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KAALLEOEOT H E V O I C E

FRIDAY, JAN. 27 to SUNDAY, JAN. 29, 2012VOLUME 106 ISSUE 63 www.kaleo.orgServing the students

of the University of Hawai‘i aat Mānoa.

VENUEWEEKEND

WEEKEND EVENTS Lion Dances, benefit races and the Pro Bowl

2

PARTY KIMONO

‘RED TAILS’ FAILS WWII movie reviewed

3

4

Aging trees, falling branchesKELSEY AMOS

News Editor

The historic trees around campus, while loved by many, can be an unpredictable threat. Last weekend a large branch of the Pterygota alata tree near Ba-Le restaurant fell to the ground, where it remained cordoned off with yel-low caution tape until late Sunday. No one was hurt. Interim director of Buildings and Grounds Manage-ment Roxanne Adams said that the branch probably fell because of a combination of factors, including wind, heavy dew, the weight of the branch and the age of the tree. “The tree doesn’t function like that in nature,” she said, adding that “the tree was there before the side-walk ... and the roadway.” Adams reported that the fallen branch exhibited no signs of rot or other damage that could explain its breaking off. She said that although older trees like this one are pruned and monitored for such risks, this fallen branch came as a surprise. “From the external look of the tree there was nothing wrong with it,” she said.

The tree is part of a collection of historic trees in the area that were planted in the mid 1900s by a world-re-nowned botanist. Trees in this collection have fallen before. Adams recalled that a few years ago, a keawe tree in front of Sinclair library fell in the middle of the day with someone under it. According to Adams, there was no sign that there was anything wrong with the tree before it fell. “What we’re doing now because the trees are 50-80 years old … [is] we’re trying to work at backing up the genetics of the trees so it won’t go away... and then try to plant more of them so we can take out the older ones,” said Adams. The problem is balancing safety with community con-cerns. The keawe tree, before it fell, was large and shady. “We get so much backlash from the university and the com-munity ... because it’s such a historic collection,” said Adams. The Pterygota alata will not suffer any major harm due to the fallen branch, according to Adams. “We’ll put a clean cut on it, and there is another branch com-ing out. We’ll check to see if that branch has a strong enough attachment to the trunk. If it looks like it has a weaker attachment, we’ll remove it,” she said. “We’ll continue to watch the tree.”

Celebrate Seijin no Hi by trying on a kimono at UH

FOR COVERAGE OF THE 2012 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS,

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Weekend VenuePage 2 | Ka Leo | Friday, Jan. 27 2012 Features@kaleo.org | Maria Kanai Editor |Alvin Park Associate

Weekend eventsWeekend events

NIK SEU/ KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon and ring in the Chinese New Year – it ’s all happening at the Center Stage at Ala Moana Center. View the Chinese Lion Pole Jump by Wah Ngai.

Cost: FreeWhen: Friday, Jan. 27; 7 p.m. Where: Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd.Contact: 808-955-9517

CHINESE NEW YEAR AT ALA MOANA CENTER

Gather at Ala Moana Center for special appearances by the NFL cheerleaders, mascots and All-Star NFL Japan cheerleaders. Don’t miss this special event, leading to the Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium.

Cost: FreeWhere: Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd.When: Friday, Jan. 27; 5 p.m.Contact: 808-955-9517

NFL PRO BOWL CHEERLEADER AND MASCOT APPEARANCE

Join the Epilepsy Foundation of Hawai‘i as it raises money to con-tinue providing its programs and services. There will be 5K and 10K timed runs into Diamond Head, and 35K, 75K and100K bike rides. There will be prizes for the biggest teams, top individuals, and team fun-draisers. Registration begins at 6 a.m.

Cost: $35-$80, depending on type of raceWhen: Sunday, Jan. 29; 7 a.m. Where: Kapi‘olani Community College, 4303 Diamond Head Rd.Contact: www.hawaiiepilepsy.com

SHARON ʼS RIDE/RUN/WALK FOR EPILEPSY 2012

Come see 20 different lions dancing to the accompa-niment of fi reworks and meet the Narcissus Queen and her court. You can meet the lion dance troupe at Center Stage to fi nd out more about lion dancing.

