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KaLa

NEWS KaLa • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai‘i

KaLa Ka La is the campus newspaper of Honolulu Community College. Ka La publishes 2,000 copies every month during the Spring and Fall Semesters.

Ka La and all campus publications are funded by student publication fees and advertising. All materials published in Ka La may not be reproduced or reused without permission of the HCC Student Media Board.

Ka La is published under the supervision of the HCC Student Media Board: Chairperson Julia Ching Publications Director Camille Agojo Radio/Broadcast Director Joel Chasteen Ka La Editor Jennifer Kakio Faculty Advisers Emily Kukulies Mike Leidemann

Staff members Ryan Adverderada Lorraine Blake Hillary Brown Joel Chasteen Julia Ching Derek Choi Deja Coloma Jessica Dozier Howard Kam Jasmine Kamai Lianne Maeda James Rodden

NOVEMBER 2010 Contact Information editor@thekala.net Student Life & Development Building 2, Room 110 Phone: (808) 845-9498 Submissions Ka La invites letters to the editor, articles, events, advertising, and classifieds. Ka La 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 HCC faculty or staff.

2

NOVEMBER 2010

Knot gets unwrapped Dec. 8

By James Rodden

Imagine peace

Ka La staff writer

Dec. 8 will be the unveiling of the sculpture titled “NonViolence.” It came to HCC amidst controversy over what kind of message it would be sending.

Since its arrival in November, it has been sitting in the cafeteria in front of a window.

It sits covered with a sheet and surrounded by police style tap, as if it were the scene of a crime.

No piece of art should be treated in such a disrespectful manner.

The sculpture was created in the memory of the Beatle, John Lennon, a brilliant musician and passionate peace activist who was killed by a madman with a gun.

Reports have it that the cafeteria will be the permanent resting place for the sculpture. It will be very sad to have to go and look at it in the caf-

Ka La Photo by Jennifer Kakio

"Non-Violence," a sculpture of a gun twisted into a knot, has been covered in the cafeteria, awaiting a Dec. 8 unveiling ceremony.

eteria while people are eating their loco mocos and musubi. No disrespect to the cafeteria, the food is great. It’s just not where I want to go to see a painting or sculpture or any meaningful artwork.

It would be nice to see the sculpture either in the library, which is a great place to display art, or somewhere outside, preferably near the admissions building facing

Dillingham Boulevard where people can see it.

I understand not putting it near the Keiki Hauoli Center, but then again I have two young children so I may be biased. I don’t even think the Berlin Wall and 9/11 Memorial are in a good location. I didn’t even know they were back behind building 2 until my third semester. But that’s another story.

The Non-Violence sculpture w ill be officially dedicated from 12:1512:45 p.m on Wednesday, Dec. 8 The ceremony will include brief remarks by Chancellor Mike Rota and others, and musical entertainment.

Afterwards HCC community members will be invited to write down a wish for peace and tie it onto a Peace Wish Tree located in the cafeteria.

Peace Wish slips are being distributed to the campus community before the event.

A gun with its barrel tied into a knot cannot be so offensive that we stick it in a place where people go to eat. It is a disgrace to the artist and to the man in whose memory it was sculpted.

Honolulu Community College should display this piece of art proudly and put it where people can love it or hate it and reflect on its meaning.

KaLa

NEWS KaLa • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai‘i

3

November 2010

POKER: Plans already underway for next event Continued from Page 1

hour early. And the tournament wasn’t to begin until an hour after that.

On a gusty Friday morning at Honolulu Community College, 37 students tried their hand at winning the HCC Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament to benefit the Hawaii Food Bank.

The prize of a brand new Sony PlayStation 3 was enough to get these hopeful HCC students out of bed and into the ASUH-HCC sponsored tournament. Players were assigned to one of six tournament tables to start. The last player standing from each of the six tables went on to play at the final table. Players were constantly reminded what was at stake with the grand prize sitting only feet away.

Some players had more experience than others.

Student Mary Burgess

Thirty-seven players competed for the title of HCC's first poker champion. The last player standing from each of the original six tables went on to play at the final table.

explained she had “never been in this type of tournament. Either way I was just trying to have fun and relax.”

