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Vol. 83, Issue 6
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February 14, 2008
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‘ mua I Iolani
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Honolulu, Hawaii
CCO adopts tech-savvy tool
By Brandon Kumabe This year, ‘Iolani has integrated an online college resource database into the college application process. The database, a web-based program called Family Connection, serves as a centralized portal for information on colleges, career majors, and jobs. Each student who uses the program has their own account with a modifiable personal profile that contains information pertaining to GPA, college choices, and career choices. The program allows students to browse through a variety of colleges and add those that interest them to their personal profiles. In addition to browsing, students can get application-relevant information on a specific college, including information on admissions, financial aid, majors and degrees offered, as well as on student life. This eliminates the need for college handbooks by providing up-to-date information on colleges that is updated by the colleges themselves. Family Connection also provides in-depth information on a large amount of careers. This information includes everything from informational videos to the average salary of a given profession based on state statistics. Almost every profession, from Bench Carpentry to Market Research Analysis, is there. Potential careers can then be added to a student’s profile. The information provided in a student’s personal profile can be viewed by the college counseling staff, facilitating giving advice and suggestions for students
By Emily Shimkus
that are tailored to their interests and needs. Aside from the benefits that the personalized profile provides, Family Connection should also help to fill the gaps in communication between the College Counseling Office and the students. Each student’s account has the ability to receive emails from College Counselor Mr. Todd Fleming. Messages can be sent to individuals or to groups of people who have similar interests. If a group of students is interested in one college, Mr. Fleming can send a message through Family Connection alerting them when that college is having a presentation or event. Something that would have been very labor-intensive in the past can now be done with a few easy clicks of a mouse. Despite this new form of tech-savvy communication, Mr. Fleming stresses that Family Connection won’t replace faceto-face meetings in the College Counseling Office. It’s just a way to help increase communication, not replace it. Family Connection can also be used to conduct surveys or online questionnaires. Several of the Junior Worksheets that had been previously done by hand are now available to do online. Electronic submission will cut down on the use of paper. Starting this year, Family Connection will be available for use by all ‘Iolani juniors. Seniors, many whom have already turned in their college applications, will not be able to utilize this application. Mr. Fleming first started looking into
Yasmin Kheradpey | Imua ‘Iolani
Melissa Lee ‘09 updates the Learning Style Inventory feature on her Naviance Family Connection homepage. Family Connection in 2004. He had to determine if it would be beneficial, secure, and helpful in increasing the efficiency of the College Counseling Office. In addition, the College Counseling staff had to familiarize themselves with the program to ensure that they were prepared for the oncoming wave of college applicants. Upon hearing of Family Connection, some seniors seemed unfazed about the missed benefits it would have provided. “The hardest part of applying was keeping track of all the deadlines
and getting teacher recommendations and finishing the apps and transcripts. Basically time-management,” said senior Victoria Le. Ryan Gomoto, a senior, said, “The essays were the hardest part of applying, but having all the college information in one place instead of in the book should be good.” Both agreed that the increased communication provided by Family Connection would have helped in their application process.
Cheryl’s web enchants students
Though it was an unexpected one, the “meandering path” that ‘Iolani alumna and MacArthur Fellowship grant recipient Cheryl Hayashi took led her to become a spider silk biologist set on making new discoveries. Hayashi returned to describe this path and the significance of her studies to students and teachers in Seto Hall on Tuesday, February 5. After an introduction from Mr. Jack Kay, Dr. Hayashi began a presentation entitled “Spiders, Silks, and Me.” She described how she got involved in work with spiders
Photo by Cathy Lee Chong
and the different types of research being conducted on spider silk properties and functions. “I never in a million years
Inside: Find Si Won! Blue Line Project--2 Anti V-Day--3 Scholastic Arts--8
would have thought that this is what I’d be doing today,” Dr. Hayashi told the students. Dr. Hayashi has pursued her education and research in many locations, including ‘Iolani, Yale University, Panama, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and Wyoming. Currently she teaches and conducts research at the UC Riverside. In her presentation, Dr. Hayashi explained how spiders use different silks for different purposes. Spiders use their silks for protection, reproduction, as drag or safety lines, and for prey capture. “There’s an enormous diversity of spider silks out there,” said
Dr. Hayashi. Spider silks are relatively easy to study because spiders use them in everyday situations under normal temperatures and conditions. At Dr. Hayashi’s lab, she and her co-workers store silk fibers on cardboard cards. They then test the silks to look for the performance qualities of the fibers. They also clone spider genes. Dr. Hayashi applies her knowledge of spider silk properties by comparing the silks to other materials, such as Kevlar and elastin. She has found that dragline silk’s strength is close to that of Kevlar, a bullet proof material, and capture spiral silk is even stretchier
than elastin. “Spider silk can be useful for any application,” said Dr. Hayashi. Medical sutures and even sportswear may be made of spider silks in the future. Regarding silk production, “You can’t trust spiders,” said Dr. Hayashi. “That would not be a good system to farm.” So, she put the spider genes that code for the production of silk into both a tomato and tobacco plant. Because the genes for silk production are turned on in the plants, Dr. Hayashi is able to harvest spider silks on her own (Continued on p. 6)
Index Editorials--3 Nash Witten | Imua Iolani
Lighter Side--4 Sports--5 Middle School--6 Lower School--7 A&E--8
Features
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Imua ‘Iolani
Which sounds most like the new bells?
