UHWO The Hoot Issue #62

Inside: Campus Events • Holiday Traditions • AI • Intramural Sports

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I–WEST O‘AHU NOVEMBER 2023

University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu

Student Newspaper

2

November 2023

The Hoot

EDITOR’S NOTE Aloha Pueos!

91-1001 Farrington Hwy Kapolei, HI 96707

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mikaela Eaton MANAGING EDITOR Carley Matsumura LAYOUT EDITOR Tre Zamora STAFF WRITERS Lindsey Millerd Grace Sapolu Moises Alhambra Jr. Leviticus Kaopuiki Nyle Manzano PHOTOGRAPHER John Kamakana SMB ADVISORS Sharla Hanaoka Rouel Velasco ON THE COVER Student Workers, ACM Student Workers, Japan Study Abroad pictures by The Hoot FEEDBACK, SUBMISSIONS, ADVERTISING INQUIRIES thehoot@hawaii.edu QUESTIONS FOR THE STUDENT MEDIA BOARD smbwo@hawaii.edu SPECIAL THANKS TO UHWO Communications University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of the information. Nor does the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu warrant the use of the works is free of any claims of copyright infringement. All views expressed are those of the page author and not of the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu and/or the University of Hawaiʻi system, and any concerns or comments about these pages should be directed to the page author, and not to University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu. © November 2023 The Hoot

Mikaela Eaton

This semester has gone by too fast. I know for many of us, this is just another semester that we want to get over with.

But for me, this is a very special semester. As a senior in Creative Media, this is my last semester here at UH West O‘ahu, I will be graduating this fall. With a heavy heart, to our wonderful readers, this is my last issue as editor with The Hoot.

Editor-In-Chief

I want to announce that my successor as editor will be our current Managing Editor, Carley Matsumura. I want to thank everyone who has taken part in bringing The Hoot back to life. When I first started with The Hoot, there was no one on the staff. We were just transitioning back from the pandemic and students were slowly coming back in person. It was just me trying my best to recruit students who may want to be a part of something that I had not quite figured out yet. This was a struggle that soon vanished. I had eager peers who were ready to create something great for our campus. And to my wonderful, awesome staff, thank you for being you.

Thank you for dealing with my hecticness and being so willing to work hard for our students. We’ve successfully delivered four issues total during my time as editor and I think that’s awesome. I’ve had the opportunity to serve as editor for over a semester.

A special shout out to my staff: Carley, Tre, Lindsey, Grace, John, Moises, Levi, and Nyle.

Thanks guys for being the best staff an editor could ask for. And another special thank you to our advisors Rouel and Sharla! Thank you for guiding us every step of the way.

To the rest of our students, I hope you have a great end of the semester. Finals will be coming up soon if you haven’t already started. Be sure to take advantage of the different resources on campus that can help you finish this semester strong!

As always for any inquiries, follow us on Instagram @thehootnews and email us at thehoot@hawaii.edu.

Thanks Pueos, have a great end of semester!

Table of Contents

Semester Destressor ...................................................................... page 3 Pueo Awards .................................................................................... page 3 Coffee Shop 831 Opens on Campus............................................. page 4 Student Leaders’ Talk Story with the HET Committee ................ page 5 AI Apps.............................................................................................. page 6 Cram Jam ......................................................................................... page 6 Library Column ................................................................................ page 7 Sharing the Gift of Healing with Lahina ........................................ page 7 FAFSA ............................................................................................... page 8 Student Spotlight............................................................................. page 9 Intramural Sports Highlights........................................................... page 10 ASUHWO Update ............................................................................. page 12 Graduation Announcement............................................................. page 12

The Hoot

November 2023

Photo by SAFB

Photo by Student Life

Semester Destressor

Pueo Awards

Join us for this event!

Celebrate your achievements

BY MIKAELA EATON

this semester

The Student Activity Fee Board (SAFB) presents the Semester Destressor Event. This event will be held in the Student Life Center on Nov. 28 from 3 to 7 p.m. SAFB holds this event every semester to give students a space to relax as finals and the end of the semester approaches.

