Imua Mar 2009: Volume 84, Issue 7

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Vol. 84, Issue 7

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March 19, 2009

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Imua‘ Iolani

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Honolulu, Hawaii

Spreading peace and joy in our own back yard

By Chaz Silva

‘Iolani social entrepreneurs stepped out of their comfortable classroom to transform their words and ideas and take action by volunteering for two non-profit organizations in Honolulu.

Students from Ms. Kimi Frith’s Economics and Social Entrepreneurship classes visited Shriner’s Hospitals and Ronald McDonald House in early March and offered

help and donations.

Shriner’s Hospitals for Children in Hawaii has helped more than 26,000 children. The Honolulu location specifically cares for children who need orthopedic or specialty pediatric care.

“The kids come from all over the Pacific islands,” said Stan Berry, the executive director at Shriner’s Hawaii. “Doctors travel all over (India, Sri Lanka, Samoa, etc.) to find children that need help.”

Shriner’s Hospitals are universal and help children all over the world free of charge.

Students took a tour of Shriner’s in Honolulu and were able to put together welcome packages for the new children entering the hospital.

The young social entrepreneurs donated supplies such as books, crayons, and toys for the care packages and

Jana Wang: Believe

By Akari Hatanaka

Jana Wang, an ‘Iolani sophomore known for her bubbly laughter, kindness, and contagious joy, died March 8 at M.D. Anderson Medical Center in Houston, Texas. She was 15.

She had been receiving treatment for osteosarcoma, an aggressive cancer which was diagnosed at the end of her eighth grade year.

Jana entered ‘Iolani in seventh grade. She played cello and was a member of the tennis team. After her diagnosis, members of the tennis team and other friends showed their support for her by selling green-and-white shirts bearing the simple slogan, “Believe.” Green and white were Jana’s favorite colors.

Her impish, lively humor Jana tried to be nice to everyone. Alyssa Muraoka ’11 said she “truly lit up the room with her laughter and spontaneous shenanigans.”

And what shenanigans she pulled: Telling her cello teacher she had tennis games to get out See Jana, page 9

Inside: All about Facebook - 6-7 Swamp Romp victors - 5 Pippin is a hit - 11 Peace Week - 8

assembled them together with excitement.

“It brings a smile to my face to see these kids smiling,” Rachelle Nilo, a senior at ‘Iolani, said. “You can tell how much they appreciate it.”

“Actually stepping into the hospital was much more inspiring than just hearing about or watching a video in class,” senior Megan Jackson said.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawaii is another organization that works closely with Shriner’s Hospitals by offering families a home to stay in while the child is undergoing treatment at the hospital.

The students visited the home in Manoa and brought much needed supplies that were donated through the student organized “McDrive.”

The classes collected paper towels, toilet paper, Zip-Loc bags, saimin, and snacks. To advertise the drive the students made posters, designed flyers, and spread the word to their classmates.

Above,seniors Breland Almadova, Jordan Tacon, and Daniel Mitchell help to clean the Ronald McDonald House. Left, Lani Walker ‘09 cleans toys. Photos courtesy of Ms. Kimi Frith.

Michael Ahakuelo, volunteer coordinator for Ronald McDonald Hawaii, assisted the class with their activities that day.

Some students baked, some cleaned, and others did arts and crafts with the kids.

“It’s impressive to see what these kids can do despite their struggles,” Nilo said. The experi-

ence was so inspiring for her that Nilo already put in an application to become a regular volunteer.

“The kids appreciate it so much, and we do too,” Ahakuelo said.

The entrepreneurs are always looking for new ways to help the community. One of their upcoming projects is a book and supply drive for a new school in Cambodia.

The case of the

incredible shrinking lunch

By Ashlyn Koga

Is the stress of third quarter making our imaginations run wild, or have portion sizes actually decreased? Out of 600 students surveyed in the upper school, 216, or 36 percent, believe something’s been fishy. But what’s even more shocking is the 64 percent of students upset by this year’s price increase. Is the cafeteria taking advantage of its monopoly power?

The two main items students complained about were the chicken nuggets and Icees. They noticed that there were fewer nuggets given for the same price and that the Icee cover limits the amount given.

Kevin Wada, head of Sodexho Marriott Food Service, the company that runs the cafeteria, said, “No, there has not been a decrease

Sons and Daughters vs.

Newcomers p. 2

in portion size.”

This is Mr. Wada’s third year at ‘Iolani, and he said that the prices have risen every year. “The cost of our goods and labor is the cause,” Wada said, “Our prices go up when the base good’s prices go up.”

Also, as many people have noticed, the cafeteria is incorporating healthier alternatives into the meals. “Healthier options tend to be more expensive, such as fresher and locally grown produce,” Mr. Wada said. Some students grumbled about the “herbs” and “healthy stuff” but most had no opinion. Ms. Charlie Ritts said, “I appreciate the healthy change in the lunches!”

This year, the costs for goods were unusually high, so Mr. Wada raised the prices to compensate.

The Gatorade, spam musubi and Icee prices are the ones that up-

set most students. However, 41 percent of the students surveyed buy lunch. Nevertheless, almost everyone visits the snack bar and is affected by the price increase.

Despite all these complaints, the cafeteria has not seen a decrease in profits. That means students will buy their goods even at high prices. “The only thing that can stop a monopoly from raising its prices is a decrease in the demand,” economics teacher Col. Richard Rankin said. Although Mr. Wada has the students’ best interest at hand, he does run a business and making money is important.

To help combat the rising prices separate what you need to eat from what you want to eat. Food is one of the worst things to spend your money on because it’s expensive and ends up in the toilet.

Eat smart to save money.

Index Editorials--2

Sports--4&5 A&E--11 Lighter Side--10 Lower School--12 Features--3,8,9

Editorials

Page 2

Imua ‘Iolani

Sons, daughters, or cousins of ‘Iolani?

Pro: 13 years of memories

By Tiana Bohner

Illustrated By Cordelia Xie

We are not the exception to the “One Team” motto. But we are Sons and Daughters because we literally grew up in Lower School at ‘Iolani, where all of our school day memories lie.

I do not think I am any more special just because I could hold a decent phone conversation and drew a nice cat for the admission director when I was five, and thus was deemed a child with exceptional potential.

It’s not all about preserving tradition

either, though that is always raised as a key point. The true argument is in that after next year I will have 13 years worth of memories from ‘Iolani, and people will still insist that I do not deserve to call myself a Daughter because it’s too exclusive.

The issue is time. More time at `Iolani does not necessarily mean more special treatment; I understand that. But over the 13 years that Sons and Daughters have spent at ‘Iolani, relationships with students and teachers have been established which can never be duplicated elsewhere.

For those of you who came to ‘Iolani in middle or high school, you still don’t forget your elementary school or the people who made it memorable, and in that same way, each year, an amalgamated group of Sons and Daughters are tied together. I know many of you attend your elementary

school reunions and are still best friends with the first person you met in kindergarten, so any gatherings we have are just the same and are no more prestigious than yours.

People criticize Baccalaureate for being an event that only highlights the memories of Sons or Daughters, but in reality anyone can tell a story if he or she wants to. We are not limiting the stories to only ones about Lower School nor are we bombarding you with our stories and inside jokes, which we know you will never understand. In fact, if you are not from kindergarten but you tell at story at Baccalaureate, I’d listen. I may not understand the nuances of your story, but it’d probably be more interesting than hearing for the fourth time, the story of how in third grade a boy ate worms for a dollar.

The only other things that set us apart are where we stand during the “Burning of the I” and the pin we wear at graduation. No one judges you based on when you came into ‘Iolani or thinks less of you because you don’t know any of the Lower School teachers.

I emphasize that we do not preserve the traditions for the Sons and Daughters simply because our parents paid over $10 grand a year. Honestly, I’m sure many parents of non-Sons or Daughters offer more support and show more dedication In the end, the entitlements given to Sons and Daughters are not rooted in the claim that we’ve paid more tuition or that we were lucky to be admitted in kindergarten.

The traditions which we uphold, like the “Burning of the I,” are not for the sake of making student feel less connected to ‘Iolani, because some day we will all be alumni of this school, whether we were here from kindergarten or just started as juniors. The title and the traditions are just a little ways for the Sons and Daughters to pay tribute to our years together and the school, which cared for us for 13 years.

