Film screening, workshop explores ‘open knowledge’
Aaron Swartz was 26 when he took his own life, fighting a two-year legal battle over his alleged attempt to liberate academic journals
Read more
Month: August 2014
Hiki NÅ Festival showcases student video stories
The public is invited to view outstanding student-produced video stories on the big screen at PBS Hawaii’s first-ever Hiki NÅ Festival. The featured stories, produced last school year, have aired on PBS Hawaii’s student news program, Hiki NÅ, and are nominated in this year’s Hiki NÅ Awards. Hiki NÅ is Hawaii’s first statewide student news network, made up of 86 public, private and charter schools from across the islands. Through the production of video news stories about their schools and communities, students gain valuable workforce and life skills, while teachers engage their students in hands-on, collaborative learning.
Read more
Three UH scientists selected for Mars rover teams
NASA has announced the selection of seven science instruments to be included on the Mars 2020 rover. Three scientists from the University of Hawaii at MÄnoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) — Sarah Fagents, Shiv Sharma and Anupam Misra — will be members on the instrument teams to conduct unprecedented science and exploration technology investigations on the Red Planet. The new rover will carry sophisticated hardware and instruments to perform geological assessments of the rover’s landing site, determine the potential habitability of the environment, and directly search for signs of ancient Martian life.
Read more
New Partnership Uses Technology to Assist Public with Legal Forms
The Hawaii State Public Library System will provide access to the Self-Help Interactive Forms on their 800 library computers and 250 netbooks statewide. Legal Aid kicked off their first training session for library staff on Wednesday, and will be providing similar trainings across the state to demonstrate how to navigate the new software. The software also includes a new chat feature to enable individuals to ask questions directly to Legal Aid about the self-help forms on its LawHelp website.
Read more
East-West Center Welcomes 128 New Student Fellows
For the first time in the East-West Center’s history, students from Oceania comprise the largest percentage of incoming EWC student participants, thanks to the establishment of the Center’s Pacific Islands Leadership Program and several other new programs geared toward Pacific islanders. Students also hail from the U.S., most countries in Asia, and as far away as Italy and Zambia.
Read more
Big Island Election Challenged in Hawaii Supreme Court
On August 6, 2014, Governor Abercrombie signed an emergency proclamation, in advance of two anticipated storms projected to impact Hawai‘i: Hurricanes Iselle and Julio. The proclamation – valid from August 6 through August 15 – included a statement that “the danger of disaster is of such magnitude to warrant preemptive and protective action in order to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the people.â€
Facing massive damage from Iselle on August 8, and thousands of Hawai‘i County residents dealing with historic flooding, power outages, property damage, and road closures – some of which continue even now – the Chief Elections Officer determined that the primary would go on as scheduled on August 9. the Chief Elections Officer went on to change the rules of the election (who could vote, where and how) at least two more times over the course of three days.
This series of decisions led to the denial of the right to vote for many Hawai‘i County residents. Indeed, Precinct 04-03 had among its lowest voter turnout ever.
Read more
How do volcanoes affect the weather and climate?
Topography indisputably influences the weather—that’s why precipitation is so much greater on the windward side of the island. But how much did Hawai‘i’s topography influence Iselle? Hurricane Iselle weakened to a tropical storm just as it reached the island, but still managed to make landfall. As it did, the bulk of the storm stalled on the east flank of Mauna Loa, but its weakened upper parts continued moving westward.
Read more