KE

KALAhea

The

herald

Monday, April 16 , 2012issue 6The student run & student written publication of the university of hawai'i, hilo and hawai'i community college

HairsprayPage 10

The Sexy Hour

Page 10

Jamaica Augustin

180 clubpage 7

The sky's the limitPages 16-18

Ke Kalahea is the student news publication for the Uni-versity of Hawai‘i at Hilo and Hawai‘i Community College. We express the voice of the student body using our rights

to the freedom of speech and press. The mission of Ke Kalahea is to provide coverage of news

and events affecting the university and our community. We offer a forum for communication and the exchange of ideas and provide educational training and experience for students in all areas of the newspaper’s operation. Ke Ka-lahea operates a fiscally responsible organization, which

ensures our ability to serve the university well. Through Ke Kalahea’s publication, we encourage stu-

dents to take advantage of academic and personal oppor-tunities—ones that will deepen their knowledge, enhance

their experiences and broaden their perspectives.

Mission Statement

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

cover

The SexyHour

pages 10-11

The bottom is the bottom. The gutter is the gutter. The only difference lies in the perceptions and wills of the individu-als who reside there. Some see and use the bottom as an oasis of pity and despair, harvesting the bare fruits of poverty as rea-son to quit and complain. Too often, poverty is viewed through terms of all the things one doesn’t have. Of course, this is the reason one is in poverty, but it can and should be used as moti-vation to move forward. Look at all the things I can get. Look at how far I can go. The will to reach the peak will not allow a person to succumb to the valleys.

It is a mere fact of life that we can’t choose the environment that we are born and raised in. Some are born in the hills, and others grow in the concrete, but it is what it is. We don’t have the opportunity to set ourselves up in advantageous situations before birth, so we must deal with the hand that we are dealt and make the most out of it. If we are dealt a garbage hand, we have to possess the strength and courage to make it a winner. This is the land of opportunity, and I refuse not to take my chance to realize My American Dream. The American Dream (the house in the ‘burbs, the white-picket fence, two-car, two-and-a-half children, and a dog or cat, yeah that one) may have never been intended for those of ill-birth, but that does not mean that a per-son born on the bottom can’t make it to the top. It merely makes

the journey that much more intriguing and rewarding.Humans have made it this far because of our reason and our

extraordinary ability to adapt. How else would we have survived in times before weapons made us the most dominant species on the planet? Quick adaptation and community. Humans adapt and form groups. We live in a capitalistic society where, though it is a long, tough road, the path from the bottom to the top does exist. So, all I ask is that you take your chance. Go get it.

We all hear and holler “equality,” but equality seems to be a mere binary opposition. What exactly is equal? Food rations? Communism? Socialism? I don’t understand where equality lies in a world based on difference. Equality equates the complete interference and overseeing of people’s lives. John Locke be-lieved that people were natural property owners. I don’t see, in the reality that I have lived in and the history I know, how he could be wrong. Jean-Paul Sartre believed that man must take responsibility for their own actions and make no excuses. In a world that naturally births inequality, it seems people must go get it if they want it, and if one chooses to seek pity or quit, then they are, regardless of what they may say, both content and responsible for remaining a have-not. To be born a have-not is one thing, I was right there, but to accept that role is one’s own choice.

Anthony “Trumps”Holzman-Escareno E.I.C.

DISNEYmeets hawaii

pages 5-8

The Volcano Project

Page 4

Editor in Chief-Sports Editor-Sports Writer|Anthony Holzman-Escareno Business Manager|Karyle Saiki News Editor-News Writer|Michael Pankowski Arts&Community Editor-A&C Writer|Le’a Gleason Layout Editor|Veronica Hill

Staff Writers|Chelsea Alward - Bren Chance Noelani Waters - Dorothy Fukushima

Staff Photographers|Bryan Patterson - Lea Black - Hi’inae Miller Graphic Design|Assi Broan Copy Chief|Nick Conway

Circulation Manager|Laura Bronson Webmaster|Alya Amirah Binti Azman Staff Advisor|Tiffany Edwards Hunt

180 clubpage 7

Kalapana Farmers market pages 14 - 15

Uhhsa elections

Kona Communitycollege

page 9

Warrior WON School of Yogapages 12 & 13

“You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months over-analyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could’ve, would’ve happened... or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move the f**k on.”

“I know it seems hard sometimes but remember one thing. Through every dark night, there’s a bright day after that. So no matter how hard it get, stick your chest out, keep ya head up.... and handle it.”

“I know what good morals are,but you’re supposed to disregard good morals when you’re living in a crazy, bad world. If you’re in hell, how can you live like an angel? You’re surrounded by devils, trying to be an angel? That’s like suicide.”

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside while still alive. Never surrender.”

-2Pac

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UH Hilo’s 2012 summer sessionA fulfilling summer means registering now

Michael PankowskiNews Editor

The impending close to the spring 2012 semester means that summer is just a few final exams away. Students are already looking forward to getting out of the day-to-day grind of the regular academic year, and chances are good that plans are already laid for those daily trips to the beach.

Instead of slipping into the usual summer fare, the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo’s 2012 summer session offers a specifically designed program for stu-dents and community members alike that is much more than the usual fare when it comes to higher education.

“The selection of summer session courses was put together with several things in mind,” College of Continuing Education and Community Service Program Coordinator Dori Yamada said in a statement. “The key consideration was to help students accelerate their graduation objectives.” Yamada added that unique courses and highlighting UH Hilo’s online opportunities were among other considerations.

Yamada and department faculty work together to make sure those objec-tives are realized. In order to put together a meaningful list of summer session courses, department chairs are encouraged to use past enrollment numbers and to analyze student need when selecting which classes to offer.

The goal is to put together a list of courses that are unique to the summer session or that offer students those extra credits they may be in need of to grad-uate. These include classes like Marine Science 394: History of Sharks, Skates, Rays Laboratory as well as Communications 398: “Edutainment”: Speaking & Performing for Ed Purposes.

If that still sounds like more of the usual, consider the special events that will be held at the Student Life Center. According to the summer session cata-log, the Fitness for Life program offers those enrolled an opportunity to “enjoy the environment without having to stress about grades.” The Splash Party will give enrolled summer session students a venue to enjoy the Student Life Cen-ter pool and amenities while being entertained and fed.

Purchasing the Island Summer Package will carry summer session students even further away from the average university setting. In addition to a housing and meal plan, participants will have access to a limited shuttle service and be eligible to participate in weekly Saturday excursions to parts of the Big Island’s natural environment.

Getting the word out to potential students about the 2012 summer session has even taken a less-than-ordinary approach. The commercials airing on local radio stations complement the video spots that can be seen in local theaters and on the Internet. Movie-goers on the Big Island have been exposed to various advertisements in theater lobbies as well as on the silver screen during the pre-movie entertainment. The summer session website even hosts two YouTube film productions put together by Yamada and 2011 Island Summer Package participants.

The only thing about this year’s summer session that is less than average is its cost. Like the 2011 summer session, resident undergraduates will continue to benefit from a lowered tuition rate of $248 per credit hour. This comes just in time for the money conscious student as the new five-year tuition schedule with raised tuition rates for the regular academic year takes effect in the 2012 fall semester.

Registration for UH Hilo’s summer session began on March 19, and there are three separate sessions that potential students can choose from. The first session starts on May 14 and runs through June 8. The second session will take place over a six-week period starting on June 12 and finishing on July 20. A third session includes a variety of courses held across individual dates and times spanning from May 13 until Aug. 3.

