important to keep in mind that you are doing it to help others or the community. After college, I will go out and seek opportunities to better my community.

M

any students preparing for college don’t understand that community services will make a difference in the world and also benefit them. Community service will help students gain the compassion into giving back to the community by using the knowledge that students learned the students could use it for future experiences. With the knowledge you’ve learned you know the difference from paid work and volunteer. When you volunteer you have the heart to do it, hence when you’re working to get paid, most of the time you are looking out for the money rather than the experience.

C

ollege service learning helps to place appreciation and a sense of commitment of the effort that they put in to give back. An anonymous person once said "Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” It is clear that teaching people to volunteer can help transform the world through each individual. The world is better when education includes opportunities to give back to the community that we came from.

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he work at the māla on HonCC’s campus educates students with the knowledge of preserving and keeping the Hawaiian culture alive. It teaches every individual student to serve the community with volunteering activities that will impact and inspire others to do the same. While there are many positive results of service learning in the college classes, The time spent working at the māla will give me the knowledge of serving the community; it will also help me in future preferences such as helping the homeless and the kids in need.

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i

Dec 2016/Jan 2017

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They practice what they teach

By Emily Rose Head Ka Lā staff writer

Two Language Arts teachers at Honolulu Community College have recently published new books which look at the world from different perspectives, something that’s nothing short of amazing.

Asst. Professor Eric Paul Shafferʻs new book, A Million Dollar Bill, is a collection of poems that present rich, compact stories that are both compelling and carefree.

Shaffer says the book was inspired by an actual case of a man who was arrested for allegedly attempting to purchase goods at a Lexington Wal-Mart in North Carolina, using a million-dollar bill of his own design.

“Reading of this sad crime, I was electrified, astounded at the criminal innocence of a man who not only decided to forge money, but to forge a denomination of bill that doesn’t even exist in America,” Shaffer said.

Shaffer “writes with a naive sense of wonder and play, as if earnest communication were still possible between human beings,” one reviewer said.

Shafferʻs talent is to see and write about the world from an unparalleled perspective of a poet.

Even the simplest of concepts are dissected to reveal something

Eric Paul Shaffer

Chris McKinney

unique and beautiful in his writing.

Previous books of poetry by Shaffer include: Lāhaina Noon (2005), Living at the Monastery, Working in the Kitchen (2001), Portable Planet (2000), RattleSnake Rider (1990), and Kindling: Poems from Two Poets (1988).

Asst. Professor Chris McKinneyʻs new book, Yakudoshi: Age of Calamity also unfolds into world that most of us don’t think about: the underside of urban Honolulu that provides rapid opportunities for its many residents and visitors.

With his previous books, McKinney has carved out a reputation for novels that are tough, smart, and grounded. This one fits right in.

McKinneyʻs tale follows the character Bruce Blanc, fresh off a

nine-year prison jolt and back on the streets of Honolulu. He is astonished by how much the streets and people have changed in his absence: kids lighting up the night with cocaine and killing daylight with Xanax, ninety-pound female drug lords and the cops in love with them. When Bruce finds out that during his incarceration, his son, who he has never met, has gone missing, he takes on all of these and more for his discovery of the truth.

McKinney said writing “helps me make sense of the world,” and “is an important skill for anybody to have in the 21st century because writing is indeed a life skill.” McKinney’s raw and honest writing captures a world that not everyone sees because maybe they don’t

know how to make sense of it. As McKinney said and continues to prove, “reading and writing are equally important,” especially for figuring out the world we live in.

McKinney is also an author of several other published books, including The Tattoo (1999), The Queen of Tears (2001), Bolohead Row (2005), Mililani Mauka (2009), Boi No Good (2012), and The Redheaded Hawaiian (2014).

Shaffer and McKinney both teach full time at HonCC, offering students more than just English credits on a transcript; they give students a first-hand chance to learn from people who have already mastered their craft. These instructors encourage critical thinking and self-directed learning skills to help students be better writers and better students.

Shaffer and McKinney suggest students, all people really, read more. Shaffer and McKinney don’t just say that because they are trying to sell their books. Knowledge and education are enhanced through reading, they agreed.

As Shaffer said on the first day of class, “Poetry fills the hole in your heart, where the meaning goes.” Don’t be fooled by how people look or present themselves.

Judgment can be a terrible thing.

These professors have so much going on in their heads. Perhaps, the only way to grasp that is to read their literature.

KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i

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Dec 2016/Jan 2017

He found his passion for people at HonCC

By Sharayah Gentry and Timothy Harris

Ka Lā staff writers

When many of us see construction sites and building structures, we think of impressive architects and hardworking laborers who make those buildings possible. But when Tristan Aldeguer, a 2010 Honolulu Community College graduate, sees those same buildings, his mind goes to thoughts of safety hazards, regulations, and possible risks for occupational injuries.

