The Pinion Vol. 92 No. 4

THE PINI N

Student-edited paper of McKinley High School Vol. 92 No. 4

Honolulu, Hawaii

February 2013

Procrastination: Not so bad

Art from barrymoltz.com

by Lin Song, reporter It is 11 p.m. You sit at your desk typing an essay due the next day. It is not the first time. Facing the deadline, you think of your old friend – Procrastination. “I don’t think procrastination is so serious. I just don’t want to do homework now and I know it will be finished eventually,” junior Eugenia Pang said. Historically, procrastination has not been regarded as a bad thing. In the book “Wait: The Art and Science of Delay,” author Frank Partnoy said the Greeks and Romans generally regarded procrastination highly. The wisest leaders embraced procrastination and would basically sit around and think and not do anything unless they absolutely had to. The author also mentioned that people

nowadays are more successful and happier when they manage delay. Procrastination is just a universal state of being for humans. We will always have more things to do than we can possibly do, so we will always be imposing some sort of unwarranted delay on some tasks. He wrote that “the question is not whether we are procrastinating, it is whether we are procrastinating well.” “I still have the habit of delaying things and I don’t think procrastination can affect you too much if you know what you are doing,” college student David Wang said. Wang studies in California now and has a good GPA. Procrastination confused him too, but he now knows how to make use of it wisely.

He said everyone has had the time when he or she did not want to do the tasks which should be done at that moment. “Then don’t do it, since you will have a low efficiency and a bad mood. But also keep in mind that you can’t escape from it.” “Try making yourself willing to finish the assignments,” Wang said. Think of the tasks positively. Believe you can learn and benefit from it. Or set some rewards for completing the assignments, like watching a movie or going shopping. Wang said, “Never lie to yourself, then procrastination can eat up your life little by little. Usually, it’s just a call from your heart.” Do you have experience with procrastination?

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‘WhatsApp’ review

Art from quoteko.com

by Alice Cheng, guest writer I love texting with my friends. We share interesting stuff or jokes all the time. Some people might not have an unlimited texting plan for their phone, so I would recommend a useful app called “WhatsApp.” It is a social networking app. People can text whoever they want for free. It is convenient and saves money. Although the messages you send to the others are all free, you need to pay one dollar to buy the app. I think it’s worth it, though, because people only need to pay once and can text with others for free forever unless they change their phone.

Art by Theartyst on DeviantArt

King’s Day of Remembrance by Austin Watkins, reporter Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is annually celebrated on Aug. 28, but Jan. 20 is the day to recollect and evaluate the future that King had envisioned and died for. Generations of people have been touched, inspired and changed by the words and actions of a truly great man. They express feelings of hope, joy, freedom and knowledge. These days, some people have yet to change their mindsets since racism still exists. Teachers of McKinley High School, who had a day off from school in honor of King, shared just what the day represented to them. English Literature teacher Thomas Favors said that America would be a much different place; it could even be worse. From the separation from Great Brit-

ain to the era of human slavery to the restriction and oppression of women, America has gone through distinct periods through its developing history. Literary teacher Irene Tanaka said that King’s day was meant to “raise awareness about him and the incredible milestone in history that he set.” “He paved the way for blacks today,” American Problems teacher Leimomi Stender-Jenkins said. She said that King was an iconic leader who was fearless enough to stand and advocate for freedom. However, he was not the first or only person to do so. Jesse Jackson and Rosa Parks were both civil rights activists who worked closely with King. King’s day and all that it represents brings up the question – do we believe that everyone is equal and what does it

mean to be equal? Does it simply mean that we are all the same as one another in status or quality? Are those who are told to move their tents off the sidewalks the same as those who live in the biggest house? When we come across these questions, the law as we know it seems more like guidelines than actual rules and regulations. With the constant corruption of our criminal justice system, the number of Americans who go hungry, live without a home and live life without being appreciated grow. Although the problems that King fought for are for the most part corrected, there will always be other problems. All we need are people willing enough to fix them.

