Ka ‘OhanaU N I V E R S I T Y o f H AWA I ‘ IWindward Community College

N E W S F R O M C A M P U S T O C O M M U N I T Y

2 Stimulating or not? 5 Instructor’s quest 6-7 Teachers after hours10 Lives transformed

Volume 37, No. 6 March 2009KaOhanaOnl ine .org INSIDE

Packed parking lots. . . longer lunch lines. . . crowded class-rooms — those are just some

of the signs of a jump in WCC’s 2009 spring enrollment.

According to official figures, WCC has 1,854 students this semester — a new spring record and a 10.6 percent increase over last year.

Overall, the University of Hawai‘i system reached an all-time high of 50,952 students.

UH and WCC officials believe the increase is due, in large part, to the current downturn in the economy and job market uncertainty.

Lui Hokoana, WCC vice chancellor of student affairs, says that when the economy is bad, people start to worry about jobs and they seek better educa-tion and training.

However, improved outreach programs have also contributed to increased numbers at WCC, Hokoana said. College counselors have con-ducted financial aid workshops and traveled to different parts of the island

to inform people about the advantages of attending a community college.

WCC faculty, staff and students have gone to fairs at shopping malls and high schools to help anyone fill out an application or answer questions.

Economy down; enrollment upb y D a r r i e l M i l l e r

Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Hokoana says, “Efforts at Wind-ward high schools have been very successful, with at least 20 percent of graduating seniors from our feeder high schools enrolling at WCC.”

WCC is also targeting adults at

Camille Marquez was a long-time flight attendant

for Aloha Airlines. She got the news of the company’s closure while working on a flight from Maui to Honolulu.

“The cleaners came on board and told us that tomor-row was going to be the last day of operation… The scene was surreal, a total shock!” she recalled.

The closing of Aloha Air-lines and the recent economic downturn have been difficult for Marquez, a single mother of two teenage boys.

Depressed and uncertain about her future, she decided to head back to school to com-plete her goal of a college edu-cation so she could provide for her family.

Marquez said since re-turning to school at WCC, “It’s been a whole adjustment in life style… I love it!”

She has decided on a nurs-ing degree and reminds her-self and anyone who asks that you need to, “Just dream big. Don’t put any limitations on yourself.”

A former student of WCC

in 1996 and a graduate of Cas-tle High School, Marquez is a current recipient of a $1,000 scholarship from the Kāne‘ohe Business Group.

She is grateful for the scholarship, student loans, and financial aid that help to make her education goals possible.

Despite her job loss, she passionately believes in her future.

Marquez said, “My self-esteem has improved. This is all having a positive effect on my kids… When God closes one door, he opens another.”

A second chance at collegeb y P a t t y Yo n e h i r o

Ka ‘Ohana Assistant Editor

Former Aloha Airlines flight attendant Camille Marquez.

town meetings, where often the ques-tion asked is, “Am I too old (to go to college)?”

Even though people may feel inse-cure about their capabilities to return to school after many years, WCC coun-selors reassure them help is available. According to a recent Windward community study conducted by SMS Research, the top three concerns of adult students are good instructors, flexible class scheduling and conve-nient campus locations.

Community colleges across the state are working to add more night classes to fit the needs of full-time working students.

The message, Hokoana says, is that a community college is a great place to start your career. Tuition costs are relatively low compared to four-year colleges, and they offer a wide range of training and transfer opportunities.

“It makes me very happy to go to a community like Waimānalo, where the college attendance rate is low, and have people step up saying they’re in-terested in going to college,” says Ho-koana. “Later, when I run into them on campus, it’s extremely rewarding.”

Three generations of my family have managed to

avoid a college education. Some of them have not graduated from high school and others have settled for a GED.

Fortunately, I could be the first to get a bachelor’s degree.However, my journey back to college happened by chance.

I lost my job in the middle of last year, even though I had almost seven years of service with the company.

I thought of moving to the mainland or getting a part-time job and enjoying some time off.

But then I had an epiphany. Since my professional life and the economy were in such bad shape, I knew I was going to have to do something drastic.

If not, then I would prob-ably end up living my worst fear: being stuck in a rut. So I decided to go back to school.

Currently, being a student is the most important part of my life. Going to WCC is giving me a sense of accomplishment and motivation.

After getting my liberal arts degree, I plan to move to California and get a part-time

job while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

In the end, I find it a lucky twist of fate that I am back

Job loss: Not an end but a beginningb y L a n c e S a b a d oKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

in school. Although my life seemed to be at a dead-end when I lost my job, I can now see a great future ahead of me.

Crowds of WCC students fill the courtyard between classes at Palanakila this spring.

WCC counselor Sarah Hodell, who is also president of the Hawai‘i Career Devel-opment Association, has some advice for students feeling stressed about the current economy.

She says, “Stay in school! A good, solid liberal education is probably the best insurance.”

Hodell offers these simple tips to cope in difficult times:

• Stay healthy and keep calm so you can remain a clear thinker.

• Don’t panic; take your time and regroup.

• Use a support system: family, friends or counselor.

• Stay connected; this is not the time to isolate yourself.

“Despite your situation, we’re in this together,” says Hodell.

Helpful hints from a counselor

Student Lance Sabado working hard in the journalism newspaper lab.

DarrIEl MIllEr

Patty yoNEhIro ka ‘ohaNa Staff

Ka ‘Ohana

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2 NEWS of the DAYKa ‘Ohana

STAFF REPORTERS (Con’t)

Lance Sabado Bunny Yutaka

JOURNALISM WRITERS

Alicia VanBokhovenTiara KaawaLesa Oliver

CALENDAR EDITOR

Meigan Christopher

STAFF REPORTERS

Baron Hashimoto Susan Ikakoula

Eric KaneTori LangleyDarriel Miller

Kaiser NonalesArlena NunesDionne Ross

E D I T O R IN CHIEF

Patrick Hascall

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Patty Yonehiro ADVISOR

Libby YoungDESIGN STAFF

Theresa Worden

Ka ‘Ohana is published monthly by the students of Windward Community College. 45-720 Kea‘ahala Rd, Kane‘ohe, Hawai‘i 96744. Phone (808) 236-9187 or 236-9185. The newspaper reflects only the views of its student staff. Visit Ka ‘Ohana’s website at www.KaOhanaOnline.org.

(The Family)

As the state of the nation’s econ-omy continues to look grim, President Barack Obama has

signed into law an economic stimulus package his administration hopes will get the country back on its feet.

On Feb. 10 the U.S. Senate passed the $787 billion stimulus program that Obama says “is essential to put the economy on the road to recovery.”

Obama signed the bill Feb. 17, mak-ing it the single most expensive act ever in U.S. government history.

“I don’t want to pretend that today marks the end of our economic prob-lems, nor does it constitute all of what we’re going to have to do to turn our economy around,” said Obama, “but today does mark the beginning of the end.”

According to the White House, the program will jump-start innumerable businesses, give tax cuts for millions of middle-class, assist public education systems, improve college affordability and much more.

“Hawai‘i is set up to take maxi-mum advantage of funds that help us to achieve our long-range goals,” said Gov. Linda Lingle.

Lingle stated the package supports renewable energy and broadband ser-

vices that match state initiatives already underway in the islands. Hawai‘i also has a $4.2 billion highway moderniza-tion plan that will benefit from federal funding.

“We want to use these funds to help create jobs in our state, to help preserve our infrastructure and to help improve quality of life,” Lingle said.

Not everyone shares the governor’s optimism.

