by Alyssa Amasol
December 10, 2011
In hopes to inspire giving and generosity within Americans, Macy's "Believe" campaign hosted its third annual National Believe Day on Friday. Macy's partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant more than 55 "Wishes Across America" for children with life-threatening medical conditions. The campaign lets children write letters to Santa. For every letter collected in Macy's santa mail letterboxes, Macys will donate $1, up to $1 million, to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. However, National Believe Day was also Double Donation Day, where Macy's pledged to donate an additional dollar per stamped letter, even beyond the $1 million goal.
This National Believe Day is especially important to local Kailua keiki Reece Goo, a wish recipient dedicated to collecting thousands of letters from all over the world in order to grant wishes to children of Hawaii with life-threatening medical conditions. Goo was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor a few years ago and immediately needed to start treatments. During this time, he met with wish granters from the Make-A-Wish Foundation who granted him his wish to go to Disney World this past summer.
After hearing about Macy's campaign, Goo came up with the idea to help other kids in Hawaii. This fall he set out to collect 5,000 letters to help fund wishes for kids with life-threatening medical conditions. With boxes of letters from numerous Hawaii schools and all over the world, Goo reached his goal.
"I wanted other kids to have just as much fun as I did, its the best experience Ive ever had," Goo said.
On National Believe Day Goo collected more than 800 letters from Maryknoll School that students wrote in support of Goo's dedication and Macy's Believe Campaign. These letters were the last addition to the thousands he had already collected.
He delivered them to Macy's Ala Moana on National Believe Day after travelling with Mayor Peter Carlisle in the Honolulu Fire Departments Special Events Vehicle. At Macy's, Honolulu City Council members Stanley Chang and Ikaika Anderson presented Goo with an honorary certificate for his exceptional efforts in giving back to the community.
"This year especially, Reece had a lot to do with raising awareness about the campaign itself," said Crissy Gofigan, volunteer intern at the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Hawaii and senior at Hawaii Pacific University. "Because of his efforts he's inspired other kids to want to give back too, it just goes to show that every voice does count, no matter how young or old you are."
Along with these National Believe Day events, the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted the wish of a local teenager named Taylor who thought she was there to share her letter to Santa with the public. Mayor Carlisle announced that her wish to go to the GRAMMYs was going to be granted. Macy's gave Taylor a celebrity stylist makeover complete with an outfit of her choice to wear in February when she will be traveling to Los Angeles to attend the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
"The goal of the Make-A-Wish campaign is to grant a wish to every eligible child," said Camilla Crescenzo, communications coordinator for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Hawaii. "This campaign definitely brought awareness of Make-A-Wishs presence to the local community and its wish-granting work to our local keiki."
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Rising up to make a difference
by Alyssa Amasol
November 29, 2011
Rise Up Hawaii is dedicated to making a difference in the world by spreading awareness and inspiring communities to institute global change. It utilizes the talents of local artists as a creative way to fundraise for nonprofit organizations.
“We are a grassroots movement that emerged with a mission to educate and promote positive activism within our communities through the use of our creative talents,” according to their website.
The goal of Rise Up Hawaii is “to team up with nonprofit organizations and help them raise money,” said Joel Gaspar, founder of Rise Up Hawaii. “We’re pretty much like a crutch to help them out.”
“We try to teach people not to wait for the world to change but to actually get up and do something,” Gaspar said.
Rise Up Hawaii started in 2010 when the earthquake rocked Haiti. Gaspar used to help put concerts together for Invisible Children, an organization that brings awareness to the conflict in Uganda and desires to stop the abduction of children for use as child soldiers. Friends came to him wanting to put together a benefit concert for Haiti. In March 2010, Gaspar helped organize Rise Up for Haiti, a collaboration with the American Red Cross, at SoHo Mixed Media Bar in Chinatown. It featured 30 musicians and raised approximately $3,000. With the success of this event, Rise Up Hawaii could not stop there.
“It was supposed to be a one time thing but it got so big and lots of people wanted to be involved that it turned into a movement,” Gaspar said.
Since its establishment in 2010, RUH has put on five benefit events for various causes and teamed up with six nonprofit organizations on the local, national and international level.
In May 2010 it hosted another benefit concert, Rise Up Against Animal Cruelty, in collaboration with the Hawaiian Humane Society and the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They featured acoustic sets, slam poetry, hip-hop freestyle battles, food and drinks at Tropics Café. It raised $650 for the Hawaiian Humane Society.
