The Pini
n
President William McKinley High School Vol. 91 No. 7
McKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
May 2013
Graduation is approaching; seniors will be missed by all by Annie Lien
For seniors, it has been a long four years, but it seems to have all passed in an instant as graduation moves closer and closer. Seniors have already begun to prepare for the graduation ceremony which will be held on May 19 at 5 p.m.. Bleachers have been placed in front of the school, and seniors have their cap and gowns ready to go. The thought of graduating brings excitement to students, but it is also a surprise for some as it seems just yesterday they were nervous freshmen trying to find their way around the school. Senior Meriam Salameh said, “It’s unreal. I can’t believe I’m graduating.” It all happened so fast, but she is looking forward to a bright future. Senior Diana Gomez said she is glad that all her hard work will have paid off. However, Senior Lei-Yen Degala feels
bittersweet about graduation. “The feeling of leaving a place where you see your friends five times a week then entering an environment where you have complete control over what you can do, going separate ways; it’s both exciting and very scary,” said Degala. Graduating from high school will give seniors more freedom. They will officially be mature adults with a long journey ahead of them. For most of their lives, they have been in school, learning and teaching one another to become who they are today. Not only have they affected each other, they have become inspirations and role models to the underclassmen as well. Maria Baryuga (9) said, “I feel sad that I won’t be able to see some of my senior friends anymore but also excited to see them graduate.” Anela Poepoe (11) made some new se-
nior friends within the past year. She said she wishes to have met them earlier because she has grown so close to many of them. “The seniors who have inspired me are the reasons why I’m even doing good in school, helping the community, and why I’m so happy all the time,” said Poepoe. After graduation, many seniors will leave behind many fond memories they have had at McKinley High School. “I’ll remember the school’s pride in its traditions and how we stood tall as McKinley tigers every day,” said Salameh. Throughout her high school years, McKinley has taught her to be herself and to do whatever makes her happy. For Gomez, McKinley has taught her to act on her best behavior and to set a great Please see GRADUATION, page 12
Photo by Michelle Peng and Peter Nerveza RS 13-0440
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WEED & by Chanel Joy Alarca
Dan Bumanglag singing “Miss Seductive”
The MC’s of Weed & Seed Helen Chen & William Bernaldez
Deborah Malaga singing “The Best of Both Worlds”
Jeddahlyn Temenio, Minh Han Pham, Destiny Yoshimura, Jamie Choy,& Lea Patrocinio Tee performing “You and I”
Weed & Seed is a drug enforcement program where students weed out drug pushers, drug addicts, indesirables from neighborhoods and plant new seeds, new ways of refurbishing, or renewing the community. Ten years ago, Leimomi StenderJenkins came up with an idea of a talent show for the students to be more engaged about the program instead of having teachers, parents and peers lecturing them on how bad drugs are. “What we do is entertain you,” said Stender-Jenkins. Stender-Jenkins likes to have a diversity of students, not just one ethnic group. “I like to showcase the numerous talents that exist in this school and there are a lot of talented students, whether they sing, dance or talk.” said Stender-Jenkins. She wrote speeches for eight students; they are called Dramatic Readings. Stender-Jenkins selected a number of
topics that may be current or trendy at that time. The message is very subtle and so the words these students share with the audience are just important as the dancing, singing, and the other forms of entertainment. “Me and a lot of students as well a lot of adults work together as a team to coordinate this program. It takes an entire year to put this show together,” said Stender-Jenkins. She cannot award every performer a prize even though she wishes to, but “whoever steps out on that stage is already a winner because it takes a lot of courage to perform in front of the whole school.” Although she is the coordinator of Weed & Seed, there are a lot of students who help her with different tasks. “I’m the coordinator and the one in charge but I share this position with everyone,” said Stender-Jenkins.
