Horizons, Volume 03

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/76604

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 33

Front and Back Cover
(2018-11-15)
Editor's Foreword: A Hawaiian Place of Learning?
(2018-11-15) Beaule, Christine; Enomoto, Joy
Virtual Reality and Visualization in Research and Cultural Preservation
(2018-11-15) Noe, Kari
Visualization as a field can be defined as the process of turning data into interactive images to provide insight or knowledge to a user. New innovations in virtual reality hardware open up new opportunities in the field of visualization, rather than merely for entertainment. My research portfolio and poster highlight two visualization projects that I have created that utilize current virtual reality hardware, the HTC Vive and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Laboratory of Advanced Visualization and Applications (LAVA) Destiny-class CyberCANOE. The At-Risk Artifact Visualization System will allow users to view and study 3D models of archaeological artifacts and sites that are considered “at-risk” within the cyberCANOE. “At-risk” in this case is defined as: an archaeological artifact or site in danger of destruction by either human or environmental influences. Kilo Hōkū, optimized for the HTC Vive, is an immersive virtual reality simulation to aid in the visualization and education of Hawaiian star navigation practices. The goal of this portfolio is to demonstrate the possibilities virtual reality and visualization have for the field of cultural preservation.
An Archival Art Project about Climate Change and Internet (In)Visibility
(2018-11-15) Katzeman, Aaron
Amy Balkin is a contemporary artist whose work often addresses issues surrounding anthropogenic climate change. Her recent project A People’s Archive of Sinking and Melting (2012-present) is a crowdsourced collection of discarded remnants found in areas currently susceptible to changing climatic conditions. Through both the archive’s physical and online existence, one becomes subtly aware of the connecting qualities between the internet and climate change, specifically the seemingly subdued role each plays in everyday life despite their respective magnitudes of importance. By examining the inherent traits of the internet—particularly its participatory nature and also its increasing expansion into offline realities—and comparing them to the “slow violence” of climate change and its often semi-hidden and obscure existence, the similarities between the two become more apparent. This essay sets up a dialogue between theories of the internet developed by other artists and the practical use of the internet, such as A People’s Archive of Sinking and Melting. Balkin’s work provides the impetus for this merging realization between climate change and internet (in)visibility, allowing us to ask specific questions regarding our relationship to these ever-present phenomena.
The Lāhui Strikes Back: The Illegal Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the Struggle for Hawai‘i’s Water Resources
(2018-11-15) Lowe, Ikaika
“If we are ever to have peace and annexation the first thing to do is obliterate the past.” These words were said by Samuel Damon who assisted in the 1893 Illegal Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The Overthrow was a turning point in history, not just for Kānaka ‘Ōiwi or Hawaiians, but also the management of water in the islands. In this paper I will analyze a few key ways the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom enabled the sugar plantation industries to acquire and control vast amounts of Hawai‘i’s water resources. I begin this conversation by looking at the relationship water has with Kānaka ‘Ōiwi and how water was managed during the pre-arrival of Captain James Cook. I will also analyze a few of the laws that the Hawaiian Kingdom passed towards the management of water, then look at the brief history of how the sugar plantations were financed and managed in the early years towards the latter half of the 19th century. Statistics of water usage pre and post overthrow will be used, with a short history of the water ditch systems that were used to transport water to the sugar plantations. I will then end it with an analysis of the laws during the Provisional Government, Republic of Hawai‘i and Territory of Hawai‘i that dealt with water management that enabled the accumulation of power within the sugar industry by a small group of corporations.