To see course listings and other important information, visit the summer session website at http://hilo.hawaii.edu/depts/summer/ or email ccecs@ha-waii.edu.

Photo taken by Michael Pankowski

Barring the arts: Malaysia denies ballet dancers entry

Bren ChanceStaff Writer

Singapore Dance Theatre was barred on April 3, 2012 from entering Malaysia to perform three shows on their tour, Ballet Illuminations. No official reason was given as to why the Central Agency for the Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artists denied the dancers their permit.

In spite of the troupe’s two-year history of sold-out performances at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center, the media speculates that Malay-sian officials deemed the troupes costumes too physically revealing and the repertoire too racy for the nation’s mostly conservative Muslim population.

Ballet Illuminations is comprised of both contemporary and classical ballets. Singapore Dance Theatre’s artistic director, Janek Schergen, said, “It cannot be an issue of the costumes and the content. The Nutcracker is one of the most respected, classic and family friendly dances there are.” The show also boasts a piece choreographed by George Balanchine.

Bilqis Hijjas, president of UK-based organization MyDance Alliance, said, “All of the costumes for women had long skirts, except for The Nut-cracker, which was to be performed in a short classical tutu and tights, the kind that has been worn by ballet dancers since they performed before the Russian tsars in the 1870s.”

It is not unusual for international performers to be asked to wear modest clothing on stage in Malaysia, but in this instance all tickets to the nearly sold-out performances have been refunded. Photo courtesy of www.freemalaysiatoday.com Dancers in classic (short) tutu.

International news brief

The Volcano Project’s big dreamWill the Volcano House be its realization? Dorothy Fukushima

Staff writer

A locally-based non-profit organization called The Volcano Project sought to materialize its dreams of a self-sustaining world class hotel and culinary institute through the Volcano House contract. That dream is currently in limbo as the Vol-cano Project was not chosen to receive the contract.

According to a March 26, 2012, National Park Service press release, Hawai`i Volcanoes Lodge Company, LLC, was selected for the 15-year contract. The company is owned by New Mexico-based concessionaire Ortega National Parks, LLC in partnership with Honolulu-based Aqua Hotels and Resorts, Inc.

Ortega will have 30 days to sign the contract with the National Park Service before a formal notice is sent to Congress. Notice is required for contracts over 10 years or over $5 million in revenue. The House and Senate subcommittees over-seeing the National Park Service then have a 60-day period to review the contract.

Co-founders of The Volcano Project, Anne Lee and David Howard Donald, are hoping for a miracle. For them, the Volcano Project has been 11 years in the making.

Inspiration to build a culinary and hospitality institute came from the shared concern of a close friend for the children of Kahuku, an area notorious for fatal car crashes and drug use. The project was temporarily shelved when a key inves-tor unexpectedly passed away.

When they heard that the Volcano House lease was coming to an end in 2008, Lee and Donald found the perfect venue for their school. “With 1.3 million visi-tors from around the world, we thought what an ideal setting to teach and train residents and Hawai`i youth in the hospitality industry, while putting Hawai`i’s best face forward to the world,” said Donald.

The Volcano Project aims to offer job opportunities and training to the unem-ployed and marginalized, with an emphasis on at-risk youths. Its mission for the Volcano House is that “through meaningful and practical education in the culinary arts, hospitality industry and Hawaiian culture, Volcano House will enhance the local and international visitor experience with the true Hawaiian spirit of Aloha.”

Said Hawai‘i Community College fire science freshmen Cody Phillips of the Volcano Project, “The Volcano House can probably be renovated by these people, and to be honest, I think it can be something that will stimulate the economy. It will give back to the community.”

There were many requirements in the National Park Service prospectus that was sent out. The franchise fee, or the percent given to the park, was changed from 12.5 percent to 9 percent, and then finally to 6 percent. As was stated in the National Park Service press release, other requirements included, but were not limited to “how to engage and educate the visiting public on native Hawaiian culture through interpretive experiences and retail services, including the sale of Native Hawaiian handicrafts and cultural demonstrations.”

Other terms that needed to be met were the restoration of the Volcano House, an expert team to carry out the implementations, environmental competency and sufficient financing for the plans. Of all the requirements, the Volcano Project struggled with the financing as a $5 million stipulation was added.

The Volcano Project has benefits for an array of people across the community including local youths, businesses, residents and suppliers. As detailed on the Volcano Project website, youths would have the opportunity to gain invaluable job experience in the culinary arts and hospitality industries while finishing edu-cational certification.

Visitors will get a truly unique experience when visiting the Volcano House. To promote Hawaiian culture, the Volcano Project is looking to host local music, Halaus in residence, workshops and guide services, to name a few.

Local businesses, such as restaurants, would have the chance to showcase their chefs and food while also being able to scope out potential employees from the culinary school. Local artists would be able to feature their works in shops. Residents would be treated to first-rate foods at affordable prices, culinary classes as well as events and activities focused on Hawaiian culture.

In order to support the local economy, fresh, local-grown produce, fish and meat would be procured from farmers and fishermen, highlighting unique island food. Culinary students would also take part in the growing and harvesting of the produce.

The Volcano Project is dedicated to taking care of the environment by imple-menting green practices and technologies within its facility. The project has al-ready received financing of $1 million from RSF Social Finance, San Francisco to make Volcano House sustainable.

To reduce its carbon footprint, the Volcano Project will adopt a zero waste and recycling policy; pursue energy sources such as geothermal, wind and solar; use phytoremediation to change sewage into potable water; and install CFL light bulbs and energy star rated appliances.

The Volcano Project has gained much support from the community and people across the world. An online petition has 1,500 signatures and the Volcano Proj-ect has gathered numerous letters of support. Supporters include Senator Daniel Akaka, Hawai`i County Mayor Billie Kenoi and the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, among others.

More information on the Volcano Project can be viewed by visiting their web-site at http://volcanoproject.org

While it is uncertain that the Volcano Project will find its home at the Volcano House, Lee and Donald still believe in its future. “We are carefully considering our options and will malama the trust which so many of you have generously be-stowed upon us. Somehow, someway, the Volcano Project will come to fruition.”

The before picture of Volcano House hotel bedrooms. The Volcano Project hopes to use this opportunity to guide construction toward the creation of a green facility.Photo taken by Hi‘inae Miller

http://www.agoda.com/north_america/united_states/hawaii_hi/vol-cano_house_hotel.html

cc

The Volcano Project feels its vision of Volcano House will bring busi-ness back in a way that benefits visitors and local residents alike.

Renovations continue as contract and ownership issues are worked out. Photo taken by Hi‘inae Miller

http://hotels.virgin-vacations.com/hotels/USA/Hawaii-_-The-Big-Island-_-HI/50592/

Image courtesy of www.wallcoo.net

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Image courtesy of www.wallcoo.net

The happiest place on earth in paradise, Part 1How Hawai‘i fits with Disney’s brand of capitalismMichael Pankowsk | News Editor

The Disney Aulani Resort & Spa offers an authentic Hawaiian

experience?

???Photo courtesy of http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/23/travel/la-tr-aulani-20111023

“Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawaii, opened its doors to guests on Aug. 29, [2011,] signaling a new, synergistic relationship between two of the biggest brands in the tourism industry: Disney and Hawaii,” is what Matthew Kain of the Honolulu Weekly saw in Disney’s new 21-acre resort located along the leeward side of ‘Oahu.

