People Spotlight: Moki Akiona

Moki Akiona, a 27-year-old janitor from Kalihi, has experienced an uphill battle through his first decade as an adult.

Akiona, who is half Hawaiian, half Japanese, grew up on the west side of the island of Oahu in Makaha. He attended Waianae high school before dropping out without his diploma.

“I dropped out because I didn’t see the point of going to school”, he said. “I thought it was a waste of time. Some of the teachers didn’t like me and I wasn’t learning anything.”

Akiona’s fondest moments weren’t in school either. One thing he was particular skilled at was fighting chickens.

“My favorite childhood memory was when I won my first chicken fight derby,” he said. “I fought three chickens and I won all three matches. None of the fights lasted longer than three minutes.”

After dropping out of high school, Akiona lived with his parents until they kicked him out of the house at age 21. Even though his parents still loved him, he wasn’t providing anything for the family and was a burden. For about six months of his life, Akiona had no place of residency.

“I was living in the cock house down in the farm,” he said. “It was noisy, but you don’t really notice it.”

While most people would not be able to tolerate that type of lifestyle, Akiona had no problems getting by. Since he grew up around fishing, Akiona was able to get most of his food from the ocean.

But money doesn’t grow on trees and Akiona knew he had no true sustainable form of income. With limited credentials, he was willing to do any job.  Akiona searched far and wide and found his current occupation doing janitorial work in a location that he did not want to disclose.

“I just walk in and ask if there was any work,” he said. “That’s how I got the job. I just had to do it. I had to get a regular job. I was getting paid in cash until I found a place to live in Kalihi.”

Although he says it’s like working in a sweatshop, Akiona said that getting a job was a life-changing moment.

“I never realized the importance of hard work,” he said. “Before I would just be lazy and do things whenever I felt like doing it. Having a job really forced me to be disciplined.”

He also says he doesn’t really mind doing any of the duties that his job entails and actually takes pride in scrubbing toilets.

“I always need a clean bowl,” he said. “Would you want to sit down on a dirty toilet seat?”

As for his future plans, Akiona said he is comfortable where he is at and he hopes to retire at age 51. He currently has no desire to have a family.

“If it comes along, I’ll be working longer,” he said. “If not, I’m retiring at 51 because that’s the plan.”

One thing that he wishes he could have done differently in life would be to finish his education.

“I wish I could go back to school so I could find a easier job,” he said. “I like it here where I’m at now, but sometimes I’m so tired when I go home that I can’t really do anything.”

When he’s not working or fishing, Akiona enjoys eating Filipino and Hawaiian food. One of his favorite dishes to indulge on is salt meat and watercress soup.

Rachel Ogasawara Signs National Letter of Intent

For 18-year old Rachel Ogasawara, signing her National Letter of Intent Wednesday morning was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

Ogasawara, a catcher on the Kamehameha softball team, was one of 59 student-athletes from Hawaii that put pen to paper at the signing day event that was put on by the Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the Waikiki Elks Club. There were also signees for volleyball, soccer, football, track and field, swimming, basketball and baseball.

After signing with the University of Washington, Ogasawara was all smiles as she posed for pictures with friends and family in her purple Huskies hoodie that she wore for the occasion. She will be studying sports medicine and hopes to be a physician some day.

“It was a huge relief because now I know where I’m finally going,” said Ogasawara, who was a first team All-Hawaii selection last season. “I’m just really happy because it’s my dream to go to the University of Washington.”

One thing she likes about the Washington softball team is the family atmosphere that they give off.

“I really connected to the coaches and the team,” she said. “I also have family up there and it’s close to home so it’s the best of both worlds.”

Even though Ogasawara is in the final months of her high school carrer, she can’t help but feel nervous about the next chapter in her life.

“Honestly I’m kind of scared — but they say if your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough,” said Ogaswara. “Hopefully everything follows through and I’ll be set.”

Another standout softball player that signed her letter of intent was Punahou’s Krystin Wong. The 17-year old shortstop will be studying biochemistry at Columbia University in New York.

“I never thought that I would be here signing to play at an Ivy League college, but I guess things have a funny way of working out,” she said. “I worked really hard for this so it feels good that it’s all paying off and I’m really proud to go to Columbia.”

While most athletes that go on to the next level have played their respective sports from a very young age, Wong only started to play softball in seventh grade. She credits former Punahou coach Mike Okimoto’s help in developing her skills.