Con: The “One Team” Exception

By Ashlyn Koga

Every Homecoming, resentful feelings are intensified regarding the “Burning of the I” -- how unfair it is that only ‘Iolani’s Sons and Daughters are privileged to partake in this tradition. To clarify: a Son or Daughter is someone who has attended ‘Iolani since kindergarten. Is this exclusivity representative of the school’s “One Team” motto? Numerous articles on this topic have been written with the hope of bringing about positive changes. Yet, inaction still prevails. A minority of students still retain these elitist rights, which the majority of students are not allowed, due to archaic visions left unrevised and updated.

If ‘Iolani didn’t emphasize the “One Team” motto, complaints concerning this issue would be non-existent. But this motto is preached, which, for the majority, is perceived as a joke. It no longer eludes to the teamwork Father Bray once spoke of; it’s just a cliché; a meaningless phrase.

When asked about the privileges of sons and daughters, Headmaster Dr. Val Iwashita replied, “I don’t see much in the way of special privileges. I know over time, the advisors have tried to tone down distinctions between the Sons and Daughters […] We make lots of other distinctions such as Honor Graduates, individual and group awards, grade level designations […]

Each designation has its privileges and its responsibilities. I don’t see the Sons and Daughters as much different.”

If the son/daughter distinction needed to be “toned down,” isn’t the underlying message that students were feeling left out, thus not part of the ‘Iolani Ohana? As for other distinctions, I agree with Dr. Iwashita that each has its privileges and responsibilities; however, those are earned merits.

Every student has the opportunity to be an honor graduate if they so choose regardless of what grade they entered ‘Iolani. It is an achieved and earned merit.

Getting in at kindergarten is not an earned merit. How can you tell who will be the most successful at the age of five?

Every graduate of ‘Iolani should be considered a son or daughter, not just a select few.

Let’s say that a family who has one natural born child adopts another child. Should the natural born child have more privileges than the adopted child, since he/she was there since birth? Would the adopted child feel a part of the family if he/she were treated as less valued? With ‘Iolani’s current philosophy, the adopted child (the majority who aren’t sons and daughters) are entitled to less privileges, consequently do not feel a part of the ‘Iolani family.

Looking at the breakdown of money donated to the school, percentages fall from

eighty five percent in the lower school to thirty percent in the upper school, where a majority of the class is not a son or daughter. That is a “red flag” if parents are not even willing to donate a dollar. With all the privileges that sons and daughters revel in, such as special seating at Baccalaureate, Burning of the I, and special lunches, do sons and daughters donate more to the school after graduation? No, in fact they give back one percent less money to the school after graduation than those who are not sons and daughters.

I feel privileged to attend ‘Iolani School.

It is an honor for all of us graduating from such a prestigious school. That is why when I graduate, I don’t want to be a cousin of ‘Iolani; I want to be a daughter of ‘Iolani and finally feel a part of the team.

Facebook: the superficial social experience

By Brandon Kumabe

through Facebook Chat.

There’s a social dilemma when chatting with someone on Facebook or any virtual form of communication.

Facebook changed everything.

You can’t differentiate the subtle human emotions and One day, when we send our wives Valentines Day messages in- nuances from the stolid lines of text that pop up on your stead of cards, when a simple Happy computer screen. We have to use hahas and smileys and Birthday! on a friend’s wall replaces such to get the tones of our conversations across.

It’s sad to think that the entire spectrum of human emoany form of meaningful birthday thought, when breaking up with tion has been condensed to a haha and an internet smiley.

Facebook blurs the line on what real relationships are. your girlfriend over Facebook chat suffices as a suitable way of handling your relationships, when that day comes, If you talk with someone incessantly on Facebook and divulge the most personal details of your life, does it mean we’ll be able to say that Facebook changed everything. any less than if you poured out your feelings, person to It’s not too far off.

It’s a conundrum presented with every new gadget person, in real life?

It’s difficult to gauge where relationships stand when the or technology that supposedly brings us closer together.

Facebook lets us communicate and stay in touch with each basis of relationships themselves, social contact, becomes other more frequently but sacrifices genuine human con- entwined with lite virtual echoes of real conversations.

There is definitely a sense of security and convenience tact for ambiguous social fulfillment.

Facebook hasn’t wiped real human contact from the when you use Facebook to communicate but it makes face of the earth. However, it seems that more and more, communication impersonal and vague.

Who’s going to write a letter when they can just send a day-to-day things we take for granted like simple conversations have given way to wall posts and conversations message through facebook or post the message to some-

one’s wall?

When I was in the sixth-grade, I was enamored with a fair, blonde-haired girl named Paige. So much so, that one day I decided to write her a love note. I printed out one of those Powerpoint slide backgrounds and used patterned scissors to cut around the edges to make it look nice.

I spent hour after hour coming up with a draft of a letter that confessed my feelings of tween love.

These days, a kid would probably do the same thing, except through a private message on Facebook. That would be it.

Maybe I’m too much of a sentimentalist, but I don’t think a heartfelt message in your inbox comes close to the intricacies that you can create when you handcraft a letter.

The things I say don’t mean any less when I use Facebook, but I’m afraid that what I do mean gets desensitized and lost in translation.

If Facebook or some alternative becomes the social norm for actual communication, we’ll become lonely troglodytes who will have forgotten what it means to talk.

March 19, 2009

Features

Page 3

Bathrooms: Best and Worst of ‘Iolani

Bathroom Rankings

Scream and run in the opposite direction as fast as you can!

no stars

*cringe* Find another bathroom.

Just once is okay, if you are REALLY desperate.

Fine, go ahead.

Niiiice…

Ooh-la-la! Pretend to have to use this bathroom anytime you like!

I-WING Boys’ Bathroom Smell: 3.5 (soap) Cleanliness: 3

One of the most visited bathrooms on campus, the boys’ bathroom in the I-Wing contains five stalls (one of which offers wheelchair access) and two urinals. Be aware that the second stall has a broken lock. The lighting is bright, faucets and sinks are acceptable, and shelves are also provided to house your belongings. Occasionally, the mirrors may sport obscene “artwork” if you happen to drop in before the maintenance staff rectify the situation. Other than that, by all means, enter with gusto.

LOWER GYM Boys’ Smell: 2 Cleanliness: 3

Whoever heard of a bathroom without a mirror? Well, the boys’ bathroom in the lower gym is exactly that. Two urinals and three stalls adorn its walls and its three faucets are all spring-operated. Want to keep the water running so you can wash both of your hands? Then keep on holding onto that faucet! But you’d have to hold your breath to actually go inside. . .or even when you’re just passing in and out of a lower gym assembly.

FIRST FLOOR WEINBERG Boys’ Smell: 4 Cleanliness: 4

When you’re hanging out by the Weinberg snack bar, you’re closest choice for a bathroom is the one across the first floor Weinberg elevators. With five stalls and eight urinals, this bathroom was also built for the public during ‘Iolani’s countless functions. Brightly lit and well-stocked with soap and towel dispensers, the shelves are also useful additions to this bathroom. The second stall has a broken lock, and the stall doors are all very squeaky. Other than that, it’s all good! a lower gym assembly.

NANGAKU Boys’ Smell: 4 Cleanliness: 3

I went into the Nangaku boys’ bathroom with its notorious reputation in mind—and found myself proven wrong. Having never used this bathroom before (I don’t have classes in Nangaku), I braced myself for the worst but found great lighting, two acceptable sinks and faucets, shelves, two urinals, and a spacious stall. The only bad thing that I saw was that one of its two towel dispensers was not automatic, but it wasn’t enough to actually agree to the complaints I’ve heard about Nangaku. ¡El baño es muy bueno!

CASTLE Girls’ Smell: 2 Cleanliness: 3

Similar to the adjacent boys’ bathroom, the Castle Girls’ bathroom’s only fixture above the larger of the two mirrors does not provide much light. Sometimes, the light also creates dark shadows throughout the bathroom, so it might be a bit scary to be alone in there.

Take a bathroom-buddy, girls, if you’re afraid. This bathroom does not have shelves like its male counterpart, but it is more spacious. It offers a total of nine stalls. A word of advice: be inclined to use the first stall to the left as it has a better and newer seat than the rest. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the smell can be unbearable at times. A comfortable seat doesn’t make it an awesome bathroom.

I-WING Girls’ Smell: 3 Cleanliness: 4

With a seven available stalls, the girls’ bathroom located by the Upper School Main Office has much to offer. The full-length mirror is a valuable asset and the three levels of shelf space is more than enough for ‘Iolani girls’ handbags, books, and other belongings. Rush hour for this girls’ room could be during the last few minutes before the final lunch bell rings, so be sure to use the bathroom before the bell to avoid unexcused tardiness to class. Flooding has been a problem in this bathroom, however, so watch your step.

