Horizons, Volume 9

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/110046

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Front Cover, Back, Cover, Inside Cover
(2024-12-13)
Editor's Foreword, Editorial Assistant's Foreword, Student Editors' Foreword
(2024-12-13)
Trade, Religion, Literacy, And Laws: How Aliʻi Wahine Shaped The Early Hawaiian Kingdom
(2024-12-13) Spincola, Amanda
Aliʻi wahine (chiefly women) had a tremendous impact on the social and political trajectory of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. These women were not only included in aspects of governance such as trade agreements and legal disputes but were regularly at the forefront of them. As more and more foreigners came to Hawaiʻi at the turn of the nineteenth century, various aliʻi wahine used their power and influence to spread newly introduced systems and mores across Hawaiʻi. The most prominent of these are Christianity and literacy. Traders and missionaries did not take long to correct their earlier mistakes of miscounting these wahine as merely peripheral. The actions and ramifications of aliʻi wahine during this time showcase not only their political power but also their power to shape society based on their individual actions. This paper will look at aliʻi wahine prior to 1830 and how they impacted the trajectory of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi through their relationships with European and American ships, engagement with Christian missionaries, encouragement of Hawaiian literacy, and the passing of laws regulating Hawaiians’ interactions with foreigners.
Kabukichō Kids
(2024-12-13) Abe, Sophia
At the heart of Tokyo, a set of old sweeping gates glow red every night to invite visitors from all over the world into the red light district Kabukichō, a neighborhood notorious for its extravagant activities and dark secrets. Strangely enough, in recent years, this vibrant fragment of the Shinjuku ward has become a playground for children to come together and play their games. And here enters Nobuyuki, a timid young man looking to discover the truth about the notorious Kabukichō Kids and the tumultuous lives they lead… and perhaps finding a place in this unruly crowd where he can finally be himself. Inspired by Higuchi Ichiyo’s Child’s Play and the real-life phenomenon of teenagers gathering in Kabukichō to build a community called the “Tō-Yoko Kids,” the story illustrates the lives of youth in modern-day Tokyo and sheds light on societal issues that have yet to be properly addressed or recognized. While Higuchi’s works were written over a century ago, the themes concerning the perpetuation of gender roles and the various stigmas attached to socioeconomic statuses are very much relevant to the people of today. Through “Kabukichō Kids,” readers are encouraged to think critically about who the real perpetrators of these stories are, and what led these children to take the paths that they have chosen.
Of Days Magnificent and Mundane
(2024-12-13) Fromen, Simone
Of Days Magnificent and Mundane reflects childhood memories of engaging with outdoor play and with everyday objects. The title of this series references a quote from Taylor Jenkins Reid in describing the passage of time for children “...childhood is made up of days magnificent and mundane,” a perfect description of the duality represented in my work (Reid, 2021). My paintings capture the moments where children’s play, exploration, and curiosity make the mundane beautiful.
一寸一光阴（Moments in Time)
(2024-12-13) Lei, Yi Lin
As an art student, I’ve come to realize that creating art goes beyond personal enjoyment; it’s a powerful way to convey stories to an audience. When tasked with creating a gallery piece for my capstone project, I felt both excited and intimidated. I was conflicted with questions about my topic: Should I address real-world issues? Approach the project with an abstract style? What if others didn’t view my work as “proper” art? Ultimately, I chose to focus on something that genuinely resonates with me: my identity. Drawing inspiration from my Chinese cultural background, infusing it with elements of mythology that shaped my childhood.
Understanding Free Your Body: Free Your Mind
(2024-12-13) Piechowski, Noël
Floorboards creak, as I stand, basking in the colored light pouring in through the windows. The warmth of the sun touches my skin as reds and blues dance over my arms and legs, transporting my body into another reality. I remained there for most of my life, bathing in the colored light produced from my father’s stained glass windows. The light captivated me more than the windows themselves. Throughout my life I had always been drawn to the smaller fascinations: the explorations of change particularly in the human experience. Perhaps this was due to my younger years of self-loathing and excessive introspection, or perhaps, it was because I wanted to change. Glass allowed me to be enveloped by something larger than myself and give my innermost self over to something that was not as egocentric. Due to this commitment, I have gained an understanding of the materiality of glass, and through this installation I further explore its potentiality. Through Free Your Body: Free Your Mind, I am creating an immersive experience, which takes the viewers beyond themselves and into something incomprehensibly greater.
