Hokule‘a crew prepares for Cyclone Pam
With Cyclone Pam approaching after laying waste to Vanuatu three days earlier, crews of the Polynesian voyaging canoes Hokule‘a and Hikianalia spent the weekend making sure both vessels are protected at their current stop in New Zealand.
Captain and navigator Kalepa Baybayan confirmed that the canoes have been secured with extra docking line at the Maritime Museum in Auckland Harbor. The vessels are tied to floating docks that rise with the tide.
The crew canceled scheduled activities on Sunday and Monday to monitor the storm.
In an email to the Star-Advertiser, Baybayan said both vessels and crew are as safe as possible.
"The only problematic issue is the lunar tides combined with the storm’s effect," Baybayan wrote. "We cannot predict what they will do. We will monitor the situation as the tropical cyclone progresses."
The crew is in New Zealand preparing to undertake the next leg of the ambitious Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage, which is scheduled to reach Indonesia, Madagascar, Mozambique and South Africa later this year.
Grant to fund STEM majors
The University of Hawaii at Hilo has received a $622,175 grant from the National Science Foundation to provide scholarships to disadvantaged high school seniors who want to major in math or science.
The Scholarships for STEM Program, referring to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, will provide each scholar $20,000 for four years of undergraduate studies (up to $5,000 per year), provided that the student maintains good academic standing and remains a STEM major. The program will also integrate and expand existing STEM services at UH-Hilo.
"The S-STEM Program will provide much-needed support for our deserving students who have demonstrated academic potential but due to financial difficulties might not be able to consider a college degree," said Raina Ivanova, a math professor and program director.
The application deadline is April 15. Qualifying majors include astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, geology, physics and marine science.
Big Isle works on route to UH
Hawaii County has broken ground on a project aimed at providing a new route between the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus and the downtown area.
Politicians and university officials gathered Thursday to kick off efforts to close a half-mile gap on Kapiolani Street between Lanikaula and Mohouli streets, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported.
The $13.6 million project also will ease traffic on Kinoole Street.