Hours of bluffs and raises eliminated player after player. Not all was lost however, as each

player left with a Hawaii Food Bank T-shirt for their troubles. Hand after hand was dealt with the anxiety and anticipation building with each elimination. Finally, after more than six hours of play, the final hand was dealt.

Nick Jamorabon outlasted the competition in route to his victory.

Jamorabon rode a streak of hot hands during the final table to edge out the competition.

The Sony PS3 and the recognition were all his.

The tournament received high praise from all the participants.

Tournament organizers surveyed each player and were thrilled to see interest across the board for a similar event in the spring 2011 semester.

Kam has some high hopes for the future.

“I want to see 50 HCC students playing," he said. "Then maybe a community college battle with all the champions from each school playing against each other.”

Perhaps the next poker champ is sitting among you in class. Only time will tell who will take the crown next time.

However, the importance of this moment would not be lost on the newly crowned champion: “It’s awesome to play with some pretty good players and win. But it’s pretty cool to see all the food that everyone donated for the needy," Jamorabon said.

HCC wins two out of three in fall debate tournament

By Jennifer Kakio Ka La staff writer

Five brave HCC students stood together against 35 other students from University of Hawaii-Manoa and Hawaii Pacific University at this semester’s UH-Manoa Debate Tournament. HCC was the only fully staffed team from a community college.

“I felt there was no division between us, the community college, and the university students. They are very welcoming and glad we are here,” said HCC debater Deja Coloma.

During the tournament, the students tackled difficult topics like whether the death penalty should be abolished, whether Islamophobia is a greater threat to the U.S. than terrorism, and whether dolphins, porpoises, and higher primates should have the same rights as human children.

In the debate on the death

The HCC debate team drew praise from competitors at this year's fall tournament in Manoa. penalty, the HCC Team 1 went up against UH-Manoa Team 3.

Although both teams presented well, UH Team 3 presented its side with much sarcasm and mudslinging by referring to the HCC Team 1 as Team Intolerance.

This name-calling did not faze HCC Team 1, and the

judges were very impressed by that.

“Good job to the HCC team... I felt that your team kept your composure very well [after being called Team Intolerance],” said Judge Rose Helens-Hart from HPU. The judges felt that this debate was a very close one, but they gave

the win to team UH. Their second debate, on the rights of dolphins, porpoises and higher primates, was arguably the most interesting one of the day.

This time HCC Team 1 went up against an all-girl team called HPU 4. All the students in attendance agreed that this topic was their toughest.

“Our position [proposition] was easier [to prove] than the opposition. We actually extensively studied [this topic]” said HCC’s middle speaker Ryan Adverderada This debate went by fast, and was highly entertaining. All the judges agreed that HCC Team 1 deserved the win.

“It feels redeeming [after losing the first debate],” said HCC’s whip speaker Howard Kam. In the final debate, on the fear of Islam religion in the U.S., HCC Team 1 went up against the Swing team. The Swing team had 2 HPU students and

1 UH-Manoa student. “The Islamophobia debate was great because it showed me how cohesive we became from the first debate till then,” Coloma said.

In the end, HCC won this round, which made them 2-1. “I’m happy we won. We definitely could have done better and that comes with practice,” Adverderada said.

Overall, HCC did a very good job. In the end, HCC earned fifth place out of 11 teams.

HCC is gearing up for HPU’s Island Debating Invitational on Dec. 4.

The debate team welcomes any student who would like to join the team.

“Feel free to sit in the debate meetings. There is no experience needed to join the team,” said team’s faculty advisor Douglas Raphael.

If you would like more information, feel free to contact Raphael at draphael@hawaii. edu.

KaLa

Features KaLa • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai‘i

4

NOVEMBER 2010

Kalaupapa trip evokes tears, joy and honor HCC student finds peace in relative's place of exile

By Julia Ching Ka La staff writer

Imagine being a devoted husband and father of three young children living in the 1930s. Now imagine that you are no longer accepted as a part of normal society and you are forced to leave all that you love.

My great-grandfather, Henry Hori, was just one of 8,000 people who were ripped from their families and exiled to Kalaupapa on the island of Molokai because they had contracted leprosy or Hansen’s Disease.

