HIKI NŌ 716 Next, on HIKI NŌ, stories from across our island chain.

In the South Kona fishing village of Milolii, opelu fishing is not just a tradition, it's a means of survival.

It helps me by supporting my family.

A church group on Kauai provides people in need with a service many of us take for granted: laundry.

A recently arrived military dependent falls in love with hula.

And continuing the theme of outsiders embracing Hawaiian culture, a mainland transplant becomes the Hawaiian Studies teacher at St. Andrews Priory, in a story from the HIKI NŌ archives.

A Hilo doctor is living proof that even the most unlikely dreams can come true.

And a language arts teacher discovers that a picture can be worth a thousand words.

All on this episode of the nation's first statewide student news network, HIKI NŌ ... Can do!

We're here at the remote fishing village of Milolii in South Kona on the island of Hawaii, home to the Kua O Ka La Milolii Hipuu Virtual Academy.

This is the site of our virtual academy.

We have been at this site for the last five years.

This is where our students gather to do their homework and projects, with the assistance of their teachers.

It has been a difficult year here in Milolii.

There was a dengue fever outbreak that made its way into our village.

It shut down our virtual site for a whole semester.

Thankfully, the dengue has been cleared, and now we can continue our schooling.

The following story by HIKI NŌ at the Kua O Ka La Milolii Hipuu Virtual Academy is about traditional opelu fishing.

[CHANTING] In the middle of September, the people in the South Kona fishing village of Milolii hold an opening ceremony of the opelu season.

For centuries, Milolii has been famous for opelu fishing, and some still use traditional fishing methods handed down through generations.

These traditional methods are environmentally safe, and help sustain the fishery for future generations.

One man is not only still fishing in the same way as his ancestors hundreds of years ago, he's also teaching the next generation to do the same.

Kukulu Kuahuia still practices these traditional methods of fishing for opelu to sustain his family.

I learned about opelu fishing through my dad, which he learned through his dad, and so forth.

It's a tradition that was handed down through a generations.

Opelu is a big fish, actually, that lives on the koa.

It's a scad mackerel that we use to eat dry, raw, we use for bait.

Opelu is really good eating.

So, the opelu was real important 'cause that was what was abundant down here.

So, all the families would hanai their own koa's, take care their own koa's, catch their own fish when time for harvest, dry mostly everything, ship it to Oahu to be sold.

And that's how they got their goods.

The bait for opelu, or palu, is a green chum typically made from avocado, pumpkin, taro and papaya.

This bait is then put into a kaai bag, typically a handkerchief, and lowered to lure and feed the opelu.

Six months into the year is the feeding season, where the fishermen hanai, or take care of, and feed the opelu koa or housings.

The last six months of the season is for harvesting the opelu, while still feeding them.

We asked Kukulu why he thought opelu fishing was important.

It helps me by supporting my family.

What I'm doing, taking care and then harvesting, gives me more opelu to catch, to sell for my family.

So, that's why we do the hanai and the harvest.

Taking care of the fish as much as they take care of you, that's the lesson Kukulu and others are hoping the younger generation will carry on for years to come.

This is Hoku Subiono from the Ku O Ka La Milolii Hipuu, for HIKI NŌ.

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Our next story comes from students at Kapaa Middle School on Kauai, who show how fulfilling one of life's basic needs, clean clothes, can have a profound impact on people's lives.

For the less fortunate, clean laundry can be a luxury.

But the new Laundry Love program in Kapaa helps change that.

Laundry Love started in Ventura, California, and has since provided more than six hundred thousand loads of laundry, caring for more than four hundred fifty thousand people across the country.

About ten years ago, they had the great idea of giving the opportunity for others who can't afford laundry the chance to get their laundry done for free.

The goal of Laundry Love is to provide a service to those who can't afford to do laundry on their own.

I'm so happy they have this, because I injured my knee from falling down, so before when I used to do my laundry, oh, I'd go back home and I'd have to recover for three days.

Now that they have this, it really helps me out a lot, tremendously.

And it also helps me out financially, as well.

Community members of all ages are eager to volunteer in many ways after hearing its positive impact.

Raiden Kurisu, an eighth-grader at Kapaa Middle School, enjoys helping out whenever he can and says he too gains from the experience.

I feel like Laundry Love has made me learn some important life lessons, such as how to communicate with other people, and how to actually do laundry.

It also gives me an opportunity to give back to my community.

While Laundry Love is an effective program, making the service free to its patrons involves a strategic financial plan with multiple sources of funding.

Laundry Love is funded entirely by private grants and donations, and also part of the outreach budget of All Saints Church.

And what happened is, once the community got wind of it, a lot of people started donating money, laundry detergent and supplies.