“No one really worked with me and put in the time because I started in seventh grade compared to other people that started when they were toddlers,” said Wong. “Coach (Okimoto) worked with me, saw something in me and never gave up on me. He’s here today and a lot of thanks goes to him.”

Wong hopes to follow the pre-med track to become a cardiac surgeon one day.

Also signing her letter of intent Wednesday morning was 17-year old Kanoe Morihara of Mililani. As a defensive stalwart, she helped the Trojans win their first state title since 2002. She will play for Whittier College in the fall.

“I think it just gave me a lot of confidence and made me feel like I can actually play at the next level,” Morihara said on her final season as a Trojan. “It just made me appreciate the game more and I felt like I couldn’t leave it behind in high school. I think just through my senior year I just grew more passionate (about the sport).”

One of the hurdles that Morihara has had to overcome in her preps career was an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Her experience bouncing back from it played a hand in her decision to study kinesiology.

“I hurt my knee a few years ago and I went to physical therapy and I really liked how my physical therapist knew what to do for me to get better,” she said. “I just like helping people and the body really interests me.”

Former Kealakehe and University of California-Berkley track and field sprinter Francesca Weems was the keynote speaker at the ceremony. She graduated from Kealakehe in 2011 and is now a sports anchor and reporter for Hawaii News Now.

Kawaii Kon 2015

The Hawaii Convention Center was packed this weekend as more than 10,000 anime, sci-fi and video game enthusiasts, most dressed up and acting out their favorite animated characters, for the 11^th annual Kawaii Kon.

The three day event kicked-off Friday, March 27 and had fans lining up the night before for early registration. Long’s Drugs sales clerk Noel Ulep is always one of the first patrons to be in line for the early registration. This year the 23-year-old Waipahu native was dressed in full costume dawned a custom-made all-black wig enacting as his favorite character Noah from the animated show Soul Eater.

Ulep is a diehard fan of Japanese animation and comics, and has been a loyal convention goer for the past 11 years. “I usually end work early and spend the night in town to make it to the early registration,” Ulep said. “I start getting excited for the event in January. I get to see friends that I haven’t seen for two or three years at the event.”

The event, which celebrates both animation and Japanese pop culture, brought in many big name artist and musicians from around the world. Rising Japanese pop singer Eir Aoi made a special appearance at this year’s convention, hosting an evening concert for fans Saturday.

Hundreds of fans gathered and packed the convention center’s stage Saturday night for Aoi’s performance. Ewa Beach resident Elijah Pantil is a devout fan of Aoi, and started following the singer since 2011. The 22-year-old Hawaii Pacific University sophomore was up since 6 a.m. Saturday morning buzzing in anticipation for Aoi’s concert and meet-and-greet with fans.

Although Pantil didn’t make it into the front rows of the concert, he still enjoyed the opportunity to be in the same room watching his idol perform. “I was in the back screaming as loud as I could,” he said. “My voice is going to be shot tomorrow, but it’s totally worth it.”

Alongside from the big name performers who attended the event were local amateur artist. The variety of artist, ranging from painters and illustrators to sculptors, all filled the convention’s Artist Alley room sharing their passion and selling their arts to fans.

Childhood friends Francis Pascua and Teo Duldulao of Shinuu & Co. hosted their first artist booth at the convention this year. The two Waipahu natives didn’t know what to expect coming into the convention. The two 22-year-old freelance illustrators had simply wanted to come together and take the opportunity to showcase their drawings and paintings to the public for the first time.

“A lot of the artist here are leagues away from us,” said Duldulao. “We think ourselves as okay, and a lot of people think our stuff is great, but here in comparison to all these other artists we’re definitely on a learning curve.”’

Duldulao and Pascua spent several weeks planning and drawing different pieces for the event. “We put a lot of time into the pieces we do, we select scenes that are impactful to us,” said Duldulao. “We try to evoke through the art the same emotions we felt when we experience these scenes.”

Many of the artist in the alley not only showcased art from their favorite animated series, they also promoted the series by dressing up and working their booths in costume. Freelance illustrator Arielle Underwood of Kailua came dressed up in an orange and red custom stylized wig, and hand sewn jumpsuit to represent her favorite character Muncho from the animated series Muncho.

The 24-year-old follows several different animated series, and dresses up each year as a different character to the convention. “I like cosplaying because you’re able to promote a series and see if there are other people who also enjoy the series,” she said. “It’s like a visual ad or indicator that says ‘Hey we like the same series, let’s talk!’ It’s a great and free way to break the ice with many.”

