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Vol. 83, Issue 4
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November 21, 2007
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‘ mua I Iolani
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Honolulu, Hawaii
Parents take extreme measures for kindergarten admissions
Cartoon by Cordelia Xie ‘12
By Brandon Kumabe Over the years, `Iolani has become known as one of the most prestigious and rigorously academic private schools, in the state as well as in the nation. There are countless success stories of various alumni, from the founding father of modern China to one of the former Apple Macintosh evangelists. It comes as no surprise that many parents want their children to attend a school with a reputation for success. For many, the application process starts in kindergarten. On average, the lower school admissions office receives about 480 kindergarten applications a year. Of these, only seventy of these applicants are admitted into Iolani. Due to such a low admittance rate relative to the number of applicants, some parents feel the need to excessively push their child in hopes of securing a spot. Many parents who hope to send their children to Iolani are enrolling them in extracurricular activities to garner recommendations and experience. Sending children to tutoring companies such as WizKids and Kyoiku Juku has also become a popular way to prepare children for the admittance test. But how many recommendations are appropriate and how
much tutoring is needed? One parent submitted thirty-five letters of recommendation with the child’s kindergarten application. Some parents are even paying as much as $66.15 per individual tutoring session for their pre-K children in hopes of better pre-
things such as following instructions and identifying letters of the alphabet. The third section of the test is the review of a teacher recommendation by the admissions office. The applicant’s former teacher, oftentimes a preschool
mittance test. “`Iolani has never encouraged tutoring,” said Monaco. “The problem with tutoring organizations is that they only prepare children for the test. They encourage children to memorize specific facts but most of the test
Do the extreme measures that parents and their children go through actually help their chances of being admitted to ‘Iolani? paring them for the kindergarten admissions test. Do the extreme measures that parents and their children go through actually help their chances of being admitted to `Iolani? “The admissions test includes four sections,” Ms. Kelly Monaco, the lower school admissions officer explained. The first section is a test that assesses the students individually. It measures their long range learning potential and fluid reasoning abilities. Essentially it is an aptitude test to see whether the children will be able to learn and adapt at ‘Iolani. The second section is also a test but takes place in a group setting. In this test, a group of applicants is placed within a classroom presided over by several teachers. Here, the teachers can see how well developed the children’s social skills are. They are also tested on some other basic
Inside: Find Si Won! Bird abuse--p. 3 Thanksgiving recipes--p. 6 Canceled Class Day--p. 8
teacher, must write a recommendation for the child. This recommendation is reviewed by the admissions office and plays a role in determining whether or not the student will be accepted. The fourth section of the test is a questionnaire that the parent must complete to ensure that `Iolani is the right school for their child. For example, if the parent strongly wants religion excluded from their child’s education, the child will not be accepted even if he or she showed exemplary performance in the first two sections of the test. ‘Iolani would not admit a strictly non-religious applicant into an Episcopalian school. The questionnaire helps ensure that a family’s beliefs will not conflict with those at `Iolani. With many parents enrolling their children in tutoring companies, one might ask how much the tutoring actually benefits their children when they take the ad-
is really to determine the child’s long range learning potential.” Monaco also explained that the system used to admit kindergarten children to `Iolani is somewhat flawed. “Sometimes kids will come here on a bad day,” said Monaco. “There are kids who are nervous and can’t function as well as they normally could. Sometimes it makes it hard to accurately assess these children.” She went on to explain that a major reason that many parents send their children to `Iolani, aside from prestige and stories of success, is the open curriculum that `Iolani provides. Currently, many public schools teachers are forced to change and limit their curriculum in order to conform to the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act. “Many of these public school teachers don’t have as much freedom with their own curriculum
because they have to prepare their students to meet the federally set standards,” said Monaco. “At `Iolani we have a freer curriculum which allows us to enhance the learning for our students.” The curriculum for `Iolani kindergarten students encompasses basic core subjects such as reading and writing, science, social studies, and math. Kindergarten teachers try to integrate different subjects so that the children can relate them. For example, with the annual Pumpkin Patch, teachers teach the children how to measure the pumpkins, which incorporates mathematical concepts, and they explore science by teaching children how pumpkins grow. However, the most crucial aspects of a kindergarten class are not the core subjects. “The most important thing is that we teach the kids to build good character,” said kindergarten teacher Mrs. Sandy Fo. “We want them to be good citizens and enjoy learning.” The admissions process has always been a misunderstood and often dubious affair. “Our office is always open,” says Ms. Monaco, “if parents have any questions they can call and we would be more than happy to set up an appointment to answer any questions they might have.”
