Brush fires ignited among the island of Maui on Aug. 8 quickly advancing into wildfires. These fires were spread by low humidity and other conditions brought by Hurricane Dora. While the

cause of the initial fires is unknown, it is reported by ABC News that the fires were reported to have started from 12 a.m. to 7 a.m. ranging from an area considered Upcountry Maui to a historic town called Lahaina, which was the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the early 1800s, cho- sen by King Kamehameha II.

Most of the county’s residents had evacuated when the fires neared, which, reported by ABC News, was around 9 a.m. Those residing in Upcountry’s neigh- borhoods evacuated in the afternoon. Fire crews began attempting to fight
the flames at around 3 p.m., on Aug. 9. According to ABC News, the death toll began with six bodies roughly 30 minutes later.

The fires along Maui were reported to be contained differently less than a week later, on Aug. 13., with the Upcountry fire being 60%, Lahaina 85%, and Pulehu/ Kihei being 100% contained. Since so many lost their homes due to the fires, with a recorded amount of over 2,000 housing remains were found, Maui locals are being flown to places such as the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.

The count of displaced residents, as of Aug. 17, has risen to over 1,000, and at least 115 have been pronounced dead, according to the Hawaiian governor Josh Green and FEMA. In hope of aiding citizens hoping to get to safety, some airlines are lowering prices of flights from Maui to other Hawaiian islands, or the main- land of the United States.

The Barbie movie explained real world issues in a digestible and satirical way that left many audiences thoughtful, sparked many conversations, and gave light to many social and political issues that we face today.

When Barbie was initially released, audiences weren’t exactly sure what to think. A movie targeted towards adults about a beloved (or not so beloved) children’s toy? How could that possibly work as a blockbuster movie?

What movie goers weren’t expecting was for Barbie to soar to new heights in movie making, start social media trends, and to spark change all over the world. Greta Gerwig, the director of Barbie, cemented her place in history as the first female director to gross over a billion dollars in box office. Her masterful story- telling and comedic timing highlight her commentary of our patriarchal system and those affected by it. While some viewed Barbie as an anti-men campaign, Gerwig’s message stretches far beyond the superficial message of “men bad, women good.” Through her storytelling, Gerwig uses Barbie as a way to satirize the very real political and social climate we live in today, flipping the patriarchy around on its head. Gerwig shows audiences how the patriarchy portrays women, and how it affects everyone involved.

Barbie explained the patriarchy in a way that almost any audience member could understand, bringing rise to TikTok trends of couples seeing the movie together and bonding over it. Barbie has not only empowered women, but men as well. Ken captivated many audience members with his comedic relief personality and himbo qualities that showcased another side of Ken that many related to.

Barbie showed womanhood from a perspective that we don’t necessarily see on a day to day basis. Instead of Barbie being connected to the young girl like we initially thought, she is instead connected to the mother, who showcases wom- anhood and motherhood from the view of an older woman. Barbie doesn’t just show what it means to be a woman, it shows what it means to be human.