Underwood, who’s been attending the event for the past five years, starts planning and preparing in early June of the prior year. Spending the majority of her free time over the desk in her room, she’ll spend at least three hours each day developing and designing her character outfit. “It’s a lot of trial-and-error work that can cost a lot of money,” she said. “You try to do all you can to get it just right and represent your character correctly.”

Coming dressed up and embodying your favorite character is an experience in itself for many of the convention’s goes. University of Hawaii freshman Leslie Pascua of Makiki, who came dressed in three layers of clothing and a one-eyed mask enacting the animated Naruto character Toby, has come dressed up to Kawaii Kon for the past seven years.

The 18-year-old, who first came when he was only 11-years-old with his older brother, says the process takes a lot of time and dedication, but that in the end it’s well worth it for all the praises you get from fans. “I love doing it for the fans and pictures,” he said. “It’s a lot of work, but the appreciation and admiration you get from fans is all worth it.”

People Spotlight: Photographer Scott Sesko

           Hiking Kuliouou Ridge amateur photography Scott Sesko is in the zone peering through the viewfinder of his trusty Nikon D-800 clicking fiercely away snapping image after image of the different foliage. 

The 21-year-old Denver native, who moved to Hawaii two years ago for college, easily captures over 1,000 pictures on his camera each week. “I’m usually out shooting three to four times a week at least,” he said. “I’m out a lot on shoots to try out new concepts.”

Sesko, a self-taught photographer who’s learned and developed most of his techniques though through online tutorials and trail-and-error, has come a long way since first taking up photography his sophomore year of high school. “I first picked up a camera, and really started to play around it, my sophomore year of high school,” he said. “By senior year the ‘photobug’ bit me hard and had me hooked.”

To date Sesko has sold several of his photos at different community festivals, and has had his work displayed in galleries and entered into competitions. “I’ve been in some art shows back in Colorado,” he said. Many of the pieces he’s entered into photo competitions have been selected and displayed in different photo galleries in his hometown.

Sesko, who especially enjoys landscape and nature photography, goes out hiking every week to capture pictures. “When I’m out hiking I really like getting landscape shots,” he said. “I like looking for different way to show people what I see in nature; what I think makes nature so great.”

Nature has always been Sesko’s playground. Having grown up by the mountains, Sesko can’t recall a weekend when he wasn’t doing something outdoors with friends or family. “It’s always been a big part of my life growing up,” he said. “It plays a large role in my family.”

Although Sesko has moved away from his Denver roots, he still has a great fascination with nature.  He now plans to hike every trail on Oahu, and document it with his camera for the world to see. “I want to remind people there’s more to this Earth than big cities and the ‘hecticness’ of things,” he said. 

            Sesko prefers hikes at the crack of dawn. “It’s one of the best times to shoot,” he said. “The trails aren’t as crowded, and the lighting is a great for getting pictures.”

            Taking close-up photos is a particular favorite of Sesko’s. He likes to capture and showcase the unique details of things he sees. He specifically enjoys shooting flowers. He explains that no one flower is made exactly the same, and that there is beauty in their individual uniqueness.

            Sesko dreams of one day being hired as a photographer for National Geographic, and being able to travel the world and document the differences between various countries in the world.  “Just tell me where the dotted line to sign my life away is,” he said.  “Who wouldn’t want to have a job where you can travel everywhere, and your only job is just get photos of it?”

            Currently Japan is on Sesko’s list of top places to visit. He hopes to be able to travel to the country within the next couple of years and be able to shoot there. Having a particular interest in the Orient, and its art and architecture, Sesko would like to visit the country and experience its culture and history while capturing its beauty for others to see. “I’d shoot the cities, and go to the old monasteries and rural country,” he said. “I want to go to Japan and just capture it through my eyes, through my lens, and have it show through me.”

            Sesko is currently working to market himself and his photography. He’s published, and started shared his work, on photo-sharing websites like 500px and YouPic.

            Gaining recognition for his work is not one of Sesko’s top priorities however. He explained that he does photography and shoots because of his passion and love for the craft, not for the recognition or money.

“If I take a shot and 100,000 people love it and like it, and it becomes viral, that’s great, but I do it for me,” he said. “I don’t ever go out and shoot thinking ‘this is going to go viral,’ I go for myself, and to share what I see within this world.”

           

            

The Mic is Open!

