Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Broadcasts of HIKI NO are made possible by the support of viewers like youómahalo. And
by HIKI NO founding underwriter Bank of Hawaii, investing in Hawaiiís future by promoting
collaboration, critical thinking, and other twenty-first century skills through HIKI NO.
And HMSA, helping Hawaiiís youth and their families stay healthy today, tomorrow, and
for generations to come. HMSAótrusted for generations.
Next on HIKI NO, stories from across the island chain.
From Maui, students from Lokelani Intermediate tell the story of a man who is making a splash
in Maui County. Maui Waena Intermediate shows how a modest ukulele store in Wailuku puts
a smile on peopleís faces, while Hana K thru 12 School shows us why their football team
is historic in more ways than one.
On Hawaii Island, students from Kamehameha Schools Hawaii give us an inside view of their
2012 Makahiki.
From Kauai, students from Ke Kula Niihau O Kekaha show us how they are building remotely
operated underwater vehicles.
On Oahu: James Campbell High School explores the reasons behind recent teacher demonstrations
across the State, and Farrington High School shines the spotlight on T-Shirt Theatre, a
spirited drama group that transforms lives.
Also on Oahu, this episode of HIKI NO comes to you from the campus of Maryknoll School,
home of the Spartans.
Thatís next on The Nationís First Statewide Student News Network, HIKI NOÖ
Can do!
Iím Christianne MichaelÖ
Iím Emerald Leong.Ö
Iím Kelsey LewisÖ
And Iím Nicole Choy.
And weíre your hosts for this weekís episode of Ö
HIKI NO!
Maryknoll School is the first and largest K thru 12 coeducational Catholic school in
Hawaii.
It was founded in 1927 by the Maryknoll Sisters, who at that time had already established several
outposts in places such as China and the Philippines.
They hoped to bring a quality Catholic education to what was in another remote area of the
globe.
In 2012, the Sisters celebrated their 100th anniversary as a religious order, and Maryknoll
School celebrated eighty-five years of providing an outstanding Catholic education to young
men and women in Hawaii.
We take you know to the Ewa District of Oahu for a story from James Campbell High School
about demonstrations being held by Hawaii public school teachers across the State.
Theyíve been on the news Ö on the streets Ö and rallying at the Capitol.
[CHEERS/APPLAUSE]
For the past three months, every Thursday, teachers on Oahu have been out waving signs
in neighborhoods around the island.
[CARS HONKING]
But why? What is their point? Well, as it turns out Ö
Teachers in Hawaii actually, if you look at both cost of living and comfort level, are
the worst paid in the nation.
Thatís according to the National Education Association, and itís creating a situation
that teachers like Corey Rosenlee at James Campbell High School in Ewa Beach say is unacceptable.
The beginning teacher in Hawaii can make as little as thirty-three thousand dollars a
year, according to the DOE, enough to qualify them for food stamps if they are married with
a dependent. The median salary was around forty-eight thousand dollars in 2010, before
the increase in healthcare costs. And when adjusted for cost of living, that was only
the equivalent of about thirty thousand dollars, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. And with
the added cost of student loans, teachers are finding themselves having to leave teaching
just to pay the cost of their teaching programs.
Now that Iím out of grad school, my student loans are due. I literally canít afford to
pay them, so Iím already looking at other opportunities that will compensate me for
the degree that I have and the money I put into receive that education.
Iím gonna have to leave teaching, because I simply canít afford to stay in teaching.
I canít afford to pay my student loans with the level of education that I have.
In fact, every five years, fifty-six percent of teachers in Hawaii either leave the State
or the profession, and the students in Hawaii have to make do with the constant rotation
of less experienced teachers. Areas with comparable cost of living, like New York City and Chicago,
pay teachers one and a half to nearly twice as much as what Hawaiiís teachers make.
We contacted representatives from Governor Abercrombieís administration, along with
other State representatives to get their side of the story on this issue, none of whom agreed
to be interviewed.
