The Grenada Revolution brought change to the political and social structure of the island nation. Internal government conflict and the resulting U. S. invasion of Grenada in 1983 brought an end to the growth of the Revolution. The Prime Minister, Maurice Bishop was assassinated by former members of his cabinet, and the U.S. "intervened" to "rescue" American students studying at the St. Georges University School of Medicine. I was a young girl when this happened. However, I remember demonstrations in the streets, going to funerals of my schoolmates, and praying that the bombers wouldn't blow up our house. Through a collection of autobiographical writings, my thesis examines the effects of political violence on the lives of innocent people. Using events from my adult life that trigger memories of the Revolution and the U.S. invasion of 1983, I choose the autobiography as a vehicle to remember and to seek reconciliation from the trauma of the events that led to the U.S. invasion of Grenada. The autobiography as a form allows for one's personal history to be shared with an audience, thereby sharing the culture, people and place that have nurtured the narrator. My work is based on memory and while questioning America's role in the demise of the Grenada Revolution, it takes the position of not supporting the U.S.'s actions in Grenada based on how it affected my life and that of the people of Grenada.

  Author: Fumie Arai
Major: Art
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Joseph R. Tremonti
Category: Fine/Digital Arts
Abstract:
Affective Learning is Student-centered Learning: The Game Engine, HalfLife2 and Information Retention in Teaching Hawaiiana

I will create an educational game to teach Hawaiian culture especially Hawaiian voyaging techniques and Hawaiian mythologies. The game will be designed for children between six to eight years old. Because games are popular media, they will attract and engage children's' attention in the classroom better than lectures. Games are also interactive media, so people need to get involved more, which helps the learning process. To create the game, I will utilize an existing game engine (a computer program that creates games) based on the soon-to-be-released PC game HalfLife 2. The game play will fall into the category of a role-playing game (RPG) or adventure game. Thus the players or the students, as the main characters, will have a mission to accomplish and will learn and grow during the course of their adventure. RPGs and Adventure games are both story driven, but there are a few minor differences. Adventure games tend to feature a single main character with a focus on action and interactive game play. In contrast, RPGs may feature multiple characters for the player to control and focus more on character building and interaction with computer controlled characters. I chose to create an RPG or adventure game because strong narratives help people to remember things. The narrative needs to be relevant to players in order to evoke the player's emotion. Information attached to feelings helps people to remember it more easily.

  Author: Momilani Awana
Major: English
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Stephen Goldsberry
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
Selfish Storm

Hurricane Iniki damaged the homes, economy, and morale of thousands. Yet thousands more were unharmed. My novel deals with the latter group-- those who could still see themselves as the unmoving eye around which all else revolves. The hurricane acts as both a plot device and a symbol for my characters. They are alienated by the pain surrounding them, and have little reason to see beyond the realm of self-interest. The stigma of selfishness has always fascinated me. Humans are drawn to the group structure, yet that structure seems less important in a capitalistic society. Because of this, I have designed each of my characters as motivated only by self-interest. One character may be selfish to the point that she enjoys isolation, another may help others in an effort to make himself feel better. My primary goal for this project, however, is to show that selfishness can have positive results, and that self-preservation often benefits others. Research for this project will include studies of the impact of Hurricane Iniki, psychological studies of people similar to my characters, an in-depth look at American/Hawaiian culture of 1992, and reading novels that view self-preservation as a better means of survival than a group-preservation. I do not deny that there are benefits to both modes of thinking, but most view selfishness as a negative trait. I aim to show that selfishness is an important quality and that it is far less detrimental than many would believe.

RNA interference is a powerful gene silencing mechanism that has captured the interest of all fields ranging from molecular biologists to medical scientists. Here we demonstrate the successful transformation of Petunia leaf explants with the high throughput RNA mediated gene-silencing vector, pHannibal. A petunia dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (DFR) gene from the phenylpropanoid pigmentation pathway was isolated from the petals of the red commercial variety "Avalanche Red" using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). This construct was subcloned in both sense and antisense orientation into the silencing vector pHannibal. The pHannibal-DFR construct together with pBI426 (containing the kanamycin-resistant selectable marker) was then introduced into the leaves using the Particle Inflow Gun technology. The leaves were allowed to callus and form shoots on Murashige and Skoog medium containing 100 mg/L kanamycin. Shoots were then transferred to rooting medium containing 100 mg/L kanamycin, and recovered plants were tested for the presence of pHannibal construct by genomic PCR. To date, two lines were shown to be positive for the pHannibal construct. A negative or silenced mutant for DFR is expected to demonstrate the key role this enzyme plays in flower coloration of petunia by generating white flowers from the pigmented parent.

  Author: Carolyn J.M. Berger
Major: Global Environmental Sciences and Political Sciences
Campus: Manoa
Other authors: James P. Cowen, Karen E. Selph
Mentor(s): James P. Cowen
Category: Physical Sciences
Abstract:
Enumeration of Hydrothermal Vent Microbes by Flow Cytometry

Microorganisms play an integral part in hydrothermal vent plume ecosystem dynamics. Enumeration of microbial cells is useful in trying to understand the factors affecting their growth and distribution. Epifluorescence microscopy with nucleic acid staining have been used satisfactorily to count plume microbial populations. The enumeration process would be enhanced by flow cytometry, which offers rapid, sensitive, and automated enumeration. However, flow cytometry is problematical in particle rich environments, such as hydrothermal vent plumes. Deep-sea hydrothermal plumes have elevated mineral concentrations, which interfere with the microbial signal and impede enumeration. In developing an effective flow cytometry protocol for hydrothermal vent plumes several stains were evaluated, and different methods were tested to minimize background signals from mineral and other non-microbial particles. Results to date and planned future experiments will be discussed.

  Author: Cynthia Brehm
Major: Theartre
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Joseph Dodd
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
Antiquemania

Antiquemania Since the early 1990s, antique collecting has boomed. This collecting tendency seems to be part of trend continuing until the present. Antique collecting has become a thriving business not only for the big name brands like Coca-Cola and Hallmark but also, for small businesses, but why? For many, antique collecting has become the hobby of choice. But where does it stem from? And what does the future hold for collecting and or collectors? What has caused this upsurge in collecting? This inclination for collecting seems to have engaged the marketplace, and does not give any signs of slowing down. Antique stores are flourishing, and collectors are popping up everywhere. In this research project, I will attempt to expose the cumulative factors contributing to this phenomenon. To establish a comparative context, I will review the history of collecting globally. For example, is there any evidence of early collectors? If so, who were they? And what did they collect? To what extent have new information and communication technologies driven recent interest in antiques? To answer the question, this research project will examine the role the Internet has played in the realm of collecting. This project will also ask who are today's collectors? What are their reasons for collecting? What is the number one collectible? With clear definitions of "antiques" and "collectibles," the project will also determine whether there is a difference between an antique and a collectible. Answering these questions is essential for understanding antiquemania.

Peer into the mind of James Alfred, an aimless, anchor-less undergraduate at the University of Hawaii. Nondescript, average, by all appearances a normal student, James is a young every-man on the outside, a tormented nothing-man within. He is unhappy and uncertain, and unfortunately, uninspired. He goes through the motions, manages to progress through his classes, but with each passing semester becomes increasingly despondent at the prospect of a future that holds no hope for him. He aspires to be a musician, but his fatalistic outlook on life and doubt in his own ability prevent him from making any serious attempt to pursue his dreams. Now in his third year at the university, he finds himself increasingly desperate for salvation from the destiny he fears the most-a life of dull futility-as he attempts to suppress the troubling suspicion that ambition is only an illusion. Using a probing psychological narrative and darkly self-conscious humor, Of Dreams and Waking depicts the young protagonist's struggle to discover meaning in the midst of the modern student's "frantic rush to nowhere," satirizing the society that he is unable or unwilling to keep pace with. As he watches his friends move ahead with their lives, James becomes increasingly convinced that he is alone in his uncertainty. His stagnant musical "career" is in danger of vanishing altogether. He begins to believe that only a miracle or calamity can rescue him now . . .

  Author: Aimee Cavaille
Major: Political Science
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Jon Goldberg-Hiller
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
French Haute Cuisine and Obese Americans: French culture and the globalization of fat

In the midst of a current crisis of obesity and a worldwide economy of food, this project addresses central issues of political concern. The focus of this project will be to examine the French culture and understand it in relationship to American ideas about food, eating, and bodies. France is the perfect culture to study because of the contextual differences between America (the home of fast food and a culture that has no identified cuisine) and France (the home of a national cuisine with imperial identities), and because obesity in France, while slowly on the increase, is nonetheless dramatically less than in America. At one level, I intend to explore the "traditional" French attitudes about food and health including: what counts as good food (ingredients, quality, what defines a "meal"), proper eating (the social context, time spent eating a meal, the relationship of eating to leisure), and healthy bodies (stereotypes of bodies, link of diet and health, weight consciousness). At another level, this study will look at French gastronomic culture in its globalizing context. To this end, I will explore how French culture "positions" images of Americans, their cuisine, and their bodies to help refine and define French cultural boundaries and problems. I will explore how the ways of thinking about food, health, and American "Others" contribute to French cultural identity. As well as what can we learn from the differing attitudes and culture of France regarding food, health, and bodies to help solve the American fat epidemic?

