MidWeek Column

Finally… after far too many years featuring superb players and powerful teams falling just short, the University of Hawai`i men’s volleyball team emphatically claimed the NCAA volleyball title on May 8. UH ran roughshod through UC-Santa Barbara (3-0) and BYU (3-0) to claim the hardware many observers thought would be theirs in 2020. 

Ah yes, 2020… the year that wasn’t. It looked like Hawai`i and BYU (interchangeably ranked #1 and #2 weekly) were heading toward a probable NCAA tournament showdown before being rudely interrupted by COVID-19 and the season’s cancelation just after the teams split matches here in early March.

But the UH players hung in there; hung in here. The stench of losing the 2019 championship match at Long Beach State plus the 2020 season ending prematurely spurred this bunch of ‘Bows to hang around for one more year, a chance at glory, and an opportunity for shared immortality with beloved teammates and the best volleyball fans in the world… who ironically couldn’t witness this year’s team in person due to coronavirus restrictions.

But shed no tears for tiers, as we got to behold greatness in perpetual motion- incredible digging that looked like hockey goalies making outrageous saves, serving at speeds, with spin and precision, referred to as “nails”, blocking that could have shielded us from the sun, and sharp-angled slamming that occasionally caromed into the semi-emptiness in Columbus, Ohio.

After a ridiculous forced abandonment of its earned 2002 men’s volleyball title, we now have redemption, 19-years later. After 1996 and 2019 NCAA runner-up finishes, UH owns a men’s volleyball crown. In winning, Coach Charlie Wade and players humbly acknowledged their committed stick-to-it-iveness, their love of the UH fans and each other, and other team attributes you want to hear from winners. Yes, players could have scattered, seeking professional fortune in Europe last year, but those leagues also shut down, so coming back to Manoa with COVID protocol and distance learning in play, and by-the-numbers trip requirements enforced meant keeping their eyes and arms on the elusive prize without distraction.

And they got it, so now we’ve got it! A new, national title banner will hang from the Stan Sheriff Center rafters alongside four Wahine national championship flags. UH superstars of yore- Ma’a, Allen, Briceno, Katz, Theocharidis, Thomas, Azenha, Averill, Miladinovic, Umlauft, van Tilburg; coaches Shoji, Rosehill, and Wilton- after 41-years, this one’s also for you.

Think about it…

Every winter we’re treated to the redundant, mainland news story of a guy looking at his car with its hood up, stuck in snow, sleet, or -15˚ weather. Same story, just a different guy and car every year. We’re now seeing something similar nightly with stories about the COVID-19 vaccination process. Must we be subjected to one more visual of a needle going into someone’s upper arm? Same drill (literally)- different person, city, and site- every time we’re shown a “new” COVID story. We know what it looks like and how it’s done. So how about some different background footage as this vital, intelligent quest to vaccinate us all continues?

‘Twas sad to learn of State Senator Kalani English’s retirement last week due to lingering effects from COVID-19. The East Maui/Moloka’i/Lāna`i senator is a “long hauler”. He cited COVID-19’s effects as the reason for his premature departure. English caught the coronavirus in November, yet still suffers with long- and short-term memory issues and other cognitive problems including headaches. Stress can exacerbate symptoms. Thus, he retired after serving his communities for 20-years, routinely flying back and forth between four islands (including O`ahu). 

As a fellow long hauler, I’m truly empathetic to Sen. English’s plight. I’ve had no sense of taste and just a minimal sense of smell since COVID visited me in October. Aromatherapy, acupuncture, hot peppers, listening to Tangerine Dream… I’m trying everything. Imagine suddenly not being able to smell flowers in your own yard or taste a cherished holiday meal… for months. Like Sen. English, I had mild symptoms while briefly ill- fatigue, dull headache, and no appetite for a few days. If you’re worried about a possible 48-hour reaction from the vaccination- you can handle it; the potential for suffering from “long COVID” in one of its many forms is far, far worse. 

Up to a third of America’s coronavirus sufferers report COVID-related health issues six months later, meaning that more than 10-million Americans are still suffering today. 10-million… COVID-19 doesn’t care how tired we are of news stories, tier veer, distancing, wearing masks properly, or washing hands. Unvaccinated, asymptomatic carriers risk spreading mutating variants as the insidious coronavirus persists. COVID-19 doesn’t take vacations, holidays, or days off. It’s still not to be taken lightly, just because you know a guy who knows a gal who’s got a cousin who got COVID-19 and was “just fine”.

Think about it… 

Perhaps the most bizarre school year in history is ending. We’ve shown that kids can survive radical change and hopefully rebound with resiliency. It’s now time to look at the start times of our high schools. The average start time for public high schools on O`ahu is about 8am. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) both recommend that high schools start no earlier than 8:30am. 