Index Lower School--8
Christian Brady | Imua ‘Iolani
A&E--7 Sports--4-5 Editorials--3 Middle School--8 Lighter Side--6
Features
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Imua ‘Iolani
Civil rights legend shares wisdom By Amelia Linsky A small but appreciative audience gathered in St. Alban’s Chapel on Monday, November 8, to hear Dr. Tommie Smith speak. “I am here to right some of the untruths that the society has heard about this one human being,” Dr. Smith began, “looking in retrospect…at a time when social change was encroaching on old regimented beliefs.” Society has indeed heard much about Dr. Smith. The 200meter Olympic champion of the 1968 Mexico City Games is the only track and field athlete to have held eleven world records at once. He has played the part of coach, athletic director, and activist. But one event at the 1968 Olympics forever changed his life and the lives of others: when he and teammate John Carlos stood on the victory podium and each raised a black-gloved fist, symbolizing black power, liberation, and solidarity. The “silent gesture heard throughout the
world,” spurred shock, outrage, and adoration throughout America only four years after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I have a dream” speech and seven months after his assassination. “It was a moment which brought me a lot of pride,” he said of his gesture. “I am living [Martin Luther King, Jr.’s] dream right now.” After enduring years of alternating censure and lionization, Dr. Smith has published an autobiography, Silent Gesture, is involved in the philanthropic Tommie Smith Foundation, and travels the country as a speaker. The ‘Iolani Peace Institute, in association with the Punahou Athletic Department, Hawaiian Airlines, and Outrigger Hotels brought him and his wife Delois in to share his experiences. Dr. Smith spoke of his underprivileged childhood in Texas and California. He only learned to read in fourth grade and often went hungry. He also related how, by the time he was fourteen, he was 6’2” and worked twelve hours nightly in Califor-
Nash Witten | Imua `Iolani Tommie Smith signs an autograph for Hedee Kim ‘09 as his wife Delois takes a photo. nia’s irrigation canals for $1.50 an hour, in addition to attending eight hours of school every day. Dr. Smith earned success as an athlete and attended San Jose State University on a basketball scholarship. At twentyone, he made history at the 1968 Olympics. Dr. Smith related many an-
melia
insky
During meeting period on Monday, November 5, students were treated to a presentation by Ramsey Taum, Director of Oahu Operations at The Hawaii Nature Center. Already involved with University of Hawaii programs, Native Hawaiian interest groups, tourism advisory services, and sustainability efforts, Mr. Taum appeared in his capacity as co-facilitator of Sustain Hawaii. He entitled his presentation, “Looking to Hawaii’s Past to Insure a Sustainable Future: Taking a Cultural Approach to Sustainability.” After showing students a video called “Did You Know?” (www.youtube.com) which showcased frightening data on America’s consumerism and disregard for the environment, Mr. Taum unveiled a slick Powerpoint to help connect traditional Hawaiian values with the attitudes people must adopt if they want to correctly interact with their environment. “The best way to predict the future is to create it,” Mr. Taum
‘Hawaii is like a life raft to stay on until you get saved -- or die.’ quoted Alan Kay, summarizing the main idea of his presentation. He drove home the point that humans cannot escape from their environment, so caring for it is necessary for survival. “Hawaii is an island,” Mr. Taum said. “And, if you think about it, our entire planet is an island in space….Hawaii is not like a ship, because we can’t just refuel. No, it’s more like a life raft to stay on until you get saved—or die.” He observed that, with 7.5 million visitors every year, the supplies on the Hawaii life raft are being depleted fast. Mr. Taum defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Then he pointed out that, unless people shift their behaviors and beliefs, sustainability is impossible. “How far did your food travel?” Mr. Taum asked. “How much carbon was made to produce it? Every dollar spent equals one pound of carbon. An average person spends about $40,000 a year. Think about it.” For more information on sustainability in Hawaii, visit Eco2Balance.com, Taum’s carbon offset company, and piko.sustainhawaii.org, the “Facebook for Hawaii sustainability.”
By Emily Shimkus and Ayesha Cooray
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Homecoming
Raising awareness about A birthday gift for Dr. Hawaii sustainability B A L Ariyaratne y
ecdotes to illustrate his life and perspectives, then answered questions from the audience. “Just to stand and talk to you about where I came from and how I got old…I’m very grateful to be here,” he said. He dispelled popular myths about what happened at the 1968 Games. “People think I
got kicked out of Mexico City, kicked off the American team, and that my medals got taken,” he said. “None of those things happened. Do you believe I’d let someone take my gold medal? That is negative propaganda.” An audience member asked his advice for people who want to help right social injustice in the world. “The chances of you doing what I did in Mexico City are very small,” Dr. Smith said frankly. “You have to start small. Start with the mustard seed. There are a lot of organizations to become involved in…You have to plant yourself somewhere. Find an organization and get started. Ask ‘em. Test them. You want to be involved, you get involved, and don’t say you can’t. Lucky your mom didn’t say ‘I can’t’ when you were born!” “Don’t be afraid to dream,” was Dr. Smith’s overall message. “There is power in decision-making. Don’t be afraid to do something different…take that chance. Do something different tomorrow.”
Dr. Ahangamage Tudor Ariyaratne, founder of Sri Lanka’s largest non-government organization, celebrated his birthday at ‘Iolani on Nov. 5 to thank our school for its donation to the Sarvodaya organization. ‘Iolani raised approximately $15,000 to aid those affected by the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami. Dr. Ariyaratne began the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement in 1958 with a few of his students. Sarvodaya has built preschools, health centers, banks, and libraries. Sarvodaya has given people relief, rehabilitation, and reconciliation. Sarvodaya Shramadana works to promote interdependence and sharing in communities, developing roots in the villages it works with. Dr. Ariyaratne warned against providing relief and disappearing. Dr. Ariyaratne emphasized the importance of cooperation and self-sufficiency for villages in Sri Lanka. He said, “Individuals must try to learn to have loving kindness to all human beings.” To strengthen bonds, groups in shramadana camps help communities figure out what they need and teach them to get the resources. Members of a community overcome religious and social barriers and work together to sustain their villages. Dr. Ariyaratne invites people from all over the world to participate in Sarvodaya Shramadana.
