K LEO

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VOLUME 102 ISSUE 68
T H E V O I C E
Meet the Pros
WWW.KALEO.ORG

Two big events for body

boarders going on this month
WaterLog | Page 8

Ser ving the students of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa since 1922
Presidential Endorsements Rainbows shut-out Alumni Motion City Returns to Hawaiʼi
ISOLATED SHOWERS Our picks for party nominations First season win in Baseball Details of their Pipeline performance inside MONDAY
H:77° L:70° Commentary | Page 4 Sports | Page 12 Mixed Plate | Page 7 FEB. 11, 2008

SCIENTOLOGY UNDER ATTACK Masked protestors urge vigilance

Protestors gather in front of the Church of Scientology in Chinatown to publicize their dispute with the church’s practices Sunday
morning. The protest was organized entirely online and executed in major cities across the globe yesterday. One protestor said, “We
wear these masks to hide our identity because Scientology has a policy of harassing and abusing those who speak out against it.” The
protestors urged citizens to educate themselves.
Supreme Court Associate Justice visits UH Law School
Richardson School of Law last
week, while also touring the
Justice Breyer and wife
island’s historic sites.
help plant an ‘ōhi‘a lehua Justice Breyer and his wife
tree at law school Joanna were welcomed warmly
by the Law School. They were
asked to participate by plant-
By Kumari Sherreitt ing an ʻōhiʻa lehua tree in the
Ka Leo Editor In Chief
courtyard, in commemoration
of their stay and the school’s
Associate Justice of the renovated planting beds of
United States Supreme Court native Hawaiian fauna.
Stephen Breyer, one of nine Mrs. Breyer was asked to
Supreme Court justices, was a plant a young ʻōhiʻa tree in
guest lecturer at the University one of the newly manicured
of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s courtyard beds, a planting tra-
ACM to West
O‘ahu Campus?
New bill enters final stages for
department relocation
By Taylor Hall
Ka Leo Features Editor
The Academy for Creative
Media will be required to relocate
from the University of Hawai‘i at
Mānoa campus to the new West
O‘ahu campus and give up its
promised lease agreement with
PBS Hawai‘i, under a bill passed
late last week by two Senate com-
TREVOR ATKINS • KA LEO O HAWAI‘I mittees.
In a 4-0 vote on Thursday, the
Senate committee on Economic
Development and Tourism (EDT)
passed the bill a day after it was
passed by the Senate Education
Committee. Senate bill 3168 will
now advance to the Senate Ways
and Means Committee, which han-
dition that can only be done by dles funding and budgets.
women, explained the speaker. Student testimony may be sent
to the Ways and Means Committee
Justice Breyer was invited
to participate in the UH Law
when it schedules its meeting at a
later date, prior to its crossing over
School public forum “Doe
to the House.
v. Kamehameha Schools:
University of Hawai‘i officials
A ‘Discrete and Insular
opposed the bill, objecting to mov-
Minority’ in Hawai‘i 70 years ing “a Board of Regent’s approved
after Carolene Products?” program from one campus to
in its biennium Law Review another within the UH system,”
Symposium. said Linda K. Johnsrud, vice presi-
Law students had a chance dent for Academic Planning and
to hear about the day-to-day Policy, to the committees in a joint
life of a Supreme Court justice, hearing on Feb. 2. Johnsrud said
that Mānoa Chancellor Virginia
Hinshaw opposes the move from
See Breyer, page 2
the Mānoa to West O‘ahu campus
and that West O‘ahu Chancellor
Gene Awakuni defers to UH
Mānoa’s position.
However, if ACM is not
moved, “we will not fund their
department, though we would
allow another entity,” said EDT
Chair Sen. Carol Fukunaga after
the hearing on Thursday.
On Feb. 2 nearly a dozen
supporters from a variety of back-
grounds urged the lawmakers to
move ACM to the fledgling West
O‘ahu campus.
Supporters included two key
members of the Lingle adminis-
tration. Theodore E. Liu, director
for the Department of Business,
Economic Development and
Tourism, said in written testimo-
ny: “An Academy for Creative
Media program at UH West O‘ahu
Campus is a much needed step
in expanding ACM’s reach. By
establishing a program at UH’s
West O‘ahu Campus, many stu-
dents who would not otherwise
have the opportunity to participate
in the ACM will be able to enroll
in a variety of classes and pursue
careers that may not have been as
accessible to them.”
Patricia Hamamoto, super-
intendent for the Department of
See ACM, page 2

News 2 M O N D A Y S U R F O U T L O O K Justice Breyer interview

INSIDE TODAY

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 K LEO
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VOLUME 102 ISSUE 77
T H E V O I C E
Sexxx on Campus
WWW.KALEO.ORG

Six hot spots for

getting freaky
Commentary | Page 4

Ser ving the students of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa since 1922
Made in China Fierce, Ferosh Finale Super Backfire Attack!!!
SUNNY
Part 2 of China Series A Project Runway Primer Dems duel in the comics WEDNESDAY
H:80° L:66° Commentary | Page 3 Mixed Plate | Page 6 Cartoons | Page 9 MARCH 5, 2008

Bill to move ACM awaits approval from Legislature

ACM Academy
Academyfor
By Taylor Hall
forCreative
CreativeMedia
Ka Leo Features Editor
Media
UniversityofHawai‘iatWestO‘ahu
in written testimony that the bill has
caused “concerns and anxiety” in faculty
and students.
tunities on the Mānoa campus.”
Linda K. Johnsrud, Mānoaʻs interim
chancellor for academic affairs, also said
management.”
Others, like Theodore E. Liu, director
of the Department of Business, Economic
In light of recent legislative devel- “The eventual housing of the pro- in a written statement, “The university Development and Tourism said in written
opments supporting the relocation of gram into dedicated facilities is part of cannot support any language that moves testimony that he “supports wholeheart-
the Academy of Creative Media to West the Mānoa planning process,” he said. any academic program – or it’s administra- edly” the move to West O‘ahu.
O‘ahu, some at this university are voicing “Its success and student accomplishments tion – from one campus to another or that In an earlier issue of Ka Leo, Liu
their criticism. are the result of the breadth and depth of replaces sound and timely academic plan-
ACM Chairman Tom Brislin stated interdisciplinary collaborations and oppor- ning for UH West O‘ahu with legislative See ACM, page 2

