Kava - the communal drink

Michael J. Balick to talk at UH Manoa

by Hanna Martz

photo courtesy of michael balick

Kava being strained into a common bowl.

Of the many things that humans like to observe, our favorite seems to be the psychoactive properties of plant species. And for many that brings on a slew of drug related jokes about fungi and usually ends in a story about a trip in which no one actually fell. 

But for others, the plants and the cultural heritage of the knowledge becomes more than superficial. There is a ceremony associated with the plant. There are right and wrong things to do or say. A purpose, a sense of community, even enlightenment could come from these rituals.

In the case of Kava, or 'Awa, there is a long history and purpose in its use among the people of the South Pacific. Commonly viewed as a brown milky drink, Kava is processed from roots and rhizomes of the Kava plant (Piper methysticum; a type of pepper plant). The resulting concoction yields something that resembles mud and hot cocoa. Due to its relaxing qualities it's used to welcome guests, and help settle disputes. It links the drinkers to their ancestors and the drinking amassed a great deal of ceremony. On campus you can learn all about this communal plant and beverage. (Check out Kava-Fest if you're interested in more. There are plenty of knowledgeable people here in Hawaii.)

But one particularly knowledgeable person will be on Campus this Friday to talk about Kava's properties and history. Hosted by the Ethnobiology Society, Michael J. Balick PHD, a prominent botanist and with the New York Botanical gardens and author of a couple different ethnobotanical books, will be discussing Kava with UH students and staff Friday at 3:30 pm in the Biomedicinal Sciences Building (BIOMD), room B-103. He will also be doing a Q & A session along with a book signing.

photo courtesy of michael balick

Piper methysticum growing in a lowland forest.

In his book, Plants, People and Culture: the Science of Ethnobotany, co-written with Paul Alan Cox, Balick explains the importance of plants and the special relationships with them that pervade our human world. The interaction between plants and humans spans thousands of years. We use them for sustenance, healing, material, even spiritual guidance; sometimes more than one at the same time. 

They have become an integral part of our lives and have helped shape cultures and history around the world. It is this symbiotic relationship that many students and faculty study here at UH Manoa is known as Ethnobotany. It is a study that humans have unconsciously been dabbling in since prehistory – testing out their environment for what-did-what and making note of what helped someone or what killed them. They learned how to manipulate plants for crops and other uses – developing concepts of tinctures, teas, salves and earth-ovens; humans figured out how to find, mix and use the properties of plants they wanted.

Here in Hawaii, we have the opportunity to see the relationship between plants and people and the subsequent affect on culture just by looking around. It is for this reason that so many people come here to study the native plants and the various cultures of the Hawaiian Islands. Don't miss out on a part of Pacific culture: join the discussion Friday, B-103 BIOMD.

Founding Film: The Man Who Pulled Off His Head

By Hanna Martz

Do you know who made this? Melies
developed the techniques and directed this
amous silent movie, La Voyage dans la Lune.

Movies are consistently trying to reach a higher peak of performance. Better plot twists, more life-like animation, and bigger explosions create waves of movie-goers each year aiming to see the next coolest thing. 

Where did those special effects we tend to take for granted come from? That is what UH English professor David Maine has explored, and will talk about this Thursday with his own work, The Man Who Pulled off His Head. For anyone who's watched popular movies, I highly recommend checking out Professor Maine's reading this Thursday November 18^th in Kuykendall Hall, room 410, at 3pm.

To be honest, when I heard about yet another professor reading something they wrote, I rolled my eyes. But after talking to Professor Maine, whatever preconceived notion I had flew away as I was drawn in by the story, the life of Georges Melies. How this unknown man had changed the course of history and I, and likely many others, had no idea.

The first cine-magician - the founder of 

filming special effects, George Melies.

In the early days of film, people didn't really know what they could do – so they experimented and fiddled and sought out new forms of manipulation. Georges Méliès was one such man – a man who founded an art and industry that continues today. As a visionary, Melies brought many things into the world, "He had a marvelous imagination and more or less single-handedly invented the art of special effects," Professor Maine told me. "He invented whole realms of cinema that are still hugely popular—he made the first vampire movie, the first science fiction film, the first product placement, the first docudrama." For a man who brought entertainment and industry such leaps and bounds, Melies has largely been forgotten. We (the public) rarely remember the men and women behind-the-scenes, let alone give them any thought while watching films.

The Man Who Pulled of His Head could very well change that.

 "I would love it if people walked away with a stronger appreciation for Méliès and the innovation he brought to the cinema. More than that, I'd like people to have some respect for all the early pioneers in the movies," Professor Maine said.  

Melies' story translates over the generations, and parallels current cinematographic issues; continuing to find new and better special effects, finding the balance between making art and making money, even movie piracy! This pioneer directed over 500 films, but still faced bankruptcy and war-torn France at the turn of the century.