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Nash Witten | Imua Iolani
Editorials
November 21, 2007
Page 3
Avian abuse escalating on campus By Mrs. Cate Waidyatilleka
Anyone who enjoys a pet bird can tell you each bird has a distinct personality! I have one who is demure, one who is rascally, and even one who is a show off calling herself “Pretty Bird” and whistling out for attention! I’ve seen bird personalities of all kinds, particularly since volunteering for the Wild Bird Rehab Haven (WBRH). As a volunteer for WBRH, I care for orphaned baby birds until they are self-feeding and can be released back into the wild. I am happy that more and more, students and teachers have been sending orphans my way for care. In the past month, I’ve had about a dozen little fellows brought to me (one as I was writing this article) in W-206 where I can put them on a heating pad, hydrate
and feed them. However, in this capacity, I’ve also become painfully more aware of random acts of violence against birds who share our campus. I’ve heard of at least four vicious acts against birds on campus in the past two years. Last year, a group of seventh grade boys threw a shoe at a nest of four babies, knocking the nest out of its tree. That in itself sealed the fate of those nestlings, but the boys took their act of violence a step further and killed two of the babies right then with the shoe. Sydney Tamashiro ‘12, a dedicated bird advocate and long-time volunteer for WBRH, had the courage to step in and rescue the remaining two. Sadly, the other two did not survive two days, even with attempted care. A couple of weeks ago, two ninth graders brought me another victim of violence. In an act of impulsivity, a classmate had thrown a toy at a dove. But what may have seemed harmless fun at the time caused in-
Sustainability relies on tourism By Frank Genco
It kills me every time I walk down the street and see a bumper sticker or overhear a conversation condemning toursim in Hawaii. God forbid we share the land a little and actually make a profit off of a sunset, or a walk on the beach. Hawaii is sustainable because of tourism. If it weren’t for those pasty white guys walking up and down Waikiki, we wouldn’t have much in the likes of business. Hawaii is, has been, and most likely will always be a state completely dependent on tourism. One can trace nearly every bussiness on these islands back to tourism. It is no wonder that tourism is what makes Hawaii sustainable. With out those millions of yen and saltwater-soaked dollars pouring into our economy, we might as well be the next Mississippi. Let’s face it: if Hawaii was not the natural phenomenon that it is, what would it have? If I decide to come back to Hawaii after college, I want to see our
economy flourishing around what it has been good at for years. I want to see hundreds of people employed, bringing in steady paychecks, able to support themselves and their families. Tourism is an exchange; the pasty white guys aren’t the only ones that get something out of it. It brings jobs, and along with them, opportunities for further success. Tourism provides residents of Hawaii with increased means, and ultimately, a bigger upper middle class, and better living conditions. Better living conditions could lead to reduced crime, especially with regards to our drug problems, and a cleaner, more efficient Hawaii. So the next time you see a tourist walking around in their “flip-flops” or an excruciatingly tight bathing suit, sucked into the gooey mass of their body, thank them. Thank them for the money they are pouring into our eonomy, the thousands upon thousands of jobs their spending creates, and the vactations that one day, the residents of Hawaii may be able to take. Frank Genco serves on the Honolulu Advertiser’s Teen Editorial Board.
Oops! Corrections Imua ‘Iolani would like to apologize for several photo errors in last month’s issue. Michelle Huang took the photo of the Lakers exiting the gym on page 5. She also took the photo of Mr. Duval on page 9. The photo of the flower on page 7 was taken by Nash Witten. Mrs. Cathy Lee Chong took the photo of Mr. Motter’s AfricanAmerican History class with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on page 1. The photos of the seventh grade officers on page 11 were taken by Chaz Silva.
A victimized bird lays dead.
Photo Courtesy of Mrs. Cate Waidyatilleka
ternal injuries to the bird. The two girls found the bird limping away, dragging its wing. They brought it to me where it spent the last hour of its life suffering. If you saw that bird die yourself, you too would feel outraged. I don’t think the perpetrators of the violence were anything worse than thought-
less. They aren’t terrible people, but they acted without thinking. We need to think before we act. Let’s be aware of the fact that we share this campus. In fact, while we go home after school, the campus IS home to our birds. Birds are cool; please be cool to birds.
The ‘Iolani Ethicist Should I tell my teacher if she has a piece of spinach stuck in her teeth? This question is difficult in two ways. First, the broad issue: overcoming your understandable reluctance to embarrass anyone by pointing out a faux pas. Second is the stickier point: because you might feel uncomfortable helping out a teacher who seems to operate in a higher sphere than yours, or whom you may not even like, you must decide to help her out despite who she is. However, the answer is simple. Yes! Would you rather be told nicely by one of your students, or find out after the lecture? I personally would choose the first scenario. Although it may seem easier not to say anything, it’s a simple good deed that could save his or her day! I’d consider it a kindness and a friendly gesture to be informed of snagged spinach. However, therein lies the problem. Friendly gestures toward teachers seem a bit intimate, and students may not be comfortable making them. The key is to deliver the message in a neutral, gentle manner and as privately as possible. Try putting yourself in your teacher’s position. Remember that everyone makes the same mistakes at some point. If you are worried about embarrassing your teacher, (say, for example, you notice it ten minutes into the lecture), rather than raising your hand and announcing it bluntly to the whole class, try letting her know inconspicuously by making eye contact and pointing at your teeth. If she doesn’t get the clue, and you have to verbally say it, tell her casually and don’t make a big deal out of it. The sooner she’s aware, the better. If you’ve addressed it politely, your teacher will more than likely appreciate your thoughtfulness and consideration. Similarly, stick up for other people who are in the same scenario, whether they are good friends, classmates, or strangers and whether the incidents involve spinach or an unzipped fly. Sometimes a little embarrassment is unavoidable. However, you could be saving another person from an even bigger embarrassment later on in his or her day. Bottom line: treat your teachers humanely because they are just human, and always remember that all humans are worthy of a little basic kindness. The ‘Iolani Ethicist is an Imua feature from the Character Education Committee.
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. Advertising deadline for the next issue is Jan. 12. Editor-in-Chief: Keyana Stevens Design Editor: Marissa Sakoda Copy Editors: Amara Hoshijo Emily Shimkus Photo Editor: Nash Witten Features Editors: Amelia Linsky Katrina Karl 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.