Despite President Obama’s reas-surance that his package will turn the nation’s economy around, recent polls

From the moment you arrive at Dr. Cynthia Lowry’s front gate, you

see the signs: a rooftop covered with solar panels and a 400-gallon recycling drum in a lush green garden.

Inside are floor-to-ceiling win-dows that maximize sunlight and an open-beam ceiling that allows trade wind ventilation for cooling. This home is designed to minimize depen-dence on energy.

That’s no surprise since Dr. Lowry is an expert on renewable energy and has worked as advisor for the federal government’s Bureau for Asia and the Near East (ANE), U.S. Agency for Inter-national Development (USAID).

Lowry was born in Virginia and raised in Michigan where she gradu-ated with a bachelor’s degree in psy-chology from the University of Michi-gan in 1970. Diploma in hand, she left for Hawai‘i.

She attended the University of Hawai‘i to work on a master’s degree in education and finally a doctoral degree in political science.

Her dissertation was a case study of rural electrification in Fiji in tandem with a full scholarship through the Energy Program Resource Systems Institute.

She has advised energy programs in the U.S., Asia and the South Pacific. As a leader in program development, design and implementation, she be-lieves in government policy that sup-

ports sustainable, renewable energy.Lowry’s work on community-based

environmental awareness began in 1975 on O‘ahu’s Leeward coast.

Her work has taken her on world travels to communities, major private corporations and government agencies.

But in spite of her impressive cre-dentials, she drives an unpretentious Honda Hybrid and remains a friendly, down-to-earth woman in her matching Crocks and kukui nut lei.

Lowry took time off from work to care for her elderly parents in Alabama and relocate to Kahalu‘u in 2008.

Excited to be in her new home, she has been making energy-saving modifi-cations according to an eight-point plan.

“It’s a part of mitigating green- house gas emissions, walking the walk regarding my own carbon footprint,” Lowry said.

The plan includes an ecological building design and environmentally friendly building materials that help keep the house cool.

A compost system keeps house-hold waste out of landfills and creates fertilizer.

Her plan also includes using power strips, Energy Star-rated appliances and lighting and installation of solar panels for hot water heating, photovoltaic solar panels for on-site electric generation.

Lowry advised, “Take advantage of tax credits while they’re still avail-able,” drive a hybrid vehicle (electric when economically priced) and use a rainwater collection system to help save the drinking water.

Stimulating or depressing? Time will tellb y P a t r i c k H a s c a l l

Ka ‘Ohana Editor in Cheif

show many Americans are not con-vinced.

Following the President’s signing of the bill, a Rasmussen poll showed 32 percent of voters believe the plan will hurt the economy, 26 percent say it will have little impact, 8 percent are undecided, while 34 percent believe it will help.

Most GOP Senate members op-posed the bill. More than four out of ten said it should be passed, but with major changes, leaving only a minority who rejected the package altogether.

So how stimulating is this contro-versial package?

According to WCC professor Paul Briggs, “The people on Wall Street are really not having a lot of confidence in what is going on in Washington right now. There is no clarity in the govern-ment’s plan and the rules aren’t readily set.”

Briggs pointed out, even with the bill’s passage, stock prices continue to plummet.

“When people invest money, they want to know what the rules of the game are,” said Briggs. “Wall Street is think-ing that this is not a ‘stimulus package;’ it’s a ‘spending package.’”

“They believe it is not going to stimulate the economy as much as it is just going to spend more money.”

The majority of Republicans in Washington feel the bill is wasteful and unacceptable.

According to Rep. Jeff Flake of Ari-zona, the package is full of “pork barrel” spending.

A few items in question include $300 million to buy “green” cars for federal employees and $850 million to Amtrak, a government-run rail system which has been bleeding red ink for decades.

“There aren’t congressional ear-marks, and that’s a good thing,” said

COMPOSITE CREATED bY PATRICK HASCALL

The largest government spending package creates controversy across the nation.

Dr. Cynthia Lowry: the ‘queen of going green’b y P a t t y Yo n e h i r o

Ka ‘Ohana Assistant Editor

“ I ’m a l -ways looking at the big pic-ture on how things connect to energy, ag-riculture and water conser-vation,” said Lowry.

Her pas-sion is imple-menting solu-tions for the world’s en-vironmental challenges by helping com-munities de-velop sustain-able environ-mental land use through community-based awareness programs.

“Many people want to be a part

of the solution, but don’t know how,” said Lowry. She would like an op-portunity to talk with local officials, show them her home and “help them understand how they can be a part of the solu-tion.”

Lowry sa id, “WCC is a key in the community.”

She would en-joy an opportunity to speak with ad-ministrative staff and the student body to “help them

become aware of their own potential and how they could personally apply their talents and skills to g̒oing greenʻ jobs.”

Dr. Lowry loves recycling her kitchen scraps.PATTY YONEHIRO

SEE STIMuLuS PACKAgE PAgE 8

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CAMPUS NEWS 3Ka ‘Ohana

Kagawa Junior College students were dressed to impress in traditional

summer kimonos as they gath-ered last month for their first visit to sister college, WCC.

Students and teachers filled Hale Kuhina 115 with vi-brant colors and smiling faces.

Each guest giggled with excitement as her name was announced and the student government representatives presented them with kukui nut lei. After a little social-izing there was a Hawaiian cultural demonstration.

The students said they were enjoying the warmer weather. What they liked most about the WCC campus, in their words, was that it was, “beautiful and calm.” And what did they most look for-

Finding the perfect career for your future is only a

click away. If you have an extra hour out of your day, the Career Center at WCC can get you started.

The center in ‘Ākoakoa 212 helps students find out more about the tools and resources available to guide their career choices.

Students meet for general-ly one hour with WCC’s career specialist, Sarah Hodell, who has a master’s in counseling and a doctorate in education.

She is qualified to help stu-dents realize their strengths and weaknesses. Former WCC student Mac McDiarmid said, “She helped me see more job opportunities and gave me

motivation towards starting my career.”

The session includes a walk-through of the career tool called Discover. This Internet service is free for those who sign up with the Career Center.

An analysis of interests and values is used to guide

There is a new place for WCC social science stu-

dents to use for studying, relaxing or just gathering with other students. It’s called the Social Science Stammtisch in Hale Na’auao, Room 120.

Stammtisch is a German word for a place where friends of a specific group get together to drink and talk.

“Most students are en-rolled in some social science course,” said Dr. Pam DaG-rossa, anthropology instruc-tor. “I wanted to introduce

something different.” Before now, social science students didn’t have a place of their own to gather.

The Stammtisch has been open since the end of the fall semester. Students can come in as early as 8 a.m. to use the room.

It will be available till 6 p.m. on most days, closing at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. If it happens to be locked, any social science teacher whose office is located on the hall has a key to open it.

“Students can reserve it so they have main priority for the room,” said DaGrossa. Prior-

ward to doing while they’re here?

“Shopping!” they replied with no hesitation. Then someone shouted, “Hamburg-ers, big hamburgers!” and the girls laughed in agreement.

Kagawa Professor Kazu-ma Tsuji said that exchanges like these are “very valuable experiences. Politicians can talk, but better to have young people get involved and teach-ers should encourage it.”

“You can speak (the) lan-guage in class, but when you meet people and exchange like this, you can feel it in your whole being.”

Professor Tsuji offered a Japanese seal workshop where faculty and students were able to carve their own seal.

Tsuji provided some his-tory on this Japanese tradi-tion. The seal is carved out of Chinese marble and is

Kagawa brings cultural exchangeb y P a t t y Yo n e h i r o

Ka‘Ohana Assistant Editor

ity is given to those who wish to use it for study groups or independent study.

