APRIL/MAY 2021
5
Editorial
Get Vaccinated! “Prepare for a fall that can look pretty different than this last academic year” BY MICHELLE ZHENG As vaccinations nationwide and islandwide are becoming more readily available and accessible, this is a reminder to get vaccinated if you have the opportunity to. Since the pandemic started, the University of Hawaiʻi System has seen 117 COVID cases, 81 from UH Mānoa, and less than 10 occurrences at other campuses. According to UH President David Lassner in his April 15, 2021 updates conference, he states that “we are still comfortable with our assumption that...everyone within UH who is willing and able to vaccinated will have that chance over the summer, so we should be prepared for a Fall that can look pretty different than this last academic year.” Beginning April 19, COVID-19 vaccines will be available to everyone on O’ahu 16 years and older. Some tips that the UH Vaccination team recommends is to “be persistent.” Since the demand will be high, be patient and check appointment availability regularly. However, don’t just jump at the first date that you seemake sure it works with your schedule. Speaking from testimony, the first one
will hurt a bit and your arm will be sore, but otherwise you will be fine. The second dose (for Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations) has caused some people to feel unwell for 1-2 after receiving it. This is not meant to scare you but prepare you so then you can plan out your schedule accordingly.
When going to get the vaccination, allot an hour of your time to go through the whole process. Arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time with the necessary paperwork they requested and a valid photo ID. You will go through several checkpoints
to make sure you have filled out the forms properly, then you will receive a vaccination card. Once you’ve made it through the checkpoints, the longest time will be spent waiting in line for the next available nurse. If the lines are long, they advise you to use the bathroom before stepping into line and bring a water bottle or hat in case you are waiting in the sun. The UH Vaccination Team “encourage[s] everyone to be vaccinated to protect yourself, your family and our entire community.” It is only when we come together as a community that we can create a safe environment in Hawaiʻi once again. Cases have been rising nationwide and in Hawaiʻi, so if we want to return back to that “normal” time once again, we need to do this together. To see the full interview with President David Lassner about other questions regarding vaccinations and the UH system, you can watch it at www.hawaii.edu/ n ew s / 2 0 2 1 / 0 4 / 1 5 / p re s i d e n t- re p o r tapril-2021.
“Raya and the Last Dragon”, First Southeast Asian Princess BY BETHANY GALLARDE On March 5, 2021, Disney added a new movie to its ever-growing repertoire of films that will be remembered for better or for worse, but “Raya and the Last Dragon” is definitely for the better. If you like to watch it, you can find this movie in local theaters or on Disney+ for $30. Many viewers had mixed feelings going into the movie as early trailers showed this epic action movie starring a strong independent female lead that would become a new Disney Princess similar to“Moana”. However, the sight of the ‘last dragon’, voiced by Awkwafina, gave some a pause as few thought the design could have been better and how some other characters gave the movie an entirely different feel. The plot of the movie follows the titular character of Raya, voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, trying to collect all the pieces of the Dragon Gem. On the way, she meets a varied cast of characters while evading her antagonist Naamari, voiced by Gemma Chan, who is
after the same Dragon Gem. The biggest praise from the audience was the accurate representation of South Asian cultures which included origins based in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It brings a wonderful message of how connections among communities were something that everyone should be able to hear after the year 2020. Other than that, this movie brings the usual Disney Magic without completely overdoing it. It felt nice to see some representation … maybe in more ways than one. Without saying too much, in my opinion, this movie is worth it. If you plan on watching it now, I recommend watching it in theaters if you want to avoid the hefty price tag. However, people said the $30 were worth it if you plan on watching the movie as a family as it’s overall cheaper than going to the theater in total.