‘Iolani’s restroom woes

By Jen Samatha Rasay

“Puedo ir al baño, por favor?” (May I please go to the bathroom?)

“Sí. Buenas suerte.” (Yes. Good luck.)

So is Señora Lisa Bailey’s usual reply to her Spanish students. “But that’s because I’m being silly,” Senora Bailey smiled.

Nonetheless, she does agree that there are problems with ‘Iolani bathrooms.

A number of students and faculty have already complained to the administration about certain Upper School bathrooms. The bathrooms in Nangaku and Weinberg buildings have garnered the most attention due to their unbearable stench. However, the administration has taken several actions in resolving the matter.

Mr. Glenn Ching, Director of Finance, said, “We hope to eliminate all of the [bathroom] issues.”

The smell of sewer gas in the notorious Nangaku bathrooms is due to a problem with the p-traps.

A p-trap is the bent pipe located underneath every sink. Its unique “p” shape is to make sure that water is collected in the trap. The water acts as a barrier against the sewer gas smell coming from the sewage system. The p-traps underneath the sinks in the Nangaku bathrooms have failed to collect the water barrier numerous times in the past, thus causing the sewer smell.

“The problem started when Nangaku had renovations in 2003,” explained Mr. Ching.

“Since then, the problem has been intermittent.” Due to leaks,

not enough water is collected in the p-trap to block out the sewage smell. “Sometimes, the water evaporates, too,” Mr. Ching further elaborated.

Since the problem was identified, the custodians have been instructed to make sure that enough water is always in the p-traps.

The maintenance staff makes sure that there are no leaks in the p-traps and that they are always filled with water. Nangaku’s ptrap problem is constant, but the administration is doing its best to keep it under control.

On the other hand, the bathrooms in the Weinberg building are a different sort of smell with a different solution. Following lots of complaints from an array of sources, the administration worked hard to identify the problem that was causing the stench. “The contractor who was contracted to build Weinberg was not willing to come and correct the issues,” said Mr. Ching. “And when they did, they didn’t do it correctly.”

The administration hired a plumber, separate from the Weinberg contractor, to tackle the matter. During the Christmas break this school year, the plumber identified the multiple problems and fixed all of them.

All of Weinberg’s mounted toilets were not hung correctly and were not sealed properly. The original contractor used pipes of different sizes, causing leaks between the toilets and the sewage pipes within the bathroom walls. Whenever someone would flush the toilet after using the bathroom, some of the contents of the toilet would

leak down out into the bathroom wall and floor. Hardened fecal matter and urine collected under the toilets, causing the smell that many people pointed out.

Within the Christmas vacation, the Weinberg toilets were rehung with brand new pipes that fit perfectly with the pipes within the bathroom walls. New seals were also used to prevent more leaks.

Smoke tests have also been performed in both Nangaku and Weinberg bathrooms. The pipes are flushed with smoke and the leaks are detected if the bathroom starts to fill with smoke. There have been no new leaks since the problems have been fixed. “The smoke tests aren’t regular,” Mr. Ching said, “We only do them when lots of people complain about the smell.”

Despite the steps that the administration has taken, the complaints haven’t completely stopped. Mr. Ching only smiles, “We can only do so much.” The main cause of the bathroom smells have been resolved by the administration, which leaves those who use the bathrooms responsible for any other reason for bathroom smell. Sewer gas and leaks aren’t the only possible causes. It is not uncommon to find that toilets in some bathrooms have been left unflushed by students. “Students have to take some responsibility, too,” Mr. Ching said.

The administration has done its part in trying to resolve the smell problems in our bathrooms.

If ‘Iolani students take care of our bathrooms as One Team, then we all can use the bathrooms without any need for luck.

Above: different-sized pipes had been used in the bathrooms, contributing to various problems.

They were replaced with the type of pipe pictured on the right.

FIRST FLOOR WEINBERG Girls’ Smell: 3 Cleanliness: 4

With more than fifteen stalls to choose from (two of which are wheelchair accessible), the Weinberg girls’ bathroom on the first floor is very roomy. The mirror lines the two walls above the six sinks and bright lights illuminate the room. Shelves are provided near the door. If you don’t want a squeaky door, do not use the fifth stall to the left. The second stall to the right also has a broken lock.

NANGAKU Girls’ Smell: 4 Cleanliness: 4

With a mirror that reaches the ceiling, the Nangaku bathroom is an automatic favorite. Equipped with three stalls, shelves, and three sinks and faucets, you can’t go wrong with this bathroom. It is spacious, clean, and bright. To keep your hands smooth and moisturized, you also have two choices of hand lotion!

Tangerine juice or winter candy apple, anyone?

Page 4

Sports

Boys’ soccer snags state title

By Robert Tamai

For the ‘Iolani boys’ soccer team, Valentine’s Day was a date with destiny. The top seeded Raiders claimed the HHSAA Division I State Championship with a 5-2 victory over the Mililani Trojans.

After successfully defending their Interscholastic League of Honolulu title in the regular season, the team beat Roosevelt and Kapolei to earn a spot in the state tournament finals. Despite last year’s heart-wrenching loss to Kamehameha in a championship game that ended in penalty kicks, the Raiders bounced back and looked to end this season in winning fashion.

The boys entered halftime tied with Mililani at 2-2 with two solid goals by freshman forward Jordan Lee. Despite only converting 2 of 12 shots on goal, the Raiders came out determined and resilient in the second half.

In the forty-fifth minute of the game, momentum swung towards ‘Iolani’s side as Nick Goo ‘10 emphatically put in a goal after the ball rebounded off the post. “After that shot, I had an adrena-

line rush and was pumped for the rest of ment team, while Nick Goo ’10 earned the game,” he said.

Most Outstanding Player honors for the Goo continued the offensive surge state tournament. However, it was the in the sixty-seventh minute with a laser teamwork and collective play that guidshot into the upper right corner past a ed the boys’ team to win ‘Iolani’s third diving Mililani goalie. Sophomore Pat- sports state title of the year. rick Shimoko put the game away, curvThe boys’ soccer team finished the ing the ball into the net to extend the season undefeated with a 14-0-1 record lead, 5-2 in the seventieth minute. and ended the year ranked sixteenth na“We finally got the monkey off our tionally according to ESPNRISE.com. backs,” said cocaptain Reid Sakamoto ’09.

After reaching the finals five out of the past six years, the Raiders won their first soccer state title since 2000 and the eighth in school history.

Jordan Lee ’12, Keith Lum ‘09, and Reid Sakamoto ‘09 Photo courtesy of Shanna Tashiro ‘09 were named to the all-tourna- The state champion boys’ varsity soccer team proudly displays the coveted trophy after the game.

Wrestlers grapple to sixth place

By Kaela Shiigi Both the girls and boys wrestling team took sixth place, while four individuals earned individual titles at the state wrestling championships from Feb. 20-21 at the Neal Blaisdell Arena.

Truong Vu ’09, Ian Akamine ’11, and Andy Chung ’09 captured their first state championships at the 114, 140, 145 weight classes respectively. National champion Olivia Fatongia ’09 earned her second title. In addition, Alice Chow ’09 took third, Kari Watase ’10 took fifth, and two time state champion Keiko Akamine ’09 took sixth after forfeiting her final two matches due to an illness.

Vu and Ian Akamine earned their titles by upsetting both the first and second seeded wrestlers in their weight classes.

“It justified all of the hard work we put into training,” said Ian Akamine. Chung ended his senior season undefeated. Fatongia won her championship match with a pin early in the second round.

This season has been challenging for the team because of Alice Chow ‘09 gets a hold of her opponent. Photo courmany injuries and illnesses. They also had to adapt to a new tesy of Mrs. Susan Akamine. head coach, Athletic Director Mr. Carl Schroers.

Captain Keiko Akamine said, “Even though everyone was eryone gave their all.” hurt and sick all year, they went out there with heart, and evCongratulations wrestlers on a great season!

Varsity baseball shows promise

By J.R. Bunda The ‘Iolani Raiders varsity baseball team won three out of their four games at the 2009 Maui Invitational baseball tournament Feb. 27-March 1.

The Raiders were looking to learn from their negatives throughout the season and turn them into positives. The main goal in Maui for the Raiders was to come together as a team.

The Raiders achieved their goal shortly after getting off the plane and beating Hilo 4-1 in extra innings Thursday night.