Disney and Hawai‘i together at last. It just seems like a match that has been a long time in the making, doesn’t it? The land of aloha and ‘ohana playing host to a new vacation resort put together and managed by the company behind the happiest places on earth. At first glance it makes perfect sense, but while most people are reminded of a childhood spent watching and singing along to Disney’s loveable characters, others may be reminded of the all-too-familiar story played out again and again in paradise’s backyard.

As it is taught, Hawai‘i’s pristine land and idealized location have been the catalysts for more than a few invasions. Missionaries arrived in the 1820s and found it their solemn, Christian duty to bring civilization and God to the population of the Hawai‘i Archipelago. By the 1850s, the United States had firmly planted itself in the Hawaiian Islands like an invasive species, and soon capitalism was imposed not only on the sugarcane fields of Hawai‘i, but on the populations of the Pacific Islands. In 1893, American businessmen formed a de facto provisional government that affected a coup and forced the abdication of the Hawaiian throne to the more lucrative interests of capitalism.

Since then, countries and businesses from around the globe have continued to use capitalism as the rationale for land grabs and the development of Hawai‘i’s natural environment. Japanese investors have been known to buy up land set aside for agricultural use by the Hawai‘i State Constitution for golf courses and resort hotels. It is well known and has been strongly protested against that the American military used Kaho‘olawe as a bomb-

Image courtesy of www.darrellgrind-staff.com

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ing range and Waikāne Valley on ‘Oahu as a military training facility. The situation continues to this day. One only needs drive along Routes 19

and 11 on the west side of the Big Island to see the unnaturally lush greenery of country clubs, resorts and golf courses amid the leeward side’s black lava flows and desert landscaping.

In 2007, the master capitalists of the Walt Disney Company decided to pur-chase a $144 million piece of oceanfront property on ‘Oahu, and the familiar sto-ry seemed to be set to play out again. This time, however, the aggressor wasn’t a national government or church of devout believers; it was the benevolent com-pany who brought Mickey and Minnie Mouse to the families of the world.

Disney’s clean and wholesome image does not show the profit motive that drives its decisions or the intricate marketing techniques that have rocketed the Walt Disney Company to the status of a multi-billion dollar, monolithic, inter-national mega-corporation. It is there in the difference between wholesomeness and profiteering that Disney seems to have successfully exploited the social and political conditions in Hawai‘i without causing widespread protests.

There are many ways that Disney goes about its goal of making as much money as it can, and it has taken these tested and proven strategies and applied them to its “synergistic” move to the Hawaiian Islands.

According to the Disney Company’s investor relations webpage (www.corporate.disney.go.com), the company’s objective is to become a leading pro-vider of entertainment and information, but “[t]he company’s primary financial goals,” the statement continues,” are to maximize earnings and cash flow.” It is always looking to put its revenue into investments that “will drive long-term shareholder value.”

In the Aulani Resort, Disney’s execu-tives began to see that long-term poten-tial. One of the advertised reasons for building the resort was an increase in customer desire and interest in Hawai‘i, but according to Laura Bly’s article in USA Today, the Aulani Resort is Dis-ney’s first attempt at building a stand-alone hotel and time-share development that is not connected to one of its theme parks.

The risk associated with the new ven-ture was explained by John Gerner, the managing director for Leisure Business Advisors, LLC. This firm performed the feasibility study for the Aulani Resort which helped Disney assess the local marketplace and plan for its construc-tion. “It’s viewed as a test project in the company’s effort to build standalone properties that are not dependent on their proximity to the company’s massive

theme parks,” he said in a statement to the press. This marks a more capitalistic approach to opening up a resort on ‘Oahu. Couple that with the tourist connec-tion between Hawai‘i and Disney and the ingredients become telling of why Disney thought it would work.

A successful resort takes more than a clever ap-proach to the marketplace. The families and travelers, as well as the local customers, play one of the most important roles, and Disney has a brilliant, yet some-how devious, way of focusing on those customers.

The company is well known for creating lifelong Disney customers. This intentional marketing strat-egy begins by targeting the infant (and consequently the parents as well). The company’s corporate citizen website boasts the “special emphasis” is placed on the kids and families in its audience, and it starts at the beginnings of life. According to a truth-out.org article by Grace Pollock and Henry A. Giroux titled “How Disney Magic and the Corporate Media Shape Youth Identity in the Digital Age,” the Walt Disney Company has become “one of the primary institu-tions constructing childhood culture in the United

States.”To be sure they are reaching their audience in the best way possible, it has

been noted by Pollock and Giroux that the company employs marketers, psy-chologist, corporate executives and more to zero in on what their audience will react to. These tactics have indeed given Disney practice in creating a certain type of culture, and focusing on children makes that creation a part of children’s socialization.

Mary Elizabeth Williams wrote an article titled “Disney goes after newborns” for Salon.com in which she points out that “Disney’s gambit does raise questions about the branding of babies and the privacy rights of parents.” She describes Disney products being coupled with an in-hospital photography company that offers to take pictures of newborns in hospitals across America. “So don’t just swaddle Junior up a Simba bodysuit,” she says. “Get an image of it and post it for all the family and friends to see on the Internet! Oh my God, these Disney people are geniuses.”

Even to someone who questions this marketing strategy, Williams recognizes how smart the business model is…for the capitalist.

This masquerading invasion of innocence and privacy has found its way into the Aulani Resort & Spa. Reviews by travel professionals written for their adult audience hint at this model. Kari Valley, a Seattle-based travel agent, said, “I would have expected more adult-only areas and programming.” To Disney Vaca-tion Club member Robert Anderson, the overall experience was “less than what

The Walt Disney Company is well known for its culpability in creating lifelong Disney consumers with an intentional marketing strategy.Photo courtesy of http://www.jinxmagazine.com/disney.html

Disney’s presence in the human experience begins practically from

inception.Photo courtesy of http://www.salon.com/2011/02/08/disney_marketing_to_newborns/

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I expected from Disney,” as he puts in his post on Disney’s fan site, Laughing-Place.com.

This kind of information does not immediately connect to the exploitation of Hawaiian culture, but it does point out that Disney’s attempts at controlling all points along the supply and demand chain are inherent in their business model. The existence of the resort itself points to Disney’s attachment to its customers well into the adult years.

In order to cater to that wide range of customers, Disney also concentrates on the supply aspect of its economic control. When reading about the resort in the media, it seems that everything is available for the right price. According to Laura Bly’s USA Today article, breakfasts with Disney characters are available, and guests can take surfing lessons with a local firefighter if they have the time and the money. Even the hands-on stingray pool costs children $45 and adults $50 to enjoy.

Even the authentic Hawaiian experience of the resort turns a profit for Dis-ney. Sure they host local artisans, but in the end product developer Lindsay Voigt admits proudly in a DisneyParks blog, “We wanted to infuse many aspects of Hawaiian culture in our merchandise.”

How is it then that Disney was able to do all of this without raising much of a fuss in the public sphere? Globally, Disney maintains a “titanium-clad brand im-age - synonymous with a notion of childhood innocence and wholesome enter-tainment - that manages to deflect, if not completely trounce, criticism at every turn,” according to Pollock and Giroux. Many believe Disney products, and thus the morals or values they espouse, are innocent and wholesome not because of the way they are presented to the public.