So, it's pretty well funded now.

The impact of Laundry Love continues to grow with every event.

We do it with a great deal of aloha, and for us as a church, it's really allowed us to get to know our community in ways that we don't know, we get to know their stories.

And for those who are our patrons of Laundry Love, it's really given them an opportunity for dignity and an opportunity for the simple things of life, like having clean clothes.

No matter the circumstance, Laundry Love Kauai provides a free opportunity for clean clothes, and they hope to continue their laundry-loving efforts for as long as possible.

This is Preston Hayden from Kapaa Middle School, for HIKI NŌ.

Stay tuned after the show to find out what students who created this story learned from their experience.

Welcome to Wheeler Middle School.

We're in Wahiawa on the island of Oahu.

It's eleven acres on Wheeler Army Airfield between the Waianae and Koolau mountain ranges.

Our school is ninety-seven percent military dependents, who move in three-year cycles to new bases all over the world.

The following story by HIKI NŌ students at Wheeler Middle School is about the student who gained appreciation for the Hawaiian culture after learning about the traditional dance of the Hawaiian people.

[CHANTING] I'm Madison Miller, and I'm twelve years old.

I'm not really from a specific place.

I'm kind of from all over the place because I come from a military family.

I didn't know much about Hawaii, because I thought there were just a few islands in the Pacific Ocean.

I thought Hawaii would be like paradise, like you know how you see on the pictures.

I thought that I would go to the beach every day.

Hey!

Hi, guys.

No, I never thought I would do hula when I first came here.

I thought I was just gonna stick with what I did before, which was tap and jazz.

So, how I got involved with hula, I heard about it from a few friends, and they would not stop talking about it.

They said it was really fun.

So, the next year, I decided to give it a try, just something new, because I knew I wasn't gonna be able to do that in Virginia.

[INDISTINCT] Being in the military, these students are coming from different backgrounds.

So, hula is something like totally different, and not part of their culture.

So, I like to share the culture that comes from Hawaii through dance.

In hula class, usually, well, we sit on the stage, and our teacher will give us movements, and we'll practice it to warm up a little bit.

I'm part of the first-year girl group, and we're separated from the second-year girls because they do more advanced numbers.

And we'll go outside, and we'll all practice, and we'll come back together as one.

Hula, and how important it is to the people of Hawaii, and our culture, and I just want it to move forward.

You know, I want them to be able to take that, and actually share that as well.

Hula has changed my perceptions of Hawaii because when I first came here, I thought it was just one of the last two states to join the United States.

I didn't think about how Hawaii was formed and all the cultures of the Hawaiian people.

[INDISTINCT] I really learned that hula is more than just a dance.

Hula tells the story of the Hawaiian people.

This is Gwenyth Rae reporting from Wheeler Middle School, for HIKI NŌ.

Here's another look at an outsider embracing the Hawaiian culture in a St. Andrew's Priory story from the HIKI NŌ archives.

Hawaii is a tropical paradise where tourists come for a dreamy getaway.

This is the typical view of Hawaii, but to Kumu Aggy Kusunoki, Hawaii is something more.

With her family originally from Ohio, Hawaii is where kumu finds her true ohana.

What started out as a visit to her Uncle Kevin's home in Hawaii turned into a realization for her calling in life.

Even to her own surprise, this small town girl from Ohio became an honorary Hawaiian.

In her new home, kumu noticed something special in the island life.

The main thing that I noticed after moving to Hawaii is, here in Hawaii, there's such a diverse cultural background of all the people that are here: Asian, European, haole, mainland.

However, even with the diverse local culture, kumu experienced some opposition and doubt from her co- workers when expressing her wishes to live and study in Hawaii.

When I was talking to the other professors about changing my culture area to focus on Hawaii, looking at tourism, looking at local people, not at the tourists, but local individuals working in the tourism industry, they said, Good luck with that, you're not from here, you don't look like you could be from here, you'll have to study Hawaiian, you'll have to learn Hawaiian, and that's not gonna happen.

And so, give me a challenge, I guess, and see what happens.

This opposition in fact even pushed her to work harder and prove to others and to herself that she is capable of achieving her goals.

I started Hawaiian that first summer, finished up my Hawaiian language degree.

But in the meantime, I started studying hula with Auntie Vicky Holt Takamine at UH, I started changing my projects to focus on Hawaii and focus on culture, to focus on culture change, commodification of culture.

And eventually, I joined halau with Auntie Vicky, finished up my master's, finished up my degree in Hawaiian language.

And that, in short, is my trip to where I am today.

Kumu is right where she wants to be.

After eventually receiving her master's research on tourism in Hawaii, she is now teaching Hawaiian history and Hawaiian language at St. Andrew's Priory School in downtown Honolulu.