“It’s a quiet, comfortable place to get away from the hubbub,” said Christy Lawes, social science student. “The coffee shop-like atmosphere is warm and welcoming.”

The room is equipped with a microwave, a refrigera-tor and coffee makers. An as-sortment of coffee, tea, cocoa, cream and sugar is available for students to purchase for 50 cents a cup. It’s requested that students bring their own coffee cup.

In the near future, there

See what ‘works’ for you at the Career Center b y A l i c i a Va n B o k h o v e n

Ka ‘Ohana Writer

students through career choic-es. The site offers facts on any profession, including pay, personal experiences, and job requirements.

Discover also includes various information about schools, programs, tuition, and other useful facts in de-

cision-making. Hodell can set up personal accounts for each student to explore the service. The purpose of the appointment, she says, “is showing them these tools and empowering them to make good choices.”

In terms of careers, Hodell wants students to understand feeling “lost may simply be a reflection of their career stage and is perfectly normal.”

Her job is to get them to “understand and weigh out their values” so they “know who they are.” She believes a person’s values will guide them in the best direction for their career choice.

She encourages students to take advantage of the ser-vice and come back for follow-up appointments. Out of the students who meet with her

and continue to utilize the center, Hodell says, “about 85 percent stay in school, and their GPA’s tend to go up.”

Walk-ins are welcome, and appointments can be made by calling 235-7485. The best day for walk-ins are Tuesdays and Thursdays. More information can be found on their website web.mac.com/shodell2/Files/Career_Center.html.

In addition to advising, the program sponsors a Ca-reer Fair every year. Students and the community can get more information about jobs locally and off-island.

The next Career Fair will be on April 14 from 9 a.m to 2 p.m. in Hale ‘Ākoakoa. This is an opportunity for students and the community to meet recruiters and network with companies.

A ‘stammtisch’ to call their ownb y D i o n n e R o s sKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

used in both the Japanese and Chinese culture.

There are two types: One

will also be social science videos, magazines, and books as well as a computer available for use in the Stammtisch.

“The Stammtisch is a quiet

place for studying and read-ing. It’s peaceful, calm and private…perfect for learning!” said Michele Navarro Ishiki, social science student.

DioNNE RoSS

Michele Navarro Ishiki and David Dayton confer in the Stammtisch.

stamp is used for calligraphy and the other is required for use on official documents. He

said if you were to lose your official stamp someone could use it to steal your fortune.

PAtty yoNEhiRo

Kagawa’s fourteen ladies were excited to be here and couldn’t wait to go shopping and eat hamburgers.

KA‘ohANA StAff

WCC counselor Sarah Hodell helps students find fufilling careers.

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4 CAMPUS NEWSKa ‘Ohana

Every good event has a good planner. For WCC, the student senate is

that planner. They benefit all students on campus.

Located in Hale ‘Ākoakoa Room 203, the group consists of a president, vice president, a student activity coordinator and nine senators. According to senator Taylor Cook, “We want to raise awareness for the students about what is going on around campus.”

One of the top priorities is the security of students. Due to budget cuts, use of the cart by the security guards was discontinued.

A letter was sent to WCC Chancellor, Angela Meixell, from the student government, voicing their concerns about campus safety.

As a result of that let-

ter, the cart was returned to security for use. President Casey-Blu Judd said, “With the help of security and the school administration, we can make our campus a safer place.”

Also on the agenda are social events, such as the re-cent Sushi Munchies. They find that where the food is, students will gather.

Judd said, “Be aware of the upcoming events and keep your eyes open for fliers.” Events include Munchies Day on March 19 and The Great Easter Egg Hunt on April 9.

“There will be a scavenger hunt and an Easter bunny dur-ing lunchtime,” he added.

With all the planning for events, student govern-ment needs help. Six sen-ate seats and two executive positions are vacant.

Judd said senate nomi-nation forms for next year’s student government will

Mysterious boxes have been popping up all

over campus. They’re part of a combined effort between WCC and the Hawai‘i Food Bank.

As the economic crisis increases, so does the threat of hunger, especially in the country’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.

The Hawai‘i Food Bank serves 131,862 people every year. This year is no exception and they need you.

Through the Second An-nual Poi to the World Food Drive, they hope to collect both food and financial dona-tions.

What can a student do? Donate a food item or two to any collection box on campus. Monetary donations are also accepted.

Ann Lemke, food drive coordinator, said, “If you want to make a financial contribu-tion, you can go online to the Hawaii Food Bank website, but be sure to indicate that you are with WCC.

“For every $10 donation, the Food Bank is able to pro-vide 25 meals to hungry peo-ple in need.”

WCC student Janet Peralta added, “Every donation, large or small, is the greatest gift anyone could possibly give.” For more information, contact Lemke at 235-7448 or www.hawaiifoodbank.org.

be available March 2. The deadline to apply is April 3. Election will take place April

13 to 24. For details, call the student government office at 235–7390 or visit Hale

‘Ākoakoa Room 232. “Stu-dents can support the events by participating,” said Judd.

These are difficult times, but many agree our country

would be a very different place had Abraham Lincoln not been elected in 1861. “Honest Abe’s” strength of character and political mo-rality provided an enduring legacy that Americans enjoy today.

It also provided inspiration for student Elevila Thompson’s winning poster on the theme “Abraham Lincoln: A Man of His Time, A Man for All Times” for a contest sponsored by the WCC library.

Her research included reading both the Emancipa-tion Proclamation and Get-

MIDI sequencing, digital mastering effects, digi-

tal audio recording, digital audio editing — it all sounds complicated, right? Well, for the students of Renee Arakaki’s MUS 241 class, it’s child’s play.

Kapiolani Community College’s New Media Arts (NMA) program has invited WCC’s MUS 241 class to dem-onstrate their skills by com-posing the musical score and providing the sound effects for their current animation project, “Ion.”

It’s a three-minute anime short “about an energy-hun-

gry robot who wants to drain the lives of four batteries,” said Mark Lum, co-director and NMA student.

Instructor Joey Tremonti also revealed that the project would be their first animation done in high-definition (HD), which can be burnt to Blu-ray.

A meeting between the sister schools via SKYPE on Feb. 23 allowed MUS 241 to go to the drawing board and collaborate with NMA to voice ideas and expectations for the project.

MUS 241 students were asked to capture an industrial, dark ambiance that would suit the various chase scenes and convey the characters and their personalities, an

b y S u s a n I k a k o u l aKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Student government makes things happen

SUSAN IkAkoUlA

President Casey-Blu Judd (back left) meets with student senators Makaha’a Wolfgramm, Joe Lichota, Aron Rogerson, Carly Yong, Michael Ann Fellezs and Shivanni Stephenson at Hale ‘Akoakoa 203.

Poi to the World

b y S u s a n I k a k o u l aKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Abraham Lincoln inspires Thompson

tysburg Address. This helped her choose visual statements to

b y T h e r e s a W o r d e nKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

ThErESA WordEN

connect events of the past with Lincoln’s legacy of freedom and equality.

“I learned a lot through this process,” said Thompson. “So much of what he wrote is relevant to us today and very relevant to our current president.”

The poster includes draw-ings of Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Barack Obama set against plantation fields and battlegrounds.

Long-time friend of WCC’s library, Kawika Sakai, gener-ously provided prize money for the contest. A copy of Thompson’s poster will also be on display at the Ala Moana Barnes & Noble.

Community supporter Kawika Sakai and contest winner Elevila Thompson.

Music 241 collaborates and creates for anime shortb y B u n n y Yu t a k a

Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

undertaking fit for those of intermediate skill.

“This is going to be a lot of fun,” said MUS 241 student Joel Kurosaki.