From the beginning, Disney displayed an interest in the community’s outlook on the resort that on the surface was as positive as the media made it sound. Disney hired former City Council Leeward ‘Oahu Rep. Todd Apo (he resigned before the end of his term to become head of public affairs for the resort) to help control Aulani and Disney’s presentation to the Hawaiian public.

“Our focus,” said Apo, “has been obviously on the West Oahu community; [we’ve] been really looking at the Leeward Coast, recognizing the Native Ha-waiian population.” He went on to explain Disney’s donation of over $300,000 to groups like the Nanakuli and Waianae Chapters of the Boys and Girls Club Hawaii. Some of that money also supported the ‘Ukulele Guild of Hawaii. Apo said the company even funds children’s field trips to the Bishop Museum, and it financed a playground at the Ka Waihona O Ka Naauau Charter School.

More impressive is Disney’s part in assisting the nonprofit group Awaiaulu

in the translation and online availability of newspapers printed in the Hawaiian language between 1834 and the 1940s.

Their focus on several of the big issues surrounding the Hawaiian commu-nity is timely. The keiki always offer a sentimental tie to a community, plus the demographic is hardly new to Disney. Contributing to the Hawaiian cultural practice of ‘ukulele playing strikes a chord with those who follow musical tradi-tions, and funding the translation and electronic archiving of historic Hawaiian texts places Disney on the side of a greater push by Hawaiians to revitalize their culture and language.

These philanthropic practices are complimented by Disney’s approach to ac-tually building the Aulani Resort & Spa along the Hawaiian coast. An approach that can be explained through French philosopher Louis Althusser’s outlook on belief systems within cultures. He would view Disney as a particular type of organization that works for its own ends predominantly through its ability to get people to believe or think in a particular way. He also felt that entities like Dis-ney got people to believe a certain way mostly through concealed and symbolic practices.

Disney’s ability to conceal this form of manipulation behind its clean image, brand and products began when its designers and marketers started selling the Aulani idea to Hawai‘i’s public. When the Aulani Resort’s claim of being able to offer authentic Hawaiian experiences became public, several articles talked about the difficulty in telling the Hawaiian story without fabricating them. Dis-ney, in this sense, is famous and infamous for being able to fabricate experiences and make fantasy seem like reality.

In response and in keeping with Althusser’s belief that a hidden motive lay behind such statements, Disney spokesman John McClintock said that Disney is “a storytelling company, and when we came to Hawaii we didn’t’ come to tell our won stories. We came to tell the stories that already exist here.”

So Disney set off to collect those stories. “I first visited Aulani in 2010 when the resort only had five floors and lots of

concrete,” said Bob Holden, a Disney Design Group artist and designer of Au-lani merchandise. “We wanted to immerse ourselves in the environment before beginning development.” The group of visitors returned to Florida armed with some information gathered over a stint in Hawai‘i. It was that information that helped them design and develop parts of Aulani’s authentic Hawaiian experi-ences.

“We created mood boards which provided inspiration and direction for devel-opment. The boards were based on conversations with Walt Disney Imagineer

Photo courtesy of http://theoknows.com/diatribes/kid-whisperer

Disney employs marketers, psychologists, corporate executives and others to make sure its messages and products captivate its

core audience: the child and the family.

Joe Rohde, who was the executive designer for the resort, and our own experi-ences.”

It is important to note that Joe Rohde grew up in Makiki on ‘Oahu, but oth-erwise the information gathered was superficial at best during these initial trips. Soon, however, Disney increased its presence in the Hawaiian community and began collecting information that it could use in its elaborate business model.

Ramsay Taum, a native Hawaiian who served as a cultural resource during the resort’s planning stages, was worried about the “long line of broken promises by offshore developers” that locals had experienced in the past. He was con-vinced that Disney’s efforts at Aulani were different because “they’re treating Hawaiian culture as the main item on the menu, rather than a condiment.” The menehune hidden around the grounds and the local Hawaiian art told Taum that Disney was moving beyond the plastic leis and tiki torch stereotypes of the past.

In reality, Disney was merely gathering its information to take advantage of the cultural conditions in Hawai‘i to turn a profit. It most certainly seemed like they were paying careful and considerate attention to the Hawaiian culture because they gathered prominent business and culture leaders to help inform the conception of its new resort.

Disney’s first consultation was met with the type of laughter that a parent gives a child when they swallow a bug. The cultural consultants initially attempt-ed to get Disney to think about the people from the Waianae coast because “the Hawaiians talking should be the people from that place,” explained consultant Maile Meyer of Native Books/Na Mea Hawai‘i.

Many others were brought in to help inform the Hawaiian aspect of Disney’s new resort. Local artisan Solomon RN Enos, who grew up in Makaha, said in a tone of acquiescence, “I guess the more involved you are in these kinds of de-velopments, the more opportunities we have to create dialogue.” He added, “If you’re not at the table you’re on the menu.”

Catherine Lo’s “Sneak Peek: Disney’s Aulani Resort” article introduced Aunty Nettie, a kupuna and kahu who stewards the area of Ko Olina. She told them to read up and research those things that make the local culture Hawaiian. Disney’s creative team “dutifully” followed her instruction and studied Hawai-ian culture history. “The result,” according to Lo’s article, “is the Hawaiian in-spiration is found everywhere, from the overall design of the resort to the indi-vidual fixtures in the rooms…”

The Disney Imagineers surely came away with an extensive understanding of the Hawaiian culture after so much reading and research, but the reality is that Disney studied those aspects from a point of superiority with a main goal of turning the largest profit possible.

Missing (or avoiding) considerations like the criticism issued over native ac-cess to the Ko Olina resort beaches that Aulani sits on is telling. Even though Meyer was quick to point out that locals from Waianae should be included, the socioeconomic problems associated with that region, or ways to improve them,

are not to be found in the lavish resort. Disney avoids these issues by portraying clean and sanitized surroundings in a controlled environment to elicit an authen-tic Hawaiian experience. It seems unlikely that visitors will have an authentic Hawaiian experience in a room that starts at $399 per night, but are surrounded by more impoverished Hawaiian neighborhoods.

Disney instead depicts class values that are incorporated into the message that those rooms and the sanitized experience convey. Customers and visitors will be reinforced with the idea that money has the ability to solve problems or facilitate a good life. This is especially true for Disney’s key audience of children and families.

None of these discrepancies are lost on Meyer. “Is it 100-percent Hawaiian?” she asks rhetorically. “Of course not, but it’s as real as you can get in a visitor experience.”

Despite glossing over certain Hawaiian realities and concealing certain mo-tives, the lot of cultural consultants found no great fault in Disney’s approach to the Aulani Resort. “I believe that [Aulani is] an asset to our community, simply because it’s created a lot of job opportunities for our Leeward Coast residents. From the way the community has actually embraced it, there doesn’t seem to be–as we speak–any criticism,” confirmed Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board member Roberta Searle.

In one statement, Searle summed up Disney’s efficiency at tapping into and taking full advantage of a local culture and economy.

What all of this information and research shows is that from on outside perspective, Disney is not the loveable and socially responsible company that Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Chip and Dale seem to represent them as. In reality, Disney’s business model is capable of acutely analyzing any given market and molding its strategies appropriately. Hawai‘i’s readily available im-age as paradise offered Disney the perfect template to overlay their own profit motives and tactics for realizing them.