BY MIKAELA EATON

This is a time to celebrate yourself and your achievements while finishing out the semester. At this event, there will be yoga, massages, arts and crafts, and food! Hang out with your friends and celebrate your hard work throughout the semester at the Semester Destressor Event. Join SAFB to celebrate you!

3

Every semester, the Campus Center Board (CCB) puts together the Pueo Awards ceremony and reception to celebrate student achievements. This semester, the Pueo Awards will be held on Dec. 7 in C208 the multipurpose room from 4 to 6 p.m. All students will receive an email as the date approaches with an invitation to nominate and/or apply for one of the leadership excellence awards.

Previously, the awards included: Recognition for Graduating Student Leaders, Emerging Leadership Award, Student Service & Leadership Distinction, and Outstanding Advisor Award.

The purpose is to recognize accomplishments of outstanding individuals in academics, athleticism, leadership, and co-curricular divisions. Each award has its own application, so be on the lookout for this email!

At the most recent Pueo Awards ceremony and reception, awardees were invited to the reception to receive their awards.

It’s a grand ceremony to celebrate their achievements with their guests and peers. As the event approaches, keep an eye out for more information from Student Life and CCB.

Photo by Student Life

4

November 2023

The Hoot

Coffee Shop 831 Opens on Campus New coffee shop at ACM

BY LINDSEY MILLERD Coffee Shop 831 has just recently opened in G Building, the Academy for Creative Media building. The cafe is an exciting new addition to our campus that students and faculty alike have been longing for.

Malina Marquez, a Business Management major, was there at the shop’s soft opening on Oct. 18, picking up her morning drink. “I love coffee and I’ve been thinking about how we need a coffee place on campus for a long time,” she shared.

Jalen Choy, a circulation manager at the James and Abigail Campbell Library was also there. “I’m really glad that we’re supporting small businesses.

Now that we have this coffee shop I’m hoping that there will be more students on campus and that we’ll benefit more with that foot traffic. Having another place to hang out and get coffee is really great,” she said.

Coffee Shop 831 serves local organic coffee and a few other breakfast items.

Their website reads: “We are dedicated to local production for local consumption while being committed to sustainability and stewardship of our planet.”

Natsuko Takeda is the owner of the company. She has made quite a journey to build this business here in Hawai‘i.

Born and raised in Japan, she always had an interest in food and cooking.

Takeda worked at the famous Nobu

Photo by John Kamakana

Tokyo in Aoyama, Japan, and then in 2013, moved to Hawai‘i to study raw food and yoga.

She eventually opened Coffee Shop 831’s original location in Waikiki. That location is temporarily closed but has plans to reopen next year. For now, they are focused on their new location here on our campus.

The menu currently consists of coffees and espressos ranging from drip blends to caramel macchiatos. They also serve green tea, espresso bites, and waffles.

We spoke with Takeda on their opening day and she shared that she’s very excited to be bringing her business to a college campus. “Most of the customers are students, they have lots of dreams as young people and I’m excited to be a part of their life and future,” she said.

Coffee Shop 831 will be serving up their delicious drinks and snacks Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find the cafe on the first floor of the ACM building, on the right when entering through the main doors. Be aware that they are cash only for now as they finish setting up other payment systems. Follow @831cafe_uhwo on Instagram for the latest updates!

Photo by John Kamakana

Photo by John Kamakana

The Hoot

November 2023

5

Student Leaders’ Talk Story with the HET Committee Students had the opportunity to meet with Representatives Perruso and La Chica

BY MIKAELA EATON On Oct. 18, members of the House of Representatives in the Higher Education and Technology (HET) Committee visited the UH West O‘ahu campus. The members that visited were Representative Amy Perruso, who chairs the Committee, from House District 46 and Representative Trish La Chica from House District 37. The purpose of this visit, in addition to getting a tour of the campus, was to talk with students about their experiences and to get an idea of things that may be improved on campus.