“I felt that we showed signs of a great team,” co-captain Reyn Nagamine ‘09 said. “I think that collectively our team had a lot more spirit and charisma late in the game, which is really what helped us win the close game.”

The Raiders went on to win both games of a double-header against Aiea and Pearl City the next day, but lost their game Saturday against the host team, Maui High School.

The Raiders had a chance to play in the championship game and win the tournament, but instead focused on improving their game, according to the coaching staff of the Raiders.

The first game of the double-header was an exhibition game against Aiea. It was not part of the tournament; therefore, if the Raiders won in the second game against Pearl City, they would have to play a third game in order to determine who would qualify for the championship.

The Raiders went on to win the game against Pearl City but decided not to play a third game. Pearl City was able

to play in the championships.

Although winning the tournament would be gratifying to the Raiders, getting ready for the regular season was more important.

“I have many preseason trophies and awards in the back of my closet from the past thirteen years of coaching ‘Iolani,” head coach Mr. Dean Yonamine said.

“Having a state trophy is more gratifying that all those preseason ones.”

Although the Raiders went on to lose their last game of the tournament, everyone got to and work out problems.

Most of the reserves got the start in this game with the starters subbing halfway through the game. Due to the time limit, the game ended in the sixth inning as the Raiders were just about to bat one more time. Maui edged the Raiders 8-7.

Imua ‘Iolani

Sports editorial: Football response

By Coach Wendell Look Dear Imua ‘Iolani, This is a response to Katherine Lum’s “Sports editorial: Athletes demand equality” in the recent Imua ‘Iolani. Like Katherine, I commend our student athletes for their outstanding jobs in representing our school. As a coach, teacher, parent and alumnus, I truly understand the many demands placed on our student athletes. I am amazed by how they achieve as much as they do in academic, athletic and performing arts arenas. They not only participate but excel and set high standards for other student athletes to emulate.

With that said, I would like to set the record straight regarding several facts and correct Katherine’s misconceptions about our football team.

1) “The football player’s lunch is also free.” FACT: The team is provided a pre-game meal funded by myself and the football team. `Iolani School does not incur any expense for these meals. The costs for the meals do not come out of the athletic budget or other school funds.

2) “I, too, would like to have a chapel service.” FACT: All athletic teams have the opportunity to arrange chapel services through Rev. Daniel Leatherman. All coaches receive information during the pre-season coaches meeting regarding chapel services being available for their teams.

Section 6 in the `Iolani coaching manual is dedicated to Chapel.

3) “Cross country runners have a fairly inexpensive sport…but we buy our own team shirts, shorts and shoes.” FACT: The football players along with the soccer, volleyball, track and swimmers also buy their team shirts, shorts and shoes. For games and practice, we wear the uniforms and use equipment provided by the athletic department.

4) “For weekday meets, once we get out of school, we board the bus to the meet.” (For the record, cross country meets, except for one intermediate meet, are held on Saturdays.) FACT: Regardless if we play on a weekday or a weekend, our pre-game schedule remains the same. We meet 4 hours before game time to prepare.

5) “…but we should be treated with the same respect as the football players.” FACT: All student athletes at `Iolani are treated with respect.

We are provided with the finest athletic facilities, quality equipment and uniforms, supportive athletic staff (equipment room, trainers and office and field personnel) and the most dedicated, devoted and committed coaching staff in the state.

Imua ‘Iolani is an awarding winning publication. It is another fine example of the exemplary and diverse work that our students and studentathletes excel in. I would not want any inaccuracies in their information or editorial views to deter them from receiving future accolades.

Equality is defined as the state or quality of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunity. Equality does not mean every sport doing the same thing. It does mean every sport being given the same opportunities.

By responding to Katherine, I hope this clears up any misunderstandings and misconceptions regarding our football program and that respect be given to all of our athletes. Along with my football program, I strongly believe, live and breathe this motto: It’s not “my team” but “ONE TEAM.” Aloha & Mahalo, Coach Look Editor’s note: While the money for the players’ lunches does not come from the school, football players do receive free lunches funded by outside donations.

Page 5 Sports Swamp Romp boys excel Swim team sprints past the competition March 19, 2009

In the top picture, Tyler Mulloy ‘09 runs ahead of the competition in the annual Swamp Romp held at Kaneohe Bay (photo courtesy of Beth Mulloy). At right, the team of Kasey Chun ‘12, Justin Higa ‘11, former ‘Iolani student Trevor Leong, Tyler Mulloy ‘09, Mathew Brady ‘09, and Troy Esaki ‘12 captured first place out of the 350 teams entered (photo courtesy of Jenny Brady).

By Kelia Cowan The ‘Iolani swim team made a big splash in the pool this year.

The boys’ varsity team won the state championships while the girls’ team placed second in the meet on Feb. 14.

The boys’ varsity team won the state championship with only eight swimmers entered. Senior Geramiah Simoes said, “We used our strengths to our advantage.

Although we lacked the numbers, we succeeded because everyone exceeded what was expected.”

The 200 medley boys’ team, consisting of Ian White ’12, Kacy Johnson ’12, Geramiah Simoes ’09, and Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka ’09, broke the state record.

“We worked really hard and got what we wanted,” White remarked on the record-setting relay.

The junior varsity teams swept the Jan. 27 championships, where both the boys and girls teams won first place. The girls’ intermediate swim team placed

second in their championship meet.

As the season progressed, each team came together and supported one another.

Meetings were held during the weeks before each championship, and some of the elder swimmers inspired the less experienced ones to push themselves farther than they imagined.

“Rayfe (Gaspar-Asaoka) gave a speech about losing both divisions of water polo by only one game. He said we should work hard to win the swimming championships, and it really inspired

and motivated me to do well,” Mark Grozen-Smith ’11 said.

Gaspar-Asaoka said that this year “was a good team effort. No single person won it for us. My teammates inspired me to go the extra mile.”

As for the future, the returning swimmers expect an interesting year. Courtney Lui ’10, a member of the girls’ varsity team, plans to go for the state title. “We really want to win states next year. We will always put in our best effort, and that’s all you can ask for.”

Bianca Bystrom | Imua ‘Iolani

Shireen Kheradpey ‘11 sprints her heart out in the 100-meter breaststroke event.

Imua is covering the #2 social network in the US Students deal with Facebook addiction

By Tawni Murphy Status update: Jonathan Lee Harwell is one thousand three hundred and ninety-two hours and counting.

That is how long it has been since junior Jonathan Lee Harwell has logged into his Facebook account.

The reason: after one and a half years, he has deleted his account.

“I felt that I invested way too many hours on the Internet, just messing around and ultimately getting a minimal amount of homework done,” said Harwell.

According to the Facebook Press Room, 175 billion people have active Facebook accounts, with more than 3 billion minutes spent on Facebook every day.

“Yeah, Facebook is an addiction,” says junior Yurie Goto. “I tried to quit as well, after Jon did, but that didn’t work out.”

Unlike many students, Harwell wasn’t afraid to mention just how much time he spent on Facebook.

“I was defiantly a Facebook addict,” said Harwell. “I played around with many applications, and I Facebook chatted with many of my friends every single night. On weekdays, I was on Facebook for an average of one to two hours per night. On weekends, I was

on Facebook for an average of three to four hours.”

According to Hitwise, an online service that allows users to find the most popular websites accessed during a given period, Facebook is the 5th most popular website that was sued during the month of February. It was also the 3rd most searched term and the 2nd most popular social networking website.

“Facebook has become addictions in our society,” wrote Bill Tancer in an article for Time Magazine. Tancer is the General Manager of Global Research at Hitwise. “Social networking junkies count the minutes to the next profile fix, checking their computers multiple times per day to see how many shout-outs, virtual drinks or new friends they’ve acquired.”

In May 2007, the average teenager, ages 12 to 17, spends an average of 186 minutes on Facebook, according to comScore Media Metrix. These are crucial ages for a teen because of the stress from school.

“I knew 2009 was going to be an extremely hectic year for me,” said Harwell. “As a current junior, I have to start planning for college, take the SAT’s, and survive the first semester of senior year. I don’t want Facebook (and AIM) to distract me from com-

Teachers on Facebook affect online decisions

By Katherine Lum

With ‘Iolani teachers using facebook, students deal with the pressures of the school community watching their online content.

Mrs. Lisa Bailey, a Spanish teacher at ‘Iolani, got a Facebook for reasons similar to that of her students. She wanted to “stay in touch with friends and family from all over the world.” Through Facebook, she keeps in touch with an aunt in Kazakhstan, childhood friends from all over the globe, and college friends from Colorado and Croatia. She also is ‘friends’ with both former and current students alike.