To end 2010, RUH took a new approach. Instead of teaming up with a nonprofit organization, it took the money directly to the cause. In November 2010, RUH hosted a benefit concert for Hawaii’s homeless at Fresh Café, their largest event so far. All proceeds from this event went to a special project called “Project Care Package,” where bags containing first aid kits, flash lights, blankets, hygiene items and canned foods were put together and distributed to Hawaii’s homeless. Along with the benefit concert, it also featured a special screening of “Blue Tarp City” directed by Henry Mochida and had special guest, Representative Tom Brower, who talked about HC114, a bill that RUH tried to pass into legislature.
In May 2011, RUH teamed up with the American Red Cross again to put on Rise Up for Japan in a much more intimate setting at Blue Ocean Thai. With six performers and three artists showcasing their work, RUH raised about $150 in donations that all went to help with relief efforts in Japan.
More recently, RUH collaborated with Sunday Jams, an organization housed in Hawaiian Brian’s that provides a comfortable environment for people to develop their musical talents. It holds open mic nights every Sunday and occasional band nights. Together, Sunday Jams and RUH teamed up to help raise funds for Charity:Water, a nonprofit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. In November 2011 it held a hip-hop night at Ka Lounge featuring more than eight musicians and DJs to help raise awareness and funds for Charity:Water.
“It brought a sense of humanity that I feel like Sunday Jams is very much a part of,” said Duane Fukumoto, co-director of Sunday Jams.
The goal is to raise $5,000 to help build a water well for an impoverished village in Africa. One water well will supply 250 people with clean water for life. Between August and November more than $2,000 has been raised to support this cause.
“It’s a life-changing thing,” Gaspar said. “When we think numbers, it’s a lot, but we could actually make a huge difference.”
RUH desires to educate young people and inspire them to make a difference.
“I've had the honor of performing at several of Rise Up's charity events, and I have to say, they are a great bunch to work with,” said Amanda Frazier, a musician who performed at Rise Up for Japan. “Their events not only bring a wide range of people together to raise money for charity, but they are able to raise awareness to the local community about situations happening all around the world.”
Rise Up Hawaii has gained supporters through their partnerships with organizations like Sunday Jams and Innovative Concepts, a church that meets in Hawaiian Brian’s and sponsors Sunday Jams. One supporter, MJ Rodriguez made herself available to help.
“I think when you look at it, there’s 46 total people but the people who actually put it on is a small group of about 8 or 10 people,” Rodriguez said. “A small group with big ambitions… Their passion is contagious.”
Recent graduate of University of Hawaii at Manoa and co-director of Sunday Jams, Chaz Umamoto, was on the RUH committee and thought it was important to partner with other local organizations for a good cause.
“Being a musician myself, I played in a band with gigs every other week and it gets tiring,” Umamoto said. “But when you’re playing for causes like Haiti or Japan it makes you feel good about yourself. It takes the focus off yourself and onto something bigger.”
Through all the benefit concerts, Rise Up Hawaii has made an impact locally, nationally and internationally. Its efforts to change the world have impacted Hawaii by bringing awareness to many of its people. Follow their efforts at www.riseuphawaii.org.
Rise Up Hawaii is dedicated to making a difference in the world by spreading awareness and inspiring communities to institute global change. It utilizes the talents of local artists as a creative way to fundraise for nonprofit organizations.
“We are a grassroots movement that emerged with a mission to educate and promote positive activism within our communities through the use of our creative talents,” according to their website.
The goal of Rise Up Hawaii is “to team up with nonprofit organizations and help them raise money,” said Joel Gaspar, founder of Rise Up Hawaii. “We’re pretty much like a crutch to help them out.”
“We try to teach people not to wait for the world to change but to actually get up and do something,” Gaspar said.
Rise Up Hawaii started in 2010 when the earthquake rocked Haiti. Gaspar used to help put concerts together for Invisible Children, an organization that brings awareness to the conflict in Uganda and desires to stop the abduction of children for use as child soldiers. Friends came to him wanting to put together a benefit concert for Haiti. In March 2010, Gaspar helped organize Rise Up for Haiti, a collaboration with the American Red Cross, at SoHo Mixed Media Bar in Chinatown. It featured 30 musicians and raised approximately $3,000. With the success of this event, Rise Up Hawaii could not stop there.
“It was supposed to be a one time thing but it got so big and lots of people wanted to be involved that it turned into a movement,” Gaspar said.
Since its establishment in 2010, RUH has put on five benefit events for various causes and teamed up with six nonprofit organizations on the local, national and international level.
