Horizons, Volume 06

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/80404

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Front and Back Cover
(2021-12-07)
Editor's Foreword, Students' Foreword, and Cover Art Statement
(2021-12-07) Scally, Jayme
Rewriting The Vegetarian: In Each and Every Dream
(2021-12-07) Jeon, Young Hee
As a final project for EALL 360, “Literary Traditions of East Asia,” I’ve attempted to rewrite a small section of the novel The Vegetarian, written by Han Kang, the winner of 2016 Man Booker International Prize. My rewriting “In Each and Every Dream” is my reflection on one of the questions raised by Han throughout the story, that is, the “(im)possibility of innocence.”
From "Love Bites" to Cannibals: How American Media Shaped the Cultural Acceptance of Serial Killers
(2021-12-07) Pearson, Elisabeth
Throughout history, the fascination with true crime has been an ever-present theme. However, with the rise of media and nationwide news outlets in the twentieth century, true crime grew in not only popularity but in its social acceptance of criminals. How did the figure of popular serial killers emerge, and why were some men such as Ted Bundy able to achieve fame and recognition, while others never did? With changes to media such as the introduction of televised nationwide news, crime news was able to spread at a much more rapid pace. True crime spread to a national and, in some cases, international level, increasing its interest and intrigue. The fear of a new type of criminal brought not only public attention to their crimes but a new level of fear and attention. With a growing interest and understanding of the different minds and people at play in a serial killer case, some serial killers have been able to achieve an inordinate amount of fame and recognition from their crimes. What factors play into the captivation that some serial killers had over others and what role did the media play in their portrayals of these killers? While examining the use of media representation and its involvement in portraying specific serial killers, trends become clear with how and why they were launched into infamy. Whether it be public stereotypes or breaking of societal norms, serial killers and their apparent public appeal, have created a new category of who can achieve fame.
Species Characterization and Hybrid Investigation in Juvenile Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus spp.) by Genetic Sequencing
(2021-12-07) Loustalot, Malia
Identifying species accurately can be difficult. This can be especially true in groups that have many species, or multiple species that are similar in how they look or where they live. The focus of this study is on lizards in the genus (group marked by similar characteristics) Sceloporus, or spiny lizards, which is the most diverse genus in the family Phrynosomatidae. Given the number of species in the genus, and areas of range overlap, species identification can be difficult. Here I demonstrate how molecular tools can be used to identify juvenile (individuals who have not yet met sexual maturity) and hatchling Sceloporus species using different sources of molecular data, and how they can be analyzed to reliably identify unknown species and investigate possible novel hybrid individuals. I sequenced nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, and analyzed genomic-scale data to inform species identification in this group. Genetic sequencing of a mitochondrial and nuclear gene revealed the identity of the unknown species as well as the identity of a possible novel hybrid (offspring produced from parents of different species), since different species have subtle differences in their gene sequences. The most parsimonious conclusion from these results is the unknown, possible hybrid, individual is a Sagebrush lizard (S. graciosus) given that both gene trees place the unknown specimen within this group, rather than one gene from each of the two species. These methods and techniques can be used in the genus broadly to reliably identify species at stages of development when morphological features unique to each species have not yet developed. The consistent data produced indicates the usefulness of these methods in future studies where species identity is in question, and relatively inexpensive and straightforward single-gene phylogenies may be enough for reliable identification.
A Bewitching Time: Early Second Wave Feminism Through the Lens of Supernatural Sitcoms
(2021-12-07) Dias, Alexis
In the early 1960s, second wave feminism began to organize and take root across the United States with an increasingly loud call for the advancement of women’s rights and roles in society. A new kind of sitcom began filling houses across the nation suggesting the virtuous and near perfect image of American domestic life previously televised was a little too picturesque. Supernatural sitcoms reinvented the genre by twisting the formulaic shows of the past to overtly and subconsciously encourage the audience to question what was previously considered to be normal and ideal images of the American family and lifestyle. In this paper, I argue that the supernatural women in My Living Doll, I Dream of Jeannie, and Bewitched are able to shed light on the role of American women in the 1960s and reflect the societal struggle to reconcile women's increasing demand for freedom with the dominant power’s desire to maintain authority and contain everyone else. Drawing on examples from primary and secondary sources, my analysis suggests that these stories gave credence to women wielding extraordinary power while also suggesting that women’s rightful place was in the domestic realm where their influence was limited to their home, love interest, or immediate community.