“A student accused me of using Facebook to spy,” she said.

It is not only Mrs. Bailey. A number of teachers have Facebooks. Not only that, they are have become ‘friends’ with their students.

Like junior Brian Yamamoto, many students watch what they put online due to teachers on Facebook. He is ‘friends’ with teachers like Dr. Peter Webb, Mrs. Bailey, and Mrs. Catherine Waidyatilleka. Yamamoto said that he has to stop swearing in his status, but because of Facebook, teachers can see the stress students undergo and

You know you love me ‘IolaniGirl and other fake profiles comment on the middle school social scene

pleting these goals.”

Facebook has many different options to keep its users occupied. For example, there are different applications such as IM, video and photo sharing, games, groups, and so much more.

The best thing is “the instant messaging system,” said junior, Ka’ena Moose. “It’s awesome because you don’t need to send messages and wait for a reply.”

It is very common to find Facebook users online for a very long time. A Facebook addict is “someone who has to go on Facebook, spends hours on it, and gets nothing done,” said Goto.

“I definitely missed Facebook after the first two or three weeks,” said Harwell. “However, it’s been a little over two months now since I have logged on, and I’m actually doing fine. All my friends are encouraging me to get one, but I think I’ll stick to my books in the meantime.”

Harwell plans to create a new profile, next year, second semester.

Facebook was created in 2004 in order to help people communicate more efficiently with their friends, family, and their coworkers. Facebook is part of millions of people’s lives around the world, with 70 percent of Facebook users from outside the United States.

what time they go to sleep by due to homework through the website. There are days when Yamamoto could be found on Facebook giving help about physics homework.

According to “Facing Up Facebook” an article by Andy Carvin from PBS.org, administrators from the University of South Carolina created fake profiles to show students what not to do on Facebook. Their false characters, Ivana Bea Stalked and Lloyed Unemployed, expose too much about themselves through pictures and personal information. Through these fake profiles, the administrators wanted to spark thoughts in their students’ minds about what goes on Facebook and the “ramifications of revealing such information, whether it’s seen by prospective employers or even stalkers.”

Mercuryhurst College pushes their staff to get Facebook pages to show students that they must act appropriately on websites like Facebook or Myspace, because students are “not alone in the online community.”

Mr. William Milks, a history teacher, said that he uses Facebook as a form of communication. He believes that people will say and do the right thing, but he would not be a friend with someone on Facebook if he did not trust them.

“I don’t believe in censorship,” Mr.

Milks said. “I do believe in punishment, but I don’t believe in prior restraint.”

“Even if you think your information is ‘private,’ it’s not if it’s on the ‘net,” Mrs. Bailey said. “Think twice before posting a photo or typing a comment. You can’t take it back once it’s out there.”

She added that her former students under the age of 21 should take care in their photos of them with “multiple beer bottles or…half-naked, draped suggestively over several people.” Once these pictures or even those nasty comments are up, it is difficult to take them back.

“Don’t say anything bad about the ‘Iolani community,” advised Mr. Robert Duval, the theater teacher. “The ‘Iolani community is watching.”

“If you’re close, then I guess it would be okay,” said junior Brianna Lum. On Facebook, she is ‘friends’ with Mr. Duval. “ If it was anyone else, it would be creepy.”

Lum said that it would be much more awkward if she were to have parents or relatives on Facebook. On the other hand, Andrew Ellison, another junior, said that he does not have teachers as ‘friends’ and does not think it is weird, maybe because his mom has a Facebook. The next issue: parents on Facebook.

By Madison Obata Myspace is “a place for friends” and Facebook is “a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them.” But what happens when someone adds you or sends a friend request and you think it’s your friend but something is off?

The profile says mean things or there’s gossip spread on the page. You know it’s wrong to read the gossip, but you can’t help it. Fake profiles are spreading, and some exist because of an author’s idea.

The famous TV show, “Gossip Girl,” based on the book series by Cecily von Ziegesar, is about an anonymous blogger who writes gossip and sightings to readers on the Internet. Much like the blogger on the books and show, there is our very own “`Iolani Girl” on Myspace.

The Myspace profile is known to have the inside scoop on the eighth and ninth graders. The age given is 15, which could narrow it down to someone within those grades.

Even though the site has false information once in a while, things seemed to have remained calm in both grades, mostly because according to ‘Iolani Girl’s profile, she hasn’t been on Myspace since December 13 of last year. But with the fake profiles, nobody seems to mind because “We all like some gossip, fake or real, every once and a while,” says an anonymous commenter.

Fake profiles have been around for a while. In the class of 2013 there was another fake profile by the name “xxiloveyouxx.” This person claimed to be a student. Retaliation struck with “xxihateyouxx” another fake profile that tried to fight with xxiloveyouxx.

Another student who would like to remain anonymous, found out a a duplicate profile was made under her name. The student said she was

RegBro Speaks OUT!

By Reginald Bromeister

AWW YEA ‘IOLANI. “Who IS Reginald Bromeister?” some of you on Facebook may be wondering.

Some of you may be “friends” with me and know that I am not in fact an actual, sometimes pseudo-intellectual/ philosophical Ohio State frat boy. Some of you are “friends” with me and don’t know this (those of you who accept whatever questionable friend requests come your way, especially when “mutual friends” are involved). Maybe it makes you feel validated when you receive such friend requests. That is sad.

For the sake of journalistic integrity, I will refrain from typin lyk this lyk I usuali do on tha internetz, AWW YEA. I am the creation of three ‘Iolani students. My existence began as a joke and turned into a social experiment/meme among certain ‘Iolanians and a test of the Internet savvy of Facebook users everywhere.

My life took shape as I joined the Ohio State network and began adding random people as friends.

Most of them accepted. The sketchi-

est of them asked me to show them more pictures of myself, called me “HAWT,” and bombarded me with notifications on the Are You Interested? app. The few smart ones were skeptical, asking whether or not we knew each other, but often accepted my friend requests after I responded that we had at a “balln frat party” or merely that “im tha man.”

I ammassed more ‘Iolani friends as my creators told their friends about me.

They eventually decided to test their classmates’ gullibility by adding as many ‘Iolanians as possible.

The ones with a sense of irony figured out that it was a fake profile coming from one of their own and added me.

There were far more ‘Iolanians who accepted my friend requests but later wrote on my wall or sent me messages asking whether or not we knew each other. This was extremely asinine.

SRSLY (sry 2 laps in2 my usul idiom).

Why would anyone, in or out of ‘Iolani, obligingly accept my highly questionable friend request? And more importantly, why would they subsequently feel offended that I am some sort of invasion

of their privacy when they had actively chosen to befriend me?

If you feel at all dubious about Facebook friend requests, ignore them. Facebook is for connecting with people you already know. If you don’t know my creators and haven’t figured out that I’m a hoax, don’t accept my friend requests.

And most of all, don’t act like it’s my fault if you have exposed whatever personal information, inappropriate photos, plans with friends, and pretty much your exact location on any given weekday to a stranger. To those of you who do this: itll probly b an online predator next time, AWW YEA. Please. At least pretend to have common sense. oh, n 2 all my existin 82 n countin ioLOLani frenz, especialie tha ladiez, ‘thx 4 all tha luv n suport,’ lyk u guys lyk 2 rite in ur yrbooks. GENERIC SHOUTOUTS, AWW YEA. this 1s 4 u bros.

“really shocked and [didn’t know] who would do that.” She explained that it didn’t really change what she did online. Yet she doubted her friendships, wondering “why someone would do that.”

It’s still a question why these people are making fake profiles, pretending that they are someone else. Even though these profiles have not created much conflict at school, they are slowly eating away at different grade levels. “Gossip Girl” is merely a work a fiction, and for our sake, it should stay that way.

Peace Week

Page 8

Holocaust survivor: ‘Shalom’

By Anya Liao

Abe Goldberg’s wit and extraordinary luck helped him avoid the fate of six million other Jews during the Holocaust. He evaded the imminent threat of death and the concentration camps as the world around him was steadily destroyed.

The Holocaust survivor began his Peace Weak speech with, “Shalom. It means peace.”

Mr. John Bickel introduced Mr. Goldberg as a Polish Jew, “86 years young.” Goldberg was born in Lodz, Poland, where the Jewish population of 2,400 was reduced to nearly zero over the course of the Holocaust.