Public performance and getting in front of an audience of complete strangers is no easy feat. But performers at HPU’s Open Mic event this past Friday sure made it seem easy! This semester HPU’s Campus Activities Board sponsored an Open Mic/ Bubbies Ice Cream social at the Downtown campus’ Sea Warrior Center. Slam poetry, music and song were all welcomed on stage during the event.

Students that showed up at the event all had a good time.  While performances were going on, students were given mochi ice cream from Bubbies to nibble on and enjoy. Each of the performances was truly unique, and the slam poets at the event really helped to uplift the spirit in the room. Physical performance is a great form of self expression for many. For student’s especially, who are going through a lot in life, and have a lot on their minds, performance is a great way of unleashing bottled up emotions or stress.

Many of the performances at the day’s event were impromptu. A lot of the students who had just so happen to be at the Sea Warrior Center at the time of the event, saw how much fun many of their fellow classmates were having, and decided to go up and perform a piece of their own. There was not much prior promotion done for the event, as details about the event only started becoming available and dispersed during the earlier part of the week.

All performers at the event had a great time. After each performance, students would walk off the stage with huge smiles, and be welcomed with waves of applauses. Not to mention, students who had not perform, and were simply at the event to watch the performances, also had a great time. Many praised the mochi ice cream that was available at the event. The event very fun, and provided a great opportunity for students to unwind and hang out. It was also an awesome way to end the school week, and head into the weekend.

Act of War: An Inspirational Film About the True Story Behind the Hawaiian Overthrow

Prior to viewing the documentary I was unaware of the real amount of brutal force and planned scheming that took place during the overthrow. The documentary's stylized re-enactments of events, with historic quotes, really allowed audience members to understand the entirety of the events. It also provided an authenticity to the film. The hour long documentary did a good job of depicting the gradual process of how the Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown. We as audience members follow the Hawaiian people as they first make contact with western civilizations, become weaken both physically and culturally by the Westerners, and then finally become taken over by the western people.

Act of War is a documentary that was produced in association with the Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai‘i. The film presents audience members with a very grassroot and story of the Hawaiian overthrow. The majority of media coverage given for the events of the Hawaiian overthrow did not incorporate the viewpoint of the overthrow from the Hawaiian's standpoint. For once we are able see and hear about the events from the standpoint of those who were present and truly effected the most by the events.

The Hawaiian islands were, in what U.S. President Grover Cleveland calls an "act of war," taken from the sovereign Hawaiian people. The Hawaiian people had created and lived for thousands and thousands of years in a sustainable and spiritual culture of their very own. They created sustainable economies and systems of agriculture, had their own language and practiced a unique culture.  The Hawaiian people were an established nation of their own, until the United States invaded and took their nation from them in 1983.
Segments of the documentary that include interviews from local historians and scholars Haunani-Kay Trask, Lillikala Kame‘eleihiwa, Kekuni Blaisdell and Jonathan Osorio help add and create a very scholarly and objective feeling to the documentary. The inclusion of footage from present-day events really helps to add a personal and grassroots feel to the film. The footage is raw, and a lot of times of rallies and individuals getting arrested, but audience members are shown that this is truly something that realistically affect many people.

She Kissed a Girl, and She Like It!

It is definitely not everyday that two well known and in-demand celebrities lip-lock with one another. This is especially true if the artists are of the same-sex and for the most part have reputations as being heterosexual. Yesterday jaws dropped as Miley Cyrus initiated, and took part in, some girl-on-girl action with fellow artist Katy Party.  Miley initiated the kiss as she performed her hit single “Adore You” at the Staple Center in Los Angeles. Cyrus is currently touring and holding concerts as a part of her Bangerz Tour.

When thinking of such lip-locking action, many would think back to the 2003 MTV VMA kiss that took place between the infamous Britney Spears, and Madonna. The performance immediately went viral, and shocked millions in the audience. The performance has forever gone down in history, and is eternally etched into the minds of fans.
Cyrus, a former Disney child star turned bad girl, has definitely changed and grew, for better or for worse, change her image in the eyes of audience members during these past few years. Barely-there leotards and lingerie have become the norm for Cyrus. During her performance at the Staple Center, Cyrus’ was seen performing and incorporated repeated scenes of crotch-grabbing, twerking and grinding with colorful stuffed animals. The girl-on-girl kiss seems only to be a part of the never ending raunchy moves that the star seems to be taking. Cyrus herself seems to see nothing wrong with actions, and simply said after this recent display: “I just kissed a girl and I really liked it a lot.” Let's hope Cyrus doesn't take after Ms. Spears too much and find herself heading to rehab...