Placemaking and the Gentrification of Kakaʻako
(2021-12-07) Menina, Justin
This thesis critically examines how narratives of neighborhood identity and boundaries become manufactured, reinterpreted, and commodified by corporate-led urban development in Kakaʻako. In critically examining the production of space by engaging in critical discourse analysis, narrative research, and phenomenology by examining discursive literature and conducting interviews with community stakeholders, this project addresses how such processes are tied to a broader structure of inequality and shape how neighborhood identities and boundaries change or remain. The prevalent anxieties within the public discourse of Hawaiʻi is that Honolulu is increasingly experiencing gentrification and becoming “a playground for the rich.” Such notions reflect David Harvey’s argument that, within the predominant neoliberal economic structure of capitalist economies, capital can shape cities and the urban landscape through the process of “accumulation by dispossession” (Ley, 1994). Consequently, such processes superimpose settler-colonial geographies upon the landscape, thereby rendering Indigenous geographies disenfranchised. While gentrification is a predominately economic process, its development is reinforced by consumption-oriented patterns toward urban space, which, within the intermodal process of consumption-oriented gentrification, reflects David Ley’s (1994) observation that socio-cultural characteristics and motives are vital toward understanding the gentrification of the post-industrial city. In recognizing gentrification’s inherently violent processes of dispossession and erasure as a result of the uneven production and consumption of space, this project aims to critically examine the neoliberal structuring of cities, which facilitates the commodification and consumption of space in Hawaiʻi, using the district of Kakaʻako as a site of inquiry.
Promoting Biodiversity in a Pinch: The Influence of a Hawaiian Coastal Refuge on Ghost Crab (Ocypodidae) Size and Density on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.
(2021-12-07) Tritsch, Jessica
In an effort to preserve ecosystem biodiversity, marine protected areas (MPAs) are established following governmental regulations. To better understand the significance of the refuge, ghost crabs (genus Ocypode, Hawaiian name Ōhiki), which tunnel deep into the sand and leave behind burrow holes, were used as an indicator species. The goal of this research was to compare the size, abundance, and density of ghost crabs inside and outside of James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (JCNWR) to test the hypothesis of the success of beach biota from conservation. First, the sandy locations along the site were mapped using a GPS, then transects were randomized both inside and outside JCNWR. Within each transect, the burrow holes were counted, and the diameters were measured to estimate body size and abundance. The total number of burrows per unit area was used to calculate population densities. The results show no significant difference in ghost crab size or density inside versus outside the refuge. The results suggest the refuge is experiencing possible disturbance or the “spillover effect” providing protection to adjacent areas. Ultimately, the findings from this research can aid in conservation efforts at JCNWR to better protect the terrestrial crab.
Hot Algae Summer: ENSO Effects on Invasive Alien Algae in Hawaii
(2021-12-07) Pujol, Beatrice
Efficient management of invasive populations is critical to maintaining the health of ecosystems, especially those of coastal marine areas. It is necessary to understand, therefore, the interactions between invasive species and abiotic factors to better control population growth. This study examined the relationship between invasive alien algae (IAA) in Maunalua Bay, Hawaii and El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), finding that the average percent cover of IAA was significantly greater during ENSO-neutral years than El Nino years. This was true of each of the three major invasive algae species: Acanthophora spicifera, Avrainvillea amadelpha, and Gracilaria salicornia. These results are contrary to previous, similar studies which found that percent cover of algae increased during El Nino years, likely as a result of increased temperatures which facilitate algal growth. This might indicate that sea temperatures in Maunalua Bay may have reached the optimum for algal growth as a result of anthropogenic climate change, meaning that any additional rise in temperature hinders algal growth.