How Can Microbial Communities Contribute to Environmental Bioremediation Strategies?
(2024-12-13) Arca, Jennifer
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) increase the risk of harmful health effects to humans, including cancer, reproductive disorders, and birth defects, through contamination and bioaccumulation in the food chain. POPs like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and dioxins were commonly used or unintentionally made as a byproduct of pesticide and herbicide production. Due to their high solubility in lipids and water, these substances pose a greater risk of contaminating the food chain. POPs provide long-term sources of biotoxicity once they poison an ecosystem, causing detrimental effects for decades or even centuries. Addressing the remediation of environments contaminated with POPs is crucial for mitigating the long-term impacts on ecosystems and human well-being. Strategies for bioremediation, especially those involving composting and biostimulation, show promise in addressing the problem of POP contamination. By using microorganisms to convert contaminants into nutrients, organic debris is carefully broken down during the composting process. Boosting microbial activity in contaminated environments, known as biostimulation, on the other hand, seeks to encourage the organic breakdown of contaminants. To remove POPs from contaminated environments, this paper compares the performance and cost-effectiveness of bioremediation techniques, primarily composting and biostimulation. Through evaluation of the performance of these methods, this paper hopes to offer insights into the possible uses of microbial communities. This paper will account for factors such as resources used, time efficiency, and overall degradation of pollutants.
Environmental Effects on the Morphology of Hawaiian Rice Coral (Montipora capitata)
(2024-12-13) Logan, Kennedy
Hawaiian scleractinian corals provide diverse ecosystems that are extremely sensitive to environmental changes. O`ahu experiences rapid environmental alteration due to its human population, thus offering an ideal test region for this study. Here, the focus is identifying the relationship between the morphology of Montipora capitata corals and the environmental factors of sedimentation, effluent, sea surface temperature (SST), wave action, irradiance (PAR), and depth using a multiple logistic regression model and a generalized linear model (GLM). Environmental factor values were derived from the 2018 Ocean Tipping Points Hawai`i Study (OTP) and correlated with data from 198 coral colonies, which were collected via a comprehensive sampling campaign at 97 locations. Statistical analyses found significant relationships between M. capitata morphology and SST, sedimentation, wave action, and depth. Additionally, a visual representation of coral morphology around O`ahu provides direct insight on the prevalence of different coral growth patterns while supporting the findings of the GLM. These findings present the first documentation of this species’ growth island-wide, facilitating a broader understanding of Hawaiian Montipora corals and the crucial factors influencing their growth. Such insights are instrumental in advancing conservation initiatives aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of both natural phenomena and human-induced climate change.
The Effect of Heavy Metal Toxicity on Solanum tuberosum, Cucurbita pepo, Medicago sativa, and Capsicum annuum Plants Inoculated with Mycorrhizae
(2024-12-13) Ochoa-Marquez, Carlos
In this quantitative research the possible relationship between arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), the symbiotic relationship between plants and specific fungal genera, and heavy metal absorption of four different plant genera was examined. The null hypothesis for this research was that there is no significant difference between the effect AM has on the absorption of heavy metals by four different genera of plants. AM spores were inoculated into four different species of plant: Solanum tuberosum (Fortress Russet Potato), Cucurbita pepo (Zucchini), Medicago sativa (Alfalfa), and Capsicum annuum (Red Bell Pepper). The plants were then exposed to heavy metals (copper and zinc) every other week. After an initial growth period of two weeks the plants were exposed to zinc and copper. Analysis of plant heights and biomass found that plants inoculated with AM had higher survivability rates, had higher heights, and more biomass than plants not inoculated with AM. Plants that did not receive AM but were still exposed to heavy metals had lower survival rates, lower sprouting rates, and overall lower plant heights. After running statistical tests, t-tests, it was determined there were significant differences between plants inoculated with AM and almost all groups compared. These t-tests resulted in p-values that rejected the null hypothesis. This data was also able to support the alternative hypothesis that squash plants would be most positively affected by AM in the presence of heavy metals.