The Pinion Staff

DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON SOMETHING IN THE WORLD? SEND IT TO US!

pinion@mckinleyhs.k12.hi.us

Adviser: Cynthia Reves Editors: Silvana Bautista and Sean Gleason Reporters: Isaiah Blanko-Rettig, Shaunna Keb, Jane Lavea, Daniel Le, Lin Song, Keisha Togores, Austin Watkins,

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 pinion@mckinleyhs.k12.hi.us

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BRONIES: WHO ARE THEY?! by Sean Gleason, co-editor

Art by Greseres on DeviantArt

Art from leaguesplash.com

Over the past two years the rising tide of adult male fans of the “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” cartoon has swept upon the shores of the internet. Forums, Facebook, YouTube and pop culture conventions alike have been caught up by bronydom. An informal survey by herdcensus. com places the U.S. brony population at somewhere between 7 and 12.4 million. That’s a substantial chunk of people, and it raises a question… what in the blue blazes is a brony? I caught up with a group of McKinley students and I asked them if they had heard of the “brony phenomenon.” Some had and some hadn’t, but after explaining to those who didn’t know, I asked them what their thoughts were. They characterized it as surprising, extraordinary, and that guys should get over that stuff and not be into it at all. The strongest comment came from Joe Miao. He said “My Little Pony is stupid and for 7-year-olds.” However, I found some who don’t

share Miao’s perspective. Ben Ngo, top shot of McKinley’s boys air riflery team, and a junior who goes by the alias Achievebang have a different view. They’re fine with bronies. “I don’t see anything wrong with it,” said Ngo. Brony Jonathan Seradilla said, “It’s great to know a large number of people can come together.” The sophomore also said, “It’s amazing to see opposites being able to come together.” A brony is someone so enthralled by the Hub Network animated series “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” that they’re willing to identify themselves as a member of a group shunned by a large percentage of the internet and society. How do they identify themselves exactly? Well, you can tell if someone is a brony if they’ve “ponified” their life. Ponification can include differences in the way they act and speak, using notable catchphrases like: 20% percent cooler, 10 seconds flat, and welcome to the herd, brohoofing- which is bronies way of fistbumps, and wearing attire related to “My

‘The Lion King’ One-Hunded Percent Worth It by Sean Gleason, co-editor

Art by VincenzoSorus on DeviantArt

I knew I was in for something really special the moment I heard Rafiki telling the audience to silence their cell phones. It did not stop there. I was onehundred percent sure I was in for something special when I saw the costumes. Of course, I have seen them in the commercials, but in person they were absolutely astonishing. They were unlike anything I have seen before. They were elegant, intuitive and intricate in every way. Wait, it gets even better. The singing was simply phenomenal. In fact, the singing by

the performers was so good that I felt amazed every time they would hit a high note. Rafiki and the actress who played the role were my favorite part in the entire musical. Her singing was so emotional and spectacular. I would probably go see the musical again just so I can listen to Rafiki singing. When it came to the music, I barely noticed it was there. Yes, the music blended so well with the environment and everything that was going on, I did not even notice it. I feel that it was a mark of

Art by KP-ShadowSquirrel on DeviantArt

Little Pony.” However, not all bronies are as courageous as others to make their passion known and will tend to keep it a secret. If you were a teenager in high school, wouldn’t you want to keep something like watching “My Little Pony” a secret? Who knows, maybe the person you least expected to be a brony could in fact be one. So how exactly do teenage and adult males get hooked on a cartoon about ponies? Lauren Faust, the creator of the show, set out with the goal of taking the established “girly” nature of the toy line and

a truly top-notch orchestra. Enough of the details, though, let us talk about the actual performance. “The Lion King” musical is an adaption of ‘The Lion King’ movie by Disney and follows the same story. Here is the thing, though. I liked “The Lion King” more as a play than a movie. In person, I could feel all the emotions that were ex-

broadening the audience for all to enjoy the show. She sought to create characters with depth and stories with a real sense of adventure. The appeal itself can be different from brony to brony. Being a brony myself, I think people could be drawn to the sharp and expressive flash animation, pop culture references, next awesome music piece, or closure of an established story plot. I, for one believe, the show’s appeal lies in it being a gleaming example of innocence and purity in our world. Let me ask you something. What do you think of bronies so far… good, bad?

