[Upbeat music plays] HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i’s New Wave of Storytellers.

Aloha and welcome to this week's episode of HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

I'm Skye Gussenhoven, an eighth grader at Āliamanu Middle School on Oahu.

I'm so happy to be here at the PBS Hawai‘i studio to share some incredible stories from Hawai‘i’s New Wave of Storytellers.

On this episode, we're returning to some of the most memorable pieces produced by students this past winter season.

There's a lot to cover.

We have a story about an aspiring musician on Kaua‘i.

There will be personal reflections about growing up on Maui, and what it's like to strive for perfection in the age of social media.

There's even a report about artificial intelligence and how it's disrupting classrooms.

So let's get into it, shall we?

The first story I'd like to share with you is from the students of Sacred Hearts Academy on O‘ahu.

We spotlight a new club on campus dedicated to spreading aloha.

Freshman Carlee Lomavita is new to Sacred Hearts Academy.

Going from a co-ed to an all girls school was definitely different.

I felt kind of stressed because I didn't know if I was going to fit in.

And I didn't know if I was going to make more friends.

So how's your school year?

It's been pretty good.

So far.

A new student group called the BIONIC Lancers quickly put her fears to rest.

BIONIC has really helped me have people to rely on and kind of trust while moving to a new school.

And they kind of gave me people to really communicate with and just made me feel comfortable.

All right, ladies.

We have so much to plan for the month of September!

BIONIC, which stands for Believe it or Not, I Care, started this school year to support students during challenging times.

Our mission is to make everyone feel welcomed here and to build relationships and community and who doesn't like to belong to a school community.

Right now our focus is new students to the Academy and first year students.

That way, you know, we can kind of like, see where they're at, as far as their transition.

The student led team welcomed new Lancers with a fall social.

I think it was important for the new students to have the social because when new students come it's kind of stressful for them because they never know, ‘Oh, what if I'm the only one here?’ Oh what if I'm the only new student?

so it gives them a chance to relate to other new students coming.

BIONIC member Miki Cheung knows what it's like to be new.

She transferred last year from Macau and had to navigate a new country, a new school and even a new primary language.

I'm like, insecure and I don't really like to ask questions, especially during class.

During breaks Miki and other BIONIC members chat with students around campus.

Actually, we often see students like eating alone, and especially for those new students, they're unfamiliar with the school and they probably feel insecure.

They also support students like senior Rory Redila, who recently experienced the loss of a loved one.

It kind of helped me and my sister because we got a card and like flowers, and it kinda like just brightened the day.

It also feels good too, because then I know that my own classmates are there for me, even though they might not know what happened.

Just being there, as like, as support is enough.

The BIONIC Lancers are making a difference at school and getting more requests for help and support.

We're getting our name out there and we just hope that people will use us to help support students here at the Academy.

They run through you and then, like, greet you, like, wave at you, like, smile at you, like these moments are the moments that I really know that, ‘Oh, I made a difference and I like, helped them.

This is Kiera Wheeler from Sacred Hearts Academy for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

With everything online these days, it's easy to fall into a trap of wondering what other people think about you.

These next two student reflections cover that topic closely.

The first is from a Kalāheo high schooler on O‘ahu.

Let’s watch!

After a long 16 years of life, I've come to the conclusion that I'm way too obsessed with what other people are doing on social media.

Having practically grown up on the internet, I've always had the digital world right at my fingertips, just a click away.

And with the constant scrolling came the constant thoughts.

And while sometimes I can be a little dramatic… I’m never gonna get a boyfriend!

These thoughts and feelings that came with social media had me critiquing every little thing about myself.

Seeing this one-second snapshot of people living their best life drove me crazy with envy.

And I felt like I was stuck in a never-ending cycle of judgment and comparison to the point where everywhere I looked, I thought everyone was judging me, even my dog.

But despite what people and animals may think, there comes a time when I just need to stop stressing about what other people have to say, and just do my own thing.

I can't control them, I can only control myself and how I deal with the hate.

So whenever I become too overwhelmed with social media, I take a step back and I observe the real world around me.

With the help from my mom, and the support from my friends, they were able to remind me of the importance of loving myself.

And every once in a while I still will have those bad days, but staying true to myself and being proud of who I am, well, there's nothing more real than that.

This next reflection comes from Tiffany Golden, a student of Hawaii Preparatory Academy on Hawaii Island.

