HPU President Chatt G. Wright and Dr. Wang Wanshan, vice president of North Eastern University (NEU) of the People’s Republic of China, signed an agreement of academic cooperation on Oct. 1. According to Wright, the agreement will develop activities in academic areas of mutual interest including the exchange of academic information, publications, and research materials as well the exchange of faculty, researchers, and students. HPU’s China Country Director, Manny Menendez, will implement the terms of the agreement, which will allow also for collaboration in research projects and symposia. HPU was selected by NEU for the agreement partially because of a family connection between Ken Schoolland, HPU associate professor of economics and political science, his wife Li Zhao Schoolland, and General Zhang Xueliang, the founder of NEU. Ken Schoolland explained that the late Gen. Zhang was his wife’s great grand uncle and is still revered as a patriotic hero in both China and Taiwan for his actions in the Xi’an Incident in 1936, in which he united Chinese nationalists and communists to fight the invading Japanese. "We are very pleased HPU was selected for this agreement," Schoolland said. "This is a terrific connection, and I hope we will have a lot of students from China at HPU." A top-tier university in China, NEU consists of 13 academic schools and the Graduate School, Qinhuangdao Branch, School of Distance Learning, and School of Continuing Education. NEU is the locus of 131 master’s degree programs, 43 doctoral programs, and 51 undergraduate programs in seven key disciplines. It also offers four Chinese National Engineering Technology Research Centers and one laboratory. The Northeast China Center of the China Education and Research Network is housed on the NEU campus.
Light the Night: Students walk for cureby Mariah SchiarettiHPU students joined hundreds of Hawai‘i residents and visitors who marched through the night to raise $69,000 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s "Light the Night" fundraiser, held at Wet-n-Wild water park Oct.3. The stroll around the water park started with a moment of silence in memory of those who lost their lives to blood cancers. At 7:20 p.m., young and old, supporters and survivors, marched with balloons in the name of cancer awareness: red and white for supporters and survivors, and gold for victims—gone but not forgotten. The Amnesty International Club at HPU, which focuses on educating students and faculty about human rights and sustainability, was among the many organizations and individuals that helped to raised funds by participating in the one-mile walk. Club president, Kira Vinke, a senior international relations major, said that it was the first time Amnesty International participated in the "Light the Night," and added that she hopes it won’t be the last. "I found that the cause deals with Amnesty values, so I wanted to get my members together to participate and earn funds for research," Vinke said. "It’s a great event to do, especially because you get to walk and chat and mingle while doing something good. Everyone should take part in the community life in Hawai‘i. It’s easy to do and very important." Vinke encourages the HPU community to join the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society next year. "It’s important for humanity to advance and to fund research," she said, adding that "with the U.S. financial crisis, a lot of the programs have been cut down along with research against these diseases." She continued: "We want to re-establish those funds because people are suffering from those diseases here and abroad, and we need to do something about that." The "Light the Night" event is held every year and, with more than 60 chapters across the United States and Canada, regularly raising thousands of dollars toward cancer research. This year’s event marked its eighth year in Hawai‘i. More than 600 people attended, consisting of 34 different teams. After the walk, participants were treated to dinner, rode the water slides, bid in a silent auction, and enjoyed music by local band Stinkeye. Jen McVeay, "Light the Night" organizer and Hawai‘i branch director of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society said, "It’s a special night to raise awareness and funds for blood cancer research and patient services," adding that "funds go to our researchers, as well as to patient services, which include financial aid for each patient, family support groups, educational programs and brochures." The cause is dear to McVeay because she has lost several friends to cancer, three specifically to leukemia or lymphoma. "It’s important to me to honor their memory and keep fighting to help find a cure so that no other families have to lose a loved one," she said. "Light the Night is really a special event, because not only does it raise valuable funds, but also raises awareness in the community. We want everyone on the island to know we have an office here and there is help available in the islands." To participate in future events visit lightthenight.org
Honolulu Advertiser invites college students to become online journalistsBy Mariah SchiarettiWhile the fate of newspapers is uncertain and the Internet continues to grow as a major source of news, students interested in publication careers can keep up with the times and build their resumes by posting stories on My Advertiser U, a Web site for college writers created by The Honolulu Advertiser. My Advertiser U is an affiliate of the My Advertiser site that allows anyone to be a community journalist and post stories on the Internet. My Advertiser U features different colleges in Hawai‘i including HPU, the University of Hawai‘i-Manoa, and two community colleges. The site is a way for the community to follow what’s happening around campuses on O‘ahu. My Advertiser U was created because people want to read about college happenings. It was also designed to help aspiring writers gain Web publishing and computer skills in what may be the future of journalism. James Gonser, The Honolulu Advertiser’s Community News Editor, said, "No one is sure where newspapers are