  Author: Oriana Cederstrom
Major: Psychology and Political Science
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Vincent Pollard
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
The Selfish Terrorist: Ulterior Motives of a Suicide Bomber

Suicide bombers not only risk their lives, but they willingly end them. Apparently, these terrorists sacrifice themselves on behalf of their community without personal benefit. But closer scrutiny casts doubt on that claim. Instead, the mix of necessary and sufficient conditions is more complex: While other causes contribute to the making of suicide bombers, these terrorists do indeed benefit. In addition to honor, reverence, and respect earned beforehand within their communities, they are promised rewards in the after-life. Thus, faced with the difficulties of reality, suicide bombers escape the hardship of their lives in a manner that they believe will send them directly to eternal paradise. To state it unromantically, they abandon family and friends in this imperfect world to lead a perfect existence elsewhere. The frequency of this new form of terrorism is on the rise. The 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center are one example. Although Westerners often lack the experience to understand the motivations for such acts, from the terrorist's perspective, these bombings have a cultural, religious, and political function. Gaining an understanding of these processes is a prerequisite for changing the situation. To begin studying motivations of suicide bombers, I have begun by reviewing the literature and analyzing secondary sources. These present perspectives both of terrorists and scholars sympathetic to their victims. Research materials include books, journal articles, newspapers, videotapes, and websites. I expect also to interview experts like professors and members of communities I will examine.

  Author: Albert Cercenia
Major: Marketing and Information Technology Management
Campus: University of Hawaii at Manoa
Mentor(s): Bob Garrity
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
Customer Relationship Management: Technology as a means of altering the marketing landscape

Among the most vibrant, critical, and evolving aspects of marketing in the information age is the business strategy that focuses on the intricate relationship that exists between the company and the customer. The ability to utilize advanced information systems to gather and store customer information and leverage such information as a means to increase business profitability is the essence of Customer Relationship Management (CRM). The interpretations of what constitutes CRM are vast, in that it is commonly used to describe the associated enterprise software that is warehousing the data, yet at the same time, maintains the customer-centric focus on loyalty through the development of the relationship. One of the initial goals of this project is to define the very nature of CRM by examining how it was developed, what technologies are driving its progression, and the direction that it will likely take in the future. This will be accomplished in part by a number of prior and ongoing case studies, with a particular emphasis on profitability and customer loyalty as a direct result of a newly integrated marketing strategy. A focus will then be shifted to the technological aspects of CRM, where I will attempt to design a basic database management system (DBMS) and utilize it to conduct mock scenarios about customer behavior. Lastly, as I examine the possible form that CRM will take in the future, I will concentrate on the privacy, legal, and ethical issues associated with advanced means of gathering and utilizing customer information.

  Author: Heather Chang
Major: Geography
Campus: Hilo
Mentor(s): Becky Ostertag
Category: Biological Sciences
Abstract:
Mapping Remnant Lowland Wet Forests in Hawaii in Relation to Human Impacts

Global land use changes are an increasing concern because of their influences on global and local climates, hydrology systems, and biodiversity. Hawaii is no exception. Lowland wet forests have historically been a large part of the Hawaiian native landscape. The forests have significant value to the Hawaiian culture and scientific community. However, throughout the years the lowland wet forests have been declining due to land clearing and invasion of non-native species. Lack of knowledge and the concern of invading species on the landscape have prompted current research in vegetation surveys of the last remaining lowland wet forest on the Island of Hawaii. This project aims to create a map of the last remaining lowland wet forests in East Hawaii, specifically the Puna and Hilo Districts. The goal of the map is for it to be used as a future reference for land cover change and to help resource managers make educated decisions on preserving the remnant lowland forests.

  Author: Sherie Lynn Char
Major: English
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Susan Schultz
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
Snow White and Her Fairy Tale Sisters: Poems about Women's Bodies, Beauty, and Boundaries

Once upon a time, there was a girl who dreamt of writing an honors thesis. That girl was me. Fairy tales have always been present in the American culture, from our bedtime stories to appearing on the big screen. Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty are only a few of the fairy tale characters who are recognized around the world. Disney's version of these princesses are beloved role models who are highly admired by girls and women alike. Snow White and Her Fairy Tale Sisters explore the connection women have with their bodies through the voices of several fairy tale characters. A woman's body is capable of producing life, but it also dictates the way she views herself and how her beauty is measured. Additionally, a woman's body creates boundaries for herself and others. The essence of these poems are carried out by incorporating traces of details familiar to Disney's fairy tales. By building upon the foundation of these fairy tales, and not rewriting them, I am able to bring forth the importance of a woman's body and its domino effect. The poems are designed to illustrate the speakers' thoughts about her body or events associated with her body, which are sometimes common, but some are also twisted and sarcastic.

  Author: Kacey Crenshaw
Major: Philosophy and Japanese
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Jim Tiles
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
Mmmmmm Biotech Foods!
Why are so Many Americans Eating Genetically Modified Food?

Genetic engineering is a science that takes traditional plant breeding methods a step further. With it, scientists can insert specific genes from one species into the gene sequence of another. This results in combinations that nature itself could never create. Agribusiness firms argue that there are many benefits of using this new technology, such as: tastier food, more uniform produce, greater yields, and weed control. However, no one really knows what the long-term effects of this genetic modification will be on our health or the food supply. Ironically, the United States has shrugged off cautioning the use of biotechnology in the food supply, and they have dispersed GM foods widely throughout the nation's food supply. GM foods are not labeled as such and furthermore, most of the food on supermarket shelves today contains genetically modified organisms. Americans should not be subjected to genetically modified foods as broadly as we are, at least not without being properly informed. I think it is imperative that GM foods should be labeled as such. The bottom line of my argument is that as Americans, we are like guinea pigs to the biotech industry, but the problem is that most people aren't aware of it, and for those of us who are aware, we aren't sure of its scope. I attribute this frustration to the ineffective regulatory framework of GM foods in the United States.

Many studies have been conducted in various Muslim communities in the continental United States. However, the Muslim community in Hawaii remains unexplored. This study uncovers the social history of Muslims in Hawaii using oral history techniques and field note observations to analyze and to create a map of the community's social development, concerns, successes and especially what is like to be a Muslim in Hawaii. Hawaii's Muslims are greatly diverse in cultures as well as in their ways of viewing and applying Islam reflecting the reality of Muslims worldwide. Finally, the result of this study shows that Hawaii offers a unique "human laboratory" where different ethnic Muslims live in a relative small geographic area with each other and an insight of the growing military Muslim community on Oahu. The oral histories prove how Muslim residents have different views of what is like to be a Muslim in Hawaii.

    Author: Kimberly Eckmann
Major: History
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Barbara Andaya
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
Surfing the Island of the Gods: A History of Change, Continuity, and Waveriding in Bali

From their lust for waves, in just over 30 years surfers have literally transformed parts of the Indonesian archipelago, and many Indonesians. As Bali has prospered as a hot tourist destination for much of the twentieth century and its tourism economy continues to flourish, so did this "island of paradise" host surfing's birthplace in Indonesia. Since its introduction to Kuta beach in the early 1970s, surfing has been a major part of life here from both its fast-growing local following, to the thousands of surf-tourists visiting every year. Although surfing is a contradiction to ocean-fearing Indonesians and sun-tanned skin is shunned, this alternative lifestyle has become quite accepted in Bali and bids well for similar success throughout the archipelago. While some scholars contend that tourism and subsequent Westernization are damaging Balinese culture, this honors project seeks to affirm that surfing and surf culture is beneficial to Bali and its people. Through an exploration of surfing's history in Bali, and an analysis of contemporary considerations including relevant physical and cultural changes within Bali's landscape, this project explores the unique nature of surfing on the world famous "island of the Gods."

From the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. to the Great Wall of Los Angeles in San Fernando Valley, civic art tells a story about the people and place that surround it. In Downtown Honolulu, architectural details, outdoor sculptures and murals tell the story of the citizens of Hawai`i. The civic art of the city reflects its unique location as a bridge between the East and the West along with its variety of cultures. Downtown Honolulu houses an eclectic blend of Asian, European and American elements along with buildings from both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that serve the residential, commercial and leisure needs of its residents. This study takes an in depth look at the purpose and meaning of civic art in Downtown Honolulu through close examination of the art, the artists, their inspiration and the history of the city itself.

  Author: Annie Fukushima
Major: American Studies and English
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Candace Fujikane
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
Yobo: Conceptualizing the "Korean Bargirl" in Hawaii's Literature

While Hawai'i is seen as a multi-cultural paradise, Korean identities are homogenized by "racial stereotypes." As conveyed in local jokes, Koreans are either stink because they "smell like kimchee," "yobos," or identified as being bargirls. The Korean bargirl has become the immediate representation of Koreans in Hawai'i and their connection to local identity. In spite of the varying job occupations Koreans hold in Hawai'i, the stereotype of the Korean bargirl persists, causing many "local" and "non-local" Koreans to feel stigmatized by the association with the hostess bars. I would like to argue that the bargirl identity in Hawai'i evolved from Japanese colonialism of Korea and the historical sexual exploitation of Korean women, the "Comfort Women." While it is important to recognize the origins of the bargirl identity in Hawai'i as being deeply rooted in Japanese colonization of Korea, it is also important to convey how bargirl identity continues to persevere in Hawai'i. Literature will be a catalyst to conceptualize the paradigm in which literary works produced in Hawai'i by Korean women resist racial stereotypes. Through an in depth literary analysis of literary works produced by Korean writers in the collection Yobo, I will elucidate the origins of the stereotype of the bargirl and how Koreans resist generalizations. I hope to reinvent my own understanding of Korean identity and challenge the bargirl stereotype through the inclusion of my short story Hee Sun.