This month, for the first time, I got to see the place he was exiled to.

From Nov. 5-7, I and seven of my family members, including my grandmother and her youngest brother, attended the annual Ka 'Ohana 'O Kalaupapa which was dedicated to Henry Hori, his cross, and the entire Hori Family. It was a humbling honor and unforgettable experience.

Hansen’s Disease was first documented in the Hawaiian Islands in 1848 and the disease quickly overwhelmed both Native Hawaiians and the local immigrant populations in Hawaii.

With its towering sea cliffs and often tempestuous ocean-front

shores, Kalaupapa, located in the Makanalua Peninsula on the island of Moloka'i, provided an eerily perfect realm of isolation to which officials could “relocate” those infected with Hansen’s Disease from the terrified, uninfected people of Hawai'i.

Those infected with Hansen’s Disease first lived in the Kalawao district, east of the Kalaupapa district; for seven years they lived in poorly built shelters with barely any supplies.

Upon the arrival of Father Damien deVeuster in 1873, the landscape and structure of the society within Kalaupapa began to change. Father Damien loved all of the patients and treated them with the kindness, understanding, and the aloha that normal society had failed to show them. He spearheaded the building of homes, churches, and led the way for medical services for all those sent to Kalaupapa.

Brother Joseph Dutton and Mother Marianne are just two of the many other individuals who were an integral part of the proper care and development of Kalaupapa for all its inhabitants.

Today, Kalaupapa is home to the handful of

Ka La PHOTO by Julia Ching

The author's great-great grandfather, Henry Hori, built this cross on Kalaupapa as his "Gift to God."

remaining patients who have come to love the place in which they were so unjustly sentenced to reside.

Although many of them have passed on, their spirit still lives not only in Kalaupapa, but also through those who long to find and reconnect with their ancestors who lived in Kalaupapa and continue on their legacy.

In August 2003, the first meeting of Ka 'Ohana 'O Kalaupapa, a non-profit organization made up of patients, family members of current and former patients, close friends, state officials, and anyone interested

in the preservation of Kalaupapa, was formed in order to give a voice to all of the patients, past and present, and to allow those affected

by Hansen’s Disease to come together as one 'ohana.

Henry Hori, my greatgrandfather, is just one of the thousands of unsung heroes of Kalaupapa. He was diagnosed with Hansen’s Disease in 1936 and he was sent to Kalaupapa shortly after. He left my great-grandmother, grandmother, and two granduncles without a husband and father.

Due to the ignorance and stigma that surrounded Hansen’s Dis-

ease during this time, when asked about their father, my grandmother and her two younger brothers simply told them that their father was dead.

My grandmother was finally able to see her father in 1957, but when asked how she felt when she got to see him for the first time in over 30 years she said, “I felt nothing because I never really had the chance to bond with my father because he was taken away from us when I was only five years old.”

But as luck would have it, my great-grandfather found a way to ensure See Kalaupapa on next page

KaLa

Features KaLa • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai‘i

5

NOVEMBER 2010

Descendants of Henry Hori gathered together at the foot of his cross in November to pay honor to him and help rediscover part of their family's history.

Julia Ching, the author and chairperson of the HCC Student Media Board is second from the left in the blue shirt.

Kalaupapa: The place where 'Love Never Faileth' laupapa, about her father and the cross he built and erected atop his legacy and the Hori of Kauhako Crater in family name would Kalaupapa. It was at this proudly live long after point that my grandhis passing on May 27, mother finally found 1959. the connection with her During a family visit father that she had so to Kalaupapa in May longed to find for over 1999, the pastor’s wife at Kana'ana Hou Church 60 years.

My great-grandfather learned that the Hori was a skilled carpenter Family was visiting in Kalaupapa despite Kalaupapa and told my being infected with grandmother that she Hansen’s Disease which would mail her an articauses those infected cle that she had clipped to experience muscle from the Maui News. weakness, nerve damWhen my grandage, skin legions and mother returned home she was shocked to read loss of their digits and limbs if left untreated. an article written by Unfortunately, while Valerie Monson, former living in Kalaupapa, Maui News staff writer my great-grandfather and current secretary became so extremely for Ka 'Ohana 'O KaContinued from Page 4

sick that his friends prepared his funeral clothes while he was still alive. But he prayed to God and told Him that if He allowed him to live, he would build the biggest cross he could possibly build. And after a miraculous recovery that no one could have ever foreseen, my greatgrandfather fulfilled his promise to God and he chose “Love Never Faileth” as the verse to be placed at the foot of the cross, his "Gift to God." The cross my greatgrandfather built still stands today, after being reinforced by the Kalaupapa Lion’s Club in 1956 due to the strong winds of Kauhako Crater.