At-risk students suffer in silence

By Kris DeRego
Ka Leo Commentary Editor
Students at the University of
Hawai‘i at Mānoa are at greater risk
of committing suicide than their
national counterparts, according to
the Suicide Prevention Network, a
nonprofit group dedicated to rais-
ing awareness about mental health
issues on college campuses.
Since the beginning of 2007,
there have been at least four con-
firmed suicides at UH Mānoa,
two of which have occurred this
semester. When compared with the
size of the school’s enrollment,
UH Mānoa’s suicide rate stands at
9.7 deaths per 100,000 students,
well above the national average of
7.5 deaths per 100,000 students,
according to the Suicide Prevention
Network.
Sebastian Meider, a counsel-
or for the network, said that UH
Mānoa is hesitant to categorize
an incident as a suicide, and it
does not make information about
campus suicides readily available.
He maintained, however, that his
group’s statistics show an increase
in the number of cases involving
UH Mānoa students over the past
two years.
“We’re beginning to see an
upward trend in the number of
reported suicides and attempts,”
Meider said. “Clearly, something
needs to be done at the administra-
tive level to prevent any further
loss of life.”
The most recent event took
place last Wednesday at the Hale
Aloha Lehua dormitory. Currently
classified as an accidental over-
dose, the incident involved a
female student who had broken up
with her boyfriend. In a statement
released online, Amber Boyce, the
student’s sister, said that she had
been missing the day before the
tragedy happened.
“As far as I know, she was
depressed due to a recent breakup
with her longtime boyfriend and was
MIA for about a day,” Boyce said.
Friends of the victim said that
the student struggled with emo-
tional difficulties, which were
well-known to Hale Aloha Lehua’s
resident advisers.
“Everyone knew about her
problems,” said a former adviser,
who did not wish to be identified
because of the sensitivity of the
matter. “She was very open about
her life, so someone should have
been checking in to make sure she
was OK.”
During training, resident
advisers attend sessions on how to
deal with students suffering from
emotional disabilities. In emergen-
cies, advisers are instructed to refer
dormitory occupants to one of four
resident counselors, each of whom
remains on call around the clock.
UH Mānoa is not the only
Campus Security sits outside Hale Aloha Lehua following
last week’s tragic event.
JOHN NAKATSU • KA LEO O HAWAI‘I
See Sucide, page 2

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 2 Monday, Feb. 11, 2008 news@kaleo.org

Two developers also gave division of D.R. Horton, Inc. said,

ACM
From page 1
Education, in supporting the bill, rec-
ommended that ACM’s program “be
facilitated jointly” by UH’s commu-
nity colleges and D.O.E and that it be
included as an option for high school
students. She said in written testi-
mony: “The continuity and transition
from elementary programs to middle
school programs to high school pro-
grams to postsecondary programs
must be aligned to ensure progressive
skills and knowledge development
and avoid duplication.”
strong support in written testimony.
Kapolei Property Development offi-
cials praised the bill as “an ideal
solution to finding a permanent
home” for ACM, which would also
have the benefit of being located
near the planned Kapolei studios.
According to Kapolei Property
Development officials, these will
have “motion picture and televi-
sion sound stages, office, dressing
room, set construction and produc-
tion office space. We also under-
stand that Kapolei Studios plans
to include a student film annex for
use by the university’s Academy
of Creative Media as well as by
Waiʻanae Searider Productions at
Waiʻanae High School.”
Officials from the Schuler
“moving ACM to West O‘ahu cam-
pus will provide much needed career The Academy for
opportunites for the next generation,
many of whom live in the area and
Creative Media
have shown a propensity to excel in
this digital media industry.” ACM has brought many opportunities to UH Mānoa students:
Other supporting testimonies
came from several Leeward resi-
dents, prominent attorney Jeffrey -Speech by writer-director Cameron Crowe,
Watanabe of the Watanabe, Ing &
Komeiji firm, and Randy Iwase,
-Campus visit by Kal Penn, “Kumar” from “Harold & Kumar
Democratic nominee for governor Go to White Castle,”
in 2006.
UHM student Wayde Toyama,
-Student internship positions on the set of “Lost,”
an interdisciplinary studies major -Intern opportunities on the set of “Superman Returns,”
enrolled in ACM, applauded the
“win-win” decision to move the -Hosted luncheon with filmmaker Zhang Yimou.
ACM, saying “it either forces them
to get their act together or cut the
bull----.”

and sense of humor.

Breyer
From page 1
as Justice Breyer gave lectures
in class and answered questions.
“It’s every law student’s dream
to become a Supreme Court jus-
tice,” said a group of Masters of
Law (LLM) students after the
ceremony.
“He was very friendly, very
liberal, and open-minded,” said
Micheal Saenger, an LLM stu-
dent from Germany. His friend
Andreas Sider, an LLM student
from Switzerland, added that
Justice Breyer kept saying things
like “take it easy, and don’t work
too much,” during his talks.
If Justice Breyer had not been
the guest speaker, he and his wife
would have been hard to spot in
the crowd. His laid-back attitude
was exemplified in his aloha attire
“Everyone has been so gen-
erous here,” Justice Breyer said
while smiling through the stack of
leis that had been given to him by
the UH law students and profes-
sors sad to see him leave.
The couple toured many of
the tourist attractions, but as only
a member of the Supreme Court
could: privately. Some of the plac-
es they went were the Arizona
Memorial, ʻIolani Palace, and
Hanauma Bay (on its closed day).
Breyer is the 108th Supreme
Court Justice, inaugurated in 1994
by President Clinton. He has been
on the court for such decisions as
maintaining the parental notifica-
tion of teenage abortions.
Before Supreme Justice, he
was Justice Arthur Goldberg’s
selected clerk, helping him to
draft an opinion in the landmark
right-to-privacy case, Griswold v. KUMARI SHERREITT • KA LEO O HAWAI‘I
Connecticut in 1964. He was also
an aide to Archibald Cox in the Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer was given many gifts Friday at the UH Mānoa Richardson Law school during a cer-
Watergate prosecutions of 1972. emony for his departure.

The United States Supreme Court:

K A LEO
T H E V O I C E

EDITORIAL

Editor in Chief Kumari Sherreitt Commentary Editor Kris DeRego -Is the highest appellate court (where you appeal cases)
Ka Leo O Hawai‘i Managing Editor Chris Damitio Associate Commentary Editor Meghan Lopez -Decides landmark cases based on the U.S. Constitution
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa News Editor Blane Benvedes Web Editor Laura Jolly
1755 Pope Road 31-D
-Is made up of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices
Associate News Editor Casey Chin Sports Editor Glendalyn Junio
Honolulu, HI 96822 Associate News Editor Rachel Cabamongan Associate Sports Editor Ashley Nonaka
-Meets in Washington D.C. in the United States Supreme
Features Editor Taylor Hall Comics Editor Will Caron
Court building
Newsroom (808) 956-7043 Associate Features Editor Ariel Pease Design Editor Jerrica Klout
Advertising (808) 956-7043
Facsimile (808) 956-9962 ADVERTISING
Now located at the business office parallel to the bottom
Supreme Court Justices
E-mail kaleo@kaleo.org entrance of the Bookstore.
Web site www.kaleo.org Advertising Director Joel Binder -Are appointed by the president and approved by the Senate
Ka Leo O Hawai‘i is the campus newspaper of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. It is published by the Board of Publications three times a week except on holi- -Serve lifelong terms, unless are removed, resign, retire or are
days and during exam periods. Circulation is 10,000. Ka Leo is also published once a week during summer sessions with a circulation of 10,000. Ka Leo is funded impeached
by student fees and advertising. Its editorial content reflects only the views of its editors, writers, columnists and contributors, who are solely responsible for its
content. No material that appears in Ka Leo may be reprinted or republished in any medium without permission. the first newsstand copy is free; for additional -Make decisions that are the “Law of the land,” meaning no
copies, please come to the Ka Leo Building. Subscription rates are $36 for one semester and $54 for one year. © 2007 Ka Leo O Hawai‘i state or county law can contradict it
 2 Wednesday, March 5, 2008 news@kaleo.org