Members of 4+1 Chang-Yu Chung, Katherine Liu, U Hang (Celia) Sio, Anna Wen, & Yan Ye Ho
110% Seunghun Joo, Jay Chang, Dabin Rim, June Yi, Jin Hyuk Hong dancing to “Shock”
Marglowil (April) Sacalamitao, Ji Won Kang getting ready to dance to “Only One and Fresh Like Dougie”
Members of FJC Man I Woo, Teresa Ruan, Francis Vilar, Tsai-Chien (Lily) Kuo, Erlyn Sanchez.
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& SEED What students had to say about Weed & Seed
myhsj.org/pinion
Charrylynestar Moltaikwari singing “If I Was Your Man” and Sharlene Pennington The Tokouso’s Jared Malaga, Nataniela Fanueli, Mana Lauli, & Sakalaia Hungalu singing “McKinley High School”
How was this Weed & Seed different from the year before? “Speeches are rewritten and the message is always the same but it’s always given in a different way that’s still interesting.” -Calvin Calvo What is your favorite part about Weed & Seed? “I say overall everything is pretty much my favorite part because I get to see a lot people perform and I just really like how everyone took their time and a lot of effort to practice.” -Pauline Yang What is your favorite part about Weed & Seed? “My favorite part is watching the students perform cause like they’re really talented as I see them up there on stage.” -William Bernaldez Was it hard to prepare for Weed & Seed? “Yeah it was hard. We practiced a lot. Since February, we met up and then practiced every weekend and then I think thats how we got to here.” -Dabin Rim What do you think the purpose for Weed & Seed is? “To show everybody that doing drugs isn’t the only way to have fun. You know, staying drug free, thats the way to be.” -Juillan Pascua Why did you participate in Weed & Seed? “The first time Dance Club performed for Weed & Seed, we felt like it really brought us together, closer, and it felt really good to perform and to perform for the school, so we want to continue performing for Weed & Seed.” -Danielle Cabalis
Christopher Kaukali playing “Sacrified” Avery Omoto singing “Titanium”
Austin Watkins singing “Chemical Love” Jayziah Williams & Kela Kaawa singing “So High”
Peter Le dancing to “The Mix”
Members of the McKinley Highschool Dance Club Andrew Gibson, Danielle Cabalis, Francis Vilar, Erlyn Sanchez, Michelle Lai, Lea Patrocinio Tee & Cristhel Vila.
Ryan Aberilla, Steven Rodrigues, Kevin Trang-Tran, Isaiah Piengkham & Juillan Pascua performing “The Carpenter”
Michael Tom peforming bartender tricks.
Jacob Kaae singing “You and Me”
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JROTC cadets finish stronger than ever by Queenie Kiluwe Junior Reserves Officer Training Corps (JROTC) cadets have another reason, or reasons, to call themselves champions once again. On April 13, 2013, the Tiger Battalion’s Drill Team competed in their last competition at the “Pacific Championships”. The drill team took it home this year by winning the Overall Trophy for the first time in years making them the Pacific Champions. In order to win overall, the drill team needed to have the highest total combined points of all of the different events of that competition. The teams rounded up the points by placing first in Armed Exhibition, Color Guard, and Unarmed Regulation; second place in Armed Regulation, Solo Exhibition (C/LTC Matthew Wong), and Dual Exhibition (C/ SFC Jay Raguindin and C/SFC Elijah Solang); third place in Unarmed Exhibition. Two years ago, McKinley shocked the drill world by placing Runner-Up Champions in this same competition by losing by only three points even though they had the best team that Hawaii felt was ready to represent the state in the Nationals placing second. This is because they did not compete in an event that the winning team had competed in, hence, giving the other team a few extra points. In order to prevent this, they had our first ever, alternative (3 lb. rifles) armed exhibition team compete lead by C/SSG Victoria Hasiak. Although they did not place, they gave McKinley the extra edge to take home the Championship title. The drill team was not the only team that did really well this year. The Adventure Team (Raider Team) competed in their last competition in a three day event that took place from April 19-21 called Waianae Adventure Challenge (WAC). This is the first year that the Raiders took home six trophies from this competition. The male team placed second in the Hill Run, Rope Bridge, and Jetti Swim with Paddling. The female team took home first in the Obstacle Course and second in Rope Bridge. The mixed team placed third in the Beach Run.