Contact Tracing Programs of California and New York State: A Comparison and Evaluation
(2021-12-07) Murguia, Simoné
The contact tracing programs for the COVID-19 pandemic of the states of California and New York are compared using a system of criteria developed by a group of scientists with Vital Services, a global public health organization that creates documents and guidelines that larger government bodies are meant to implicate into their own systems to have the most success possible in a public health crisis. Positive case data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and pieces of legislation passed in each state were analyzed in the lens of the criteria from the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Playbook provided by Vital Services. Findings showed that each state had certain strengths and weaknesses within the ten criteria used to measure the efficiencies of their contact tracing systems. In summation, the states of California and New York, as well as states and nations globally, could benefit from assessing their systems in this fashion in order to maintain high standards of public health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Technology Affects Compassion: A Literature Review
(2021-12-07) Nitta, Amanda
Technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in society, where especially in recent times, virtually the majority of tasks, meetings, and schooling are carried out through online formats. This article aims to address the negative and positive effects that technology introduces and is increasingly prevalent in our society. These findings were analyzed through the analysis of literature. These studies are able to show how technology has brought about convenience but also has impacted the development of interpersonal and intrapersonal characteristics with particular emphasis on compassion and empathy. The studies analyzed were mainly based within the European Union, but can be further applied to other societies and the world.
Finding Meaning & Innovation Abroad
(2021-12-07) Datwani, Kiran
Japan, an island country, was where I had decided to study abroad during my second year of university. Having been to the country a few times before and enjoyed the memories thoroughly, I had great incentive to spend a few months in Japan. I had known Japan was advanced in technology, especially in railway systems and robotics, but it was only until recently that I had discovered a term, known as ikigai, that translated to one’s purpose in life. It was intriguing, and as I went deeper into the subject, I realized how much the struggles of finding my own ikigai applied to me. While studying computer science at university, I had forgotten why I enjoyed being immersed in technology, or why I had chosen to take the path. The admiration I once had for the field was turning into fear and doubt, and before I knew it, I was escaping to Japan. There was the fact that the concept of ikigai had brought me there, so I could observe and learn firsthand the way people lived their lives, but the other part was I desired to see technology as a part of my life once again. Potentially, I aspired to see how technology can tie into happiness, and how I could find my own ikigai. Although I had travelled to Japan before, there were many aspects that came across as surprising or new to me, and it made me realize how little I know of ikigai, technology, and Japan. Originally, I had arrived in Japan with an open mindset, but it became easy to pick up patterns and notice the surroundings that I had been oblivious to. A tourist is only able to see the facade of a country and its people, but after living a few months, I began to see how several people appeared happy, but weren’t. It made me realize that because of the culture of working constantly and trying to fit in a mold, a lot of people had forgotten themselves in the process, and were just getting by. Although I didn’t find my ikigai, or my calling in Japan, I learned that I didn’t need to rush and have everything figured out. The experience helped me appreciate the field I hoped to one day get into, while also teaching me to live in the present moment. I was in awe of the beauty of Japan once more, but this time, I was aware of the many layers that made the country what it is, and whilst also learning how technology is impacting people, and how it will continue to do so in the future.
Fleshy Familiarity: Expanding Art
(2021-12-07) Ruiz-Lindsey, Ellena
My portfolio is centered around my lived experiences as a queer person of color in America and American-occupied lands in conversation with queer theorists and punk-based music. I use abstract painting to reposition my power within the structure of the heteropatriarchal society dominated by Christian ideologies, by creating psycho-analytical landscapes that retell the histories of my body. Through this portfolio, I translate audio into visual marks by allowing the music to produce distinct marks that feel like moments of the song and have colors match the beats per minute by managing the balance between neutrals and bright, rich colors. Connecting theory, music, and painting, “Fleshy Familiarity” becomes an extension of myself; a mixture that contributes to the diversification of the art community and a little revolutionary in its existence. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/12XmTTliXrjzyH3eE1sbxC?si=d97d1a060c374112
Submersion: Naturally Brutal and Beautiful
(2021-12-07) Vaughn, Crissia
As a hunter, I am aware that the majority of societal resources needed for survival are mediated through capitalism. Over the past three years, I have produced a series of self-portraits derived from photographs captured on my spearfishing dives. Driven by the awareness that nature is as brutal as it is beautiful and that hunting is an essential process at every level of the natural food chain, I use large-scale photorealism and vivid colors in an effort to reconnect my audience with the hunt and transfix them within the intricate evolutional details of the animals that we eat. I take inspiration from Paleolithic cave paintings, some of the earliest documented forms of painting that revered the hunt and the animals on which the painters depended. My work is thus a contemporary continuation of this prehistoric painting ritual, honoring the intrinsic relationship between human and animal, hunter and prey.
