The Pini
n
President William McKinley High School
Vol. 90, No. 2
McKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
November 3, 2011
HSA testing to start soon New waiver could aids school systems
Target MHS
2005‐06 2006‐07 2007‐08 2008‐09 2009‐10 2010‐11 Reading Math Reading Math Reading Math Reading Math Reading Math Reading Math 44% 28% 44% 28% 58% 46% 58% 46% 58% 46% 72% 64% 44% 34% 65% 40% 69% 48% 75% 54% 69% 54% 72% 55%
by Amanda Muramoto Like last year, the Hawaii State Assessment (HSA) will be administered online three times. It’s mandatory for sophomores to take the first session of the test on November 7-8, testing them on math. The first session will determine whether they have to retake the test again on that respective subject. The second session will be held once again for the entire class of 2014 on November 14-15. The third session will be held in early April 2012, and will only be for sophomores. With testing comes target goals. For the HSA, standards, otherwise known as
adequate yearly progress (AYP), allow schools to know where students stand and what subjects they need improvement in. These target goals have been increasing. In the 2006 school year, the goal was 44% in reading and 28% in math. At that time, MHS had 44% and 34% proficient in reading and math, respectively. The goal for 2014 is 100% proficient. “It’s [an] impossible [goal] for students, although everyone should try,” said Passina Abe (10). Needs assessment coordinator Lisa Panquites recommended ways for sophomores to prepare for the upcoming test. Panquites said that by “attending class, learning what they can, and keep-
ing up-to-date with school work,” they should be able to do well. U.S. education secretary Arne Duncan issued a waiver for schools. Instead of focusing so much on test scores, schools can do other things like aid teachers and principals, and work on restructuring their own school systems. States have to apply for the waiver and must meet requirements like explain their plan to increase student achievement and agree to higher standards for student preparation for careers and college. Hawaii has applied for the waiver and is waiting for approval to put the waiver to use for this school year.
Students to volunteer at APEC by Pauline Yang
42 AOHT/AOF (Academy of Hospitality and Tourism/Academy of Finance) students are helping with the upcoming APEC meeting at the Hawaii Convention Center. APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) was created in 1989 to aid sustainable economic growth, cooperation, and trade and investment. APEC’s core mission is to build up international economies in the Asia-Pacific region by taking away blockades to trade and investment. Student volunteers had to go through at least one day of training session at
UH Manoa, where they learned more about Hawaii’s history and culture. They also learned a bit of Hawaiian language to spread the Aloha spirit; words like
Ho’okipia - Hospitality; to welcome and make guests feel at home with warmth and generosity. The volunteers are going to be hosts for the whole APEC event. In becoming hosts, students must keep in mind five important traits. Students must smile genuinely because it looks great, is professional, and builds up trust. Greeting others means prompt acknowledgement and a smile to strengthen relationships. Listening is an important communication skill because it requires concentration to understand a situation which helps figure Please see APEC p. 4
RS 12-0485
2 THE PINION November 3, 2011
Book review
Wanting what you can’t have by Jocel Siapno Title: Something Like Fate Author: Susanne Colasanti A.R. Points: 7.0 Reading Level: 3.5 “What would you do if your soul mate is your best friend’s boyfriend?” Are you a Sarah Dessen fan? Read this book by Susane Colasanti. You will definitely love it. It is about Lani and Erin, who are best friends and believe everything is astrologically related. They are the opposites of each other. Lani is the “I-like-to-do-it-my-way” kind of girl, while Erin, is the “I-want-the-world-toknow-what-I-am-doing” kind. When Lani meets Jason, Erin’s boyfriend, she feels a “deep connection” with him. Let us say that she finds her “soul mate” in the character of Jason. As the story progresses, the two of them share their time, interests and “secret codes.” They get closer and Jason confesses that he likes
Lani. Lani likes Jason, too. But she can’t tell him. What will Lani do? What will Erin, Lani’s best friend, do if she finds out what is really happening between Erin and Jason? What will Lani do if the love of her life can’t be with her? Are Lani and Jason really meant for each other? Any girl, whether you are into soul mates or not, can relate to this book. It relates to anything you want that Illustration by Nick Jones (12) you can’t have.