During this past school year, the special teams of the McKinley High School JROTC Tiger Battalion has made our school proud. They showed all of the other schools what it is really like to be a McKinley Tiger.
Be a part of the tradition. Work for The Pinion. See Adviser Cindy Reves in W-225. Art by Annie Lien
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Tennis players dedicated by Anthony Lee other sports, it is filled with hardworking and committed players. Despite almost daily practices, some of the players keep practicing even on days when it is not required. Wen Jie Shi (10) is a player who practices tennis almost every day, either at McKinley’s or Ala Moana’s tennis courts. Shi said his motivation was “to get better... to play as a starter and better than everyone else on the team and all the other good people in the other teams.” Team members inevitably lose focus once in awhile. “I think people sometimes forget what they have to do to improve, especially when going against some of the weaker teams,” Shi said. Michelle (Gi Young) Back (11) agreed, “Each individual is a part of the team, just like pillars Wenjie Shi (10) gets ready to return the ball with a supporting a bridge, and if one forehand swing. collapses, then the whole struc-
Walking past the tennis courts after school, it is common to see focused players making the most of their tennis practice. Although tennis at McKinley is sometimes not as widely advertised as
ture falls apart,” she said. The coaches remedy this feeling through motivation. Shi said, “The coaches motivate us to practice hard and play hard. They tell us
“Each individual is a part of the team, just like pillars supporting a bridge, and if one collapses, then the whole structure falls apart.” --Michelle (Gi Young) Back (11) we can do it and [to] not give up during matches. They also tell us it’s okay to lose to better teams, but we have to fight hard for every point.” “The coaches motivate us the most, since they’re the ones that push us when we lose focus,” Shi said.
Tiger Volleyball
Landon Akau (12) going for a jump serve.
Photos by Daniel Young
Landon Akau attempts a kill over Moanalua's #3.
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Announcement from Jason Collins’ signals sports, society changes by Stephanie Akin The Record (Hackensack, N.J.)/MCT The announcement by NBA center Jason Collins that he is gay marked a watershed moment in a decades-long struggle to change popular attitudes. It also shifted the conversation surrounding homosexuality in American sports. The question was no longer when will an athlete in a major sports league come out, but when will it be so commonplace that no one cares? “There comes a day when it is so routine that you acknowledge the person who came first and you honor them and thank them for their contribution, but in part what they created is a situation where in the future it is not perceived to be that big of a deal,” said Fred Sainz, vice president of communications and marketing for Human Rights Campaign, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group. “We’re fighting hard for the day when gay people will be as dull and boring as everyone else.” Given how quickly attitudes have changed regarding sexuality in America, that day may be closer than anticipated. The high-profile endorsements that followed Collins’ declaration - including statements from President Obama, Kobe Bryant and Bill Clinton - seemed to back up a trend that polling data have shown for a while: Americans are beginning to accept homosexuality as part of mainstream culture.
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
Art by Caihong Ding
Qi Xi - Chinese Valentine’s Day Pinion Staff
Adviser: Cynthia Reves Staff: Briana Ribillia-Ramones, Ariana Makasiale Anthony Lee, Chanel Joy Alarca, Annie Lien
Follow the Pinion on Twitter @mhspinion.
Go to myhsj.org/pinion to view videos on senior project and how to make the best of your summer.