All of this research and consideration says that Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa is not the culturally sensitive entity that it claims to be, but without firsthand experience, this analysis can go no further. In order to remedy that roadblock, part two of this two part Disney consumerism feature article series will reflect on a weekend trip to the Aulani Resort while keeping all of this in mind.

How does the Aulani Resort & Spa fit this perception of a devious mecha-nism set in place to take advantage of a local culture for Walt Disney Company’s profit? The answers to that and other interesting questions will be had in Ke Kalahea’s next and final issue.

Image courtesy of www.timetoplaymag.com

Image courtesy of www.jimhillmedia.com

Image courtesy of www.field-marketing.org

Image courtesy of d23.disney.go.com

Image courtesy of www.disneyconsumerproducts.com

Since 1929, Disney Con-

sumer Products has grown to

include apparel, toys, home décor, books, foods and beverages, statio-nery, electronics and a myriad of other aspects of American life.

9

Denarose Fukushima | Staff Writer

Nominations for students looking to fill positions in the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Student Association for the 2012-2013 academic year came to a close at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 2, 2012. As a result, accepted candidates can now start their campaigns.

Sixteen officer hopefuls (or their representatives) were present for the April 4 follow-up meeting. The candidates listened attentively as Ellen Kusano, Cam-pus Center director and University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Student Association advi-sor, informed them of what they are and are not allowed to do to prompt a vote from fellow students. She also highlighted the many responsibilities of being an officer in the student association.

All candidates will have about two weeks to actively campaign on campus before elections take place. Ultimately, only 14 students will be selected to fill the available positions.

The nominees had to meet certain requirements just to be eligible to run. They had to be registered in at least six credit hours and be willing to maintain that minimum during their term. They needed to have paid their University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Student Association fee, earned at least a 2.0 GPA and be clear of any disciplinary sanctions. Four of the positions–president, vice president, treasurer and data director-also require one year of experience as an officer in a chartered student organization.

An exception has been made for the position of data director because no ap-plications were received by the original April 2 deadline. This has resulted in a one-week extension, and the one-year experience requirement has been dropped.

Other positions students could be nominated for were: senators to represent

the colleges of arts and sciences, pharmacy, agriculture, business and econom-ics and the Ka Haka Ula O Ke’elikolani College of Hawaiian Language. The remaining positions include a senator to represent graduate students and four senators-at-large.

Despite the importance of these positions, most of the candidates will run unopposed with the exceptions of the treasurer and senator-at-large positions. Two candidates will run for treasurer while five candidates compete for one of the four senator-at-large positions. In the event of a tie, a run-off election of only the involved candidates will be conducted no more than one week after the original election.

Marvin Mathew, the executive senator for University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Stu-dent Association, was discouraged by the small turnout. “I feel really bad and disappointed…I take the fault on myself and will help the next elections chair to be aware of the amount of work needed to have a contested election.”

The association’s vice president, Melequini Gaisoa, was a little more opti-mistic. “When I came into UHHSA, it was the same thing. It’s great in a way, but it would be nice to have students to run against them. It would be good to have more students get involved.” About the students who did apply, she added, “I know that a lot of the students have passion…I give them my blessing and know they will help [the student body], especially with the tuition rising.”

Students interested in voting can do so on April 23 and 24 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at either the Campus Center or in front of the Edwin M. Mookini library. To ensure fairness, booths will be run by University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Student Association members that are not in the election or trusted volunteers.

Kona Community College soon to be built

Bren Chance | Staff Writer

The community college in Kona has never had a permanent campus, but with a donation from Pālamanui, the company who will build the campus, planning is underway, and building is set to begin by the middle of 2012.

The campus is currently located in the Kealakekua Business Plaza, lo-cated at 81-964 Haleki’i Street. The four small buildings which house the school hold just three tiny classrooms, a kitchen, dining room, a few labs, an administrative office and not much more. Community members and legislators have shown steady support for building a permanent campus since the school was first opened in June 1996. Planning and development for that permanent campus began in 2004.

According to West Hawai‘i To-day, the opening of Hawai‘i Commu-nity College at Pālamanui is expected to happen just in time for the fall 2014 semester. Developer Pālamanui lists the current West Hawai‘i Com-munity College as part of its 725-acre planned community, which will have a town center, eco-friendly houses, a 55-acre dry land reserve, a businees center and a 20-acre recreation park in addition to the new 78-acre home of the community college.

According to a report from Mayor Kenoi’s office, Pālamanui will soon begin infrastructure improvements for the campus to connect to electricity and water lines. This infrastructure will increase the developer’s investment in the campus to nearly $20 million and will enable the completion of the planned first phase. The first phase includes paving a road and building a 23,000 square-foot facility

that is expected to initially accommodate 700 students. By the time the planned campus is complete, there will be room for 1,400 students.

District 3 Senator Josh Green has been pushing for funding to build the campus since planning first started in 2004. He is currently asking the state for $11 million to fund the second and third phases of building. Phase two includes ex-panding the initial building. Dur-ing phase three, photovoltaic cells, windmills and “waterless” toilets will be installed.

Sewage produced at Hawai‘i Community College at Pālamanui

will be treated on-site with liquid waste being recycled to water the landscap-ing. Says Beth Saunders, interim director of the University of Hawai‘i Center, West Hawai‘i, “It will have the highest possible ranking from the U.S. Green Building council.”

West Hawai‘i Community College acts as an access point for Kona stu-dents to obtain degrees from other UH system campuses via distance learn-ing. It currently offers two certificate programs and an associates of science degree in the award-winning culinary arts program. Also offered is a highly competitive nursing program through which students can earn a certificate of completion or an associates of science (RN) degree. As of the spring 2012 semester, there are non-credit community classes available in dance, literature, culinary arts and Japanese and Hawaiian language.

Student government election season underwayAs UHHSA nominations end, candidates gear up for elections

Education across the ‘aina-

http://www.kona123.com/communitycollege.html

http://www.hawaii.edu/dl/location/westhi/

Image courtesy of www.field-marketing.org

10

The Sexy HourChelsea AlwardStaff Writer

By all appearances, the door to the University Radio Hilo (URH) record-ing studio blends in with its fellow offices in Campus Center room 304. De-noted by only a small sign, one would think that upon entry there would be nothing to find but the common sterile colors, gray desk and blue chairs. But instead, a Narnia of radio magic awaits; it is called “The Sexy Hour.”

“Hello, you are listening to The Sexy Hour.” The greeting is smooth and slightly mischievous as the song Pogo by

Digitalism begins the evening of tunes. “As always, I am The Condor, joined here by the luscious DJ Darling…” And the show is off, as if UH Hilo students Connor Clay and Amanda

Fogler have been behind a microphone for many years, despite the short five shows they have hosted thus far.

The Sexy Hour is a mash up of all things sexy, “or whatever we ourselves dub as sexy,” said The Condor. Rather than centralizing itself around a genre, The Sexy Hour presents a mix of musical tastes from both the DJs and in-cludes original spins on common radio show features, such as “dead sexy,” their version of song dedications that can be called in or posted on the The Sexy Hour Facebook page.

Gray squishy sound-proofed walls; blue, black, and yellow cords; and warm floor lamps painted the studio as the night heated up in the modest room. Aside from a contest to decide the strongest of the dueling 90s artists Wilson Phillips or Roxette, the evening also included a trademark of Condor and Darling.