It was a Friday when Goldberg’s happy childhood came to an end. He watched the German army marching into his hometown, snapping photographs and singing an upbeat tune: “The Jews’ blood drips from our knives.”

Germans who did not cooperate with the Nazis were eliminated.

“The majority welcomed the Germans,” Goldberg said. “They flew Nazi flags out their windows.

The street was a red sea of flags.”

His life during the Nazi occupation was measure in a series of walks, arrests and miraculous escapes marked by his luck and will to survive.

Walk 1 Goldberg and friend were taking a walk. Jews were not allowed to walk on sidewalks. They were arrested and taken to the outskirts of a city where Goldberg had taken swimming lessons as a boy. Trenches had been dug: a mass grave.

Goldberg’s luck saved his life the first time. It came in the from of a sympathetic German soldier who ordered Goldberg across the street to fix his truck.

“When I finished, he said, ‘Go back, go do it again. Try to do a good job,’ ” Goldberg said.

The truck obscured his view, but Goldberg heard machine gun fire, and then screams. When silence descended, the soldier ordered him to slip out from the other side of the truck. And run.

Walk 2 Goldberg went on a walk. He planned to visit his girlfriend but

was arrested. He was forced to scrub the school floors with his own shirt, but discovered a back entrance and escaped.

Meanwhile, two German soldiers entered his girlfriend’s house.

She and her female relative were told to undress. They were forced to play the piano and dance while the soldiers took pictures and shouted, “Festive, festive!” Then she fainted.

“She told me,” Goldberg paused, “‘Good thing you didn’t visit me.’”

Walk 3 Goldberg and a friend were walking, posing as Polish Catholics.

Soldiers ordered them to a railway station and into a boxcar crammed with Jews.

“We insisted we were not Jews,” Goldberg said, “but he said it did not matter.”

At a stop, Goldberg and his friend pried open the floor of the boxcar with a crowbar and pressed themselves between the train tracks.

The other Jews only watched them, too frightened to follow.

The train left, and Goldberg, yet again, escaped.

Photo of Mr. Goldberg courtesy of Ms. Cathy Lee Chong

Imua ‘Iolani

Brandon Wilson on a journey toward peace

By Elysia Gabe Brandon Wilson, who walked through many nations to encourage peace, urged students and staff to take their own steps toward a peaceful world.

“Peace will be realized one person, one walk, one step at a time, figurative or literal,” Wilson said. “Seize opportunities, listen to your inner self, and choose your own path.”

Students and staff gathered together in Seto Hall to listen to Wilson, an acclaimed author, photographer and explorer, speak as a part of the annual Peace Week.

Wilson, who has always had the soul of an adventurer, first started his treks throughout the world to satisfy an inner hunger or “wanderlust” as he calls it.

But as he walked from Lhasa, Tibet to Kathmandu, Nepal along an old pilgrimage trail, he began to walk for a greater purpose.

He wanted to set an example for others. “I wanted to do it to prove that borders should be open,” he said. “The government shouldn’t stand in the way of pilgrims.”

On the path, he encountered a variety of difficulties, from hunger to language barriers.

Yet, as he continued to walk, problems sorted themselves out.

“Our lives are so consumed with trying to control things that are beyond our control,” he said with his zen-like voice. “But if you leave yourself open and vulnerable, doors open to you.”

He recalls a night when his party lost their water heater.

They were depressed because they lost hot water, one of the few luxuries they had on the trail.

However, that night, a woman in the guesthouse gave them a hot water thermos.

Wilson also walked the Camino de Santiago, a trail through Spain on which 100,000 people come together and walk.

“Everybody had cold showers. Everybody had blisters. Everybody had sore muscles,” he said, “and when everybody started talking about home, I realized that people are pretty much the same.”

Along the Camino de Santiago, Wilson met a Frenchman with whom he later walked the Templar Trail.

This 2,500-mile path stretches from France to Jerusalem. He set out with two main motives: to talk to people along the way about peace and to set up a regular route for people to follow.

“Peace is the foundation of everything,” Wilson said. “It has a certain power stronger than army.”

Wilson presented his photos to the attentive audience.

With a cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine” sung in both Arabic and English, Wilson’s slideshow of smiling children, elaborate architecture and intricate artwork strengthened his message that people are fundamentally the same from France to Jerusalem.

Wilson hopes that one day everyone will find his or her inner peace.

“It’s just a matter of taking one step at a time,” he said.

Aesthetics, Academics, and Athletics:

How well does ‘Iolani budget for academics?

By Emily Saka “Why is the school spending all our tuition money on construction?”

“Why don’t we have the same kinds of resources as Punahou?”

“How much of our extracurricular activities does the school actually fund?”

These are some of the big questions floating around campus in regards to our school’s academic expenditures. Because activities such as renovation projects and athletic equipment improvements are more visible to students, it’s understandable that these types of questions arise. And sometimes it’s hard not to compare ‘Iolani’s resources to those of schools such as Punahou or Kamehameha.

But as Headmaster Dr. Val Iwashita pointed out, it’s important to have a better understand-

ing of the story before jumping to conclusions. For example, regarding resources, Dr. Iwashita revealed that the school spends nearly $1 million every year on technology. While that money doesn’t provide enough resources to make ‘Iolani competitive with Punahou technology-wise, reaching that landmark was never a part of ‘Iolani’s plan anyway.

“I don’t believe technology is the goal of ‘Iolani, or of education,” Dr. Iwashita explained. He believes that technology should help “enhance and enrich” a student’s learning experience, but he added that technology shouldn’t overshadow fundamentals.

At the same time, the school is trying to make technology more of a priority. SMART Boards and online textbooks have appeared in several courses. The ‘Iolani eSchool has over 600 online

students making the most of its resources. A committee is also working on a long-range technology plan to prepare ‘Iolani’s students for the future. Because technology changes so quickly, it’s impossible to keep up with new developments. Therefore, the school’s aims for its students to know the right questions to ask rather than to be proficient in every type of technology.

In terms of funding trips and extracurricular projects, Dr. Iwashita revealed that the school doesn’t pay for most of these events. Workshops, clinics, and the out-of-state performing arts trips are solely funded by the families of the students involved.

However, the school pays for athletic tournaments and academic competitions.

“No group can travel out of state more than once every two

years,” Dr. Iwashita said about a policy that was instated a few years back. Financial situations of students range greatly and the school tries to make sure that students are accommodated. ‘Iolani always funds trips for a handful of students who otherwise would have to miss out on an opportunity for financial reasons.

Some students will not be satisfied until they see the budget breakdown, a request made by a number of students before the interview. However, because a budget is a plan for so many different expenditures, Dr. Iwashita says that there are too many variables for it to make much sense and then “everyone becomes a critic.”

Academic spending will always be an issue at a school like ‘Iolani. There will always be unsatisfied students and the school

will always be trying to work harder to keep its resources as up-to-date as possible. But at the same time, even amidst the struggle, ‘Iolani has produced a countless amount of knowledgeable, well-rounded students throughout the years. Though it is always important to fight for more change and fairness, each student must also remember that regardless of how many trips they go on and software programs they use, an ‘Iolani education will prepare them well for the future.

This article is the second in a three-part feature investigating the financial decisions made in our school‘s community. “Academics” sheds light on the various uses of resources for academic improvement from the perspectives of both the administration and ‘Iolani students.

Features

March 19, 2009

Page 9

From prison to paradise: Danh Nguyen

By Courtney Ochi

Before trash cans seep over their brims, custodians like Mr. Danh Nguyen come to the rescue to maintain ‘Iolani’s clean campus.

With fresh garbage bags in hand, he can commonly be found under the library near senior benches.

But Mr. Nguyen’s smiling presence on campus bears little witness of the turbulent events that make up his life’s story.

Mr. Nguyen was born in Ho Chi Minh City, (formerly Saigon), Vietnam. When he was 21, he graduated from technical school in 1969 and spent two years in college studying to be an electrician.

During this time, the Vietnam War was well underway. Mr. Nguyen was enlisted in the Air Force as a mechanic and spent three years in the United States training and improving his skills.

In October 1975, upon returning to Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen was thrown in prison. The communist government wrongfully charged

him of being a spy, or part of the CIA. As a prisoner of war, he was thrown into a small jail cell surrounded by 1,555 other victims of the overpowering communist government.

The prisoners were forced to perform laborious jobs in exchange for one bowl of rice and sweet potato. Mr. Nguyen worked hard for food, although he did not know when he would ever be released.