Letters to the editor Dear editor...
I think Tiger Time is a great advantage to our school because we have time to catch up or stay on track. My previous schools didn’t give students the opportunity for us to catch up or stay on track. I’m grateful to be at a school with chances to keep up. Failing shouldn’t be an option or an excuse. Every student is and should be responsible for his or her work. - Cecilia Aumua (10) I really enjoyed the article “Inouye visits McKinley.” While reading the article, it inspires me. It inspires me because I went to the school he went to and am currently attending the school he graduated from. This shows me that it doesn’t matter where you come from, that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. - Kameron Yamada (10)
I would love to talk about the “First agenda designed by student.” I was impressed that one of our students in McKinley High School, J.P. Arios (11) designed the cover of our agenda. ‘Thank you J.P.!’ I’m proud of him because he worked his butt off, designing the cover of our agenda, planning the desired design, using different tools to make the cover, and functioning it. This shows that J.P. is a great student, who never gives up, shows a lot of spirit, and dedication to our school. -Kendelle Blaisdell (10)
read the more letters to the editor online at myhsj.org/Pinion
Footballers in play-offs by Kelsey David
Our football players were caught grinning on the night of October 14, showing their pride in winning this year’s homecoming game. While the Tigers also won last year’s homecoming, the victory this year earned the varsity team a spot in the play-offs. The competition was heavy in the air as the Kalaheo Mustangs met with the Tigers at Roosevelt’s football field. The night began with the Junior Varsity proudly scoring the first few points. While both teams seemed to give it their all, the JV took the game with a more than satisfying score of 16-0. As Varsity entered the field, the audience showed their support with the help of the band, the cheerleaders, and a few returning alumni who participated in the night’s events. “The homecoming court and banners looked really nice,” said Deborah Malaga (10). “It was raining a lot, but I had a lot of fun anyways.” Varsity took the lead by making an early touchdown in the first quarter. As the night went on, the Tigers kept the score rising with a steady pace. With the scoreboard at 40-0 in the Tiger’s favor, the crowd cheered as McKinley took victory. Ivan Nguyen (10) said, “It was awesome seeing all those people in the crowd supporting us. I’m pumped that we’re in the play-offs. We’re bringing it back!” Micheal Tom (11) was very happy about the homecoming win this year. “We haven’t made it to play-offs in a while, and it’s good to know that we have a chance to compete this year.”
Winter Sports JV baseball – tryouts continuing Girls Basketball – November 27 Boys Basketball – November 21 Paddling started October 31, cont. Girls soccer -continuing Boys soccer – November 14 Swimming tryouts – November 7 Wrestling – November 27
Everyone is preparing with pre-season conditioning programs, but if you still want to tryout, see Mr. Neal Takamori. A physical is needed.
November 3, 2011 THE PINION 3
Teachers Eric Bott, Leilani Okuda, and Harold Nickelsen participate in teacher medieval dress-up for PAAC Club’s Homecoming lunchtime activity. Photo by Julie Li (10). “Before lighting of the “M” :) Best homecoming ever!”Left: Tenniel Takenaka-Fuller (10) Right: Briana Ribillia-Ramones (10)
Spirit galore!
by Brannagan Mukaisu
Left: Julie Li (10) and Sidney Li (12) sport tattoos purchased at the Tiger Locker for Black and Gold Day.
This year’s theme for Homecoming was “Stripes of Chivalry.” During Homecoming Week, you were able to see spirited Tigers. Homecoming Week kicked off on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, with students expressing the theme of Medieval Day. Walking through the halls, you were able to see knights in shining armor, princes, princesses, and a jester here or there. On Wednesday, Tigers got wacky with mix n’ match clothing and wildly crazy hair. On Thursday, our students saw double as twins graced McKinley High School. “Lighting of the M” was held on Thursday night. The entire gym was
Jennis Hatakenaka (12) shows school spirit during Homecoming Week with her Tiger hat. By Keisha Watanabe (12)
John Llamas (12), Ronalyn Acelador (11), Mae Gallardo (12), and Stephanie Ngo (12) prepare for the Tomatina event. Photo by Ridge Hayashi (12)
Check out myhsj.org/pinion for more spirit photos and Homecoming articles
filled with spirited and talented Tigers. The deep fried food was delicious and the entertainment was unforgettable. Excitement arose as the “M” was lit to get Tigers pumped up for the football game. On Friday, Tigers dressed in their Black & Gold spirit outfits. Some even painted their faces or doused themselves in glitter. The pep rally took the Tiger spirit to an all-time high. The class level spirit competition was truly inspiring as all the grade levels showed pride for their class. On Friday night, the Tigers showed their stripes of chivalry by defeating the Kalaheo Mustangs 40-0. The Homecoming Week proved to be victorious for the McKinley Tigers.