going. There’s a lot of talk of different ways on how to make newspapers survive, but students should know there will always be a place for news, for a good story." Gonser believes that the site will give students valuable Web experience that is now crucial in every newsroom. "The world of journalism is changing quickly, and we want students to help create this site and make it what they want," he said. Posting stories on the Internet provides extra exposure for student writers, "My Advertiser gets anywhere from 80 to 100,000 hits a month, and that’s people who are interested in local news, and who are interested in what’s happening locally," Gonser said. My Advertiser U launched in the middle of September, featuring just stories and still photos from four colleges throughout the state, but the site will eventually have video capabilities. "It’s going to evolve as it grows. It will go to where students will get the experience they need to enter the real world and to become journalists or enter other parts of the working world that uses Web sites," Gonser added. Students don’t need to be majoring in journalism or communication to contribute to the HPU site on My Advertiser U. The site is open to all students who have a passion for writing and enjoy the excitement of seeing their name in a byline. HPU staff and faculty can also contribute to the site. My Advertiser U also gives students the opportunity to become a blogger representing their campus. Senior and journalism major Kaleena Yuen is part of the "HPU Happenings" blog on My Advertiser U, a blog started by HPU students in the JOUR 3400 editing class. "It’s a great experience, and blogging seems to be a very useful tool to learn and use," Yuen said. "There’s more freedom and not too much of a deadline to worry about or a special format. It’s all writing and it’s fun." Yuen noticed that many professors are having their students start blogs and utilize social networks like Facebook and Twitter. "It’s communication that we all need to get in on to be journalists in the future," she said. The resume of the 21st century journalist should not only have exceptional writing experience, but also multimedia skills including video and Web design. Honolulu Advertiser staff writer Caryn Kunz, who set up My Advertiser U Twitter and Facebook sites, encourages students to expand their talents as far as they can if they’re interested in having a career in journalism someday. "It’s important to cultivate as many skills as you can," Kunz said. "Don’t try and just learn print, or just learn video, or just do photography," she added. "Make sure that you know how to do all of those things because the more hats you can wear, the more valuable you’ll be to a future prospective employer." Kunz interned with The Honolulu Advertiser and landed a job because she wears many hats, including one in Web. Get connected to the My Advertiser U community and social networks, http://myadvertiser.com/college, http://www.twitter.com/myadvertiser and search My Advertiser on Facebook and become a fan.
Shedding light on domestic abuseby Mariah SchiarettiAs the spiraling economy takes its toll on Americans, there seems to be a startling increase in domestic homicides across the nation. In recognition of domestic violence awareness month, the Center for Student Life and First-year Programs organized an informational discussion for HPU students on different types of abuse, the warning signs, and safety planning. Guest speaker Antonia Alvarez, a social worker at the Domestic Violence Center’s Teen Alert Program, welcomed questions by students at the Sea Warrior Center, and shared some shocking statistics. According to Alvarez, 85 to 95 percent of domestic violence victims are female, but what made the audience gasp was when she told them that 35 to 40 percent of men have been accused of domestic violence against their partners in Hawai‘i, equallying almost half the population of men in the state. Alvarez pointed out that women are not always the victims; 5 to 15 percent of victims are male. "The basis of domestic violence is seeking to gain power and control over the victim. That’s the intent," Alvarez said. She stressed the importance of recognizing the warning signs of abuse because most of the time victims don’t realize what’s happening to them. "We get so many girls coming forward that just say ‘you mean that’s not okay? That’s not how it’s suppose to be?’" Alvarez said. "Even the guys say ‘whoa, I think I’m like that and I don’t want to be like that, how can I fix this?’ With education we can change it and it’s going to be okay." The Domestic Violence Center provides advocacy to victims of abuse, both male and female. They offer support, immediate counseling, and help victims obtain temporary restraining orders (TROs). The center is full of resources directing victims on where to go for self-defense training or for shelter. Since one of the center’s main goals is to create awareness and prevention, there’s even resources for the perpetrator to get help. "We have conferences out in the community. We go to schools, colleges, churches because obviously this is something that affects many age groups," Alvarez said. "One of the main elements in the Teen Alert Program is going to middle and high schools. We talk to nearly 9,000 students a year which is a huge prevention effort." Alvarez believes that education on the issue and showing people the reality of abuse is effective in stopping domestic violence. Freshman and travel industry major, Cui Xiaofan, attended the gathering because she wanted to write about it for one of her classes. "It’s good to create programs and have events like this in society so people know about it," she said. Xiaofan was interested in learning more about domestic violence because of a women and equal rights movement going on in her home country, China. "A while ago nobody really knew what domestic violence was," she said, commenting on the difference of cultures and how men in China are heads of the household. "People thought it was normal but awareness is very eye opening, and even scary," she said. For more info, visit www.stoptheviolence.org.