“If you commit a crime, you get put in jail for two years or four years,” he said, “but there is no time limit as a prisoner of war.”

After seven years, Mr. Nguyen was finally released.

The United States government compensated Mr. Nguyen by relocating him and his family to Hawaii. Mr. Nguyen is thankful to be living in the United States, not only for himself, but for his children.

In Vietnam, “they don’t teach chemistry, science, or math” Mr. Nguyen said. “They teach politics.” The communist government

brainwashes students to believe in their ways. “When kids [from Vietnam] study abroad, they say ‘Oh my God!’ because [the world] is so different from what they’ve learned.”

Mr. Nguyen is proud of his children and what they have been able to accomplish in America.

His son works at Camp Smith and his daughter is a student at the University of Washington pursuing a master’s degree in architecture.

Mr. Nguyen’s only hope for students at ‘Iolani is that they learn to appreciate the freedom they are granted by living in the United States. In Vietnam, “there are no human rights, no freedom, no thinking,” he said. “You can’t declare what you think, because then they’ll put you in jail for going against the government.”

He wants young people to understand communism by going on the internet and becoming more aware. His life was affected by the communist government and he is concerned for those still living under its powerful rule.

Memories of Jana Wang, 1993-2009 of her lessons, sharing everything and anything in Latin class from her dreams every night to current events, and striking up conversations with random little children were a part of her everyday life.

Bianca Bystrom Pino ’11 remmebers that once, Jana hid her very excellent report card from her mother in fellow sophomore Akari Hatanaka’s lunch box. Akari only realized it three weeks later, when her own mother pulled it from a pocket and asked Akari, “What is this? IS THIS YOURS?” When Akari tried to give it back, Jana replied, “Aw. You found it.”

A friend in need “Jana could totally be serious one moment, then silly the next, cracking jokes right and left,” sophomore Jana Dagdagan said. Jana Dagdagan also recalled the two Janas bringing super spicy kimchee ramen for lunch. When Jana Dagdagan had something else, she would beg for some of her friend’s lunch to trade. Jana Wang always said no, but would give her tons anyway.

During freshman year, Jana Dagdagan transferred to a public high school. The same year, Jana Wang was in Houston at M.D. Anderson.

“She was my only friend right at those moments when I’d wander around campus drinking chocolate milk only talking to her on the phone,” Jana Dagdagan said. “And I felt so scared of all the gangs and fights, but I’d just walk past it all and talk to her, and laugh.”

Both Janas returned to ‘Iolani at the beginning of this school year. “I guess we had a connection because we were both away from ‘Iolani.

And then the next year, when we were coming back, we both shared the same feelings of anxiety and such. She made me feel like I wasn’t

alone,” Jana Dagdagan said.

Friends remember Jana as truly beautiful, on both the outside and inside. Bubbly laughter and jokes were always spilling out of her everyday. She tried to be kind to everyone, and whenever she saw a sad person, she would try to make them smile, even if she was sick. It would always work.

By mid-October, Jana Wang was back in Houston for additional treatment. Her friends felt her absence.

“I do think it is her infectious, pretty smile that I miss the most,” sophomore Kelia Cowan said.

“Whenever I talked to her for the past two years, my goal was to make her smile. Because I knew it made her feel better inside, just as she did me, every single day. You always knew she had hope because she smiled, like a little beam of sunshine inside of her. It’s something you can’t replicate, you can’t explain it. You have to see it.”

Jana made the nurses, doctors, and patients in Houston fall in love

Courtney Ochi | Imua Iolani Mr. Danh Nguyen brings his cheerful presence to ‘Iolani.

However, through it all, Mr. Nguyen says that he is “very happy and lucky,” typically uncommon words from a prisoner of war. He even said that he was not angry with the Vietnamese government for throwing him in jail, but rather concerned.

Through his beautiful smile and friendly demeanor, it is evident that Mr. Nguyen is genuinely happy with the life he has made for himself in America. Although he has been through prison and war, he thinks of himself as a lucky man.

(continued from page 1)

with her smile, too. Mrs. Jane Wang was amazed, when one day after Jana’s passing, many doctors and other staff members were wearing Believe shirts. She had only passed out two there, so someone must have had extra copies made and given them out. It was just another example of how many lives Jana had touched with her vibrant smile.

Loyal sister Jana’s family includes her parents, Jane and Peter, and two brothers, Perry, 17, a junior at Maryknoll High School, and Princeton, 8.

Jana really loved her family, as those who knew her discovered.

She constantly talked about all other four members, who she absolutely adored. She took good care of Princeton and looked up to Perry. Perry looked up to her as well, although he was older.

When Perry talks about his sister, he has much love and respect in his voice. He describes her as smart, funny, kind, selfless, loving, and a fighter. No truer words could be spoken. Family meant every-

The Wang family: Peter, Jana, Perry, and Jane, with Princeton in front. Photo courtesy of Ms. Lily Driskill.

thing to Jana.

Cancer fight galvanized campus More than 1,150 shirts were sold through the “Believe” project, spearheaded by tennis coach Allison Ishii ‘02, current junior Andie Enomoto (who designed the shirt,) and other members of the tennis team. In the spring of 2008, hundreds of ‘Iolani students wore their shirts simultaneously for a group photo given to Jana.

The group organized a walkathon over the summer. Dozens of teachers, students and parents showed up at Eddie Hamada field to raise money to support the Wang family.

She was a person who brought everyone together, even when she wasn’t physically there. It was a sight to see on campus when the majority of students blatantly broke the dress code and wore their shirts to support her.

Memories and promises Many will remember Jana’s smile, the way she talked, her collection of earrings, and her array of random objects that she managed to make look cool, like Princeton’s cartoon character backpacks that she wore to school. During class, she and Alyssa drew on a friend’s Converse sneakers, shoes that her friend will never give up. She had dreams of going to college in New York and becoming a fashion designer.

Even when Jana was sick, she remained selfless, still caring about others. Her dream was to go to Africa and somehow help the children who were suffering there. She then asked Akari to go with her one day, to help those who were in need there. Akari vows some day to travel to Africa and fulfill the promise she made to Jana, no matter what.

Four of Jana’s friends -- Akari,

Kelia, Jana D., and Bianca -- traveled to Houston at the end of February, along with coach Allison. With them, they brought letters and gifts from Jana’s friends, such as Jamie Tamayose ’11, also a close friend.

They visited with Jana, who was weak and had trouble speaking because it led to coughing.

The miracle of friendship Somehow, when her friends visited Jana, she was able to talk and laugh again. The strangeness of the hospital setting didn’t dampen their friendship, either. After a few tentative minutes, the group was, just like old times, cracking jokes, drawing on inflated latex gloves, and being silly. They challenged Perry to guess who drew what on the blown up latex gloves, and he gamely complied, guessing almost all of them.

Jana’s ability to bring joy to others is her legacy, Chaplain Diane Martinson-Koyama said in chapel last week.

“Life’s sorrows need to be balanced with laughter. Laughter is not the denial of sorrow, but the recognition that there is a joy that is more than ‘happy,’ that can indeed co-mingle with tears, and that grounds us in hope,” Chaplain Martinson-Koyama wrote.

And indeed, though our tears fall fast, we can remember Jana’s antics and laugh through them.

Jana’s goal was to make everyone smile, and even now, she is able to do just that.

“If anyone I’ve ever met was an angel, it was Jana,” freshman Bryson Emmons recalled. “If you close your eyes and listen, you can still hear her laughing and see her smile. Just like A Walk To Remember, Jana’s love will always be like the wind. I won’t be able to see it, but I’ll always feel it.”

The Lighter Side

Page 10

RAIDER RUNOFF

Imua ‘Iolani

It’s an editorial worth editorializing about!

The following is a tribute to/imitation of the website hipsterrunoff.com, a blog worth blogging about. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the author, and most likely do not reflect those of the rest of ‘Iolani School.

By Katrina Karl Yall. I am not writing this because I am a ‘professional student journalist’ with meaningful things 2 say about ‘significant issues affecting the ‘Iolani community’ and ‘kind of a big deal.’ Just wanna tell u about ‘Senioritis’ & how it has ‘touched my life.’

Some of u don’t care about/‘disagree with’ what I say. Please stop reading the Imua if this bro is u. If this bro is u, u probably need 2 learn how 2 ‘be entitled 2 others’ opinions.’

I am sharing my experience with Senioritis because I know there are ‘Iolanians out there who have ‘dealt with it’ since nineth grade/seventhth grade/ kindergarten/‘chilling in the womb.’

