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Vol. 83, Issue 5
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December 14, 2007
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Imua ‘Iolani
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Honolulu, Hawaii
Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani
Mrs. Holly Chung smiles bravely as she prepares for the donation process at this year’s Blood Drive.
Blood Drive 2007
Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani
An old poster by `Iolani grad Gerilyn Manago ‘07 urges potential donors to become heroes.
‘I can’t say I enjoy it, but I know I’m doing good.’ By Brandon Kumabe Just before the start of the holiday season, many ‘Iolani faculty members and students signed up to give one of the best gifts of all. Every year, the Blood Bank of Hawaii holds an annual blood drive at ‘Iolani to help supply the pressing demand for blood donations. In Hawaii, 200 pints of blood are needed every day. During the blood drive, ‘Iolani gives a significant portion, about half of that amount. The blood donation process is fairly simple and only takes about an hour to complete. Potential donors must apply ahead of time to ensure that enough volunteers will be on hand on the day of donation. During the blood donation process, each donor is given a
medical screening to ensure that they are healthy enough to give blood. Many potential donors are eligible to give blood, but a few are unable to for certain reasons. These reasons range from iron deficiency to taking certain high blood pressure medications. The Blood Bank must ensure that the blood given is both safe and effective for its future recipients. After the screening, donors are led to a quiet area with several beds. A Blood Bank of Hawaii staff member then lets the donor lie down and proceeds to extract their blood. The actual collection of the blood is relatively short and takes only about five to eight minutes. For safety, a sterile needle is used for each donor and discarded when the process is finished. Those who have donated are
Inside: Discovering Kapahulu--6-7 Green Christmas--2 Div II Football Champs--4 Find Si Wons!
asked to rest and refrain from strenuous activity. Aside from the good feeling of helping those that need blood, drinks and refreshents are also available after donation. For many ‘Iolani faculty, the blood donation process goes beyond the annual blood drive. English teacher Dr. Michael Lagory is one of them. “I’ve known people who’ve needed donations. My father needed blood and many of my colleagues had donated as well,” said Dr. Lagory. “It seemed like the right thing to do.” On being asked whether or not it hurt, he said, “It hurts about as much as bumping your elbow on a table, not much more.” For Mr. Jeffrey Hackler, blood donation started during his last years of high school. It was then
that he discovered that his blood was in high demand. “I have a special blood type,” he said. “It’s O positive, but has a missing element which makes it more acceptable for babies.” Because of his rare blood type, Mr. Hackler donates as much as he can. “Sometimes they’ll call me because a baby needs blood for an open heart surgery,” said Mr. Hackler. “I can’t say no.” Another faculty member who became a frequent donor is Dr. Carey Inouye. He first started donating blood in college because he felt it was a good thing to do. However, what really compelled him to become a frequent donor was a seventh-grade student who he had known since she was in kindergarten. This student was diagnosed with leukemia. Dr. Inouye was shaken by the Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani
diagnosis of someone so close to him. He promised to keep donating blood for her if she promised to stay strong enough to keep fighting against the disease. Since then, donating blood has become something of a habit for him. “I can’t say I enjoy it,” he said, “but I know I’m doing good.” With the increasing demand for blood and such a limited amount of donors, the blood bank needs as much blood as it can get. The ‘Iolani Blood Drive has been and will always be a way for fellow ‘Iolanians to help alleviate that problem and ease the lives of thousands who need transfusions. “It’s really the greatest thing you can give someone,” says Mr. Hackler. “It’s the gift of life.”
Index Lower School--10
A&E--9 Sports--4-5 Editorials--2 Middle School--11 Lighter Side--8
Editorials
Page 2
The spirit of Christmas By Leslie Kim So for the first time in ages I find myself without inspiration to write. Except for, of course, the upcoming Christmas season. Christmas season started sometime in September, and was under full swing by the time Thanksgiving came around. At least, that’s what the shop windows told me. My favorite holiday is Christmas, and it saddens me to no end that the original point of Christmas has all but disappeared. But that doesn’t mean I condemn all the commercialized glory of this holiday. This consumerism might add a new layer of meaning to Christmas. For one, when was the last time you went out and bought someone a present just for the sake of giving it? I suppose Christmas presents are also about the receiving too, but the main reason you give the present is so that you can make someone happy, right? Despite the warped reasoning behind buying presents nowadays, the point is that you still give presents because you care. Though part of it is the American consumerism we have all acquired, there remains the small part which goads us into buying presents simply because it’s a nice thing to do. There’s also something to be said about the economic boost
that Christmas shopping provides. No matter how repentant a shopper is, he or she will not be able to resist the lure of yet more gadgets and knickknacks that serve no particular purpose but to hold a pretty shape under the tree, and will inevitably end up spending more than he or she intended to spend. That’s not always a bad thing; without a vigorous economy like the one we shopaholic Americans have, it would be a lot harder to be in a position to say thanks for many things. Some stores wait until Christmas season to get their books out of the red. And then there’s another meaning that commercialism hasn’t quite touched yet: being home for Christmas. No matter how far you are from your family, it’s almost a given that you will be home for Christmas. Despite the loss of the religious symbolism, Christmas has taken on a new social meaning: the reuniting of families. Religion can’t cross borders, but the feeling of belonging to a family does. So perhaps the values Christmas represents now aren’t exactly the purest. But the one of generosity and family still remains, and in this sometimes too materialistic world, that’s a blessing. Mass consumerism supplies me with all the Christmas presents I need at bargain prices that somehow serve to inflate my shopping budget to twice its original amount. And spending so much time in the stores allows me to listen to my favorite carols.
Cheap antics cheapen our values By Kalau Almony I am not emptying my pockets or breathing into anyone’s face for a t-shirt. Regardless of the message, the sort of cheap posturing and propositioning we had to endure December 3rd in the name of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) was patronizing and borderline nonsensical. While I do appreciate their efforts to throw together an entertaining assembly, it was nothing but showboating with a label of health and Christian values. Let’s face it, nothing’s going to change a teenager’s mind about smoking or drug use, short of a major life event. The effort to do so was sincere, but the whole concept of health assemblies for high school students is something like running down a dead-end, looking for a short cut.