Conquest of the Intertidal: Impacts of Invasive Algae on Native Algae
(2021-12-07) Otto, Gracie
The intertidal zone is a competitive environment for benthic dwelling organisms. On the south shores of Oʻahu, these zones contain a diverse array of algal species. Native and invasive species compete for space on the intertidal bench. Surveys were carried out by the OPIHI (Our Project in Hawaiʻi’s Intertidal) citizen science program, which collected data on community composition and species abundance at intertidal sites around Oʻahu. This data was analyzed from 2017-2019 at the Ewa Beach site to determine if native algae species cover is reduced by the invasive algae species Acanthophora spicifera, Gracilaria salicornia, and Avrainvilla lacerata. The cover of native algae species was found to be negatively impacted by the increasing cover of the invasive algae species. The species richness analyzed at another site, Diamond Head, determined that both sites have similar community diversity and did not have a significant difference. The increased cover of invasive algae can negatively impact intertidal communities due to the decrease in diversity through habitat modification and displacement of native species. Invasive algae species have the potential to dominate the intertidal community due to faster reproduction methods, resilience, and adaptability to changing environments.
Free West Papua: The Struggle for Decolonisation, Justice and Merdeka
(2021-12-07) Chua, Anna Shu Yee
‘Papua Merdeka,’ also known as Free West Papua, has become a transnationally recognised call to decolonise and demand an independent West Papua from the Indonesian state. The vision for a West Papua free from settler-colonial violence and capitalist encroachment reflects its colonial historical, cultural and geopolitical context, yet it is also undoubtedly interconnected with the global struggle for decolonisation, justice, and liberation. This paper explores the roots of this aspiration by starting with an examination of the Indonesian state’s mechanisms of power and violence in its effort to wield and maintain hegemony as a nationalist regime. Following that is a discussion on West Papuans’ resistance against settler-colonialism, militarisation, and capitalist expropriation, and how the struggle to decolonise their homeland embraces interconnecting facets of merdeka – self-determination, sovereignty, justice, and liberation. Understanding the complexity of intergenerational colonialism and contemporary empire-building as they interact with neoliberal globalisation and nationalist ideals is imperative to deconstruct the multidimensionality of attaining merdeka for West Papua. West Papuans’ struggle for decolonisation is indivisible from collective liberation, and proactive solidarity is integral to dismantle deeply entrenched colonial and neoliberal systems, as well as nation-state boundaries.
Naʻu Moʻopuna - For My Grandchildren
(2021-12-07) Lasconia, Ciera
In the poem “Sons” by Haunani-Kay Trask, kumu Haunani gives birth to the concept of being “slyly reproductive”. Within Trask’s poem, diction reflects seductive solutions to break free from heteronormative and patriarichal molds in order to give ea that transcends generations. The sixth and seventh stanzas, for example, tell of how Trask brings life into this world: I am slyly Reproductive, ideas Books, history Politics, reproducing The rope of resistance For unborn generations. (56) From these two stanzas, one can see that Trask has successfully found a way to reproduce on her own terms. What Trask offers to the world is independent consent that is not gendered. How she brings life into the world is done so in a way that is completely on her own terms. Not only has Trask conceived multiple paths towards humble immortality, but radicalized an entire nation on this journey. In honor of Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask and in the spirit of being “slyly reproductive”, “Na‘u Mo‘opuna” is an epistolary style poem that is a love letter to the next generation of Kanaka Maoli and Aloha ʻĀina. This poem would not have been possible without the inspiration from kumu Haunani’s art and activism. As a queer Kanaka wahine I do not know if I will every have biological children. But through my academic genealogy, having been mentored by Dr. Noʻukahauʻoli Revilla who was mentored by Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, I know that it is my kuleana to continue their legacy through my work and to continue to reproduce their ropes of resistance in my own life.