cacy organization. “After all, well as the potential for harm ACM’s prospective home
Suicide one of their chief responsibili-
ties is to protect the image and
reputation of the university.”
that exists when students’ needs
aren’t addressed by the col-
lege,” Gordon said.
ACM ACM is being positioned as
one of the flagship programs at UH-
West O‘ahu, an institution whose
Gordon also believes that UHM administrators have
From page 1 From page 1 importance is rising in the region.
recent school shootings, such declined to comment on the mat-
Randy Iwase, an ex-Senator who
as the massacres at Northern ter, despite inquiries from Ka Leo. secured the land for the new cam-
lem. According to the American Illinois University and For now, outreach services stated, “An
Medical Association, an estimat- (ACM) pro- pus, stated that “UH West O‘ahu
Virginia Tech, have increased are available to all faculty and was a critical component to the
ed 1,100 suicides and 24,000 administrators’ awareness of students at UHM’s Counseling gram at UH’s
West O‘ahu success of a second city.”
attempts occur each year, mak- the potential damage caused and Development Center.
Campus is a Among other developments
ing suicide the second leading by an untreated psychological “We are very concerned,” in the area, such as the Disney-
cause of death amongst college much needed
affliction. says Allyson Tanouye, step in expand- owned hotel complex within the
students, behind motor-vehicle “More than ever, univer- Director of the Counseling and Ko Olina Resort, ACM is expect-
accidents. ing ACM’s
sity officials are becoming Development Center. “Students reach. By ed to be housed in a new facility
The high number of deaths aware of how serious mental can walk people over or come presently in construction in West
e s t a b l i s h i n g JOHNSRUD
has led some universities to insti- health problems really are, as in just to talk.” O‘ahu. The building features a
a program at
tute policies for dealing with UH’s West O‘ahu Campus, many sound stage and costume depart-
chronically depressed students, students who would not otherwise ment as well as classrooms and
including mandatory suspension
or expulsion. While their intent is NEED TO TALK? have the opportunity to participate
in the ACM will be able to enroll
offices. Presently, ACM uses sec-
tions of PBS
to protect emotionally disturbed in a variety of classes and pursue Hawai‘i for
students by forcing them to seek
Call for help careers that may not have been as office space
assistance, student advocates say • Counseling and Development Center: accessible to them.” and media
departments.
such measures often complicate Such division over the bill
mental disorders by exacerbating
956-7927 underscores the issue of UH auton- Under the
a student’s fear of alienation. • Hopeline: 1-800-784-2433 omy and whether the state has the newest draft
of the bill, the
“Students become less will- right to govern the UH system.
ing to step forward with their
• Adult Mental Health department
http://amhd.org/access.asp 832-3100 will expand
problems because they’re afraid ACM’s fate update its academ- BRISLIN
of being penalized, both social-
ly and academically,” Meider
• Hawai‘i State Mental Health hot line The bill calling for the move,
ic duties. If
passed, ACM must offer courses,
said. “It’s basically academic ASK-2000 (275-2000) SB 3168, just needs to pass the
certificate programs and associ-
legislature and to receive a sig-
discrimination.” • Women’s Center (808) 956-8059 nature from Gov. Linda Lingle ate, bachelor, master and doc-
At the moment, UHM has torate degrees. Presently, ACM
not announced any plans to http://www.hawaii.edu/womenscenter/ to move the program from the
only offers bachelors degrees
Mānoa campus to the West O‘ahu-
increase surveillance of mental- • Blue line counselor on-call Kapolei region. In addition, the through Mānoa’s interdisciplin-
ly distressed students, but some ary studies department. It will
experts believe that an increase in
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday measure will give the program
also be expected to mentor future
$4.87 million to further develop
suicidal behavior could lead the Open hours for talking curriculum and infrastructure. media programs for K-12 classes
school’s administrators to adopt throughout the state.
tougher regulations to immunize
• Also there is a counselor in residence for The senate Ways and Means
Committee (WAM) recently passed An amendment to the bill
themselves from liability claims. dorm residents – ask a resident adviser the bill with an 11-0 bipartisan also changes the qualifications

“
“It’s not impossible that for the ACM creative director
administrators could seek a more
• On-campus emergency consultation: vote, making it the third commit-

stringent course of action if they Call the access line 832-3100

feel the problem is becoming • Ombudsman: “The university cannot support any language that
more widespread,” said Sarah
Gordon, founder of Suicide http://manoa.hawaii.edu/ombuds/ moves any academic program – or it’s admin-
Watch, a Honolulu-based advo- •Half-of-us: 1-800-273-TALK istration – from one campus to another or that
replaces sound and timely academic planning for

”
K A LEO UH West O‘ahu with legislative management.”
T H E V O I C E

EDITORIAL
Editor in Chief Kumari Sherreitt Associate Commentary Editor Alexis E. Jamison
Ka Leo O Hawai‘i Chief Copy Editor Kyle Mahoney Web Editor Laura Jolly Linda K. Johnsrud, Mānoa’s
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa News Editor Blane Benevedes Sports Editor Meghan Lopez
interim chancellor for academic affairs
1755 Pope Road, 31-D Associate News Editor Casey Chin Associate Sports Editor Ashley Nonaka
Honolulu, HI 96822 Associate News Editor Rachel Cabamongan Comics Editor Will Caron
Features Editor Taylor Hall Design Editor Jerrica Klout tee to pass it. If approved, ACM position, whose future candidates
Associate Features Editor Ariel Pease Photo Editor John Nakatsu is expected to receive the addi- must “have training and experi-
Newsroom (808) 956-7043
Commentary Editor Kris DeRego tional funding over the next two ence in creative media, includ-
Advertising (808) 956-3210 fiscal years and be permanently ing the film and digital media
Facsimile (808) 956-9962 ADVERTISING removed from the Mānoa campus. industry or other related creative
E-mail kaleo@kaleo.org Now located at the business office parallel to the bottom The newest draft of the bill fields,” if passed into law. It is
Web site www.kaleo.org entrance of the Bookstore. no longer specifies that ACM is unsure how this will affect present
Advertising Director Joel Binder required to move to the West O‘ahu director, Chris Lee, who could not
Ka Leo O Hawai‘i is the campus newspaper of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. It is published by the Board of Publications three times a week except on holi- campus. It now states that the be reached for comment in time
days and during exam periods. Circulation is 10,000. Ka Leo is also published once a week during summer sessions with a circulation of 10,000. Ka Leo is funded “expansion of programs and facili- for publication.
by student fees and advertising. Its editorial content reflects only the views of its editors, writers, columnists and contributors, who are solely responsible for its ties of the Academy for Creative If passed by the governor, ACM
content. No material that appears in Ka Leo may be reprinted or republished in any medium without permission. The first newsstand copy is free; for additional Media program shall be directed to could initialize a move as soon as
copies, please come to the Ka Leo Building. Subscription rates are $36 for one semester and $54 for one year. © 2008 Board of Publications.
the west O‘ahu / Kapolei region.” June 29, 2008.
 FEATURES | Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Ka Leo O Hawai‘i | Page 7