Who knows what really is in store for me next.

But I am so pleased, and blessed, and honored to be in the position that I'm in right now.

Finding oneself is the key to success.

Kumu Aggy Kusunoki has shown this through her journey of finding herself and fulfilling her destiny of expanding the Hawaiian cultural connection.

This is Courtney Nomiyama reporting from St. Andrew's Priory, for HIKI NŌ.

We're here on the campus of Konawaena High School in Kealakekua on the Kona Coast of Hawaii Island.

Behind me is a living history museum which was established in 2014.

Sports memorabilia, agricultural tools, and images of notable alumni are just some of the displays at the museum.

Konawaena was established in 1921, and graduated its first class in 1925.

Just as it was in 1921, Konawaena High School is surrounded by coffee farms.

Today, it is commonly referred to as Wildcat Country for its school mascot.

The following story by the HIKI NŌ students at Konawaena High School is about Dr. Rudy Puana.

I sometimes admit this, but I was the guy you didn't want to hang out with.

All right?

I was the guy who, Oh, let's go and go to the beach instead of going and studying just like an hour for a test or something.

Dr. Rudy Puana's honest and direct manner kept the attention of tenth-graders during his visit to Konawaena High School.

Dr. Puana runs a pain clinic in Hilo on Hawaii Island and wrote the book, The Red-Headed Hawaiian, in which he describes his journey of being raised in the fishing community of Kahaluu on Oahu.

He struggled as a youth for being teased for his red hair, and grew up in a culture where just getting by is good enough.

Dr. Puana co-wrote the book with his friend, writer Chris McKinney, where they met attending Mid-Pacific Institute on Oahu.

He came to me and he said, This is a great story, you just can't write.

You do not know English.

[CHUCKLE] You're a horrible writer, but the story is amazing.

Tenth-grade English teacher Mrs. Wickersham assigned the sophomores to read The Red-Headed Hawaiian book, and then write a one-page reflection with illustrations about our favorite parts of the book and what inspired them.

He was sitting on his couch with his friend who actually wrote the book later, Chris McKinney, and then they were watching the TV show called General Hospital.

And that was [INDISTINCT] like, I want to be a doctor.

And then, Chris was like laughing and he was like, No, you can't.

And then, he was like, Yes, I can, just watch me.

Took a long time to figure out, hey, I gotta make some good choices.

So, other than... Well, Rudy Puana really talks about the struggles that Hawaii kids deal with on a daily basis, where he grows up, the family he comes from.

And as he encounters each of those struggles, he has to make choices.

And I really wanted my students to look at the choices he makes, and start connecting with the choices and, Hey, I have that struggle, too, what kind of choice am I gonna make?

In his book, Dr. Rudy describes his experiences on the mainland, such as attending Creighton University School of Medicine and training at M.D.

Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

He also writes about Simeon, an elderly patient from Hawaii, that made him realize his connection to Hawaiian values and his journey to return home.

So, the question was, Do I recommend people moving from here?

Absolutely, get out of here.

Get out.

All right?

We want you back.

We do, we really want you back, but get out.

And I think that is so important, because this world is so huge, and it offers so much.

I think you can grow up in one place, and then decide that this is what you want to do, this one tiny thing, and then you just do that for the rest of your life.

Another lesson Dr. Puana shared during his visit was to not let your past determine your future.

Just because you failed in school, that doesn't mean you're going to be a failure in life.

Society is gonna decide if I can do something.

If I don't do good in school, then okay, I can't be a doctor, I can't be in business, I can't be a lawyer.

This is how good you did in school, now, you can do this.

You can't do this, 'cause you didn't do good enough, but you can do this.

Dr. Rudy Puana is a good example of how to not let society determine what you're going to do in life.

This is Ronald Crivello-Kahihikolo from Konawaena High School, for HIKI NŌ.

This is great.

[APPLAUSE] Hi, we're here on the campus of Mililani Middle School in the Central Oahu town of Mililani.

Mililani Middle School is Hawaii's largest middle school, and it was Hawaii's first multi-track school.

A multi- track school is basically like having four schools combined into one.

Though this may sound hectic, this schooling system is actually very efficient, because classes and facilities are always being used.

For example, one track will go on break today, and tomorrow the next track comes back to take their place, utilizing every classroom, every day.

Currently, the DOE's goal is to have all four multi-track schools in Hawaii convert to the single track calendar along with the rest of Hawaii's public schools.

In order for Mililani Middle to meet that goal, planning is now underway to construct one more building.

The City and County of Honolulu has deeded over one acre of land from the park next to the school for the new building, which will open in the next few years.

