UHWO The Hoot Issue #64

EDITOR’S NOTE

Carley Matsumura Editor-In-Chief

Aloha all,

Spring break is almost upon us! As we continue through the semester, I want to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and what more we have to do. In this issue, our writers focused on campus involvement and our photographers captured the experience of campus life.

I’m grateful to my staf for their hard work and efort. Thank you Levi, Tre, Lindsey, Grace, John, Moises, and Nyle.

To all the people who make The Hoot possible, we appreciate you. Our advisors, Rouel and Sharla, thank you for your support and experience. Thank you to the wonderful UHWO faculty and our students for inspiring us. We look forward to continuing to share your voices and hope you enjoy our new issue.

For any inquiries, feel free to contact us at thehoot@hawaii.edu and don’t forget to follow us on our Instagram page @thehootnews We’d love to hear what topics you want us to focus on!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

E

M

Manzano

PHOTOGRAPHERS

John Kamakana

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Making New Connections

Get involved and meet new people through clubs and activities

BY LINDSEY MILLERD

Lauren Mueller, a senior majoring in general creative media, is one of the founders of WOBA (@woba_hawaii). She started it with another student afer graduating from HCC’s MELE program. She wanted to test her sound engineering skills and eventually start a campus radio station. While they are still developing the station, they’ve been busy hosting Open Mics!

Mueller said, “I love seeing everyone perform. There are so many talented people at our school and in our community. I really like seeing people enjoying themselves during the shows, too. And of course, I have a ton of fun running the mixer!”

you by working in a garden.” Registered Independent Student Organizations (RISOs) are what we call our clubs on campus. Here is a list of our RISOs along with the advisor to contact if you’re interested in joining:

International Social Club (@international.social.club)

“I’ve always been the type of person to keep to myself. That’s my default mode,” Mueller said. “But being a part of WOBA has forced me to get out of my shell a little more, and I’ve been able to meet a lot of interesting people thanks to that.”

‘I‘iwileo Pacarro is a Hawaiian & Indigenous Health & Healing and Sustainable Community Food Systems student and member of Nā Pale o Kualaka‘i (@aloha.aina.uhwo)

Pacarro said, “Nā Pale is a group of like minded individuals who want to create a space on campus to perpetuate mālama ‘āina within an academic space. There is something that grounds

Gian Otoman, gotoman@hawaii. edu

West Oahu Psychology Club (@ wopc808)

Wopc@hawaii.edu

Katherine Aumer, kaumer@hawaii.edu

Kanoa Meriwether, kanoa@ hawaiil.edu

Ulu Niu Club (@niu.now)

Indrajit Gunasekara, Indrajit@hawaii.edu

Nā Pale o Kualaka‘i (@aloha.aina.uhwo)

Tea Ceremony Club

Kazuko Kameda-Madar, madar@hawaii.edu

‘Ai Pōhaku aipohaku@hawaii.edu

Hōkū Kwan, kwank@hawaii. edu

HOSA - Future Health Professionals hosaclub@hawaii.edu

Rebecca Romine, rromine@hawaii.edu

Pueo Gaming (@pueogaming)

Ryan Perreira, rperreira@hawaii.edu

If clubs aren’t really for you, socialize at campus-wide events hosted by the Student Activity Fee Board (@ safbwo) and other student life organizations (@uhwostudentlife). They have everything from workshops to fairs, usually with free food, giveaways and more!

Tasia Yamamura, tasiay@hawaii.edu

West Oahu Broadcasting Association (@woba_hawaii)

Samantha Farinella - sf43@hawaii.edu

Anthropology Club

Kirsten Vacca, kmvacca@hawaii.edu

Accounting Club

Katie Landgraf, katiebl@hawaii.edu

The student organic garden (@uhwogarden) hosts harvest days every Friday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., workdays every first Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. and monthly workshops using plants from the garden.