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Thank-you’s from The Pinion Staff
Briana Rabilia-Ramones
Annie Lien I would like to thank everyone who actually took time out to read The Pinion issues we published this year. Furthermore, I would like to thank my adviser, Ms. Reves, for her guidance and time put into helping me, and my fellow staff mates who made this class extremely interesting. Although it was sometimes stressful, I enjoyed writing the articles and sharing them with the school. Thank you to those who contributed to The Pinion by sending us letters and allowing us to interview you! These contributions have made each and every issue enjoyable and memorable. -Annie Lien This year’s pinion staff has been very dedicated to making issues and articles for the newspaper. I would call my classmates more like a family than friends. Thank you to those who have contributed to the pinion. Also I would have not gone this far without my fellow classmates helping me with revising and distributing the newspaper. Above all thank you to Ms. Reves for guiding us throughout this whole process. Hopefully you guys enjoyed reading the pinion this year :) -Briana RabilliaRamones
Cynthia Reves, Adviser
Anthony Lee Thank you to all who took time reading and contributing to the school paper. The newspaper staff really takes pride in The Pinion and we are proud to have produced seven quality editions this year. Working in a small class size definitely meant we bonded with each other. Thank you to Annie, Briana, Ariana and Chanel for always making class a joy. I would also like to thank Ms. Reves for believing in us whenever we were behind and really caring for us. I am proud to have been a part of The Pinion once before I graduate! We had our ups and downs. Good luck to all futures of this year’s Pinion Staff! -Anthony Lee
Ariana Makasiale
Chanel Joy Alarca This is the last Pinion issue this year and I’ll miss writing stories for you. I would like to thank all the people who I interviewed and I really appreciate everyone for taking the time to talk to me. I would like to thank my fellow Pinion staffers who helped me along the way: Annie, Ariana, Briana and Anthony. I would like to thank all the students who sent stories, poems, art, letters and reviews. I would like to thank Ms. Reves, our Pinion adviser. I would like to thank the faculty and staff we interviewed. Ultimately, I would like to thank everyone who read the Pinion. Thanks for being a great audience. <3! -Chanel Joy Alarca
“Writing is an extreme privilege but it’s also a gift. It’s a gift to yourself and it’s a gift of giving a story to someone.” ~Amy Tan
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Letters to the Editor Dear Editor,
I would like to talk about Weed & Seed. First off, if you can’t get everyone to watch it, why do it? You leave others out, and it takes up a whole class period. A lot of people goof off in Tiger Time, so why can’t we schedule Weed & Seed as if it were an assembly? If the whole school fits in the gym, why not do it in there? Instead, you have kids ditching their class and people feeling left out. If Weed & Seed was like a “talent show,” wouldn’t it be nice to show those kids’ talent in front of everyone instead of half the school? This also causes stress to teachers because they have kids missing and students begging to let them go.
Summer: Time t Marukame Udon
by Briana Ribillia-Ramones Located in Waikiki (2310 Kuhio Ave) right across from Zanzabar. Marukame Udon offers a variety of hot and delicious udon-style noodles. It is a cafeteria-style restaurant and the first step when ordering is to pick your style of udon (Kamaage Udon, Curry Udon, Niku Udon, Zaru Udon, Kake Udon, Bukkake Udon and Ontama Udon.) Next, you can decide on a variety of tempura that average $2 (Mushroom Tempura, Shrimp Tempura, Eggplant Tempura, Calamari Tempura, etc.) They also have a variety of musubis and inari that range from $1.50-$2.50. After you are done choosing your food, you pay at the cash register and find a seat to enjoy your udon. Marukame Udon also offers take-out if you don’t plan on dining in. Just a heads-up, the side dishes are not included with the udon. Overall Marukame Udon is very inexpensive and fast to order.