The exploration of our roots is something that crosses our minds at one time or another. When we ask ourselves who we are and where we come from, the answers that satisfy stem from our lives and the lives of those around us. My project will be a novel of fiction based loosely on my own family history. It will be set in Ewa, Hawaii during the 1960's and will follow the life of its main character, a 17-year-old boy whose father has recently been killed in an accident. Where once he saw opportunity, now only the restriction of responsibility remains. The challenge of supporting his two brothers and his mother at the cost of his dreams weighs heavily on his shoulders. Even his hometown of Ewa struggles to find its identity as it undergoes the close of the Hawaiian Sugar Company. Although it seems to be the end of his world, he discovers that there are things that have survived harder trials; beings that have watched the land they knew grow unrecognizable. My main character makes a chance discovery in the most unlikely of places. He finds creatures of ancient Hawaiian myth, the Menehune, and their last sanctuary. Through interaction with these people he develops a deeper understanding of what the changes in his life represent. My hope is that the process of writing this novel will lead me to a similar understanding.

  Author: Mandakini Goode
Major: English
Campus: Manoa
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
Princess and Superhero: Finding the Amazon in Wonder Woman

The imagery of Amazon warrior women in the Wonder Woman series is an ambivalent image of both liberation and constraint, as Western authors have used the Amazon myth to represent a vision of either empowering freedom or the horrifying "Other." This ambivalence undercuts the depiction of race and gender in the series, indicating the complex past of these positions over the last half-century. Additionally, the Amazon imagery in the series represents Ancient Rome as the birthplace of civilization, and parallels this with the image of a "new" international American role in the years following WWII. Situating my research in feminist and post-colonial theory, I will initially pose the theoretical context of Amazon imagery, and use examples from different 20th Century texts to highlight some of the issues involved. Then, I will draw these issues out in an interpretation of Wonder Woman, looking at the similarities and differences in the role of Amazon imagery in the series. While I will focus primarily on the comic series, I will consider one of the television shows in a separate section. This final section will compare some of the issues involved to recent televised action heroines, looking at the ambivalent grounds that these figures battle upon. Tracing the development of Amazon imagery in this long-running series and concluding with a comparison with contemporary heroines, my project will explore changing ideas about race and gender, while also offering an interpretation of Wonder Woman, and the role of this icon in American society.

Anabaena PCC7120 is a filamentous cyanobacterium that performs oxygenic photosynthesis. When grown in the presence of a combined nitrogen source, all cells are of the same undifferentiated type known as vegetative cells. When grown in the absence of a combined source of nitrogen, approximately every tenth vegetative cell undergoes terminal differentiation to produce a heterocyst specialized in nitrogen fixation. The differentiation of vegetative cells into heterocysts forms an observable pattern and also displays means by which the pattern is maintained between the two different cell-types. Although heterocysts and vegetative cells represent two different cell-types, mutations introduced to study the function of genes lack specificity as to which cell-type the mutation will occur in. Generally, mutations occur in both cell-types due to the fact that mutations are maintained when a vegetative cell differentiates into a heterocyst. Ultimately, this poses a problem when attempting to assess the role or importance of a gene in a single cell-type. This conundrum has led to a particular interest in being able to attain cell-type-specific mutations in Anabaena using both native and introduced genes responsible for rearrangement processes. A working construct capable of attaining cell-type-specific mutations will allow for specific cells to be targeted for mutation without affecting the entire filament. Being able to control the cell-type that is mutated would make it possible to assess the influence of a mutation on that cell-type, and to assess its role independently in the two cell types.

  Author: Julia Harris
Major: English
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Gary Pak
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
The Forgotten Ones: A Novel

For my honors thesis project I will be writing a novel about self-discovery. The main character is a woman who has a fear of commitments. She evolves over the course of the novel by listening to the stories her father tells her about his time serving in the Korean War. Her father suppresses his feelings to survive the horrors that he must endure. This practice has an impact on his personality and in turn on his daughter's character. In the novel she is forced to truly talk with her father, something she has never actually done. She is frightened mostly at the thought that she might learn that her father is not the loving man she always perceived him to be, but that he is actually brutal and unkind. Eventually she gets past her fears, and sits with him regularly in order to hear his stories, and gain the knowledge that she needs to ultimately grow as a person. In the end the main character recognizes that there are often events in one's life that one cannot control, and it is during those moments that one will find true strength and courage. This novel will also try to answer the question why is the Korean War "forgotten" as compared to other wars such as Vietnam.

  Author: Christine Hong
Major: English
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Robert Shapard
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
Claptrap D.O.D.: The Dead We Know

"Claptrap D.O.D.: The Dead We Know" is a short story about toothbrushes, abductions, dead boyfriends, hallucinations, Bibles, cat suits, and dead birds. The ensemble cast is filled with sixteen oddballs. Zinc is a thirty-year-old woman whose boyfriends always die. Nately is a cynical, spiteful Bible salesman who peddles his wares to elementary school teachers. Preston is a naive young man with a metal plate in his skull. Tattersall is a pensive ambulance driver with blond teeth. Subio is an old woman who believes she can find her missing son if she travels to another dimension. As disparate as their lives may seem, all are intersected by death, regret, and opportunity. Each character searches for something specific and each is given a choice. As a reader, you are welcome to clutch skepticism, scorn, hope, and whichever emotions shape your perspective. Disbelief need not be left at the door. Myriad possibilities exist in this story. If you wish, it can be utterly dismal or full of optimism, all at your whim. The setting could be depraved America with its assortment of psychotics, or it could be a world where such people are the norm. The positive themes presented can overshadow the darker ones. The bleakness can crush the light. You can find love even in a scorpion. See what you wish. It is a matter of choice.

"Emily and the Bone Thief" is a children's novel set in Honolulu during the first years of the twentieth century. Eleven-year-old Emily, with the help of her little sister Claudia and their friend Liko, must stop the nefarious Professor Pinch from stealing precious, spiritually charged items to fuel his infernal machines. Faced with obstacles ranging from baby-sitting obligations to powerful supernatural manifestations, Emily must confront and overcome her own limitations and sense of powerlessness if she has any hope of saving the day -and herself.

This project has presented interesting and confounding challenges as I try to balance questions of historical accuracy in language and cultural details with the necessity of remaining comprehensible to young readers. Authenticity is key, since this project deals with sensitive issues of the often misunderstood and under-reported history of Hawai'i as an independent, culturally vital nation. Creating a compelling sense of adventure with a quick-moving plot is equally important, as I try to grab and hold the attention of young readers. With this work, I hope to foster the reader's appreciation of Hawaiian uniqueness as well as provide an example of a courageous and ingenious heroine.

  Author: Lance Kobashigawa
Major: Political Science
Campus: University of Hawaii at Manoa
Mentor(s): Vincent Pollard
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
Unchecked, Unbalanced: Presidential foreign Policy, War Making & Democracy

The American political structure of government is divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. There is a system of checks and balances that keeps each branch from gaining too much power within the government. The checks and balances system appears to work very well for the United States, except in the area of foreign policy. Since the inception of our constitutional government to the current administration, foreign policy appears to have been dominated by the executive branch of government. In this research, evidence will be presented to support that in the United States, foreign policy apparently is controlled by the executive branch of government. Analysis of the following historical events will be provided: the Cold War, Vietnam War, and the war with Iraq, 2003. The research will also present several reasons why this condition has been able to persist in American government. Finally, the research will suggest ways in which foreign policy can become more of a democratic process.

  Author: Katherine Koga
Major: Political Science; Speech
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Jonathan Goldberg-Hiller
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
The Political Economy of Rights: Problems with Identity, Equality, and Diversity

As American citizens, the rights that we are afforded are extremely valuable to us. These rights, however, aren't always clearly explained and we must figure out what they really mean. Unfortunately, with so many conflicting values and beliefs, it becomes difficult to clearly establish how to go about implementing some of these rights, particularly equality rights. On the one hand, many minority groups fight for protections because they were not given equal treatment in the past; these protections become a way to "level the playing field" in the socioeconomic realm so everyone is considered equal. On the other hand, many feel that if protections (or privileges) are given to minorities in the present, those who are not receiving the same protections are perceived as the victim, claiming that they are not treated equally. My thesis will focus on how economics shape our identities in order for us to further equality by acquiring various rights. By examining the intricate relationships between economics, equality, diversity, and identity, I plan to demonstrate how economics is one of the main driving forces for struggles of equality and diversity. I will investigate these relations within the academic world, particularly institutions of secondary and post-secondary education. I will also prove that identity is actually a performance done publicly in order to receive some kind of economic gain, and try to find an alternative solution to the diverging ways equality is handled in the realm of academics and all situations where equality is involved.