Anime convention biggest yet

By Taylor Hall
Ka Leo Staff Reporter

Only its third year, Hawaii’s only

anime convention is already a big
hit. Starting in 2005, Kawaii Kon
has grown to be one of Hawaii’s pre-
mier events, especially for the otaku
(fan) scene. While still retaining some
preconceived conventions from other
similar attractions, the Kawaii Kon is
still turning into a local must-see.
This year, the festival moved
to the Hawai‘i Convention Center
from its previous location at the Ala
Moana Hotel. The convention center
is home to nearly every Hawaiian
industry meeting and the big car show
that happens every February, which
attracts nearly 3,000 fans. However,
the Kawaii Kon may soon surpass
those numbers.
Costumed fans, both store-bought LEFT: Fans sketched
and lovingly handmade, descended in their favorite characters
droves. The greater space gave the on the Artist Mural in
greater-sized crowd room to move. the Artist Alley.
“Being in the convention center
TOP:Fans of Kingdom
really gives us a lot of space to work
Hearts stood for a photo
with,” said assistant director Chris with two “Heartless
Macedonio. “I expect that as time mushrooms” in the
goes on, we’ll need that space as Kawaii Kon last Friday.
attendance grows. I also expect that
in the future, we will garner more and
COURTESY OF
more attention both on the mainland
CORINE POWELL
and abroad, which will help us to gain
the support and resources we’ll need RIGHT: Dealers room
to make our show one of the premier where vendors from all
anime conventions in the nation.” over come to sell their
While the Kawaii Kon certainly stuff.
didn’t do anything to dispell the myths
that all anime fans are either fat white COURTESY PHOTO
JARED TAKAZAWA
guys or small Asian girls, it did attract
a surprising cross-section of people
and provided enough entertainment every year. This year’s Kawaii Kon
to fill its three-day block. Filled to the proved that, with time, it could be a Tickets for 2008
brim with vendors, voice actors and positive draw for tourism during a
games, the Kawaii Kon proved that typically weak month. Advanced tickets for next year are
with time, it will be able to compete ing the convention floor. Some of proved to draw equal numbers, but “Our show is so much fun, and available now for $25 for all three
on the nation convention block as a you don’t have to be a hardcore fan to
premier event.
the larger attractions included how were eclipsed by the new attractions. days. More information can be
to take better pictures, how to make The convention, started three enjoy it,” Macedonio said. “I would
The talent that it is starting to encourage everyone to try us out at
found on their Web site at
your own vinyl dolls, mini theaters years ago by founders Stan Dahlin,
show is impressive. This year, they and a professional photographer that least once. I truly believe there is
Marlon Stodghill, Scott Richardson http://www.kawaii-kon.org.
had over 20 guest speakers, includ-
took pictures of you and your friends and Chris Macedonio, has grown something at our show for everyone.”
ing Michael Sinterniklaas of “Venture
in costume.
Brothers” fame and audience favorite
“The crowd control was a lot bet-
Vic Mignogna. His presence alone
generated enough buzz to attract ter than last year,” said Eric Tamayo,
nearly half of the show’s attendees who already bought a three-day pass
on Sunday to his presentation. There for next year. “There was more peo-
were so many people, two room-sepa- ple, but there was also a lot more to
rating walls had to be torn down to do and you weren’t standing around
hold the anxious crowd. Many voice not knowing where to go. I wish they
actors also brought bloopers and early had more collectible dolls, but that’s
career footage that couldn’t be seen pretty much my only complaint.”
anywhere else. Some of the standards from pre-
The big step up from last year vious crowd pleasures, like the cos-
was the abundance of seminars lin- tume contest and the Saturday dance,
 K LEO
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VOLUME 103 ISSUE 56
T H E V O I C E
Fort Collins free-for-all
WWW.KALEO.ORG

Rainbow Wahine square off with

Purdue in regional semifinal
Sports | Page 11

Ser ving the students of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa since 1922
Got friends? Antarctic-what? Economic Grinch
HEAVY RAIN
Happy people make people happy Interview with eco-researchers Hiding Who-cash under the Who-mattress THURSDAY–SUNDAY
H:77° L:69° Commentary | Page 4 Mixed Plate | Page 6 Cartoons | Page 9 DEC. 11–14, 2008

Demand for student loans reaches all-time high

By Taylor Hall
Ka Leo Editor-in-Chief
2008 will be remembered as
a recessive year, with declining
job opportunities and necessary
changes to the nation’s spending
habits. It was also the year that
student loans became a necessity.
There have been a record
number of student-loan requests
this semester, according to
Ku‘ulei Feliciano, interim assis-
tant director of the University of
Hawai‘i Financial Aid Services
office. The office has given out
6,000 loans this year, nearly dou-
ble that of 2007.
“More students have had to
apply for financial aid,” Feliciano
said. “The downside is that there is
less money to give out.”
According to Feliciano the
large number of requests are fil-
tered through a small pool of
Steps to getting a student loan
1. Fill out the FAFSA online at fafsa.
ed.gov
2. Be sure to include your school’s code
in the designated section, so UH can
receive your award information (UH
code: 00161000).
4. UH sends your award information to
your MyUHPortal account (myuhportal.
hawaii.edu).
5. View your award offers and accept
or decline each.
6. Sallie Mae sends the school your
loan; you receive a letter in the mail
with information about your new loan.
7. UH disburses any funds above the
cost of tuition to you in the second
week of school.
companies still offering student
loans. The loans offered through
UH Mānoa’s financial aid office
are financed through Sallie
Mae. Outside of the UH system,
American Savings Bank is the
only FDIC bank that offers stu-
dent loans in Hawai‘i.
“If the bank makes 3 percent
off each loan, that means they’ll
make an average of a few hun-
dred off of you. If you
don’t pay (it) back,
Students must
navigate the pitfalls
of financial aid, espe-
cially during tough
economic times.
MCT CAMPUS
then they’re out of that amount,”
Feliciano said.
Sallie Mae reported $6.8 bil-
lion in earnings in the third quar-
ter, up 17 percent from last year;
however, it still had a loss of $159
million. Without federal funding,
Sallie Mae wouldn’t exist.
The avail-
ability of
student loans follows the hous-
ing market, said Feliciano. And
with the housing market in such
decline, students have every rea-
son to be worried.
“More FAFSAs have come in
than ever,” Feliciano said. “Nearly
every student at UH Mānoa is using
at least one form of financial aid.”
With increased competi-
tion for
financial
aid,
students should begin the applica-
tion process early. The deadline for
FAFSA first priority for the 2009-
2010 school year is March 1.
Why does the FAFSA process take
so long?
The FAFSA form is available starting
Jan. 1, but the process can extend into
early summer. “The time frame is total-
ly dependent on the student,” Feliciano
said. While students can begin working
on the application in January, it cannot
be finished until the previous year’s tax
information is received. “Simply apply-
ing is great, but you have to finish,”
Feliciano said.
Bank or Credit Union?
Banks have the downside of high
interest rates, although they have
the ability to lend larger amounts.
Credit unions offer lower interest rates
because each customer owns a part of
the company, so the credit union can
lend as much money as the custom-
ers provide.
Need credit?
The University of Hawai‘i
Federal Credit Union offers
a start-up plan for students
with low cash flow who want
to build their credit. The “Student
Savings Plan” has a start-up cost of
$5 and comes with a debit card and a
credit card with a credit limit of $300
that can be increased. The plan was
introduced this semester and has a
low minimum, which is usually around
$300 at banks. For more information,
visit uhfcu.com