She has a personal story to share about how social media made her feel like she needed to better herself constantly.

It's hard to believe that sometimes these beautiful fit, thin, amazing people can also be fake.

My name is Tiffany Golden, and I go to Hawaii Preparatory Academy.

I recorded this student reflection in May of 2022.

I have a question that I think will never have an answer.

And that is how do I be perfect?

I and other teens struggle with the idea of always improving and becoming better.

I believe that as a human being, you should always strive to be the best you can.

One way in which I tried to improve myself are habits such as running every morning, reading more books and finding a new hobby.

These things all help, but they don't always fix the underlying problem.

Another habit that I've developed is being critical of myself and how I act, which can feel like you're more self aware and in control of how you act, but this can turn into overanalyzing everything, or even social anxiety.

The idea of never making a mistake is so stressful.

And it can be a lot sometimes.

And paired with the fear of not being good enough like I have, it's easy to develop mental disorders, such as anxiety, when you are always so aware of every movement you make.

There is a state of mind, but there's a point of well being you must reach.

And once you get there, everything will be alright.

But that point never comes and you can feel insufficient.

If I keep becoming better, I feel like I will get to a point where I'm secure and confident in myself.

It turns out to be a delicate balance between being too critical and hurting yourself or actually improving.

Social media can also promote this, where people showcase the best of themselves, their best bodies, daily routines, perfect lifestyle, and lots of trends can help with this.

It's hard to believe that sometimes these beautiful fit, thin, amazing people can also be fake.

It's hard to accept, they can never be perfect.

Academic achievements and praise are one thing, but loving yourself and being content with where you are provides lasting satisfaction.

I've learned that there's no such thing as perfect and there’s no pressure to constantly improve.

Things take time, and it's being human and enjoying life that really matters.

Speaking of perfection, making videos like these can take some real trial and error.

In this next reflection, a student from Waikīkī Elementary School shares what he learned at a visual storytelling workshop cohosted by HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

I needed to listen to the advice and feedback from the teachers and the older kids.

Aloha, my name is Brady Ragasa.

I am a fourth grade student at Waikiki Elementary School.

This past summer I went to a workshop taught by Hawaii Creative Media at Moanalua High School.

Before this experience, I did not know what visual storytelling was.

During the workshop, I learned how to use iMovie software, about sequencing, action, reaction and emotion and how to frame and shoot different kinds of footage like an extreme close up.

I learned so much and I got to try a lot of new things with my friends and teachers.

It was so cool to watch the older kids.

But filming could sometimes be frustrating because of all the things you need to remember.

You have to do things more than once to learn from your mistakes.

I needed to listen to the advice and feedback from the teachers and the older kids.

An important part of creating things successfully, is to plan how you're going to do it differently and improve from the first time.

To be successful, I had to be brave in front of people from different schools, find inspiration and stay motivated.

I'm looking forward to using what I learned at the workshop to help me make more videos this year.

Practice makes perfect.

Never give up.

Let's go now to another elementary school on Hawai‘i Island.

It's E.B.

deSilva Elementary School, where students have a story to share about growing pains – that is, running out of space as their student body expands.

Their story took home second place at the 2023 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Winter Challenge.

How would you feel if you learned where everyone else eats and you're only six years old?

That's what's happening at E.B.

deSilva Elementary School.

So currently we are overpopulated.

So that means that there are a lot of students.

Our school is built for about 360 students.

At 360, we have enough space for everybody, okay?

But right now we're pushing 500.

This year, one of our first grade classes has to have half of their day in the Learning Lab and then the other day in the cafeteria.

And then a lot of other students are having their learning opportunities outside of the classroom or on our benches.

So we've used every available space on campus to help service our students and provide spaces for our staff members.

This disruption in learning sparked the school community to take action.

We’ve got over 440 letters from our students here on campus, another 60 or so from our parents.

So that's nearly 500 letters.

We've sent those to Honolulu to try and persuade the state Legislature to give us the money that's required to build four or five classrooms.

With Bill 531 currently moving through the legislature, the school is hopeful that they will get the money they need to build more classrooms.

This is Summit Chun-Hoon from E.B.

deSilva Elementary School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

We've all got dreams.

This next profile story produced by the students of Kapa‘a High School on Kaua‘i introduces us to a multi talented young musician.