Uproar publisher teaches publishingby Linda Karlsson, student writer
When Yap was a junior in high school and about to choose her major she knew one thing, no math. When a friend told her to try writing for the school paper she did and was hooked. "I loved everything about it," she said. She finished both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at HPU where she now teaches. She started writing for the Kalamalama in her junior year, something she considers a mistake, "I should have started earlier," she said. Despite starting late to write for the paper, she worked both as associate editor and editor-in-chief. But nothing could prepare her for her first internship at The Honolulu Advertiser. The people at the Advertiser threw her in the game at once. Yap quickly learned how to get her story in the paper. "I learned that if I had photos with a story, no matter how small the story was, it would place better in the paper than a story without a picture," she said. Her second internship at The Star-Bulletin was easier. Her third internship was at the Associated Press – Honolulu Bureau. Yap was one of 20 applicants who got internships at the Associated Press; she was the only one from Hawai‘i. "The others would say, ‘Wooh, I’ve never met a Hawaiian before,’" she recalls. Yap loved working at the Associated Press and was even offered a job, but then came the stock market crash. The Associated Press had to freeze employment and Yap was out of a job. "It was just two days before I was supposed to start working there that the market crashed," she said. So, Yap kept herself busy with her own magazine, Uproar. Two years ago, Yap and her friend Hanalei Jaber started Uproar together. The subject was a common interest: mixed martial arts. At first Yap wrote all the stories and took all the photos, plus designed the Web page and print edition. "Today we have about 10 writers and three photographers, so I limit myself to two or three stories per edition," she said. Yap taught Electronic Journalism at HPU last spring, and is currently teaching Introduction to Journalism and Business of News. Yap is young for having achieved so much; when she walked in the classroom on her first day, a student asked, "You’re in this class too Britt?" Yap couldn’t do anything but laugh. "No," she answered, "I’m the professor."
English majors still valuableby Francesca Elver-Fiddimore, student writerAre you interested in majoring in English, but worried about your later career prospects? This was the topic of a meeting Oct. 9 in the Warner Auditorium. During the recent financial crisis, now, more than ever, students have been planning their degrees according to the marketability of their major, rather than their own academic passions. Young people realize that the future looks bleak, and vocational studies appear to be the way to job security. At the start of October there was a meeting for those brave (or foolhardy) souls who had rejected the safe, sensible route in favor of English and other literatures, such as film studies. A panel of five variously alumni and career counselors encouraged students in their learning pursuits for both next semester and the future. The discussion started with a presentation by Sharon Manibog, an HPU alumnus and careers counselor. Manibog reminded us that the Career Services Center is a valuable place to go as we begin to think about life post-graduation. Brent Fujinaka, another careers counselor with a B.A. and M.A. in English, talked about his own career path, from a sophomore literature class to working with interns on a literary magazine. Three HPU alumni with English majors, who graduated between 2006 and 2009, talked about their experiences in the work field since graduation. Two had switched from business majors, and all three had found jobs which made use of the skills they had learned in their English courses. Lauren Valle works at the Domestic Violence Action Center, and is grateful for her feminist theory courses during her degree. Kisha Vargas is a graduate assistant for a journal of Pacific Studies while she works towards her Masters in Pacific Island studies; and Jody Ige has been working as an assistant editor for a science report company. The importance of volunteer work was emphasized. Ige felt that her work on Wanderlust and the Hawai‘i Pacific Review had aided her when she found her new role. There was also information on next year’s Literature, Writing and Film Studies courses, ranging from Tyler McMahon’s "American Folk Ballads" to Deborah Ross’ "Seminar in Textual Criticism." Other courses that will be offered will include, but not be limited to, "Shakespeare on Screen," "Composition Studies," "Wanderlust," and "Introduction to Creative Writing." Although the future sometimes looks bleak, particularly if you’re not studying Business or Accounting, it is reassuring that a major in English is still a valuable and versatile degree. |
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