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John Pritchett

Government & Politics

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Paddling to the future

And this time, we're not talking about the mayor!

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Pritchett Cartoon: Trojan Panda

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ASD Staff

Smile 26 10 7

Daily Smile: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026

Smile 26 10 5

Daily Smile: Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026

Have you started decorating for Halloween?

SMILE 26 10 2

Daily Smile: Friday, Oct. 2, 2026

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Sterling Higa

Crime & Courts

Columnists

A young woman is suing Cornell and seven men. She says they raped her in a fraternity house two years ago, when she was 20. Much about the night is disputed, and every version of the story is grievous.

By her own account, she got drunk on vodka at her sorority house and drank more at a bar though she was underage. Her complaint puts it at about 10 drinks in three hours. She walked to a fraternity house around 11 p.m. She arrived drunk, took ketamine, and had sex with two men she knew. She told police she was willing at first. Her lawsuit says she was too drunk to consent to any of it, and that the men who came in afterward raped her.

She did not call it rape at first. Within three weeks she did, and went to campus police. The district attorney read her sworn statement as describing consensual sex and declined to bring charges. Cornell expelled two of the men and suspended two. Now she is suing the university, the fraternity, her sorority, a bar, and the seven men.

Her story has been conscripted to serve political narratives, leading up to the midterm elections. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told a town hall, as settled fact, that seven men “took turns gang raping her for seven hours.” Pundits have made Jane Doe an avatar of #MeToo.

Others online have tried to unmask her. Her lawyer says she has been threatened with harm unless she drops the suit, and that women mistaken for her have been threatened too.

In the coverage of the story, Jane Doe has been treated more as an object than a person. And the seven accused men have been condemned on social media as guilty without trial.

If her allegations are true, they would not be surprising. Sexual assault is common in American universities. It’s especially common during the first months of each school year, and many assaults are related to the culture of wild partying that’s grown up around fraternities and sororities.

This party culture is nothing new. Fraternities and sororities took Greek names and built themselves on the pattern of Greco-Roman mystery cults. Think: Bacchanalia and the cult of Dionysus. Hence the vows of secrecy, initiation rites, and symbols. “Greek life” is not a misnomer.

It’s not surprising that wild, drunken parties take place in fraternity and sorority houses. That is the highest expression of their culture.

The problem with this culture is that it’s degenerate. And Christians, at least, used to know this.

There was a time when a story like this would have led to the round condemnation of the whole system of “Greek life.” But it is now taken for granted that such a system must exist, that it can be reformed. A few more mandatory trainings about sexual consent, and all will be well.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"This is foolish."}]

Mystery religions will not be reformed. They must be abandoned. And it is a sad commentary on the church today that few Christians are willing to say so.

Such cults start with false worship and end with the ritual abuse of men and women. Solving the problems they cause means getting to the root.

God created man and woman in His image. This is where our dignity comes from. But the woman was deceived by the serpent and ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The man, who was with her, sinned with his eyes open, and in him we all fell. This is where our sin comes from.

Woman is the glory of man, and he was made to guard her, as Adam did not. In a godly and loving marriage, their sexual union is a beautiful and often fruitful thing.

But we are fallen, and our desires are sinful. They run quickly toward worship of false gods like Dionysus.

Dionysus promises freedom. He claims to liberate. His followers drink wine and dance to escape from their limits. And while intoxicated, they are indeed freed from inhibition and restraint. But this freedom is license only to sin.

The Christian account is otherwise. We are born in bondage to sin. True freedom comes when God breaks that bondage and grants a sinner repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. By His blood, we are spared the punishment we deserve for our sin. And His Spirit enables us to live in freedom.

This freedom is no license. Sinful desires remain in us after we are saved. Christ frees us 

 something: to love God and neighbor and to keep His commands.

If it sounds strange to speak of Christ in response to an alleged gang rape, it is only because the church has retreated from its prophetic task.

A silent and hypocritical church cannot witness to the world. The church must first root out its own tolerance of sexual sin.

But then it must call a spade a spade. Greek life is a good place to start. It’s a knockoff mystery religion. It celebrates drunkenness, riotous living, and freedom from restraint. It is not Christian.

But Greek life appeals in part because Christians offer nothing better on most college campuses.

Many churches live next door to universities. They send missionaries abroad while ignoring the opportunity to evangelize next door.