Developing an Ocean Wave Buoy to Generate Renewable Energy
(2018-11-15) Campbell, Angusina; Lee, Aaron; Bentz, Amy; Lau, Darren; Wong, Travis
Humans pollute the earth with fossil fuel emissions. The pollution leads to increased ocean acidification and smog. One solution to lessen this damage is to utilize renewable energy. Ocean wave power is a renewable energy harvested by Wave Energy Converter (WEC) buoys. WECs generate energy by oscillating in the waves. The most efficient power generation by buoys happens when their natural oscillating matches the wave period (the rate at which each wave contacts the buoy); this phenomenon is known as resonance. The buoy that captures wave energy most effectively is the Oscillating Water Column (OWC) because of its ability to capture waves from any position. The Wave Energy Team designed, fabricated and tested an OWC with the main objective of generating renewable power. For the potential power, O‘ahu’s east side was chosen as the test site. The aim of this project was to deploy the buoy in an intermediate wave zone, the area between surf and deep water. In this work, wave data were collected through a simulation and scaled for practical application. A small wave buoy resonant was then developed for a two-second wave period. Finally, the results were applied to a large-scale buoy. The feasibility of creating a resonant OWC was demonstrated in the assigned zone. Resonance was achieved for the smaller buoy hull in the controlled testing site. The larger buoy, when deployed in the ocean, produced about 0.3 milliwatts when pushed up and down with artificial oscillation.
Deciding on the Future: Comparing the Environmental and Economic Advantages of Renewable Energy and Nuclear Power
(2018-11-15) Jones, Casey M.
Concerns over public health and environmental hazards from fossil fuel-based power plants have been prevalent topics of discussion in recent years. A shift towards cleaner forms of power is a priority for citizens, politicians, and industry leaders alike. Many forms of renewable energy have been developed recently, and some are currently available for large scale use. Nuclear power has developed to the point where it is both safe and efficient. But a negative public opinion has continually pushed nuclear power away from the discussion as a possible energy source, while less efficient forms of renewable energy have been promoted due to their lower effect on the environment despite their higher financial burden. Both nuclear power and renewable energy have their own unique advantages and disadvantages, and neither one can be considered a definitively better choice. The ultimate decision comes from whether people believe economic efficiency or environmental preservation is a higher priority, both now and in the future. In this essay, nuclear power is compared to different forms of renewable energy based on cost, environmental impact, and efficiency while addressing the most commonly seen public concerns. The results from the research show that nuclear power is more economical, offsetting fewer negative effects of fossil fuel-based power plants, while renewable energy has a larger positive impact on the environment, requiring a larger financial investment.
A Letter To You, Kuʻu Moʻopuna
(2018-11-15) Lo, Nanea
I wrote this poem on the island of Molokaʻi on a huakaʻi (journey) to this place. I went with a group of amazing individuals of a cohort for a Political Science course in Indigenous Politics called Nā Koʻokoʻo, taught by Professor Noelani Goodyear-Kaʻōpua. In essence the class served as the Koʻo which means to support so the class as a whole is meant to kākoʻo one another like the walking stick koʻokoʻo. We spent a week on Molokaʻi in where we were challenged to dig deep into our experience there and formulate spoken word, poems, and to articulate our feelings and emotions. In this poem that I created during my time there I reflect on my future generations that will come before me. My knowledge of what I know now about my heritage and nation and what they will know and future generations will know. It is a love line I created for them to know how much I love them, our ancestors, and Hawaiʻi.
A Speech Rhythm Comparison of English Speakers from Hawai‘i and California
(2018-11-15) Aljader, Lana Lobato
There has been a long tradition, since at least 1945, of research into the rhythm of speech. Considered a universal feature of language, speech rhythm is often broken down into two main categories, stress-timed and syllable-timed. Languages are assumed to fit into, or fall along a continuum between, these two categories. This study compares the recorded speech of two politicians speaking Californian English, a so-called stress-timed language, and two politicians speaking Hawai‘i English, which has yet to be categorized. Influencing languages, regional dialect, and social impacts are discussed. The software DARLA and the program Praat were used to assist in the manual insertion of vowel boundaries. To compare the ratio of differences in duration between successive vowels for each speaker the normalized Pairwise Variability Indices (nPVI) was calculated. The hypothesis that Hawai‘i English is more syllable-timed than other American varieties, as has been impressionistically observed in the literature, was not supported. Limitations of the traditional conception of rhythm and of the current study, as well as the need for further work, are discussed.