Biology is a key factor in analyzing sleep cycles, as this is not just about traffic or common sense. It’s about teenage circadian rhythms and the fact that adolescents simply aren’t at their best when roused too early for school. Kaimuki High starts at 9am; schools in 46 states are now starting later to account for teenager’s need for more sleep and the fact that early AM classes are not as robust or as worthwhile as they could be since teen zombies often aren’t primed to learn.

Yes, there are logistical problems- sibling school times, parent work rituals, bus schedules, after-school activities, and childcare. But let’s take a serious look at it before simply reverting to our unproductive norm. California moved school start times later. Quality and amount of sleep, attentiveness, student driving, school attendance, on-time arrival- all have been shown to improve when kids get even 30-minutes more sack time nightly. 

Chaminade University Ph.D. Psychology Professor (and local sleep expert) Dr. Tracy Trevorrow stated on KITV that “it is fairly clear from the science that starting school later will help.” It’s not just about learning and test scores. As Dr. Trevorrow also said that starting school before 8:30am “contributes to a nation of chronically sleep-deprived students.” It’s about health and a quantifiable opportunity to enhance attentiveness as we see increases in test scores. Finland, Japan, England, and Australia, (to name just a few) start school after 8:30am… and all outperform the U.S. on student achievement tests. The shift to starting at 8am in America (vs. 9am) came about only within the past 50 years, and took place before science understood teenage circadian rhythms.

The AAP, the CDC, and a study done in Seattle public schools have all shown that delayed start times work. Lots of research to ingest, but the time has come; actually it came years ago. Start high school days later, or at least seriously discuss it… but let’s not sleep on it.

Think about it…

We hear often about our local public education system when there’s drama involved- micromanagement complaints, systemic issues, intransigence, low test scores, high classroom temperatures, personality conflicts, myriad administration changes, et al. So let’s acknowledge some good programs in place right now, especially coming out of this pandemic wilderness. Kudos to those who tolerated teaching/learning from home; the time has hopefully come for in-person reunions, with precautions. 

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides undernourished residents here with additional funds to complement their own food purchases. A recent Honolulu Star-Advertiser commentary/editorial noted that SNAP enrollment here is up 30% since the pandemic began, now serving about 200,000 local residents. And depending on the number of qualified SNAP households in a given school district, area schools might be eligible to provide free meals to every student, which is great, since many borderline malnourished kids are part of low-income families that register just above SNAP’s maximum financial earnings threshold; thus these kids also get free school food if their schools qualify.

Hungry, tired, and unmotivated students don’t provide an ideal opportunity for maximizing learning opportunities. As the newspaper commentary stated, we now need more people encouraging neighbors and friends to take advantage of this opportunity to get free food into more schools that warrant it. The SNAP school program must be maximized for those in need.

And clap for The Department of Education, taking advantage of federal pandemic funds earmarked for learning by offering free summer school “learning hubs” at 234 campuses statewide, and offering a three-week transition program for new kindergartners who stayed home due COVID-19. The DOE Board voted to not charge anyone for summer school, which is a good (and timely) decision. 

And finally, if your kid ever asks you “why school?”, tell them that they’ll develop life skills as they learn independence, interdependence, problem-solving, live up to commitments, show up on time, and work with all kinds of students. Tell them that it all inevitably adds up to having more choices. A fulfilling life often includes having myriad choices and options. The more you know, glow, and show, the more options you should have later in life. Educated, interested, querying, attentive, passionate young people may become tomorrow’s leaders, break through where others do not, and have more choices available to them in their post-school, real world. Feed, motivate, and engage kids… and the sky’s the limit.

Think about it…

WalletHub comes out with interesting and occasionally tantalizing polls about all sorts of things. Two weeks ago, it announced its pandemic-related “Best States for Working from Home” list and guess what? Hawai`i ranked #50, just ahead of Alaska. Washington, D.C., was also on the list. Boy, how fun it must have been working in D.C. this past year! 

The criteria included various components labeled under “work environment” and “living environment”. Metrics were weighted, and apparently hallucinogens were also included in the formula, because it’s hard to fathom that a year of quarantining and Zooming here was worse than in 48 other states (and D.C.). Certain WalletHub puzzle pieces make sense- our lack of quality internet access in too many places, high electrical and internet costs, small home square footage- but the metrics also included a category for homes with swimming pools, which must’ve useless during Northern U.S. winters, unless they were indoors. Wait, pools really matter when analyzing suitable work environments?