Mystery cults are a pale substitute for true religion. They offer brotherhood for four years and a drunken feast on Friday night. Christ gives His people a family that does not end and table fellowship every Sunday.

, “If we continue to send our children to Caesar for their education, we need to stop being surprised when they come home as Romans.”

And if we send them to the Greeks for their brotherhood, they’ll come home as Greeks.

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<title>Cornell fraternity rape lawsuit: What Greek life worships</title>

A 20-year-old walks from a bar to a fraternity house at 11 p.m. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on why Greek life can’t be reformed and what the church owes the campus next door.

Cornell fraternity rape lawsuit: What Greek life worships

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Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Business & Tourism

Hawaiian Airlines engineer Ashton Simpkins tells Hawaiʻi stories about planes — one Lego brick at a time. Among his custom built creations is the famous six-seat Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker, built in 1929, which was part of Hawaiian Airlines’ initial 

, which can seat hundreds and was introduced in 2018.

The engineer’s planes are just some of many projects part of Bishop Museum’s special exhibit, “Aloha Bricks '26: Stories of Hawaiʻi,” which is on display for 12 more days, before it closes on Sunday, Oct. 11. Located inside the Castle Memorial Building, it features native birds, butterflies and plants made entirely with Lego bricks and is included in general admission. 

 was created in partnership with members of the Hawaiʻi Lego Users Group (HILUG), who made replicas of not just Hawaiian Airlines planes, but also ʻIolani Palace, Hawaiʻi Theatre, the USS Arizona Memorial and Bowfin Submarine, and more; Bishop Museum scientists and staff, who built mosaics of flora and fauna; and middle school students representing 50 schools across the state, who created their campus logos.

Simpkins is part of HILUG, which builds to-scale models with Lego bricks. 

For example, we have a model of Bishop Museum, itself,” he said. “And then, there's one of Hōkūleʻa. There's one of the rail. And then, my section was the Hawaiian Airlines section.”

Simpkins used Lego bricks to create five custom-built aircraft models

the 1929 Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker, a Douglas DC-3 and DC-9, a Boeing 717 and 787 Dreamliner

The project took at least 180 hours, he said. The largest build, the 787 Dreamliner, had about 10,000 parts, and needed to be transported to the museum in three pieces because “simply, it wouldn't fit through my doors,” he said with a laugh.

A few days before the exhibit opened, Simpkins sat on the museum floor for several hours, bringing in the design a few inches on each side, so that it would fit properly in its glass case.

As a kid, he remembers building intricate tracks for Thomas the Tank Engine.

I would always tell stories with it,” he said. “I'd have my grandma sit on my bed, and I'd tell her a story about what was happening with the trains.”

Eventually, he moved on to Lego bricks, starting with Star Wars-themed sets.

“Aloha Bricks '26: Stories of Hawaiʻi"

 includes giant replicas of the endangered i’iwi bird and the vibrant fish, humuhumunukunukuapua‘a.

“It's hard to walk around an exhibit and not want to build something yourself,” Simpkins said.

In fact, one room includes bricks so kids of all ages can try their hand at engineering. Along the walls of that space are the logos of local schools.

“And the Bishop Museum actually reached out to local middle schools to get them to build their logos for the exhibit,” he said. “Those were actually made by the people that attend those schools, which is really cool.”

Simpkins hopes that seeing these models will inspire keiki to do their own building and problem solving.

Part of what's really cool about this exhibit and the familiarity of it all is that a kid can come and see it and say, ʻOh, someone just like me made this. Maybe I can do the same thing,’” he said. “It inspires somebody else to create, to tell stories, and to figure things out, because that is a very important part of growing up and making the world a better place is figuring out problems and being creative and sharing.”

The exhibit is open during museum hours, which are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Use the code MAHALO20 to get a 20% discount at check-out. 

," which features the work of three Hilo artists: the late Nālani Kanakaʻole, as well as that of her husband, Sig Zane, and their son, Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane. 

That exhibit runs now until Feb. 15, 2027. 

. And while you're there, support local at 

(ICYMI: ASD sat down with Bishop Museum's CEO 

Kris Helgen over the summer to learn more about his first year, as well as his top challenges and opportunities running a nonprofit museum. 

Ashton Simpkins

<title>Lego bricks inspire sky-high imagination on display at Bishop Museum</title>

The sky might be the limit for this Lego enthusiast, who is a Hawaiian Airlines engineer and after work creates custom-built aircraft currently on display as part of the museum’s special exhibit “Aloha Bricks '26: Stories of Hawaiʻi.”