A Pilot Study to Assess the Effects of Spirituality on Social Functioning in People with Schizophrenia
(2018-11-15) Dolim, Shelby
Previous research suggests that religious practices are associated with a higher-quality of life in both nonclinical and clinical samples. However, few studies have examined the association between religion and quality of life in samples of people with schizophrenia. In this study, we evaluated the relation between religiosity and quality of life in people with schizophrenia in Hawaii. Participants completed the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-5, the Social Functioning Scale, and Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality scale (BMMRS). Data collection is ongoing, and preliminary findings suggest that people with schizophrenia who are involved in religious activities tend to have a higher quality of life than people with schizophrenia who are not involved in religious activities. Further investigation on the effects of spirituality in people with schizophrenia is important because it could determine practical lifestyle changes that may lead to a happier and healthier life.
A Legacy of “Aloha”: The Politics of Homonationalism and Empire in Queer Hawai‘i
(2018-11-15) Gushiken, Greg Pōmaikaʻi
Morgensen (2011) postulates that LGBT settler projects employ “the apparent existence and acceptance of marginal sexual subjects in “primitive” societies” as justification for their own claims to rights; however, by exploiting Indigenous histories in their activism, these settler projects generate “implications for nonnative political attachment” to Native conceptualizations of desire (Rifkin, 2014). In summation, the propagation of settler LGBT rights is often predicated upon the suppression of Indigenous voices and the progression of an LGBT nationalist empire. Analyzing the implications of settler colonialism and homonationalist discourses after the 2013 Hawaiʻi Marriage Equality Act, this paper critiques the ways in which settler LGBT projects equate Kānaka Maoli desire and resistance with Western conceptions of sexuality and capital. This analysis begins with a critique of the queer “nonnative political attachment” found in “The Legacy Of Aloha: What Marriage Equality Means To Hawaii,” an article from the Huffington Post’s Queer Voices column, which erases Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) resistance and replaces it with a new imperial projects in an “inclusive” Hawaiʻi. This field of inquiry continues with a rhetorical analysis of Kānaka Maoli who were against the 2013 Marriage Equality Act. This paper argues that these Kānaka did not oppose the legislation because they were homophobic but, instead, because they aimed to identify the epistemological dissonances between Western liberalism and Kānaka movements for Ea (sovereignty). Through this analysis, I call upon queer settlers to acknowledge their complicity in crafting and reproducing settler binaries and urge Kānaka to challenge the captivity of our desires.
The Virtue in Propaganda: A Dramatic Play
(2018-11-15) Huynh, Michelle V.
We have all learned about the controversies, brutalities, and legalities of the Vietnam War. However, an aspect we never learn about is of the Vietnamese. One may immediately think of the Việt Cộng or Bác Hồ, but there are thousands who are looked over and forgotten—“war babies.” This directly translated word from the Vietnamese language describes a small group of minorities who were born of American soldiers and Vietnamese mothers. Being born during the war, many babies were either abandoned or killed because of the prejudice towards the American military. Similarly enough, my mother is a Caucasian woman born in Vietnam during the heat of the war in poor countryside Vietnam. She was luckily found on the streets but faced racism, abuse, and inequality as she lived. Her story and the story of other “war babies” are one of my inspirations behind the play I have written. Another issue that strikes me is the amount of literature written that showcases the Vi-etnamese’s perspective. Perspective is an important issue to me because society lacks the attempt to solve lingering biases. My full-length play is written to feature the emotions and sentiments of the Vietnamese nationals with the lens focused on these people who consider themselves Vietnamese, but “not Vietnamese enough.” As culture and nationalism are hot topics today in many countries, it is essential for us to discuss this in a safe place—the theatre. The goal is to display the emotional story of the conflicted Vietnamese identity.
Human Genetic Intervention: How Far Should We Go?
(2018-11-15) Nunes, Lance Gregory A.