In May 2010 it hosted another benefit concert, Rise Up Against Animal Cruelty, in collaboration with the Hawaiian Humane Society and the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They featured acoustic sets, slam poetry, hip-hop freestyle battles, food and drinks at Tropics Café. It raised $650 for the Hawaiian Humane Society.
To end 2010, RUH took a new approach. Instead of teaming up with a nonprofit organization, it took the money directly to the cause. In November 2010, RUH hosted a benefit concert for Hawaii’s homeless at Fresh Café, their largest event so far. All proceeds from this event went to a special project called “Project Care Package,” where bags containing first aid kits, flash lights, blankets, hygiene items and canned foods were put together and distributed to Hawaii’s homeless. Along with the benefit concert, it also featured a special screening of “Blue Tarp City” directed by Henry Mochida and had special guest, Representative Tom Brower, who talked about HC114, a bill that RUH tried to pass into legislature.
In May 2011, RUH teamed up with the American Red Cross again to put on Rise Up for Japan in a much more intimate setting at Blue Ocean Thai. With six performers and three artists showcasing their work, RUH raised about $150 in donations that all went to help with relief efforts in Japan.
More recently, RUH collaborated with Sunday Jams, an organization housed in Hawaiian Brian’s that provides a comfortable environment for people to develop their musical talents. It holds open mic nights every Sunday and occasional band nights. Together, Sunday Jams and RUH teamed up to help raise funds for Charity:Water, a nonprofit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. In November 2011 it held a hip-hop night at Ka Lounge featuring more than eight musicians and DJs to help raise awareness and funds for Charity:Water.
“It brought a sense of humanity that I feel like Sunday Jams is very much a part of,” said Duane Fukumoto, co-director of Sunday Jams.
The goal is to raise $5,000 to help build a water well for an impoverished village in Africa. One water well will supply 250 people with clean water for life. Between August and November more than $2,000 has been raised to support this cause.
“It’s a life-changing thing,” Gaspar said. “When we think numbers, it’s a lot, but we could actually make a huge difference.”
RUH desires to educate young people and inspire them to make a difference.
“I've had the honor of performing at several of Rise Up's charity events, and I have to say, they are a great bunch to work with,” said Amanda Frazier, a musician who performed at Rise Up for Japan. “Their events not only bring a wide range of people together to raise money for charity, but they are able to raise awareness to the local community about situations happening all around the world.”
Rise Up Hawaii has gained supporters through their partnerships with organizations like Sunday Jams and Innovative Concepts, a church that meets in Hawaiian Brian’s and sponsors Sunday Jams. One supporter, MJ Rodriguez made herself available to help.
“I think when you look at it, there’s 46 total people but the people who actually put it on is a small group of about 8 or 10 people,” Rodriguez said. “A small group with big ambitions… Their passion is contagious.”
Recent graduate of University of Hawaii at Manoa and co-director of Sunday Jams, Chaz Umamoto, was on the RUH committee and thought it was important to partner with other local organizations for a good cause.
“Being a musician myself, I played in a band with gigs every other week and it gets tiring,” Umamoto said. “But when you’re playing for causes like Haiti or Japan it makes you feel good about yourself. It takes the focus off yourself and onto something bigger.”
Through all the benefit concerts, Rise Up Hawaii has made an impact locally, nationally and internationally. Its efforts to change the world have impacted Hawaii by bringing awareness to many of its people. Follow their efforts at www.riseuphawaii.org.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Behind the Scenes.
Today we recorded our intros, outros and transitions between segments for our video production on APEC. We also recorded an interview today as well. But I won't give too much away. I'd say today was extremely productive for group APEC! :) I can't wait to see the final product.
Here's a photo from our set-up studio in room FC 111. There's Crissy memorizing her intro and Oswald chilling under the bright lights. Jack, Rayen & Yoshi were there too. And Britos stopped by as well. Thanks guys for all your help & expertise. We could not have done it without you.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Exclusive Interview with Chuck Boller at HIFF's Opening Press Conference
Chuck Boller, executive director at HIFF, tells us a little about what he loves about HIFF.
Special thanks to Oswald Bumanglag for filming & Crissy Gofigan for interviewing with me.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Top Ten Things You Probably Didn't Know About HIFF!
Here's a short video to share with you some things we found out while at HIFF. It was extremely sunny when we were filming, which explains our squinty eyes. Thank you to Oswald for the super cool green screen background and editing. We hope you guys enjoy! :)
Saturday, October 29, 2011
HIFF Opening & Closing Press Conferences
HIFF Opening Press Conference on Oct. 13 at the Sheraton Waikiki RumFire
HIFF Closing Press Conference on Oct. 21 at the Halekulani Kalia Room
During the HIFF Opening Conference, panelists Doug Chin, Peter Shaindlin, Princess Dialta, Goh Nakamura and George Drakoulias shared about their own background, why they were at the festival and what they were looking forward to the most.