Our campus recreation team (@uhwosports) runs intramural sports and field days. The Nāulu fitness center is open from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and stay tuned for yoga classes and game night updates.

Photo by John Kamakana

Photo by John Kamakana

Photo by John Kamakana

Spring Break Ideas

Fun plans for spring break

BY GRACE SAPOLU

Hey there, Pueos! Spring Break is right around the corner. We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable break. Here are some ideas.

Go to the movies

Grab some friends and catch a new film! Go to the beach. The beaches of O’ahu are beautiful and a great place to hang out. Go hiking. There are tons of great places to hike on the island.

Catch up with friends

Break is the perfect time to hang out with friends and make new memories.

While it is break, if you need to catch up, use that time to work on schoolwork.

Learn a new skill

Whether that be a skill you have always wanted to learn or an old skill you want to perfect.

Travel

Whether to another island, the continent, or a diferent place, traveling can be a fun way to spend spring break.

Create something new Spring break gives us some free time

UHWO’s Student Organic Garden

Benefits of growing your own food

BY MOISES ALHAMBRA, JR.

Teeming with life and nestled adjacent to buildings D and E on campus is the Student Organic Garden. The garden produces a wide variety of flowers, fruits, and vegetables for everyone in the UHWO community to enjoy. Also located in the garden is Hale Kuahuokalā, a space for students to study or relax in the comfort of nature.

Program Coordinator and Garden Manager Tasia Yamamura has this to say: “I find working with plants and having my hands in the soil to be therapeutic.” It takes patience to nurture plants but the benefits from gardening are far-reaching. “Growing, preparing, and sharing food, flowers, and lei helps

to let our creativity show. Write a story, paint, or do something that you have always wanted to try.

Relax over break. Take a deep breath. You deserve it.

build community and strengthen relationships with others on campus.”

Based on her experiences, Yamamura shared the benefits gardening has on holistic health. Eating what we grow is a way to produce low-processed food, contributing to our overall health and well-being. She added, “when we grow our own food, we are moving our bodies as well as eating the fruits of our labor.”

The traditional Hawaiian way of farming focused on sustaining life and creating balance, some practices of which are still used

Photo by John Kamakana

Photo by John Kamakana

UHWO’s Student Organic Garden

Continued from page 4

today. With the kapu system, only the minimum resources needed to provide for the people were taken, and the rest was lef to preserve the health of the ecosystem. Yamamura stated, “We, as humans, are part of nature so when we mālama ‘āina, we reconnect with this part of ourselves. Land is also such a foundational part of culture & cultural practices.”

Style Corner

What students and staff are wearing and how

BY LINDEY MILLERD

Looking to refine your style? Here’s a few fashion tips along with some outfit inspiration from around campus.

Accessorize: Belts, hats, bags, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, it all adds the much needed details that can bring a look together (and hey, jewelry isn’t only for girls!)

Shop second-hand: Not only is it good for the environment and your wallet, you’ll also find such unique pieces that will help your outfits stand out.

Mix fits: If you’re wearing loose bottoms, pair them with a more fitted top (including outerwear) and vice versa for a more balanced look.

Have a standout piece: Center your outfit around a single item then find other pieces with similar or complementary colors, textures or aesthetics.

Jonathan Schwartz, an education professor, was spotted with a bright button-up, slacks, and a leather messenger bag. While at work, he dresses semi-professional but claims to get progressively more casual throughout the semester. Not much of a shopper, he said his closet is mostly gifs from loved ones.

Join her on weekly harvest days, every Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. There are also workshops and community work-days available to attend. Connect through Instagram @uhwogarden for updates. Event flyers can be found on the bulletin board on the first floor of E building. Let’s get gardening!

Theo Morella is a freshman majoring in pre-nursing. He was spotted with a graphic black tee and Nike sneakers. He said that he goes for a minimalistic style. He prioritizes comfort and looks for a cool t-shirt or pair of shoes to highlight in an outfit. He said H&M is one of his go-to stores.