The Role of Street Medicine Programs for Management of Diabetic Foot Ulcers Among Unsheltered Individuals Living in Hawaiʻi
(2024-12-13) Apo Takayama, Nadia
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that can cause a host of severe complications, such as a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). When left unmanaged, a DFU can progress from a simple wound to a severe infection that may be treated with a lower limb amputation. There are many risk factors for developing diabetes and diabetic foot ulcers; one factor is being an unsheltered individual. This investigation aims to analyze a Maui-based street medicine program, Mālama I Ke Ola Street Medicine program, to understand the role this program plays in DFU management. A review of Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center’s Street Medicine program was completed through a shadowing experience of the program along with information provided by the program's lead community health worker. This program provides a regular schedule of wound care during their street visits, connections with a local clinic or organization, and an overall improvement in health attitude among the impacted population. Mālama I Ke Ola Street Medicine program’s lead community health worker suggests that a permanent provider on the medical team and increased advocacy for funding could add to the already successful program. While these suggestions could build upon the program, the Street Medicine team has made a significantly positive impact on Maui’s unsheltered population by increasing access to healthcare.
North Korean Science Fiction: Land Reclamation and Marine Resources Management
(2024-12-13) Kweon, Yejun
In my research, I utilize the theory of blue ecocriticism in North Korean science fiction. The theory of blue ecocriticism emerged due to the environmental damage caused by “frontier mentality”: providing ownership and mandating humans to conquer and subjugate the land. Through exploring and comparing texts that were published in different time periods — 1960s and early 2000s — I propose the emergence of blue ecocriticism in North Korean science fiction. I examine two texts, “Land Arose From Ocean” (Padaesŏ sosanan ttang, 1964-1965) and “Make the Sea Blue/Make the Ocean Blue” (Padarŭl p'urŭge hara, 2004). I focus on how authors raise awareness about environment sustainability and rehabilitation as time shifts, using the ocean as a chronotope. I mostly concentrate on the transition of landscapes and their utilizations throughout the time-period and examine how these approaches guide readers towards the eco-friendliness of the nation. Overall, I argue that compared to “Land Arose From Ocean”, ecocritical tropes become more obvious in recent works like “Make the Sea Blue/Make the Ocean Blue”. Compared to “Land Arose From Ocean” where environmental concerns are hidden, the author's own subjectivity regarding the necessity of rehabilitating and sustaining the marine ecosystem could be easily seen in “Make the Sea Blue/Make the Ocean Blue”. This submission contains the first section of my research and is entitled, “North Korean Science Fiction: Land Reclamation and Marine Resources Management”.
The Challenges Latino Migrants Face in Accessing Resources in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi
(2024-12-13) Lubet, Emilia
This research study explores the challenges Latino migrants who work in the agriculture coffee fields of Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi, face in accessing resources (e.g., affordable health care, housing, etc). In-person interviews in Kailua-Kona were conducted with nine Latino migrants—clients of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa William S. Richardson Refugee and Immigration Law Clinic—to understand their challenges in establishing their new life in Hawai‘i. Additional interviews were conducted with four community members and seven organizations to determine community efforts to assist migrants. This research discovered an established resource system in Kailua-Kona with beneficial community efforts in place. However, the Latino community still faces language barriers and uncertainty with accessing non-profit agencies, making the adjustment to Hawai‘i difficult. Language barriers exist for migrants when they need to access resources to help them situate themselves in their new home. Resources become inaccessible to the Latino community when organizations do not have materials in Spanish, personnel assisting in filling forms, or outreach information to the community. Taking all of this into consideration, this study has found that it is beneficial for organizations to hold in-person outreach events to build trust with the community. Equally important, this study highlights the need to hire Spanish interpreters and translate materials such as brochures, forms, and flyers. The findings in the study suggest that these efforts will continue improving the existing support for Latino communities. Furthermore, acquiring more state funding for non-profit organizations responsible for supporting the migrant community will expand the accessibility of these resources.
