On a April 11 students, faculty, staff?and administrators?gathered along the mall?and the campus?m¨¡la for its annual?Hoʻolauleʻa. This annual event celebrated the creation of and harvest from?Ka M¨¡la o Niuhelewai (The Garden of Niuhelewai), as well as Native Hawaiian cultural traditions and sustainability.
This year’s?event featured imu (earthen oven) prepared food;?kuʻi ʻai (poi made by hand pounding?kalo) and?ʻuala (sweet potato) from the m¨¡la; music?provided by Honolulu CC faculty, staff, students and community musicians;?interactive activities;?information exhibits; and?the college?s 4th annual repurpose/recycle/upcycle contest?Trash to Treasure.
°¨±±ô²¹²Ô²¹ Â鶹´«Ã½: Hawaiian Programs Division, Career Services (Career?Exploration), Student Life and Development, and the Sustainability Committee collaborated to make this year?s event a reality.
Participants were encouraged to?practice sustainability by?bringing their own reusable?containers, utensils and beverage?flask for their lunch.?One of the event’s goals was to maintain?m¨¡lama ʻ¨¡ina by?eliminating the use of paper goods and Styrofoam products and alleviating the amount of trash produced.?If participants did not bring containers they could construct?plates?by weaving?launiu (coconut leaves) or ti leaves. Students could receive a reusable lunch container bought with student funds, after they completed an “event passport.”
Each year the Honolulu CC ʻohana is challenged to?re-purpose material(s) usually?thrown away into something?with?a practical or artistic purpose in the Trash to Treasure contest.
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This year?there were?two competition?categories: student projects and?faculty/staff/admin Projects. The competition attracted more than 30 entries. More than 160 people?participated in voting for their favorite piece.
Regienald Cacpal won the student category with Tire Tank, a fish pond with component to circulate the water, and Robert Silva won the faculty/staff/admin category with his Newspaper Canoe.
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Read more about the winners at the .