A.
C.
B. telephone
B. D. Andrew Takahashi | Imua ‘Iolani
By Amelia Linsky The new bells have finally arrived. An investigation of the Dean of Students’ office turns up Mr. Tate Brown presiding over two wall-mounted white metal boxes. The face of each bears an assortment of switches and a chart listing twenty possible bell schedules. The name “Simplex” is emblazoned discreetly in one corner. The wireless system alerts an antenna mounted outside Mr. Brown’s office, which then broadcasts a signal to speakers placed strategically around campus. “Our old bells were outdated. The company that handled them was no longer doing maintenance
on them. If the system went down, that was it–no more bells,” Mr. Brown explains. “It was like a record player.” The new system was actually installed in August, the week before school started. However, the administration faced a quandary in deciding what tone to program in for the regular bell schedule. “They had eight preset tones already burned onto the unit,” said Mr. Brown, “and some were good enough for emergency-type situations...but the one they said was to replace our old bells was ...too abrasive. They were good for containment and evacuation, but we needed something different for the bells. This was the most pleasant tone they had.”
Students march to celebrate Dr. King By Jenna Arnold and Ayesha Cooray The ‘Iolani Students for Peace participated in the commemorative Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade on Jan. 21, winding their way from Ala Moana Park to Kapiolani Park. Students for Peace was just one of the 62 different groups that marched that day in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s nonviolent methods of protest. The most noticeable aspect of the MLK march was the variety of groups that participated. Junior Lindsay Kosasa said, “The diversity of the march was awe-inspiring. To see sixty-plus groups coming together to honor such an inspirational man really portrays Hawaii’s support of world peace.” The collection of groups as-
sembled included church organizations, beauty queens, protest groups, and advocates for various presidential candidates. Senior Nash Witten, president of Students for Peace, said, “The size of crowd that gathered for the march showed the impact Dr. King made on society.” According to the Honolulu Advertiser, hundreds came to participate in the MLK march. Speaking on KHON2 news, Mayor Mufi Hannemann, an ‘Iolani graduate, said, “Since we’re a city and state of various ethnic minority groups, it’s very significant for us to honor Martin Luther King because what he stood for has made it possible for many people who hail from Hawaii to achieve the type of things that they set out to do. This is a great holiday; this is a great parade for us to show our tribute to a great man.”
The unit was uninstalled and shipped to the mainland company that owns the unit and the sounds on the unit. “The only way to change the sounds is to let that company burn them on,” said Mr. Brown. The unit was sent in August and returned about a quarter later–-with the wrong tones on the box. The administration restarted the process, shipped the unit back to the mainland, and finally received it and the right tones at the end of the first semester. “We tested all the speakers the Friday we had off after exams,” said Mr. Brown. “We had to play the tones and listen to each individual speaker. The next step is tinkering with the volume. We have to make sure we get all the
A. Buddhist monastery
coverage we need, and then we’ll test the emergency tones and have drills like we used to.” Of the eight slots on the unit, one contains the bell-like tone that has been likened to a maritime signal, a Buddhist temple, and a Catholic school calling students to mass. The others have vocal alarms for containment and emergencies. “The fire alarms are still on a totally different system,” Mr. Brown pointed out. “The systems aren’t supposed to be linked–-so nothing’s changed with that.” The semester-long wait that taxed students’ and teachers’ patience resulted from proprietary rights that prevented ‘Iolani’s staff from burning tones on to the unit. Simplex had to main-
C. bus D. pigeon
tain control of its tones and its technology, and thus the process slowed down considerably. “I’m sure our kids are so smart they probably could’ve done it a lot faster,” Mr. Brown said lightly. “I just turn the bells on.”
Drawing the line on global warming By Jenna Arnold and Ayesha Cooray The ‘Iolani Students for Peace, along with other environmental volunteer organizations, gathered at Stadium Park on January 30th to take part in the Blue Line Project. The Blue Line indicates the new shoreline in 2050, projecting a one-meter rise in sea level. The blue line was drawn to serve as a visible reminder to Hawaii’s residents that Hawaii is especially vulnerable to the effects of global warming. The line is especially meaningful to ‘Iolani, as it runs right through campus. Volunteers were given sticks of blue chalk and blue tape to mark up designated portions of sidewalk. The chalked sidewalk was located in the Moilili- McCully part of the island-wide line drawn to indicate the impact of the rise in sea level. Students drew a variety of different peace symbols, aquatic animals, and sayings that encouraged environmental action. Senior Nash Witten, president of Students for Peace, said, “We tried to draw symbols that were optimistic but warned of the impending danger.” Junior Karli Wade said that she thought the project would especially affect the low-lying area of Moiliili. Residents should feel “blue at the thought of their land becoming beachfront property in less than fifty years.” The event was organized by Charles Fletcher,
a professor of geology and geophysics at UH, and Jeff Mikulina, director of the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter. Both Fletcher and Mikulina hoped that the line would influence the decisions made at an international conference that was held at UH on January 30 and 31 to discuss the “Bali Road Map,” regarding global warming.
Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani
Club members Alexa Hettwer, Karli Wade, Ayesha Cooray, Jenna Arnold, and Monika Young pose with their blue chalk designs.
Editorials Valentine’s Day not worth the effort
February 14, 2008
By Leslie Kim
So once again, another Valentine’s Day is rolling around, and I find myself without a significant other. Somehow, that’s a strangely comforting thought. Don’t get me wrong; I am quite obligated to believe in love at first sight and true love and all that jazz. After all, my mother claims that when she first saw my father, it was like there was a chorus of angels, and he had a halo around him, and she just knew he was the one. To my great embarrassment, they still hold hands when they walk, even in public, much like
teenagers with crushes. As for the “somewhere, there’s someone” feeling, it’s residual from reading so many fairy tales when I was younger. You don’t read nearly every book in the fairy tale/folk tale/myth section in the library and not start to paint a picture of a perfect prince somewhere out there. Currently, my fairy tale prince is intelligent (it’s rather difficult to make conversation with someone with rocks for brains), tall (to offset my unfortunate, ridiculously short genes), and has the willpower of a limp noodle, at least against me. (Perhaps I should get a dog; it’d fit the willpower and most of the intelligence criteria; obviously, the height and the ability-to-make-intelligent-conversation requirements would be thrown out.) But is romance really viable at this stage? Is it really worth the hassle? When I think of the tri-
als and tribulations of some of my friends, I wonder if it’s really all that it’s cracked up to be. Recently, one pair I know broke up, ostensibly over some small incident at Winterball, and they had been so close that calling one by the other’s name would get the same reaction as calling him/her by his/her real name. Sure there are emotional benefits, and you get someone who’ll be there for you nearly unconditionally who isn’t blood-related to you. If they can drive, you get a chauffeur; if they are willing to pay, you have a walking checkbook. But the time commitment, the emotional commitment, even the monetary commitment, to some degree, all seem a bit much to promise at this stage in life. And all for what? The average teenage romance, by my count, lasts 3-6 months. A few last longer, some extremely
lengthy ones surpassing a year or two. But in the end? Most fall apart, usually with some sort of negativity. Perhaps later, I’ll see the error of my ways. Perhaps I’m just commitment-shy (despite the fact that commitment-shyness seems to be a predominantly male disease). But meanwhile, I’ll enjoy my freedom, doing things that I could never do with a significant other: being selfish, using my time only for myself, being stingy with my money, and never buying family members birthday presents for years in a row, much less people completely unrelated to me; conversely, splurging on boxes of chocolates and eating them by myself, not racking up a massive phone bill by calling/texting the same person every 30 minutes, not wasting gas money going to date sites, and generally, not being tied down.
Why don’t we end bad relationships? By Jenna Arnold
We sat down for lunch, Libby next to her boyfriend Alex and me next to Libby. We got out our lunches. I let out a groan as I saw that it was the usual PB&J sandwich but to my right, Libby let out a yelp of delight as she pulled out a Lunchables from her bag. One of our guy friends, Matt, looked up from his food to see what the commotion was about. “Oh Libby, could I have a piece of cheese from there?” he asked, “No. I am so hungry!” Libby responded, but anyone who knew her was aware of her kindness. Of course she would give him a piece of cheese, no question about it. But her boyfriend Alex turned around and retorted, “Are you serious?” You are so selfish! It’s just one god-
damn slice of cheese! Oh, wait I know, you need as much as you can get ‘cause you eat so much! Can I have a grain of salt off your cracker? Oh, wait; you probably want it for yourself.” A silence spread across the table. She turned her head towards me so that her face was concealed from Alex. I looked up and saw thick tears leaking out of her eyes, getting stuck in her eyelashes and eventually rolling down her pale skin and dripping off her chin. I wondered if Alex had gone too far this time. Maybe what bothered me the most about the sticky situation with my best friend and her boyfriend was not the fact that she would shed fresh tears almost every day. It was the fact that at the end of the day, she would just blow it off, kiss him goodbye, and tell him that she loved him. Then history would repeat itself. And it’s not like she is the only person who has experienced this situation. Almost all of us go through
toxic relationships, blind and unable to face the truth when it’s right behind us tapping us on our shoulders. My brother and his girlfriend were together for two years. The first year they spent in love, the second they spent in arguments. Sometimes I would just sit and watch them argue about the most ridiculous things; his ex-girlfriend’s shirt, how to pack a suitcase, where he sleeps, and on and on. The arguments got more and more frequent as the day passed. Sometimes I would ask him why he didn’t end it. He would reply with a simple, “We love each other, no matter how much we fight. I can change her.” I tried to believe him to support him, but his actions mostly frustrated me. Why didn’t he end it sooner? She obviously made him upset, and he knew he needed a girlfriend that he could have fun with, but he still stayed with her. Maybe he felt it was his duty to change her and protect her, or
maybe it was just denial. But the funny thing about denial is that it doesn’t really work. You can deny something, but deep inside you know the truth. Believe me—I know. This guy and I had been hanging out a lot, sometimes going to the movies or dinner. I practically lived for those nights; they were amazingfor me in so many ways. But there was a problem. We would go out, have an amazing night and the next day he wouldn’t say one word to me. Maybe it was because he was busy, maybe it was because I wasn’t the one he really wanted. Even though I was so aware of the horrible way he was treating me, I was always there for him when he needed me. Why won’t my friend end the near abusive relationship with her boyfriend? Why wouldn’t my brother dump the “girlfriend from hell?” Why didn’t I stand up for how I should have been treated? I guess we all have our reasons.