Entitled “The sexy throwback,” this is a part of the show where a clas-sic tune is played. “It’s the song your parents had sex to if you were born in 1989, ” said Condor of this week’s throwback ‘Listen to Your Heart’ by 80s pop duo Roxette.

Only having arrived in Hilo for the fall semester of August 2011, Condor and Darling are DJ volunteers at URH, hosting a two-hour show on Thursday

nights, 6-8 p.m. “These are the fastest two hours of my week,” said Condor, a communica-

tions major from California. Darling, a linguistics major from Seattle, seemed to share Condor’s feel-

ings on the show. “It’s just one of those things where you say, ‘I wish we got paid to do this, because this would be an amazingly fun job.’ I haven’t really got a specific interest in broadcasting; I’m actually kind of shy…” she said.

But during The Sexy Hour, one would never guess. “After talking about Keisha and the not-so-sexy studding of her head, we

have come up with a list of the top ten most unattractive things a woman can put on her head… naming the top five now: number five, a trident or axe, of course, excluding Halloween…”

Condor and Darling had a list of the top ten most attractive things as well. On the more serious side of the airwaves, The Sexy Hour hopes to “use

the show as a platform for serious sex topics on campus,” and to let people know that there are “celebrities who are making it not a taboo thing to be talked about.”

The DJs insist that it is a topic that should be welcome and talked about, especially on campus.

Behind the scenes, Condor and Darling continued in character, hardly able to suppress genuine laughter, yet the two remained smooth and sexy on air. The evening seemed to fly by as the comedic duo discussed the evening’s top ten, new tunes for the show and their (someday) hopes for a guest appearance by the Sexy Sax Man, Sergio Flores.

According to their website, URH gives voice to nearly 30 different radio shows and 12 different volunteer DJs throughout the week on its live inter-net broadcast. The station hopes to provide students with an opportunity to experience small-scale media broadcasting by asking roughly 10 hours from each DJ per month.

Photography Courtesy of Jamaica Augustin

DJ Darling and The Condor share a laugh while hosting URH’s The Sexy Hour.

11

Condor and Darling said they anticipate much more “sexy” to come. The main goal though, is for The Sexy Hour to be, “fun and successful.”“We’re not really looking for campus recognition,” said Condor. “More like total world domination,” said Darling playfully, “we’re coming

into you next year as well.” If you don’t get the chance to tune in this semester, check it out in the fall, kids.

Condor and Darling promise that The Sexy Hour will be nothing less than “hot”.

DJ Darling and The Condor share a laugh while hosting URH’s The Sexy Hour.

Condor and Darling petition listeners to call in and share their sexy dedications.

DJ Darling asks listeners for their thoughts on Roxette vs. Wilson Phillips.

The Condor shares the top ten most unattractive things a woman can wear on her head.

The woman behind the “warriors won”

Warrior WON School of Yoga offers practice with a twist

Le’a Gleason | A&C Editor

A routine drive through Hilo’s historic Banyan Drive will land you some-where new these days: at the brand new Warrior WON School of Yoga. But it isn’t brand new, really; Warrior WON is rather a transformation from long-time Hilo fixture Balancing Monkey Yoga Studio, previously of 65 Mohouli Street.

It all began eight years ago when Heather Heinz, who has now been prac-ticing yoga for 14 years, along with the help of local yogi Jennifer Wein-ert, opened a small yoga studio in the renovated two-story home at Mohouli Street, where she lived on the ground floor.

“I lived below it. I have always lived below it,” said Heinz in a metaphori-cal allusion to her feelings about yoga.

Balancing Monkey was a humble study, but humble is not always the best, explained Heinz.

“We never advertised and I always felt that people would find us when the time was right for them to cross over our threshold. We knocked out walls to create more space only when we needed more space. I have always appreci-ated the humility of our space,” said Heinz.

Then, Heinz’s teacher Christina Sell came to Hilo to offer a workshop at Balancing Monkey.

“She said, ‘Wow Heather, I love the studio, your students are devoted and strong practitioners but while your small studio is humble, it is also arrogant.’ She was right. I knew we needed to move into a bigger space, offer inexpen-sive classes and serve more people,” said Heinz.

In the midst of thoughts of transitioning, Heinz experienced the tragic loss of her newborn, Max. It was then that the path toward a new space began to manifest as a reality.

“It never occurred to me that the shadow side of humility is being too small and not serving to your full capacity,” Heinz said.

“It became very clear to me after [losing] my son Max…that being small is not what we are being asked to do. What this practice has to offer our com-munity are tools to help support us during insanely difficult times. It needs to

be made easily available,” said Heinz.Taking the event as a lesson and a sign, Heinz began to initiate major

changes at the yoga studio. It was clear that a new space would better serve the current yoga community and, equally important, reach out to new students.

With the help of her own yoga teachers Darren Rhodes and Christina Sell of Tucson, Arizona, Heinz created an affiliate school of yoga with the one her teachers operate in Tucson. And she called it Warrior WON.

Since the two facilities are affiliated, “this means…regular top notch teach-ing, guest teachers from our lineage, workshops with Darren and Christina and lots of room to grow your yoga practice,” Heinz said.

She explained that the new studio “offers a wide variety of classes that connect people to the healing power of the heart’s light through traditional spiritual teachings, disciplined yogic practices and the transformational power of community.”

So, what’s in a name? Well, Warrior One is a common yoga pose, so War-rior WON is kind of a play-on-words, explained Heinz.

Balancing Monkey was originally named after the Hindu monkey deity Hanuman to embody his playful spirit. There is a story where the playful mon-key had to leap across the Indian Ocean to reach his full potential.

“Hanuman had to grow into his true nature, but it came with a demand that he thought was impossible. Who can leap across an ocean?” asked Heinz.

“My experience on this path and in this practice has not made life easier. There have been huge, seemingly impossible oceans. I am continuously asked to grow the light of my own heart and show up fully so that when it is time to leap I am well-prepared. My belief is that when we show up fully, with an open heart , ready to face anything... no matter what the outcome is… we win. We are Warriors Won,” Heinz explained.

Warrior WON has found its new home in a 3,500-square-foot warehouse space at 1717 Kamehameha Avenue, under the same roof as Crossfit gym, run by Joel Tessier, a dear friend of Heinz. And the space is BIG.

“The new space demands that we all grow bigger. The walls are giant

12

Lea Black | Photographer

Warrior WON School of Yoga

13

Warrior WON is located at 1717 Kamehameha Avenue,

although to drive there you must take Banyan Drive, as the entrance is located on a one-way section of Banyan

Drive.

YoDJ: Wednesdays at 6:45, $6A moving, flowing yoga class infused with live DJ tunes.

YogaHour: offered at a variety of class times, all

except Tuesdays, $5A “difficult but doable” hour of yoga designed for just about anyone to try.For a complete schedule,

visit: www.warriorwonyoga.com

gates that let both the breeze and the bustle of the outside world move through. This is our perfect training ground to use life as practice. We define yoga as establishing a practice that allows you to stay anchored in your feet and heart so you can show up fully for what your life is asking of you right now,” said Heinz.

And with a bigger space comes the joy of welcoming more faces into the studio. In order to rebuild the existing community in a new space, Heinz stressed coming to practice.

“We define community as who we roll our mats out with. Come roll out your mat. We are nothing fancy. We are just about practice,” Heinz said.