This was an incredible opportunity for our student leaders. A few of the groups that attended included a few of the Chartered Student Organizations (CSOs): the Associated Students of UH West O‘ahu (ASUHWO), which is the campus’ student government, Campus Center Board (CCB), Student Media Board (SMB), The Hoot, and student employees from the Nāulu Center who take part in a few of the grant programs that benefit different groups of students. These students engaged in a 45-minute talk story session with the two representatives.

The conversation topics included pros and cons about the courses that UH West O‘ahu offers, as well as the facilities. In response to a question posed by Perruso, one of the students shared that their courses could better prepare them for the

Photo by Leviticus Kaopuiki

real world. This sparked a conversation of course availability and how many of the students present were planning on staying on island once they graduate. By a show of hands, it seemed to be split.

A Business Administration student shared that he plans to leave the island because there are better opportunities in other states and countries to be more equipped in the field.

Although he plans to return to Hawai‘i with that knowledge to bring it back to his community.

To switch gears, Perruso asked if there are spaces on campus for students to hang out or study. The answers consisted of both positive and negative as there are spaces on campus.

However, there’s a need for more space. There’s a lot of potential for expansion, as many of the existing spaces are being used to the max. As there was talk about plans for dorms and an extension of C Building, students made sure to bring up what the campus needs in terms of space and funding.

Perruso and La Chica ended the session by sharing their contact information with the students, so there may be more opportunities for these students to talk with them in the future.

Photo by Leviticus Kaopuiki

6

November 2023

AI Apps Cheating or a Resource?

BY MOISES ALHAMBRA JR.

Photo by Nyle Manzano

The success of Artificial Intelligence in many facets of technology from its inception in 1951 has innovated many industries such as medicine, engineering, manufacturing, and security, just to name a few. The software applications now are upgrading to machine learning–a way to achieve artificial intelligence. Since the technology is available, should we use it?

Several UH West O‘ahu students gave their insights on this topic. When asked about some of the AI-powered apps that they know, ChatGPT is a common answer. When asked if they used the app and what for, the responses were similar. They are aware of the app but have not used it for academics or have not used it at all. When asked how they feel about using AI apps as college students, one student answered, “since [the technology] is available; why not use it?” Other students replied that AI apps should only be used as a learning tool and added, “…once it starts to replace learning, it can be harmful to education.”

As such, powerful tools such as AI-powered apps should be regarded with caution. A Calculus professor consistently warns students about looking up answers to assignments using AI apps. She says that total dependency on the app for answers will hinder understanding of the concepts.

The Hoot

While many students may be aware of apps using artificial intelligence, there are still several students based on the interviews that may not be aware they are using artificial intelligence or have not heard of apps like ChatGPT. The fact is, many of the applications we use now have some form of AI included in the codes. The most popular search engine, Google, uses AI. Smartphone assistants like Siri, Alexa, and smart devices have machine learning capabilities that adapt to the user.

Perhaps the most improved component of AI is its Natural Language Processing. The commands to code almost do not need to be transcibed for the app to understand what it is being told to do. The devices with AI can successfully distinguish subtle nuances in oral and written language—and not just one language!

There are benefits to using the applications that use AI. Efficiency may be the best way to describe the benefits of using AI-powered applications. However, in the many years of modeling machine learning from the human brain, many limitations still exist and what appear to be simple tasks for humans are monumental tasks for artificial intelligence. When used without understanding, AI hinders our ability to think and form ideas on our own. However, with the right use, AI is a detrimental tool that can supplement learning. Develop the mind first, then we will be more equipped to use the AI tools.

Cram Jam Join us before finals to

get last-minute study time in!

BY MIKAELA EATON

Yet, we cannot totally ignore that apps like ChatGPT are available. As Dr. Burrell, Information and Computer Science professor, mentioned that many software applications with AI can be used with the right balance. Students may miss how to use them properly should the government, college, or university choose to ban them.