Since the beginning of time, man has treated illness and disease with natural remedies. With the advancement in knowledge and technology, new kinds of treatments have entered the realm of medicine—namely genetic intervention. This paper aims to help determine where we should take our development of this technology. In each branch of genetic intervention—whether it be gene therapy, prevention, remediation, or enhancement—issues of ethics, socio-economics, and religion have casted a cloud over the technology, hindering its progression. In contrary, the power to improve the quality and save the lives of individuals affected by genetic diseases does not fail to fuel the fire behind advancement in research. From successful cases like Elisabeth Hartmann and Molly Nash’s to cases with undesirable outcomes like Jesse Gelsinger’s and the adenosine deaminase French gene therapy trials’, one thing stood out in the mix to help us determine where we should draw the line that should not be crossed—intent. Three areas of genetic intervention seem to not cross that line: gene therapy, prevention, and remediation. However, based off intent, enhancement proves to be the most controversial branch of genetic intervention and gives insight as to where exactly that line should be drawn.
Ala Wai Canal: The Bridging of Opposites
(2018-11-15) Quach, Jonathan; Nguyen, Thien Phuc Ngoc; Yu, Isabella
Our lands were once naturally able to buffer, absorb, and filtrate water from the mountains. These qualities were lost when the Ala Wai Canal was created and Waikīkī became densely urbanized. Up in the mountains, the Makīkī, Mānoa, and Pālolo streams, which feed into Ala Wai, were degraded when neighborhoods were built around them, worsening the systematic health of the watershed and Ala Wai Canal. Trash, debris, petroleum, and sediment plague the waters—often washing up along the Ala Wai Canal after storms. The presence of concrete dominated the landscape, and soon, the health of our land, water and ecosystems were an afterthought—forgotten. The impervious nature of our buildings, roads, and sidewalks deflects much untreated and polluted water into Ala Wai watershed—affecting its water quality and health. These practices now threaten the communities near the watershed. Ala Wai watershed is not equipped for a 100-year, or even a 10-year-flood. A flooding event of any of these magnitudes will be disastrous for the numerous communities near the Ala Wai Watershed—crippling our economy. Titled “The Bridging of Opposites,” our conceptual design proposal focused on the improving waterways that make up the Ala Wai Watershed by remediating water quality and preventing flooding. Our project inspires the communities of O‘ahu to consider the ability of our lands to naturally use water to create healthy and resilient ecosystems. Instead of creating short-sighted measures, we opt for the integrative approach relying on the manipulation of our land and water systems to create places that are environmentally rich, responsible and resilient while accomplishing our socio-economic needs.
Gene Therapy: An Overview of Approaches and Issues
(2018-11-15) Head, Tony
For over 25 years, scientists have been researching and testing gene therapy techniques, but this work has only resulted in a single FDA-approved therapy: Kymriah™ from Novartis. Kymriah™ was approved in the U.S. in August 2017, and genetically modifies a patient’s own immune cells to seek out and destroy abnormal blood cells. Although clinical trials continue to test and refine different gene therapy approaches, understanding and evaluating the risks associated with treatment may be overwhelming to patients and caregivers alike. This article attempts to provide readers with an introduction to gene therapy so that anyone considering treatment or caring for someone that is being treated can better understand how gene therapies works, and some of the issues we may have to deal with before gene therapy can become more common.
College Companions: Undergraduate Students and Residents Unifying Experience
(2018-11-15) Horan, Kendall Adele
Loneliness is a rising epidemic among older adults (Hudson, 2017). The United States is advancing in treatments, medicine and technology but still loneliness is a problem. A solution to address individuals’ lack of social connections, a fundamental component of human nature, remains out of reach. Does cultivating community connection act as a cure to loneliness? This research illustrates the feasibility and evolution of relationships among undergraduate students and residents of an assisted-living facility. A service-learning intergenerational visiting program to increase social connections between a group of older and younger adults was created to investigate this hypothesis. Qualitative data from digital storytelling, field notes from observations, and open-ended questionnaires indicate that the undergraduate students and residents created strong positive reciprocal relationships over time. Programs with college students could help eliminate the loneliness in assisted-living facilities. This project highlights the need for more intergenerational programs that specifically utilize the undergraduate student population.