News 2 T H U R S D A Y S U R F O U T L O O K Special Advance Screening

INSIDE TODAY

Mixed Plate 3
6 HONOLULU TIDES NORTH 3–5+ Wave heights
Another northwest swell will see page 11
Commentary 4 HI 3:11 a.m. | 2:39 p.m. SOUTH 1–3 reported
build rapidly tonight, peak
PLEASE LO 10:32 a.m. | 8:16 p.m. tomorrow, then gradually
Cartoons 9
WEST 2–4 Hawaiian style,
RECYCLE 6 HALEʻIWA TIDES about half face
subside through the begin-
Puzzles & Classifieds 10
HI 2:09 a.m. | 1:37 p.m. EAST 1–2 heights.
ning of next week.
MAHALO Sports 11 LO 8:27 a.m. | 6:11 p.m. WINDS 15–25+ mph, S-SW SOURCE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

PAGE
12 Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008
mixedplate@kaleo.org
Don’t buy software - Use Freeware instead
By Taylor Hall
Ka Leo Features Editor
Back in October, Wal-Mart
released a Linux (Ubuntu) power
system with enhanced graphics.
The system retails for the low
cost of $199. The reason that the
gOP-powered system is so cheap
is that the main applications are
all Web-based. The reliance on
Google apps lead some to won-
der if the “g” in gOP stands for
Google. A fact that Wal-Mart’s
PR department vapidly denies.
Whatever your politics are on
Wal-Mart, marketing an open-
source, Web app-based computer
to the casual target market was
a surprisingly successful ven-
ture. Lifehacker.com has already
reported that the unit has sold out
of its online supply, well over the
5 percent new computer-buyer
market they had estimated.
The future gets closer every
day to a time when large HDDs
and fast connections reduced
our OSs to shelf space for our
virtual life, though that day has
not yet come. To celebrate your
clumsy old operating system,
we bring you our most essen-
tial freeware programs. In the
future, Ka Leo will cover its
choices for Web apps and other
joys from the digital realm, but
for now relish in the quick and
downloadable. You may have
Firefox and AVG, but treating
yourself to these free apps will
brighten your day and stream-
line your virtual world. From
word processing to security,
digital art and torrents, these
programs will make your life
that much easier. Take this as
a beginning guide to the world
outside of the Google pack.
Office replacement
Open Office: With Open Office
you’ll never miss Windows’
darling processes. Nearly every
Office suite is faithfully recre-
ated and works in conjunction
with Windows’ program and
formats. Power users may miss
some of their Vista options and
tabbing, but XP users will love
MIXEDplate
KA LEO
EDITOR: TAYLOR HALL
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: ARIEL PEASE
TAS TE THE LOVE
the price. If you lost your Office
disk or are installing on multiple
computers, or heck, even if your
not, there’s no better or faster
option. www.openoffice.org
Compression
7-zip: The look is a little
Windows ’95, but still a far
faster, larger format and better
shrinking alternative to WinZip.
7zip.org
Downloading
uTorrent: The best torrent client,
with easily set upload/download
limits as well as upload files in
the window with saved pref-
erences. Recommended above
slower and ad-heavy BitTorrent.
www.utorrent.com
Converting
VidDownloader: Batch process-
ing moves this app to the top.
Freely convert video for your
iPod and PSP without having to
load each piece.
www.viddownloader.com/ COURTESY GRAPHIC • UTORRENT.COM
Media Encoder: The quickest utorrentUI, while still in beta, allows you remote access and control of your downloads, even when you are
audio converter. away from your home rig.
mediacoder.sourceforge.net
XNView: Batch hundreds of art
for conversion. Simple interface.
www.xnview.com
Maintenance
CCleaner: Indispensable. For
every program you delete, there For all those class and research Illustrator and Photoshop in one from any previous time with
is always the cobwebs that stay PDF packets, you won’t believe application. www.gimp.org/ Recuva. Even after reinstalling
over and slowly eat the life- how much faster it moves. your OS, Recuva can grab most
line of your computer. CCleaner www.foxitsoftware.com/ Blender: The interface is differ- lost music, movies and docu-
removes those unwanted appli- ent from Maya, but the results ments you thought were gone.
cations while also giving an Movie viewer are the same. If you’re inter- www.recuva.com/
improved add/delete system to VLC: Burn discs and watch ested in 3-D modeling, give
your computer. Remove history, nearly every video format Blender a chance. The system is
forms, broken links and much
iTunes helper
made by man. Why use WMP, gaining ground all the time on
more. You might be surprised at QuickTime and RealPlayer, the bigger guys, and the system OurTunes: Grab music over
just how much space one run will when you can use this applica- has proven to be relatively easy any network. Offices, dorms,
clear up. Highly recommended. tion in their place? but highly capable of large proj- wireless, etc.
www.ccleaner.com/ www.videolan.org/vlc/ ects, as you can tell from the ourtunes.sourceforge.net/
movie section on their page. SharePod: You never again
have to fear the invisible bars
PDF replacement Photoshop/Illustrator www.blender.org/
surrounding your iPod, keeping
Foxit: Like the infamous free- GIMP: Proves that whatever those borrowed tunes hostage.
ware it borrows its name from, Recovery
Adobe spends years and mil- SharePod easily and quickly
Foxit is the Firefox of PDF cli- lions of dollars doing, a crack Recuva: From the makers of transfers your iPod music back
ents. Quicker, sleeker and with a team of geniuses will top within CCleaner. If your computer suf- to your PC.
multitude of extensions as well. months. Effectively open-source fers a meltdown, recover data www.sturm.net.nz/
 8 Monday, Oct. 8, 2007 mixedplate@kaleo.org

Halo 3 lets gamers ‘finish the fight’

By Taylor Hall latest installment in the Halo
Ka Leo Staff Reporter video game series. The launch
of Halo 3 was the largest single-
At midnight last Tuesday, day entertainment release ever,
people all around the country breaking numerous entertainment
were finally able to rush home records. In its first 24 hours,
and “finish the fight” with the Halo 3 managed to sell 7 mil-

KA LEO O HAWAI‘I ANNOUNCES

A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING
Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007 • 7:30 pm • Ward Theatre

