Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 9, 1 September 2012 — Youth use video to inspire people to vote [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Youth use video to inspire people to vote

Graduates of the 8earider program produce a commercial to increase votine in Hawai'i

By Francine Murray Last election only a small number of Native Hawaiians exereised theirright to vote. Thisprompted an unprecedented partnership between Mākaha Studios, 10 of its intems and the Office of Hawaiian Afifairs to produce a public service announcement that would inspire more people to vote. "I want to make a difference and this is a great way to do that," said Sanoelani Hamilton, an intern in the Kauhale Youth Leader-

ship Training program at Mākaha Studios. Excited by the opportunity to encourage people to vote, the creative team of interns first started brainstorming plans for a high-energy television commereial featuring both well-known and everyday Hawaiians to represent the many faces of our island state. Then, video camera in hand, they hit the streets filming on loeahon at a dozen loeal spots, among them downtown Honolulu, 'Iolani Palaee and the Wai'anae Coast. "I care about Hawai'i - it's

environment, it's economy and it's future," professional football player Kealoha Pilares, says about the commercial, whieh began airing on KITV in August. "That's why I vote, and that's why I decided to help OHA increase the number of people voting by helping with a few public service announcements." Other special guests featured in the spot were Sam Kapoi in front of the Hōkūle'a at Pōka'I Bay, Manny Miles working at MA'O Organic Farms in Wai'anae, baseball player Alaka'i Aglipay, and many of the interns who proudly say, "We are Hawaiian and we vote." The intems said they were excited to have worked on and star in a project in whieh they're also part of the target audience, and they were proud to take part in the production of an important eommunieahon pieee that they ean include in their digital portfolios. But most of all, they said the project was important in raising their own awareness about one's civic duty. Those that were not already registered to vote did so during the

project and made plans to go to their polling plaee together. View the PSA online at youtube. com/user/OHAHawaii. ■ Tlie Kauhaīe Youth Leadership Training program is a paieī internshipfor students attending Leev,>ard Community College that incīudes coīīege creditfor seīected courses, resource counseīing and handson training, whieh cuīminate in an associate degree. It is a program of Kauhaīe O Wai'anae, a partnership

ofWai'anae High School's Searider Productions and Mākaha Studios - a for-profit LLCfounded by graduates ofSearider Productions - andMA 'O Organic Farms. For more information, visit kauhaleowaianae.com. To īeam more about the eandidates in the November generaī eleehon, piek up the October issue of Ka Wai Ola or read it online at oha.org/kn>o. For information on registering to vote, absentee voting or to find your polling plaee, visit oha.org/yote.

From left, interns Chardē DePonte, Jeric Cabanglan, Jazmyn Savini and Vance Tolentino, baseball player Alaka'i Aglipay, Mākaha Studios producer/director Keoni Fernandez, pro football player Kealoha Pilares, and interns Timothy Bradley, Hi'ilani Caspino-Nakoa and Shaun Bisol were in studio in July to record a commercial aboutvoting. - Courtesy phoīo