  Author: Norman K Kukona
Major: Political Science
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Michael J. Shapiro
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
The Politics of Mapping Psychographic Space: A Genealogy of Cultural Governance

In our post-9/11 era, the United States finds itself in a global war against terrorism. A divisive thought world, one propagating the existence of a civilized self and uncivilized other has deluged the multitudes. The Politics of Mapping Psychographic Space: A Genealogy of Cultural Governance, examines the historical premises which have impressed demarcations upon the landscape and between the bodies that occupy it. I employ a critical approach, exploring the philosophical works of Thomas Hobbes, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Michele Foucault to show how over time, the avenue of regulating thought worlds has shifted from creating a context-through juridical edifices-that justified the subjugation of certain bodies, to maintaining the established context though disciplinary edifices. I then apply the acquired perspectives to the Hawaiian Kingdom-its creation and suppression-to illuminate how psychographic space can be mapped to manipulate action or inaction by individuals. Through this treatise, I have found that viewing one's self from the perspective of others acts as both the precursor to the context where the subjugation of some is acceptable, and as the sentential which ensures that the context is preserved.

Kava (Piper methysticum, Forster) is a culturally important plant found throughout the Pacific Islands where it is used as a ceremonial beverage. Little is known about its origins or phylogenetic relationships. It has been speculated that P. methysticum may either be a close relative of a Vanuatu variety of P. wichmannii C. DC. (Lebot et al., 1996) or perhaps a South Pacific species of Macropiper (Jaramillo and Manos, 2001). This research examines the phylogenetic relationships between various species in Piperaceae in order to develop a better understanding of the origin of P. methysticum. Nuclear DNA was obtained from forty-seven different cultivars of P. methysticum, six species of Peperomia, one Macropiper, and twenty species of Piper (including P. wichmannii). DNA was also obtained from one Aristolochia littoralis Parodi for use as an outgroup. The primers ITS-R1, ITS-F1, trnL-F-C and trnLF-R-F were used to analyze the genetic relationships in order to create a phylogenetic tree of the genus Piperaceae in the South Pacific.

  Author: Leo Marvin Lestino
Major: Information and Computer Science
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s):
Category: Computer Sciences
Abstract:
COMPUSEL: A Computer and Software Ethics and Laws Course

This research aims to design COMPUSEL, a full-semester course aimed to educate students of computer science regarding their legal rights and boundaries as creative agents as well as their ethical responsibilities to the society they live in. With the information explosion that occurred during the past two decades, the fields of computer science and information technology have seen tremendous growth in terms of academic participants within a university setting. However, many of the students in these disciplines have little or no idea of the continually expanding set of laws and public policies that have been enacted with their specific field of study in mind. The increase in the number of legal cases and litigations concerning software, technology, and internet laws proves the need for additional ethical and legal training for future computer scientists. This training is the objective of COMPUSEL. The course will be divided into three major components: professional ethics in the context of computing, intellectual property laws in the computer and software world, and contemporary issues in computer science. With case analysis, interaction, and application as the keys to educational success, the end product of this research project will be a fully implemental course with a set of expected outcomes, a complete syllabus, lecture outlines, intensive case studies for analysis, projects exhibiting application of acquired knowledge, and a course website developed specifically to maximize interactivity within the class and with pertinent entities outside the class.

  Author: Lily Leung
Major: Art
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Vincent Pollard
Category: Fine Arts
Abstract:
Trends of Unconventional Medical Options in Hawaii

Since the establishment of Western Medicine, there has been a struggle for alternative systems to prove itself as legitimate and effective. Contemporary Alternative Medicine (CAM), which covers all therapies and practices outside of the biomedical profession, has risen and fallen through the decades because of changes from cultural influences, socioeconomic trends, and the health consciousness of American society. Although Hawaii is populated with mostly eastern decedents, the demand in health services lays largely in western methods. Strangely enough, residents of the mainland with mostly western decedents are turning to eastern theories of medicine. This is evident in the coverage of CAM treatments, such as acupuncture, for medical insurances. Acupuncture, based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been popular enough to be included under medical insurances of several other states on the mainland while an attempted proposal in Hawaii for acupuncture coverage under worker's compensation insurance failed in 1995 because of lack of interest and demand. Through studying trends of Hawaii's past and present preferred healthcare options and legislative regulation of such insurance coverage, an understanding of why a population of mostly Asian descendents has come to prefer western theories and practice will be gained. These conceptions will then inspire a series of original art pieces in mix media portraying the conflict between western and eastern medicine.

  Author: Ellen Linden
Major: Plant and Environmental Biotechnology
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Pratibha Nerurkar
Category: Biological Sciences
Abstract:
Alternative Medicine and Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) Associated with Dyslipidemia: The Role of Apolipoprotein

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has significant decreased the morbidity and mortality among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. Despite the success of therapy, the current treatment is unable to eradicate the virus and prolonged therapy is required to maintain suppression of viral replication. However the protracted treatment of protease inhibitor (PI)-based antiretroviral regimens have been associated with metabolic disorders such as dyslipidemia, which is characterized by an increase in triglycerides and cholesterol and a decrease in high density lipids (HDL). These complications affect the quality of life and have lead to an increase in consumption of herbal medicine. Triglycerides and cholesterol are transported and in blood by apolipoprotiens (apo). Apo C-III has mainly been associated with hypretriglyceridemia and the transport of triglycerides. Clinical studies indicate that among HIV patients on HAART there is a significant increase in Apo-CIII. We aim to test the efficacy of herbal therapy in association with protease inhibitors such as ritonavir and lopinavir. Our data in mouse adipocyte cell cultures indicates that there is an increase in cellular triglycerides when treated by ritonavir and that bitter melon juice (BMJ) decreases cellular triglyceride (TG) levels. We further demonstrate that decrease in TG is probably due to decrease in Apo-CIII gene expression as measured by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Although complementary alternative medicine (CAM) is perceived to be beneficial they could cause herb-drug interactions and therefore such studies are important to determine their safety and efficacy.

  Author: Natasha May Li Noelani Loo
Major: English
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Stephen Canham
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
Between Swallowing and Bruising

I learned quickly after beginning this project that each of us, though experiencing love on various levels, knows little about it. The nature of this project stems from the observation that many creative Western works and much of my creative work deal with the theme of love. What is our obsession with love? Is there a relationship between love and darkness? If so, what does this relationship entail? "Between Swallowing and Bruising" takes the form of a short, creative 'zine, consisting of different prose and poetry pieces, artwork, games, survey questions, and reviews on different forms of media related to the process of Eros (the specific love for something or someone). The 'zine, something like an informal magazine, is non-confining and much can be presented in a small spatial area. The 'zine also allows totally different media (from images to essays) to exist harmoniously. Through these media, I attempt to show cultural, social, and personal representations of love, while focusing but not limiting the material to the mystery and darkness found in the process of love. Every human magnetically and mysteriously seeks love, regardless of one's resistance. It crosses gender, class, and cultural lines. While most, or perhaps all, humans are driven by the impulse to love and be loved (whether by pets, fellow humans, or deities), the exploration of this phenomenon is relative and contextual. The willingness to explore one's own ferocity of love can only enrich existence.

  Author: Bevan Ly
Major: English
Campus: Manoa
Other author: Darlene Ramones
Mentor(s): Mike Fukuda, M.S.W.
Category: Education
Abstract:
School Health Education Program: Pre-medical Students' Perspective of Service-learning in Hawaii Public High Schools

The purpose of the School Health Education Program (SHEP) is to promote health awareness in Hawaii public high schools that improves decision making in adolescents faced with high risk health issues. Health risk presentations included: nutrition and exercise, substance abuse, violence prevention, and sexual health. Pre-medical students collaborated with medical students and John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) faculty to design an effective teaching curriculum. A monthly presentation format was developed, allowing the student group to form a longitudinal relationship with McKinley, Castle, and Kailua High Schools. Each group practiced their presentation with faculty, allowing for feedback prior to the actual school presentation. A one-group pretest-post test design was used to determine if the students gained content knowledge and confidence in decision-making after the presentations. When examining all schools combined, knowledge content increased from pre to post for all topics presented. Participation in SHEP was an invaluable experience for the pre-medical students: Students were provided an opportunity to give something back to community through strengthening of teaching skills, knowledge, and content in adolescent high risk health areas. Additionally, pre-medical students increased their desire to pursue a medical career, while forming a genuine interest to participate in community projects that promote healthy living and positively impact adolescents. As future physicians, the teaching and leadership skills gained from SHEP will prove beneficial when communicating to patients, their families, and the community.

The University of Hawaii's English Department has no standardized syllabus for the First Year Composition (FYC) program. So it makes sense that there should be no standardized way of teaching English 405, the required training course for incoming FYC tutors. Having taken English 405 and tutored FYC students, I've always wondered if there was a way to improve how the FYC tutors are trained. After speaking with the current and past two directors of the FYC tutoring program, I realized I was not the only one wondering that. My project examines the different models of English 405 used by the current and last two instructors of English 405, and the spectrum of teaching philosophies that develops out of these models. Then, I will create my own model of English 405 that blends the approaches of the three instructors with my own contributions. I will also examine alternatives to the way "at-risk" students are mainstreamed into the FYC program, and the impact it would have on "basic writers" relegated to the department's remedial English 197, the Manoa Writing Program, and the FYC program itself.