COURTESY PHOTO • MICROSOFT

The release of video game Halo 3 broke previous entertainment records, such as one held by “Spider-Man 3,” when it launched
Tuesday and sold more than 7 million copies.
lion copies, including a record- and the low reliability rate of the tiplayer capability has been the
shattering 1.7 million in pre- new Microsoft console, the Xbox big draw for many of the series’
orders, according to a Microsoft 360, have resulted in costly repair fans, providing staying power
press release. More than 10,000 and warranty replacement plans in for Halo and Microsoft.
retailers hosted midnight release addition to an estimated $300 loss “Within the first 20 hours
events to celebrate the launch of on each system. alone, we’ve seen more than a
this third installment in the bil- Despite the high loss rate, million Xbox LIVE members
lion-dollar franchise. there is a large established fan come online to play Halo 3
Halo 3 beat previous enter- base for Halo. Halo 2 had the – that makes Sept. 25 the most
tainment records set by theatri- largest single-day release for active Xbox LIVE gaming day
cal releases like “Spider-Man an American video game, earn- in history,” said Kim.
3” and novels such as “Harry ing about $125 million on its Some people are purely
Potter and the Deathly Hallows” release day. Halo 2 was Xbox interested in finishing the tril-
with a first-day release total of LIVE’s most-played and lon- ogy of a story that started over
$170 million. Whether or not it gest-played game. Three years seven years ago.
will save Microsoft’s flounder- after the release, it had tens “I just want to know how
One family on opposite sides of the law... ing games division remains to be of thousands of daily players. it ends,” said Wayde Toyama,
Two brothers about to collide. seen. Microsoft’s reliance on the an Academy for Creative Media
COLUMBIA PICTURES and 2929 PRODUCTIONS present ent a NICK WECHSLER production oduction
Microsoft spent a legendary Halo series to drive sales has major, who purchased the Halo 3
a JAMES GRAY film JOAQUIN PHOENIX MARK WAHLBERG EVA MENDES
and ROBERT DUVALL WE OWN THE NIGHT caststingby DOUGLAS AIBEL superviso sor DANA SANO
musicic
amount of money on the release resulted in many fans viewing Legendary Collectors Edition – a
by WOJCIECH KILAR des esigner MICHAEL CLANCY by JOHN AXELRAD esigner FORD WHEELER
music costume
me edited
ed production
ction
des

raphy JOAQUIN BACA-ASAY producers

director of
photography cers COUPER SAMUELSON MIKE UPTON producer ANTHONY KATAGAS
co- executive
utive
of Halo 3, which happened to the Xbox as the Halo-box. $130 package that includes years
ers TODD WAGNER MARK CUBAN by MARK WAHLBERG JOAQUIN PHOENIX
executive
exe utive produced
ced
producer

by NICK WECHSLER MARC BUTAN direc

produced
ced writt
wr
ed by JAMES GRAY
tten and
ected
be released in 37 countries in
Soundtrack On
Lakeshore Records 17 languages.
“It’s far too early to say what
© Touchstone Pictures
the financial return will be for our
investment. ... If we can’t make
a profit in the year Halo 3 comes
Present your valid UH Student ID at the out, then when will we?” said
Ka Leo building from 12 noon today Microsoft Game Studios’ general
manager Shane Kim in an inter-
to get your complimentary pass! view with the BBC.
Microsoft entered the console
IN THEATRES OCTOBER 12th game industry hoping to expand its
software properties into other ave-
nues and has yet to make a profit
on its investment. Asian coun-
First come, first served. A valid UHM ID is required. tries largely ignore Microsoft’s
attempts to enter the industry, with
No phone calls please. One pass per person. Supplies are
some large chains refusing to even
limited. One pass admits two. carry the product. The escalat-
ing costs of its home consoles
Halo 3 has earned a score
of 94 on metacritic.com, trail-
ing only 2K Games’ BioShock,
which earned a 96, in ratings for
2007 releases on the PlayStation
3, Wii and Xbox 360 platforms.
Retro Games’ Metroid Prime 3 is
a distant sixth with a score of 90.
While it is still too early
to see how the game mechanics
will sustain its core audience,
Halo 3 seems to set things right
with fans.
“I don’t think I’ve ever even
played Halo 2’s single player,”
said Timothy Clark, an educa-
tion major at the University of
Hawai‘i at Mānoa, who recent-
ly purchased the standard edi-
tion of the game. Halo’s mul-
of bonus material and a life-size
helmet like the Halo protagonist’s.
The video game industry
relies on successful sequels to
grow. A concrete conclusion for
a series is rare – particularly a
young series that has already
seen buyouts, sudden design
changes and the mother of all
gaming cliffhangers.
Players have had to wait
over three years to find a con-
clusion after Halo 2, which sim-
ply told players to “finish the
fight” before the music swelled.
For college students who start-
ed Halo’s story line in middle
school or high school, the time
to “finish the fight” couldn’t
have come any sooner.
 MIXEDplate
PAGE EDITOR: TAYLOR HALL
8 Wednesday, April 9, 2008
mixedplate@kaleo.org
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: ARIEL PEASE
TRIO IN HONOLULU
John Butler Trio
plays Pipeline Café
John Butler, center, showing off his tattoos. “They stand for some pretty personal stuff,” Butler said. His arms will be featuring some
fresh ink at the O‘ahu show, as he has recently added a yin-yang type of symbol above the stripes.
By Taylor Hall
Ka Leo Features Editor
John Butler’s voice is notice-
ably exhausted, but his manners are
keeping him on the phone. He will
be touring until September with a
stop at the Coachella Music Festival
in two weeks, but for now John
Butler is a very tired man.
Butler has just finished a gig in
Japan hours and he is presently wait-
ing to fly into Honolulu for his first
Hawai‘i show and a rare mid-tour
rest on O‘ahu.
“It was wonderful. They (the
Japanese) are a funky, beautiful peo-
ple,” Butler said.
The John Butler Trio has
been compared to the likes of Jack
Johnson and Dave Matthews (both
of whom will be participating in this
years Kōkua festival at the Waikīkī
Shell) for his prevalent use of the
acoustic guitar and feel-good party
vibe. But the Australian-born Butler
separates himself from his contem-
poraries purely by his delivery.
Despite playing a variety of
instruments, from the didgeridoo
TAS TE THE LOVE
to the banjo, Butler’s instrument of
choice is still his 11-string guitar,
whose highest string is purposely
removed. “I just don’t like the
sound of the high G. ... Plus, it
breaks a lot.”
The bright notes of the instru-
ment allow him to play everything
from funk to open-tuned instrumen-
tals with an individual sound aided
by a custom array of pedals.
His virtuosity with the instru-
ment is well-demonstrated on
YouTube, where a video of Butler
performing his song “Ocean” has
become a viral hit with three mil-
lion views. He sits alone under
a spotlight, telling the audience
about the first time he held his
daughter, Banjo, in his arms. Then
he plugs in the guitar and begins
tapping the strings Van Halen
style. What follows is five min-
utes of open-tuned bliss.
“I use a lot of standard tun-
ing, well, the standard open tunings.
Mostly open C ... dropped open D.”
And when the talk turns to
Hawaiian slack key, Butler is enthu-
siastic. “I’ve just started trying it.
KA LEO
COURTESY PHOTO • MYSPACE.COM/JOHNBUTLERTRIO
I really like it, definitely want to
hear some more of it when I am out
there. We’ve been wanting to go (to
Hawaiʻi) for years. I can’t wait to
see Waikīkī. I know we’re going to
go somewhere on the North Shore.”
A quick mention of Oʻahu
being a laid-back concert-going
community spurs Butler’s humor.
“I hope not. We’re pretty laid back
too; I don’t know if two laid-back
groups – you know – I don’t know
if that’s best!”
Last advice: “Be prepared to
go on a ride. We’re going to rock
you, funk you out, some instru-
mentals, we don’t really do one
specific thing. Be prepared to go
on a journey.”
John Butler Trio
Tonight, 8 p.m. at Pipeline Cafe
Tickets: ticketmaster.com $35 for
loft seating, $20 for standard.
 KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

FEATURES
Editor: David Pham Associate Editor: Ting-Cheng Wen | (808) 956-3221 | features@kaleo.org Tuesday, January 23, 2007 | Page 3

Kevin Pereira, luckiest

guy in his world
By Taylor Hall
Ka Leo Contributing Reporter

If you had the chance to log

onto http://www.assgotserved.
com last year you would find
a one-page Web site discuss-
ing the politics of networking
and servers. This would make
perfect sense, since it was an
actual server being run out of
somebody’s rectum.
“I really appreciate the
freedom that G4 allows us, I
don’t think any other network
would have ever approached
it with the same kind of open-
mindedness.” said TV person-
ality Kevin Pereira.