Filling those assemblies with tile-crushing, phone book-ripping antics really doesn’t detract from the point, as the point is so faint to begin with, but it does add a new air of degradation to the whole matter. Is this what people think it takes to relate to teenagers? Is this how they target our demographic? The true meaning is lost, replaced with the text message version. They’re not injecting humor, they’re redacting message, straining to get across a few grains of truth. How can anyone ask us to think, while maintaining cartoonish unseriousness? I guess the assembly did its job. It will be one of the few I remember, and I’m sure someone was moved—at least to work on ripping phone books in half— but I know, more than anything else, when I think back to the break dancing, the drama, the very fact that someone resorted to such daytime TV antics to get our attention, and that the school would approve such a thing, is truly offensive.
Imua ‘Iolani
Tourism not enough By Julia Anderson
There are reasons why tourism in Hawaii is a hotly debated issue: it promotes a vulnerable economy, limits job options and contributes to community alienation. Hawaii’s dependence on tourism brings significant swings to the economy. Immediately after 9/11, hotel occupancy dropped from a hovering 90 percent to sometimes below 50 percent. After the 1987 Japanese economy collapse, stores catering to a Japanese clientele closed their doors by the dozen. When the next natural disaster hits Hawaii and mars the white sand beaches and luxury hotels, can we depend on visitors to still come support
an economy based on those very beaches? Any economy based solely on one industry takes risk; make that an industry as fickle as tourism and ‘risk’ becomes ‘asking for it.’ The typical job opportunities created by tourism are not examples of industry benefits. Store clerks, bus drivers and hotel maids typify the large majority of tourism-based jobs: all have low wages, while few offer promotion prospects. With real estate prices and general cost of living on the rise, these sorts of jobs leave many families stranded a long way from Black Point, Kahala. Tourism also has more subtle, long-term effects. Some privileged tourists become so enamored with Hawaii that they buy island property. Modest island homes are often knocked down and replaced by mansions surrounded by concrete walls and surveillance cameras;
some serve as illegal vacation rentals for the months the owner is away. Several residential communities are already in danger of becoming mini Waikiki’s, overrun with long-term tourists disassociated from local concerns (such as the families displaced by this process). Coincidentally, these absentee landlords are often the people most committed to the pro-tourism side of the argument. Although tourism is a breadwinning industry for Hawaii, opposition to it is not unwarranted. Organizations promoting slogans like ‘Keep it Kailua,’ ‘Keep the Country Country,’ and ‘Laau Kapu’ are fighting to save Hawaii from becoming an example of runaway exploitation for the sake of economic gain. Tourism will always play a large part in Hawaii’s economy, but it should not be celebrated as Hawaii’s perfect industry.
It’s getting easier and easier to be green The Imua editorial staff would like to thank the Good 2B Green Club for its wonderful work on behalf of campus recycling efforts. Its recent gift of numerous special receptacles for bottles and cans not only helps clear that specific variety of litter from campus, but also empowers students and faculty to discharge their responsibility to the environment. The ubiquity and simplicity of these cute PVC constructions makes it easy to be responsible. Moreover, watching the bottles and cans pile up within their
clear plastic bags (and mentally replacing each with a nickel) constantly reminds and encourages us to be conscientious.
We would also like the Good 2B Green Club for their autoline recycling pick up. Though it will take time to get into the swing of things, especially with the weather, this effort makes it easy for the environmental conscientiousness to spill over into our home lives as well. Easy, efficient recycling has become a significant and undeniable requirement for our generation. Thank you, Good 2B Green Club, for helping us along in our efforts to eco-friendliness and sustainability. Congratulations on a great idea successfully implemented.
I’m dreaming of a green Christmas... By Sean Scott In most every aspect of society, an increased emphasis is being placed on becoming more environmentally conscious, or “green.” The upcoming Christmas Holiday season is no exception. ‘Tis the season to be environmentally conscious. The holiday season is synonymous with peace, love, good times, and massive buying. The holidays have become a time of rampant consumption, a time of people buying gifts, wrapping them in massive amounts of wrapping paper and decoration, and sending them to family and friends around the world. Unfortunately, this mentality is very unfriendly to the environment, so if you want to keep your conscience guilt-free, here are a couple of tips for staying green this holiday season.
Many people have large ovens, which, electric or gas, waste a huge amount of energy. Since ovens are a necessary part of food preparation, using them as little as possible is the best environmental policy. When baking your holiday treats this year, try to bake multiple dishes at once, and unless you are baking a savory ham with sugar cookies, there should be virtually no upsetting flavor exchange. And when checking these delicious goodies, make sure that you use the oven light to check the food instead of opening up he door, because opening up the door releases all the hot air and wastes energy. What would Christmas be without a Christmas tree? Many holiday-goers find that the perfect Christmas tree is so necessary for their festivities that they must import one from the mainland, which is extremely wasteful. It takes a massive amount of energy to harvest, prepare, and ship the trees over to Hawaii. After the holidays are over, the trees are discarded
and sent to a landfill. This year, instead of buying a real tree, buy an artificial tree; it can be decorated by hand or bought predecorated. Miss the pine scent? A scented candle tops off the Christmas tree experience. The best benefit of an artificial Christmas tree is the fact that it can be reused over and over, saving resources and money. In the time prior to the holidays and after, the waste produced by Americans skyrockets; between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans throw away a million extra tons (900,000 metric tons) of garbage each week, including holiday wrapping and packaging. So why don’t you try start a trend and recycle giftwrapping? When wrapping and unwrapping Christmas presents, try using recycled paper or reused shopping bags. When opening gifts, don’t tear the wrapping paper apart; try to conserve the paper so that it can be reused next year. What counts is not the wrapping the present comes in, but the thought behind the present itself.