Sports
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Imua ‘Iolani
XC takes third at Maui meet By Taylor Wong
Business means boys of summer play year round
Photo by Kevin Kreck | Colorado Springs Gazette | MCT
By Tyler Yamamoto
After the Boston Red Sox won their second World Series in four years this past October, all of Red Sox Nation went crazy. As many people know, the post season can be the most exciting time of the year. Obviously, the ultimate reward is to get to October and into the World Series—at least until now. Prior to this new age of baseball as an entertainment, the World Series games were the only ones played in October. Now, most of the postseason does not even start until October. Sadly, baseball is no longer just about the game, but it is more about the massive contracts, sponsorships, and maximum publicity; in other words, money. It is impossible now to watch any baseball game without seeing sponsors’ banners plastered all over the outfield walls and throughout the stadium. Double plays and homeruns are “brought to you by” our favorite insect exterminators. Yes, it is a necessity to have the funds to support a baseball club, but it is ridiculous to think that our favorite superstar hit a homerun because of some insecticide. And it’s the business aspect of baseball that has dictated the extended season. Whatever happened to the best National League team playing the best American League team for the World Series? Most of us don’t know because we’ve grown up seeing three different division winners in each league, plus one
wild card team for both leagues also. The only thing this did for baseball was allow six extra teams a chance to compete for the World Series, but more importantly provide six extra playoff series for the opportunity to earn more money. The wild card is awarded to the team with the best record in each league that did not win their division. In other words, Major League Baseball is rewarding a team who came in second place in their division, and giving them a shot at the World Series. Somehow, I just don’t think that’s right especially since every team does not play each other the same amount of times. Due to new ideas such as interleague, teams play other teams from another league depending on their “natural rivalry.” For example, the New York Mets will always play the New York Yankees. The same goes with the two Chicago teams and other nearby paired cities. But how is it fair that the Atlanta Braves will play the Boston Red Sox every year while the St. Louis Cardinals get to play the Kansas City Royals? Please, don’t get me wrong. Interleague was a good idea but it needs to be worked out better. If you are going to have a series with one team, you have to have a series with every team. So next year when your team just clinched their division, the cool air starts to creep in, and “October baseball” rings in your head, just remember that there are seven other teams still playing. That winning the World Series no longer means you are the only team to have been successful throughout October. Hopefully then you’ll pay tribute to baseball and the way it used to be played.
While the Raiders were represented in the bowling and volleyball state tournaments in Hilo and the homecoming football game back home on Nov. 2, the men and women of ‘Iolani cross-country were battling it out at the state meet on Maui. Both boys’ and girls’ teams overcame injuries to top runners to take third place in the state. This year’s XC state meet boasted a new venue at Kapalua. Host to the PGA Tour’s Mercedes-Benz Championship, Kapalua offered beautiful facilities and a consummate cross-country course. The course, which wound and roller-coastered up and down the golf course, would prove to be spectator-friendly. After the runners got a chance to get a feel for the course, the boys’ team departed for a pasta dinner. So how do IXC runners prepare for an epic meet like this? Simple: they watch an epic movie. That night, the team got pumped up watching 300, and prepared
strategies on where to relax and where to surge. The girls team enjoyed a feast prepared by Mr. Al Linsky and watched America’s Next Top Model. All hyped up by 300, the boys’ team was out on the course by 6:30 a.m. Friday preparing for battle. It looked like a stampede as the nearly 200 runners (20 scoring teams) charged up the first hill past the sand traps. Even though it was a 3-mile race, the runners bolted like sprinters toward the first turn to avoid getting cut off as the the pack funneled together. To the runners’ and coaches’ relief, the initial funnel around the first turn was not as bad as expected. For those not familiar with how teams are scored in crosscountry, each team is composed of seven runners. Of those, the places of the top five runners are tallied up and that is the team’s score. The team with the lowest number wins. So while only five runners make the score, the other two help by pushing other teams’
runners further back. The boys runners were led by Tyler Mulloy ‘09, followed by Borys Pleskacz ‘11, Sean Dudevoir ‘08, Trevor Leong ‘09, Robert Tamai ‘09, Justin Higa ‘11, and Clay Ozaki-Train ‘08. The girls were led by Maile Scarpino ‘09, followed by Amelia Linsky ‘09, Leyna Esaki ‘09, Jenna Wong ‘10, Phoebe Jordan ‘10, Elysse Tom ‘09, and Amy Ishioka ‘08. The boys trailed Leilehua (37) and Kamehameha-Kapalama (99) to take third overall with a score of 116 points. The girls also placed third with 107 points behind Seabury Hall (72) and Punahou (64). There was a lot of heart on that field that day, and special recognition is due to Wong, Ishioka, and Pleskacz, who all overcame physical injury to run. There was no shame in third that day as the Raiders ran their hearts out over the hilly as evident by the lack of a “kick” at the final straight. It didn’t take a runner to recognize or appreciate that the runners were all physically and mentally spent.