The number of persons per household metric surely dinged us due to our three or four generation reality, but c’mon… at the end of the day, and I really do mean at the end of the day, would you rather finish your sixth Zoom/zombie call du jour at 5:30pm, look up, and realize you’re still in Arkansas, Mississippi, or Delaware (the three states ranked just above Hawai`i)? Hard to buy these metrics. 

Hawai`i ranked dead last (51^st) in “living environment”, yet we are #1 in longevity (see March 24 “Think About It”). 54% of those currently working from home would like to continue working there after the pandemic ends. Depending on the quality and productivity of their work, some anxious employers may just give certain employees that option, as ex-employees.

The concept of myriad workers frantically piling into their respective vehicles to fight traffic every day is now history. 71% of people who say they could work from home most or all of the time have done so during the pandemic. Does anyone really expect that they’ll all go back to a daily, rote office rat race come 2022?

Yes, we have high costs and crowded quarters here, but Hawai’i– the 2^nd worst state to have quarantined in and worked from home? So people will continue to visit, but surely opt not to live here? Hmmm. Maybe 50^th place isn’t such a bad thing.

Think about it…

This might be the thinking person’s editorial… or not. The CDC, which now stands for COVID: Daily Changes, says it’s safe for students to sit just three feet apart, as long as they wear masks. Thus, the biggest gift for befuddled schoolchildren this year might be a yard stick… for measuring purposes only, kids. When kids choose to socialize, they must now stay only a yard from one another. But if adults are talking to one another- the cone of vigilance remains six feet. And if an adult is chatting with three kids and two adults, it’s… wait, I never was very good at math. Bottom line, COVID-19 variant strains are still creeping into our daily vernacular- so stay apart, wash up, and avoid partying big time for a while longer. Just keep up the vigilance for a few more months. And smile.

I read a story recently where the writer referred to his mom and dad as his “aging parents”. I’ve always sensed that’s this is the only kind of parents one can have- aging. The alternative is obviously not very attractive, and I’ve yet to hear of anyone’s parents getting younger, so perhaps we can stop reminding parents that they are aging with an overused adjective. After all, you rarely read about “aging babies”, but they are all aging, aren’t they? Ageism lives on, right as the cancel culture overstays its welcome, or at least overextends it boundaries.

Here are some avoidable, everyday verbal redundancies (tautologies) we can probably live without (yes, save your words for you might only have so many of them to use during your lifetime): past history, new innovations, two twins, advance warning, ATM machine, ask a question, cameo appearance, close proximity, and completely surrounded. Whew!

And by the way, for the true non-linguists in our midst, the word is “jewelry”, pronounced “jool-ree”, and not “jewl-ery”; and it’s “real-tor”, not “real-ah-ter”. “February” has become accepted verbally as “Feb-YOU-ary” and pronunciation misuse runs rampant. And really, should politicians be allowed to vote on stuff they can’t correctly pronounce, like when pontificating about “noo-cue-lar” weapons? It’s “nuclear”, Einstein.   

Finally, let’s embrace those ever-present oxymorons in our lives, like: act naturally, growing smaller, jumbo shrimp, random order, original copy, and, of course uncontested divorce (really? someone’s upset!). Lose vocabulary vagaries and save words for later in your life… when you’ve become an aging parent.

Think about it…

A few unconnected things to ponder today… A strange phenomenon is unfolding right before our eyes. While parking spaces seem to be ever-shrinking and parking lots seem to be adding “compact car only” signs regularly, the actual car-buying habits of local folks are going in the opposite direction. Yup, wide(r) bodies. According to Hawai`i Automobile Dealers Association 2020 figures, small car market share has fallen by 8% here since 2017. The share of cars purchased in 2020 was just 31%, while light trucks (including pickups, SUVs and vans) is now at 69%. Perhaps spaces should be marked “contact” instead of “compact”, because the wiggle room to get in and out of one’s vehicle (especially after accounting for the average 2020 COVID-19 weight gains mentioned here last week) is becoming non-existent.

Moving on… I was fortunate enough to get my COVID vaccine from HPH recently at Pier 2. The experience was quick, organized, calm, professional, efficient, informative, and angst-free. Volunteer helpers, orange flag wavers, parking lot assistance, pleasant check-in assistants, etc. I’ve heard similar stories about the DOH windward site and  Queen’s Medical vaccination sites. To stem the tide against yet another resurgence, we need to keep the crowds coming. 

And we also need to go deeper into the hinterlands to vaccinate those who can’t or won’t come to designated sites as we work harder to attract the disproportionate, underserved communities and those still skeptical and/or disenfranchised. As of late March, Hawai`i, even with its perceived methodical rollout of vaccines, had vaccinated the 8^th most adults of any state, per capita. We haven’t won yet, not even close (with about 70% of adults still not fully inoculated here), but safeguarding Hawaii’s population efficiently will reap big benefits for businesses, consumers, doubters, our species, and our collective psyche. Kudos to the ‘Vid vanquishing valiant vaccinators!