Features
December 14, 2007
Page 3
Castle Building occurrence sparks safety awareness for ‘Iolani By Katrina Karl In the wake of increased security concerns for schools, Hawaii has not been exempt. Incidents calling school security into question in Hawaii have occurred recently at UH and, most notably for the ‘Iolani community, on our own campus. Shortly after 4 p.m. on Tuesday, November 13th, a young man carrying a backpack inside the Castle Building approached a Lower School girl en route to a music lesson. He invited the student to go with him to a girls’ restroom upstairs. She went with him, but fortunately declined to cooperate with his request to show herself to him and went back to her class with no serious harm done. The school has filed a police report and an investigation is in progress. Ms. Lily Driskill, the Assistant Headmaster, said, “We are very fortunate that no serious harm occurred, and [the incident] is a good reminder for us to look at security as well as instruction [for students] about personal safety.” She added that the occurrence “is a reminder that we are not exempt from isolated incidents. This is an isolated incident,” and that the Lower school stu-
‘This is a reminder that we are not exempt from isolated incidents’ dent “did a great job,” though the school has “not yet been able to apprehend [the young man].” This occurrence has raised more security concerns around campus, many of which have been quickly addressed. Even before, administrators had requested an upcoming security audit of campus. A number of increased security measures have been taken, as Ms. Driskill
than was warranted. We don’t want people to be panicky.” One significant security measure taken was to provide escorts for the youngest children. Ms. Ann Yoneshige, Director of Special Programs, said that this will cover at least kindergarten and first grade, though it is “always an option” for the older children who walked on their own before. Escorts will now have to wear lanyards
The ‘Iolani campus can be even safer if everyone is a little more aware. said, “to safeguard students” while letting “people be able to move freely about campus.” To address the occurrence to the ‘Iolani community, the administration “notified the faculty, staff, and Lower School parents immediately,” Ms. Driskill said. “We considered whether it was appropriate to use the Ohana e-mail blast, but decided that might actually create more concern
with school IDs on them. The younger students know that the IDs mean that the escorts are “safe.” The administration has also urged Lower School students to use covered walkways because there is more traffic along Convention Drive. They have also decided to lock the upstairs bathrooms in the Castle Building at
4:00 and the building’s side door at 3:15. Administrators, including Dr. Iwashita, Ms. Driskill, Mr. Brown, Dr. Hall, and Ms. Yoneshige, have also established a schedule to walk around campus to “see and be seen” until 5:00 p.m. every day. The new guard shack will soon be functional and will be particularly helpful when people wander on and off the campus. Finally, Mr. Brown, who is responsible for the security staff, will be attending a security workshop from December 5-7 to get “ideas in general.” Ms. Driskill reminds the school community that “It’s important for people not to take for granted that everything is as safe as it may appear. We are incredibly lucky to be in what is basically a safe environment.” Security has always been important, even in the safe environment that ‘Iolani provides. As Ms. Yoneshige emphasized, it “can be even safer if everyone is a little more aware.
School cancelled due to power outage By Keyana Stevens ‘Iolani students got their first taste of a mainland snow day on December 5, when classes and activities were cancelled due to a heavy storm the night before. Dr. Iwashita made the decision to cancel classes at 6:00 a.m. because power had gone out on the Upper School campus. The Lower School campus and faculty housing buildings, which are on a different electrical grid than the Upper School, had power on Wednesday morning, but Lower School classes were also cancelled. In addition to the lack of power at school, many teachers had called ‘Iolani reporting the dangerous conditions of roads on the Windward side of the island (the Pali Highway, the main thoroughfare for Kailua and Kaneohe residents, was shut down in both directions for most of the morning). HECO restored power to the school at 9:20 a.m., but at that point all school activities had already been cancelled. Many teachers and students remained unaware of the school cancellation until after they had already arrived at school. “We had difficulty getting the information to KSSK” because so many people were calling the station, Assistant Headmaster Ms. Driskill said. “It was definitely more chaotic than we would have liked, but fortunately people are intelligent and they can adapt well to changing situations.” This confusion was compounded by the fact that the teachers’ phone tree disintegrated because several areas of the island had no cable or phone service. Ms. Driskill said that in all cases in which a school closure is possible, the radio is the best source of information. Other situations that might necessitate a school closure include a lack of water or any other natural emergency such as a tsunami or hurricane. Most students welcomed the extra day off, using it to sleep in, catch up on work and college applications, and have fun: “I slept in,” Lindsay Arakawa ’08 said. “And then I went shopping for a Winterball dress.”
Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani
Lower School students are now urged to walk to after school lessons and classes under the covered walkways instead of Convention Drive (above). Alex Jordan Tamai ‘08 (below), a Special Programs Office employee and escort, displays his new lanyard and ID.
Sports
Page 4
The great space By Kelia Cowan
Earlier this year, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association switched girls intermediate and JV soccer and girls basketball to the winter season. With soccer games being played several days a week and the ‘Iolani Classic basketball tournament coming up, both boys and girls teams are feeling the pressures of the lack of field and court space. “That was stupid,” freshman Joey Harpstrite said. “Now there’s less field space and only one JV (soccer) team for boys and girls. Now we have to share the fields with lots of people and we have to keep switching the places for practice.” Trevor Farm ‘11 said the new scheduling has revealed equipment shortages. “It limits what we can do in our practices,” Farm said. “We can’t put up enough goals. We don’t have enough goals for practicing on the Ala Wai field.” Soccer player Lauren Haggerty said, “It’s a hassle to have to go to Ala Wai every day while other teams get to stay on campus.” Other soccer players do not mind practicing at the Ala Wai fields. “The Ala Wai Park provides a great alternative space. I love the stinky smell. However, I think we still need extra fields,” eighth grader Connor Grune said. Basketball players are suffering from court con-
Imua ‘Iolani
UH Warriors tame war the Huskies
flicts as many teams compete for limited space indoors. “We have less playing time on the court and it’s harder to improve,” said freshman Hailey Maeda, a Div. I player. “We have to share the courts with Div. II and JV to get maximum playing time,” The season switch has forced girls and boys teams to equitably divide space. “Obviously, Lower Gym used to be distributed equally amongst the different levels and genders,” Kainoa Scheer ’11 said. In spite of concern over the “loss of key players,” Scheer remained optimistic. “We will take it home,” he said. In the spring, softball and baseball will endure the same conflict that soccer and basketball must handle now. The HHSAA was forced to switch the seasons after a lawsuit was filed in the state of Michigan demanding equal treatment for boys and girls sports. Last year, Hawaii and Michigan were the last states to schedule girls and boys sports during different seasons. Then the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Michigan had to switch seasons to comply with Title 9, a law that ensures girls sports equal standing with boys. To prevent a Hawaii lawsuit, the HHSAA changed sports’ seasons.
Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani Reid Sakamoto (‘09) prepares to kick the ball in a game against Mid Pacific Institute. The boys’ varsity soccer team has managed to keep an undefeated record despite the lack of field space.
By Dylan Kuwabe
The University of Hawaii Warriors have been tested all season, but not to the extent that the University of Washington Huskies tested them. The Huskies came ready to play in the first quarter. After a penalty on the defense for twelve men on the field that kept the Huskies’ drive alive, Locker drove his team 56 yards down the field to score the first touchdown of the game. Each of Hawaii’s next three drives ended in fumbles, and Washington capitalized their start by scoring off of two of the three turnovers. This left the Warriors in a gigantic hole, down 21-0 with a few minutes left in the first quarter. Hawaii was able to get their offense into a rhythm during their next series, driving the ball 83 yards and ending in a Jason Rivers touchdown catch. Wa s h i n g ton responded with a touchdown drive of their own, making the score 28-7. Hawaii then went on a scoring rampage, scoring two more touchdowns before the conclusion of the second quarter. Momentum was definitely on Hawaii’s side. After a dismal start, they had fought their way back into the game and were only seven points behind at halftime. After halftime, Hawaii fans expected the Warriors’ high-powered offense to continue its onslaught of scoring, but this was not the case.
Washington’s defense played tough and held Hawaii scoreless in the third quarter. Unlike in the first half, Hawaii’s defense rose to the challenge defending against Washington’s high-powered running attack, by holding Washington scoreless. The third quarter was a battle of defense, and both Washington and Hawaii’s defense rose to the occasion. In the fourth quarter, Hawaii’s offense took over. On their opening drive, they drove 75 yards, with Colt Brennan hooking up with Jason Rivers for a fortyyard touchdown pass. The defense was able to hold Washington on the next series, forcing a punt. With four minutes left in the game, Colt Brennan drove downfield, to score the go-ahead touchdown on a pass to Ryan Grice-Mullins, making the score 35-28. Hawaii survived a scare on Wa s h i n g t o n ’s next drive. Locker made two big throws to get Washington to the Hawaii 5-yard line with about twenty seconds left. On second and goal, Locker threw to Marcel Reece in the end zone, but it was tipped up by Gerard Lewis and intercepted by Ryan Mouton, sealing the victory and Hawaii’s perfect 12-0 record. The Warriors never gave up, and because of their amazing performance this season, they are BCS-bound. UH is scheduled to play Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Homecoming editorial: In defense of ‘Iolani traditions By Tyler Cundiff
In a previous editorial, an Imua writer questioned certain aspects of ‘Iolani’s traditional Homecoming football game during the course of an article entitled “Aim high, fail annually” (Vol. 83, Issue 4). The main topic
was the reason ‘Iolani doesn’t play weaker teams for its annual Homecoming football game. While the author was correct in eventually determining that there are a variety of factors that influence the match-up, including ILH scheduling and other ‘Iolani events, I believe that the article has the entire Homecoming thing wrong. Homecoming is not about winning the football game. It is about a great tradition that has
epitomized ‘Iolani school spirit for years, an event that brings ‘Iolani students, faculty, and alumni together to share in the fervor of school pride. While winning the football game is always an awesome experience, it absolutely does not define Homecoming. Also, “fail annually”? Didn’t we crush Damien in our 2004 Homecoming game? Of course, the writer of the article couldn’t have known that, since this is his first year at ‘Iolani. It may
seem discriminatory, but I don’t believe a new student has sufficient experience to question one of the oldest and most cherished traditions at this school, an event which is a pillar of ‘Iolani school spirit. Coach Wendell Look ‘78 summed it up pretty well in that very article with words that rang with truth, “The focus is not about the opponents. Homecoming is a time for ‘Iolani students and alumni to gather around and
share that Homecoming spirit.” In finishing, I’d like to congratulate our own varsity Raider football team for clinching their second Division II state championship in three years. It was a well-fought game, a contest in which our guys battled back from a 14-0 deficit to emerge victorious over Lahainaluna, 28-21. At least the author of the previous Homecoming editorial got one thing right: we did have a solid team this year.