The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Saturday, Feb. 2: This holiday season, 26.4 million people visited a Web site sponsored by OfficeMax that invited them to upload a photo of themselves, attach it to the body of a dancing elf and forward it to everyone in their e-mail address book. Toy New York, the ad agency behind elfyourself. com, said those people spent a cumulative 2,614 years elfing themselves. If this is the first you’ve heard of it, we’ll save you a trip to the computer: The site is no longer there. You can bet it will be
back, though, along with zillions of copycat sites trying to replicate OfficeMax’s viral success. Viral marketing depends on what was known as word-ofmouth back in the days when face-mailing was known as talking. It taps into the spontaneous human urge to share news, jokes, gossip and other forms of entertainment with 100 of our closest friends, the sooner the better. The idea is to get the message in front of someone who will post it, link to it or e-mail it to a network of people who will pass it on to their own networks so that it spreads, exponentially, like a bad germ. Everyone we know who
got an elfyourself e-mail immediately dropped whatever they were doing and set to work uploading their own face, their kids’ faces, the boss’ face - in all, 123 million elves were made. The best viral campaigns have a subversive feel about them, i.e. OfficeMax sabotaging worker productivity with an irresistible little time-waster best enjoyed at your desk, a pleasant interruption to all that online Christmas shopping. Does this help sell office supplies? Not our problem. But what are we supposed to do with those hours now? Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and we’ve discovered
iheart.despair.com, where you can create and e-mail a candy heart inscribed with your very own message. You get only two lines of six characters each, so it helps to be fluent in textspeak, but there’s apparently no dirty word filter, based on our research, so knock yourself out. And feel free to check out the merchandise, or not. On your own time, of course.
Send a viral Valentine
(c) 2008, Chicago Tribune. Visit the Chicago Tribune on the Internet at http://www.chicago.tribune.com Distributed by McClatchyTribune Information Services.
Page 3 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 March 2. Editor-in-Chief: Keyana Stevens Design Editor: Marissa Sakoda Copy Editors: Amara Hoshijo Emily Shimkus 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.
Page 4
The Lighter Side
Imua ‘Iolani
Tired of the same old Valentines?
By Stephen Toyofuku
It is finally February and love is in the air. There will be birds chirping love songs, the sun will shine bright in the sky, and the air will smell like a hundred fresh-cut roses. Happy couples, young and old, will be seen skipping gleefully in meadows, cuddling on park benches, and taking that romantic valentine kiss under a tree. ‘Sigh.’ If only, if only. . . Traditionally, Valentine’s Day involves a bunch of boring candies and flowers accompanied by the occasional stuffed animal. Chocolates or a bunch of those odd tasting candy hearts are the most common gifts. Most would rather receive chocolate, but don’t be so quick to judge because those candy hearts can say meaningful stuff. With flowers, you buy a bunch of beautiful red roses, act suave and hand them to that special girl/guy (hey, guys can like flowers too). Boring. Valentine’s Day can be so much more exciting, maybe not as exciting as the infamous 1929 Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, but not just the same old same old. It is time to start a revolution. Unless you have been driven to murder, extortion, theft,
or assault, there is no limit on the expression of love. One interesting way: couples tattoos. Get each other’s name inked on to your flesh, and your love will last through the ages. Nothing says I love you more than the pain of a tiny needle entering your skin over and over. And if things with that person don’t work out later, tattoos, thanks to modern medicine, can easily be removed *cough* *cough*. If you are really into the extremes, try something crazy. Rent a horse from your local ranch and be a knight/ knightess (or whatever the girl version of knight is) in shining armor. There is nothing cuter than a little dress-up and role play. In no way am I encouraging graffiti, but a little mischief here and there is another great way to say “I love you.” And besides, everyone has a naughty side. Instead of carving your names in a tree, try spray painting your names on a building. If you get caught, you didn’t hear it from me. Also, consider using your and your sweet heart’s pet names because it may take the suspicion away from you. This is a little corny, but very affectionate: the classic song at 3:00 in the morn-
ing. This will take quite bit of careful planning, but the end results will be worth it. (FYI: this may only apply to guys, but ladies, feel free to try). Find your girl’s favorite love song (yes, it has to be a love song because the last thing I think someone wants to hear in a romantic situation is Down with the Sickness) and sing it to her at 3:00 in the morning. Why 3:00? No clue, but it’s a nice number. If her parents wake up, run away as fast as you can because the last thing you want is a police record for public disturbance. But, hey, what do I know? Am I dating the person you are? No. No one knows that person better than you. Do something uniquely special and sweet, no matter how weird it is, because in the end, showing your love is all that matters. Be creative, and make it the best Valentine’s Day ever. (Just don’t get arrested.) Disclaimer: The previous article was meant for entertainment purposes only. Imua ‘Iolani is not held responsible for any injuries or lawsuits against individuals who take our writing seriously. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Sound Logic: The best pick-up lines ever. Seriously. By Stephen Stack and Stephen Toyofuku Having trouble finding the right words to confess your love to your crush? Use some of these pick-up lines and you’re ganrateed to win your love’s heart. If you find yourself on the receiving end of some of these and don’t feel the same, we’ve also provided some good rejection lines. Line: Do you have a map? Because I’m lost in your eyes. Response: Get lost, or I’ll
find your face with my fist. L: Did it hurt when you fell from heaven? R: Do you think it will hurt when I mace you? L: Where have you been all my life? R: Hiding from you. L: I would die for you! R: Prove it. L: You look like a dream. R: Go back to sleep.
