HIKI NŌ #1301 – The HIKI NŌ Story

As the launch of a new season of HIKI NŌ, and the first new show in the program’s second decade, this episode opens with The HIKI NŌ Story: a recap of the first ten years of HIKI NŌ, culminating with the pandemic giving birth to a unique genre of HIKI NŌ storytelling. Known as the Student Reflection, this genre elevated the personal expression of students to new heights and brought the social-emotional aspects of HIKI NŌ to the fore.

The episode is hosted by Trevor Takeno, a freshman at Moanalua High School on O‘ahu. Takeno shares a Student Reflection on how he stayed motivated as an 8^th grader at Moanalua Middle School by embracing a new hobby during the school year amid a global pandemic.

In Waikiki Elementary School student Marika Zialcita’s Student Reflection, she shares her experience of moving, starting at a new school, and the challenges of making friends during a year of distance learning caused by COVID-19.

Saige Adaro, a Pearl City High School student on O‘ahu, reflects in her Student Reflection about having feelings of being lost when her dance activities were canceled by pandemic restrictions. She made a pivot and found a new passion: filmmaking.

From the island of Maui, students at Lahainaluna High School profile Markus-Alan Bettencourt, a student who found a deeper connection to his Hawaiian culture through a cliff diving performance job at a local hotel.

In West Hawai‘i, Konawaena High School students profile senior student Travis Ishishida, who is pursuing his dream to become a professional musician and recording artist — carving a new path in a tradition long held by his family.

On Hawai‘i Island in Puna, students from Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School tell the story of how a community Taiko group managed to stay connected and keep drumming despite pandemic-related setbacks.

HIKI NŌ also spotlights Maui High School senior and HIKI NŌ student Ho‘ohieokalā Luna-Beamer, who produced a piece for the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs program about what visitors should know when visiting the Hawaiian islands.

HIKI NŌ 10|19|21: 1301 – The HIKI NŌ Story