Join the No‘eau Center on Nov. 29 and 30 for their semesterly Cram Jam event! The No‘eau Center hosts this event every semester to give students a space to “cram” before their finals.

Resources from the No‘eau Center will support students that come in: giving students access to tutors and the opportunity to participate in group study sessions.

One way that Dr. Burrell implements ChatGPT is having his students differentiate their ideas from their already written paper against the ChatGPT’s. He adds that the graduate students liked the fact that they can use ChatGPT as a backup resource.

In previous Cram Jam events, this was an opportunity for students to come together for extended tutoring hours in a comfortable space with refreshments. Be on the lookout for more information from the No‘eau Center as they finalize the location and times for the Cram Jam.

The Hoot

November 2023

Library Column End of Semester Updates

BY CARINA CHERNISKY | PUBLIC SERVICE LIBRARIAN Status of Library Building Construction Project The second floor will tentatively reopen in mid-November.

Meanwhile, students have the opportunity to utilize the ‘Ulu‘ulu event space located at the rear of the first floor, where ample large tables are available for study. Please note that ‘Ulu‘ulu’s office space is still closed to the public at this time.

For the latest updates, visit: go.hawaii.edu/ZFy. Library Blog Posts Are you keeping an eye on the latest news from the Library?

Our blog posts are featured on the front page of our website.

Recently, we’ve published a variety of posts that you may be interested in. Here’s the latest: Honolulu Pride, October is LGTBQ+ History Month, Shining Light on Ongoing Censorship Attempts, Hawaiian History Month 2023 – Nā Kamehameha, Spotlighting AANHPI Voices and Stories, and New Books for Casual Reading. To view these posts, go to: go.hawaii.edu/ywG. Textbook Cost: $0 Courses The TXT0 designation indicates that students will not be required to pay for any course learning materials. Course learning materials include textbooks, readings, workbooks, lab manuals, access codes, or other content. Equipment, tools, or supplies needed to apply the learning occurring in the class are not considered course learning materials. TXT0 classes may rely solely on Open Educational Resources (OER) or may utilize a combination of OER, freely available web resources, library resources, and/or faculty-authored materials. While registering in STAR GPS, you can check for courses with this TXT0 designation by selecting that filter. Keep this in mind for future semesters, too!

7

Sharing the Gift of Healing with Lahaina A student doing their part to help our Maui ‘ohana

BY LINDSEY MILLERD ‘I‘iwileo Pacarro is a student double majoring in Hawaiian & Indigenous Health and Healing and Sustainable Community Food Systems. Pacarro has been harvesting and drying ‘uhaloa, a small shrub with light green fuzzy leaves and yellow flowers, to send to survivors of the fires. They explained that they’ve been giving the dried herbs to their uncle who is a part of a group on Maui that makes pa‘akai (salt) and ‘uhaloa packets to give to his community.

Pacarro was more than willing to help, especially with their own ‘ohana being heavily affected by the fires. A cousin of theirs even lost their house and restaurant. This act of aloha is important for them, especially knowing the high degree of smoke inhalation that the Maui survivors have gone through.

‘Uhaloa is frequently found growing as a weed all around Hawai‘i, including our campus organic garden, where Pacarro has been sourcing theirs. The plant has several medicinal uses, particularly for respiratory health.

“The leaves, roots and green bark can be made into tea while they are fresh. I dry them for a longer storage life,” they said.

They discussed how a dehydrator helps them dry the ‘uhaloa with a fast turnaround. ‘Uhaloa can hang dry too, it just requires more time and space.”

“WORK OUT LIKE A UHWO JOURNALIST, RUN WITH A STORY”

CONTACT MIKAELA EATON EDITOR INCHIEF

THEHOOT@HAWAII.EDU

8

November 2023

The Hoot

Sharing the Gift of Healing with Lahina

Continued from page 7

Lā‘au lapa‘au is the Hawaiian term for traditional herbal healing practice of Native Hawaiians. Pacarro learned some of these remedies from their family as a child. Their knowledge further developed through classes at Windward Community College. They started in the agripharma tech degree in ethnopharmacognosy before going into Hawaiian Studies and continues learning through their programs at UH West O‘ahu.