  Author: Mitchell Matsuura
Major: Economics
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): James Mak
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
Funding Hawaii's Rail Transit

With the persistence of traffic congestion in West Oahu there is a general consensus to find a traffic solution. In 2003, Governor Lingle and her traffic reduction team stated the only way to relieve traffic congestion is to build a light rail transit system that will connect Kapolei to Iwilei. However, there are concerns that not enough consideration has been taken in their decision to allow Honolulu to levy a half percent county excise tax to fund this $2.6 billion project. Citizens are concerned about the financial burden of the excise tax, which has a regressive nature and the tendency to tax many for the benefit of a few. Therefore prior to such a measure this project will consider alternative funding methods for the proposed rail transit system. Some funding strategies to be considered are for the county to issue special assessments on property adjacent to transit stations, joint development programs, user fees, and the general excise tax surcharge. This project will then evaluate the effects of each tax to an established set of economic criteria, which will be the focus of much of the research. This study will find what is later defined as an appropriate funding strategy.

  Author: Anna Moore
Major: Geography
Campus: UH Hilo
Mentor: Barbara Gibson
Category: Biological Sciences
Abstract:
Stereocaulon vulcani lichens distributions on Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii

Research is being conducted on the spatial distribution and morphology of the lichen Stereocaulon vulcani. The lichen grows on recent lava flows and other basaltic rocks from sea level up to about 8,000 feet. Measurements have been taken regarding height and colony density within a meter square along a 100 meter transect. Sampling occurred on two lava flows aged forty years apart at two elevations on each flow. The researcher's goal is to find a significant difference in the morphology and the density of the lichen colonies on the two flows at two elevations.

Plants, especially modern primitive plants (whose function and morphology have remained the same for millions or billions of years), were some of the first terrestrial organisms to inhabit Earth and further work must be conducted on them to fully understand their nature so that more knowledge can be added to the astrobiological/ exobiological community of researchers and scientists.

Exobiology is a term that dates to 1960, and refers to a field of study that examines the possibility of extraterrestrial biology. NASA's Exobiology Program has concerned itself with understanding the origins of terrestrial life on Earth.

  Author: Jeff Mull
Major: History
Campus: UH Manoa
Mentor(s): James Rae
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
Saddam Hussein and the International Criminal Court

For my honors thesis I will examine the legitimacy of the newly created International Criminal Court (ICC) with specific regard for the Saddam Hussein trial. By showing the reader a history of international law from the Roman Empire and the "Pax Romana" to today's International Court system at the Hague, I will set the tone for the reasons I believe that ex Iraqi head of state Saddam Hussein should be tried at the international level as opposed to in Iraq, where he is certain to receive an unjust trial. I will also show my audience the many strong points for the use of international law. Among these are the recent phenomenon known as globalization, which calls for a legitimate and respected international court of law to govern a world community. By giving examples of positive attributes for the cause of a respected international judiciary system, the audience will begin to understand that international law as well as an International Criminal Court is able to serve as a legitimate judiciary system in today's complex world. Some of my examples include past cases dealing with international law ranging from the early 19th century to the ongoing trial of ex Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic.

  Author: Blaine Murakami
Major: Electrical Engineering
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Wayne Shiroma
Category: Engineering
Abstract:
Retrodirective Antenna Array Design for CubeSat Applications and CubeSat Program Management

Retrodirective antenna arrays are an emerging technology in high-frequency wireless communications. The application of retrodirective satellite-to-satellite communication techniques is studied using two tethered CubeSat-class satellites to determine their merit as an efficient and secure means to create direct point-to-point crosslinks for future satellite networks. An eight-element antenna array has been built that allows for self-steering and active tracking of a requesting satellite in two dimensions. Preliminary measurements have confirmed the ability for the antenna array to steer in both dimensions, making it a promising approach for future advanced, secure, and reconfigurable ad hoc satellite networks.

Hydrogen fuel has been cited as a potential fuel source for decades. Among the possible ways to store hydrogen is within solids, like alanates. However with fairly recent innovations, such as mechanical milling and introduction of dopants into the alanates, a new and promising outlook of hydrogen storage in solids has arisen. These new innovations have boosted hydrogen storage in solids to nearly acceptable levels needed to run automobiles, but there is still need to improve the capacity and absorption and desorption potential of the solids. In our research, we try to improve the potential storage of one alanate, sodium aluminum hydride, by washing with diglyme solvent. In addition, in order to shed more light on the role of the most active dopant, titanium, NMR techniques are used to analyze a non-dissociating titanium compound and its effect upon doping. This research has led to intriguing and unexpected results.

  Author: Malia K. Noyes
Major: Psychology
Campus: Manoa
Other author: Patricia A. Couvillon
Mentor(s): Patricia A. Couvillon
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
Delay of Reward in the Learning of Honeybees

Honeybees' (Apis mellifera) performance in many learning experiments is surprisingly similar to the performance of various vertebrates species-despite their independent evolutionary development-and can be understood in terms of some basic learning rules. A stimulus' attractiveness is a function of the reward characteristics associated with that stimulus; for example, larger rewards increase attractiveness more than smaller rewards. These experiments explored "delay of reward." Choice of a large, delayed reward over a small, immediate reward is called "self-control." Individual free-flying foragers were trained to visit a laboratory window for sucrose. Experiment 1 assessed the honeybees' sensitivity to delay with the rewards held constant. The honeybees were trained with two colors, one associated with a delayed reward and the other with an immediate reward. In a subsequent preference test, the honeybees tended to choose the color associated with the immediate reward. In Experiment 2, one color was associated with a delayed reward of 40% sucrose and the other with an immediate reward of 20% sucrose. In the test, the honeybees tended to choose the color associated with the sweeter, but delayed reward. The honeybees' performance showed relatively high variability. Therefore, Experiments 3 and 4 used odors as the choice stimuli, and altered the basic design of Experiments 1 and 2 to permit more experience with both odors. The test results from Experiments 3 and 4 mimic Experiments 1 and 2 and suggest that honeybees, like vertebrates, exhibit "self-control." (Support: NSF IBN 99-82827; NIH MARC 2T34 GM007684-24)

Since the early 1950s, over 77,000 cubic meters of sand have been added to the Waikiki shoreline for beach nourishment and construction projects. A recent study of the area has shown that approximately 74,000 cubic meters of this sand is unaccounted for in current beach volume, with the majority of this figure migrating to offshore sites. Although studies continue to monitor beaches around the state for sand volume change, less is known about contributing factors for offshore sediment movement. In my study, I will attempt to find a connection between wave characteristics and sand transport events. The study will compare wave data from offshore of Kakaako Beach Park to sediment measurements at the offshore site. Sampling will occur in two-week intervals, over a yet to be determined study period. This project will contribute to the understanding of how anthropogenic activities, like sand additions, may affect the offshore communities surrounding our islands.

  Author: Jennifer K. Olson
Major: Geology and Geophysics
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Luke Flynn
Category: Physical Sciences
Abstract:
Monitoring Persistent Lava Lakes from Space

Near real time space-based monitoring of global volcanic activity provided by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA's Terra (EOS AM-1) and Aqua platforms present the opportunity for conducting research of geographically inaccessible volcanoes. Three years of data provided by the MODIS Thermal Alert site were used to examine two perpetually active volcanoes chosen for this study, both of which have summit lava lakes and are comparatively inaccessible. A dual-band method, using a two component system consisting of fractional molten and crustal components, was used to model the thermal structure of the lava lake(s) and distinguish anomalous lake activity. Differences in the two volcanoes were distinguished using Excel and the graphing utility Matlab.

Electronic commerce transactions contain opportunities for fraud and non-performance. A lack of physical presence, a characteristic of electronic commerce, creates possibilities of fraudulent acts from both merchants and consumers. In addition, online transactions take place over open networks. This allows third parties to alter a transaction or use illegally retrieved information. E-commerce will never reach its full potential without a solution to these problems. I propose to develop a tangible third party to an e-commerce transaction that will instill security and accountability apparent of non-Internet transactions. Offline.com will independently contract with a pool of users and corresponding firms. The contracts shall allow consumers to purchase goods through the Internet without disclosure of any personal information online. In addition, the merchants can place accountability on Offline.com rather than individual consumer entities. Offline.com will also contract with a parcel service to ensure delivery and receipt of purchased goods. The goal of this method is to conduct the majority of an online transaction off-line, while retaining online transaction benefits (non-geographic barriers and speed). In my project I will develop a business plan for Offline.com. This plan will outline physical business applications of the e-commerce transaction model. It shall survey demand, the political and economical environment, the e-commerce payment industry and competitors, and operational and functional costs. The plan will be formed in hopes of obtaining investment into the actual creation of the system and business application.