Lego bricks inspire sky-high imagination on display at Bishop Museum

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Michael Brestovansky

Igor Lytvynchuk, the Washington man charged with throwing a rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, had his first court appearance in Honolulu on Wednesday.

Lytvynchuk, 38, appeared in U.S. District Court to plead "not guilty" to two charges of illegal taking of an endangered marine mammal. Those charges stem from 

 on May 5 when a man — later identified by investigators as Lytvynchuk — was recorded on video hurling a rock at a monk seal on a Maui beach, seemingly only narrowly missing the animal’s head.

As any form of harassment of an endangered seal violates both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, that single rock incurred two charges. Both charges are misdemeanor offenses, carrying a maximum possible sentence of one year in prison each, although Magistrate Judge Rom Trader told Lytvynchuk Wednesday that there is no guarantee, if he is found guilty, that he will face the full maximum sentence.

Lytvynchuk was arrested May 13 near Seattle by special agents of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Following an initial court appearance in Washington, the case was transferred to the District of Hawai‘i.

Lytvynchuk had little opportunity to speak at Wednesday’s hearing, confirming in one or two words that he understood Trader’s description of the legal process ahead of him. While his “not guilty” plea drew murmurs from the several dozen people in the gallery, he made no statement about his actions during or after the hearing.

However, a lawyer for Lytvynchuk had previously told media that Lytvynchuk had supposedly believed the seal to be a sea lion threatening sea turtles.

Trader ordered Lytvynchuk to be released on an unsecured $25,000 bond with several conditions, including that Lytvynchuk surrender his passport and all travel documents, that he not change addresses without approval from his pretrial officer, and that his travel is restricted to the Western District of Washington — a U.S. court district covering the state west of the Cascade Mountains — and O‘ahu for court purposes only.

Furthermore, when on O‘ahu, Lytvynchuk is prohibited from accessing any beaches or approaching any marine wildlife, Trader said.

“I think that’s an appropriately tailored restriction, given the circumstances,” Trader said.

Failing to comply with these conditions could result in a warrant for Lytvynchuk’s arrest and put him in jail until trial.

Lytvynchuk is also required to be present at future court hearings. However, Trader said he is inclined to waive that requirement for certain minor hearings and allow Lytvynchuk to appear remotely.

For example, the next hearing date is scheduled for June 9, where attorneys for both sides will set a mutually agreeable trial date and other deadlines. Trader agreed with Lytvynchuk’s attorney Sean Fitzsimmons that Lytvynchuk’s physical presence at that hearing will not be necessary.

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<title>Lytvynchuk pleads 'not guilty' in monk seal case</title>

Igor Lytvynchuk will be barred from O‘ahu beaches as his court case over an alleged attack on a Hawaiian monk seal continues.

Lytvynchuk pleads 'not guilty' in monk seal case

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Kady Pascual

Aloha State Daily has partnered with Pacific Media Group to send several of you to a special screening of Disney’s live action adaptation of the animated film, “Moana,” at 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 18 at Consolidated Ward Theaters.

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Enter for a chance to win tickets to see Disney’s live action adaptation of the animated film ‘Moana’

Did you know that rainbows are circular? A rare sighting of a full circular rainbow was spotted in Hawaiʻi — the rainbow state. #ThrowbackThursday

Circular rainbow

Hawai‘i Scene on Social meets Hawai‘i Skies

The community's point of view of the second Kona Low storm.

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Neighborhood weather updates

ASD's Christian Shimabuku shares his favorite expression — "No shame" — which can be used in social settings and at work.

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My Favorite Local Saying: 'No shame, take the last malasada.'

Nancy Partika shares her favorite saying from "small-kid time."

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My favorite local saying: When 'Wot da frick!' skirts the swear jar

You're welcome for this handy information from @cjs_life3.

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My favorite local saying: Hammer vs. Hammah

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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Kevin Clegg, who first adopted a pet rat from the nonprofit 13 years ago, now volunteers at the organization’s Mōʻiliʻili campus weekly. He shares what initially prompted him to give back to the community, what he likes most about working in adoptions and why if you love animals, it’s a great cause to join.

Daily Features - Thursday, 8 October

Hawaiʻi Skies: Canʻt wait for time in the water