For a busy person or stressed-out college student, the studio has a little something for everyone, most excitingly offering a selection of five and six dollar classes, one of which happens every day of the week at Warrior WON.

It can be challenging to work the practice of yoga into a busy schedule, but Heinz is confident that yoga really is doable for everyone.

“If tired is your excuse, I drink coffee. If yoga clothes is your excuse, I wear jeans to lovingly prove this point… anyone can practice yoga. We are interested in teaching you a practice that is transformational. There is always resistance to change. Being busy can be a form of resistance,” Heinz said.

And if one hour’s all you’ve got, come to YogaHour, said Heinz. YogaHour is both doable and difficult. If busy is your excuse, it is only one hour. If cost is your excuse, it is only five dollars,” she said.

Heinz is also confident that practicing yoga can serve college students in a particu-larly unique way.

“College taught me the value of surrounding myself with people who know much more than I do about things outside of themselves. When you become a yoga student you are taking the seat of the student inside of yourself. Yoga is a work in. It is a path of radical self study,” said Heinz.

She went on to explain that “in this way the practice serves the practitioner and the community. We can only truly serve our community when we know who we are and what unique gifts we each have to offer.”

And for those of you looking for that extra spark in your practice, YoDJ is for you. Warrior WON offers a one-hour-and-fifteen-minute class on Wednesday evenings for six dollars that’ll make you feel like you’re at a dance club, with all the benefits of a centering, relaxing yoga session.

It features a live guest DJ each week and is taught by the enthusiastic Heidi Rich-gruber, a member of the studio’s team of teachers who is equally as passionate about the practice as Heinz.

So if you ever thought yoga was daunting, the six dollars won’t kill you. Try it. Heinz encourages all to simply come as you are. And if you’re lucky like Heinz, 14 years down the line you might just celebrate the day you began a practice to last a lifetime.

Lea Black | Photographer

Warrior WON School of Yoga

At the end of the roadKalapana farmers market at Uncle Robert’s Kava Bar

Noelani Waters | Staff Writer

With five people stuffed into my decade old Chevy we leave Hilo’s cloudy skies for a clear and fragrant Puna evening at the end of the road. Thirty miles and another world away, Kalapana’s own Uncle Robert’s Kava Bar offers unmatched excitement for a Wednesday evening with its new art and farmers market from 5 to 9 p.m.

Saturated with life, this Kava bar stands at the edge of what was once a beloved Hawaiian fishing village known as Kaimu which was almost com-pletely buried beneath molten lava in the 1990 flow down Kilauea’s southeast rift zone.

Under clear skies and a waxing moon, strings of ambient lights illuminate the wooden open-air pavilion, edged with tents full of booths with a variety of wares. Puppies and keiki excitedly weave through a crowd adorned in aloha shirts and funky hats while smells from the two-dozen food booths reach your nostrils in sweet symphony.

Beyond lauhala and colorful wooden signs, live Hawaiian music gets your feet a-tapping. This is a place truly busting with life ready to flood the senses with local flair.

Without much time for thought, my hunger guided me only a few steps in to hand a young guy five dollars for his local style fish and chips: ahi and ‘ulu. Both succulent and crisp, I highly recommend it. Onward I found booths of diverse flavors featuring Middle Eastern grinds, Hawaiian style plate lunch, fresh pulled pork, Thai green papaya salad and Mexican design-your-own burritos, to highlight a few.

Even raw lilikoi cheesecake and chocolate covered bacon strips made the menu.

I bought a handmade strawberry rhubarb pie from the “Pie Lady” who makes about thirty pies of various flavors each week and sells them whole or

Photos by Noelani WatersLocal musicians charm the crowd with their artistry at Uncle Robert’s Kava Bar during the Wednesday night Kalapana market.

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Photos by Noelani Waters

by the slice topped with whipped cream. The gang and I couldn’t wait till we got home to open it up, so we started eating it with a pair of chopsticks and discovered it was utterly delicious.

More than just prepared meals, you’ll find farm-fresh produce; home-made jams, jellies, butters and cheeses; fresh eggs; raw chocolates; and baked goods, plus a booth selling exotic tropical fruits like mamey sapote and star apple.

Artists representing their unique creations are here too: from blown glass to hand pounded recycled copper jewelry, yoga clothes to essential oils.

Take a seat on one of the many ‘ohana style long picnic tables to enjoy your ono grinds in the company of live Hawaiian music and impromptu hula dancing. Add a three-dollar shell of fresh kava, or ‘awa, a drink made from the root of the kava plant prized in the Pacific for its relaxing qualities with-out disruption to your mental faculties, and you’ll have yourself a complete night in this intoxicating Puna landscape.

Uncle Robert’s Kava Bar is a beloved family run business as well as a hub for locally loved and upcoming musicians in the area. It is a place that fosters community and aloha spirit; opening its doors for great music, lively, open-air atmosphere and talk-story for all to enjoy.

Stepping out for a breath of air and hint of quiet, the moon and expan-sive lava landscape surrounding provides solace. With a good flashlight, the short walk out to the black sand beach and neighboring cliffs is not only possible, it’s recommended. Since the reclaiming of Kaimu Bay by Pele’s lava flows from 1990 onward, residents have gathered to plant coconut trees on this existing young beach for future generations to enjoy.

Being that this market starts at 5 p.m. and rolls on till 9 p.m., the public Hele-On bus could be a challenging form of transportation since there is no ride home past 7 p.m. For this event I recommend carpooling with friends or family. There is ample parking on-site.

If a Wednesday night market in Puna is not quite feasible for your busy student schedule or minimal transportation, the good news is there are more than a half dozen other local farmers markets in our area.

Farmers Markets on the east side of the Big Island:

- UH Hilo Agriculture Market, campus center breezeway, Mondays 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

- Downtown Hilo Market, corner of Mamo St. and Kamehameha Ave.,

Wednesdys & Saturdays 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.- Kinoole Market, 1900 Kinoole St.,

Saturdays 7 a.m. to noon- Maku’u Market, near mile marker 8 along Hwy

130, Sundays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.- Volcano Village Market, Cooper Center,

Sundays 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. - S.P.A.C.E. Market, Kalapana Seaview Estates,

Saturdays 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.- Kalapana Night Market, Uncle Robert’s Kava Bar,

Wednesdays 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Supporting local farmers, artists, chefs and musicians at a farmers market is a direct and rewarding way to support your local economy. By spending money here rather than larger chain stores, you are helping to keep those dollars local while getting to meet and talk story with some of the most creative and hardworking members of our community.

This lowers the cost of transportation for your foods as most of the products and ingredients found at these farmers markets are locally de-rived. And finally, perhaps the most selling reason to come to one of our many local farmers markets is to experience some of the charm and raw aloha this island has to offer.

Artist and HCC Hawaiian Lifestyles student Kat Reeve creates hand pounded recycled copper jewelry to sell at local markets and at kathathaway.etsy.com.

16

A Season in Review: The Sky's the Limit

UH Hilo's Women's basketball oozes with potentialEric Jimenez | Sports Writer

Anthony Holzman-Escareno | Sports Editor

For athletes, there is no greater satisfaction than winning a cham-pionship. This entails executing to one’s highest ability. A championship gives one team bragging rights over not only rivals, but every other team in their respective conference. Despite this, there is also one word that all athletes love and hate: potential. Expectations are heightened. The pressure becomes evident. There is an anticipation of daily growth. The course of the University of Hawai‘i Hilo women’s basketball season has confirmed that this team that the potential to be a great team in the coming years.