Sports
December 14, 2007
Page 5
How they got there: Div. 2 champs! By Christian Siania (Editor’s note: Christian wrote this first-person account prior to the Raiders’ Nov. 30 triumph in the Div. II championships.) I have watched many intense football games, such as the
match-up between UH and UW. However, as great as watching these games may be, the feeling of an observer is nothing like that of a player who can actually be part of a game. We arrive at the stadium about an hour and a half prior to kick-off. After stepping off of the bus, we wait at the entrance to the North tunnel of Aloha stadium. When coach gives us the cue, we enter the dark tunnel in cold silence. The only sound is the clicking of our cleats as they hit the concrete. We continue to walk toward the field, toward the light at the end of the tunnel. When we step out onto the field, the first thing we notice is the set of empty stands. The walls seem to jut out at us as if they are sealing us in and the only way to get out is to play a game. We step onto the field and walk to our next destination, the visitors’ locker room at the South end of the stadium. It seems as if the field is a white canvas, waiting to be painted with action, with life, with football. As soon as we step in the locker room, the focus that once filled the air turns to a mad dash to our favorite spots. Most people like to take the massage tables. The countdown to the game truly be-
gins at this point. We rest, but no one sleeps; we just relax and await warm-ups. Coach tells us, “Everybody up!” and for the first time since entering the locker room, we are allowed to see what has been going on outside. We pick up our tempo, no longer walking to the field, but jogging instead. We pace quickly to the north end zone do the patented “Dominator warm-up” led by coach Dom. The stadium is becoming a little livelier. The cameras are set up. The announcer goes through his “testing, testing, one-two.” The usual. We start out on the ground with leg raises and in a timely fashion go through about a dozen different stretches, ending with a full sprint. Coach Dom then yells, “Everybody up!” and the adrenaline starts to build. In the pit of my stomach, I feel the butterflies beginning to consume me. “This is what we worked for, boys,” coach preaches. “Be prepared for the best game you ever played. Right now!” Then we all take a knee, do our prayer, and off we go, back to our trailer, our dressing room, our locker room. Sweat begins to trickle down the sides of our faces. When we get back to the locker room, things suddenly seem to pass by so quickly. Next thing you know, the stadium begins to rock. The alma maters are played, then the national anthem, and next thing you know, we hear our coach yell, “Team up.” The locker room goes into a frenzy, not so much from the noise but the intensity buildup. We hear the fans as they begin to pile into the stands, cheering for their team. Next is the usual moment of silence. Some people use this time to center themselves, others think about what they need to do, and the rest of us use this time to pray a little more. The locker room is silent; the more eerie the feeling, the better. Afterward, the team files through
Photos by Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani The victorious Raiders celebrate while walking off the field (above). The team holds the Div. II trophy, proud of the glorious comeback (below).
the South tunnel to the field. In this tunnel we hear the fans begin to cheer loudly in anticipation for the teams. And we pause for a bit. We wait. Our team jumps up and down, waiting for Coach to
let us loose. The butterflies turn into eagles that terrorize the very pits of our stomachs. The tunnel is dim and the only brightness we see is coming from the lights that shine on the field, our stage. Finally, right before we feel as if
we are going to explode, Coach says, “Go ahead,” and one of the captains yells, “Raiders on three, one-two-three,” then the team responds “RAIDERS!” Simultaneously, we run out, taking our stage, and the show begins.
Blueprint for a championship
Photos by Nash Witten| Imua ‘Iolani Unofficial cheerleaders Michael Morgan, Josh Micheals, and Jonathan Edon scream their team to victory. Top left, Justin Yamamoto hugs his mom after the game.
By Travis Cundiff The come-from-behind win over Lahainaluna gives ‘Iolani (6-6) their second Division II title in three years. The Raiders overcame a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter to end up on top of the Lunas, 28-21. Raider quarterback Kela Marciel, who threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns, guided the team to sweet victory. After a rocky first half, Marciel threw a touchdown in the third quarter to tie the game at 21-21. As the defense continued to stop the Lunas’ high-pow-
ered rushing offense, the dream of a win gradually grew into reality. When Justin Yamamoto ran three yards for the go-ahead touchdown, fans knew victory was at hand. It came down to ‘Iolani’s defense to stop the Lunas from tying the game, and they fulfilled expectations. The Raiders sealed the deal with Jarom Baldomero’s interception of a Jake Manning pass with 1:25 remaining. ‘Iolani’s diehard fans could finally celebrate; it was over, and the Raiders had won.
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Imua ‘Iolani
This Christmas, why not...
Page 3
December 14, 2007
Date St.
A treasure chest of unique finds, Peggy’s Picks is an amalgamation of Peggy’s (the owner’s) travels arond the world. Including things from Indonesia and Argentina, the store sells a mixture of old and new, and is the perfect place to find a oneof-a-kind gift for the holidays. The store has a wide variety of really reasonably priced jewlery. 909 Kapahulu Ave. Hours: weekday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
732 Kapahulu Ave. Hours: weekday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Recently opened in May 2007, Soleil can be described as a Polynesian/urban fusion for the island glam girl. A place for Island fashion beyond mainland style, the boutique carries local vendors such as Roberta Oaks and Nicacelly along with Yak Pak bags and local style jewelery.
Ono Hawaiian Foods 726 Kapahulu Ave. Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun. Closed 619 Kapahulu Ave. Hours: weekday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Open since 1999, Good Guys Music and Sound is a popular supplier of musical instruments and sound equipment. The store sells both new and used gear and instruments, and they takes trade-ins on used gear. Its most popular items include guitars and ukuleles.
Photos by Sachiko Pettit
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A true landmark of Kapahulu Ave., Ono Hawaiian Foods has been at the same location for over 40 years. Under the same owner since its creation, the restaurant is a great place to try basic Hawaiian dishes at a much cheaper price than going to a luau. The most popular dish at this mom-and-pop establishment is the lau lau combination plate.
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Soccer Locker & Sports 611 Kapahulu Ave. Hours: weekday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Opened in 1984, the Soccer Locker is a one stop shop for everything related to the sport of soccer. The store has a large variety of soccer jerseys and a whole wall of cleats.
Island Paddler
716 Kapahulu Ave. Hours: weekday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Island Paddler is a one stop shop for all the gear and equipment you need for outrigger canoe paddling.
Most students never go beyond Jamba Juice or Starbucks, but if you go just a little further, a whole array of ecclectic Kaimuki stores waits for you. Maybe if you’re lucky, your next great Christmas present will come from one of these places.
...take a walk through Kapahulu?
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Arts & Entertainment Mish Mash of Music Mayhem
Imua ‘Iolani
The Tragedy of Underappreciated Bands By Mari Heslinga ‘08 and Annie Heslinga ‘12 We, Mari in particular, lament the fact that people in general pass up perfectly good music for less-than-adequate reasons. For example: Fountains of Wayne. Is it fair to assume that every Fountains of Wayne song sounds just like “Stacy’s Mom”? No! In fact some of their other songs are very inventive and not irritating at all! Another example is CKY, a band known almost exclusively due to the drummer, Jess Margera, brother of the infamous Bam Margera. Besides seeing them on the t.v. show and movie “Jackass,” no one really gives this band the light of day, but no one ever seems to appreciate their highly distinctive and unique guitar techniques. They are one of
those special bands that you can just hear and be able to identify immediately. This last example—and this drives us crazy—is a band called Unwritten Law. You might recognize them from their brief 101.9 fame. Their recent yet truthfully disappointing hit was “Shoulda Known Better,” but this track is just weak. Any real skater (because we’re totally hardcore skaters) would know that “Seein’ Red” perfectly captures the essence of all that is skating and awesome (refer to the movie Grind). “Save Me” is also a perfect pop-rock anthem that had serious potential to become “Beverly Hills” popular, except in this case good. Photo by April Nakamura
Great Christmas Gift Ideas Fugazi (NOT pronounced “foo-GAY-zee”) Album- 13 Songs Tickets to see The Police live Tickets to see The Misfits live Learn power chords and serenade the girl you like
To Do: December 5, 2007 By Christian Brady
Rain, rain, go away. Last unplanned day of cancelled school for the next four to six years? Check.