Addressing Inclusivity in Hawaiʻi’s Art Museums: Accessibility Strategies for Visitors Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision
(2024-12-13) Muñoz, Adriana
In the past few decades, art museums have adopted more policies highlighting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Of the DEIA practices, because of its broad definition and applications, accessibility in a disability context is often reduced to physical access. In addition to complying with the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), some institutions expand this definition by providing an engaging, educational, and satisfactory experience for all visitors. This research project broadly examines accessibility in Hawaiʻi’s leading art museums, the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA), Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture and Design, and the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum (HiSAM), with a focus on their inclusive strategies for visitors who have visual impairments. To assess the accessibility of Honolulu’s art museums, interviews were conducted with museum educators across the country, who were chosen based on their expertise and experience in disability accessibility in art museums. A survey conducted between May and August 2022, examined the three museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions in terms of exhibition design, programming, and curatorial practices. The assessment revealed that HoMA, Shangri La, and HiSAM adhered to the ADA guidelines, however, their policies and practices were predominantly limited to visual engagement. Thus, recommendations consisted of the addition of supplementary materials, such as alternative forms of labels, an online gallery, and the acquisition of more multisensory works into the collections. It is hoped that the adoption of some of these accessibility strategies will also prompt creative methods of engagement.
Assessing Relative Quality of Care in Mental Health Services with the Transition to Telehealth
(2024-12-13) Slavens, Connor; Slavens, Cullen
This study explores the accessibility and satisfaction levels of telehealth compared to traditional in-person mental health services to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of remote mental health care. Through a Google Forms survey distributed among the University of Hawaiʻi population, treatment utilization patterns, satisfaction levels, and mental health treatment access barriers were examined. Survey results displayed mixed satisfaction levels among respondents, as well as time constraints and financial cost as the greatest entry barriers in accessing mental health treatment, regardless of modality. Statistical analysis, specifically chi-squared tests, revealed no significant association between treatment modality (telehealth vs in-person) and overall satisfaction, wait time satisfaction, and mental health improvement. However, a clear correlation was found between wait time satisfaction and mental health improvement, as well as overall treatment satisfaction and service accessibility, underscoring the importance of easy mental health treatment access and its possible role in treatment outcome success. Our research engages with the crucial nature of patient satisfaction and service accessibility in relation to treatment outcomes. The significance of this research lies in its potential to offer valuable insights for service providers and policymakers to improve patient experience.
Humility in Healing: Nurturing Equity and Humanity in Hawaiʻi’s Healthcare System
(2024-12-13) Wong, Joanne
In Hawaiʻi’s diverse healthcare landscape, cultural humility plays a crucial role in ensuring fair, compassionate, and effective patient care. This study delves into the distinctions between cultural competence and humility, highlighting the latter’s dynamic and nuanced approach to intercultural interactions. The research employs anthropological methods and insights from healthcare professionals to investigate how cultural identities impact health behaviors, attitudes, and accessibility, subsequently influencing decisions regarding preventive care and treatment preferences. Additionally, this study evaluates the role of cultural humility in promoting health equity, highlighting initiatives such as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at the Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children. The committee’s efforts to enhance cultural understanding and address healthcare disparities are discussed. Preliminary findings indicate that integrating cultural humility into healthcare practices may enhance patient-centered care and address disparities effectively. The study concludes that ongoing self-reflection and cultural humility are crucial for advancing equitable healthcare in Hawaiʻi’s diverse communities. Future research will focus on patient surveys and statistical analysis to further assess the effectiveness of these initiatives and refine culturally competent care practices.
Night Light
(2024-12-13) Neumann, Malia
In 2023, I took weekly night drives with my family and learned how to catch the bus. Both experiences are linked by vehicles but on a deeper level introduced a space where I could refresh my mind and escape isolating thoughts that question my self-worth and identity. On the bus I had time to slow down and notice life. During night rides, the city lights provided a refreshing scenery when negative thoughts made it hard to sleep. From the exploration of recycled materials and combination of different printing methods, emerged a warm, humorous and weightless world that reminded me of these two experiences. Night Light hopes to honor these spaces and moments that give us warmth during times we feel in the dark.