Cost: FreeWhen: Saturday, Jan. 28; 12-4 p.m.Where: Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd.Contact: 808-955-9517

CH INE SE NEW YEAR AT AL A MOANA CENTER (DAY 2)

Football fans, gear up for the Super Bowl by attending the 2012 Pro Bowl at Hawai‘i’s very own Aloha Stadium. Prepare to watch the AFC and NFC’s all-stars battle it out on the gridiron. Gain VIP access through NFL On Location and experience insider ex-tras and pregame hospitality.

Cost: $52-$137 per ticketWhere: Aloha Stadium, 99-500 Salt Lake Blvd.When: Sunday, Jan. 29; 2 p.m.Contact: www.nfl .com/probowl

2012 PRO BOWL

COMPILED BY TONIA BOIES

Staff Writer

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i2445 Campus Road, Hemenway Hall 107Honolulu, HI 96822Newsroom (808) 956-7043

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“30 years serving Hawaii and still going strong”

RIE MIYOSHI

Staff Writer

This Saturday, Jean Sakihara, lecturer and adviser of kimono cul-ture at the University Lab School, will give the local community a chance to experience the Japanese tradition of seijinshiki. This coming-of-age kimono dressing festival is held annually in honor of people turning 20 – when they receive the right to vote and drink and are subject to adult laws in Japan. Women often wear furisode (long-sleeved kimono) and men wear hakama (full, pleat-ed pants worn over kimono). Sakihara moved to Hawai‘i in 1967 to teach Japanese and compile Japanese textbooks for University of Hawai‘i Press. In 1982, she established the Kimo-no Program at the University Lab School. She earned her kimono teaching certifi cate from the Hakubi Kyoto Kimono School, and in 2009, the emperor of Japan awarded her the prestigious Or-der of the Rising Sun with Gold and Silver Rays for her efforts in preserving and teaching kimono culture in Hawai‘i. Sakihara believes the most im-portant aspects of kimono dressing are “comfort and beauty,” a lesson she learned at the kimono school. Kimonos and backdrops are provided at the event, but partici-pants should bring cameras if they want to be photographed. The event is open to everybody free of charge, although donations are appreciated. Although seijinshiki is often set aside for 20 year olds, Sakihara encourages members of all ages to attend, dress up and take family portraits. In addition to the seijinshiki, other kimono dressing events are available for New Year’s and Shi-chi-go-san, or “seven-fi ve-three.” The latter event celebrates 3- and 7-year-old girls and 3- and 5-year-

old boys. “I’ve had mothers bring their 7-year-old daughters for the Shichi-go-san kimono dressing,” recalls Sakihara, “They loved the experience and my work so much that they came back years later for the seijinshiki.” For people further interested in kimono culture, Sakihara of-fers free kimono dressing cours-es by appointment. “I can easily teach UH Mānoa students kimo-no dressing, especially since the campus is located so close to my offi ce at UH Lab,” she said. Besides the convenient loca-tion, she chooses to teach because she believes strongly in imparting her knowledge about Japanese traditions. “At UH Mānoa, they

teach tea culture. Along with that course, I think taking kimono dressing is a good way to learn Japanese culture,” she said.

Kimono culture at UHKimono culture at UH

Free

The Band Room, Multi-Purpose Building at UH Lab

January 28, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Jean Sakihara at 808-956-8288 or 808-947-8889

COMING-OF-AGE HOLIDAY COMING-OF-AGE HOLIDAY KIMONO DRESSINGKIMONO DRESSING

Cost:

Where:

When:

Contact:

Weekend VenuePage 3 | Ka Leo | Friday, Jan. 27 2012Features@kaleo.org | Maria Kanai Editor |Alvin Park Associate

RIE MIYOSHI/ KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

The Japanese celebrate the second Monday of January as Seijin no Hi, or Coming of Age Day. Women don colorful furisode, or long-sleeved kimono, for the occa-sion, like those modeled here.