Strategies in the Game of Mafia
(2021-12-07) Halim, Gemma
Mafia is a game that involves two opposing groups, the vanilla townies and the mafia, that each aim to become the winning majority. Though versions of the game may account for more specialized roles and alignments, our version uses the original game of Mafia where additional roles will only include a doctor and a cop, both in favor of the townies. This paper focuses on the impact of each role at different stages of the game to form optimal strategies for the different roles, taking into account that mafias depend on possibility while the townies depend on probability. A hypothesis is first made with theoretical probabilities based on common and logical plays that will then be compared to experimental probabilities derived from real-life games conducted. These findings are then evaluated to compose a strategy. This investigation focuses on a theoretical game with perfect circumstances, disregarding qualitative factors, that include but are not limited to, bluffing, body language, and manipulation, that may affect players’ mannerisms and potentially the outcome of the game. It turns out that an individual vanilla townie has limited flexibility in their playstyle since they should always vote as a group while the mafia will have to rely on random possibilities to eliminate special roles. Moreover, the doctor should act as any other vanilla townie, never revealing their role, while cops, should share their investigations and reveal themselves when half the number of the mafia are found.
Role of Social Media in Contemporary Shimauta Culture in the Amami Islands
(2021-12-07) Mochida, Iroha
This paper explores the role of social media in contemporary Shimauta culture in the Amami Islands in Japan. Shimauta is Amami Islands' iconic style of folk music that has been practiced by local people for many centuries on various occasions. It has undergone many changes in accordance with the transitions of society, while incorporating in different influences and new transmission methods. The use of social media is adopted as a new space of Shimauta participation in contemporary Shimauta culture. I conducted an online survey and interviews to examine how social media is integrated into today's Shimauta transmission. Based on the results, social media plays a significant point of entry to broader and deeper Shimauta experiences. As it has become one of the most popular sources of information in modern Japanese society, social media is expected to attract more Shimauta participants from young generations and people who are at distance from the Amami Islands. Social media is adopted as an important new aspect that helps sustain Shimauta culture, and it also provides opportunities to get involved in in-person Shimauta experiences.
(Human) Nature: A Place to Heal
(2021-12-07) Díaz-Monroy, Aura
The ramifications of homophobia, microaggressions, or othering leave lasting traces of pain on a minority. The course of a minority’s life is surrounded by messages that are negative, hateful, and are either blunt or subtle. A minority belonging to the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual, and Queer plus (LGTBQ+) community is exposed to severe homophobia within their own ethnic culture and within their immediate family. Add to that the ethnic-culturally constructed concept of the female gender and the status as an immigrant. These messages of “no” and “rejection” serve as a constant reminder to not draw outside the lines. We are conditioned by our ethnic culture to understand that the manner in which we exist is wrong, and worse, that we must change or adapt to be “less wrong.” These negative messages elicit an upheaval of emotions and various forms of mental illness. We spend time fending off these messages by striving for survival instead of living life and loving oneself is often non-existent. Minorities are bound to their own ethnic culture by a force only other minorities can fully comprehend; you don’t leave, you don’t turn your back on your family; you are not an individual. Doing so brings shame to the family and to your ancestry. This force complicates the decoding of the negative messages for the minority; when and where do we draw the line of living life free of distress? Is it selfish to lead a path of individuality for simply existing? Coping mechanisms are often harmful to the physical body or the mind, or both. Often one finds solution in suicide. Nature is a place with messages that are not readily or easily understood by someone surrounded by negative messages: positivity, hope, strength, and courage. Frequent access to nature and its positive effects allows a minority to unlearn that how we are composed is wrong. Nature’s power to heal lies in the absence of human influence. Long-term exposure to nature allows for peace to be felt onto the physical body, the mind, and even the soul; a place to heal.

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