In April 2000, my

family went back to Kalaupapa to help refurbish my greatgrandfather’s cross and they were able to attend an Easter Sunrise Service held at the base of Henry Hori’s "Gift to God" for the first time.

My younger brother, Bryce, and I were able to see the cross in person for the first time during this, our first trip to Kalaupapa. The powerful winds atop Kauhako Crater gently dried the tears that flowed freely from my eyes as I stood before what I think of as my great-grandfather’s gift to the family, and remember how he was so abruptly and unfairly taken away from us so many years ago.

From the moment I saw the sea cliffs of Molokai through the large window of the small, 10-seater, propeller plane, I could feel the presence of my greatgrandfather and the 8,000 souls who took a place of devastation, sickness, and exile and turned it into a thriving, loving community. The 'Ohana that has shown me and so many others that through grace and understanding, beauty can be found anywhere, even in the rain.

I am so proud of my great-grandfather and I plan to carry on his legacy, and the legacy of so many others, simply because “Love Never Faileth.”

KaLa

NEWS KaLa • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai‘i

6

NOVEMBER 2010

MELE: New studio brings music home to Hawaii Continued from Page 1

waned to get a start in the recording industry.

Ahue, a 2003 Kamehameha Schools graduate, found himself leaving the island to attend university in another state.

“As a musician, pursuing a business degree felt artificial. Leaving Hawaii just felt wrong. While I enjoyed the autonomy to some degree, I felt a real longing or a not belonging.

It was not only the clash of cultures but the lack of Hawaiian values and culture that made the mainland all the more painful,” he said. “ It’s true I had my mind on the money, but my heart was in the music and here in the islands,” Ahue confessed.

Disillusioned, he returned to Honolulu without any idea how to set about turning his musical aspirations into goals. He felt that he belonged here and at UH but wasn’t sure in what capacity.

“I entered the system under the ROTC program until a friend of mine challenged me to explore the business of music. I owe him and the program a mahalo.”

The MELE Program, which started three years ago, presented itself, and for the first time, Ahue felt a natural progression of where he should be going.

Beaming about his exploits and accomplishments, he said: “Two of us write original compositions and are in the process of putting together a band. I am also interested in specializing in music publishing. After I graduate [this summer] we will try our hand at promoting our music. This program prepares me for my field and gives me the ability to make a living off of my own talents.”

The grand opening of

MELE studnet Michael Ahue, above, talked about his road from Hawaii to the Mainland and back during the dedication ceremonies for the program's new Mike Curb studio. Below, Curb, a music pioneer, studio recording executive and philanthropist, posed outside of bBuilding 2, where the studio with his name is located.

the newly dedicated Mike Curb studio was attended by many local music industry stars who supported the development of a training facility in Hawaii.

Chancellor Mike Rota explained that the idea for the facility took root about seven years ago following a proposal by historian Gavin Daws.

Now that the studio has become a reality, Rota foretold the success of the students and reminded them to pay heed to their HCC fashion counterparts who were finalists in the hit series “Project Runway.”

The MELE program students should not feel the pressure to succeed as much as they should understand their feats are not limited to a local market, he said.

“HCC’s various programs provide you with a foundation to reach national and international standards of excellence,” Rota said.

Curb agreed with the chancellor HCC students’

unlimited potential.

“I rented out the janitor’s section of a building to begin my career in the recording/music industry,” he said. “If I had a place where I had access to top of the line technology, or could go and work with people who could teach…” Cobb shook his head in disbelief as he shared a story of his humble beginnings and early struggles.

The MELE program and the studio are designed to cut through the muddle, misery and mystery that entangle new technicians.