You have to wonder

how being one of the
few faces changes you.
Pereira is surprisingly
calm and friendly.

Besides hatching the idea

for the perfect cyborg, Kevin
Pereira has come up with many
of the shows' skits as the idea
man, and half of the hosting
team on channel G4’s “Attack
of the Show.” Along with Olivia
Munn, they are in charge of
reporting the constant changes Besides hatching the idea for the perfect
taking place in the interweb
and the overall tug and pull that
cyborg, Pereira has come up with many of
is the video game industry.
Talking with Kevin Pereira
the shows' skits as the idea man.
is a surprisingly calm and
friendly experience. You have calloused gamer give “Gears of that Playstation 3 launched on a
to wonder how being one of the War” the old college try. It’s Friday and the Wii launched on a
few faces in the new industry of refreshing to see somebody so in Sunday meant the completion of
televised video game journal- tune and enjoying their profes- the holy trinity for game consoles
ism changes you. Is it a posi- sion. … but the beginning of a dark age
tion you seek out or something The main topic on our minds for video games.
you just stumbled upon? that day was the impending Every few years, new con-
Unlike so many others, effects of two next generation soles arrive with high attention
Pereira is unchanged by the system releases. As part of his from the mainstream media and
celebrity curse. His devotion day job, Pereira happily covered bring the added attention to an
to the game industry is clear, the huge lines and camps across
and his enthusiasm is infectious the country to report on the hard-
enough to make even the most See Pereira, page 7
core video game fans. The fact
 KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

FEATURES
Editor: David Pham Associate Editor: Ting-Cheng Wen | (808) 956-3221 | features@kaleo.org Tuesday, January 23, 2007 | Page 7

Pereira
system is superior for the com- site, http://www.likemysweaty.
mon video game consumer and com, under the stage name of
in a matter of years when the Captain Immy. Discussing every-
price tag falls and more high thing from games to his dad’s
From page 3 profile games become available, old coats, he was able to do a
he expects the PS3 to be a more daily half-hour show for 120 days
industry that is already struggling worthwhile system. straight at one point.
to meet demand. The launch of “As of right now, its just He also made his own short
the “next-gen.” movies that won
systems has regional awards
been tumultu- in California
ous, with death, where he grew
greed and con- up, leading to
spiracy doing a scholarship at
their part in the Academy of
bringing the Arts college in
most elite $10 San Francisco,
billion video which he
game indus- attended for
try back into two months.
the news since “I thought I
Rockstar’s GTA had to do the
hot-coffee inci- college thing,
dent. A situa- since that’s
tion where one what every-
of industry’s body wants you
most success- to do, your par-
ful companies ents and your
was brought to teachers, but it
its knees by a just wasn’t for
conservative me,” Pereira
Senate hearing said.
directly mirror- After five years
ing the “par- of network
ents against offensive managing, Pereira was
lyrics” situation in the called and given the
early 80s. opportunity to be a
The controversy Pereira's own opinion on host on the first nation-
here was Sony’s releas- al Gaming Network.
ing its Playstation, the matter is that Nintendo's He’s also in
despite knowing it charge of their daily/
could not meet the high system is superior weekly podcast, a
demand from its crazed chore that he admits,
fans. “is work, since now it’s
Death, rob- for a national
bery at gun- company, but is
point and over- still fun. [It’s]
saturation of just a little dif-
eBay’s servers ferent … you
(reaching pric- got to watch
es upwards of what you say.”
$4,000), were So does he still
all responses play games?
to a horrible Of course. His
shortage of favorite, as of
game consoles, now, is “Gears
leading some of War.” He is
to think it was an avid sup-
a purposeful porter of Game
shortage. The Developers
holiday rush, achieving the
mixed with the same status
overshadowing as Rockstar’s,
of Nintendo’s Authors and
new Wii sys- Filmmakers.
tem by mass He has bought
marketing of a the game twice
niche commod- after giv-
ity, would help ing away his
spur demand for first copy to
Sony’s system even more once doesn’t make sense,” Pereira said. a deserving intern and already
people realized the short amount When asked to give a few pointers beating G4’s beta version. He
in stock. in the art of journalism he frankly also competes in Guitar Hero 2
Releasing a paltry 400,000 responded, “I would, but it is some- office tourneys, and is enjoying
copies of its system (which thing I know nothing about.” the heck out of the Wii’s launch
retails for $600) is made even His frank response buoys repertoire.
more embarrassing by the million many of the accomplishments Pereira works hard and keeps
copies of the Wii that Nintendo that took him to get to his posi- close contact with his roots and
managed to sell (at $250). tion as the face of G4. Starting in his fans. He truly cares for all
Pereira’s own opinion on high school, Pereira had a pod- aspects of the future and reputa-
the matter was that Nintendo’s cast broadcast on his own web- tion of the game industry.