“We’re looking forward to the final product,” said Arakaki. MUS 241 plans to have their contribution done by mid-March.

The talent behind the musical score and sound effects of project “Ion.” ThErESA WordEN

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CAMPUS NEWS 5Ka ‘Ohana

WCC math instructor Jody Storm admits she was a very independent teenager.

Growing up as the youngest of three in a poor home, she wanted something more. “I wanted to work and earn money,” she said.

Although she dropped out of school in the 9th grade at Kalaheo Hillside School, she said she wasn’t a bad k id. “I just didn’t go to school.” Even her mother agreed with her decision to leave school.

Dropping out seemed fine at the time, but she later realized she had to go back.

“Kids tend to not know conse-quences,” she said. Even though Storm didn’t like going to school, going back for her GED and con-tinuing on to college opened a new world for Storm.

“If you have a reason, you’ll do it,” she said.

Today Storm is opening new worlds for her own students. Her Algebra 24 and 25 courses are the prerequisites for more advanced math courses required for an as-sociate degree.

Ironically, a few years ago she started out taking secretarial class-es, but after taking Math 22, she realized she was a “math person.”

She enjoyed the concepts and decided to continue on in the field, leading her to her current career.

Her teaching is a far cry from the minimum wage jobs she had in Waikīkī restaurants.

She was 17 when she earned and saved enough money to move to San

Francisco, California, then Hunting-ton Beach in Orange County, where she stayed for 15 years.

“I had so much freedom in Cali-fornia; I was able to do whatever I wanted.”

But although she had the free-dom, she realized she didn’t have any skills. Storm worked in retail stores as a sales clerk and in fast food restaurants.

“After doing it for so long you realize, gosh, I’m not going any-where.” She knew then she wanted to go back to school.

Soon after her divorce, Storm

When Alisa Sheriff enrolled in a subject certificate program at

WCC in spring 2007, she had no idea how far it would take her.

In February 2009, it took her all the way to the Third Scientific Conference on Andean Orchids in Quito, Ecuador, where she presented a poster showing research done at WCC.

Sheriff is a recent WCC graduate and received an Academic Subject Cer-tificate for Bio-resources & Technology in Plant Biotechnology.

“My research is a continuation of bio-tech students before me that have already moved on to Mānoa or even graduated already,” she said.

“Basically, the research involved taking a novelty hybrid orchid, Bras-solaeliocattleya (Blc.) and transforming its genetic code to make it resistant to a widespread orchid virus, Cymbidium Mosaic Virus (CyMV).”

Although there is currently no cure for the virus, “this research has the potential to eliminate losses caused by CyMV and may aid in the protec-

Instructor weathers life’s storms b y D i o n n e R o s sKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

DioNNE RoSS

WCC math instructor Jody Storm has come a long way in her quest for knowledge.

found out she was pregnant. She would soon be a single parent so she thought moving back to Hawai‘i near her family would be best.

Storm graduated from WCC with an associate’s degree in liberal arts in 1998.

Up until attending WCC, she said she had no mentors through her educational experience.

Here she finally found one in history instructor Paul Field. She said she liked him because he was organized and clear on what he expects of students.

“I had instructors (during her

school years) who were brilliant, but not good teachers.”

The instructors had knowledge that she wanted to learn but “they didn’t explain things where students under-stood.”

She said Field, on the other hand, did a wonderful job explaining the les-sons. He “gives you what you need,” she added.

Field’s animated and engaging teaching style helped influence Storm in her own career.

“She has the ability and the patience to break down challenging problems. Her enthusiasm for math is inspiring and contagious, ” said Rebecca Braun, one of Storm’s students.

Storm always encourages students to stay after class for help. “Asking for help is the most important thing I learned in school,” Storm explained.

“Successful students ask questions when they don’t understand a concept,”she said.

She compared math to a ladder. “In order to understand a new concept, you need to grasp all that came before.”

Storm often has students with math phobias. To help them deal with it, she gives them more information and be-lieves “the more information a student has, the better prepared they will be, especially for testing.”

A high stress area for many students is exams. “Being prepared gives them confidence and they will do well,” she said.

One of Storm’s proudest accomplish-ments in her life is having her daughter and obtaining her master’s degree in mathematics in 2008 from UH-Mānoa.

Looking back on how far she has come, Storm feels she is content with her life.

WCC graduate presents at orchid conferenceb y To r i L a n g l e yKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

tion and survival of rare species,” said Sheriff.

WCC botany professor and co-ordinator of the plant biotechnology program, Dr. Inge White believes this research could have a positive impact on Hawai‘i’s orchid industry.

“The orchid is still the number one economic commodity for Hawai‘i compared to many of the other orna-mental businesses,” said White. You can imagine if the orchid economy were wiped out completely, we’d lose income.

“This is a good way to help the orchid growers and hopefully this technique can help people from other countries in preserving their orchid species from potential CyMV infec-tion.”

The orchid conference featured oral and poster presentations and an orchid show. “I was one of two undergraduate students presenting among mostly post-doc researchers,” said Sheriff.

“Initially, I was terrified of this situation, but the people I met there from literally all over the world were very supportive and gave me great

insight and advice for my research and my educational future in gen-eral.”

Community col lege and ad-vanced research are not always as-sociated with one another. “Some were surprised that I was an un-dergraduate,” said Sheriff. “Even more so when they saw the level of

CoURtESy iNgE WhitE

(From left) Alisa Sheriff, Dr. Robert Dressler, and Dr. Inge White at Orchid Expo.

research being carried out at WCC, as presented by my poster.”

Dr. White strives to prepare her students for higher levels of education.

“I believe, although my students are undergraduate students, they have to be able to compete once they go up to higher degree institutions,” said White.

“If they are not exposed to re-search work, by the time they reach the higher institutions they will be left behind.”

Through an independent study (BOT 199, 299) the student can select the project they are most interested in, and pursue the research from there.

Sheriff is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochem-istry at HPU, cultivating the seed that was planted at WCC over two years ago.

“I really owe this whole experience first and foremost to Dr. White’s USDA - CSREES grant for funding my research and trip to Ecuador,” said Sheriff.

“I think that the biotechnology program at WCC is truly unmatched, and any student considering a science degree should definitely look into it.”

Ever wonder what teachers do when they’re not teaching? Whether it’s on the weekends or over spring break,

here’s how some of WCC’s faculty spend their time when they’re not grading papers.

Clayton AkatsukaMath

Clayton Akatsuka is used to having his hands full. He’s a recently retired Boy Scout troop assistant scoutmaster of his youngest son’s Shark Patrol, and the current Problem Selector for the Oahu Mathematics League for almost 20 years.

He also has 25 years of ex-perience breeding, training and showing award-winning Ameri-can cocker spaniels. In addition, he has helped implement an all-school science fair curriculum at Pauoa Elementary School.

Clayton currently enjoys running 5K races (including the Great Aloha Run) with his younger son. For this spring break, he has plans to go to To-kyo and visit his older son.

Toshi IkagawaMeteorology/Geography

An all-around family man, Toshi spends his afternoons picking up his daughters from school, shopping for groceries and catching up on school-work, or having a beer and reading a Japanese book/DVD.

Over the weekends and longer breaks, he revises future course materi-als and does house maintenance projects such as maintaining the pool, mowing the lawn, and repairing the roof.

This spring break he has plans to trim two tall pink tecoma trees and get a safety check for his run-down truck. But he admits, “I’d rather be in a clean mountain trout stream in Washington with my old fly rod.”

Malia Lau KongHistory

Malia Lau Kong grew up on the Big Island and enjoys sewing, mak-ing her own clothes and reading sci-fi/suspense/adventure books.

