The PaceDocs team, unfortunately, could not meet at their regular schedule during the past two weeks. On February 5, 2019, the university was closed to honor the celebration of the Lunar New Year. Therefore, we met in various groups and began our research on a wide range of topics. This included- places of interests, the history, impact of Kilauea, and the Hawaiian Culture.

Even on the 12th, classes were canceled due to inclement weather, but Storm Maya didn’t stop us. The team managed to find a way to tackle the pre-production work necessary to keep us moving. Students and faculty made use of the audio communication app Discord, where the class was conducted virtually with 22 members.

During this session, various groups presented their research. This virtual class provided us with a deeper understanding of the specific places that we can visit during our time there. Ashley DeSalvo’s team found a farmer’s market in Kalapana that is only open on Wednesday evenings from 5-10pm, which struck as an important place of interest. Other locations discussed in the course may act as ideal b-roll footage. For instance, local eateries and shops would be good sites to interact with local residents.

We were also able to determine a timeline of Kilauea’s eruption history. Sydney Krantz’s group found that Kilauea’s most active years happened to be 1790, 1840, 1924, 1959, 1983, 1990, and 2017, with slight activity in between. Added to this, we learned that there were unique factors in each of the major eruptions. For example in 1790, Kilauea’s violent eruption took the lives of over 400 Hawaiian warriors and their footprints were discovered by geologist Ruy H. Finch in 1919. It was also noted that the longest running eruption of Kilauea’s history ran from January 3rd in 1983 to September 4th, 2018.

Moreover, the research provided us with information about the dangers that still exist. We found that the National Park Service of Hawaii displayed information regarding the areas that are not open for visitors. The Kilauea Iki Trail and the ‘Iliahi Trail are two such places that remain closed, due to safety precautions. However, there are plenty of other exciting areas that are accessible, including the Kilauea Military Camp and the Kulanaokuaiki Campground.

All of this information will definitely help us in the process of producing a documentary. Our goal is to gain all the necessary information and contact details so that we can hit the ground running!