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BACHMAN QUACH

Contributing Writer

A professor once taught me to be wary of the term “Inspired by true events.” I didn’t know how to react to a fi lm as unin-spiring as “Red Tails.” Released Jan. 20 by Lucasfi lm and 20th Century Fox, the fi lm retells the story of the famed Tuskegee Air-men, the fi rst African-Americans allowed to fl y in the U.S. military. The plot follows the generic underdog template. The Tuskegee pilots must prove their worth on the battlefi eld or else the entire program is scuttled. They are told that their regiment will never equal the skill of the white pilots, and must be content with using second-hand aircraft and being given zero-risk mis-sions. Overcoming racial barriers, the Tuske-gee pilots show their tenacity and bravery, becoming one of the most highly decorated regiments in World War II. When the fi lm does show them overcom-ing their hardships, it happens too early on. The movie then becomes a disparate jumble of subplots woven together by shiny planes fl ying. However, given the track record of Lu-casfi lm since “Return of the Jedi,” it all seems par for the course. The movie ought to have portrayed the Tuskegee airmen as real people, rather than the ragtag band of two-dimensional arche-types seen in the fi nal cut. The fi lm is the feature debut of director Anthony Heming-way, who is known mostly for his work on TV shows, such as critically acclaimed drama “The Wire,” and was co-written by Aaron McGruder (creator of cult favorite “The Boondocks”). While Hemingway and McGruder were credited, it is apparent that Lucas had the fi nal say in the production. It’s no secret that the great space battles of Lucas’ “Star Wars” saga were inspired by footage of aerial dogfi ghts from WWII. “Red Tails” gave him the opportunity to bring that inspiration full circle, but he didn’t take full advantage of the Industrial Light and Magic special effects. The pioneers of CGI stumbled in recreating the air battles, casting them with the same sterility that plagued all of the “Star Wars” prequels. Though we are meant to feel a sense of excitement and danger in these high-fl ying skirmishes, I was left completely detached from the events at hand.

I had the same problem with the cast. Though Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terence How-ard are given top billing in the marketing of the fi lm as characters Major Emanuel Stance and Colonel A.J. Bul-lard, they essentially exist for inspiring and stern speeches. The main focus of the story are characters Captain Mar-tin “Easy” Julian, played by Nate Parker, and Lieutenant Joe “Lightning” Little, played by David Oyelowo. Easy deals with leadership pressures by drinking, and Lightning is char-acterized as a rebellious hot-head. Sadly, the fi lm glances over these issues instead of exploring them with any real depth. Popular musician Ne-Yo is also part of the cast, but I only make a note of this because his presence with a “Sling Blade” impression is so utterly baffl ing. The fi lm has been a personal project for George Lucas since 1988, and he faced his own struggles mak-ing it, as executives balked at the idea of making an action fi lm star-ring a predominantly black cast. Lucus eventually fi nanced the fi lm on his own and should be commended for bringing stories of minority Amer-icans into the public spotlight. Overall, the fi lm is earnest in deliv-ering action, but the story’s lack of person-ality fails to make any of it compelling. While it’s great that the Tuskegee Air-men are recognized on the big screen, the tale has been told before through differ-ent mediums – with better results.