APEC: Event focuses on sustainability
4 THE PINION November 3, 2011
Continued from p. 1
out how to solve problems. Questioning helps clarify and verify information being collected to further assist guests to make them satisfied. Last, explaining will help students inform their guests of any mishaps or delays, to help guests understand what is happening, Training sessions started on September 24, 2011. This Saturday, students will rehearse what they will do during Leaders Week at Sheraton Waikiki in the morning. They are provided an Aloha shirt/ blouse and must wear black pants/skirts during the week of the assignment. “APEC is hosted by the U.S, but because President Obama is currently from Hawaii, he asked to let the conference be held here, his home island. It’s a really great opportunity to me to be part of this,” says Lavinia Kanogataa (12) a student of AOF. Students think APEC can benefit Hawaii. “APEC gives Hawaii a chance to be seen by the world. We are unique because we have so many diverse cultures here,” said Annie Liang (12), student of AOF, “Having APEC here in Hawaii is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because it would be 21 years later before the APEC Conference will be held in the US again and it might be held in other states.” The APEC meetings will include presidents, like Barack Obama, prime
ministers, heads of state, their personal assistants and CEOs will be there. APEC consists of 21 different countries (Canada, United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Phillipines, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Russia) throughout the Asia Pacific region. Nowadays, people worry how Hawaii’s economy is doing. Our economy is going downhill. Household income is decreasing, job opportunities are reduced and
“Having APEC here in Hawaii is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Senior Annie Liang
environmental and natural resources are in danger. Can we overcome these problems or are they inevitable? The leaders of the 21 different economies come together to discuss about how their systems work and learn from each other. Here, at McKinley High School we have PAAC club, that was established in the year of 2011-2012. PAAC and APEC are related by having interconnections between the Asia-Pacific regions and helping them work together. APEC and
Tiger Locker offers supplies by Juzhen Zhang (12) McKinley High School’s Tiger Locker last year began to sell Tiger spirit items in the school. During the week of Homecoming, sales were high. They created and sold three styles of t-shirts: women’s, juniors, and adults. The most popular items during Homecoming week were tattoos and t-shirts. Tiger Locker was created to provide products that students might need for school and to increase the school spirit on campus; therefore, items are sold at cost. Since the store opened, students are seen using Tiger products on campus, and wearing Tiger t-shirts. There are new items for students this year
such as bracelets, flashdrives, highlighter/pen combos, stadium cushion, and compact umbrellas. Last year some students wore Tiger t-shirts on Homecoming instead of their own black shirts. A Tiger Locker cashier said students like to buy Tiger t-shirts to show support for the McKinley teams. The most popular item last year was the lanyard. The store is open during lunch time every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the Student Activities room. Students who buy products worth $5 or more are entered in a drawing each month.
PAAC can also help businesses and industries, especially with tourism. “PAAC promotes understanding and awareness of international affairs and relations in the Asian-Pacific regions,” said Mary Lui(12), president of PAAC club. During this year’s meetings, “PAAC discusses events such as the upcoming Fall Conference with the theme of Indonesia. Club participation is highly encouraged in various school activities and service projects,” said Lui. If APEC and PAAC (Pacific and Asian Affairs Council) can help Hawaii become stable, then Hawaii’s quality of life in the future can improve. APEC can help in many ways. “APEC should help Hawaii greatly. In the future I can see the tourism industry rising up again because this conference will put Hawaii in a spotlight, so to speak,” said Keilah Chung (12), AOHT student. Hawaii’s stability is important.“If Hawaii isn’t stable, then our state as a whole is going to be ruined, because we basically live on the tourism industry alone. That is our major source of income,” said Chung (12) “Also, Hawaii is a major part of the United States alone. Pearl Harbor is one main source that the Army uses most. The U.S needs Hawaii to be stable or else they lose big time.” Juzhen will offer Chinese summary online for THESE stories. You can visit myhsj. org/pinion to read the Chinese Version Juzhen 将为以下文章提供中文总结。同学 们可以到myhsj.org/pinion在线阅读此版本。 -battling bullying 持强凌弱 -spirit galore 丰富的校园精神 -book review 书本复习
The McKinley Anime Club will be having a scavenger hunt from the beginning of November all the way to Thanksgiving. It will be held all over school with hints in the morning bulletin. Fun and fabulous prizes await.