Hoaka is a senior majoring in sustainable community food systems. They were sporting a yellow cropped top and baggy pants with safety pins to alter the fit. They were also wearing wooden heart shaped earrings and are currently stretching out their ears, which is a traditional Filipino practice. They described their style as “indigequeer aloha ‘āina baddie” and enjoys shopping at thrif stores like Goodwill.

Photo by Nyle Manzano

Photo by Nyle Manzano

Photo by Nyle Manzano

Making Music

Band, choir, certificates, and other music opportunities on campus

BY LINDSEY MILLERD

If you’re a musician or singer, UHWO's music program has countless classes to help develop your craf. Even if you don’t have a trained musical background, there are beginner level courses to teach you the basics. Most of these courses apply toward Diversification Arts (DA) requirements and can even apply toward a Certificate of Music.

Singers can join the University Chorus (MUS 114). Students who play ukulele, guitar or bass and sing can join the Hawaiian Ensemble (MUS 211/311). And students who play violin, viola, cello, or double bass can join our University Strings (MUS 410H). Dr. Jon Magnussen is a music professor teaching a range of classes, from music theory to audio mixing. You can contact him through his email (jonmagnu@hawaii.edu) for questions or any upcoming course offerings.

The University Band (MUS 419) is open to all UH West O‘ahu students, DOE students, and community members. If you have prior experience on any wind or percussion instruments, contact Dr. Chadwick Kamei (ckamei@hawaii. edu) to sign-up. The band rehearses on Wednesday evenings and performs at the Pearl City High School auditorium. They put on free concerts near the end of each semester. Be sure to follow @uhwoband on Instagram for updates and announcements.

As part of University Band’s 10th anniversary, “A Musical Journey for Concert Band: Songs from the Eddie Kamae

Songbook” was launched last fall to increase opportunities to learn Hawaiian music in the band community. The project will commission, perform, and make freely available, band arrangements of songs from the Eddie Kamae Songbook.

ommended to go to the Ofice of the Registrar or meet with their advisor to get help adding the certificate classes.

“Eddie’s learning of his ancestors’ traditions was a profound awakening that strengthened his commitment to Hawaiian culture,” said Dr. Magnussen. “We hope sharing these stories and music through these concert band arrangements will ensure that this knowledge and the beauty of the music lives on.”

If you’re looking to gain a more indepth music education, students are welcome to enroll in the Certificate of Music. The 18-credit certificate is open to all majors and serves a variety of interests including music performance, songwriting, production, and history. Signing up will allow you to access the full benefits of the certificate, including consultation with music faculty and help with course signups.

“Currently we have about seven students signed up to the Certificate of Music, and as a small program, those students get individualized support,” said Dr. Magnussen. Students are rec-

Maya Puaa @mayazoeymusic on Instagram, a Junior majoring in elementary education, is pursuing a Certificate of Music. She has over ten years of experience as a self-taught singer and wanted to refine and improve her craf learning from the experts.

Puaa said, “By taking music certificate courses, I have been able to learn about how to produce, write, and market my own music, and so it has been extremely helpful.” Her favorite classes have been songwriting and audio mixing/ engineering with Dr. Jon Magnussen.

While she plans to become a teacher, Puaa sees the value in keeping music in her life. “I can absolutely use music in my own classroom for both fun and educational purposes,” she said. “I also believe that my passion for music could inspire younger generations to work hard and develop passions in their own lives as well!”

Photo by Lindsey Millerd

Making Music

Continued from page 6

Learning and creating music, especially alongside others, is a fun and creative activity that balances out your other responsibilities. “Unlike most activities, making music activates all of the areas of the brain, so it works as a stress-reducer and a healer,” shared Dr. Magnussen. Scan me!

To learn more about our music courses and certificate, go to: westoahu.hawaii.edu/music

Brand New Art Installation

What’s happening at the roundabout?