The Possibilities of Integrating Lāʻau Lapaʻau into Physical Therapy: a Full-body Approach to Recovery
(2018-11-15) Makua, Kuaiwi Laka Kahiwakapu Pili I Haupapanui
In the spring of 2017, I took the HWST 385: Lāʻau Lapaʻau II: Advance Medicine lecture taught by Kumu Keoki Baclayon at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. While taking the course, I was given the simple task of completing a short research paper with the freedom to choose my own health topic as long as the interest pertained to a potential thesis or dissertation. Since my desired career was in physical therapy, I decided to do qualitative research on how lāʻau lapaʻau (traditional Hawaiian herbal medicine) can be integrated into that medical practice. For my research methods, I sought out the main responsibilities of a physical therapist, then made connections between the two practices with research based on personal interviews, lecture notes, and accredited articles and websites. From this work, I conclude that this collaborative system has the potential to influence each other in regards to spiritual healing, nutrition, and natural pain & inflammation medication. As a result of this paper, I became inspired to start a bi-monthly health awareness workshop series for my on-campus job and further dedicate myself to research by applying to the Māhina International Indigenous Health Research Training Program for the summer of 2018.
Lucky Return
(2018-11-15) Ganti, Ashley Queen Lamug
Life is a mosaic of what we experience, and while everyone experiences different situations, one common trait that we all share is the inevitable encounter of loss. Lucky Return raises the concern of how to respond to these encounters, and addresses the theme of dealing with loss. However, the purpose of this creative piece is not to provide instructions on how to deal with loss because there is no single correct answer; instead, its purpose is to capture just how fickle the experience of loss may be. In order to do so, the poem uses the narrative of sudden loss. The first stanza showcases the desperation that results from rejecting the fact that a loss has taken place. In the second and third stanzas, reflecting on the subject of the loss evokes the recollection of intimate details of the connection that had existed. This is followed by the thought of rejection once again as the narrator considers choosing to reject the subject of the loss in its entirety as the recollection proves to be too overwhelming. Despite that grief, the narrator chooses to remain hopeful of a reunion between the two and decides to keep the shared memories, both positive and negative.
Fading Away
(2018-11-15) Roberts, Alyssa
This memoir examines the numerous ways an illness can affect an individual and their loved ones. In addition to its physical effects, an illness can also take an immense, emotional toll on the individual and heavily alter their relationships with those around them. While some may become overwhelmed with their loved one’s illness, family and friends who choose to adopt a caregiving role embark on an inspirational yet difficult journey themselves. Witnessing my grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease enabled me to realize an entire new aspect of illnesses, and my goal for this memoir was to embody this aspect. Although this piece was written about my grandmother’s Alzheimer’s, its main message can be extended to anyone with any type of illness and anyone who has found themselves caregiving for another. This memoir holds a special place in my heart as my grandmother is someone I have adored and admired ever since I was a child. I hope this piece will reveal several of the physical and emotional effects that an illness can have on an individual and, furthermore, provide ways for the individual’s loved ones to manage caregiver’s stress.
The Art of Botany: The Effect of Drought on Plant Anatomy
(2018-11-15) Wong, Amanda
Plants are negatively affected by water deficiencies, and water stress is expected to increase due to more frequent and prolonged droughts from climate change. I investigated the effect of drought on the internal anatomy of the invasive Syzygium cumini plant. In the greenhouse, S. cumini plants were grown, such that half of the plants were watered daily, while the remaining number of plants did not receive any water for the entire experiment. After nine weeks, the base of the main stem was cut into thin disks, stained, and the center was viewed through a microscope for the pith cells that provide structural support, conduct water, and store starch. The regularly watered plants had circular shaped piths with expanded, rigid cells filled with water and starch, while the non-watered plants had pinched and elongated piths with shriveled cells filled with air, light staining, and a lack of starch. S. cumini demonstrated exceptional drought tolerance with no mortality and only slight wilting; however, the lack of water and the energy storage starch in the pith cells indicates that the plants were stressed. This experiment provides insight into the ability for the drought-tolerant S. cumini to become more invasive under climate change-induced drought in Hawai‘i.

Browse

Recent Submissions