Volleyball girls make proud showing at state tourney By Michael Hackler
Ranked number two in the state and number 33 in the nation (according to prepvolleyball. com), the girls’ varsity volleyball team went into the state tournament with a goal: to bring home the championship. In the ILH season, ‘Iolani was able to defeat Kamehameha in three games at home. However, in the ILH tournament, the girls struggled and dropped both matches to the Warriors. Beaten by Kamehameha in the state championships two years ago and not qualifying for the tournament last year, the girls were hungry for the state crown. Because Kamehameha claimed the ILH Championship, they earned a first round bye in the state tourney, whereas the ‘Iolani girls were forced to play from the start. Beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 31, the Raiders easily surpassed Mililani (25-15, 25-22) followed by a victory over Kamehameha-Maui (25-17, 25-
15) the next day. On Friday, the Raiders defeated rival Punahou (25-18, 25-18), setting the stage for a chance at the crown against the Kamehameha Warriors. In the championship match, Malie Yoon’s 17 assists, Chelsea Hardin’s team-high 6 kills and Mahina Haina’s 5 kills weren’t enough to overcome the well-balanced Warrior attack, dropping the match in two sets, 25-18 and 25-19. While heart-breaking and emotional, the loss was taken in stride. Team captain Lauren Minkel, reflecting on the championship said, “I was really proud of the team for making it that far.” It wasn’t until after the match that Minkel and the other seniors realized that it was the last match they would play in a Raider uniform. “After so many years at ‘Iolani, it was hard to admit that it was our last game playing together,” she said. While traveling to the state tournament was the experience of a lifetime, some of the senior girls were frustrated by the unfortunate timing of the state tournament which coincided with Homecoming Week. “I thought it was junk,” senior Aubrey Tatum said. “I wish we could’ve participated in homecoming this [our senior] year.” Senior defensive specialist Lauren Ching agreed. “Everyone had so much fun dressing up. Too bad states wasn’t a week later!” However, while both girls were disappointed, they realized the honor of representing the school
at the state tournament. Despite the disappointing loss, the Raiders’ season was not entirely fruitless. Senior setter Lauren Lum saw that “from the be-
ginning of the season to the end, we were able to mesh together and play as a team.” According to the Lum, they started off separated by grades, but through the season gained unity and had a lot of fun together. Spending a preseason trip on Kauai and the state tournament in Hilo were added bonuses, she said. Runners-up in the New City Nissan State Championships, the girls earned a shiny koa trophy, which will be added to the crowded athletic display cases. While most of the seniors will continue to play volleyball on college club teams, Minkel and Keanini will continue to compete on the division one level at Long Beach State and the University of San Francisco respectively. Photos by Al Linsky | www.iolani-events.org
Sports
November 21, 2007
Page 5
Girls’ kayaking wins third ILH champs By Kelia Cowan
The girls’ kayaking team has taken the ILH Championship again. This time, they brought the three-peat home, winning for the third straight time. “I feel proud to be on the team,” Senior Hansine “Hannah” Heggeness said. She should be. Girls’ kayaking became the only team which has reached three straight ILH championships in a row this year after the Nov. 10 meet. Senior Marisa Why said, “Everybody had an equal contribution. Nobody was just along for the ride.” Junior Hannah Smith said, “Our whole
team works really well together. I was really excited after the race because I could see that everyone else was coming in. I knew that we must’ve won.” “We were dedicated to kayaking, practiced a lot, and had fun. Good team members and kayaking in general, just being on the water (is fun),” Tarah Sullivan (’09). The girls’ kayaking team was mostly comprised of juniors and seniors, though younger members of the team had big contributions; freshman Kimberlee Souza took second in the B heat of the championship race. Planning on kayaking next year? Marisa Why suggests, “Don’t be afraid of the Ala Wai. It will be your best friend.”
Photo Courtesy of Christine Why
The team poses for a picture after the three-peat win.
Boys’ soccer: Ready to bring home gold By Nick Moriwaki Like other winter sports, varsity soccer is now in full swing. Despite the departure of a plethora of seniors from last year’s varsity team, there were very limited slots available again this year due to a handful of seniors opting to stay out of Nomads, a mainland tournament that causes players to become ineligible for their ILH season. Three senior members who are returning this year to join a roster filled with mainly seniors. However, even though the roster is set, not everyone has come out to practice yet. A few players are still playing football and will not be able to join the team until after they have completed their season. Tryouts began on Saturday, Oct. 27, and the final cuts were made on Wednesday, Nov. 7, as players were gradually cut. The newest additions to the team are senior Aaron Suzuka, juniors Keith Lum, Marcus Joy, Samuel Wechsler, and freshman Patrick Shimoko and Matthew Horner. Like every soccer season, there are high hopes that this will be the year that ‘Iolani
finally breaks through. While Iolani varsity any indication, the soccer team is in for a soccer has been a perennial power in the successful season. In their two scrimmages ILH, the team has encountered more than so far, they have posted impressive wins, its share of heartbreak. In three of the past beating last year’s runner up, Kalani, 4-0 as four years ‘Iolani has been on the verge of a well as last year’s third place team, Roosstate title, losing in the state championship evelt, 4-1. game. Coming off last year’s disappointing 7-5 season, the anticipation is greater than ever and there is no doubt that a state championship is in the minds of everyone on the team. “It’s all or nothing now,” said senior captain Zach Lee, a four-year varsity Photo by Kelia Cowan | Imua ‘Iolani team member. “There is no next Patrick Shimoko keeps the ball away from Nick Goo during year.” practice. If preseason is
New coach: Mrs. Stewart-Ito By Tyler Cundiff
Mrs. Stewart-Ito says that the element she likes most about Mrs. Alison Stewart-Ito is not ‘Iolani is the students; they are just a smart teacher: She is also an such an “entertaining bunch of young minds and athletic one. bodies!” The new She taught for member of the one year at HaEnglish faculty waii Preparatory coaches the juAcademy on the nior varsity girls’ Big Island and for soccer team here three years at Düsat ‘Iolani. She seldorf, where she also played protaught English, art, fessional soccer and social studies. in Holland and Mrs. StewGermany for five art-Ito earned her years. In Düsselmasters degree dorf, Germany, in teaching from she coached evthe University of erything from Washington. soccer to track to Ms. Stewartbasketball. Ito brings a love Here at ‘Iolani, of education and we have hundreds coaching to ‘Ioof student-athlani that will sureletes, so another ly make her a valteacher-athlete in Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani ued member of the the ‘Iolani facul‘Iolani ohana. ty should fit right Mrs. Stewart-Ito stretches in. before coaching practice.