pressed in the movie, but it was ten-times intensified. You can really feel the sadness of Mufasa’s death, the feeling of Skar’s betrayal, the love between Simba and Nala, the triumph of Simba, etc. In the end, “The Lion King” musical was an extraordinarily exotic and happy experience. It plays in Hawaii until March. Consider purchasing a ticket and seeing it with other friends who enjoy “Lion King”… If you have the money, of course.

For the most part, bronies have been met with extremely negative responses by the internet. Obviously, this is not the sort of entertainment men traditionally flock to. Society has established that men should be out at bars, downing beers, watching football, playing video games, etc. So anything crossing the boundary set by society is considered “weird” and “abnormal.” In the end, I feel that “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” is just a television show and if people want to watch it, who cares... It’s their decision and their lives. You only live once, right? /)

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‘Frozen’ provides romance, adventure and fantasy

Robotics teach lessons about engineering

Art from thisisinfamous.com

by Thanh Vo, guest writer Have you ever seen “Tangled,” the movie that was released in 2010? ‘Frozen’ is almost a reincarnation of “Tangled” because the animation is the same. This film is what I classify as romance, adventure and fantasy. The plot is amazing and will certainly be entertaining no matter what your age

is. If you do not want to read spoilers, you shouldn’t continue reading. Anna, who’s a fearless optimist, went on the search for her sister, the Ice Queen named Elsa. Elsa turned the kingdom of Arendelle to eternal winter unintentionally while escaping.

Anna teams up with a mountain boy to turn the winter back into summer. The movie has singing, which makes the mood a little bit more cheerful. Watch this cute Disney movie for a new experience of Disney films.

Have you seen Frozen yet?

art by impala99 on DeviantArt

Photo by Silvana Bautista

Photo by Chris Li

by Silvana Bautista, co-editor Chris Li knows how to take charge of her future. Like many other extra-curricular activities, robotics requires hard work and determination. This year Team Kika Mana welcomed new members. One of those members was Li. Li joined in the summer of 2013. As an aspiring engineer, she joined robotics to gain experience. During the summer she learned basic engineering related to robotics. Gordon Ing, mentor in the robotics team, taught Li about torque and force. Li also learned how to calculate distance based on the diameter of wheels; how to program using Robot C; how to use solid works, which is a computer aided design software; how to make drawings of parts; and how to assemble parts using solid works. In addition, Li learned how to drive robots. “Chris improved and showed stick-to-itiveness,” Ing said. When the school year started, Li contributed to the team by helping build the arm of their VEX robot. Li said that the robot was almost done when she began to help. The game for the VEX competition

was called Toss Up. The game’s objective was to score balls inside a cylindershaped container. VEX robots are robots built with VEX parts. They have their own type of wheels, bars, gears, motors and so on. The robot that Li worked on had a rectangular chassis and a movable arm. The robot had omni wheels which allowed it to move more freely instead of just forward and backward. The parts of the robot were moved by the cortex. The cortex is a device that has to be programmed so that a robot can move in the way the builder desire. Motors are attached to the parts and cortex. In addition to building the arm of the robot, Li also competed. She was at the competitions in Mililani and Kalani. Li drove the robot at Mililani. VEX robots are controlled by a controller that works with the robot’s cortex. Li drove the robot by controlling where the robot moves and how the robot arm moves. The parts of the controller depend on how the robot is programmed. Therefore, it is important for the driver to know what part of the controller controls a certain part of the robot.