Please keep reading if this bro is u. If this bro is u, u probably should use ur ‘newfound knowledge of my hardship’ 2 better ur experience at this school/ ‘become motivated.’

Or u can just ‘recognize my use of irony’ and see that Senioritis doesn’t actually exist. Is Senioritis the new restless leg syndrome? Is restless leg syndrome the new seasonal affective disorder?

N e way, I think I’m ‘growing out of learning.’ Kinda think that I agree with that medieval ‘scholasticism’ thing about how human learning is ‘done’ or whatever (too lazy 2 read the full Wikipedia article about it). High school is like ‘The Dark Ages’ of life, anyway.

Kinda weird how life has changed so much in senior year. In about a matter of months I will be permanently moving back 2 my homeville in the Golden States of America 4 meaningful learning in college/the proverbial real world.

My friends and I have ‘rejected’ subjects that are ‘irrelevent 2 our lives,’ like math/science/not art/not frees.

We have also lost interest in stuff that was once important 2 us. This stuff includes: getting 2 school before 7:39:59, and knowledge gained from 2k4-2k8.

I’m still painting, but only ‘because the College Board is making me.’ Kinda burned out on it after that time I did 8 paintings in a 4-day weekend. But I guess I have 2 do lots of them because I heard that when u become a ‘starving artist,’ u

have 2 ‘eat the paintings.’ Or so I was told by ‘alumni with better jobs.’

I don’t know, yall. Maybe Senioritis is just a ‘part of life we have 2 accept,’ like midlife crises. Should I ‘buy a Porsche’?

“It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right. I hope u had the time of ur life.”

-The Green Days (Can n e 1 think of an applicable ‘meaningful yearbook quote’ that is less 2k6?)

If Senioritis is something u can’t do n e thing about, u may as well ‘embrace it’ and ‘have the time of ur life” [via Green Day song/meaningful methods of procrastination]. It can be pretty ‘amusing & diverting,’ that is until u get that letter from the ‘college of your choice’ telling you that they’re ‘just not that in 2 u n e more’ [via ur failure at school/life].

Not/ Cool/ in / 2k6// Not/ Cool/ Now// All photos licensed under Flickr’s Creative Commons

Introducing Meaningful Procrastination

By Stephen Stack and Katrina Karl

miss u

We compiled a list of procrastination methods more meaningful than your usual time-wasting (if you MUST procrastinate).

1. Peruse a meaningful book instead of your assigned reading. Katrina recommends: Trout Fishing in America (the best chapter is “The Kool-Aid Wino”), Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (the best parts involve ‘Quality’ and Phaedrus’s angst), Nine Stories (the best story is “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”), and One Hundred Years of Solitude (the best part is all of it). It would be ideal to read them all at the same time and not finish any of them, kind of like Katrina did over Christmas break.

2. Memorize all of Hamlet’s lines in Hamlet, but only the prime-numbered lines.

3. Write a poem on procrastination that isn’t just the oh-so-clever blank page titled “Procrastination.”

4. Perpetuate a meme.

5. Learn to play one of the following instruments: sitar, keytar, mellotron, oud, or dulcimer.

6. Fight a cuttlefish.

7. Take the latitude and longitude of your birthplace, house, favorite African city, left big toe, etc, and multiply them together.

8. Raise that number to the power of one over your age. Then, eat that number of cookies; they should preferably be chocolate chip, but other cookies will suffice.

9. Photoshop pictures of Obama into war scenes, stills of children’s television shows, and Sears and Roebuck catalogues.

10. Write an analytical paper on your symbolic and ‘deep’ spliced photos.

11. Call each one of your Facebook friends personally, and insist that you be called by your questionable sketchy old woman name (like Madonna’s “Esther” or Coral Towers, which is also the name of an NYU dorm).

12. Convert to Scientology, especially if you are a theater student (Scientologists make better actors).

13. Send text messages with horrendous spelling but with perfect, complex Victorian sentence structures.

14. Decide which historical figures u think were the hottest: Katrina’s list: Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Tsar Alexander II, King Louis XV, JFK Jr., Alec Baldwin 15 years ago, and Robert Downey Jr. Stephen’s list: Queen Elizabeth II, Dorothy Parker, Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia, Ada Lovelace, Charlotte Bronte, and Madonna. Or Esther.

15. Look up awkward topics 2 learn about on Wikipedia. Good choices include: topiary, taxidermy, House of Borgia, and cougar (disambiguation).

16. If all else fails, procrastinate on procrastination.

March 19, 2009

Arts & Entertainment

Page 11

Al Linsky | coach-photos.com Cast members enthusiastically sing and dance in the final number of the 2009 Spring Musical Pippin.

Praise for Pippin

Al Linsky | coach-photos.com Seniors Chaz Silva, Sean Yancey, and Stephen Toyofuku offer a prayer before the war.

Al Linsky | coach-photos.com Getting a boost from Chaz Silva ‘09, Jana Souza ‘11 spreads a little sunshine.

Al Linsky | coach-photos.com Raquelle Nilo ‘09 sings while the players bow around her.

Dancers take on Broadway

By Courtney Ochi

Courtney Ochi | Imua Iolani Chaz Silva ‘09 and Lauren Onaka ‘10 are applauded off-stage by dance director Mrs. Cyrenne Okimura.

The stars came out for “A Broadway Extravaganza” on March 7 at Leeward Community College.

Lower and upper school students in the after school dance Program performed routines inspired by Broadway musicals including Wicked, South Pacific, the Lion King, and many more.

The ‘Iolani Senior Dance Team also made a guest appearance closing the show with a high-energy performance to “Beat It.” After school dance practices started at the beginning of the first semester. Students in gymnastics, hula, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, and musical theater were given the opportunity to showcase their hard work in-front of a sold-out

crowd of parents, friends, and faculty.

‘Iolani Dance Team families created gorgeous props to set the scene and background for many performances, coming in on weekends to paint and create fishes, buildings, shop signs, and more.

Many parents also helped backstage getting younger students in and out of costumes in time for their numbers. These “quick change moms” were equipped and ready, waiting in the wings to help students adjust costumes and get ready to jump back on stage.

For some of the younger members of the cast, this was their first time performing in front of an audience. However, they put their nervous jitters aside and danced

beautifully.

Chaz Silva ‘09 and Lauren Onaka ‘10 performed a duet to the song “All I Ask of You” from the Phantom and the Opera. On pointe, Onaka graced the stage as Christine, while Silva captivated the audience as Erik.

The two rehearsed for months before school and on weekends.

Choreographed by ‘Iolani’s Dance Program director Mrs. Cyrenne Okimura, the performance was flawless. Okimura could not have been prouder of her two star students, giving them numerous hugs and praise in the wings following their performance.

Overall the show was a huge success thanks to the hard work and dedication from teachers, families, volunteers, and the stars themselves.

Page 12

Lower School

Medieval Faire

Imua ‘Iolani 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 May 5.

Editor-in-Chief: Katrina Karl Design Editor: Marissa Sakoda

The sixth grade helped spark an appreciation of days gone by through the Medieval Faire, held this year on March 11. Above, Ginger Banner and Luc Lavatai weave their way through the Maypole Dance. At the left, the Royal Court of Lydsey Shimazu, Kelson Nakamura, Sunshine Saucedo, and Marissa Inouye contemplate a world lit only by fire.

All photos by Breanne Ball

Copy Editor: Annie Rian Photo Editor: Courtney Ochi Features Editors: Amelia Linsky Emily Saka Opinion Editors: Emily Shimkus Tiana Bohner Sports Editors: Bianca Bystrom Kelia Cowan Arts & Entertainment Editors: Akari Hatanaka Kaela Shiigi Lighter Side Editor: Stephen Stack Lower School Editors: Kyle Kim Andrew Zhou Middle School Editor: Madison Obata Adviser: Mrs. Karin Swanson

Sixth graders rehearsed and researched in preparation for their roles in the faire. Below, Lindsey Combs, Lina Park, and Mehana Smith explore the gruesome reality of medieval medicine: no anesthesia, no antibiotics, no hand sanitizer, and an average life expectancy of 30 years. At right, dragon Alex Young and gryphon Johnson Lam compare their large talons and fangs. At far right, jester Austin Jim On demonstrates the number one rule of juggling: Keep your eye on the ball.

Imua ‘Iolani is distributed free of charge to students of ‘Iolani School.

Mail subscriptions are $15 per year.

Imua ‘Iolani is online at www.imuaonline.org or as pdfs 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.