On the weekends she likes to run, go to the beach or go see a “Doomsday”-type movie such as “I am Legend.” For the next three Sat-urdays she will be helping to judge History Day fairs for local interme-diate and high schools.

Over longer breaks, she usually goes to visit her parents on the Big Island. This spring break she will use the extra time to catch up on grading.

Sarah HadmackReligion

Sarah Hadmack enjoys doing many things in her free time. She and her hus-band go to the beach or on a hike every weekend. She also does gymnastics twice a week and takes two classes at UH.

She says she also loves reading classic novels, drawing, and writing poems.

Over breaks, she and her husband do a lot of traveling. They will be going to parts of Asia this summer, and she will also be meeting with some students in In-dia who will be participating in the Inter-national Summer School for Jain Studies.

This spring break her best friend is coming to visit and they are going to the Big Island to see the volcano and go star-gazing on Mauna Kea.

Lance Uyeda English

For Lance Uyeda, a good day begins with a runny omelet, French bread toast and coffee.

Following breakfast is — no surprise — writ-ing. Dim sum for lunch, quality conversation, a good movie and a magical teleportation to Music at Smalls in New York City would complete his perfect day.

Sadly for him, spring break will have little time for kicking back as he will be working most of the week.

Lance lists Charles Mingus, Nina Simone, The National, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Beirut, Radio-head, and Goldberg Variations among the music he has been recently “obsessed” with.

He also admits to being a part-time filmmaker and something of a handyman with a list of home improvement projects.

Ben MoffatDrama

The drama doesn’t stop when WCC theatre professor Ben Moffat leaves campus at the end of the day. “I work on shows and I do my own work — creating shows or rehearsing them or performing them.”

When not doing theatre-related produc-tions, Ben stays active. “I do a lot of hiking,” he said. “I also do gymnastics and tai chi and take dance classes when I have time.”

Kathleen French Sociology

When WCC sociology profes-sor Kathleen French isn’t running around campus, she’s running.

“I run a lot, about eight miles a day,” she said. Another part of her daily routine is playing the guitar. She actually taught guitar before she started teaching sociology. “I’ve been playing since I was 9,” she explained.

Kathleen also gives back to the community. “I’m a guardian ad litem,” she said. “That’s a big part of my life.” Family courts often ap-point guardian ad litems to protect the interests of foster children or at-risk youth.

For spring break, Kathleen plans to play tourist with some friends flying in from California.

Paul FieldHistory

WCC history professor Paul Field is a man of many talents. When he’s not sing-ing tenor in the Symphony Chorus, he’s conducting a junior handbell choir.

“I’ve been playing handbells for about 10 years or so and conducting for about five,” he said.

Paul is also an avid bird watcher. “My wife and I, when we go to the mainland, always put in a spot where we haven’t been bird watching before,” he explained.

“I think we’ve now seen over 400 spe-cies of birds on the mainland and here.”

For spring break, he and his wife might go to Maui to camp and do some bird watching, “Basically, just get away for about a week,” he said.

“I like to travel and I haven’t been off-island in a while, so Maui may be in my spring break future.”

Ross LangstonBiology

For spring break, I will be traveling to Maui with Ken Longenecker, a WCC lecturer, to study the fish populations there. The purpose of our work is to study the growth and reproductive ecology of the Golden Ring Surgeonfish (kole).

Ultimately, the information we gather will be used to evaluate current fishing regulations for this species, to see if further regulation is necessary.

We may also be training for a deep-diving trip to Papua New Guinea scheduled for summer break.

The equipment we use enables us to dive for three to four hours without surfacing. This is great from a produc-tivity standpoint, but it also means we get very cold during the dive.

The solution? Drink a lot of coffee the morning before the dive. That way you will be able to warm up your wet-suit when nature calls.

Young-a ChoiMath

Painting, going to the beach, eating at new restau-rants (her favorite food is Indian curry) and shopping at thrift stores are some of the things math teacher Young-a Choi likes to do in her spare time.

She said she likes to travel during longer vacations and will be visiting her brother in Boston during spring break.

tttttttttttttttttTEACHERS AFTER HOURS

Pamela DaGrossaAnthropology

Despite what you may believe, anthropology teacher Pam DaGrossa doesn’t drag her bag of skulls around everywhere she goes.

When not on campus, Pam seems to be involved in just about everything, and she defines what it means to be caring and nurturing.

She is a volunteer guardian ad litem. As a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advo-cate) she is a voice for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courts. The result is that a child is placed into a safe, loving home.

Pam also volunteers every Wednesday at the Hawaiian Humane Society as an ani-mal behavior consultant, helping owners understand why their pets do what they do.

As if she doesn’t do enough, Pam is very involved with the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and is currently the education committee chair, meeting once a month or more.

With all this on her plate, she still finds time to take care of her home in Kailua, go hiking with her husband and friends and even attend auto body repair classes in Kāne‘ohe.

A CDHXY B

Tori Langley, Darriel Miller, Arlena Nunes, Susan Ikakoula and Patrick Hascall

Page layout Patrick Hascall

STORIES BY

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Arts & Entertainment8 Ka ‘Ohana

Ke Kumu Pali presented the first of a four-part “Talk Story” series

on Feb. 19, featuring one of Hawai‘i’s most influential musicians, Cyril Pahinui.

In the intimate setting of Palikū Theatre with music Professor Ron Loo as host, Pa-hinui demonstrated slack key guitar and talked story about his life and his music.

He follows in the footsteps of his father, the late Gabby Pahinui who was a slack key master and a great influence on the resurgence of Hawai-ian music.

Born April 21, 1950 and raised in Waimānalo, he was

It’s the first Friday of the month and swarms of peo-

ple gather on street corners and around store entrances.

As the sun sinks and the night begins, the crowds con-tinue to thicken. While China-town seems an unlikely place for art exhibition, hundreds gather here once a month for First Friday, a town-wide cel-ebration of the arts.

The Art Board, an eclec-tic art gallery across the street from Marks Garage on Nu’uanu Avenue, serves as the entrance into a small, intimate gallery known as Pygoya Gallery.

As people view the art on display, Rodney E.J. Chang, the featured artist and owner of the gallery, sits inconspicu-ously in the corner. During the work day, he’s Dr. Chang, your friendly neighborhood dentist.

But Rodney Chang is much more than a doctor of dental surgery.

Chang’s journey into art began in the rocky first days of his public school educa-tion. He explains, “You learn to stop daydreaming in first grade. I struggled with num-bers and letters, but when you put those jars of paint in front of me, it was like a fish coming to water. So I had no choice but to do this.”

The final shove into the art world came by way of a bully. One day, Chang had the misfortune of having to wear his sister’s red raincoat to Chinese lessons in China-town – not acceptable for a boy

in the second grade. On top of this, he was scrawny, making a perfect target for bullies.

After having his lunch money demanded of him and his head repeatedly slammed into a flag pole, Chang was ready for other options.

When a one-eyed wom-an offered music lessons to him and his brother, he had no hesitation choosing music over Chinese lessons. Thus began his career in creativity.

Like many others, the ‘60s for Chang meant rock and rol l. A part of a lo-cal seven-man rock band known as the Harmonics, he once played for a crowd of 9,000 at the Waikīkī Shell. The group was completed by a devoted horde of 30 obsessed female fans known as the Harmonelles.

With the ‘70s came disco, and on Friday nights Chang transformed the wait ing room of his dentist office into a night club featuring a disco jockey and a live radio broadcast.

In 1979, he was featured on NBC’s Real People, where the combination of his den-tistry skills and his passion for disco dancing led to the nickname “Disco Dentist.”