Often, students only see their teachers as instructors inside the classroom.

They may not see the talents and interests they have outside of school.

The following story by HIKI NŌ students at Mililani Middle School is about one of their teachers who is very skilled at what he does outside of the classroom.

Fifty-nine times ten to the twenty-third kilograms.

Monday through Friday, Marshall Sharpe is a special education language arts teacher at Mililani Middle School.

But when school is out, he takes on another passion.

You know, on the weekends, my friends call me and say, Oh, let's go hiking, do you want to go surf?

And a lot of times I say, I'd love to, but I'm painting, you know, I have a project that I'm working on.

And some of them think that I'm crazy, and some of them think that I'm introverted or antisocial.

And I think when you're making art, sometimes you have to just focus on what you're doing and why you love doing it.

Mr. Sharpe's love for art started when his mom signed him up for weekly art classes.

His teacher sent him and his fellow classmates to sketch flowers in her garden.

He also tried photography, ceramics, sculpting and more, but found his biggest satisfaction in painting.

I'm inspired by a lot of portrait artists.

I love Andrew Salgado.

This past week, I've been looking at John Wentz a lot.

And so, I'm always looking for new portrait artists that I can study or learn from.

Mr. Sharpe loves the challenges that come with painting portraits.

Where every little millimeter can make a difference, it can turn a person's expression from happy to angry, or sad.

I would say the thing I like most about visual art is that sense of gratification when it's over.

I finish a painting, and I can show it to anyone, and within a second, they can see and hopefully appreciate what I've done.

If you're a musician or a writer, or you create film, it takes a lot more time to digest what that person has created.

But with visual art, you can see it, understand it in an instant.

'Bye!

'Bye.

'Bye!

On Tuesdays, he volunteers to teach the Art Club students after school.

You know, I'm always amazed, especially in Art Club, when I see the level of skill that kids have today, compared to what I had as a kid.

And one of the things that I didn't learn until high school and college was the ten thousand-hour rule.

And that was in Malcom Gladwell's book that I realized to be, to become a master at anything, you have to put in your ten thousand hours.

Mr. Sharpe is still on his way to reaching his ten-thousand-hour goal.

He is, though, very close.

Mililani Middle School is happy to have a teacher like Mr. Sharpe.

He helps students paint a brighter future for themselves.

This is Krysta Reese from Mililani Middle School, for HIKI NŌ.

Well, we've come to the end of this episode of HIKI NŌ.

Remember, all these stories were written, shot and edited by students like us.

We hope you enjoyed watching them, as much as we enjoyed sharing them with you.

Stay tuned after the credits to find out what some students learned from working on the show.

More proof that Hawaii's young people HIKI NŌ... Can do!

[DURING CREDITS, THE CAPTIONING CONTINUES WITH THE FOLLOWING:] Stay tuned after the credits to find out what some students learned from their HIKI NŌ experiences.

When the final approval comes in it's definitely, like, very thrilling that we just took something from scratch and made it into something great where it can make it onto TV.

[AFTER CREDITS, THE CAPTIONING CONTINUES FOR AN ADDITIONAL SEGMENT WITH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS SHARING "WHAT I LEARNED."]

In the Kapaa Middle School story "Laundry Love" I was the editor.

I was the cameraman.

I was the writer and co-cameraman.

...I was volunteering at Laundry Love beforehand.

We all take things for granted like clothes and shelter and what not.

And some people in the world might not have that.

And so when we really expose light towards it I think it's a really good story.

I think each Laundry Love event starts at 6, and as middle school students they should be home by 8 at least.

So they had two hours, twice a month to get this project complete.

Being the cameraman, it's a bit stressful, 'cause if I do mess up it would set us back like a lot of time because we only got to shoot twice a month.

That type of pressure, I think, is great to learn from an early age, 'cause it establishes a foundation for what they can achieve later in life.

Other than being an editor I'd also try my best to make sure we all had the same plan, so if they were to go film they wouldn't come back with stuff that I didn't need per se.

Although I was the main editor, a lot of times we would, like, work together on it.

That was most of the time, really.

We would all, like, sit around the computer and discuss how we would like it to be laid out at the same time.

Before this project we were friends and this was just kind of an opportunity for us to like bond and, like, be able do something together.

When the final approval comes in it's definitely, like, very thrilling that we just took something from scratch and made it into something great where it can make it onto TV.

Well, it made me feel really proud when I saw the final piece, because I knew that we all worked so hard for like, three months on it I think what I learned most from this HIKI NO experience was that teamwork is very important.

And other people can make your story go from good to great.

That's definitely a big lesson that they're learning.

It's not just about communicating, but it's about getting their message across and being receptive to the ideas and input from their peers and other people along the way.