Pacarro prefaced, “This is just what I was taught. I am not a licensed medical doctor and cannot give out medical advice. In addition, I don‘t know what medicine may mix with another person’s medication, so this may not work for everyone.”

They explained that ‘uhaloa serves as a good respiratory tea. “I take it mixed with other herbs for my asthma. It is good to also use when you have the flu or other respiratory issues. It mixes well with ‘olena and pōpolo.”

Photo by Lindsey Millerd

FAFSA What you need to know

BY MOISES ALHAMBRA JR. Photo by Leviticus Kaopuiki

This year, for the first time, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application will launch in December instead of the original Oct. 1 date. According to FAFSA’s website, “There are major changes and improvements coming to the 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.” The new December 2023 launch date will apply only for the 2024–25 FAFSA form.

Getting money for college requires a bit of work. Filling out a FAFSA form may fill a significant portion of the financial burden in obtaining a college education. How can this program help and what are some important factors to consider?

ber, and citizenship status. Financial information comes next.

Have your or your parents’ income tax information available for this part.

Another financial information comes from the College Financing Plan. This statement details the expenses associated with your college attendance. However, it will help you better to know how much you spend on housing, meals, and transportation. Knowing this information will give you the insight on how much you will need when the award monies are offered.

Apart from monetary benefits, FAFSA is also used by the college institution for scholarship considerations and student employment.

For most, financial aid is a detrimental factor in obtaining a degree. The federal government’s way of facilitating the need of families to obtain higher education is by providing financial assistance in the form of grants and loans. While loans are part of the award included with financial assistance, they should be considered with great care.

Some information to consider is whether to take loans or not.

Many believe that the award money is free money. Grants and scholarships are free money and need not be paid back. Loans, however, carry an interest rate and they need to be paid back.

The interest starts accumulating as soon as you take the loan.

Before explaining that, let’s start with what you will need to fill out a FAFSA. If this is your firsttime filing, you will have to create a login on the FAFSA website. The form starts out with biographical information, such as name, address, phone num-

Consider just taking the grants and supplementing the financial gap with student employment or applying for other available scholarship opportunities. This is where knowing how much you’ll need becomes important.

The Hoot

November 2023

9

Student Spotlight Holiday Edition

BY GRACE SAPOLU It’s once again that time of year, Pueos!

There are many different holidays that students at the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu celebrate. Students on campus were asked the following questions:

Photo by John Kamakana Neriz Galacgac | Freshman | Creative Media with concentration in Video Game Dev.

Photo by John Kamakana Elena Keomalu | Freshman | Creative Media with concentration in General Creative Media

I’m thankful for all the people in my life, especially all my loved ones. I guess just to be here in college, because it’s a great opportunity. For the holiday of Christmas, I’d say lots of gifts. Most people have Christmas trees. Lots of giving and holiday joy.

I do celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving. Definitely a tradition we have for that is big family meet ups. I am very thankful for my family and everyone who supports me. Definitely food and mass amounts of people.

Photo by John Kamakana Zandria Puaa | Junior | Creative Media with concentration in Screenwriting

Photo by John Kamakana Mathhew Kelekolio | Freshman | Creative Media with concentration in Design and Media

Photo by John Kamakana Charlotte Neemia | Junior | Public Admin. with concentration in Justice

I guess one tradition is during Christmas, my family and I go visit my mom’s side of the family because we’re a big Filipino family. We eat dinner, sing karaoke, and pass out all the presents that we gathered for the younger kids and relatives. I’m thankful for being with my family, being able to have fun with my friends, like drawing, because I find that to be fun.

I’m mostly thankful for everything, to be honest. Family, friends, all my friends that help me in my life and just like family always being there for me no matter what. Spending time with people, being happy.