[CAR HONKING]
Just recently, the Hawaii Teachers Work to the Rules Association, headed by Corey Rosenlee,
held a rally at the State Capitol to try and gain support for a new idea.
[APPLAUSE]
What weíre asking for is something called the Penny for Education Act, and this would
raise the general excise tax by one penny per dollar. And this would bring in five hundred
million dollars, so basically, you could start to fix some of the problems that are really
facing education in Hawaii.
Whether a tax increase is politically feasible in Hawaii is still very much in question,
but thatís a fight these teachers are willing to have for their own survival and for what
they see is the sake of their students. For HIKI NO, Iím Cameron Tyndall.
Weíre here at Maryknoll School on Oahu, in Maryknollís state of the art gymnasium and
community center, which in addition to providing a home court for our student athletes, also
serves as the location of Maryknollís all school masses. Two years ago, Maryknoll completed
construction on this brand new gymnasium to host our current and future champions. Maryknoll
is active in many Pac-5, ILH, and CSL sports, holding State championships in sports such
as basketball, volleyball, and baseball.
We travel now to the Valley Isle, where students from Lokelani Intermediate School tell us
about Mauiís very own aquatic biologist.
[UKULELE/INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
Skippy Hau invited Lokelani students to see a turtle excavation on Makena Beach.
My name is Skippy Hau. Iím an aquatic biologist, and I work for the State of Hawaii.
[OCEAN WAVES]
I used to do almost everything. I used to do turtle strandings, and then sometimes when
they used to have shark attacks, weíd help post signs and watch the shoreline. Actually,
when I was in school, I had a great biology teacher. It was Mr. Walter Hiraishi in the
9th Grade. But he got us interested in biology, and so he kept us really interested. He talked
about fishing, talked about diving, and thatís kinda the things that I get to do now as an
aquatic biologist.
Most of my job, what we do is, we monitor the resources. I get to go scuba diving. Iíve
been working with turtles. Nice to see that the turtle nests have increased. If they were
not excavated, they probably would have died. Basically, they still have to survive nature.
So, by excavating the nests, we also get to assess how good the nest is. If there are
any live hatchlings, the live hatchlings are released on the beach so that they can go
into the water. Takes about four years between nesting. So, I get to do different things,
so it keeps my job exciting. Yeah. I think you always respect nature. We should be taking
care of nature. I get to work with a lot of animals. Iím very fortunate, very lucky job
that I have as an aquatic biologist.
Skippy Hau helps Maui aquatic wildlife not only to survive, but to thrive. Iím Aisake
Fakava from Lokelani Intermediate School, for HIKI NO.
If youíd like to comment on these stories, or anything else you see on HIKI NO, please
join the discussion at facebook.com/hikinocando, or send us a Tweet at twitter.com/hikinocando.
Welcome back to Maryknoll School on Oahu. Weíre here at the grade school, Maryknollís
campus for students K through 8, while the high school is located down the street. It
is here where the first Maryknoll students were taught back in 1927. The grade school
is home to the new gymnasium, as well as several paintings by artist Jean Charlot, which Iím
standing in front of.
This is another work by artist Jean Charlot. Here at the grade school, Maryknoll educators
and students emphasize the Four Agreements: mutual respect, attentive listening, appreciation,
and the right to pass and participate. The grade school offers an excellent foundation
for Maryknoll elementary and middle school students.
Our next story takes us to the Kalihi District of Oahu, where students from Farrington High
School raise the curtain on a theater group that changes lives.
At Farrington High School in Kalihi, a group of thirty energetic actors and actresses in
Grades 8 through 12 perform in colorful tee-shirts. The company calls themselves T-Shirt Theatre.
T-Shirt Theatre is a project for the Alliance for Drama Education.
We started here in 1980 at Farrington High School. The students were so rowdy that we
couldnít have performances in the auditorium, so English Department chairman Sherilyn Tom
asked us to come in and work with every incoming student to learn audience manners. After four
years, the audience was wonderful, we reopened the auditorium. Then she said, Why donít
you work with the most gifted students over the summertime, call it Explorations in Drama.