Although the studio is primarily designed to help students, leaders envision a day when it will be an asset for the whole Hawaii community.

“I'd be very interested in partnering with various groups to serve the needs of the community,” said instructor Keala Chock.

The synergy of people’s efforts have created this lucid dream that is the Curb studio. The Mele Studio is the new home for Hawaii’s Artists and launching pad of our future music industry.”

The MELE program

offers candidates more than a certificate of expertise; it comes with a who’s who of the industry’s network.

The dedication ceremony brought students face to face with many of the people in Hawaii’s music industry who may one day soon be looking to hire HCC graduates.

Ahue was seen thanking and chatting with Mike Curb, and Jon Demello and Leah Bernstein, executives with the Mountain Apple Company in Hawaii.

“The fact that so many people came to the studio dedication and are involved in this endeavor shows a true commitment to developing Hawaii’s music industry. That’s a formula for self sufficiency and therefore, success!” remarked Art Suankum of DoReMi Music.

“They told me that they looked forward to working with me sometime down the road,” Ahue marveled.

KaLa

Features KaLa • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai‘i

NOVEMBER 2010

7

Skills Center is there to help when you need it most

By Howard Kam Ka La Staff writer

Ka La photo by Jennifer Kakio

Brian Furuto, the interim dean of student services, prides himself on being a family man. He's shown here with his two sons, Todd, 12, and Jace.4

Family man, gamer, dean but you can call him Brian

By Jennifer Kakio Ka La staff

Interim Dean of Student Services Brian Furuto classifies himself as a family man, forever a Pittsburgh Steelers’ fan, and gamer superstar.

Well, maybe not a superstar exactly.

Furuto is a pretty laid back kind of guy, who prefers to be called Brian.

“I think title is important, but in a group or one-on-one situations, titles don't mean anything to me,” he said. “I don’t even like being called Mr. Furuto.”

Born in Oregon but raised in New Jersery, Furuto spent many summers with his extended family in Kahuku.

“The reason why I was born in Oregon is because my father was a professor over there. He transferred to Oregon from Windward Community College, where he taught for 21 years,” Furuto said.

Furuto graduated from University of Hawaii Manoa with a degree in

Some things to know about HCC’s interim dean of students:

• Has two kids, Todd, 12, and Jace, 4. Jace attends Keiki Hauoli and loves it • Coaches youth sports like football

• Favorite video games: Call of Duty and Warcraft.

• Hidden talent: Beatboxing

• Loves music. A huge fan of Genesis, Peter Gabriel, and Run DMC • A former competive power lifter

business. Then, he decided to work for Hawaii’s Legislature before heading to Indiana for his master's degree.

After Indiana, he came home to Hawaii and worked at the Japanese Cultural Center. In 2005, he decided to work at Honolulu Community College.

“The moment I knew I was going to have a child, a lot of things changed in my life. Now my concern was about education and the future of my son or daughter,” Furuto said.

Furuto was previously the executive assistant to the chancellor, but decided

that being the dean of student services is where he needed to be.

When he is not screaming and cheering for the Steelers, Furuto, a father of two, can be found playing video games with his sons. “I’m a huge gamer.

Give me a keyboard, joystick, whatevers, I’m in,” he said.

A little known fact about Furuto is that for the past three years he and his family have hosted as many as 70 foreign exchange students. “[My wife and I] thought it would be a great learning experience to our kids,” Furuto said.

Everybody needs a little help now and again, and there is a place in Building 7 giving it away free four days a week.

This resource is called the College Skills Center.

Located on the third floor, this large collection of tutors and instructors is the hub for understanding concepts from aeronautics maintenance to statistics and from Math 20 to English 100.

I asked Lianne Nagano, the center's director, to tell me a little bit about what the College Skills Center is all about.

The College Skills Center began in 1981 with federal funds to provide the college with academic support services such as testing and drop-in tutoring, she said.

The center has grown to expand its services to include distance education testing and placement testing; providing academic accommodations for students with disabilities and offering delivery of entry-level math, entry-level English and study skills courses.

Every Monday through Frida, hundreds of students utilize the services of the tutors.

Trying to expand their understanding of their class work, the students turn to the tutors, who are also students themselves, for direction in any particular scholastic matter.