Rain, rain, go away. Please come back another day. . . .
T P he C oetr or y ne r
la
s?
io
po em
Put finishing touches on Winter Ball suit made of butterfly wings. Eat second lunch. Take up yodeling with the help of YouTube. Invent clever term for third lunch: “Trunch” “Binner” “Afterfest.” Check.
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Finish history reading assignment for Monday. Eat lunch before 11. Spend several hours trying to convince parents it’s actually Saturday. Check.
ni Co nd im rn th ua er em @ at to gm A& ai E’ s l.c Po om et ry !
Purchase Christmas gifts online. Don’t change out of pajamas. Sleep. Check. Check. Check.
o t
Brought to you by The Heslinga Sisters! “Plus Minus Fairytale” – Office “Exploding Boy” – Alkaline Trio “Solta O Frango”- Bonde do Role “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex” – CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy) “Devil You Know” – Pinback “How Near, How Far” – And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead
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New Favorite Songs
Imua ‘Iolani
The Lighter Side
December 14, 2007
Sins Uses for Fruitcake 7 Deadly (of gift giving)
By Stephen Stack
With Christmas drawing ever nearer, clueless, lazy, and malicious relatives of yours are no doubt preparing their annual gift of fruitcake for you and your family. While at first it may seem like you’ve been burdened with a large, inedible, lumpy brick, the possibilities of fruitcake go far beyond merely bad gift-giving. 1. Fruitcake tends to be fairly malleable, so it works as a cheap replacement for clay if you need to repair a hole in a wall or sculpt a life-size representation of Napoleon Bonaparte. 2. There’s nothing quite like a game of holiday bowling; fruitcake works equally well in making bowling balls, pins, and bowling shoes (although you may want to shower after that. And burn your socks). 3. In Hawaii, the lack of snow for snowball fights is a bit of a problem. Have a fruitcakeball fight instead, for childhood memories that will stay with you (or haunt you) for the rest of your
life. 4. If you’ve got rats, just leave your fruitcake out overnight. The smell will attract them and, not knowing any better, they’ll partake in your lumpy bait. In the morning, the fruitcake will be gone and your rats will never bother you again. The only problem with this plan is that if you do it too often with other noxious foods, the rats will develop immunities and become super-rats. The only way to get rid of super-rats is with super-fruitcake, and the last time someone made one of those, three wars were started. 5. Fruitcake is an extremely versatile medium for practical jokes. Put a piece in a paper bag, light it on fire, leave it on a doorstep, ring the bell, and run like heck. Use your imagination, and if you really hate someone, there’s always the ultimate evil of practical jokes: fruitcaking a car. I don’t think that needs any explanation. Remember, take your fruitcake seriously this holiday season and don’t taste anything I wouldn’t.
By Kalau Almony 7. Birthday/Christmas gift. This doesn’t apply to all of us, but as someone with a birthday precariously close to Christmas, (the day after, gifts welcome), this one holds a special place in my heart. Everyone’s broke around Christmas, but forgetting a friend’s birthday just reflects poor planning. The exception: really awesome gifts. 6. Clothing. There’s nothing especially wrong with it, it’s just hard to do right. Size, color, style, gender—there are so many places to go wrong. It’s best not to take this sort of risk. Just go with the gift card. The exception: gifts for best friends or family. The people you actually know. 5. Food no one eats. You can rarely go wrong with food. My family has a friend who sends us smoked salmon every Christmas, and we never fail to send him a thank you. If this friend sent us something like smoked mountain oysters, we’d slowly stop sending the thank yous. The exception: if the food is funny enough to make the laugh worth the inedibility. 4. The regift. If you got it, and hate it, most other people will hate it too. Very simple. The exception: if you actually have a friend that would use a la-
bel maker . . . 3. The repeat gift. Just because they liked that movie last year, doesn’t mean they’ve worn out their copy watching it. Please, for everyone’s sake, try to remember what you’ve given people. This leads to regifting, gift-burning and soon, general hatred. The exception: perishables, like the smoked salmon. 2. The group gift. Also commonly referred to as the “Put my name in the card, okay?” gift or the Couple gift. This is a lot like the Birthday/Christmas gift, but worse, because it can be divided up into theoretically infinitesimal sections. It’s also less excusable. The Birthday/Christmas gift implies forgetting a date, the group gift is forgetting an entire person. The exception: really, really awesome gifts. 1. Homemade gifts. If you’re broke, steal, convert to Judaism, put your name in other people’s cards, just please, don’t make gifts. Homemade gifts are terrible for everyone. They invariably cost just as much as other gifts in supplies, waste even more time, and irritate the people who get them, let alone the craft store employee who has to waste an hour attempting to dissuade you from buying that color of yarn. The exceptions: if you’re under eight, above sixty or actually talented you’re allowed to make gifts.