We did that. The kids were so terrific, we didnít want to let them go. And so, we always
come to work in tee-shirts, so we called it T-Shirt Theatre, and we got State Foundation
on Culture and the Arts to fund us.
T-Shirt Theatre is a very valuable program that teaches very positive morals by means
of humor and comedy. Itís a way for people of all ages to learn messages that help them
in life about social issues. We use humor to punch that message in.
I have to use the restroom.
[LAUGHTER]
Okay, Grandpa, go. Weíll wait for you in the car.
Iím done.
[LAUGHTER]
Rehearse for life means to practice for the future, so that when you enter the real world,
you know, youíre ready and youíre prepared. Like, when you go on stage, youíre ready
to hit all your cues, and youíre professional.
T-Shirt Theatre reaches out to younger kids by way ofÖ, which is when we go to elementary
schools in Kalihi and we do the performances for the elementary school students.
Out of all our audiences, the Farrington High School crowd is the most toughest crowd, and
itís really nerve wracking. You know, will they like me, will they hate me? But thereís
just so much adrenalin that you just give all you got. And the adrenalin is just a good
feeling, being out there for the first time.
Walt Delaney, my partner for over forty-eight years Ö our relationship in terms of a creative
collaboration was like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. One guy planned it; that was
Walt. And one guy executed; that was me.
A recent roof collapse forced the closing of Farrington Auditorium, which was T-Shirt
Theatreís beloved home base for practice and performance. However, the spirit of low
tech, high zest has not decreased. The students are excited about taking their upcoming, self-written
spring show to other theaters on Oahu. From Farrington High School, this is Antoine Vuong,
for HIKI NO.
Welcome back to Maryknoll School on Oahu. Weíre here in one of Maryknollís recently
renovated 21st century classrooms. Innovative learning environments like this one help to
prepare Maryknollís approximately fourteen hundred students for a rapidly developing
world. In addition to Maryknollís Laptop Education Program, students can enjoy classes
in which technological tools such as Smart Boards or the organizational website Moodle
are incorporated into the curriculum. Maryknoll educators strive to equip students with the
tools and skills needed for real-world applications.
We travel now to the Orchid Isle, where students from Kamehameha Schools Hawaii give us a look
at a 21st century version of an ancient Hawaiian activity.
Every year, the students at Kamehameha Schools Hawaii participate in the Makahiki Festival.
This year, they decided to take it to a new level by making it an all-school event.
[CHANTING]
Makahiki has always been a part of the Hawaiian culture. In ancient times, it was a period
in which war and work ceased, and feasting and games were played to honor the god Lono.
[RATTLING/SINGING]
Like the ancient Hawaiians, the students at Kamehameha Schools took time off from their
daily schedules to spend a day to celebrate.
[MUSIC/INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
Weíre getting tattoos. And so, how we start off is that I sort of give like a short little
speech about what tattoos are, what they meant back in old Hawaiian societyÖ, and then I
just let the students just get into it. What we sort of wanted to do is Öcommunication,
so we want them to be creative. We want them to express themselves.
[INDISTINCT]
Ö native, I feel connected to the culture.
[CHANTING]
Along with our students, our headmaster, high school principal, and teachers celebrated
the dayís activities. During the course of the day, they participated in hula dancing,
poke making, and ancient games like Uma.
Öhands, and you have to hold your left foot with your left hand. And Ö the object is
to get the other person to fall down and touch the ground, and get out of the circle.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
These activities were prepared by the senior class to present to the underclassmen. In
the activities, they are taught the cultural importance and the role it played during the
time of Makahiki. Due to this yearís success, Kamehameha Schools Hawaii plans to keep it
as an all-school event for years to come.
[CHANTING]
This has been Sienna Witthans from Kamehameha Schools Hawaii, reporting for HIKI NO.