I asked several tutors “What part about this job is the most satisfying?” They

The College Skills Center is located in Building 7 on the 3rd floor. It is open from 8:30am to 8:00pm Monday through Thursday, and 9:00am to 1:00pm on Fridays.

It is closed on the weekend. all said that the moment a student connects and understands a concept is why they love their job.

As I watched the daily activity of the College Skills Center, I was impressed by the tables filled, at times, almost to capacity.

Each tutor was engaged in friendly conversation and doing what he or she did best.

One student I interviewed, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “The tutors are available when the teachers are not.

It’s good that I can come here and get help with my English.”

Students find that the center is a convenient place to study since it is open for nearly 12 hours a day even after the library closes.

Fnding access to help is comforting to those struggling to understand.

The College Skills Center also offers testing services to many of Honolulu Community College instructors. Hanwell Kaakimaka and his calabash family of test proctors greet each test taker. They are a diligent crew maintaining the integrity of the testing process.

KaLa

SPORTS

HCC football team impresses KaLa • Honolulu Community College, University of Hawai‘i

NOVEMBER 2010

8

By Jennifer Kakio Ka La staff writer

HCC’s first-ever intramural flag football team left a fine impression on some of the more seasoned teams.

Team HCC, which was made up of 14 students, finished the season with an impressive record 3-2 and was competitive in every game.

Several opposing team players said they were surprised by how successful the HCC team was in its first year of the program.

“I didn’t even know they had a team at HCC, and they were one of the most cohesive teams I’ve seen,” one opponent said.

Within four weeks, Team HCC went up against five other teams in the WAC division, proving early on that you didn’t have to be from the UH flagship school to be a team to be reckoned with.

Despite having only two practices before heading into the first game, Team HCC defeated The ER From Manoa, 36-20.

“I was surprised that we gelled together so quickly,” said HCC Liberal Arts major Ronald Santo, 19.

The next UH team to go against HCC was called The Dig Bicks, which couldn’t score on HCC’s defense. In the end, Team HCC took home the win 7-0.

At the end of each game, you could hear team captain Jason Nagamine tell his players how proud he was of them. But he also reminded them not be complacent.

Nagamine knew that the next team, Falcon Punchers, was a little better than the previous teams. In the end, Nagamine’s speech and wise coaching, gained them another one-sided win of 19-0.

“I’m very proud of my team.

I’m grateful for them,” said Nagamine.

The fourth team to go up against H CC was Team ILIMAnate.

Entering the game, both teams had perfect records 3-0., so team HCC knew there was no room for

Ka La photos by Jennifer Kakio

Playing under the lights at UH-Manoa, the HCC team, shown in white on defense here, made a good impression on several more experienced teams in the UH Intramural competition. Below, HCC's 14 players gathered for a team picture after one of their three victories.

error during this game.

“We knew they were a good team. That night, they were the better team,” Santos said.

In the first half, Team ILIMAnate scored 14 unanswered points, but in the second half Team HCC came back strong with three touchdowns. Unfortunately, Team HCC came up a little short with a final score of 26-21, leaving them just six points short of winning the division title.

Despite their loss, Team HCC still made it into the first round of the playoffs, where they faced Team Mean Machine, which lived up to its name.

“I felt there was a conflict of interest,” said Nagamine. Earlier that night, Team Mean Machine’s quarterback was seen working the check-in station. All throughout the night, the referees were calling penalties against Team HCC. In one altercation, Team Mean Ma-

chine’s defense team was clearly pushing Team HCC’s offense team, which is illegal under UH’s Intramurals Flag Football handbook 2010 rules, which clearly say “Defensive players must not use any part of his/her arms, hands, elbows, or any part of the body to contact the offensive player.”

Instead Team HCC was penalized for an illegal procedure because they pushed back.

Regardless of what had happened, Team HCC enjoyed playing in the intramural leagues and encourages other students to start their own team.

The future of Team HCC is still up in the air. There is some talk about participating in other sports like volleyball or basketball.

Whatever the future holds, they ask for one thing from the HCC community, “I would like to see more fans [in the stands],” Nagamine said.

If you are interested in starting a team, call Student Life and Development at 845-9498.