nce 1 i s s
de st u nt
Vol. 84, Issue 5
av
e for
December 18, 2008
3
oic
Imua ‘Iolani
92
Honolulu, Hawaii
Flu strikes, absences spike Illustration by Cordelia Xie
By Tawni Murphy Trying to juggle school, homework and other extracurricular activities contributes to making life hard at ‘Iolani. Missing school is something that most students dream of, but prefer not to do because making up missed work can be dreadful. During the week of Nov. 17-21, student absences increased dramatically because of illnesses, rising from an average of about 24 percent to about 4-9 percent of students absent during that week. The illness that struck the upper school campus probably started in the lower school just after the Veterans Day holiday Nov. 11.
Students in lower school had a milder sickness with a fever for about two to three days and a runny nose. The next week, an illness hit the upper school campus, leading to many student absences and sending many students home sick. “Some of it seems to be the flu,” said Ms. Shannon Yonamine, the Director of Health Services for ‘Iolani School. “But in other cases it seems to be the common cold.” On Monday Nov. 17, 8 percent of the upper school was out sick, and the number rose to 9 percent the next day. On Wednesday Nov. 19, the amount of absent students dropped back down to 8 percent. The week ended with both Thursday and Friday hav-
ing 7 percent of the students absent. According to the Hawaii State Department of Health, the flu has an incubation period of one to four days, with an average of around two days. Symptoms of the flu include a high fever (over 100 degrees), headaches, sore throat, a dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches and extreme tiredness. Some complications of the flu include bronchitis or pneumonia, which could develop into life-threatening conditions. Although a fever over 100 degrees and headaches are rare in the cases of a common cold, the symptoms still might appear. Other symptoms of the common cold include mild fatigue and chest discomfort, sneezing,
coughing and sore throat. Complications include an earache or a sinus infection. A rumor circulating around the upper school campus stated that if 10 percent of the upper school were absent, then the DOH would have to be called and school would shut down for the day. It is true that the DOH would be notified, but school would not be shut down. “When the DOH is called in by a school, swab kits are sent out to the school and are used for kids who visit the infirmary complaining of illness,” said Ms. Augustina Manuzak, a HDOH Epidemiological
Continued on page 4
Volunteer for a merry, economical Xmas! By Emily Saka
As the Christmas decorations begin to go up once more and carols sound from department store speakers, it’s hard not to get caught up in the holiday festivities. However, sometimes it’s just as hard to forget about the hundreds of families who will spend yet another Christmas without a roof over their heads or with hardly any food to eat, let alone presents or Christmas cheer. This year, due to our current economic recession, there are more people than ever in need during the holiday season. There are also students within the ‘Iolani community as well who simply can’t afford the shopping bags full of gifts that people have been known to drag around campus in years past. ‘Iolani’s tradition of giving back to the community, in the form of the SAO giving tree and various community service projects, sets a good example for those hoping to have an economical but fulfilling Christmas. Whether students
want to give back to others in economic hardship, or are dealing with financial problems themselves, volunteering is definitely one of the most rewarding options. Scott Morishige, a program manager at Helping Hands Hawaii, reported an increase of 24 families in their Adopt a Family program and an overall 31% increase in the number of people asking for help during the holiday season. Because of the country’s economic problems, 2008 is the program’s biggest year to date. Helping Hands Hawaii provides a number of services to over 4,000 people a year. The ways to volunteer range from donating clothing, canned goods, and used items to working in the Christmas warehouse to adopting a family for the holidays. “It’s not just one individual who gets helped,” Morishige said, in regards to the volunteer work one person can accomplish. He explained that it is this very reason that makes volunteering so rewarding, and also so easy. “Volunteering is as simple as going up to a ringing Sal-
vation Army bell,” he said. “If ever you find yourself with loose change, donate it. Five dollars can buy a family’s worth of groceries from the Food Bank.” Actually taking part in a more proactive form of volunteer work is just as easy. The organization needs volunteers to work in their Christmas warehouse, and all it takes is a simple phone call to say you’ll help. The Adopt a Family program is also extremely simple to take part in. Each family member asks for only $10-$15 a person, and the donation can go towards giving the family a proper holiday meal. Helping Hands Hawaii is only one organization that is looking for volunteers and donations this Christmas. The senior class recently arranged a community service project at the Institute of Human Services, where they sorted donations, cleaned rooms, and wrote Christmas cards. Hospitals and senior citizen homes are always in need of volunteers to spread Christmas cheer to the patients and residents. There are many ways to do a whole lot of good with just a few dollars or one free afternoon this holiday season.
Inside: Twilight movie: Blood Drive - 4 Sugary drinks will vanish - 2 Football Champs - 6 Sparkly, or just bites? - 3 Spelling titans battle - 5
Index Editorials--2
Sports--6 A&E--3 Lower School--5 Middle School--8 Features--4