Basically everything that Americans celebrate: Thanksgiving, Christmas, most of that stuff, and also the Micronesian Founding Day. The Lord and the Bible. Family and food.

What holiday do you celebrate and what traditions come with that?

What are you thankful for?

If you could associate one thing with your holiday, what would it be?

Their responses are shared below.

I celebrate Christmas and traditions would be a lot of food. I have a small family, so it’s just me and my small family. For everything. Food and happiness.

Photo by John Kamakana Keona Eugenio | Freshman | Public Health with concentration in Health Admin.

10

November 2023

The Hoot

Intramural Sports Highlights Flag Football Interviews

BY LEVITICUS KAOPUIKI On campus, the recreation center offers intramural sports, or IMWest. On Oct. 17, there was a flag football game hosted at Radford High School. IMWest played against Leeward Community College (LCC). Ryan Perreira, known as Coach Ryan to many students, advises the team. According to the UH West O‘ahu website, “[IMWest] partner[s] with IM LeeSports to offer intramural sports, including flag football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, softball, and dodgeball.”

This league is offered to UH West O‘ahu students who are interested in participating. See below a few interviews that took place to give some insight into the advisor and players:

Photo by Leviticus Kaopuiki Coach Ryan | Advisor

Q: What do you like most about coaching intramural sports?

A: Technically I don’t coach them, I’m just here to advise them. It’s one of the rules that these sports have, and in my opinion, it would be unfair that I’m here all the time as part of my job, as well as the other advisor. So I really can’t coach during the game, just advise them.

Q: What are some things you hope the players take away from playing intramural sports?

A: I would say just getting to know each other, my philosophy is always “fun first.” As long as they are having fun, the wins don’t matter. I get excited when they win, but I don’t get mad at them if they lose. Also, I’m not there creating schemes for them to follow, it’s a student-led team and I think that’s how it should be.

Q: What is some advice to anyone who is looking to get into intramural sports?

A: Just come out, it’s a lot of fun, you get to meet a lot of people from the different campuses as well as getting to meet people on your own campus. I find that at UH West O‘ahu, we don’t have a really good population of students that have in-person classes, because we don’t offer it. But if you come to these extra curricular activities you get to meet people that you might not necessarily meet in your classes. That’s a really good thing, you start to find that you might have more things in common with the people you meet. Even at school, people come to the fitness center just to talk story, or the Nāulu Center just to talk about the game, and that doesn’t happen if you don’t participate. Same thing goes with any club, it’s about meeting and engaging with other individuals that have the same interests as you. I think that makes it really special.

Q: What are some aspects of a good team?

A: Communication, teamwork, and being selfless instead of being selfish. Also recognizing that there might be other people that could be playing in the position you want to occupy. These guys come here and they always have a good attitude, they always hustle, but if you don’t have communication, or you put yourself in a wrong position that can hurt the entire team. In the end it’s that teamwork and team building aspect of sports that’s super important.

Photo by Leviticus Kaopuiki Jake Godfrey | Senior | Creative Media

Q: What do you like most about playing intramural sports?

A: I like playing intramural sports because I get to hang out with my friends and get to know other students more. I also like being able to continue playing football and volleyball because my dad played in high school, which made me want to as well.

Q: What’s your favorite memory so far playing intramural sports?

A: My favorite memory so far is winning the volleyball championship last fall against Winward.

The Hoot

November 2023

11

Photo by Leviticus Kaopuiki Michael Pascual | Junior | Elementary Ed.

Photo by Leviticus Kaopuiki Brandon Feliciano | Senior | Public Admin.

Photo by Leviticus Kaopuiki Pomaikai Poti | Freshman | Creative Media

Q: What do you like most about playing intramural sports?

A:Just being with the boys. I got close with my friend Christian during this time and having that bond and training with him before our games was great.

Even going with my other friend Ian and talking out our game plan. Whether it’s basketball or football, having these guys I can hang with really calms me down and reduces my anxiety before the games.

Q: What do you like about intramural sports?