Some say Chang can still be spotted dancing Saturday nights away at Rumours Night Club in Honolulu.

However, music and dance were not to be his only creative outlets. In 1985, a time when personal computers were a rarity, Chang ventured into the world of computer-generated art.

Pahinui talks storyb y E r i c K a n e

Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

learning slack key at the age of 7 and first performed on stage when he was 12. His lat-est CD “He‘eia” won the Na Hōkū Hanohano Award for “Island Music of the Year” and was nominated for a Grammy.

He said he is going to be 59 this month and, as a kupuna in the vanguard of Hawaiian music, he feels it’s his time to share with students his art and the wisdom gleaned from his journey along the way.

In the old days, the “secret” stayed within the family.

“Today it is my secret to tell, because if I don’t tell any-body, this secret will go down with me,” said Pahinui. He is planning to travel less and focus on teaching slack key and perpetuating the Hawai-

ian culture.Other events in the Talk

Story series will be in the Palikū Theatre on the third Friday each month from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

• March 19 - Barry Kimo-kea will be the featured artist demonstrating his versatility on the guitar. He was with the group Pilohana and now he plays with the Mākaha Sons.

• April 16 - Eddie Palama grew up in Papakōlea and car-ries on his father’s unique style of steel guitar.

•May 14 - Jerry Santos, guitar player, singer and song-writer, formally of the group Olomana, will be demonstrat-ing his unique musical style, blending Hawaiian music with contemporary rhythms.

If you missed slack key master Cyril Pahinui’s appearance at WCC, you can view a short video clip at KaOhanaOnline.org.

Chang brings creativity to First Friday Art Nightb y A r l e n a N u n e sKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

His fellow fine artists looked down on the practice at first and wondered why Chang, who received a mas-ter’s degree in Studio Art at Northern Illinois University, didn’t as well. Because he was “pushing buttons and not a brush,” some even claimed that he was not a real artist.

But despite this initial lack of enthusiasm from the art community, Chang pressed on and continues today to rely heavily on com-puters to create his out-of-the-ordinary works of art. He has been featured in museums around the globe: New York, Shanghai, Estonia, Las Vegas, and Vienna among others.

To bring all of his creative thoughts and ideas together, Chang decided to try his hand at writing. In his unique fashion, he opted out of jour-nalism and instead chose to pursue his love for sci-fi.

Chang has written three novels to date, with topics ranging from ancient Hawai-

ian culture and art to Roswell and the Salem witch hunts. He also has an upcoming book en-titled “The Artist Who Thinks Too Much.”

Chang is one of many col-orful artists featured during First Friday exhibitions. He is living proof of the success of Chinatown’s First Friday,

which was pioneered with the intention to spruce up the atmosphere of a once-seedy neighborhood.

In a section of town where the only deals done used to be illegal ones, First Friday Art Nights have begun a move-ment towards a cleaner and more inspiring Chinatown.

RodneyChang’s careerin art spans mediums and decades.

ARLENA NUNES

ARLENA NUNES

Flake. “But when you get down to the city level, it’s chock-full of pork.”

No earmarks in the bill means members of Congress were unable to acquire a “spe-cific” amount of money for special projects, which are often called “pork” in big spending bills.

Even without earmarks, Flake says the bill is made of bacon — and not because of the Obama administration.

“It’s gone through the congressional Democrats,”

said Flake. “It’s basically a grab bag

for every program that they’ve wanted to see funded for years.”

Briggs agrees that the bill has staggering amounts of questionable spending, but he adds that one person’s pork is usually somebody else’s job.

“Pork barrel is in the eyes of the beholder,” he said.

“One argument is, if you spend money on digging a hole and then filling it back up again, that money is going

into the economy and adding to economic activity.”

According to Briggs, there are two choices with the na-tion’s economy: Let it play out, or throw money at it and hope the problem goes away.

“I think we need to ‘bite the bullet,’ have the banks and car companies go under and then we can build from there,” said Briggs, sighing.

“But, if you do that, a lot of people will be losing their jobs — but the issue is that may happen anyway.”

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Sports & Entertainment 9Ka ‘Ohana

Recent reports of major league baseball stars taking performance-

enhancing drugs puts “Amer-ica’s pastime” in a pickle. It received another black eye for what is now known as “the steroid era.”

MLB star Alex Rodriguez came clean in an interview with Peter Gammons on ESPN after a Sports Illustrated re-port said that Rodriguez was one of the 104 players listed on a failed banned substance tests.

Rodriguez admitted when he arrived in Texas in 2001, “I felt an enormous amount of pressure… I needed to per-form, and perform at a high level every day.

“I was young, I was stu-pid, I was naive and I wanted to show everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez, who is the highest paid player in base-ball history, read a statement during his press conference in Florida in which he apolo-gized to his teammates and to baseball fans for his actions

ace Roy Oswalt spoke out about the confessions from Alex Rodriguez.

In a phone interview with MLB.com, Oswalt said, “The guys that have been proven guilty, their numbers shouldn’t count.”

Two separate record books is something Oswalt would like to see, one for clean play-

Inside a small building off Auahi Street, they dance salsa

every Saturday night. Do an unconscious drive-by and you just might miss out on this hap-pening party.

The Dream to Dance studio has been hosting Saturday salsa nights for the last five years from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. For the nominal fee of $5, you get a 30-minute lesson first and then an all-access pass to dance the night away.

Debbie Borges Barboza is both owner of the studio and hostess for these parties. Dream to Dance has been around since 1991, offering lessons in a vari-ety of ballroom and Latin styles. In 1998, Debbie decided to add salsa to the schedule to spice things up.

She says, “Interest in salsa has been steady. The music has a lot of energy. It gives you a good feeling.”

Since then, Barboza has acquired quite a following. Averaging about 70 people ev-ery weekend, the club attracts regulars, newcomers and even out-of-towners.

Carlos Gonzalez, an avid

Steroid use causes major controversyb y B a r o n H a s h i m o t o

Ka ‘Ohana Staff Writer

taking a banned substance during the 2001-2003 seasons when he was with the Texas Rangers.

Players and owners in MLB didn’t agree to a joint drug program until August 2002 and testing and punish-ment did not start until 2004.

Rodriguez tested positive for testosterone, an anabolic steroid called Primobolan. Ro-driguez stated that he, along with his cousin, injected each other with a drug they bought over the counter that’s known on the streets as “boli.”

Rodriguez took it twice a month for six months, even with no clear instructions on how to use the item.

Rodriguez was one of the last “clean” superstars of the late ‘90s and early 2000. Other big names of this era such as Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Sammie Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro and Roger Clemens were all dominant players and have all been accused of or found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs.

The performance enhanc-ing-drugs done by these ath-letes have had an effect on all players and have some feeling like they’ve been cheated.

Houston Astros pitching

ers and one for those who used those drugs.

Oswalt said about Ro-driguez, “The few times we played them, when he got hits, it could have cost me a game, it could have cost me money in my contract. He cheated me out of the game, and I take it personally because I’ve never done PEDs, haven’t done it

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is the latest athlete to admit using performance- enhancing drugs.

and their cheating me out of the game.”

Oswalt feels that he will forever be marked as a player in the steroid era.

This entire situation is not the fault of Alex Rodriguez or the players, some fans say.The MLB commissioner and the players association let this whole situation blow up more than it should have by taking so long to start testing.

At the time, Rodriguez didn’t break any rules taking those drugs and wasn’t going to be punished for any failed tests.

Where he did go wrong is that he wasn’t an honest athlete and looked for an un-fair advantage to build on his already incredible talents to earn his millions.