-John Guillermo Hello Editor, I was wondering why there isn’t a surf club in McKinley but there are surf clubs in Kaiser, Kaimuki, Kahuku, and Waialua high schools. I don’t see why there isn’t a surf club. Surfing, bodyboarding and bodysurfing are fun activities. Of course there are some hazards, but it has a rush, just going for big sick waves, I know this because I am a bodyboarder and I have a lot of friends who surf, bodyboard and bodysurf. I heard that there used to be a surf club in McKinley a long time ago and never heard a reason why they disbanded the surf team. Hopefully, there is a surf club next year. I’m determined to make one and a lot of people are going to join, Let’s just see next year. Much thanks, Kevin Jang
Kake Udon ($4.75) Spam Musubi ($1.50 each) Fried Chicken ($1.50) Photo by Van Lea Do
Marukame Udon Menu
Kamaage Udon ($3.75) is what the chain is famous for – udon noodles served in piping hot water with dipping sauce Curry Udon ($5.25) – hot noodles in a thick curry sauce/broth Niku Udon ($5.75) – hot noodles with beef topping Zaru Udon ($3.75) – cold noodles with dipping sauce Kake Udon ($3.75) – hot noodles in a light broth Bukkake Udon ($3.75) – hot or cold noodles with a more concentrated sauce Ontama Udon ($4.25) – hot or cold noodles with soft poached egg and sauce
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to Discover New Things Samurai
by Briana Ribillia-Ramones Samurai is a great place to enjoy a tasty and inexpensive treat that you will enjoy on a hot summer’s day. They have two locations, one in Aiea (99-115 Aiea Heights Dr) next to Aiea Bowl and one that just recently opened in Kalihi (738 Umi St.) next to New City Nissan across from Storage Quest. What is Samurai? Samurai is a soft-served sherbet with flavors such as chocolate and haupia and their most popular is vanilla and strawberry. A tasty snack, only under $3. Samurai isn’t just inexpensive, it also provides you with big portions. Not only do they sell sherbet, but they also have other snacks such as furikake popcorn. Just to let you know the soft serve machines closes one hour before closing. Overall, Samurai is a cool treat you and your friends can enjoy on a hot day.
Strawberry and Vanilla Swirl Sherbet Photo by Briana Ribillia-Ramones
Pa’ina’s Cafe acai bowls that have strawberry, banana, and honey. Photo by Briana Ribillia-Ramones
Pa’ina Cafe
Waimanalo Beach Photo by Annie Lien
Waimanalo Beach by Annie Lien
Located far from town, Waimanalo Beach is the place to go during the summer. It is hardly ever crowded, and has clear blue/green water and soft white sand. It is serene if you just need a place to clear your mind and relax. I have to warn those who don’t know how to swim that there are some fairly strong waves at times. Not to mention, there are Portuguese Man O’ War that wash ashore as well. However, don’t let these small imperfections of the beach scare you away from visiting and enjoying its beauty. The wind is strong enough to fly a kite if that is something you love. The waves are great for boogie boarding, and when the water kisses the shoreline, it is great for sandboarding.
by Briana Ribillia-Ramones Pa’ina Cafe has all sorts of dishes from spicy ahi bowls to acai bowls. They have a variety of poke bowls under $10 like spicy tuna, shoyu ahi, hot shoyu ahi, limu ahi, wasabi masago ahi, and daily specials. Some other things they have on the menu if you’re not really into fish are $9 Paina plates. Their plates include a choice of white or brown rice with a side of salad, then you can choose from one main dish like steak skewers, shrimp skewers, grilled salmon, grilled or seared ahi. Paina plates also come with a choice of sauce with flavors such as spicy mayo, walnut pesto, garlic aioli, or sundried tomato. They also have salads (starting at $5) and sandwiches (starting at $7) that go great with an acai bowl ($6.15 for the small and $8.10 for the large.) They have two locations, one in the Ward Warehouse area (1200 Ala Moana Blvd) near Town and Country Surf Shop and one across from Koko Marina Eight Theatres (7192 Kalanianaole Hwy Ste. E123A.) Although Pa’ina can be a little on the pricey side, it provides a fulfilling experience.