A: It gives me a chance to learn how to communicate with my teammates, as well as meet new guys and make new friends. This was important to me because it’s something I didn’t get to do during my college time especially with Covid. It’s my senior year and I’m glad to have met new people.

Q: What do you like most about playing intramural sports?

A: For me, I play intramural sports just to get to know people and have fun. It’s also a great time to get out of the house and relax from school. Being raised on things like the Xbox original and old school Nintendo is great as I can continue to have fun and play games which I loved since I was a kid.

Q: What made you join intramural sports?

A: I always loved playing sports as it is a good way to achieve my daily exercise.

Also I love football, as it is a great way to relieve stress and take my mind off of school.

Q: What’s your favorite memory so far playing sports?

Being a first year, it’s really just being in the atmosphere where no matter where I go there’s always something competitive that I get to do. So being able to do this with some new guys and being able to make it this far into the semis was great.

Q: What made you join intramurals?

A:I joined because of my friends that played last year. I wanted to just play basketball, and wasn’t planning on joining flag football. But Coach Ryan pushed me to do it, and I’m glad he did because I met a lot of people and I’m having a blast playing both sports.

Q: What’s your favorite memory so far playing intramural sports?

A: The feeling of scoring my first three-pointer in basketball, as well as my first touchdown in the beginning of the flag football season. Also, in the last game of the season, my friend Brandon saved me at the last minute like Tyreek Hill. I’m glad I have these guys who are there to support me, I’m grateful for them.

Q: What’s your favorite memory so far playing intramural sports?

A: Winning games. It can be hard to come by, as there are some really awesome players in this league. So winning games is cool and savoring the moment with your teammates is always the best.

UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY SHOWCASE YOUR CREATIVE WORK, STEP INTO THE SPOTLIGHT, SHARE YOUR PASSION! SCAN THE QR CODE TO LEARN MORE

12

November 2023

The Hoot

ASUHWO Update Interview with a Member of the 12th Senate

BY GRACE SAPOLU The campus’ student government, Associated Students of University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu (ASUHWO), works hard to make the college experience at UH West O‘ahu great. In a previous issue, The Hoot shared the 12th Senate’s current office hours. Now that the special elections have passed, visit asuhwo.com and follow @asuhwo on Instagram for the results, as well as more updates.

Danielle Ethan M. Bantilan, the Public Administration senator, answers a few questions on how his experience in ASUHWO has been.

Q: What is something you want to share with the student body?

A: I want to share new ideas. Basically, I want to give it my all. Share my time, share my experiences.

I’m very, very new to this. I’m still trying to balance school and my time in the student body, but so far I have been finding this to be a very good experience.

Photo by Leviticus Kaopuiki

Q: What is the best part of being a member of ASUHWO? A: For me, the best part of being in ASUHWO is meeting new people, being exposed to other organizations that are able to help you. If I hadn’t joined ASUHWO, I would’ve never met these amazing people from The Hoot. I would’ve never met my amazing President, Vice President, and fellow Senators. [Our advisor] Rouel has been an amazing help for us. I just found my stay here to be even more enjoyable because of ASUHWO.

Graduation Announcement 2023 Mid-Year Commencement Ceremony

BY NYLE MANZANO Congratulations to the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu’s graduating class of Fall 2023!

For those who won’t be able to join us in person, the ceremony will be live streamed.

Join the candidates on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, at 9 a.m. in the UH West O‘ahu Courtyard. Please note that each candidate will be allowed up to six (6) guest tickets and two (2) parking passes. All guests must have a ticket to enter the ceremony, and all vehicles must have a parking pass to park on campus.

Candidates, due to capacity limitations, please ensure your guests are notified of the importance of their tickets.

After the ceremony, there will be a lei-giving portion on the Great Lawn. Guests can greet the graduates at that time.

For more information, please refer to UH West O‘ahu’s website here: https://westoahu.hawaii.edu/registrar/graduation/commencement/ or feel free to contact uhwograd@hawaii.edu.

Ho‘omaika‘i Class of Fall 2023!