Finally, as is apparently my annual destiny, I moved quickly into the “L” bracket with my NCAA basketball picks. You know, the “Losers”. I thought Illinois looked great down the stretch, but, unfortunately “Fighting Illini” was an oxymoron, as they put the “ill” in Illinois by bowing out meekly in the 2^nd round. Yet, I have a shot at redemption with my NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey picks- the so-called Frozen Four. My basketball air balls did make various, competitive family members quite happy. Good for them! They’re out of my will, though.

Think about it… 

While it’s been a rough 12-months we are hopefully now leaving behind in the rear view mirror, here’s some minor uplifting news. The newest U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Vital Statistics Report (say that three times fast) indicates that Hawai`i continues to lead the league in life expectancy. Yes, people living in Hawai’i live longer than people living in any other state in the union. And, one could argue, with quantity of life here comes quality of life.

There is an obvious price one pays for paradise, but it’s nice to know that we’re #1. People here have an average life expectancy of 81 years. In comparison, West Virginia ranks at the bottom of the U.S. life expectancy chart at 74 years. 

For the seniors in the audience, the news is also good. Hawai`i ranks #1 for life expectancy if you’re already 65+ years old- with a life expectancy of 86. With the economic, geographic, and social pitfalls that we experience, a lot of items do work in our favor here- and these are generalities- including lifestyle, air quality, sunshine, flora, pristine coastlines, exercise, local diet choices (within reason), quality health care, strong community bonds, empathy, perspective on life, and optimism (according to a Huffington Post report from a few years back).

While you can quibble about the details of any of these pieces of the longevity puzzle, the realities of poor eating habits, redundant stress, harsh winters, pessimism, tribalism, rampant poverty, and any other proverbial ills you care to throw into the social bouillabaisse are simply not as predominant or applicable here as they are in other states.

Like ‘em or not, local government policies make a difference, as does our relative demeanor, attitude, acceptance levels, respect, culture oeuvre, and other intangibles that help to give us this longevity edge. These positive differences do not minimize problem areas that cry for attention nor resolve growing concerns about this state’s future, but we can humbly acknowledge the melting pot of humanity that’s evolved here, along with our differences. It’s what makes Hawai`i unique, and possibly a worthwhile petri dish that other locales might study in a quest to improve the quality (and length) of life in their states. East meets West meets Polynesia has proven to be a successful formula, with flaws, for those who care to make this isolated archipelago their home.

Think about it…   

The recent Oʻahu sightings of a couple of iguanas and a three-foot-long ball python are not reassuring. It could indicate that some people locally are looking at fauna exotica as a new entertainment outlet or esoteric adventure as COVID-19’s impact hits month #12.

While snakes in the grass are not often seen locally, recent sightings are also a reminder and possibly a by-product of the endangered status of a well-known amphibian that has gone unseen throughout the pandemic and with quarantine rules- the lounge lizard, a term originally meant to mean a lothario who would hang around bars and try to get lucky, so to speak..

This scaly, human scavenger has been missing in action over the past year, as it’s been barred from bars, as has everyone. But if we stay cautious via vaccines and remaining COVID-19 protocols, we might see tears of joy from these nighttime cruisers as tiers of joy open up in the weeks ahead.

People may rebuff the sordid efforts of lounge lizards (who often morph into “lunge” lizards after a few pops), but less than a decade ago, before outlandish, online rumors became the established daily norm, a theory evolved that there were “lizard people” in our midst- right here in America. 

Yes, real live, lizard humanoids- intent on world domination. According to Public Policy Polling (in 2013), about 4%, or 12-million Americans, believed lizard people were real. Eight years later, lizard people haven’t completed their assumed takeover plot… yet.

Hopefully, you won’t bump into any reptiles at social gatherings, outdoor sports, restaurants, parks or beaches now that we’re OK to have groups of 10 gathering with safe distancing and masks still the proper protocol. Nothing says “I’m outta here” faster at a beach volleyball get-together than a coiled up ball python, a prying green iguana, or a scaly, lizard person.

Reptiles are cold-blooded characters, and we all know a few earthlings (unfortunately) who fit into that category… so, maybe there is something to that lizard people theory?!

About 20-years ago, non-native, Jackson’s chameleons were a hot pet item here. Thank goodness that one didn’t get out of hand, or out of cages. But I digress… Bottom line- we don’t need any invasive species brought here, bored as you might be, reptile Romeos. Leave the snakes and iguanas to your big-screen, binge-watching party with nine friends (tier 3) on the National Geographic Channel.

Think about it…