BY LINDSEY MILLERD

You may have noticed the concrete squares placed at the roundabout and wondered what those are for. The squares serve as bases for an upcoming art installation comingin late March 2024.

The pieces are being created by an artist named Jessica Kay Bodner. Born in Chicago, she has pursued her career in art for over 30 years. As shared on her website, Bodner’s sculpture style is influenced by “nature, science and archaeology.” Many of her creations have a woven design that “combine form and light to create texture and patterns on the surrounding surfaces as a double dimension of drawing.”

Her piece for our campus titled “Nā Kia‘i o Kapolei.” drew inspiration from Hawaiian history. According to project manager Alexandra Skees, “each tower represents one of the six islands where the University of Hawai‘i campuses are located.” They are inspired by native Hawaiian oracle towers, tall structures where kahuna communicated with their gods.

The tall sculptures are “meant to stand watch over the campus community as guardians and protectors. They will be stainless steel, but will have a brownish-red patina, to reflect the natural colors and landscape that surround the campus,” said Skees.

All of the funding for the project came from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, an agency for our Art in Public Places (APP) program. The APP program acquires and commissions works of art for state buildings, including libraries, courthouses, schools, and more.

The SFCA works with other state agencies responsible for these buildings to determine where to commission site-specific artwork. The UHWO campus was one of the sites chosen by SFCA and the University of Hawai‘i. Following the decision, an Art Advisory Committee composed of administrators, facility users, and community members was then developed. This committee determines the exact location for the art piece, the artist for the project, and guides the overall vision for the piece.

Our campus’ Art Advisory Committee members included Dr. Manulani Meyer, Librarian Kawena Komeji (Hawaiian Pacific Collections), Director of Land Planning Dr. Cathy Ikeda, Bonnie Arakawa, and Chancellor Maenette Benham. “Nā Kia‘i o Kapolei” was selected by the committee because of the meaning and scale. Chancellor Benham described the piece as a “welcoming landmark for the campus.”

The pieces are projected to be installed during Spring Break (March 18-22). A dedication ceremony and blessing will be held on Monday, March 25 to oficiate the art piece’s installation.

Photo by Jessica Bodner

Photo by John Kamakana

Exceptional Women in UHWO

Women’s history month interviews

BY GRACE SAPOLU

The questions asked were:

1) How do you empower yourself and others around you?

2) What are you working on currently?

3) Who inspires you and why?

4) What is one piece of advice you can ofer the students at UHWO?

Chancellor of UHWO Maenette Benham

Q3) I acknowledge the intelligence of our kūpuna. There is not one, but many upon whose shoulders I stand: people whose life experiences have steadied and stirred my soul, guided my hands, inspired my thinking, and calmed my na‘au. My grandparents’ stories have taught me, and what I share with you and others, that we can–if we choose–to rise to the call of our kuleana and embrace the kaumaha of that calling through the dexterity of our hands, through the care and skillfulness of the work that we do. But the most precious lesson I have learned about leadership was from the way my grandpa always told me stories. It was in his whisper–the power of hā–the life giving breath. We need to speak with purpose, with life, and in a tone that embraces and unites. Perhaps the greatest gifs my grandpa shared with me are his stories – especially about the power of the ‘upena – this helps me to hear and to move toward action.

Vice Chancellor for Academic Afairs

Dr. Camonia Graham-Tutt

Q1) One way I stay empowered is through goal setting. I am the type of person who tries to work toward a goal; daily goals, weekly goals, yearly goals and more. Working towards completing a goal helps me to stay focused and empowered. As for how I empower others around me, I hope

that I can serve as a model for those who need to see someone else try and a supporter for those in need of support.

ASUHWO Vice President Sydney Whitley

Q2) Currently, I am finishing up my initiative from when I was the Social Science Senator last semester. My initiative was to reinstate the campus wide calendar so it can serve as a single access point where all UHWO events can be posted.