The purpose of the School Health Education Program (SHEP) is to promote health awareness in Hawaii public high schools that improves decision making in adolescents faced with high risk health issues. Health risk presentations included: nutrition and exercise, substance abuse, violence prevention, and sexual health. Pre-medical students collaborated with medical students and John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) faculty to design an effective teaching curriculum. A monthly presentation format was developed, allowing the student group to form a longitudinal relationship with McKinley, Castle, and Kailua High Schools. Each group practiced their presentation with faculty, allowing for feedback prior to the actual school presentation. A one-group pretest-post test design was used to determine if the students gained content knowledge and confidence in decision-making after the presentations. When examining all schools combined, knowledge content increased from pre to post for all topics presented. Participation in SHEP was an invaluable experience for the pre-medical students: Students were provided an opportunity to give something back to community through strengthening of teaching skills, knowledge, and content in adolescent high risk health areas. Additionally, pre-medical students increased their desire to pursue a medical career, while forming a genuine interest to participate in community projects that promote healthy living and positively impact adolescents. As future physicians, the teaching and leadership skills gained from SHEP will prove beneficial when communicating to patients, their families, and the community.

  Author: Graeme Reed
Major: Biology
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): H. Gert de Couet
Category: Biological Sciences
Abstract:
Analysis of Fli-I Function and Effects on Cell Morphology by Ectopic Expression

Actin is the most abundant intracellular protein in eukaryotic cells. It is involved in cytoskeleton functions which include providing the cell with structural integrity, support and the dynamics of cell motility. It exists either as a filamentous polymer or as monomers in solution and its cellular functions are facilitated by associated proteins which affect the stability of either the polymeric or monomeric forms thereby controlling the formation and dissolution of filaments. One of the proteins that have been identified as being involved in actin organizing activity is Fli-I in Drosophila melanogaster and its human homologue FLI. This protein is comprised of two domains, a gelsolin like domain with its 6 fold segmental repeats, and an amino-terminal extension of 16 tandem leucine rich repeats. This study uses trans-genetic techniques to implement the Gal4/UAS system in the induction of ectopic expression of the Fli-I gene and each of its two domains in both the sensory cells of the Drosophila compound eye and in the muscle fibers of its indirect flight muscles. Using confocal microscopy the physical structure of the tissue produced in each case is examined for actin disruption. These observations indicate that ectopic expression of the complete Fli-I protein or either of its two domains alone has no discernible effect on the development of the eye however expression of each of these components in the indirect flight muscle results in a marked disturbance of the structure of the filaments.

Today's mobile phones are capable of doing just about anything. With them, we can take pictures, access the internet, and even play games. This project takes advantage of the new capabilities of today's mobile phones by providing a mobile game that promotes a healthy lifestyle. The game provides several mini arcade-like games that are related to some type of physical activity (i.e. frisbee throwing, track, surfing). The user can choose to play any one of these games. Upon completion of a game level, the user will be presented with a screen that displays some sort of message possibly relating to the mini game just played. The message could provide a tip on how to play the game in real life (i.e. how to accurately toss a frisbee). Or the message could provide information on an activity going on in the local community (i.e. sign-up for intramural basketball). The purpose of the game is to provide the user with fun and entertainment. At the same time, it is also to provide useful information that would hopefully motivate the user to live a healthy lifestyle. This project makes use of the Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME), which is the Java platform for consumer and embedded devices such as mobile phones.

  Author: Jon Samaniego
Major: Radiologic Technology
Campus: Kapiolani Community College
Mentor(s): John Rand
Category: Biological Sciences
Abstract:
The Effect of Gravitationally Induced Stress on Cardiovascular Variability

This research is designed to show the effects of gravitationally induced stress on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to aid in determining susceptibility to orthostatic intolerance (a condition experienced by many astronauts upon their return to a gravitational environment). Heart rate variability (HRV) is an indirect measure of the interaction between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS during a physiological stress. HRV is determined by measuring the minute-to-minute variability in R-R intervals during the heart's response to different body positions. A Minilogger 2000 exercise-monitoring unit records the change in HRV during the different physiologic stressful conditions on a tilt table. Twenty subjects underwent two transitions in position on the tilt table including horizontal to vertical and vertical to horizontal. Each position was timed and monitored and the subjects' heart rate measured. The data was analyzed using a fast Fourier transform (FFT) to establish LF/HF ratios. Early results show an abrupt change in heart rate during a change in position and a decrease in heart rate variability. This result is due to the stimulation of the sympathetic branch, which tends to increase the HR during physiologic stress, in this case, orthostatic change. These results help to provide a baseline measure for ANS integrity that could be used in screening for the susceptibility of orthostatic intolerance (the inability to endure changes in position in a normal gravity environment after space flight) and perhaps furnish clues as to why astronauts are predisposed to this condition.

  Author: Johnny Saucedo
Major: Information and Computer Science
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Kim Binsted
Category: Computer Sciences
Abstract:
A User Interface for the Ground Observations Database of NASA's Deep Impact Mission

NASA's Deep Impact mission will study the interior of a comet by excavating a crater more than 25 m deep and 100 m in diameter. The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a quality and efficient web-based user interface design to increase the functionality and practicality of the Deep Impact database to a broader group of scientists. The Deep Impact database stores ground-based observation data relating to the mission. The Deep Impact user interface was developed by applying the standard phases of a software life cycle: requirements, design, code, and testing. The first phase of development involved determining the requirements of the application. In the design phase of development, the application was modeled. The actual construction of the application began in the code phase. Finally, functional tests of the interface were presented to users in order to identify problems and unmet needs of the application. This usability testing was a critical step as it allowed the user to validate and evaluate the interface design and expose areas in which it required improvement. The results of the usability tests revealed that the improved interface was clear and efficient and provided a more comprehensive and useful tool than the previous interface. By using a web-based interface with a database, information is disseminated in an efficient and controlled way for both the creator and audience of the information.

  Author: Michelle Sosa
Major: Microbiology
Campus: Manoa
Other authors: Christine Orozco, Sean Callahan
Mentor(s): Sean Callahan
Category: Biological Sciences
Abstract:
A Positive Selection for Identifying Genes Involved in Differentiation and Pattern Formation in Anabaena PCC 7120

The purpose of this study is to identify and characterize genes involved in cell differentiation and pattern formation in hopes of better understanding more complex multicellular systems. The strain used is PN/ÄpatS, derived from wild-type (WT) Anabaena PCC7120. Anabaena is a filamentous cyanobacteria capable of photosynthesis and dinitrogen fixation under aerobic conditions. When deprived of a nitrogen source, approximately every tenth cell in the WT filament differentiates into a heterocyst. Some previously identified genes that inhibit heterocyst differentiation in the WT are hetN and patS. In PN/ÄpatS, PN indicates the replacement of native chromosomal promoter of hetN with PpetE, a copper-inducible promoter. ÄpatS indicates the deletion of the patS gene. When grown in media lacking nitrogen and copper (N-Cu-), the strain forms nearly 100% heterocysts. When nitrogen is supplied (N+Cu-), 90-100% heterocysts form. In N+Cu- media, the newly isolated mutant does not form heterocysts. In preparation for this positive selection, PN/ÄpatS is grown for 4 days in NH₄+N+Cu- media. On the fourth day, the liquid cultures are diluted, transferred onto N+Cu- media, and were incubated at 30 ^oC with 2% CO₂ and light for a month. After a month, some green colonies, the mutants can be seen in the midst of numerous elevated white colonies, the colonies that have died as a result of forming too many heterocysts. Presently, over a hundred mutants have been phenotyped and stored and one mutant complemented with a WT chromosomal cosmid library.

  Author: Alina Stauffer
Major: Mathematics
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Monique Chyba
Category: Mathematics
Abstract:
Optimizing Orbit Transfer

Transferring the satellite between two Keplerian elliptic orbits is an important problem in Astronautics. For electro-ionic propulsion such transfer can take up to several months. Our objective is to minimize the time of the transfer. Analyzing the differential equations corresponding to our system is a difficult task. So we supplement the analytical computations with numerical simulations to help us better understand the equations. We use a program DOPRI 5 that uses Dormand & Prince Runge-Kutta 5(4) method with a Dense Output. For visualizations of our result, we build a 3-D model using 3ds max5.

The central concept of this project, entitled "Honua" (literally meaning "land", "earth", "world", "background" and environment"), is a unified existence of past and present, place and people- each being reflected in or a part of the other. The content will exemplify the ways in which people are socially and politically oppressed, how they positively or negatively resist oppression, and the effects of colonization and globalization. The Hilo community will be presented through a collection of poems and short stories that take place on the Big Island. Using both English and Hawaiian literary techniques according to their propriety, I'll represent characters of all ages, ethnicities, genders and classes. The importance of, and relationship to the physical environment will be emphasized. I'll approach this project from a traditional Hawaiian perspective, that is the idea of community, coming together and everything in the world being connected. My goal for this project is to transcend tradition in a contemporary context and to creatively represent the modernity and intercultural exchanges of Hawaiian people.