Weíre here at Maryknoll School on Oahu, in one of the 21st century classrooms that serves
our creative endeavors. This is the practice space for band, music, and drama club, which
are a few of the student organizations we have on campus. Other extracurricular activities
include speech team, math team, robotics, National Honor Society, and a literary magazine.
This space is also a performance space for the musical guests that come to campus.
[MUSIC]
Our next story takes us to Maui, where Maui Waena Intermediate spotlights a Wailuku business
that started as a six-month project and has blossomed into a sixteen-year phenomenon.
Looking for happiness, not an ukulele, but this is where sheíll find it.
Say, hi.
Hi! [CHUCKLE]
In Hawaiian, mele means both merry and song. The beautiful harmony when those two collide
plays perfectly to what Mele Ukulele, a locally owned shop in old Wailuku town is all about.
We opened up our shop in 1997. Very quickly, word got out, and people showed up and wanted
more ukuleles. I only signed to a six-month contract. I was so worried about the rent
and the time commitment to be here.
Despite her fretting, Cheryl found her inspiration in the people who shared her passion for the
ukulele, and before she knew it Ö
Six months became sixteen years today. So, weíre very fortunate that weíve been able
to make a livelihood out of something that is so much fun to do.
[UKULELE STRUMMING/INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
You know, if you love what you do for work, you really donít work at all.
[UKULELE/SINGING]
The only string instrument that almost instantly brings a smile to your face when you strum
it. Just do that. [STRUMS UKULELE] And do that. [STRUMS UKULELE] You know, it is such
a stress reliever. [STRUMS UKULELE] Thatís what I mean.
And she is not the only one. Ukuleles are filling the world with their beautiful melodies.
All over Europe, Asia, all over, of course, the mainland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
Japan. I tell you, everybodyís playing ukulele. [STRUMS UKULELE]
The sweet sound of aloha is spreading across the world.
[UKULELE]
Weíre here at Maryknoll School on Oahu. These are the college guidance offices, home to
the program that helps prepare our juniors and seniors for their next step in education.
Our two friendly and knowledgeable college guidance counselors are readily available
to answer any questions that students or parents may have. Much emphasis is given on Naviance,
an online tool which helps organize studentsí applications, scholarships, and much more.
College prep is done during advisory every day, where students may fill out their resumes,
work on their PSAT, or speak to their advisors who they remain with for the majority of their
high school experience.
We take you now to the Island of Kauai, where students from Ke Kula Niihau O Kekaha tell
us a story with an underwater twist.
[MUSIC]
On Kauai, there are tests being conducted on underwater robotics. Are these tests top
secret? Jim Lucas from Ke Kula Niihau O Kekaha explained the purpose of the testing.
The Hihimanu Project, sponsored by the Pacific American Foundation and NOAA, is an underwater
robotics class designed to engage students in science and engineering by building underwater,
remotely operated vehicles, ROVs. From learning how to strip and solder wires to the actual
building of the underwater ROV, to collection and testing water samples, the students are
truly learning by doing.
I think the most difficult thing about building the ROV were the cables, because there were
a lot of soldering.
The Hihimanu Project could open other doors for the students.
I think so. Right there, thatís mechanical engineering. Theyíre doing it before they
even get into high school. Maybe there should be a project in high school that can advance
them a little bit more. I know that Doug Knight was telling us that thereís a big demand
for it right now.
The surprise is how our team got along.
And weíre working today with the students from Ke Kula Niihau O Kekaha, who are working
on a technology project in our pool to test remotely operated vehicles. These students
are working in an area which could develop into a career in terms of technology, as well
as in marine biology and other applications. And it benefitted us, as well as it benefitted
the students. Itís a really wonderful experience for all of us.
The biggest surprise was, it didnít fail on us, and it floated all the way to the sea.
[CHUCKLE]
[INDISTINCT]
[HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE]
[HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE]
I did some corrections, so Ö itís okay now. Itís perfect.