This story received third place in the 2023 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawaii Winter Challenge.

There's always the feeling of mediocrity and not feeling like I'm good enough to be where I am in my musical journey.

As a young musician on Kaua‘i, Makana Aqui understands where he is and what he wants to become.

My family plays music.

I worked in a show when I was 13 with my uncle who did like Polynesian music and dance.

I played drums for him.

And I sparked my, uh, my interest in music because he started making me play ukulele and guitar for the show.

From there I kind of jumped up because I went to Bandwagon Music Center where they taught us a lot about how to play in bands and continued to pique my interest and how to play like guitar and bass and drums and, and all that.

I have a lot of inspirations, most of them come from local communities.

These guys kind of helped shape the way I play music now and how I interact with other musicians.

Currently contributing to three bands and playing at two local venues.

he aspires to influence a larger audience.

When I first heard Makana playing music was about four years ago when he joined bandwagon, and he was more in the elitist jazz genre, whereas I was more in the elitist metal and rock group, so there's this clash of genres automatically, so we were kind of like at each other's throats.

But eventually, through the years, we grew closer and started opening up to each other's genres more.

And the mix of jazz and metal really created this awesome brotherhood with Makana.

We've been pushing each other as musicians ever since.

I began taking guitar lessons from him during winter of 2021.

And during that time, I was dealing with a lot.

Our guitar lessons were the only consistent thing in my life.

The lesson itself was the one thing I looked forward to.

Establishing himself as a music instructor and local musician is far from Makana’s end goal.

There's been a lot of high end producers and influencers that come up and tell me, ‘Oh, hey, this is who I am, check on my page,’ and stuff, ‘I'd love to get, you know, whatever you've recorded and I want to listen to it,’ so, but I don't have anything out yet, so it feels bad turning them down and being like, ‘I don't, I'm just starting, I don’t have anything.’ [laughs] Although he doesn't have everything needed to take the next step.

He is still focused on refining his signature style locally.

When you play wrong notes, in a performance, it kind of sets you down and you feel like you have to relearn all the roots, but it's not that bad, it's just you're still learning.

I found there's been regulars coming down on Saturdays just to listen to my music.

It's been a very prominent part of my life.

It's kind of become my whole life and my main interest.

Makana Aqui is in pursuit of a career in music, no matter what difficulties lie ahead.

This is Ella Anderson from Kapa‘a High School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

You may have heard about a new online tool that uses artificial intelligence to answer questions, and even write essays.

Chat GPT might seem to have all the answers, but use it with caution, according to this next story from Hilo High School.

This story received second place in the 2023 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawaii Winter Challenge.

How can something like this programming cause such a fuss, even being banned in school districts around the country?

With the rise of AI development, new platforms like Chat GPT by Open AI have surged in global use, allowing for new opportunities and obstacles to surface in the classroom.

[Chorus of different voices] Chat GPT, CHAT GPT, Chat GPT, chat GPT chat GPT chat, chat chat chat GPT.

But what is Chat GPT?

Chat GPT, in its own words, is a computer program that can understand and generate written language.

As of now it can write stories, answer a wide variety of questions, translate, summarize texts, or even participate in conversations similar to that of people talking.

However, the views on its usage are deeply mixed.

It could be dangerous.

School purposes, I see it as a positive.

Fascinating, little frightening.

But how can something like this programming cause such a fuss even being banned in school districts around the country?

It can do a lot.

So I played around with writing poetry and personal statements about my goals.

I tried to put in a poem and the personal statement into the, um, something that tells you whether or not it's written by a human or computer, and it was not able to tell.

It could be dangerous.

It could, it might make people more lazy.

I would be hesitant to talk about it, it would have to be I think a conversation would have to take place in the classroom to talk about ethics, and honesty and what the students thought of it, maybe go back to paper pencil assignments.

I believe the most furthest that a teacher went would be to transition all of our homework from online to in paper, because of my English teacher.

She went from putting all of our information and our homework on Google Docs to worksheets simply because she fears that if we use Chat GPT, we can easily rewrite it.

I don't think Chat GPT is very useful in a classroom.

You'll simply be getting the answers immediately, and that goes against the entire reason why you're in school in the first place.

I think it's a positive because of the amount of information you're able to access within such a short limit of time.

So how should schools determine the usage of Chat GPT?