November 3, 2011 THE PINION 5
Scary experiences shared Pali Road by Reyna Kimura (10)
One weekend my friends and I went to the Pali Road. It was around 11 p.m. The Pali Road is where we usually go just to drive and kill time. But we never did walk it before. So we decided to do so. We parked the cars and walked down the road to the beginning. I left my McDonalds McChicken in the car to see if it would be gone when we got back. I also left my fruit punch on the side of the road. We started walking and began to hear a cat, but we just kept walking. Then, we began to hear chains. We were getting creeped out but still continued to walk. All of a sudden one of my friends stopped, so we all stopped behind him. I was on the side of him and he asked, “Reyna, do you see that?” I saw in the middle of the road a figure of a lady all in white. We all ran back to the beginning. People wanted to go again and others didn’t. We went to get one of the cars. Both my McChicken and fruit punch was still there. The people who wanted to go again jumped into one car and drove down the road. But there was nothing. The scary thing is that no one else saw the lady but my friend and I.
My Grandmother’s Doll by Jeffrey Ross (9) When I was little, about nine or ten, I went to Japan for the summer and stayed at my grandfather’s house in a small suburb. One night during my stay there, I woke up to get a glass of water. I accidentally dropped the glass of water on the floor. While I was picking up the broken glass in the kitchen, I saw that some glass was in the hallway so I went to the hallway to pick up the remaining glass. In the hallway, I noticed that a Japanese doll, which had been my grandma’s favorite, had fallen out from the glass case right above me. The strange thing was that the glass case was missing a chunk of glass. I put the doll back in the case, but cut my fingers while putting it back. I grabbed some band aids from a medicine kit in the bathroom and decided to go back to sleep. When I walked down the hallway, I saw that the doll had fallen out again. I left it alone because I was tired. When I opened the bedroom door, I saw that someone was sleeping in my bed. It was my grandma, who had died three years ago. I freaked out and fell back. I woke up from this lucid dream, but I still had the cuts on my fingers.
Mary Lou’s Revenge by Jantzen Hatakenaka (10) I was traveling with my family in the Grand Canyon. We were going river rafting down the Colorado for three days on a guided tour. The first day went off without a hitch, but things took an unexpected and deadly turn the next night. The boats were labeled in code names: Alpha Boat, Bravo Boat, and Charlie Boat. We were each assigned groups and I was in Charlie Boat. We were assigned life vests, labeled with the name of a famous person who had explored the canyon in the 1900’s, so we could identify it later. I had on Charlie Thompson. On the first night, they told us about a lady named Mary Lou who had explored the canyon in 1904 but had disappeared. Only her empty boat was found next to some rapids. Those rapids were renamed Mary Lou’s Revenge. I couldn’t help but notice that the lady next to me had a life jacket that said “Mary Lou.” We set out the next day to conquer those rapids. Around noon, we hit the turn. The boat tipped, and “Mary Lou” fell out. We waited for her to pop up, but only her life vest did. She was never seen again, thanks to Mary Lou’s revenge.
Pinion Staff
Adviser: Cynthia Reves Editor: Amanda Muramoto Reporters: Kelsey David, Brannagan Mukaisu, Pauline Yang, Jocel Siapno
Publication Information
THE PINION is published by the Newswriting Staff and printed by the Reprographics Learning Center. The Pinion McKinley High School 1039 South King Street Honolulu, HI 96814 Email comments or questions to mhspinion@gmail.com
OPINION POLL Have you ever been bullied at McKinley? Chelsie Wang (11) goofs off at the Ignition Program’s Halloween event, a time for freshmen and mentors to have fun together. Photo by Dennisa Manuel (12).