L: I think you’re the one. R: I didn’t think you could count that high.
just you? R: Is a garbage truck passing by, or is it just you?
L: Your father must be a thief, because he stole the stars and put them in your eyes. R: Your father must be a used-car salesman, because you’re a lemon.
L: When I looked up your name is the thesaurus, the first word was “beautiful.” R: When I looked up your name the first word was “liar.”
L: Can I buy you a drink? R: Sure, if you promise to leave. L: Is it hot in here, or is it
HeartBreakers 101
L: How much does a baby polar bear weigh? (Wait for “How much?”) Just enough to break the ice.
L: If I could rearrage the alphabet, I’d put “U” and “I” together. R: If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put together “G” and “O.”
by Cordelia Xie
Sports
February 14, 2008
Picture perfect basketball Season ends with ...
- Girls varsity placed second, ensuring a berth in the state championships which begins Feb. 19. - Boys varsity played for first place against Punahou Feb. 8. Results were unknown at press time.
Chaz Silva | Imua ‘Iolani Trevyn Tulonghari ‘11 protects the ball in a game against Kamehameha (on the left). Senior Taylor Mounts perpares to shoot the ball.
Swimmers take 3 championships
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Boys capture ILH soccer title
By Kelia Cowan
The boys’ varsity soccer team has won the ILH season and is headed to the state championship during Feb. 7-9. At press time, the results of the matches were unknown. Winning the ILH title “feels pretty cool because we get the red banner put up in Lower Gym,” freshman Matthew Horner said. Junior Samuel Wechsler, new to ‘Iolani this year, earned a spot on the team. “It’s pretty cool to be part of something good,” Wechsler said. “Everybody has a part on our team, whether it’s big or small. I think we’re gonna be good in the state championship.” Sophomore Nicholas Goo can sense the magnitude of the upcoming tournament. “It’s a new feeling,” Goo said. “It will be one of the biggest games I have ever played in. This past season was pretty good.” “It’s a pretty exciting feeling to be playing in the stadium and
Ex-pro footballer speaks to FCA By Kelia Cowan
Bianca Bystrom | Imua ‘Iolani Kelsey Ohira ‘11 dives into the water during the Junior Varsity Championships at Punahou.
By Kelia Cowan The intermediate girls, junior varsity girls, and the junior varsity boys all won their respective swimming ILH championships with the assistance of the diving team. Swimming and diving are considered one sport, so the points each team receives in the championships combines for the total placements. After completing the intermediate season, multiple freshmen swimmers were moved up to the JV team, where they won again. Some swimmers enjoyed the companionship of their fellow teammates, despite swimming being an individual sport. “It was fun racing against my teammates,” eighth-grader Cadie Shimabukuro said. Freshman Kelsey Ohira said, “Swimming was fun because there’s good people in it. I swim because it keeps you in shape for everything.” Diver Anna Prandes said, “Diving was fun. My teammates were really nice and I met a lot of new people.” When asked how the male swimmers managed
to win, since ‘Iolani lacks male divers, junior Vincent Lim said, “We just stroked hard and kept a good rhythm.” His cousin, freshman David Lim, said, “No way we could have won the championship without the contribution [of our teammates.]” “It feels good to win two championships since we’re freshmen,” Kelli Ann Ifuku said. She was one of the swimmers to be moved up to the JV level after the intermediate season. Two years ago, the intermediate girls won the ILH championship. Head Coach Brian Lee said, “We didn’t go in there expecting to win, but as the meet went on, the swimmers did very well. I hope that everyone had fun, as that was the main goal.” The assistant coaches Lillian “Pokey” Richardson, Andrew, and Ross coached the swimmers the most, so Coach Brian wished to give them credit. Cristin Lim ‘11, a diver, said, “It’s good to know that we can make a difference, since intermediates won by one point because of the divers.” “We were smoking in that water,” freshman Shireen Kheradpey said.
to be on the number one team,” said junior Keith Lum. “We have a really talented team this year,” Chistopher Otani ‘09 said. “Our chemistry is very good.” Team captain and senior Zachary Lee said, “This season turned out pretty well despite running into a rough patch in the beginning when we lost to Saint Louis. It’s a bittersweet feeling [to return to the state championship] because it’s nice to get there, but it’s our last chance to win.” The other soccer teams did not do as well, with boys’ JV soccer losing in the championship to Punahou Gold. Intermediate boys placed second and third. The girls varsity team placed third, and the intermediate Red team lost in the semifinals. The boys varsity team beat Kaiser 2-0 in the first game of the tournament Feb. 7. They were slated to play Friday, Feb. 8, but the results from that match were not known at press time.