Competitions were fun yet stressful for Li. She enjoyed driving the robot but she also had to worry about scoring and making sure that nothing went wrong with the robot. Some problems could come up with batteries or there could be a dysfunctional arm, etc.. Allison Wong, an experienced robotics team member, saw improvements in Li. “She’s new and she learns things every day. She’s coming in and she works hard. She’s a great help to the team,” Wong said. The robotics team is now working on their robots for the First Robotic Competitions. Li said that she is not going to the competition but she will help build the robot. Li said she has learned a lot in robotics. She said that her time with the team helped her have a better understanding what she wants to do. “Before robotics, I had a general idea on what I wanted to do. It gave me an idea of what an engineer actually does. “I found out that I would like to be a mechanical engineer,” Li said. What have you learned from an extracurricular activity?

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Two Tigers become

There are important components you need to know before tying the knot. If you think love is all you need, you are wrong because love isn’t enough. Your relationship should have important elements. I call them the “Triple C’s.” They are connection, communication and commitment. First of all, aside from love, connection is necessary in getting married. My married teacher back in middle school once told me, “In marriage, both being on the same page is important, like thoughts on having kids.” Having no connection will lead to misunderstandings. That will cause stress and an unhealthy relationship. Unsuccessful relationships are caused by having no connection at all, just like what happened to Elena and Stefan from the TV show, “The Vampire Diaries.” Stefan and Elena loved each other unconditionally. They were very happy and content with their affections and feelings for each other, until Elena realized she didn’t want to be with him because she loved Damon. With Damon she felt different, connected and alive. Elena realized that she wanted a relationship where there was adventure, and she felt it with Damon. She loved Stefan, but her love for him wasn’t enough to keep their relationship going because she didn’t feel connected to him. Another important element other than love is communication.

by Mariel Navarro, guest writer There are two types of communication. One is to be in touch and the other is to go through different situations in your relationship. Once you’ve lost time for each other, you will definitely have a problem. A friend of mine had a 7-month longdistance relationship with her now exboyfriend They couldn’t see each other so they would always videochat . They were both in busy situations with different time zones. The time came when they couldn’t talk to each other anymore, so they decided to break up. The second type of communication is talking to your partner about problems in your relationship and trying to work it out. This way, you guys could prevent the problem from getting worse as soon as possible. I’ve seen a lot of relationships out there that because of pride, they wouldn’t talk things out and just kept it to themselves. Lastly, the third important element that is needed in a marriage other than love is commitment. You shouldn’t get married if you are unsure of your partner. Cheating will weaken your relationship and feelings for your partner. It is the

most-known reason for breakups. My friend’s sister had a relationship for almost a year and a half, and she was cheated on. She said, “It was Sunday night. My boyfriend took our son like he was in a rush. He said he needed to go home right away. “When they left, I hurried after them. That’s when I saw another girl who was waiting for him in the car ... “I was furious and hurt. Right then our plans of getting married were ruined.” She loved her boyfriend, but his lack of commitment broke it. My cousin’s relationship is different. He and his long-distance girlfriend are going to get married soon. When I ask him about her, he would just smile like a little kid. I can tell it was more than love. He said, “She is the perfect girl for me. I’m lucky to have her.” “She has never shown me a doubt about our decision. “We have never had problems about guys. She promised me that I will be the last guy that she will ever love and I promised the same. “We have kept our word for years and decided to get married.” Being committed to your partner earns their trust in the long run. Love alone in a relationship is insufficient. Having the “Triple C’s” in your relationship will guarantee you and your partner are ready to get married.

Relationship Counselors

by Shirley Huaung, guest writer

Love is not enough for a marriage. Real love is something that develops after being with someone that you are genuinely compatible with. I’ve seen relationships that have worked out and others that have failed extremely at school and in movies, books and TV shows. Getting married when you’re not ready can lead to years wasted. To be happily married, you need to feel trusted and respected. One factor of a successful relationship is trust. Being able to trust your partner is important because if you trust him or her, then you don’t need to worry about whether your partner is cheating on you or doing something behind your back. In a show I watched, the girlfriend

thought her boyfriend was cheating on her, so she broke up with him without knowing the real situation. He was sneaking out at midnight to help hungry children. Trusting is when your boy-