ASUHWO Senator for Business Administration

Anna Paguirigan

Q4) I advise you to make your college experience memorable. It’s not all about the grades. I really advise people to immerse themselves and experience who their teachers are, who their classmates are — even if it’s online, you can make a way. Before COVID-19, I really longed to have in-person communication and interactions with my teachers and classmates.

Commissioner of University of Hawai’i Commission on LGBTQ+ Equality, Assistant Professor in Creative Media

Samantha Farinella

Q1) I like to be physically fit and I also started meditation, but I try to work out four to five times a week. I love to swim and I think that clears my head to help me do other things. I also try to push myself and learn things that scare me. Empowering others, I think people just need an ear to listen to. A lot of people need to be heard so I

Photo by UHWO

Photo by UHWO

Photo by John Kamakana

Photo by John Kamakana

Photo by John Kamakana

think it is important to listen and also give people the space, especially students, to experiment and fail, and to learn from that failure. In my classes, I don’t want you to be afraid. I want you to experiment and try diferent things.

Associate Professor in Psychology Dr. Katherine Aumer Q3) I have a lot of people who inspire me but the one I ofen cite is Patsy Mink. She’s one of the first Asian-American women to serve in Congress. She really inspired me because given the situation in Hawai‘i, in the United States, and just in general at that time—how challenging it is, especially as a woman of color to

get that far in her education, in her opportunities to become an attorney, to serve in the government, and to really inspire more in regards to civil rights, especially Title IX for women’s accessibility to education. That was huge. Today, the fact that so many women can attend colleges and get a higher education — a lot of that has to do with the work she did. She’s from here so she is able to understand a lot of those challenges.

There are also people around me today. The first person is my daughter. Sometimes we are lucky enough to meet someone genuinely beautiful and kind. That inspires me to be a better person, to try harder in diferent situations, to be like “this is something attainable. Something we can be better at.” I try to always find the best in every person I meet because there’s always something we can help give each other.

Does Defining Goals Work?

The power in goal setting

BY MOISES ALHAMBRA, JR.

In what is seemingly a short amount of time, three months have passed from the start of the year. Did you create a new year’s goal or resolution? How have you progressed so far?

An issue that many goal setters run into is a lack of motivation. Motivation keeps you engaged with your goal and has a huge impact on the efort you put into it.

everyone experiences, it’s what you do in response to it that defines you. When goal setting, a 100% success rate is not to be expected.

SMART goal setting is a great method if you are looking to formulate or revise a goal. (S)pecific – keeps the goal within a narrow scope. (M)easurable – quantifies what you need to accomplish. (A)chievable – the likelihood of completing the goal given the (time and/or resource) constraints. (R)elevant – how much this goal matters. And (T)ime bound – the expected goal completion. Afer formulating your goal, what comes next?

The goal supplies the vision; what you want to accomplish in a specific time.

While setting a similar goal with another person is appealing, it can only be successful if you are both equally committed to its success. Maintaining a goal takes a strong sense of perseverance in order to succeed. However, one of the main reasons why goals are abandoned prematurely is fear of failure. How do you recover if you’re struggling to complete your goal?

Success requires dedicated iteration and as such, failure can be treated as a momentary setback from one’s goals. Failure is just another part of life that

Try to avoid the use of terms such as “daily,” “every time,” and “always” as they do not factor in the flexibility required of daily life. Students must consider the dificulty of their courses, missed class meetings, assignments, or the potential of having a bad day.

Measures of success should be relevant to you as an individual, not defined by others. If you do stumble in the pursuit of your goals, learn from it, and keep going. To create a successful goal, one should be open to the possibility of failure and if setbacks occur, be ready to continue onward.