The Hihimanu Project reflects an old Hawaiian proverb that says, by doing, one learns maka
hana ka ike.
For Ke Kula Niihau O Kekaha, this is Wailama Kanahele for HIKI NO on PBS Hawaii.
Weíre back at Maryknoll School on Oahu. Maryknollís motto, Noblesse Oblige, is an essential part
of our culture here. It means, to whom much is given, much is expected. Maryknollís ongoing
commitment to service reflects our Catholic values, as well as our dedication to giving
back. In fact, all of Maryknollís high school students will perform at least a hundred hours
of community service over the course of their time here. In senior year, Maryknoll students
undertake a major individual project where they conduct extensive research on a topic
of their choice, and then go out into the community to use that knowledge to help others.
As Maryknoll alumni, Maryknoll students use Noblesse Oblige in their daily lives.
If youíd like to comment on these stories, or anything else you see on HIKI NO, please
join the discussion at facebook.com/hikinocando, or send us a Tweet at twitter.com/hikinocando.
Weíre back here at Maryknoll on Oahu. Here at Maryknoll, we embody the saying, Small
school, big heart. Students and faculty have an easy and unique rapport, both inside and
outside of the classroom.
If a student needs help, they can always seek a teacher for personal guidance. Because of
the small size, the hallways are often filled with familiar faces. Even between grade levels,
students know each other by name. Itís this close-knit family feel that connects students
to Maryknoll, even after graduation.
Our final story takes us to the Island of Maui, where students from Hana K thru 12 School
tell us about a sports first for the community.
[OCEAN WAVES]
Hana is located in a geographically isolated area on Maui. The high school has approximately
seventy students, and eighty percent of them are of Hawaiian descent. Hana School made
history when its first eight-man football team came to life.
[INDISTINCT/CHEERS]
I decided to add eight-man football last year when it became an official sport for the MIL.
It was a large undertaking, as it took three years of planning and three years of saving
funds to start up the program. It was a very expensive proposition to do for such a small
school, and it required a lot of fundraising efforts. It cost approximately thirty thousand
dollars to start the program.
[CHEERS]
Itís their first year, and I think it was pretty good. Itís a young team. Having a
football team is something that you think that you would have in every school. Everybody
comes out to watch. Itís because weíre funding our own football team. We got a lot of boys
that never did play football, and girls. One girl in particular.
Being on a football team, Iíve learned how to manage my time. Football is exhausting.
I have to say that.
The position that I played was linebacker. I had a lot of support throughout this football
season from my family, my friends, my teachers, and the community. So, because Iím a senior
this year, this will be my first and last year playing football.
My advice to you guys coming out for football. Always try, never give up. Stick to football,
no matter how hard it is, and in the long run, itís gonna feel awesome.
[CHEERS]
Well, in practice, Christine, sheís always in tackling drills. We have a hard time getting
her out of the drills. She wants to just hit everybody.
[CHEERS]
Boys, they feel kinda intimidated, because Ö girls, actually, they can play just as
well as boys. They are good. And I just hope a lot of girls would come out and show up,
and play the sport.
[CHEERS]
Christine did awesome at football. She was the only girl in our team, the only girl in
the league, but she was one of the hardest hitters. When my family found out that Christine
was gonna play football, they supported her one hundred percent. They wanted her to go
out, and because she was one of the only girls who actually tried out, she stood for her
word. She said she was gonna play football, and she did it.
Although Hana School did not win all its games, they felt victorious because they played as
a team regardless of their gender, got back up every time they fell, and there was great
support from the community. This Diana Naihe from Hana K thru 12 School, for HIKI NO.
Well, thatís it for this weekís show.
We hope youíve enjoyed these stories from across the Hawaiian Islands.
Donít forget to tune in next week to see what the students of Hawaii can do.
Only on HIKI NO, and only on PBS Hawaii.
Thank you for watching HIKI NO!
[END] Hiki No 415
Page 2 of 12