Getting married when you’re not ready can lead to years wasted. -Shirley Huang

friend or girlfriend can leave the house without you being suspicious. Being trustworthy in a relationship helps develop honesty and loyalty. Respecting each other in a relationship is another factor of a healthy mar-

riage. All couples have personal belongings that they wouldn’t want the other snooping through . I have a cousin who is getting married soon because she and her boyfriend respect each other’s boundaries. Being respectful of your partner helps to make the relationship successful. In conclusion, love is important in a marriage, but it’s more than love that keeps it lasting. Trust and respect are factors in a successful marriages. I suggest making sure you have these factors in your relationship before hastening into a marriage.

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Jediah, Jonas and Jayson find seriousness and fun in paddling

Momentus Pictures of Paddling

by Sean Gleason, co-editor

MAXIMUM Focus

by Sean Gleason, co-editor Rain or shine, Jediah Arellano, Jonas Almoguera and Jason Bautista enjoy paddling and all of its glory. Paddling is a sport that consists of a small crew of individuals racing their canoe against other crews. “The most important part about paddling is trusting your crew,” Almoguera said. It takes a well-organized and synchronized team to be as fast as they can be. “Teamwork ... is the most important part about paddling,” Bautista said. “Staying focused … determination is

the most important part about paddling,” Arellano said. Paddling is an intense sport and the passion the canoeists have is just as intense. Almoguera demonstrated this intense passion through the words he shared. “If this were my last season of paddling, I’d give it my all … no regrets.” Arellano and Bautista. however, have a different perspective.“If this were my last season I’d be sad because I’ve had lots of fun,” Bautista said. “If this were my last season I’d feel horrible because I love paddling,” Arellano said.

Thankfully, Arellano, Almoguera and Bautista are juniors. We will be seeing more of them in the future. If you have ever thought about joining paddling, Arellano, Almoguera and Bautista have a few words for you. “It may seem hard at first … if you keep going with it, you’ll learn to love it,” Arellano said. “In the end it’ll be worth it and fun,” Bautista said. “Have a strong mindset and don’t give up,” Almoguera said.

SWAG DEDICATION ... CONTSRUCTIVE advice

A HERO’S welcome

... to crew and faith

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MCKINLEY TIGERS OWNING

THE WINTER SEASON

photo by Elliott Richardson

photo by Kay Tehotu

photo by Jacky Hua-Vo

photo by Kelly Lu

photo by Jacky Hua-Vo

photo by Kay Tehotu

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The Awesomeness and Funatude that is ... CROSS COUNTRY

by Sean Gleason, co-editor Let’s get one thing straight ... I love cross country. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about what makes it so great. What is cross country? It’s a running sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course is typically five kilometers or about three miles and may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel roads. Too tough for you? Well, if you don’t like running, for starters, you’re probably gonna have a bad time. However, if you can’t get enough running, then it’s the right place for you. If you’re interested in staying physically active and healthy, look no further than cross country. You know all those health benefits run-

ning has? Well, guess what, cross country has a lot of running. I can guarantee you won’t be short of cardiovascular endurance by the time the season ends. Ah, you’re not into the whole health thing, are you? Nah, you’re looking for an intense and challenging experience that you’ll miss when it’s all over, aren’t you? For individuals on McKinley’s cross country team, this intensity and passion is real and alive. Senior Passina Abe said cross country means a lot to her and that she’s going to miss it. When it comes to the Mitsui brothers, Vincent and Kyle, however, it’s all about improving, outrunning rivals, and going to glorious state championships. Now, if you like running, having an active lifestyle, and extremely fierce competitions … consider signing up for cross

country. Do you want to find out firsthand what cross country is like but don’t want to wait until the season starts? Signing up for cross country summer training is what you’re looking for. Until then, lace up your shoes and just get out there and run. Not sure how to start training? Scan the code below with a scan app.

Cross Country Pictures of EPICOSITY

by Sean Gleason, co-editor

EXTREME Concentration

POWERFUL pre-race Meditation

DYNAMIC Team Support

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