The team came in to the 2011-12 season with optimistic thoughts of becoming the best group in UH Hilo’s young history. The team returned three key contributors from last season, namely, guard Kirsty Imai, forward Natalie Mata and preseason PacWest player of the year Hillary Hurley. It was Head Coach David Kaneshiro’s task to mold these players with his eight-woman recruiting class and create one cohesive, competitive squad. There was a certain buzz surrounding Kaneshiro’s new recruits, which brought a plethora of weapons that included the firepower of point guard Kirsten Shimizu, the tenacious defense of guard Jameia McDuffie, and the rebounding abilities of 5-foot-10 junior forward Elise Spain. With Hurley, Imai and Mata’s experience as an anchor, Kaneshiro had the tasks of instill-ing his system in the new recruits to ensure that they complimented his

Elise Spain boxes out an Alaska-Fairbanks defender.

Head Coach David Kaneshiro

Hillary Hurley consistently made her presence felt on the block.

Kelly Leong | Photographer

17

A Season in Review: The Sky's the Limit

returning players. It seemed that there could be promise in the potential. With the addition of the new players to the roster, the Lady Vulcans

were forced to fight adversity from the jump-off. Chemistry is something that takes a group a long time to find, and it was no different for the Lady Vuls’. With the new faces having to adjust to the coaching system, as well as develop a bond as teammates, the team struggled early on. This was evident, as they dropped their first four games, including losses to the University of Hawai‘i Manoa (60-51), UC San Diego (68-50), and two against Alaska-Fairbanks (67-52, 83-66) in late November.

A start like this never crossed the players’ minds, but the experience changed the team’s whole perspective, and they were ready to put in all the work necessary to turn things around.

In an article on the team’s website, Coach Kaneshiro commented on his team’s performance, saying, “For the most part, we’re getting a lot more definitive answers as to what roles people will be playing. For right now, we’re getting a better feel for each other, and that’s part of the growing with eight new players.”

Beginning the season on a dreadful four-game losing streak, the Lady Vulcans did not hang their heads. They understood that there was a lot of basketball left to play, while holding solace in the fact that last season’s PacWest first-team selection, Hurley, was coming back after missing the first four games dominating her first sport: volleyball. With the new faces also get-ting acquainted with a new system, the Lady Vulcans did not lose any hope and realized the light shines after the dark.

Entering the month of December, with conference games closely approaching, Coach Kaneshiro challenged the women with harder, more com-petitive practices. The coach saw the potential in the young women he spent most of his time with, and he refused to let their potential go untapped.

Put to the test by their coach, the Lady Vulcans answered the calling by coming back with a physically powerful assault conquering four out of five opponents during the month of December, improving their overall record to 4-5 (1-0). It was obvious that the presence of Hurley contributed significantly during this stretch, as she averaged 14.8 points and 9.4 rebounds. Nearly aver-aging a double-double a night, Hurley was a force to be reckoned with, though she was quick to point to the team’s cohesiveness as the key to the team’s success.

“There was a good line of communication between players and coach-es. I think it was easy to do because all of the girls bought into the coaches’ plans of working hard for a common goal of winning.”

In a month’s time, hardship pushed this team to mold from a group of individuals to a single, collective unit. There was one goal, and that was to finish the season how they had intended to play all along.

With newfound life within the team, they were ready to start the new year with a bang. Riding the momentum of the last five games of 2011, UH Hilo was ready for the madness of conference play. Despite having no knowl-edge of inter-conference PacWest play, junior point guard Kirsten Shimizu showed up and played like a senior. Kirsten scored 45 points in two combined wins over Hawai‘i Pacific (53-50) and BYU Hawaii (72-59). The two wins increased their overall record to 6-5, 3-0 in conference.

Though this was just the infant stages of conference play, the Vulcans were off to an extraordinary start, arguably the best in UH Hilo’s women’s basketball history. Despite this, this hot streak of five wins in a row seemed like a distant memory when the team was cooled down for the rest of January. The Lady Vuls’ fumbled five of the seven games remaining in the month. UH Hilo was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel fade. The hopes of playing in the postseason tournament were being dashed by the lingering thought that they had possibly ruined their chance. The cloud of negativity

Jameia McDuffie has been coveted for her tenacious defense.

Kirsten Shimizu has been a reliable asset at the point guard position.

Kirsten Shimizu splits defenders on her way to the rim.

Mata backs down a defender from the elbow.

Kirsty Imai lays the ball up against UC-San Diego.

can sometimes overpower positive vibes. It is up to the team to find it within them to take the positives out of any negative situation and apply it to the next situation, all the while learning from the mistakes of the past.

Being no stranger to adversity, the women found a way to readjust their focus and regain their composure, so they could approach the end of the season with the same intensity they had shown earlier in the season.

With eight games remaining, each player wanted to finish the season strong. Like any soldier going to the battlefield, they had to be focused, pre-pared and willing to give it all to be successful. Approaching the remaining games with a soldier’s mentality, the Lady Vulcans were able to annihilate six out of eight of their opponents, improving their overall record to 14-12 and 11-7 in the PacWest. They earned the respect of the fans and community by demonstrating the will and killer instinct it takes to finish strong.

Breaking the .500 mark is a milestone that shouldn’t be overlooked. It would be unfair to compare UH Hilo to top Division-I schools. The program has never won a conference title. This season is a step towards progress, which is what the Vulcans should judge success on. The women’s team seemed to mature as the season went on, and that is always a positive thing for a program as young as Hilo’s. This sets the bar for the future hoopers who wish to fill the shoes of a Hillary Hurley, who has played her final game in Vulcan red. They must understand and accept the rising expectations of a UH Hilo basketball player. Next season, Kirsten Shimizu hopes to guide a new team to remain on track with hopes of contending for a championship in the near future.

UH Hilo certainly has the potential to make some noise as they pre-pare for the 2012-13 season. Though the majority of their lineup will return, the squad will lose four seniors, including first-team PacWest selection Hillary Hurley.

Hurley, who has dominated any court she stepped foot on at UH Hilo, had words of optimism when speaking on the team’s prospects for next season.

“I think the team is only going to get better. They have so much talent and they work really hard, not to mention our coach has the vision and skill to take this team to the top.”

The team will need to fill in for the big void left in the middle of the paint, but with returning studs Kirtsy Imai, Natalie Mata, Jameia McDuffie and Kirsten Shimizu, UH Hilo could be on the rise to something great. The expectations are set, and it’s only a matter of time until we see the team’s full potential. It seems that the sky’s the limit from here.

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Ke Kalahea, the school’s bi-weekly publication, is look-ing to fill the following positions for the 2012-2013 school year:• EditorinChief• NewsEditor• A&CEditor• SportsEditor• LayoutEditor• CopyChief• NewsWriter• A&CWriter• SportsWriter• LayoutDesign• GraphicDesign• AdvertisingManager• Webmaster

Applications canbepickedup in theKeKalaheaoffice(CC 215) orCampusCenter’s office (CC210).TheEICandediting staffwillneed tobeprepared toworkoverthesummer.Contactus:kalahea@hawaii.edu808-975-7504

Mata backs down a defender from the elbow.

Kirsty Imai lays the ball up against UC-San Diego.