‘Vacancy,’ the next stop for Luke Wilson
By Taylor Hall
Ka Leo Staff Reporter
There are a lot of dusty ill-
traveled roads in the American can-
non. With each passing year, the
road culture that has defined the free
roaming nature of America gets one
year deeper into its geriatric ages.
The freedom of having roads that
lead you anywhere you want to go
is the unique American desire – the
only country in the world with the
option to do so. With every new high-
way, an old town road is bypassed
and falls into despair.
“I would go from Dallas, usu-
ally with my dog, and just drive to
nowhere,” said Luke Wilson. “We’d
always get scared after Phoenix,
then well into Flagstaff and past
El Paso, though nothing bad ever
really happened.”
Wilson stars in the upcoming
film “Vacancy,” a new thriller due
out this Friday. The film deals with
a couple starting their life again and
hitting a major setback on one such
highway, indiscrete motel.
“When you stay in places like
that ... it’s easy to scare your-
self, thinking about who was there
before and who your neighbors
are.” Wilson said.
“I had turned down the movie
once,” he said. “The producer who
had done these movies like ‘The
Exorcism of Emily Rose’ ... they
wanted to do a movie with some
actors they liked, and make a real
scary movie.”
The director, Nimrod Antal, got
his first break as the director of
“Kontroll,” a psychological thriller.
“It’s not gory at all,” Antal said.
“[I think] it brings you in more if you
say what happens rather than if you
see it. It reminds me more of those
’70s movies where the car breaks
down.”
“It was intense; it all takes
place in one night. I’d show up
Monday morning at 6 a.m. doing
the same scene from Friday night,”
he explained. “The set was enjoy-
able, but it’s not like making a com-
edy where you show up and all your
friends just joke around all day, like
‘Old School.’”
“This was the first movie where,
when it was done, I thought, ‘Alright,
I deserve a weekend’ (laughs). I need
a vacation!” he said.
Wilson’s movie roles continu-
ally land him in positions joined by
his brother Owen, Will Ferrell, Ben
Stiller and Vince Vaughn. Their con-
FEATURES | Wednesday, April 18, 2007 | Ka Leo O Hawai‘i | Page 7
Luke Wilson
comforts Kate
Beckinsale in their
crisis as they try
to escape their
"living hell" in the
upcoming movie,
"Vacancy."
PHOTO COURTESY
VACANCY'S OFFICIAL
PRESS KIT
tinued friendships have earned them
the title of “The Frat Pack” by critics.
They’re usually on the spot filming,
then the large scale of “Vacancy”
caught Wilson by surprise.
“It was a pretty impressive set,”
Wilson said. “The set was filmed at
stage 18 at the Sony lot, which is a
massive set. It was the first set where
I was calling my friends and telling
them that they have to get down here.
It was sent over from England, back
in the day. They filmed ‘Crimson
Tide’ there, ‘The Shining,’ ‘Wizard
of Oz’, you go inside and they have
the gas station there (a scene from the
movie), a huge oak tree, the motel.”
Wilson studied English in col-
lege, though he admits his love for
writers like Twain, Ford or Crumbly
has taken a backseat to his love for
poetry and reading biographies.
“Woody Guthrie’s bio, written by
Joe Klein, is one of the best books I’ve
ever read,” he said.
Wilson planned to graduate and
maybe stay in Texas, but when his
brother said that they wanted him
to act with him – in a short he
and his roommate wanted to film
– Wilson agreed. The movie that
spawned turned out to be one of
those Hollywood fairy tales. James
L. Brooks liked the idea and let them
turn “Bottle Rocket” into a feature,
launching the Owen Brothers and the
idiosyncratic director Wes Anderson.
The movie road caught Wilson
by surprise and has given him more
clout than he thought he could
achieve, but it has also come with its
fair share of disappointments.
“People ask me, ‘Why don’t you
do more indies?’ Why do the ‘Legally
Blonde’ sequel?” Wilson said. “Truth
is, you read about these people like
Warren Beatty who wait years between
roles, but I’d rather stay busy. It helps
my thinking. People ask, ‘Why don’t
you just do more movies with your
brother and Wes [Anderson],’ but you
gotta keep busy in between. I spent a
year and a half going out to auditions
between the time ‘Bottle Rocket’ was
made and it coming out, and I didn’t
get one callback.”
The disappointment associated
with letting someone else control his
destiny got Luke to writing his own
story, “The Wendell Baker Story.” It is
about an ex-con who goes to work at a
retirement community and gets some
geriatric help with his love life.
“People say, ‘Well you’ve been
working on this script for 10 years,
it better be perfect,’” he said. “Well,
I don’t know, but I really like the
way it came out, and I’m excited
about the DVD, which is going to be
packed as well.”
The decision to stay indepen-
dent has led Wilson on a journey
as one of Hollywood’s most liked
straight man, and it has given him
close relationships with some of the
Hollywood elite.
Wilson’s fellow Texan, Mike
Judge (“King of the Hill”), cast him as
the lead in his last movie, “Idiocracy,”
which sadly ran into its own delays
when FOX gave the movie a limited
release before relinquishing it to a
long-delayed DVD sentence.
“I felt more sad for Mike [Judge]
than for me, but at least he got to make
the movie he wanted to make, and it
seems the bad release has helped turn
it into a moving cult classic,” he said.
 MIXEDplate
PAGE
16 Monday, May 12, 2008
mixedplate@kaleo.org
ʻWALL•Eʼ: CREATING A SCI-FI LOVE STORY
Interview with writer/director Andrew Stanton
By Taylor Hall
Ka Leo Features Editor
Andrew Stanton has been a
creative force at Pixar since its
short film days in the early ’90s.
He directed the genesis for what
would become “Toy Story” (just
“A Story” in 1987) and co-direct-
ed “A Bugs Life” (1998) with
John Lasseter, who is to Pixar
what Walt is to Disney. “Finding
Nemo” (2003) would go on to
gross nearly one billion dollars in
revenue and merchandise.
“(With) ‘Toy Story’, we
didn’t know if we could make
it work, and then to make the
next three or four successful. I’ve
never made a movie without pres-
sure,” Stanton said.
Stanton is calm and collected
on the phone, even though he
is a month away from releasing
Pixar’s riskiest venture yet, the
heavily silent film “WALL•E.”
“The sci-fi angle came
because of the story. I wanted
him (WALL•E) to be alone on
our planet, so that makes you
KA LEO
EDITOR: TAYLOR HALL
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: ARIEL PEASE
TAS TE THE LOVE
think, ‘Well, where did every-
one go?’” Stanton said. “I never
wanted to do anything but this
nice love story, so hopefully it is
still that.”
None of the main charac-
ters in “WALL•E” talk. “When I
wrote the script, I wrote out dia-
logue for the character between
the lines,” Stanton said, “so that a
sound effect could be understood
to mean something like ‘I am
hungry’ and it still reads like a
regular script.”
Music also plays a large role
in the movie, as the voices are just
sound effects. “Tom Newman,
who scored this movie for me, did
a fantastic job,” Stanton said.
The idea for the character
of WALL•E came when Stanton
was at a Little League game and
was playing with his binoculars.
“By bending them, I could imag-
ine the different emotions for
the characters,” he said. “From
there, we built the rest of the
character ... we made his body a COURTESY PHOTO • DISNEY.GO.COM/WALL-E
box, we didn’t want him to look Pixar’s WALL•E is “the saddest character I ever thought up,” said director Andrew Stanton. “WALL•E” hits theaters June 27.
like a person.”
Creating an animated char- much whatever we want, so
acter takes a lot of pantomime, the few things that we did con-
Stanton said, and involves many quer, we tried to keep invisible
ideas coming together. “When to the audience,” Stanton said.
you’re working with a real per- “Maybe the geekiest filmgoer
son, they bring something else will appreciate it, but everyone
to the table,” he said. “With ani- else will think the film is just a
mation, you have many people little more viceral.”
bringing different ideas into one “WALL•E” hits theaters
character.” June 27.
Stanton is also known for
playing the voice of Crush, the
laid-back surfer turtle who rides
the current with his kid Squirt in
“Finding Nemo,” becoming a fan
favorite and the top-selling mer-
chandise doll for the movie.
In 1995, Pixar released
the instant-hit “Toy Story,” but
consecutive years brought more
releases in digital film, push-
ing technology further. Pixar has
nine films planned to release
in the next four years, includ-
ing “Toy Story 3” in 2011. For
“WALL•E”, that meant trying COURTESY PHOTO • IMDB.COM
something different for a charac-
Writer/director Andrew Stanton’s next
ter 20 years in the making.
“Animation has hit this project is a movie he has been formu-
ceiling, where we can do pretty lating since he was 10 years old.