  Author: Jodie Tatafu
Major: Pre-Law (Interdisciplinary Studies)
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Vincent Pollard
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
Fairy Tales and Urban Legends Throughout Time: Tales That Shape and Control Behavior

Fairy tales are a large influence on childhood. Children hear them over and over as they grow up, and they gradually internalize the morals in the stories. They fantasize themselves to be the hero or princess and start to mimic the traits of the character in the tale. Somewhere in the backs of their minds is the hope for their own fairy tale ending. As children grow older they realize that being humble and good do not guarantee a happy ending. Tragedy, personal ineptness and other unforeseen factors have a way of destroying dreams. The morals from fairy tales become hazy in young minds full of angst. Then urban legends come into play. They scare youngsters into behaving a certain way so as to avoid the same horrendous fate as the legend cautions. In this way urban legends do the same for teenagers as fairy tales do for younger children, except with fear instead of hope. I want to figure out how these stories affect behavior, and whether that behavior is the intention of the story or just incidental. I will do this by tracing specific stories to their documented roots and then following them throughout time to the present. I will also observe how the stories have been modified and how/why some survived the changing times and others did not. Fairy tales and urban legends are often thought to be mere entertainment, but in my thesis I will prove that they should not be underestimated.

  Author: John S. Toma
Major: Japanese
Campus: UH Manoa
Mentor(s): Paul Varley
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
The Evolution of Honorable Death in Japanese Literature

During the Pacific War (1941-1945), the world was introduced to and stunned by the Japanese naval airmen known as kamikaze. Oblivious to any instinct of self-preservation, the kamikaze pilots conducted suicide missions by crashing their planes into enemy targets. Although the kamikaze approach was first associated with the Imperial Navy, it later became the central theme for all of Japan's armed forces. In 1944, Japan employed a manned torpedo known as kaiten. In the following year, a tiny rocket driven aircraft called the (tm)ka bomb was introduced. Dropped from the belly of a mother plane, the (tm)ka pilot guided it to its target. On the ground, thousands of Japanese infantrymen hurled themselves against the enemy and became living grenades. These suicide attacks brought great fear to the Allies, for they were now faced with an enemy that was willing to die to save Japan from defeat. In order to deal with this new threat, the Allies had to understand the Japanese values of life and death, which stem from the ideals of the medieval warriors of Japan, who perceived suicide as the ultimate sacrifice for personal honor. The psychological mindset of honorable death was formed over many centuries of cultural experiences. My study will trace Japan's sentiments toward honor and death by exploring major literary works from the Heian period (794-1185) to the twentieth century, and how these sentiments influenced the mindset of the modern soldier.

New product announcements (NPAs) have been regarded by many market analysts as one of the driving forces behind managerial and corporate success. In this study, an NPA Information Quality Scale is developed from the financial analysts' (the target audience) perspective to further investigate whether the degree of information quality in NPAs impact on financial analysts' decision making.

  Author: Joy Uyeno
Major: English
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Laura Lyons
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
Finding Home: A Novel

My story will be told from the perspective of a girl named Aki, who leaves Hawaii to study poetry in a seminar for artists that is being held in London. At the same time her best friend, an "army brat" named Jake, leaves school to join a group of activists in Pakistan as a photojournalist. As Aki begins to navigate her way through the obstacles of creating a new life consisting of the cultural values she grew up with and those she is learning in London, she and Jake communicate through letters. About a month into her stay Aki stops receiving mail from Jake. Though busy with her writing and becoming acquainted with her surroundings, she continues to check through the mail each day for his responses, but nothing comes. One night when she gets coming back from a play, Aki catches a mini cab with a driver named Sufi. He begins to tell her about the life that he left behind in Pakistan, and Aki slowly begins to form an understanding of the political and social strife that causes so many Pakistanis to flee their home. As she becomes more involved in the cultures of London, Aki learns that home can also be where one's true identity is discovered. Through autobiographical events, as well as information obtained through books, interviews, and documentaries about both the cultures in Pakistan and London, my project will look closely at how small the world becomes when "home" encompasses all parts of it.

The focus of this scientific investigation will be to analyze scavenger ecology of shallow waters in Kane'ohe Bay in O'ahu, Hawai'i in order to better understand the role of benthoscavengers in the marine ecosystem and to gain beneficial ecologic and economic information. The general role of benthoscavengers in the marine environment is that they consume dead organic matter and recycle it back into the environment and thus occupy a very important niche within the marine community. Their trophic role helps to support the food chain both directly and indirectly. The role of a marine scavenging community differs with geographic distribution, and the unique integration of shallow water slopes and deep-sea submarine canyons in Kane`ohe makes this scientific investigation of particular interest. The proposed hypothesis is that scavengers are larger, aggregate more rapidly, and consume bait parcels more quickly in canyons than on the open slope. To test this hypothesis I plan to analyze the scavenger ecology within shallow waters and compare it to the deep waters of submarine canyons by deploying bait parcels and quantifying: (1) the number of individual species (N) at time (T), (2) the biomass (kg) per individual organism (I), and (3) the time scale of bait parcel removal in Kilograms per unit of time (Kg/T).

  Author: Nel C. Venzon, Jr.
Major: Biology
Campus: Manoa
Other authors: Christine M. Toutain and George A. O'Toole
Mentor(s): George A. O'Toole
Category: Biological Sciences
Abstract:
Characterization of the role of swarming motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm development

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen, is capable of forming biofilm. Two types of motilities, swimming and twitching, are necessary for biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa. However, little is known about the role of swarming during biofilm development. In the laboratory, a mutation in the second flagellar motor, mutant sad-210, which leads to a defect in biofilm formation and swarming motility, had been characterized. In order to find the suppressor mutants able to restore biofilm formation, we built a transposon library in the sad-210 genetic background and screened it for a biofilm-plus phenotype. We screened a library of about 6,900 mutants and isolated two candidates, P3F8 and P30H4, for further characterization. These sad-210 suppressor mutants, were able to swim, twitch, and form biofilm under static condition on an abiotic surface after 24h, but were deficient in swarming motility. The biofilm architecture status of bacterial cells in a flow-cell system was also further investigated at 4h and 27h post-inoculation using phase-contrast microscopy. Identification and genetic mapping of the two suppressor mutants via arbitrary PCR revealed that the transposons were localized in the genes PA5565 (encoding the glucose-inhibited division protein A) for P3F8, and PA4672 (encoding the peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase) for P30H4. Since P3F8 and P30H4 suppressor mutants were in the sad-210 genetic background, their motility phenotypes showed that the second mutation rescued biofilm formation, but not swarming, indicating that both phenotypes may be linked, but indirectly. (Supported by NSF Grant #9984521).

An autobiographical screenplay, Middle Class Imposters is one woman's courageous attempt to reach out to the community of domestic violence victims and survivors by breaking her 16-year silence and publicly sharing her story. The story follows Ally, a 15-year old girl from a struggling Midwestern family, as her mother uproots them and moves into a middle-class California neighborhood for a fresh start. She learns how to fit in with her wealthy new friends while keeping her family's financial status a secret. But living a lie leaves her vulnerable in more ways than one and Ally must cast aside her shame in order to discover whether she truly belongs. The script reveals how the stage for abuse is often set years before any physical violence occurs. Erosion of vital relationships within the family, distancing from close friends, and the stress from pretending to fit in creates a vacuum in which trust and support cannot survive. Society's treatment of abuse victims, with stigmatizing labels and statistics, often serves to further alienate them. Until a greater understanding can be reached about the nature of abuse and its effects on victims, the patterns of silence and deception by its survivors will not change.

  Author: Amanda M. Weindl
Major: Religious Studies (Pre-Medicine)
Campus: University of Hawaii at Manoa
Mentor(s): Andrew Crislip
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
Using Early Christian Monastic Literature to Contrast the Diagnostic Systems of Western Biomedicine's "Germ Theory" and the "Humoral Theory" of Galen

Due to the advent of the "Germ Theory", Western Biomedicine produces a more authentic diagnosis of a particular disease description than does the Galenic system of medicine that is governed by the "Humoral Theory"; using the germ theory, Western Biomedicine has the ability to formulate a more sophisticated mode of causation for each disease description. Greek physician Claudius Galen (A.D. 130-200) was an advocate of the "Humoral Theory"; his notion that four bodily humors-blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile-were the root cause of all diseases governed medicine in the western world for nearly 1,500 years. Though he recognized that diseases had natural causes, he never identified a sophisticated mode of causation for individual diseases. As a result, Galen's diagnostic capabilities were relatively limited. The "Germ Theory" was developed in the 19th century as an amalgamation of experimental evidence provided by scholars such as Louis Pasteur; their evidence supported the theory that microorganisms were the cause of most diseases. The gradual acceptance of this theory prompted the establishment of "Western Biomedicine", segregating this institution from Galenism, and led to rapid advances in the understanding of the mechanisms of disease development. An analysis of disease descriptions taken from early Christian monastic literature-when illustrating instances of disease, this body of religious literature provides a richness of detail that is not paralleled in any other body of ancient literature-serves well in demonstrating why the germ theory produces a more authentic diagnosis than the humoral theory.