Vote at myhsj.org/pinion Check results in issue 3
6 THE PINION November 3, 2011
Battling bullying by Kelsey David
Dude, I swear, you are so dumb sometimes.” You see, that? You may consider that as just teasing, but to others, it could be equivalent to a slap in the face. Or worse, the decrease in self-confidence. As common as it is, you might think that bullying is a new trend. But then you think, “since everyone does it, it’s okay.” In reality, though, it’s not. Such a cliche thing to say, right? But before you roll your eyes at another article about bullying, just think about what it can do. Bullying hurts. The worst part is, that it’s literally everywhere. At the mall, at school, at home, even. It may not always be directed towards you, but still, it’s happening. Fair enough, many people
Think about how your words will affect someone before they leave your mouth. aren’t aware of the fact that they’re bullying, or they don’t understand how much damage can be done. For those who do acknowledge the fact that it’s wrong, they often forget about the consequences that follow their actions, both for themselves and the person they bullied. Sarah Moninger (9) admitted that bullying is a bad thing. “But everyone gets bullied, so I guess they bully, too, to make themselves feel better,” she said. Here in today’s society, we have many forms of bullying, new and old. There’s the traditional rumor-spreading and verbal bullying. We have social alienation, which focuses on excluding someone from the group on purpose. Intimidation can involve bribing and threatening. Then there’s the most common now-adays; cyber-bullying and gender role and sexual orientation criticizing. At McKinley, you may see more racial and ethnic bullying. Considering how many immigrants come to Hawaii because of family, or new opportunities, it wouldn’t be shocking to see a new face here and there. Many of these students are ESL, and can’t speak English, and when they do, it’s not spoken very well. “I think that when it comes to racial
bullying, and to bully someone about something that they can’t even control, it has to be one of the most ignorant things in the world,” said Deanna Wathen (11). Matthew Conner (9) said, “I don’t think that any race is a specific target. As bad as it seems, we all get the same amount of hate.” Whatever type of bullying you choose to do, the effects are still the same. Victims will have scars that could last a lifetime, or even shorter than that. A vicitim of bullying is twice as likely to take his or her own life compared to someone who isn’t a victim. One out of 10 students drop out of school because they’re bullied. 57% of students who experience harassment in school never report the incident. 10% of those who don’t report stay quiet since they don’t believe teachers and staff can do anything. As a result, more than a quarter of students feel that school is an unsafe place to be. (dosomething.org) A lot of people underestimate the power of bullying. They don’t know how much they could hurt someone. You ask, “well, why don’t the victims do something about it, then?” For some, it’s honestly not that easy. There are several circumstances that one has to consider when involved in a bullying situation. For example, a victim’s bully could be their friend. They could be a loved one, someone they trust. Fear and threats should be taken into consideration. But there is hope; there are people out there who realize how awful it is. Margeline Montero (11) said “It’s completely disrespectful. People who bully are looking for a power trip; it’s disgusting.” For those of you who don’t know, October was National Anti-Bullying month. Surely, this didn’t go unnoticed by everyone;
Illustration by Margeline Montero (11).
so be one of those people. Bobae Kim (12) thinks that “people who get bullied let themselves get bullied.” Help them realize this. Help everyone see that this can be prevented. It may sound lame, but it’s not. It’s the right thing to do. If someone is being bullied, don’t just stand and watch. It really is okay to tell an adult, or step in yourself if you feel safe enough. That boy you just tripped? He’s probably abused enough at home. And that girl you just called fat? What would you do if you found out she was overdosing on diet pills? So before you tease someone, think about what might happen, what they’re going through, before you voice your opinions for the sake of a laugh. Moving to a new country can be terrifying, and practicing a personal dress code that reflects culture, that’s not wrong, either. It’s not difficult to respect someone. Remember; words hurt, names burn, and laughs can kill.
Here are a few websites on bullying: http://www.stopbullying.gov http://www.standupday.com http://www.stompoutbullying.org