Stanford signs Brad Lawson By Keyana Stevens Brad Lawson has been playing volleyball since he was 11, but his friends jokingly insist it’s been much longer than that. “He must have come out of the womb playing!” says Taylor Kam ‘08. Whatever the case, it seems as if Lawson will have many more opportunities to play in the future. The All-State outside hitter, who has been on ‘Iolani’s varsity team for four years, signed a letter of intent on November 14, 2007 to play for Stanford next fall. Many other colleges asked Brad to play for them (including UCLA, Pepperdine, and USC), but in the end he picked Stanford “because of academics, and because there are guys from Hawaii there.” The Stanford Cardinals team will include a total of six players from Hawaii next year, among them another ‘Iolani grad Kawika Shoji ‘06.
Homecoming editorial:
Aim high, fail annually By Freddie Wheeler W h y does ‘Iolani have to play the top Div. 1 teams for the Homecoming football game every year? I know we have a solid team this year, but why can’t we just play Div. 2 teams like Pac 5 or Damien so we have a better chance of winning? With plenty of other teams out there, wouldn’t it make more sense to get a weaker team for your Homecoming? Well, as it turns out, ‘Iolani does not have a say in what team we will play for Homecoming. Coach Wendell Look ‘78, who coaches the varsity football team, said, “It’s really not up to us; the league sets up the games, and we play whoever falls into that slot.” Okay, so we don’t have a say in
which school we play for Homecoming, but is that the end of it? Why can’t we just schedule our Homecoming sometime earlier or later in the season so we can play a weaker team? As it turns out, it’s all about the things going on besides Homecoming that influence that decision. “We try to do it the first week of second quarter,” Mr. Kirk Uejio, the student activities director, said. We also could not hold Homecoming at a later time because the Punahou game was the last one for the Raiders’ season, except the state championships, in which we are never guaranteed a place. They also had to work around other agendas and events, like the senior trip to Molokai and the testing that goes on during the last week of the first quarter. This year, the week of the Punahou game was the only logical time to hold our Homecoming game, but wouldn’t the football team like to
play someone other than Kamehameha or Punahou? “It doesn’t really matter, we just play hard against anyone we play,” Joridan Sele ‘09 said in an interview. Coach Look seems to agree with Joridan’s standpoint on this issue: “Whether we play teams like Punahou and Kamehameha, or we play teams like Pac 5 or Damien, we just prepare the same way for every team.” But what about intimidation? Wouldn’t you get intimidated if you had to play one of the top Div. 1 football teams on the island? Coach Look said, “The focus is not about the opponents. Homecoming is a time for ‘Iolani students and alumni to gather around and share that Homecoming spirit.” We’ll have a good team and have as good a chance as any to win the Homecoming football game next year.
Lighter Side
Page 6
Imua ‘Iolani
5 things to ensure a happy Thanksgiving By Kalau Almony Ah, the holidays! The time of year when every day feels like an inadequate imitation of a sitcom. Since everyone is going to be wandering around, feeling unfunny, we might as well look back to the real sitcoms, to avoid their mistakes. And now I bring to you five lessons we should all get from the holiday episodes of sitcoms I watch: 5. Putting a Turkey on your head and dancing around makes everything better. I promise, it does. Thanksgiving was ranked 365 out of Chandler’s 365 favorite days of the year. After Monica put a turkey on her head, it climbed up to just below the threeway tie between, Christmas, his birthday and Festivus. 4. Don’t regift. Really, don’t do it. It may not seem like a big deal at the time. It might actually seem like a good idea, until you realize that the only person asinine enough to get you a label maker (or some other such non-gift), is best friends with the
only person you’d give a label maker to. Oh, and one of them is probably crazy. It’s the way the world works. 3. Holidays are no time to be healthy. We all know of the infamous tofurkey. The chances are, we all know someone who suggested it at one point or another. The real victim here is the gravy. Turkey is just an excuse for gravy. Tofu and gravy seems, dare I say, disgusting, especially if it’s turkey-shaped tofu. If you’re really worried about health, just consume the gravy alone. There can’t be that many calories. 2. If the turkey-on-head thing doesn’t work, add a pair of oversized glasses. 1. If any holiday really gets you down, just make up your own. Accidentally destroy a Christmas present, turkey, menorah, etc while raining blows upon someone? Just tell your family that you’ve decided to pull a Frank Costanza and create your own holiday. Just make sure that you can win any Feats of Strength you suggest, otherwise you might regret it.