  Author: Sally S. White
Major: Global Environmental Science
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Marla Berry
Category: Biological Sciences
Abstract:
Glutamate-cysteine Ligase Modifier Subunit as a Possible Modulating Factor in Methylmercury-induced Developmental Toxicity

The US EPA recently recommended that pregnant women reduce their intakes of certain fish because of potential hazards posed to the developing fetus by methylmercury. The pathogenic mechanism by which fetal damage is thought to occur involves oxidative stress. Glutathione is an endogenous, tri-peptide antioxidant, which combats oxidative stress and may attenuate methylmercury toxicity. The rate-limiting step in glutathione biosynthesis is catalyzed by glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL), a heterodimeric enzyme consisting of a catalytic and a modifier subunit (GCLC and GCLM, respectively). To examine the roles of GCLM and glutathione synthesis in methylmercury-induced developmental toxicity, preliminary experiments were conducted employing eight GCLM hemizygous male mice mated with either hemizygous or GCLM-null females. The eight females were inoculated on gestational day 14 with methylmercury in sesame oil, or with sesame oil alone. The animals were sacrificed on gestational day 16, with dissection of the embryos, placenta, and yolk sacs, and maternal brain, liver, and kidney. GCLM protein and mRNA levels were measured in the tissues, and the embryos were genotyped and examined for congenital anomalies. While the scale of this experiment does not permit a definitive assessment of the protective influence of glutathione, this work will provide pilot data facilitating the efficient design of future experiments. The results of such future work may suggest public health strategies for protecting the developing child and reducing the risk of methylmercury-induced embryopathy.

  Author: Nell Williams
Major: Political Science
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Nevzat Soguk
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
Modern Day Slavery in the First World: Cries for a New Abolitionist Movement

Human trafficking, otherwise known as modern-day slavery, is found in almost every country. Despite its persistence in a variety of economically different nations, the victims of slavery share similar backgrounds. Slaves are almost always vulnerable people, most generally poor women and children. Trafficking victims, generally from countries with high unemployment rates, are desperate for work and a better life. Organized Crime Networks (OCNs) have learned to prey upon the desperation of these susceptible people by offering them false jobs abroad. These OCN exploit their victims by forcing them to work for little or no pay in a variety of dirty, dangerous, and humiliating jobs. Organized crime is often associated with the underground economy; hence, it is hidden from most citizens. Its activities often produce many negative externalities, which undermines the welfare of society. OCN seem to proliferate for a number of reasons including the prevalence of government corruption, ineffective legislature, and general ignorance on the part of law enforcement officials. Taken from this perspective, one possible solution to eradicate slavery is to combat OCN. The purpose of this paper is to show how the relationship between governments, Organized Crime Networks, and vulnerable populations has allowed certain forms of slavery to persist in developed countries. Then, based upon this analysis, several recommendations for eliminating human trafficking in the developed world will be proposed.

  Author: Stephanie Wilson
Major: English
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s):
Category: Humanities
Abstract:
SALON 27

American writers flocked to Paris in the 1920s and 1930s, and many passed weekly through the door at 27, Rue du Fleurus, home of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. These writers and art aficionados drew both authors and visual artists to their salon on Saturday nights, and creative energy and impassioned ideas were vigorously exchanged amongst the strong and well-known personalities in attendance. With such eminent figures of American literature present, such as Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, inspired conversation assuredly took place, and the exchange of dialogue within this artistic community most likely produced some highly dramatic scenarios. What occurred, what ideas were swapped, who influenced whom in the breaking wee hours of Sunday morning, after several bottles of French burgundy? I intend to demonstrate, in the form of a play, the intricacies of these conversations, how these artists affected one another's works, and if Paris played a role as a setting to the Modernist artist's lives and creations. After intensively investigating the strong personalities and viewpoints of these artists as demonstrated through their writings, I plan to illustrate their heated debates onstage by recreating a series of Saturday night episodes. SALON 27, the product of my research, will dramatize the interactions of Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Stein, Alice Toklas, Margaret Anderson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Eliot, and other "Lost Generation" characters as they worked to create some of today's most recognized paintings, literary works, and theoretical movements.

  Author: Kristina S. Y. Wong
Major: Electrical Engineering
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Murli H. Manghnani
Category: Engineering
Abstract:
Study of Micro- and Nanocracks in Fatigued Advanced Materials (Ceramic Fiber-Reinforced Composites and Ceramic Sensors) by Acoustic Microscopy and Acoustic Atomic Force Microscopy: Implications for NASA's Space Shuttle Materials Program

Scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are nondestructive techniques rapidly being established as powerful tools for engineering material evaluation. The objective of this project is to develop the use of SAM, SEM and atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) as a quantitative means of investigating the microstructure, nanostructure, and elastic properties of advanced ceramic materials. In particular, materials relevant to NASA's space shuttle materials program will be examined, including ceramics in the carbon family. Characterization of shuttle material properties before and after thermal and/or mechanical cycling will facilitate not only a better understanding of the performance, evaluation, and modeling of such composites, but will also assist in the improvement of advanced material fabrication processes for NASA's space shuttle program.

  Author: Lori-Ann Wong
Major: Political Science
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Vincent Pollard
Category: Social Sciences
Abstract:
The Nonprofit Dream: Doing Effectively What is Not Being Done

There are two important questions students must ask themselves: "What am I going to do with my degree?" and "How am I going to make a difference in society?" Many times the first question is difficult to answer because there is a lack of knowledge of meaningful opportunities to practically match one's inquiry, education, and skill. Many times the second question is difficult to answer because there is a lack of organizing power within individuals, and a loss of empowerment to make a difference in one's society. This paper looks at nonprofit organizations as an effective answer to both of these questions, and reveals facts about them often unknown and misunderstood by the average person. After addressing the background and significance of these organizations, and revealing the great presence as well as importance they have within society, there will be an extensive look at the weaknesses and flaws within these organizations. This will be done with a focus on the "politics" and problems that any organization, regardless of its nature and purpose, can be susceptible to. A conscious awareness of the negative aspects of these organizations will help one know how to be involved in the best way possible. This thesis will open the world of nonprofit organizations to everyone, and provide practical answers to those two questions we must continue to ask, no matter what stage of life we are in.

My Honors thesis will be a work of creative fiction that will deal with one of the most turbulent periods of New York City's recent history: the 1970s. A city in decline, it no longer represented the ideals of freedom and hope; instead during this time, it represented decay and perversion. Yet within this dying city there was an explosion of creative energy: musicians, artists and writers channeling the frustration of the city into beautiful and influential works of self-expression. Artists such as Andy Warhol, musicians such as Lou Reed and Iggy Pop and writers such as William Burroughs and Jim Carroll all inhabited these dark streets of New York. Social vampires, living within the addiction and the perversion, they were the people of 1970s New York. Through my work of fiction I will show that the combination of social factors and individual motivations bred this explosive creative output. This could have happened at no other time and in no other place. The fragility of how these people came together mirrored the instability of their lifestyles and the vulnerability of New York City. History and fiction will play equally large roles within this work in that history will serve to explore the period and city thoroughly, and fiction will capture the emotion, the power and insanity with graphic intensity. Together, it will be a meticulous and truthful portrayal of this dark period of New York's history.

  Author: Lance Yoneshige
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): Mehrdad Ghasemi Nejhad
Category: Engineering
Abstract:
Design, Manufacture and Analysis of the Structural Housing of the University of Hawai`i Nanosat

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is currently participating in the University Nanosat Program through the Nanosat project - a multi-disciplinary undergraduate project involving students and faculty members from the Electrical, Civil & Environmental, and Mechanical Engineering Departments. In actuality, UH's nanosatellite consists of two cubesat-class satellites, each cube with overall dimensions on the order of 10 cm, and will test a retrodirective antenna array. The Mechanical Structures and Analysis (MSA) Team is one of several subsystems within the Nanosat project and is involved with structural design issues, tether mechanism design, thermal stress analysis, and dynamic analysis and testing. Structural design issues include housing designs and certain mechanical interfaces. Tether mechanism design involves the design and development of a deployable tether that will maintain the distance between the pair of satellites within a specified range. Thermal stress analysis takes into account the inevitable use of materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion. Dynamic analysis and testing explore the effects the expected loading and vibration environments have on the satellites. Most designs are modeled and drawn with Autodesk Inventor(r) software and all analyses are performed with ANSYS(r) finite element analysis software. Overall, MSA is currently in the process of finishing its designs and initiating the analysis portion of its work. Future work involves further analysis, manufacturing, and testing of the prototypes of the nanosatellite structures and housings.

  Author: Leah Young
Major: English
Campus: Manoa
Mentor(s): David Baker
Category: Engineering
Abstract:
Exploring J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series Through British Race, Class, and Gender Issues

Race, class, and gender issues have always been contentious and explosive topics. Combine them with the most popular children's book in recent history and there is quite a debatable topic. Margaret Meek claims in Children's Literature and National Identity, that there are many features in British children's books that are uniquely British. She asserts that this stems from nostalgia and a desire to recreate a past Britain through children's literature; "Perhaps the Englishness of England that has not been to our advantage will be edited out" (100). However, this is certainly not the case for J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Her works may seem like they have nostalgic connotations, however, they are more representative of race, class, and gender issues in contemporary Britain. She is definitely trying to criticize a system in which she has experienced life on both sides of the economic spectrum. When she first came up with the idea and developed the books, she was a single mother on welfare. Now, with over millions of books in print in over one hundred countries, she is wealthier than the Queen of England. Her knowledge of the British social system helps to contribute to her addressing of current observations and problems. Rowling's work may not change the country's attitudes, but rather it offers an analysis of contemporary problems that go beyond mere nostalgia.