‘Red Tails’ takes a nosedive‘Red Tails’ takes a nosedive

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Weekend VenuePage 4 | Ka Leo | Friday, Jan. 27 2012 Features@kaleo.org | Maria Kanai Editor |Alvin Park Associate

COURTESY OF WWW.REDTAILS2012.COM

Think Fu Man Chu is off his

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OpinionsPage 5 | Ka Leo | Friday, Jan. 27 2012Opinions@kaleo.org | Boaz Rosen Editor | Justin Francisco Associate

EDWARD HICKMAN

(DJ FU MAN CHU)Contributing Writer

Asking people if they are “airsexuals” might strike you as a personal question, but since air sex almost always happens in public, I declare it a fair question. What exactly is air sex, you ask? It is the proverbial 600 -pound humping gorilla in the room that has somehow gone unnoticed. We’ve all seen airsexuals be-fore. In fact, they are so ubiqui-tous that they outnumber non-air sexuals 10 to 1 in most nightclubs I’ve been to. I am all for the sex-ual liberation of my fellow human beings, but I have always found it a bit odd that our dance f loors are crowded with people demonstrat-ing their sexual desires in such a crude and disappointing manner.

In a recent TED talk, neu-roscientist Daniel Wolpert as-serted that the very reason we evolved complex cognitive func-tion was simply that we needed to “move better.” Organisms that can navigate the complexities of their environment more effec-tively have a higher survival rat-ing than those who can’t. This brings us back to dance and just how important it really is. When we dance we aren’t just having a good time, we’re also demonstrating just how well we can move and subsequently say-ing something about our repro-ductive value. A good dancer who can stay on beat while per-forming physically challenging and technically complex moves demonstrates not only a strong body but an adept mind as well. Put simply, you show me a good

dancer and I’ll show you some-one who’d make a good lover. So why, despite the plethora of dance forms available to us, do most people seem incapable of dancing in any way that rises above grunting while thrusting our hips wildly in the general direction of someone we find attractive? I’ve been pondering

this issue for quite some time, and every hypothesis I’ve come up with to explain it all ultimate-ly amounts to the assertion: we are culturally bankrupt. Bemoaning this sad state of affairs does little to alleviate the problem. However, it is my hum-ble assertion that the truth shall

set us free. By understanding the problem, we in turn untangle it a bit. So while I’m certainly not sug-gesting you become intolerant of other people, I am at least sug-gesting we begin calling a duck a duck. Learn to spot airsexuals in the wild while recalling the sub-text that is driving their behavior and then have yourself a good

laugh about how ridiculous it all is. In the short term, it should af-ford you some amusement; and in the long term, there are few things that can stand up against our collective laughter. On the f lip side, if you hap-pen to enjoy watching or even (*gasp*) being an airsexual, then

I say own it. Do it with reckless abandon – otherwise there’s no point. In Jamaica the incidences of “broken penis” (yes, this is a real thing) have tripled as a re-sult of the rise of their particular-ly virulent form of air sex, color-fully termed “Daggerin.” Broken penises and dark humor aside, we really should be wondering why dance has deteriorated to such a low point. When you consider all the other options available, it is discon-certing to think that air-sex is the best we can do as a culture. So again I ask, are you an air-sexual?

Are you an airsexual?Are you an airsexual?

So why … do most people seem incapable of dancing in any way that rises above grunting while thrusting our hips wildly in the general direction of someone we fi nd attractive?

ON THE WEB

ComicsPage 6 | Ka Leo | Friday, Jan. 27 2012 Comics@kaleo.org | Nicholas Smith Editor

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

GamesPage 7 | Ka Leo | Friday Jan. 27 2012

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the

digits 1 thru 9.

Puzzles will become progressively more diffi cult

through the week.

Solutions, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

Go to www.kaleo.org for this puzzle’s solution.

HOW TO PLAY: Spell the phrase in the grid above it, writing each unique letter only once. The correct solution will spell the complete phrase along a single continuous spelling path that moves horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Fill the grid from square to square - revisiting letters as needed to complete the spelling path in order. Each letter will appear only once in the grid.