Classic Thanksgiving Leftovers By Stephen Toyofuku Thanksgiving dinner is overrated. Every year it is the same old stuff: a turkey, mashed or some kind of potatoes, corn on the cob, those ever-so-orange yams, cranberry sauce, and who could forget pumpkin pie to end it all off. Major YAWNN. Why settle for the same old, same old on Thanksgiving Day when you could go wild on the day after? Go crazy in the kitchen with bags and bags of leftovers. The sky is the limit. Now, monotony incapacitates what can be a beautiful imagination. So here are a few little recipes to awaken your sleeping imagination. Remember: nothing can stop a brain in motion, especially a hungry one. MonsterTurkeyAnd WhateverYouCanManage ToStuffInside Sandwich This one is truly a thanksgiving leftover classic, and
it is so simple Mr. Milks could make it with out burning down his home. It requires bread and whatever bagged leftovers you can find in the fridge. Step one is to remove all desired contents into a microwavable bowl. I recommend mashed potatoes as the glue that holds everything together. Microwave until hot. Add leftover gravy and stir. Take three slices of bread and apply the leftover mix to each. Stack vertically and you will have just finished making your very own MTAWYCMTSI Sandwich. This is a fun project to do with friends and I recommend that you do it when your parents are not home. It can be messy. Creamy Butter Corn Surprise This project is a little more complicated than last and requires the use of the stove. Also, for this recipe
you will probably need to buy heavy cream and extra butter (go high cholesterol). This is a truly beautiful dish and is one of my favorites. Step one: look for all the leftover corn and place in a bowl (if it’s on the cob you will need to cut it off). Collect the leftover turkey and some assorted vegetables. Chop into bite-sized pieces, make sure not to dice. Grab a large pan and turn stove on high heat. Add one-half to three-fourths of a stick of butter and let it get hot. When almost completely melted, add corn. Stir and make sure to salt and pepper to your taste. After about three minutes add the turkey and vegetables and stir again for about three more minutes. Add the heavy cream until is at level with the corn and turkey. Make sure to taste test and add salt and pepper accordingly. After about four to five more minutes, your leftover surprise will be ready. Serving on top of mashed potatoes
is highly recommended. If you don’t have much stove experience, don’t be too embarrassed to ask your parents to help. Cranberry Sauce Ice Cream topped with Pumpkin Pie Whipped Cream I know what you are all thinking. “Is he serious?” But you guys have to trust me on this: it is delicious and a great way to cool off
in a hot Hawaii afternoon. However, it is an acquired taste. Make sure you have leftover pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and vanilla ice cream. Take out a blender. Add ice cream, cranberry sauce, and a few ice cubes. Blend until smooth but not foamy. Then take the pumpkin and scoop out the filling into a bowl. Add a little heavy creamy and whip until light and fluffy. You can whip either by hand or
with an electric mixer. Pour the shake into a cup and top with your new pumpkin pie whipped cream and enjoy. I recommend this as a treat only; it may cause stomachache and brain-freeze if eaten too fast. Enjoy. Again, cooking with leftovers is all about creativity and imagination. Turkey shakes, mashed potatoes cream pie, yam ice cream, or giblet pâté -- the menu is limited only by your mind.
Cartoon by Victoria Kim ‘11
Arts & Entertainment The Hyphy Heslinga Review
Page 7
November 21, 2007
New Albums Are Out! Here’s What’s HOT:
By Mari Heslinga ‘08 and Annie Heslinga ‘12
Radiohead
“In Rainbows”
April Nakamura | Imua ‘Iolani
For those religious Radiohead fans, you know how imPhoto Couresy of At Ease Web possible it would be for them to ever make a bad album. This album will not disappoint. Anne has no favorites, claming the entire album is godly, but Mari cannot stop listening to “Videotape.” Reserve judgement until after listening to it a few times, and you will get over the fact that it is much less moody and pessimistic than previous albums. Repress the urge to take advantage of the donation-based payment method and give Radiohead a healthy twelve pound round of applause.
Avenged Sevenfold
Bad Brains “Build A Nation”
“Avenged Sevenfold”
After years and years of silence, these pioneers of old school thrash/reggae are back in business and back on tour. Compared to earlier albums, “Build A Nation” focuses less on the thrashy, moshy, snarly guitar sound the had in the 80’s, and more on their reggae roots. Maybe they are getting old, but the reggae still rocks. Our favorites are “Jah Love” (Annie’s) and “Send You No More Photo Courtesy of Megaforce Records Flowers” (Mari’s). You might just have to listen to older tracks like “At the Movies” and “I and I Survive” to really appreciate the pure unadulterated awesomeness of this new album. Also worth Listening to:
We’ll just start by saying that nothing A7x can produce will ever reach the horn-throwing glory of “City of Evil.” If you were really looking forward to something even better, you will be disappointed. So drop all previous standards and listen to this album without bias. Skip cringe-worthy “Dear God” and go straight to tracks “Afterlife” and “Lost.” These tracks manage to downplay the painfully obvious vocal and lyrical shortcomings in this album with epic guitar work by Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance.
Tom’s Second Chance at Life Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records
Animal Collective- “Strawberry Jam” Autumn of the Seraphs- “Pinback” Caribou- “Andorra”* The Hives- “Black and White Album” Jimmy Eat World- “Chase this Light” The Melvins- “The Making Love Demos”* Sigur Ros- “Hvarf/Heim” Stars- “In Our Bedroom After the War”* *Highly recommended
Happy Thanksgiving!
April Nakamura | Imua ‘Iolani
By Christian Brady
Newly escaped from the cruel grips of a South American mountain prison, Tom Turkey sets out to start a new life for himself in sub-Saharan Africa. His broad, rubbery wattle intimidates the other fowl in Freetown, but he gets along well enough, and soon a pecking order is established to his liking. Drought conditions set in and he takes part in protests for lower feed prices. The protests spill over into full-fledged revolution. Certain rebel leaders, Tom Turkey included, hide out along the Ivory Coast to avoid major violence; however, the movement spares no one. Tom’s gooses are cooked. Tom, lost in grief, abandons the effort, boarding a plane to Trinidad and Tobago. There he takes to wearing slim-cut bathing suits and sunbathing in the warm Caribbean sun while grown cabana boys lather
him up with margarine. Ennui stains Tom’s island holiday. He decides to take off once more. While in midflight, the victorious Warhawk faction in Freetown releases a court order requesting Tom Turkey’s immediate extradition to the country. The pilot refuses, opting rather to land ten miles from his own home, where Tom is promptly prepared, shoved into an oven, and eaten. Including the title, the story is precisely 200 words. A&E invites you to try your hand at this feat of devilish austerity. Send your stories into Imua `Iolani! (email: iolaniimua@gmail.com)
e y h T tr e e s r o P ro ne P r Co
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Lower & Middle School
Imua ‘Iolani
Going for the Olympics: Kekoa Morris By Akari Hatanaka “September 20, 2007 “To- Kekoa Morris, “ C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S ! – Your competition performance over the past year has distinguished you and identified you as the #1 ranked athlete in your Intermediate age group (born 19951996) and –42 kg weight division in the United States […] “This letter is an invitation to yo to participate as a member of the ‘USA Judo National Youth Judo Team’ at the 3rd International Jita Kyoei Cup in Lima, Peru November 1-4 […]” This letter was sent to one of ‘Iolani’s own, sixth grader Kekoa Morris as a result of the Junior Olympics in San Antonio, Texas and the US Junior Open in Fort Lauderdale this past summer. Normally, his accomplishments would have qualified him to compete at the 2007 Infantil Pan American Judo Championships in Cali, Colombia. Unfortunately, due to political and safety reasons, USA Judo instead decided to participate in a different competition. At the International Jita Kyoei Cup, Kekoa took bronze overall for both categories of Intermedi-
ate 2, 42-kilograms and in an older division of Juvenile A, division 44-kilograms. “(I felt good) because I was representing my country,” Kekoa said on winning the bronze. Besides judo, Kekoa also does soccer, tennis, jiu jitsu and is on the Headmaster’s List. Classmate Nicholas Liu (’14) said, “I think Kekoa could have done better if he hadn’t had to forfeit a match because he was in
Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani
Pilgrim Celebration Day
Above, Mrs. Segawa husks corn with Sydnie Maiava on Pilgrim Day for the first graders. Below, first graders simulate pilgrims by dressing up and making paper turkeys.