Quantifying Kāneʻohe: Coral Bleaching Conditions through Color Card Analysis
(2024-12-13) Falkenstein, Cali; Glazner, Jessica; Berg, Justin; Moreland-Ochoa, Claire; Donahue, Meghan
The Nutrient Addition Experiment underscores the importance of monitoring coral reef health in the face of global climate change, focusing on how nutrient enrichment influences mass coral mortality during thermal stress events. Previous research from Palmyra Atoll demonstrates that nutrient-rich seabird guano contributes to coral resilience to thermal stress. Contrastingly, wastewater effluent, an anthropogenic nutrient source, has been found to be detrimental to coral health and thermal tolerance. This study, utilizing seabird guano and wastewater effluent, aimed to understand the coral color responses, a proxy of symbiont density, of coral fragments to these different nutrient treatments. The study involved collecting 288 Porites compressa (P. compressa) and Montipora capitata (M. capitata) fragments from Kāneʻohe Bay, Oʻahu, and conducting a three-week experiment with stable temperature conditions, randomized tank placements, and consistent nutrient dosing concentrations of 6 𝜇mol/L. Nutrient treatments included seabird guano, wastewater effluent, inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus, and an ambient control. The Hawaiian Ko’a Coral Color Card was used for coral color assessment using photographs analyzed in ImageJ. Results revealed an overall decrease in color values for P. compressa and an increase for M. capitata over the experimental period. Red Green Blue (RGB) values of P. compressa showed an inconsistent trend across treatments, while M. capitata exhibited significant increases, except for effluent-treated corals, which experienced a decline from week 1 to week 2. The study suggests additional coral conservation experiments that explore symbiont diversity, photosynthetic material, and temperature stressors for a comprehensive understanding of coral health in diverse nutrient conditions.
Letting the Fox in the Henhouse: Risks, Rewards and Repercussions of GMO Usage for Poultry Production
(2024-12-13) Hakikawa, Ayla
The global demand for food is on the increase. Accordingly, poultry has begun to rise in popularity due to reduced prices and perceived health benefits of lean meat (Dal Bosco et al., 2021; Jeni et al., 2021). However, an increase in demand for poultry has increased yearly harvest targets for farmers leading to production-centered rearing practices that have been challenged by a growing animal husbandry movement. Reducing harvest targets is not a sustainable or feasible option in the face of food shortages. As such, a potential solution to increasing animal welfare while maintaining these growth margins lies in the genetic engineering of poultry to reduce losses from disease, environmental stressors, and in-fighting between birds. This review assesses four different avenues of genetic modification and its proposed results on farmed poultry as well as the costs, both in public perception and monetarily, associated with using genetic modification in food products. This review finds that further study into genetic modification from a welfare perspective has promising results in both revenue and increased quality of life for farmed poultry.
Current and Future Water Quality Challenges on a Local Urban Farm and its Value as a Local Food Source
(2024-12-13) Malterre, Tehani; Dela Cruz, Brandon; Thepsenavong, Ariel
Food sustainability has been an ongoing concern throughout the Hawaiian islands, necessitating further research into potential threats to local food sources. Water resources, both water quantity and quality, are an important limiting factor for agriculture. At the same time, farms surrounded by urbanized land face potential water quality challenges due to runoff and nearby wastewater infrastructure. Sumida Farm is the largest watercress producer on the island of Oʻahu and is located in a highly urbanized area in ʻAiea, Oʻahu. The first objective of this study was to assess the presence and temporal dynamics of potential wastewater runoff to Sumida Farm by analyzing water samples for two wastewater tracers, caffeine and carbamazepine, and by correlating results with E. coli enumeration. The second objective of this study was to assess the environmental impact of local and imported watercress by comparing carbon emission data between Sumida Farm and a mainland watercress farm. Results showed that caffeine and carbamazepine are currently rare or nonexistent at Sumida Farm and thus, it was concluded that E. coli present at the farm was not correlated with wastewater. It was not possible to establish whether precipitation influenced the presence of caffeine, carbamazepine, and E. coli concentrations during the study period. Finally, it was found that the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with imported watercress is over 50 times the emissions of local watercress. This multi-part study illustrates the importance of local agriculture and provides a baseline analysis of current threats to the farm that may change in the future.

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