Tw o - h u n d r e d - f o r t y - f i v e pound Devon McDonald stands six feet and four inches with broad shoulders and massive muscles. He shared a story about his football life and how he contemplated death and found God. Devon McDonald played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Arizona Cardinals from 19931996. However, after he had suicidal thoughts, he turned to Christianity as a relief from his sins. He came to Hawaii to see the Pro Bowl, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) brought Mr. McDonald to ‘Iolani to speak to the group. Mr. McDonald currently speaks at high schools, sharing his beliefs about God and athletics. “This is my home front,” he said. He advises student athletes, “Know what motivates you. Stay connected to that. Have your life in the right order. Once it’s aligned right, you’ll overcome a lot more. You’ll be more productive in life.” If one becomes injured doing one’s athletic season, Mr. McDon-
ald says that they “keep that area active. If you don’t use it, it gets worse. Coming from a Christian background, I pray. Most injuries happen because we’re outta shape and people forget the fundamentals. If we remember the fundamentals and stay in shape, we won’t get injured.” His trademarked quote is, “You’re not born a winner, you’re not born a loser, you’re born a chooser.”
Bianca Bystrom | Imua ‘Iolani
Devon McDonald signed his player cards after his inspirational speech on Feb. 7.
Imua ‘Iolani The Middle Years Seventh graders and lower Eighth graders: schoolers do good together
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the finals begin By Lauren Arakawa and Akari Hatanaka When anyone thinks of midterms the first thing that comes to mind is…ANOTHER TEST!! When the eighth-graders were asked how they felt during their first semester finals, they shared their feelings openly. “It was intimidating,” Lawrence Ho said. “What I remember from the exam was the teacher over the loudspeaker go ‘Thirty minutes left… enjoy it while you can!’ when he spoke.” “History was okay, but during the math (exam) I was sleeping,” admitted Ashlee Asada. “I thought the mid terms were (stressful) because
you cram and there was so much information! I was panicking,” said Twyla Hamasaki. Although the eighth graders were stressed out, sophomore Robert Moran exclaimed, “Eighth graders are so lucky they only have two semester finals. I had three semester finals, and I’m going to have five final exams at the end of the year!” “I felt kind of scared because I didn’t want to get a bad grade, but I was relieved when it was over,” Darin Poei said. Most of the eighth graders feelings were summed up by Ally Ogata, who said, “I was scared and intimidated...and mad that they were making us take the stupid thing!”
By Kaena Moose
Ms. Rhonda Nagao’s seventhgraders did community service with the kindergarteners. They made heart pins for the kindergarteners to give to their mothers. Most of the seventh graders are donating their heart pins to
Jana Wang’s hospital in Houston, Texas. Their first community service project was with Meals on Wheels. The seventh-graders helped the first-graders and kindergarteners make Christmas cards. They also came up with
Christmas messages and cards that accompanied the meals as they were delivered to people who had physical disabilities. The seventh-graders will be having another community service project later this year in May.
Calling middle school writers The seventh and eighth-grade publication “Scribes and Scribbles” is due to be printed and distributed in May. The advisors of this middle school magazine are Mrs. Debbie Otsu and Ms. Yuki Basso. It is currently nominating editors. Selected artwork, photography, poems, essays, short stories, and haikus by seventh and eighth graders will be included. All artistic submissions will be judged prior to inclusion.
The deadline for Scribes and Scribbles is Feb. 21.
(Cheryl’s web--cont. from p. 1) by taking care of the plants. “There’s a lot of work to be done here,” said Dr. Hayashi. “Spiders are ancient and diverse.” There are 39,000 described species of spiders, and each makes at least one type of silk. “There’s just so much to be known about the world. For every question I’m able to answer, I come up with ten new questions,” Dr. Hayashi said. “There’s just so much opportunity for discovery.”
After her presentation, Dr. Hayashi, who has never been bitten by a spider, answered questions from the students. After being asked about the feasibility of Spider-Man, Dr. Hayashi mentioned that she had participated on a program on the History Channel discussing just that. “My problem with Spider-Man, though,” said Dr. Hayashi jokingly, “is before we found out that spiders make silks from their feet, it always seemed to be coming out of the wrong end.”
Kung Hee Fat Choy!
