Rant & Rave
Rant & Rave
I had never really understood the cliched adages: "Lucky you live Hawaii," and "You can take the boy out of the islands but you can't take the islands out of the boy," until I was separated from my environment of 17 years and placed in a culture and way of life that I was quite unused to. Isle boy faces
future far from homeUpon leaving the islands for an East Coast education, I began to think about Hawaii in a new way. I realized that if you are in an environment for an extended period, you begin to think within its confines. You tend to become complacent, accepting problems and resolutions as they have existed.
While taking part in the annual East Coast Hawaii Symposium this spring at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I realized that other college kids from Hawaii think about it the same way. However, the symposium went beyond the recognition of differences between Hawaii and the mainland.
The theme was, "He Wahi Ma Keia 'Ao: Creating a Global Niche." The speakers discussed Hawaii's place in the global community. It was thought-provoking, assessing Hawaii's future.
The issue of "brain drain" was prevalent in almost all parts of the symposium. We spoke about what factors might cause a kama'aina to stay on the mainland. The main reason was economic opportunity. There was no doubt that all of the attendees loved Hawaii, otherwise they wouldn't have been at the symposium. But for many of the students, the weight of college loans and the less competitive salaries in Hawaii proved to be an anchor to the continental U.S.
Attending school on the mainland, especially the East Coast, causes a paradox for many. One benefits from the academic and cultural experiences of a mainland institution, but is the greater cost worth it?
To a great extent, yes. Though it may take more years on the mainland to make up the cost of the loans, the perspective gained will make a big difference when and if the students return to Hawaii. But, that is a big "if."
Hawaii's "brain drain" is real. However, one of the panelists said that in general, the mainland natives who are migrating to Hawaii are an educated group. Hawaii isn't losing "brains," but it is, the panelist noted, experiencing a "cultural drain." The point is, Hawaii needs to attract intelligence while at the same time keeping Hawaii's culture unique and alive. That's where we, the college students, fit in.
While sitting through one of the discussion groups, I realized the unique quality of the symposium. It was amazing to see the panelists who came from very different economic viewpoints collaborating on a symbiotic vision of Hawaii's economic future. I found it ironic that this productive think tank was occurring so far away from Hawaii. I knew that panelists usually operate on their own agendas while in Hawaii. So it was really very admirable to see them focussing purely on one agenda while not losing sight of what they each had to offer.
I think the attendees of the conference also played a vital role by offering new ideas on how the economy can be perceived and acted upon.
I think many of the students there felt empowered to use this vision for self-reflection toward the future of Hawaii: culturally, economically, and politically. Although the symposium didn't offer the ultimate solution to Hawaii's economic outlook, it did offer rejuvenating perspectives. I can't wait to get home.
Joel Mark graduated from Punahou in 1998. He attends
Brandeis University, where he is an American studies major.Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature
allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives.
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