Top Ten Most Wanted Christmas List By Victoria Kim
1. World Peace (Everyone Should want World Peace) 2. Time with Friends and Family (Aww) 3. Porsche (Senior Citizens Beware) 4. iPHONE/ iPOD TOUCH (It can’t say no) 5. New Flat Screen HD TV (Sugar Bowl Go Warriors!) By April Nakamura
6. All expense paid vacation to Europe. (Sipping Eggnog in the Swiss Alps) 7. X-Box 360/ PlayStation 3/ Wii (Halo 3, Assassin’s Creed, Super Mario Galaxy) 8. Rock Band/ Guitar Hero 3 (The closest some of us will get to becoming actual musicians) 9. Money (A Classic) 10. Two Front Teeth (For those who still haven’t gotten them) Compiled by Stephen Toyofuku
Page 9 Imua ‘Iolani is
published by the students of Iolani School, 563 Kamoku St., Honolulu, HI 96826. Established 1923, printed at Hawai’i Hochi. Imua ‘Iolani accepts advertising on a space available basis. Rates are $100 for 1/2 page, $60 for 1/4 page, and $35 for 1/8 page ads. Please e-mail iolaniimua@gmail.com for more information. Include “advertising” in the subject line. Deadline for the next issue is Jan. 27, 2008. Editor-in-Chief: Keyana Stevens Design Editor: Marissa Sakoda Copy Editors: Amara Hoshijo Emily Shimukus Photo Editor: Nash Witten Features Editors: Katrina Karl Amelia Linsky Opinion Editors: Kalau Almony Ko Eun Lee Sports Editors: Bianca Bystrom Kelia Cowan Arts & Entertainment Editors: Christian Brady April Nakamura Lighter Side Editors: Stephen Stack Stephen Toyofuku Lower School Editor: Tiana Bohner Middle School Editor: Akari Hatanaka Adviser: Mrs. Karin Swanson Imua ‘Iolani is distributed free of charge to students of ‘Iolani School. Mail subscriptions are $15 per year. Imua ‘Iolani can also be viewed online at www. iolani.org under the “Student Activities” menu. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service. The opinions herein expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration, faculty, staff of ‘Iolani School or Imua ‘Iolani.
Lower School
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Imua ‘Iolani
Dreams of sugar plums dance in their heads
By Tiana Bohner & Lianne Chung
Kindergarten
What’s your favorite reindeer? Emily Wong: Dasher! Cassie Carlile: Prancer. Jacob Lee: Rudolph! What do you want for Christmas? CC: A Barbie doll. JL: A Nerf! Nate Yonamine: I want Lego Star Wars and Transformers! Why do you like the holidays? I just like to decorate the tree and I get to hang the fragile ornaments.
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
What do you want for Christmas? Micah Yonamine: A white DS! Megan Kagami: I want a Golden Retriever, but my mom said no. What are you going to do over Christmas break? MY: I’m going snowboarding at Lake Tahoe! Hunter Gries: I’m going to the Big Island. Why do you like the holidays? MK: I get to decorate the tree and leave reindeer food and cookies for Santa before he comes.
What do you want for Christmas? Dylan Chu: A videogame! Trevor Tamura: A Wii! What are you going to do over Christmas break? TT: I’m going to my dad’s house! Sarah Tuafini: I can’t wait to see my cousins! What is the best part about Christmas? All: PRESENTS!!!!! What is one of your best holiday memories? DC: When I saw the carrots all scattered on the ground after Rudolph ate almost all of them.
What’s your favorite reindeer? Both: Rudolph! What do you want for Christmas? Tori Gallagher (right): Toys! Ryota Omura (left): Videogames. What are you going to do over Christmas break? TR: My grandma’s coming down from California to visit. RO: I’m going to Japan. What is your favorite holiday song? TG: I love all of them! RO: I don’t have a favorite.
What do you want for Christmas? Haley Nagao (left): A jacket. Ben Rubasch (center): A computer!!!!! Emily Ibanan (right): A DS. What are you going to do over Christmas break? HN: I’m going to stay home. EI: I’m going on a trip to Maui. What is your favorite holiday song? HN: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” EI: “Jingle Bells.”
Fifth Grade What do you want for Christmas? Lindsey Combs (right): An iPod! Kahler Suzuki (left): I don’t know, candy, or probably an iPod. What are you going to do over Christmas break? LC: I’m just going to stay at home, be bored, and have plenty of sleepovers. KS: I will be practicing for “The Wiz” because I’m a Munchkin. What’s your favorite holiday song? LC: A jazzed up version of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” KS: “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” too! What’s one of your best holiday memories? LC: When I baked last-minute cookies for Santa. KS: When we bought a Christmas tree for my grandma. Why do you like the Christmas? LC: I like that it’s cold in the winter and I get a lot of presents. KS: I can give presents!
Sixth Grade What do you want for Christmas? Ashley Shigeoka (right): A laptop. Megan Kibota (left): A new cell phone. What are you going to do over Christmas break? AS: Well, my brother is going to Japan, so I’m going to have a lot of Christmas parties with my friends and cousins. MK: I’m going to spend time with my relatives. What is your favorite holiday song? AS & MK: “Silent Night.” What’s one of your best holiday memories? AS: I’d say when I got my first phone for Christmas, I started crying. MK: When I got my first DS. Why do you like Christmas? AS: I get lots of presents and I get to give a lot of presents. MK: I can get and give presents to everyone.