The sad thing is you have to wonder how “sorry” these stars that were caught actually feel. They’ve already made their millions which they earned unfairly.

Also the message these athletes using performance-enhancing drugs are sending to some young athletes is the wrong one — that old-fash-ioned hard work isn’t the way to go. If you can cheat and get away with it, do it.

Studio spices up Saturdays with salsa nightsb y L a n c e S a b a d o

Ka ‘Ohana Staff Writer

salsa dancer originally from New York, attends these parties whenever possible. He says of Barboza, “I liked her from the start. I support her in any way I can.”

Dawn Higa, another dancer and close friend of Barboza adds, “She’s a very kind-hearted person. She attracts a large range of people.”

But it’s not only about the people. The atmosphere is more than fit for a party. The room

is sensually lit with neon light fixtures, Asian-style lanterns and an iridescent chandelier. Also, surrounding the studio are comfy chairs and leather couches.

To top it all off, situated in a small part of the room is a live DJ and turntable, playing what Higa calls, “some of the best Latin music.”

For Barboza, it’s more about the dancing than creating a club-like atmosphere. Unlike

the salsa dance offered at some local nightclubs, there are no alcoholic beverages served at this party.

Gonzalez says, “Most of the salsa dancers don’t drink too much. I feel comfortable here—more like a family atmosphere.”

What’s more is that the party is open to all ages and all levels. “It’s a melting pot for ability, nationality and age,” says Higa.

Ultimately, Barboza says

Emiil ESpiritu

Debbie Borges Barboza and friend dance the night away at the Dream to Dance studio in Honolulu.

she’ll keep the salsa parties go-ing for “as long as people keep dancing.” With the kind of sup-port she has developed, she and salsa will be spicing things up for a very long time.

St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, honors the patron saint of Ireland. It’s known for spirited parades, drinking beer and wearing green.

St. Patrick was known as very successful in converting Irish pagans to Christian-ity. He also established many monasteries, schools and churches across the country.

A common legend about St. Patrick is that he gave a sermon that chased all the snakes out of Ireland, although there was no documentation of snakes living there.

It is said that he used a three-leaved shamrock as a metaphor to explain the Trin-ity. It represented how the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity.

The history of St. Patrick’s Day

b y D a r r i e l M i l l e rKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

WikipEdia

Community News10W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

Ka ‘OhanaM a r c h 2 0 0 9

When Diane Lee had the chance to leave Castle High School to

teach English at a private school, she found herself in a bind: career ad-vancement or loyalty to her students?

Then a student who flunked her class wrote, “Students need teachers like you.” Lee’s selflessness prevailed; she decided Castle was where she belonged.

Lee knows this now, more than ever. She’s become iconic at Castle and in the Windward community for her ability to produce students with outstanding reading and writing skills. More than that, she’s been known to teach students about life.

“Most teachers are concerned with fulfilling requirements,” declares Ashley Duarte-Smith, Lee’s student. “She’s more concerned with you un-derstanding.”

But neither English nor Castle was in the picture at the start of her teaching. In fact, Lee initially got her bachelor’s in industrial arts. She taught that at Moanalua High School for two years, then for one week at Roosevelt. When Lee realized that she “felt like a fraud,” she decided to go back to school.

Lee rethought her career path and earned a bachelor’s degree in English. After that, she was offered an English teaching position at King Intermediate. Little did she know the decision would influence the rest of her life.

“Promise me you won’t quit,” said Cynthia Chun, the principal at King Intermediate. Rumor had it the students were such rascals that they placed bets on how long the new teacher would last. Not only did Lee last for six years, but she also made an enduring impression.

So much so, a former student asked that she apply for a position teaching English to seniors at Castle High School. Lee did and got the job.

Today, Castle is like home to her. “I really do belong here,” she stresses.

Her classroom reflects this home-like feel. The walls are lined with a multitude of senior portraits that con-tain messages of gratitude. Scattered throughout are homemade crafts that show off Diane’s creative skills.

Then, of course, there is the couch in the back that comforts and sometimes quarantines sick and tired students.

Nevertheless, the environment is still conducive to learning. At the very top of a bulletin board is a sign that reads “complexity,” to remind students to challenge themselves.

As for Lee her-self, being a vet-eran of the Hawai‘i public school sys-tem hasn’t seemed to age her one bit. With her bright eyes, slender frame and smooth skin, she could easily pass for a previous Miss Narcissus.

However, she does have a few gray bangs to show for her time and dedication to students. She jokes, “You have to call me Ms. Deville from now on.”

All joking aside though, Lee is serious about her teaching. She is not afraid to “frustrate” her students or go to extreme lengths to reinforce their understanding.

Duarte-Smith describes an in-cident where Lee brought the class to tears by constructively criticizing the way people think nowadays. She says that it took the class out of its comfort zone.

Still, Lee is humble about her success. She says, “I know all the students I failed with. I’m still try-ing to figure out how to teach. I still

From alcohol to drugs to gangs to prison – Howard Kahue, a leader at Rebuilders Addictions Minis-

try (RAM), has been through it all.At first glance, you might not guess

that Kahue, a deacon at Windward Baptist Church in Kahalu‘u and a role model for the men at RAM, came from a nightmare of a past.

His past gives him credibility with more than 35 male clients who are part of the program. RAM, a faith-based program, houses men who struggle with any type of addiction.

Pastor Kevin Akana said he started the program to help people overcome their addiction through faith in Jesus Christ. The program provides a place to live, supervision, a positive atmosphere and work for the men.

It is free, and one can literally walk in off the street and join the program that same day. Men who struggle with addictions and are open-minded to the Biblical perspective of RAM qualify for the program.

Kahue leads the men by example and encourages them through faith to stay sober. He believes that if God can change him, then He can change anybody.

Kahue began his downward spiral at age nineteen. A family member of-fered him crystal methamphetamine, “ice,” at a party.

“From the first time I tried it, I was hooked,” he said, referring to the strength of the addiction. “I would put

my life on the line for drugs any day of the week.”

Kahue’s life of drugs led him into gangs and crime. The gang he joined taught him how to steal from stores, get through alarm systems and burglarize homes without being detected. He also witnessed his best friend being shot

and killed by a rival gang member.After leaving the gang, he went

into treatment because none of his family members wanted to take him in.

Kahue went through 14 different programs and detoxified from drugs 44 times. However, he continued in his drug abuse. Depending on the stages of his life, his drug of choice ranged from crank and crack cocaine to shooting up heroin and ice with needles.

For about a year and a half he injected ice daily. “I don’t hardly re-member anything from that time,” he

said. “I was shooting up ice badly. I don’t even know how I’m still alive.”

At the end of that period, he robbed a restaurant and held the manager hos-tage. He went to prison, where he was facing a 20-year sentence.

Since the victim died while Ka-hue was in prison, the charges were

dropped and h e wa s r e -leased.

When he came out of prison he met Jodi, his wife. As they got to know each other, she in-spired him to quit drugs. “I felt that I final-ly found some-thing that was more impor-t a nt t o m e than drugs,”

he said.Kahue then went into Hina Mauka,

a drug rehab program, and was clean and sober for over a year. He became a leader and example for others, but he didn’t have God in his life.

A year later, he drank and did drugs for three months straight. “I started doing criminal activities again,” Kahue said. He said that Jodi stayed with him throughout everything. She gave him money so he wouldn’t steal from other people.

“I depleted Jodi’s account of

Lives transformed in Kahalu‘ub y T i a r a K a a w a

Ka ‘Ohana Writer

$20,000. I used to call her to tell her that I pawned her jewelry. Then she’d buy back her jewelry from the pawn shop.”