Happy Year of the Rat! Mrs. Karin Swanson | Imua ‘Iolani
On Feb. 7, a Lion Dance was performed at lunch to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
February 14, 2008
Lower School
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World War II veterans share their stories By Tiana Bohner
Mr. George Shiroma reminisces about World War II and his life as Jordan Hara ‘18, Kirsten Konishi ‘18, David Huang ’18 and Lauren Devens ’18 listen to his stories. These four second graders and many others walked across the street to the Club 100 to hear war stories from the veterans. With tape recorder ready and pencils in hand, the second graders each paired up and interviewed these survivors. The Asian American Experience history classes also joined them to learn about JapaneseAmerican veterans and their part in WWII. Mr. Shiroma vividly remembers being drafted into the 442nd Regimental Combat Team after college and being shipped off to training in Indiana. But instead of going to Europe and fighting in combat, Mr. Shiroma joined the Military Intelligence Service and was sent to the Philippines to interrogate Japanese prisoners of war. There he took a Japanese sword and a rifle from them, saying “These may not work as well, but they come with high value. Because some family in Japan probably gave these weapons to their son, telling him not to dishonor their ancestors.” When all the children walked in and saw the sword and the gun
lying on his table they were immediately intrigued as many rushed over to interview him first. Mr. Shiroma also brought with him a metal cooking pot, which has his name engraved on the lid and proudly said, “The Japanese made this especially for me.” Along with Mr. Shiroma’s interesting stories, he brought many pictures and documents, including a thick packet given to him by the U.S. military, which translated English to Japanese, and pictures of him with his general and fellow soldiers, while waiting at the train station in Japan to come home. Mr. Robert Arakaki, who is the president of Club 100, did not wish to speak about the war to second graders, Jessica Okubo
’18 and Reid Ueki ‘18, admitting, “I don’t remember much because I don’t want to think about it.” Instead Mr. Arakaki described the magnificent structures he saw while in Europe, including the Basilica and the marble statues. While showing us picture books he bought of these wonders while in Europe, he expressed his awe with the masterpieces created centuries ago. But Mr. Arakaki did tell the second graders a little of his war experience, saying, “I was one of the younger soldiers so I joined the 100th Infantry Battalion near the end of the war in Italy as a replacement soldier.” Mr. Arakaki had many lessons he wanted to share with the
younger generations rather than describing the terrible war. Both Mr. Shiroma and Mr. Arakaki are proud and grateful for their contribution to the victory of the United States, along with the many other veterans who made friendships and sacrifices while learning life’s lessons during and after the war. Second grade teacher Mrs. Naka explained that in two weeks, the second graders will put on their play, “Honoring Our Veterans”, so along with learning about WWII in class, the students also were able to interview veterans. Mrs. Naka is pleased they could hear the stories especially since the number of WWII veterans is dwindling. She emphasizes how
important it is for children to learn history straight from the source. Second graders are also learning how events from the past are affecting their lives today by interviewing Japanese-Americans who entered the war just to prove their loyalty to the United States. Along with wowing the second graders and giving insight to the Asian American class students, these veterans also help us preserve the history, which was created by people with the first-hand experience. Tasia Mamiya ’10 concluded her thank you letter to these veterans by saying, “It was interesting to learn about your experiences, because these are stories we can’t just read in history textbooks.”
Photo Courtesy of Mrs. Susan Igawa
Second graders and Asian American history students interview Japanese-American WWII veterans who either served in the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, or the Military Intelligence Service.
‘The Wiz’ kids in motion By Lianne Chung
In this year’s spring musical, The Wiz, new additions to the cast include lower schoolers. Usually there are fewer than two lower schoolers in the musical, but this year, ten out of the sixteen children who auditioned were cast. Sixth graders Timmy Leong and Cal Muramaru, as well as fifth graders Lindsey Combs, Madison Darcy, Julia Kawano, Danny Leong, Kimberly Peterson, Riley Sakamoto, Kahler Suzuki, and Dillon Waidyatilleka play Munchkins, Poppies, and Monkeys. These youngsters were not at all shy, eager to share their enthusiasm. They say that the upbeat songs and choreography make the show fun. Cal likes the Funky Monkey dance best and Kimberly’s favorite song is “He’s the Wiz.” Kahler and Danny agree that the musical also gives them more time to work on homework right after school. Lindsey says that it is an honor to be apart of the musical. She says, “The musical teaches us responsibility and helps us to learn more about acting. “It’s also good to get to know
Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani
Come watch these kids and the rest of the cast on Feb. 28, 29, and March 1 at the historic Hawaii Theatre. older people.” Dillon and Danny like that they have more upper school friends. Cal and Madison also like the respect that they have gained within the lower school. “The younger kids really look up to us,” Madison commented. When asked why they tried out, most of the lower schoolers said it was because they loved acting. Riley said, “Acting is my life. I want to do shows outside of school too. I took classes at Diamond Head Theater and I really
liked them. That’s when I knew I wanted to act.” Kimberly says that the musical provides her with experience for the future. Their excitement is apparent, as they put all their effort into the long rehearsals after school. The only thing they are not looking forward to is the possible stage fright, but they have nothing to worry about, as they go through rehearsals with few mistakes. The dedication of the lower schoolers help to contribute to the success of The Wiz.
Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani
Above: Krista Speroni ‘08 and Jana Souza ‘11 smile with all ten munchkins, poppies, and monkeys during rehearsal. Below: The kids joyfully sing and dance with umbrellas for a scene.
Arts & Entertainment
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Art! Art! Art! by April
Nakamura
Who knew that so much creative talent coursed through ‘Iolani’s veins? On Feb. 2, talented young artists gathered at the Hawaii State Art Museum for the 45th Hawaii Regional Scholastic Art Awards. Thirty-five of our
“Give Peace A Chance” by Andrew Takahashi ‘09
Happy Groundhog Day!
classmates attended the ceremony to receive various awards for their excellent work in visual arts categories such as mixed media, sculpture, photography, drawing, painting, and digital imagery. The works of winners were displayed at the Hawaii State Art Museum amongst the works of other wellknown local artists. Each year, thousands of Hawaii students from grades 7-12 submit works of art to the Scholastic Art Competition. Here, after an intense judging process, the field is narrowed down to a few hundred works, worthy of silver and gold keys, awards that recognize excellent work in that category of entry. A few artists are fortunate to receive awards of higher honor. Elena Osawa ’08 and Jessica Sasaki ’08 both won one of the most esteemed awards in the entire competition. The most out-
American Vision Nominees Elena Osawa, Gold Key (Mixed Media, Cake UFO’s) Jessica Sasaki, Gold Key (Sculpture, Mona Lisa Bowl) Group 1 2D Award Winners Kirsten Chock, Gold Key (Mixed Media) Cara Itai, Gold Key (Mixed Media) Cristin Lim, Gold Key (Drawing) Alyssa Fujii, Silver Key (Printmaking) Group 2 2D Award Winners Tawri Matsushige, Gold Key (Printmaking) Colleen Lundy, Gold Key (Drawing) Aris Suchinroj, 2 Silver Keys (Drawing) Mariya Hayakawa, 2 Gold Keys (Painting) April Nakamura, Gold Key (Painting) Elena Osawa, Gold Key (Painting)
Imua ‘Iolani
Elena Osawa ‘08 with her painting “Cake UFOs.” standing works receive the titles American Vision Award Nominee and Regional Gold Key Finalist. This title basically dubs works “best in show.” These two final-
ists, among other Hawaii students, will go on to represent Hawaii in the national judging held in New York. Winners receive national recognition and monetary awards
Group 1 3D Award Winners Michelle Huang, 2 Gold Keys (Design: jewelry, sculpture) Maile Beal, Gold Key (Sculpture) Erica Butters, 2 Gold Keys (Sculpture) Tulga Tsedev, Gold Key (Sculpture) Group 2 3D Award Winners Laheia Usui, Gold Key (Sculpture) Jason Yuasa, Gold Key, Silver Key (Sculpture) Tom Elysse, Gold Key (Sculpture) Julia Horie, Gold Key (Sculpture) Jessica Sasaki, Gold Key (Sculpture) Clay Ozaki-Train, Gold Key (Sculpture) Kainoa Scheer, Silver Key (Sculpture) Kimberlee Souza, 3 Silver Keys (Sculpture) Zoe Petticord, Silver Key (Sculpture) Eve Tang, Silver Key (Sculpture)
April Nakamura | Imua ‘Iolani
and scholarships from various prestigious colleges and art institutes. Congratulations to all artists and keep up the good work!
Group 2 Photography Winners Alicia Buntenbah Leong, Gold Key (Photog raphy) Yasmin Kheradpey, Gold Key (Digital Imagery) Andrew Takahashi, Gold Key (Photography) Erika Mizokuchi, Gold Key (Digital Imagery) Nash Witten, Gold Key (Digital Imagery) Sean Mizumoto, 2 Gold Keys (Photography) Chad Cachero, Silver Key (Photography) Portfolio Award Winners Nash Witten, Gold Key (Photography) Sarah Omura, Gold Key (Photography)
A Continuing Storyline... By Christian Brady
Neurotic Christi bemoans the irresistability of Valentine’s Day while Jim devises a new plan to escape the dark confines of `Iolani... Christina trudges to senior benches into door under the steps, which lead down a long flight of stairs into darkness...
Christina (taking the main stage, imaginary spotlight and all): Why do I even try to resist the sickening allure of this wretched day? To ignore its chocolate candies? Its prettily-colored cards? I can’t take it anymore!
More walking down stairs and twisted hallways... More darkness... Until finally she reaches the command center / secret lounge she and her friends have carved out just above the water table! Louise lounges on a plush couch while Jim sits, intensely focused on sewing a weirdly humanoid doll in his lap, sewing needle held between his lips. Christina (dropping her stuff on the ground): Uggggh. Lou: Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too, Christi. Christina: What’s the use? Jim: Not again....
Jim (holding up his stuffed scarecrow): Finally! Now I can take off early for the 3-day weekend and leave Jim #2 to take my place! Lou: You’re insane, you know that, don’t you? Jim: It’s Valentine’s Day, cut me some slack. (Chime and Toll of bells) Lou: Come on Chris, let’s leave Jim to play with his doll. Jim: It’s a strategic decoy!
e ve h T ti er ea rn r C o C