Photo Courtesy of Mrs. Monica Morris
Kekoa Morris (left) is trying to get his grip in an intense judocompetition.
Commentary
Nash Witten | Imua ‘Iolani
The Service Garden project
Class Day postponed
By David Ling
By Madison Obata After the disappointing postponement of Class Day for the Middle School, some students had their own ideas about what they would do if they could plan the annual outing. “I would like to go to the mall!” says Mari Choy ‘13. “And let everyone roam and stuff, and we could shop! If we all go we can go to the beach too! That would [be] the ‘awesomest, posumest’ class day for me, if we went to the mall and then the beach!” Class Day at Waimanalo Beach Park, which was scheduled for Nov. 9, was cancelled due to the rainy weather and a sewage spill that lurked in the water. “Class Day for grades seven through nine has been rescheduled due to unsafe water conditions at Kailua and Waimanalo beaches,” said Mr. Kirk Uejio, director of student activities, in an e-mail that was sent to Middle School families before the event. “Class Day will be postponed until the third quarter.” Some students had more ideas for Class Day that were a little more out there. “DISNEYLAND! Is that realistic? It would be a blast!” says Kristina Shigaki ‘13. Others seemed to be more reasonable. “I would go to Waikiki ‘cause it’s close to ‘Iolani and we can stay there longer.” Troy
another division, finishing up another match. I never knew he was such a good judoka.” Everyone in Kekoa’s class was supportive of him. Kekoa is next aiming to go to the 2012 London Olympics, as he told science teacher Mrs. Gaylor. “I’m very proud of him, he fought very hard to get to that tournament and he fought hard there too,” said Mr. Daniel Morris, Kekoa’s father.
Tiana Bohner | Imua Iolani
Stormy weather caused Class Day for grades 7-9 to be postponed until the third quarter. Young ’13 confidently states. Seventh graders Alyssa Kim, Kristen Lee, and Jill Shimabuku all agreed on one idea: “We all agree that we should go to Waimea (Bay) because there is a big rock to jump off, and it’s clean and less rocks and the sand is nice! We wouldn’t plan activities, just have FREE TIME! Last year we only had 30 minutes to swim!” says Kim. Students in each grade were disappointed about the postponement but they all are eager for third quarter. The only thing left to do is pick a date and a location. Between the mall and Disneyland, one thing is for sure: everyone looks forward to spending a day outside of school with friends. But the most popular choice is still to go to the beach. Eighth grader Dyllon Sue said, “I would still go to the beach because there are lots of fun things to do there like swimming and play football.”
For their seventh grade service learning project, Mrs. Paola Williams and her World Geography 7 class decided to teach the second-grade students at our neighbor school, Ala Wai Elementary, about gardening. This pilot project is an idea created by the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Service learning is similar to a community service except it is teaching people something new while helping the community. My class plans to visit the Ala Wai second graders three times throughout the school year while they will visit us at ‘Iolani once. For our first visit on November 6, 2007, we borrowed books about gardening from the from Ms. Reser at the Lower School library and walked over to Ala Wai School during meeting period. We read our books to Mrs. Kwee’s second grade class and spent time getting to know the children who go school across the street from us. The second graders were as excited as we were to meet them and we enthusiastically began reading to them. Our small class of 12 matched perfectly because they had 12 students and 13 others who came in and out for special classes. The student I was matched with was a little boy named Fred. He was very shy at first but when I started reading him The Surprise Garden, by Zoe Hall, he started pointing at the
Akari Hatanaka | Imua ‘Iolani
Seventh graders Madison Obata, John Ryan Matsuura and William Bowers were part of the class that went to the Ala Wai. pictures and talking to me. I think reading to them was an excellent decision because it gave the children an idea about what a garden looks like, along with what you need to do to start your own garden. It also gave us a chance to learn about what you can grow in a garden and it definitely excited the kids to see pictures of different plants in the stories we read to them. At the end of our visit, I could tell that everyone had fun because the kids were smiling and laughing; we were gladly reading; and our teachers were happily chatting. During our next extended schedule we are going to visit Ala Wai Elementary again! Our
plan is to have them plant one indoor plant and one outdoor plant on their own and they will have a small plot of land outside their classroom that we can use. We will bring charts for them to fill out so that they can compare which one grew faster. We also will bring some seeds and do more gardening with them. I am glad that I can participate in this service learning project and I can’t wait until next time! John Ryan Matsuura ‘13 said “We went to read to the Ala Wai second graders about plants. Yes. We read to them for about forty five minutes and it was very hot because they had no air conditioning.”