Shaindlin, chief operating officer at Halekulani, started off by saying that HIFF is an international exchange of humanity through film.
Chin of the City & County of Honolulu said that the festival started as a way to bridge cultures and promotes cultural understanding through film. He then presented a check of $20,000 to HIFF from the city.
Dialta, of EuroCinema Hawaii, said that this was a way to extend culture from Europe to Honolulu, which she adores. She also shared about the EuroCinema films featured at HIFF.
"There is a different viewpoint, a different construction of the film," she said. "Is it a detective story? Is it a drama? Is it a romantic comedy? No, it's all of those things."
Executive producer Chuck Boller shared about how the festival is a great way for filmmakers to get screen time and exposure.
"It's a great chance to meet people and work with them," he said. "I enjoy people from all over the world and it's just great that they all come together here."
He also let us know that they've started planning for next year already, following films all year long while also accepting submitted films.
"I wish I had known more about film festivals when I was in school," Boller said. "I would have jumped on ship."
HIFF Closing Press Conference on Oct. 21 at the Halekulani Kalia Room
On the last weekend of the film festival, the closing press conference featured panelists Peter Shaindlin, Masato Harada, Prashant Bhargava, Adam Peschi and Ruslan Pak.
Shaindlin, chief operating officer at Halekulani, opened up the conference as he said that the Halekulani touches the human experience and leaves people with memories, much like the films at HIFF do.
Masato Harada wears many different hats--director, critic, professor, and by accident, actor.
For Ruslan Pak, filmmaking was a way to find his "Hanaan," or promised land. Growing up in the 19th century Soviet Nation as a Korean, he was moved around a lot and lived in a country that didn't exist anymore.
"I always thought my Hanaan was Korea but when I got there, I understood it wasn't so," Pak said. "Initially why I wanted to do Hanaan was to find my identity."
Hanaan is a true story of life and friends who actually star in the movie. He wanted to show real life and real problems.
"I'm still searching for my Hanaan, that's how I feel," Pak said.
Prashant Bhargava, director and producer of Patang, can relate. He spent three years doing research in India for his movie because he wanted to capture the magic and power of family. It was a movie made by the will and love of a community, he said. For this film he worked with kids from areas of adversity to capture the purity of the laughter they had.
For his film he allowed people to live onscreen. One of the characters in his movie has a first kiss, which was also his first kiss in real life. This was the first time his city was shown in a positive light. It is something that the community itself can be proud of.
"We all have an issue searching for our identity," he said. "In India I feel home."
Adam Peschi, director and producer of Splinters, spent nine months in Papua New Guinea without water or power and while suffering from Malaria a few times, before shooting Splinters. He heard that people in Papua New Guinea loved surfing and wanted to show the benefits of this sport through a movie about four village hopefuls in a quest to win a surfing competition.
For Pak, he took a big risk with hiring his friend that had no acting experience for the lead role. Women go with their intuition, so as a man I went with mine, Pak said. He didn’t give them a script nor did they know how it would come out. At the end, he said he pulled the reality out of him the best he could.
“If you have a real life story you’re passionate about and want to show it, this is where you can start,” Pak said.
Bhargava took 7 years of improv, 200 hours of footage, and two years of editing to make his film.
“Don’t wait for someone to tell you you can do it,” he said. “If you love it and believe in it you have to do it.”
“Making a film is like playing the guitar, just let it sing through you,” Bhargava said.
With amazing filmmakers and even more amazing films, HIFF 2011 was a great success to say the least.
“My dream is to make people who come to come back and make films to show,” Chuck Boller said.
HIFF 2012, get ready for us!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The changing face of Facebook
by Alyssa Amasol
October 25, 2011
With this generation’s fascination with social media, Facebook has become the most popular of them all. It has 800 million active members worldwide, with approximately half of them logging on every day, according to Facebook developers.
As this social network expands, new changes and updates have become more common to the everyday user. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg aims to make Facebook a network that simplifies the sharing process by adding new features, settings and changing in design.
In a few weeks, Facebook will implement yet another new design to its interface.
It used to be a place where users could share basic information, however Facebook has evolved to show more of a user’s activity.