Kahue heard about RAM from a friend and decided to try it. He stayed in the program for five hours and left. However, he went back a couple of days later and stayed.

When he came into the program, Pastor Akana said, “I knew from the first time I met Howard that there was something special about him. I saw his potential, his heart and his desire.”

Kahue said that Pastor Akana made the difference between RAM and the other programs. Akana took Kahue with him wherever he went. Kahue watched Akana’s life and was inspired to change.

“He had an inner strength that wasn’t violent or threatening, but lov-ing. He had a love for the Lord that I didn’t understand. I wanted that,” Kahue said.

About a week after joining RAM, Kahue put his faith in Jesus Christ. “It was a drastic change for me, “he said.

His values took a sharp turn as well.

“So many things mattered to me before that had to do with drugs and a standard of living. I got all the drugs and all the girls and all the whatever,” Kahue explained.

“Now the only thing that really matters to me is what the Lord, my wife, and my peers think of me.”

RAM has a session for both men and women from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Windward Baptist Church. For details, call 239-6917.

Diane Lee teaches and inspires

haven’t figured it out.”She attributes some of this difficul-

ty to today’s technology. She explains, “Technology makes teaching harder. Students have problems being inter-ested. They think more shallowly.”

Nevertheless, Lee’s students have nothing but good things to say about her. “She doesn’t beat around the bush. She makes us listen,” asserts Mitchell Lum.

As it happens though, Lee’s life can be described by her most beloved Shakespearean quote, “One who loved not wisely but too well.” She has put her students first and everyone else, including herself, second.

She emphasizes, “You love what you do. You love your students.”

Howard Kahue holding a RAM certificate, with Pastor Kevin Akana.

b y L a n c e S a b a d oKa ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

Tiara Kaawa

Castle High School English teacherDiane Lee puts students first in her classroom.

LaNCe Sabado

M a r c h 2 0 0 9

W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

Editorial 11Ka ‘Ohana

I have not lost my job but a bunch of my dad’s co-workers have. The company has been making cutbacks.

These people were work-ing there for a long time — one of them for 40 years.

I am not in school due to the economy. I am in school to broaden my education and get a job that can help me if some-thing like this happens again.

–Josh Campbell

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How has the economic downturn affected you?

It certainly has affected my attitude toward money. I realize now that every

penny counts. I question every purchase and decide if I could live without it. I ask myself if that item is worth the expense. I definitely do not spend as freely as I used too. I was laid off of my job back in December, and even though I collect unemployment (which helps tremendously), I still do not make as much as I used to. I pay for medical and den-tal insurance out of the un-employment benefits, which takes a big chunk out of my check, but it’s an expense I cannot live without.

It also has affected my values. When you know you have to watch your spending and you do not have a job, you tend to find things to do that do not require money, but your focus turns inward.

Intrinsic values and re-wards, as well as family and relationships, become more important. And do you know that these are more rewarding than going out and spending $100 on a new outfit?

People get so caught up in making more money, buying big houses they really cannot afford, (which we see where that has lead our economy), and maxing out credit cards. We have become a society of “material things,” in which we have sought validation, comfort and rewards. We must stop the insanity!

I think the positive thing that will come out of this whole mess is people will realize money is not the most important part to life.

I think they will realize that we can live without all the trappings of success and not go in debt to do it.

They will rethink their budgets, live on a need basis and discover within them-selves and others attributes that that they have not seen come to the surface in quite awhile, if it had not been for this downturn.

I know that this is how it is affecting me. In this manner, I can only hope this is how it is affecting others.

WCC student Carol Henry

Working construction during these times can be hard. The economic downturn affected me a lot. There are a few jobs where we still await payment. The problem is that these clients need to wait for the bank to get them the loan, and as of right now we have a few waiting for loan approval.

-Lehi Livingston

My dad works as a pri-vate teacher and a number of

his students have quit their lessons because they ran out of money. We’ve always had to watch our money and spend-ing, but now we have to watch it even more closely.

I was already in school before the economic down-turn. Right now, though, I’m wondering if I should shift my study focus. I also wonder what jobs will still be left by the time I enter the work force.

-Daniel Hoffmann

The economy has affected me through work. Hours have been drastically cut to only 120 per week between 20 to 30 people at my store.

–Steph Lichter

Fortunately, I do not know anyone who has lost their job due to the economy. My main reason for being in school is to show my children how impor-tant school is.

–Kelii Alapai

M a r c h 2 0 0 9

W I N D W A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G EMarch/April CalendarS u n d a y M o n d a y T u e s d a y W e d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y F r i d a y S a t u r d a y

9

27

19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 28

29 30 31 1 2 3 4

8 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18

Blood Drive‘Akoakoa 103 & 105

“Virtual Dissection”Common Book Event4:30 - 5:30 p.m. ‘Akoakoa 107 & 109

Heritage Music FestivalPaliku Theatre

“Hinduism and the Cadaver”Common Book Event4:30-5:30 p.m. ‘Akoakoa 105

Women’s History MonthShanah Trevenna4:30-5:30 p.m. ‘Akoakoa 105Barry Kimokea 12:30-1:30 p.m. Paliku Theatre

“Stargazing”7 p.m., Imaginarium

Ka ‘Ohana

“Oceans in Space”7 p.m., Imaginarium

Chamber Music Hawaii7 p.m., Paliku Theatre

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Women’s History MonthJamie Grezbik12:30-1:30 p.m., ‘Akoakoa 105

Women’s History MonthRep. Hermina Morita4:30-5:30 p.m. ‘Akoakoa 105

Women’s History MonthDavianna McGregor4:30-5:30 p.m. ‘Akoakoa 105Transfer WorkshopWCC Graduation Workshop12:40- 1:20 p.m., ‘Akoakoa 201Mar. 17 & 19

Women’s History MonthMindy Jaffe4:30-5:30 p.m. ‘Akoakoa 105

“Stargazing”7 p.m., Imaginarium

Heritage Music FestivalPaliku Theatre

“Sky Pirates”7 p.m., Imaginarium

Last day of Official Withdrawal

Heritage Music FestivalPaliku Theatre

Prince Kuhio Day

Last Day for ASUH-WCC Senate Nominations

“Far Out Spaces”7 p.m., Imaginarium

Alison Brown, Banjo Virtuoso Paliku Theatre

The Great Easter Egg HuntNoon -1:30 p.m., Great Lawn

Good Friday No School

Heritage Music FestivalPaliku Theatre

Heritage Music FestivalPaliku Theatre

“Look Up!”7 p.m., Imaginarium

Windward Hawai‘i Loa CampusPlease R.S.V.P. to the Office of Admissions

by March 19

Saturday, March 28, 9am - 1pm

Try Ka ‘Ohana’s crosswordHere’s a puzzle for you to do between classes and other

work.All the crossword clues are based on stories in this issue of

Ka ‘Ohana. For the answers, go to KaOhanaOnline.org.

Down

2. Hamburgers 3. Intimate gallery 4. Dr. Ingelia White 6. Carved seal material 10. First Friday 11. Government-run rail sytem 12. German gathering place 14. Former Aloha Airlines employee 15. Casey-Blu Judd 17. Hawaiian influential musician 18. Capital city in Ecuador 19. Storm's mentor 21. Earmarks

Spring Break ~ March 23 to 27

Across

1. Three-leaved metaphor 3. Rasmussen 5. Slack key master 7. Intuitive perception 8. Howard Kahue 9. Hybrid orchid 13. $787 billion 14. Addiction 16. Never too ___ for college! 20. __________ Proclamation 22. Type of solar panel