Meeting Notes - November 17, 2020

Relationships Committee Meeting: Tuesday, November 17 at 11:30am

Present: Makamae Kamaka-Mauhili, Keali'i Beck, Julie Mowrer, Justina Mattos, Kathleen Baumgardner, and Malu Dudoit

Meeting purpose: Focus on our upcoming projects set for Spring semester.

A UH Hilo Version of The Moth - Wailau

The idea: A series of themed events that create a stage for storytelling in our community, breaking barriers and helping people to find common ground and appreciation for each other while empowering members of our community (on and off campus) to share their stories.

Malu Dudoit, Cultural Engagement Specialist with Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao and Lecturer at Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language, joined the meeting to assist us in determining an appropriate name for this series of events. Malu explained that the committee would be responsible for maintaining the integrity of the name for as long as that name is used. Each event should allow participants and audience members to walk away with their own individual experience and the name should do the same, perhaps with a different meaning for each person.

Malu then asked us about what we hope for in an outcome from the event. We should incorporate that intent into the name. Discussion items includes the following:

This series of events is meant to build a sense of community.
These events bring together the voices of students, faculty, staff, community members, and alums sharing their stories on a theme.
It will break down silos and create community and common ground where relationships might be built.
This series of events will build bridges and connections, allowing us to see each other in a richer way.
An event that moves us from a typical University analytic perspective to one that allows us to process our thoughts in a heart-centered and vulnerable way.
The different themes will draw new people and allow for new connections.

We began talking about visuals / environmental features that were conjured by the discussion:

Spider webs - networking, crossing paths, ensnaring
Bridges - moving people from one place to another
Waʻa - paddling and the energy of connection
Communities of birds - living in different areas, moving from place to place, sharing song, and symbolizing ascension
Wailau or Wailau O Hilo - Water trickling from different streams and joining together to become more powerful and food that brings people together. Water and spirit - allowing water to flow and water which feeds community, spirituality, and emotion.
Water and a dam - making a puka in the dam, breaking down the silos

Wailau was chosen. One of the reasons was that it can mean varying things to different audiences. There is a preference for the shorter version and not using O Hilo, as some storytellers will live and share stories outside of Hilo. The group members will write their own individual interpretations of the name, word by word and together.

Wailau updates:

Julie had not heard from The Moth, but heard back from them the day after this meeting. The Moth team responded with an offer of a 3-hour, introductory Moth storytelling workshop for free for up to 23 participants.
We discussed strategically reaching out to groups of people who might help us to drive applications and views, like Cultural Anthropology.
Kathleen touched base with Joseph and Jake regarding Vulcan Video Productions. They are understaffed and while they would like to take on this project they are unable now. If things change and more students become involved, they will let us know.
We have a container page on the web and now that we have a name we can move forward. The goal of our web presence is multi-pronged, from accepting applications to promoting the event to pointing people to completed show videos.
Pat connected us with the UH Foundation so we might connect with alumni through their communications. They asked a few questions and Kathleen provided answers. Kathleen will circle back with them and ask if we might set up a Foundation account.
Justina provided self-taping instructions for storytellers who might be participating remotely.
English Club is meeting this Friday and will provide information regarding the theme for the first event (it should not overlap with the TEDx theme), date of the event premiere, deadline for storyteller applications, quotes from the English Club about their hopes for this event. This information will help to provide content for Ka Nūpepa.
We do not have support for videoing the talks / hosts and video editing. Justina said she could assist with videoing. She also mentioned that she might be able to offer academic credit. Might ‘Imiloa have resources? Kathleen will reconnect with Nyssa about this. Makamae could work on editing as a last resort.
We want to offer mentors for the storytellers who want support. We want to build a list of mentors. First, we need to have solid descriptive text regarding the event so we can reach out to potential mentors consistently and effectively.
Do we need a logo for Wailau? Could this be a competition?
What grants might be a fit for Wailau?

Action items for Wailau:

All committee members will write their own individual interpretations of the name Wailau, word by word and together
Kathleen will begin working on web development
Kathleen will circle back with the Foundation
All should be connecting with those who might have video editing skills
Julie will follow up with people at The Moth
Julie will put together a first draft of the speaker application
All will begin to identify potential mentors

Exhibit or Presentation of Faculty Work

The idea: We expect to see student work on display, but it is less often that we see faculty showcasing their work or interests for students. This humanizes the faculty, putting them into what is normally considered the role of the student. Students interested in talking to faculty about their work might have an easier route to do so and more easily make connections with them.

The team talked about this week’s Faculty Showcase of Success - a multi-day online showcase of positive success stories by UH Hilo educators. The nine presenters are from a wide variety of disciplines and departments, sharing their online teaching strategies, experiences, best practices, and lessons learned with time for questions and answers.

Could an exhibit of faculty work, done similarly, be effective? With zoom burnout hitting both faculty and staff, it would likely not work. So, how do you build relationships (especially those between students and faculty) without an in-person experience? Perhaps a series of short “Get to Know Your Faculty” videos shared via social media might be a way forward.

Action items for Exhibit / Presentation of Faculty Work:

Kathleen will touch base with Nyssa to see how we might move forward with short videos showcasing faculty.

Database of Community-Engaged Efforts

The idea: facilitate new collaborations between the University and community, provide a way for students to seek out mentors, and showcase collaborations between UH Hilo and the community through a searchable, interactive database with an outward-facing website.

Julie provided an update. The database is moving along. The back end of the database is under construction and this work will serve as a basis for the pull down menus to come. Training models are being developed so that faculty and others can enter information and populate the database.

At this point in the discussion, the 90-minute meeting time had expired. The other potential projects on the committee’s radar were not discussed - “Break Room” events which have been tabled until COVID restrictions are relaxed and a Community/University Partnership Day. We will pick up these discussions at a later date.