Aldeguer graduated from HonCC with an Associate of Science degree in the Occupational Environmental Safety Management (OESM) program and is currently a Health Safety Environmental Manager for Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., a leading firm in the construction industry.

Aldeguer oversees a staff of 22 safety professionals and manages day-to-day operations that include in-depth safety programs, policies and preconstruction plans.

He is responsible for providing knowledge and feedback on rules and regulations while taking into consideration important factors such as electrical work, pedestrian safety and traffic control plans. He

Tristan Aldeguer also has his own consulting firm for safety training called Aldeguer Safety Consulting, LLC. Aldeguer was raised on the west side of O‘ahu for most of his life, and also spent three years of his youth in North Carolina where his Army father was stationed. He identifies himself as a country boy growing up in a single-story ranch style home where his family farmed pigs, chicken and even flowers. He attended Wai‘anae High School where he lettered in football and received partial scholarships offers from mainland colleges, including Portland State University and the

University of San Diego.

“I could’ve went for football, but it still was going to be about $20,000 out of pocket,” he said.

Instead, after graduating from Wai‘anae High School, he joined the Army Reserve in the Nuclear Biological Chemical Warfare program. He enjoyed this program and found interest in the hazardous materials ("hazmat") and hazardous waste courses.

After coming back from the Reserve at the end of 2000, he enrolled at HonCC as a full-time student. He chose HonCC for its OESM program that offered a twoyear degree program and a quick path to a job in his chosen field.

Through the OESM program, Aldeguer discovered his passion for caring for people and knew this was the field for him. He was one of the first students to participate in the internship program that is now part of the required curriculum at HonCC. Although his deployment to Iraq in 2006 interrupted his academic career, he still completed his degree in the following years. By 2010 Aldeguer was successfully working on large-scale projects without attaining a bachelor’s degree. He credits

the bonus incentive for the unveiling his profession in the OESM field.

When Aldeguer was just 29, he was nominated and confirmed as a member of the Hoisting Machine Operators Advisory Board by former Gov. Neil Abercrombie.

As a board member he is responsible for community relations and works with the government regulators to discuss current trends and feedback from businesses.

Aldeguer is a married father of three and stays busy with his personal and professional life.

In early May he organized and served as chairperson for the Biennial Governor’s Pacific Rim Safety and Health Conference, which had over 75 exhibitors and 50 speakers in Waikīkī to increase workplace safety.

“Tristan is a very capable, family man who knows his stuff and is full of energy,” said Robert Armstrong, executive director of the Hoisting Machine Operators Advisory Board. “He is a quiet leader who demonstrates that you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to get attention and respect.”

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KaLĀ • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai`i

Dec 2016/Jan 2017

January-February Event Calendar S P O N S O R E D B Y S T U D E N T AC T I V I T I E S B OA R D W I T H S T U D E N T L I F E & D E V E L O P M E N T

DATES Get It! Get Involved Today!

January 18 & 19, 2017 Building 7, first floor 10:00am-1:00pm Getting involved helps you, the campus and the community. Stop by to join a group, learn about services and giveaways.

Truck Stop: Vegetarian January 25, 2017 Campus Mall 10:00am-1:00pm Explore how delicious a meat-free meal can be.

Black History February 1-28,2017 Social Media February is known as Black History Month in the United States. Take part in this event in this social media event to remember those that made their mark in Black History.

Food Truck: Mardi Gras February 27, 2017 Campus Mall 10:00am-1:00pm Experience the exotic flavor of Mardi Gras, with food trucks brought over by your SAB team.

Student Activities Board Honolulu Community College 874 Dillingham Blvd BLDG 2-113 808-845-9498 programs.honolulu.hawaii.edu/studentlife/

Easy Steps to Better Eating January 24 & 31, 2017 Student Lounge Bldg. 2 Rm. 111 10:00am-12:00pm Easy steps to food that will help you feel better. Join us in our 2 sessions to learn about the hidden sugars of your food , keeping track of what you eat and accesible food resources on a budget.

Sign up in advance. tinyurl.com/HonCCEasySteps2017

Easy Steps to Reducing Stress February 1, 2017, Student Lounge February 8, 2017, Bldg 2 Rm. 201 10:00am-12:00pm Would you like to know how to de-stress yourself? Ease your mind and body with simple exercises, basic stretching and other activities to calm oneself in a stressful enviroment. Access to your own personal wellness coach.

Sign up in advance. tinyurl.com/HonCCEasySteps2017

Culture Day February 9, 2017 Student Lounge 10:30a-12:30pm Do you have a culture to share? We will be exploring unique cultures found around the world with a variety of foods and activities. Contact us by January 6 in Student Life &Development.

@honolulucc @honccsab #honcc_sab