THE PINION Vol. 89, No. 2
McKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
October 1 ,2010
Students win contest, journey to Japan By Jennis Hatakenaka
The Japan Wizards Competition, a competition for high school students, takes place every February. The JapanAmerica Society of Hawaii (JASH) sponsors the competition, which tests students’ general knowledge of Japan and Japan-related fields. Students form
Jennis Hatakenaka, Kyung-Soo Lee, Maggie Kwock, and Japanese teacher Sandra Oda visit the historic Itsukushima shrine on Miyajima island.
teams of three, and study various topics with the help of an adviser. The topscoring private and public school are given monies to go on an educational trip to Japan. Studying for the Japan Wizards Competition was an interesting, time consuming experience. Through this process I learned a lot about my culture and heritage. McKinley’s team consisted of three students; Maggie Kwock, KyungSoo Lee, our adviser, Japanese teacher Sandra Oda, and myself. We met about twice a week. We also spent a lot of time doing individual studying and memoriz-
ing. Although it took a lot of time, every second I spent studying paid off in the end. Studying about Japan really helped me in all aspects of life. In addition to preparing myself for our trip to Japan, I was able to improve my research and memorization skills. McKinley’s team placed 3rd in the Level A division. However, since we were the top public school, we were given the prize of trip monies. Even if we hadn’t won, I still would consider this experience worthwhile. If I could, I’d enter the competition again just for the experience. Once a school wins a trip, they aren’t able to enter the competition the next year. Additionally, when a student wins a trip, they aren’t able to enter the competition again. These rules ensure that more schools and students are able to win the prizes each year. Once all the studying and competing was over, it was off to Japan. Everything in Japan is well maintained. The streets are pristine and free of potholes. Vending machines are kept clean without a trace of graffiti. Furthermore, taxis in Japan are spotless. A cab driver told us he spends about 40 minutes every morning tidying his car. Most of the people in Japan are very polite. When you ask them for directions, they go out of their way to help you. For example, at the stations, we asked a worker how to get to a certain place and they explained it and some even drew maps for us. On the Shinkansen, the conductor and snack cart person walk through the cars to do their jobs. When they are finished with a car, they turn and bow to the passengers before leaving. Another thing I noticed about Japan is the efficient transportation system. They keep to the time schedule and the
conductors even apologize for being a minute late. I enjoyed every place we visited. However, one of my favorites was Miyajima. This island off of Hiroshima is known for its Itsukushima Shrine, Mount Misen, maple trees, deer, and monkeys. Despite the town’s quaint feel, I was able to purchase a variety of souvenirs. Although I enjoyed shopping at the different places we visited, I bought a majority of my omiyage at Daiso. Daiso is one of the leading 100-yen shops in the country. They sell a wide range of products at just 100 yen, or about $1.15. My experience in Japan was amazing. This trip helped me in both spoken and written Japanese. I was able to hear how Japanese people speak and observe their habits. This trip also helped me with my navigation skills. In the beginning, I was unsure of how to navigate stations and streets in Japan. However, by the end of the trip, I was able to find my way around. Further more, by the end of my journey, I was able to communicate with the locals more comfortably. Overall, my experience with the Japan Wizards program and time in Japan was unforgettable. I can’t wait to go back to Japan again.
Pinion Staff
Adviser: Cynthia Reves, Editor: Oliver Lam Reporters: Peiru Lu, Stacia Mahi, Amanda Muramoto
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
2 THE PINION October 1, 2010
Chinese immigrants at McKinley struggle to adapt By Juzhen Zhang
McKinley High School has more than 400 students of Chinese ethnicity. That’s 24 percent of the school population. Many of them immigrated here recently and English is their second language. I am also a Chinese immigrant. I came to Hawaii in 2009. From personal experience and from talking to fellow Chinese immigrants, I know there are pros and cons to learning in Hawaii. I recently joined a group of six Chinese immigrants talking together at lunch recess and asked them about their experiences. All in this group were from Fujian, which is a province in the south of China. All students interviewed wished to be anonymous. I asked in Chinese,“你喜欢这里吗？(Do you like it here?)” One boy replied, “不喜欢! 福建比这里好。(No, Fujian is better than here.)” A girl elaborated,“至少在福建可以沟通啊。(At least we can communicate there.)” Another girl compared her grades in China to her grades in Hawaii. “ 我在中国成绩很好，英语也能拿八十多分啊! (I always got good grades in China. I usually got 80% percent correct on my English tests.)” Another girl talked about how hard life is here for her family.“爸爸妈妈在这里工作很 辛苦, 工资又少啊。(My parents have to work really hard with low income.)” Another compared her home in China to her home in Hawaii. “在福建有大房子住啊。(We have a big house in China.)” In her hometown, her family had their own land and built their own house. Another place many of the Chinese immigrants at McKinley come from is the city of Zhongshan in Guangdong Province, also in southern China. One girl from Zhongshan told me she likes Hawaii better because she thinks studying here is good for her future, and people are nice. Despite the good in Hawaii, most Chinese immigrants miss China. In China are their friends, neighborhoods, school life, family group, a lot of things to miss. When they were in China, they had less to worry about, but they had to leave for a lot of reasons. Perhaps they hoped to come to America and make a better life. Even if they work a low-paying job, the money is worth a lot when sent back to China. Perhaps the children couldn’t get into a good school in China. Once here, Chinese immigrants can feel helpless, but they must stay for their children’s education or to earn money to send back to China for their aging grandparents. They must sometimes sacrifice their own happiness for their family. Students and staff at McKinley should know how difficult an immigrant’s life here is. Even though they seem happy on the surface, they are just waiting for the time they can visit their homeland again. Please help if you have any immigrant classmates or friends around you!!
What are you doing during fall break?
by Ridge Hayashi
Couple His heart is stone cold Of which she could remold She was an old flame One he couldn’t tame.
Annie Liang (11): I’m going to make a resume and read the Driver’s Manual.
Tina Ho (10): plans to sleep.
Pauline Yang (10) and Maria Olsen(10): During the break, Maria is going to help me start a club.
Amanda Phan (11): I’m going to study and go on the computer.
Her touch was electric And she was eccentric His deep ocean eyes She could never despise Hey students! Are you interested in art, poetry, and short stories? Join the literary magazine. The staff publishes a Literary Magazine for the graduating seniors. We are accepting any creative writings or art for our next magazine. Literary Magazine staff meets in W-224 every Thursday during lunch. See you there!
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