Both sides need to understand how it's being used and how it can be used effectively, and like any tool or resource, it really depends on how it's used.

So assuming students are using it to support writing and critical thinking, and artificial intelligence helps students to do that, then um, then again, it's a tool to be a resource to be used.

This is Clara Steele from Hilo High School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

Do you ever wish you could just go back in time and tell your younger self it's going to be alright?

This student reflection from E.B.

deSilva Elementary is sure to tug at your heartstrings.

Dear third grade Kolten, Things are gonna get tough for you in fourth grade.

There is gonna be a new sickness.

All schools will shut down.

You'll have all your classes at home on the computer.

You'll stay at home all day.

It will actually be kind of fun.

Then we'll find out mom has cancer.

But she'll get better after a few months.

But then, the cancer will come back and she'll get even worse.

Auntie Kathy will move to E.B.

deSilva Elementary School.

I have no idea where that place was.

But Dad thinks it will be easier if you and Kreighton go there too.

So you'll change schools, but find out the teachers are very nice.

You'll even eat breakfast at school and grandma will help around the house.

You will also learn how to take care of Kreighton.

Bummer, right?

But Mom will get better every day.

Just remember to go through every day with a good attitude and everything will be okay.

Sincerely, sixth grade Kolten.

This next student reflection comes from Emi Nishimura, a student at Kailua Intermediate School on O‘ahu, who reminds us that life is short.

So remember to tell people that you care.

I never thought something like that would happen to someone I knew, but it did.

Hello, my name is Emi Nishimura and I'm an eighth grader at Kailua Intermediate School on the Island of O‘ahu.

I once knew someone, they were around my age and had their whole life ahead of them.

They died by suicide.

They were the type of person who I would have never even suspected to be hurting inside.

I thought that they were the very definition of okay.

Because they always seemed so happy.

And were social, and would tell jokes to make people laugh.

But it turned out that they were not alright.

And I never knew that until it was too late.

I saw them every single day, until suddenly just like that, they were gone.

Knowing someone my age and then losing them was shocking.

It was painful and it hurt.

I never thought something like that would happen to someone I knew, but it did.

What happened has made me more aware of how much mental health matters and how it can affect everyone.

Even people you might not think it would.

It's made me realize how important it is to check up on your friends.

Make sure that they're doing okay.

And if they're not, being there for them, and letting them know that you care.

So if you're feeling depressed, or even considering self harm or suicide, or know someone who is, please reach out for help, by talking to someone you trust, like your friends, teachers, coaches, or anyone you feel comfortable talking to.

You can even call a suicide prevention line, which is anonymous and confidential.

It can be difficult to be honest about how you're feeling, but in the end, it will be worth it.

Every situation and person is different, but always know that there is hope.

And there are people who are here to help.

Most of all, know that you matter and you are worth so much more than you think.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call 988.

To close our show, it's my pleasure to share this student reflection from H.P.

Baldwin High School on Maui, which truly captures what makes Hawai‘i special.

This assignment was part of the Hawaii Department of Education’s HA initiative, inspired by the Hawaiian term for the breath of life.

[Calm piano music plays] Even though my grandma never got to see me graduate, I know she's proud of the woman I’d grown up to be.

Family to me is everything.

My family has had many hardships recently, but I try to remember the smiles and laughs we've had together.

One of the hardships we went through started right before school began last year.

My grandma, who lived with us, had suddenly passed away.

The week of her funeral, my dad tested positive for COVID-19.

Since my family and I were unvaccinated at the time, we had to quarantine, which resulted in us missing my grandma's funeral services.

Even though my grandma never got to see me graduate, I know she's proud of the woman I'd grown up to be.

Thinking back to what had happened, I'd come to realize that you never know when your last moments with your family will ever be.

I'd like to remember the good times I shared with my family, like going to the beach, and even capturing memories on camera.

E pūlama i ka wā launa ohana.

My Hawaii, my home.

[Sound of a wave washing up and away] That concludes our show.

We hope that you've enjoyed the work of Hawaii's New Wave of Storytellers.

Don't forget to follow PBS Hawai‘i on YouTube, Instagram and Tiktok to enjoy the best stories of Hawaii's youth.

You can find this HIKI NŌ episode and more at PBSHawaii.org.

Tune in next week for more proof that Hawaii students HIKI NŌ — Can do.

[HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i outro theme song plays]