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S E O R HE FOR LE C A R I M A by Annie Lien
McKinley students and teachers took time out on April 19 to run in support of children battling cancer. The charity run was called “Heroes for a Miracle.” The main objective was to run two laps around the school to a finish line adorned with balloons. McKinley cheerleaders stood by the finish line to cheer on those who were participating, encouraging many people to run faster. Chanelle Ulep (11) said that it is not often that the school holds these types of events so it was very special. She said, “I ran three miles for once; I actually ran it.” Although during the run, it was
Winny Chen (11) How did you feel after you finished? “Tired and sweaty, but proud of helping others.”
Male Run Winners 1st: David Cabatangan 22 minutes 44 seconds 2nd: Malvin Tuppil 3rd: Sean Gleason
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April 19, 2013 “agonizing, because it was hot,” said Mary Mae Garay (11). The run was called “Heroes for a Miracle” because it gives children fighting cancer someone they can look up to. “I like the idea of superheroes,” said Ulep. “It’s nice knowing students take their time out to do this.” There were Marvel super hero symbols posted around the school and colorful flags surrounding the path that runners had to go through. Please visit myhsj.org/pinion for more pictures and the complete story. Photos by Melvin Tuppil and Christina Batangan
Chanelle Ulep (11) What motivated you to run? “It’s not something common. It’s for a good cause, why not do it?”
Female Run Winners 1st: Ms. Danielle Heider 22 minutes 30 seconds 2nd: Ms. Shelby Costa 3rd: Ms. Helen Meigs
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To the C/O 2013!
by Anthony Lee
I can’t believe our four-year long journey is so near it’s end! The end of high school only means the beginning of the rest of our lives, though. These past four years had its ups and downs and definitely taught us all great messages for us to look back on later in life. Some memorable moments shallowly include: the first homecoming game I went to, being a part of a school committee, joining my first few clubs, being a part of a school team, participating in Black and Gold week, watching the school play, taking AP classes, attending junior prom, founding my own club, being a part a musical, writing for the Pinion, attending senior luau, and of course much more. There inevitably were negative moments which do not want to be remembered, but those downer moments cannot define my life. The thing we can take from them is experience. We learn to take the best of the situation, no matter how good or bad, and apply it to our lives, such as not making the same mistake again. High school is just another step towards college. Also, these four years would not be anything without the people to share it with, back from freshman year and now to our final senior days. It will be weird and sad not seeing everyone as often after this upcoming summer... but even if the physical connection is lost, the memories will be intact forever. That is what social media and the yearbook is for, right? Anyways, good luck to everyone on their future endeavors! Congratulations to the class of 2013! We did it!
The data shows the graduation rate of high school students at McKinley.
GRADUATION: Seniors decide what to do after high school Contiunued from page 1 example for those around her. “This school is unique, compared to other schools because of its history and how the alumni value this school,” said Degala. One thing she will remember most is the hall of honor assembly. She thinks it is amazing how someone normal like us could end up being part of the hall of honor. Degala also said McKinley has taught her how to be a better person. “Teachers always encourage us to do our best and we take them for granted,” she said. Graduation signifies the end of high school, which means the seniors must begin to decide on what they want to do with their life. Some of them may want to immediately get a job while others may want to further their education. Focusing more on academics, Salameh plans on “going to KCC to get an associates degree,” and Gomez is planning to
“It’s unreal. I can’t believe I’m graduating.” --Meriam Salameh (12) attend Heald college. Contrary to this, Degala finds family most important at this moment. “I’m planning to take a vacation to the Philippines with my family, mostly with my parents, and I will start college during the spring of next year,” she said. She knows that she is holding back on her studies, but she feels like throughout her high school life, she has been away from most of her family. Therefore, she wants to make up for the lost time. Whatever the seniors decide to do with their life, it is hoped that they will end up to be successful and happy people. More so, it is hoped that seniors know what they are worth and that if they are willing to work hard, anything is possible.