A “timeline” will replace a user’s profile page, streaming information about the user. The “timeline” can show everyday events or significant life moments dating all the way back to birth, according to The Facebook Blog. With the “timeline,” users can add photos and events to their page to allow them to go back in time, even before Facebook was born.
There’s also the “ticker,” a sidebar on the top, right corner of the news feed page. It is a live feed of updates and activity from both friends and non-friends that updates itself in real-time. The “ticker” moves as the user scrolls down the page, letting users hover over an item to see the full story. According to the Facebook Help Center, the privacy for this is determined by the privacy of the user in which the original post is linked to.
“It’s kind of scary and not worth it to read or know,” said Oswald Bumanglag, a senior at Hawaii Pacific University who goes on Facebook at least once a day.
Facebook will also add a feature called “gestures,” allowing users to do more than “like” a post. Instead, Facebook developers can turn almost any verb into a button that users can use similarly to the “like” button currently.
The update will make it easier for users to listen to music, watch movies and television and read news articles all without leaving Facebook. It will allow users to share all these activities with friends in real-time. This will turn Facebook into “a primary entertainment hub” by integrating music services such as Spotify and Turntable.fm, according to CBS News at the f8 conference.
There will also be lifestyle applications allowing users share posts about cooking, shopping or exercising.
“I don’t know if I like the update, it makes it harder to read,” Bumanglag said. “I don’t mind it, I actually like the mobile app but the computer interface is not the same.”
These new features have some users skeptical about privacy, especially since sharing has become even simpler.
“People can randomly search you on Facebook, like employers or just anyone, so I like to be able to manage that if possible,” Bumanglag said.
With this generation’s fascination with social media, Facebook has become the most popular of them all. It has 800 million active members worldwide, with approximately half of them logging on every day, according to Facebook developers.
As this social network expands, new changes and updates have become more common to the everyday user. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg aims to make Facebook a network that simplifies the sharing process by adding new features, settings and changing in design.
In a few weeks, Facebook will implement yet another new design to its interface.
It used to be a place where users could share basic information, however Facebook has evolved to show more of a user’s activity.
A “timeline” will replace a user’s profile page, streaming information about the user. The “timeline” can show everyday events or significant life moments dating all the way back to birth, according to The Facebook Blog. With the “timeline,” users can add photos and events to their page to allow them to go back in time, even before Facebook was born.
There’s also the “ticker,” a sidebar on the top, right corner of the news feed page. It is a live feed of updates and activity from both friends and non-friends that updates itself in real-time. The “ticker” moves as the user scrolls down the page, letting users hover over an item to see the full story. According to the Facebook Help Center, the privacy for this is determined by the privacy of the user in which the original post is linked to.
“It’s kind of scary and not worth it to read or know,” said Oswald Bumanglag, a senior at Hawaii Pacific University who goes on Facebook at least once a day.
Facebook will also add a feature called “gestures,” allowing users to do more than “like” a post. Instead, Facebook developers can turn almost any verb into a button that users can use similarly to the “like” button currently.
The update will make it easier for users to listen to music, watch movies and television and read news articles all without leaving Facebook. It will allow users to share all these activities with friends in real-time. This will turn Facebook into “a primary entertainment hub” by integrating music services such as Spotify and Turntable.fm, according to CBS News at the f8 conference.
There will also be lifestyle applications allowing users share posts about cooking, shopping or exercising.
“I don’t know if I like the update, it makes it harder to read,” Bumanglag said. “I don’t mind it, I actually like the mobile app but the computer interface is not the same.”
These new features have some users skeptical about privacy, especially since sharing has become even simpler.
“People can randomly search you on Facebook, like employers or just anyone, so I like to be able to manage that if possible,” Bumanglag said.
Privacy settings have evolved with the implementation of “lists,” where users can now sort their friends and manage sharing certain posts.
“The way I take privacy on my Facebook is that I don’t post,” Bumanglag said. “I actually put untrue information, limit my networking, and let people see only a very minimum amount. I post but I restrict it.”
Instead of his real last name, he goes by Oswald Boom on Facebook to ensure his own privacy.
Randy Manaverere, a third year student at HPU from Tahiti, goes on Facebook at least once a day and feels indifferent toward Facebook’s privacy settings.
“It’s okay, you can set it yourself. You just have to know how to use it,” he said. “You’ve got to be organized and sort your friends, family, real friends and leak whatever you want to share with them. It’s just a matter of adaptation and it takes time.”
Facebook is changing and with it, users are expected to adapt. The excitement of social media is not predicted to disappear anytime soon but it is hoped that updates and changes are better understood as networks grow.
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