The Middle Years Upper school’s newest elves dance to visions of vacation
December 14, 2007
By Michelle Huang
Just two weeks away, Christmas sparks daydreams that tend to keep Iolani children from focusing. Instead of concentrating on formulas and books, they think about what they will do during the break. Those who are fortunate enough to travel leave right after school lets out, trying to make the most of Iolani’s short Christmas vacation. Some who remain on the island hope for drier weather so they can go out to chill with close buddies and friends. Others relish cooler weather, a break from the Hawaiian sun and humidity. There is much to be done before the break starts. Stress from gift-buying and giving plagues students, as well as tests from teachers who hope for students to remember concepts and formulas after they come back from vacation. Seventh-graders share their thoughts concerning the holiday break: “I think its really great because it’s the only time I get to spend with my relatives in Taiwan.” ~Danielle Huang “I’m ecstatic for the upcoming break because I will be able to sleep more and relax. I’m celebrating it with my close family in Indiana and Utah.” ~Amy Kimura “I can’t concentrate on my work because I’m too excited! I’m going to Vancouver to celebrate with my fellow church members.” ~Jun Shin
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“I’m going to stay home and watch T.V. all day. I might go out to dinner, but we’re not celebrating Christmas.” ~Nicole Cheung “Yes, I’m excited that Christmas break is near. There are more test and quizzes. The teachers say that they’re being nice, but I’m not so sure.” ~ Ashlyn Yee “I have a science test, a French test this week, and math and geography tests. Some tests are on the same day. The teachers are fair, though they’re not as lenient because it is the second quarter already.” ~ Allison Fujimoto “I don’t really want the weather to change. I’m fine with the weather, because at least it’s not a giant hurricane.” ~Blake Tsuzaki “I like it when it rains, and I’m going to Japan during the break anyways. The teachers are trying to give us less homework, but pushing us so we will remember even after the break.” ~ Nicholas Shigeioka “I like the weather now. I like the cold feeling. It is fun, not humid, 80-degree weather, and not snowy, but cool. It gives us more of a Christmas-y feel.” ~Bradley Wo
Keyana Stevens | Imua Iolani Spelling bee winner Angelina Yick (‘13) ponders a word.
Buzz on the spelling bee by
Ezekiel Kearns
The week of Dec. 3, saw the coming and going of the school spelling bee. A speller chosen from each class participated, from sixth to eighth grade. Remarkably one of the sixth graders even took fourth place. The spelling bee works by laying down a simple set of rules. If there are two people left in a round and one spells a word incorrectly the other has to spell it correctly, unless the other person is back in. The winner of the spelling bee will go on to compete in the re-
gional and then if they win, on to the nationals. The spelling bee lasted 22 rounds, quite a long time. One group that lasted a particularly long time was that of the final three spellers, Lucia Amore ‘12, Ayumi Tachida ‘12, and Angelina Yick ‘12. Eventually Lucia was eliminated leaving only Angelina Yick and last year’s second place, Ayumi Tachida. The competition between them was fierce until Ayumi was eliminated by “rotisserie”, leaving Angelina as the winner of this year’s spelling bee.
Middle school decks Castle halls Money, less homework top students’ wish lists By Lauren Arakawa and Akari Hatanaka
Nash Witten | Imua Iolani The homeroom of C-201 hangs their stockings with care in hopes that St. Nicholas will soon be there.
Christmas may be about giving, but many middle schoolers are thinking about what they are going to recieve. “Money and less homework.” “I want money because it solves problems,” said Ashlee Asada (’12). Eighth grader Scott Marison explained, “I want less homework because it’d be less stressful [over the holidays] and I’d get more free time to do what I want.” Middle-schoolers wanted similar things to high school students, who sometimes wish they were back in middle school. “I guess I would want money for Christmas, but I would also want finals to be before vacation so I wouldn’t have to study over break,” said Tracy Young (’11). Tayler Mori (’11) agreed, “If we had finals before break, then we could relax during vacation. Middle-schoolers are lucky they don’t have semester finals except for math, so it is like less homework for them. ”
Nash Witten | Imua Iolani Faces of bright happy smiles and festive tinsel decorate a beautiful hand drawn Christmas tree.
Great Nights of Christmas Lights
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Imua ‘Iolani
Christmas Lights
By Christian Brady ‘08 and April Nakamura ‘08
With two weeks off this month and relaxation on the agenda, A&E recommends that you take some time during the winter break to sit back, relax, and see the lights—of Oahu, that is! We’d like to share a few of our humble ruminations on scenic illumination around the island; places where the blinking and winking of bulbs is especially bright; where night and a small fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum swirl and twirl together in perfect harmony.
Photos by Christian Brady ‘08 and April Nakamura ‘08
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The Kaneohe Promenade
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Afternoon Under the Stars
The Kaneohe side is home to a number of annually awardwinning Christmas light displays. For inhabitants of the locality, a casual walk down the especially festive Kamehameha highway,v which goes straight through Kaneohe town, will be sure to delight. Also, check out Ahuimanu Street in Temple valley not far from Kaneohe. The temples may not be decorated, but the nearby houses are actually quite festive! Be sure to bring a light jacket or sweater! Leave panda bears and extra baggage at home (you’ll need both eyes and all your limbs in order to gawk properly)! Be sure to check out the especially bright fire station and police station.
You haven’t done it since you were a kid, but trust us—it’s as fun as ever. The Bishop Museum’s planetarium is the only way (short of a total eclipse) to see the Sun’s friendly neighbors in the daytime. The theme at Bishop until January 20, 2008 is The World Inside Your Head. If you have time, take a stroll near the Kamehameha Shopping Center for a spectacular arrangement of street decoration.
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Friday Night Lights
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Honolulu City Lights
Imua ‘Iolani
Every Friday the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel in Waikiki puts on a fireworks show. Take a walk down Kalakaua, drop by Coldstone’s to pick a scoop of chocolate ice cream with M&M mixed in, and watch the skies above your head explode; or find a cozy spot on the outdoor terrace of Borders and Books at the Ward Shopping center, after catching a movie with your friends, and discuss paths of trajectory and spectro-analysis over a cup of (something from Starbucks, because I don’t go there). The view from the water is purported by teacher-surfers to be quite stunning. Begins promptly at 7:30 p.m.
Pride and joy of the capital city, the Honolulu City Lights are almost too much to see in a single evening. Stuff a bit of jerky into one of your pockets so that you can maintain your stamina after the “first hour wall.” The walk is not for the faint of eardrum, as you should expect to hear the tell-tale ringing of trolley bells and car horns late into the night. Make sure you are acquainted with the area before wandering too far off from the main attraction at the Honolulu Hale.
The Great Santa Hunt
The infamous Santa Claus that lords over Ala Moana Center in all his inflatable glory has a twin! Have you the time, the resolve, and the legs, make the beastly trip from mall to the Hale. If it accomplishes nothing more than to confuse your younger siblings, whose understanding of the transportational powers of Chris Cringle is shaky at best, you’re evening has been well spent! In fact, while you’re at it, try counting all the effigies of Mr. C you can find around town. Our count is currently at seven.