Photo submitted by Katherine Aumer

No‘eau Center Update

SUBMITTED BY DIRECTOR OF NO‘EAU CENTER ROBYN TASAKA

The semesterly West & Welaxation event will be hosted on Tuesday, March 12 and Wednesday, March 13 from 11 am to 3 pm in the Library, B203. This event will have activities to help you “welax” in the midst of stressful midterms. Stay updated with the No‘eau Center on Instagram @noeaucenter for more details on this upcoming event.

The No‘eau Center has oficially launched our Discord! Engage in our online space as another way to connect with other students across campus. To accept the invite, visit bit.ly/noeaudiscord. Then search for our Student Hub, “No‘eau Center Hub” to join! If you’re new to Discord, then follow us on Instagram @noeaucenter for quick tips to get you started!

Library Update

SUBMITTED BY LIBRARIAN CARINA CHERNISKY

Research Guides

UHWO Librarians have curated dozens of guides on various topics and courses of interest. From “Aloha ‘Āina” and “Research & Writing” to “AI Chatbots (ChatGPT): Teaching & Learning” and “Sociology,” there’s a guide to point you to the most applicable databases, journals, and resources. Check them out here: https://guides. westoahu.hawaii.edu/

Paws for Cofee

Library Blog

For the latest news and updates related to library events and services, keep an eye on our blog! You can find that here: https://go.hawaii.edu/nR9

Scan me! Scan me!

Join us from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 4/24 in the library lobby. We’ll have cofee, snacks, and (most importantly) therapy dogs! Take a break from the stress of finals — you won’t want to miss this popular event.

Campus Rec Update

SUBMITTED BY NĀ‘ULU CENTER MANAGER RYAN PERREIRA

Nāulu Fitness is open Monday through Friday.

Intramural Volleyball: Feb. 6 to April 9 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Radford HS Gym

Follow @uhwosports on Instagram for our event listings.

Game Nights: 2/21, 3/6, 3/27, 4/10 and 4/24 Food, games, prizes!

Yoga: check out our website for more info, westoahu.hawaii.edu/im/

Cooking Demos: 2/21, 3/6, 3/27, 4/10 and 4/24.

Pueos Stand For Palestine

Students take to the streets of Waikiki in solidarity with Palestine

BY NYLE MANZANO

“Gaza must have food and water! Israel, stop the slaughter!”

This chant echoed through the streets of Waikiki on January 28 as hundreds gathered for the Solidarity March of Peace in support of Palestine. The supporters marched from Magic Island to Kapi‘olani Park as their roaring energy turned the heads of onlookers. Among those present stood a collection of UH West O‘ahu students, alumni, and faculty urged by concern for the Palestinian people. Their voices harmonized with the sullen yet expressive power found at the march.

As conflict occurs in the West Bank between the nations of Israel and Palestine, many Palestinian supporters are angered by the response of world leaders toward the prevention of further damage to lives and homelands. “I’ve had a fortunate life, I’ve never needed to go hungry – it’s mind boggling to see these universities and hospitals destroyed,” said Kim Compoc, a history professor at the University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu. “We have to speak out as people of conscience.” Professor Compoc hopes this march is the first step in bringing the UHWO community together to tackle critical global issues.

Following the march, participants shared their experience. Some students reminisced on the tears that were shed when marchers began to chant “We are Palestine!”. They found that when bound together, the collective voice is powerful.

“I felt liberated as an individual,” said English major Andrea Calamayan. “I cannot speak up for myself, but when I’m with a group, I’m able to speak up and be proud of what I stand for.” For others, they found empowerment through their collaboration at the march. UHWO Creative Media alumni Gabriel “Gabby” Navalta discussed how he was able to gain knowledge on the conflict through the people he interacted with at these types of gatherings. “I get to meet all these diferent people and learn.”

The assembling of UHWO members for the Solidarity March of Peace sparked interest in reviving UHWO’s previous Peace Club into a newly registered independent student organization (RISO) focused on addressing global conflict. Professor Compoc envisions the club as a “vehicle of education” bringing opportunities for awareness, education, and involvement in these issues.

Photo by Nyle Manzano