© 2011 Thinking Machine, Inc. All Rights Reserved. visit www.Pathem.com

topic: Hip Grocery Stores

HARD # 72

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ACROSS1 More than irk7 Ending with neur-

11 Ring leader?14 “Take it easy!”15 Bonus, in adspeak16 Actress Lupino17 Wichita-based aircraft company18 Accordion-playing satirist20 Soft spreads21 Pact22 Idaho crop24 Santa __: West Coast winds25 “Sonic the Hedgehog” developer28 Western symbol30 Hiker’s chewy snack32 Chart used for comparisons36 “I didn’t need to know that!”37 Family leader?38 Early Beatle Sutcliffe40 Lower land?41 Steakhouse section43 Coming-of-age ritual45 Medium49 Grub50 Italian bubbly source53 The Dike Kokaral divides its two

sections55 Earth’s life zone57 Float __61 Where many shop62 One making big bucks?63 Payable64 Default consequence, for short65 They’re often distinguished by

degrees66 Slalom curve67 God of lightning68 Fix, in a way, as a lawn

DOWN1 Danish shoe brand2 Seasonal number3 Obeyed a court order4 One who didn’t get in5 Infomercial knife6 LAX listing7 Trendy place to get gas?8 Kicks off9 One of the Gallos

10 Drink with sushi11 Torn asunder12 Minneapolis suburb13 Things to face19 “My World of Astrology” author21 Turkey diner, probably?23 WWII invasion city25 Certain NCOs26 “Forever, __”: 1996 humor

collection27 Author Sheehy29 Bust __31 Ironically, they might be even33 Inventing middle name34 Three-__: sports portmanteau35 Derisive cries38 Prepare to be shot39 Some twitches42 Like copycats44 Enthusiastic46 God, in Judaism47 Sleazeball48 Maine resort50 Humble place51 Skull cavity52 Popular rubbers54 Canadian poet Birney56 Saucy58 Pub offer59 Trouble spots for teens60 Reason for being denied a drink62 Row of black squares preceding

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SportsPage 8 | Ka Leo | Friday Jan. 27 2012 Sports@kaleo.org | Marc Arakaki Editor | Joey Ramirez Associate

MARC ARAKAKI

Sports Editor

Last month when Norm Chow was introduced as Hawai‘i’s next football coach, he stated that one of his top four goals as head coach would be to prepare his players for the NFL. And what better way to get players – or more specifically, po-tential players – thinking about the NFL than by welcoming the NFL to Honolulu? In what seems to be the ongo-ing discussion of where the Pro Bowl will be held every year, Alo-ha Stadium can call itself home to the all-star game, at least for 2012. “Certainly you’re going to get the best players in the NFL com-ing to Hawai‘i, so from a brand standpoint for our players here and for the recruits, that’s a posi-

tive,” Athletics Director Jim Don-ovan said. “But we can’t formally have any interaction with the play-ers or with the Pro Bowl because that’s against NCAA rules.” But are formal interactions necessary? It seems as though timing is on Hawai‘i’s side. The Pro Bowl is set for Sunday, while another milestone is within a week: Na-tional Signing Day. The University of Hawai‘i football program is making a push to seal as many talented recruits as it can to choose Hawai‘i over other major NCA A programs with National Signing Day (Feb. 1) approaching, And with the Pro Bowl just two days away, recruits may get a glimpse of Hawai‘i’s home fi eld and surrounding community before they put pen to paper on Wednesday.

“The fact that they’ve moved the [Pro] Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl sort of brings it back into play for us,” Donovan said. “Now there’s the potential that recruits may be able to attend the game, whereas before it fell after the National Letter of Intent Day. So that could be a positive for us.” For current Warrior Corey Pacle-bar, a native of California, it was the “aloha spirit” that convinced him. “I think personally what helped me choose was what they showed at the game. For instance, the count-less shots of Waikīkī and Diamond Head,” Paclebar said. “The aloha that was shown to the players – the culture … was also very apparent.” Although we can’t see the effects yet, if it’s true, it’s just another reason why we’re lucky to live Hawai‘i. For full Pro Bowl rosters, visit kaleo.org/sports.

Last push – thanks to the Pro BowlLast push – thanks to the Pro BowlSince 1980, the Pro Bowl has been played at Aloha Sta-dium every year except 2010. The site for 2013 is still to be determined.

FILE PHOTOKA LEO O HAWAI‘I