THE PINI N
Student-edited paper of McKinley High School
Summer Edition
Vol. 93 No. 4
Honolulu, Hawaii
May 2015
Special section about reading Pages 8-11
Dress code changes recommended Page 3
Do you think langauage courses lack variety
Page 4
Because it’s all about that book
What makes a perfect prom? Page 12
2 THE PINION NEWS
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New SAT set for school year 2016
Police brutality causes questions by Max Higa, reporter In South Carolina, Walter Scott was shot eight times in the back. In Ferguson, Missouri, Michael Brown was also killed. In Saint Paul, Minnesota, Chris Lollie was tased and arrested while waiting for his kids at school. Eric Garner died after being choked while he was standing on the sidewalk. All of these men have two things in common: they were black and white police officers were involved. Racism and prejudice have existed ever since two different races met and coexisted. It can turn ugly and nasty, and in many occasions, violent. Upon their arrival as slaves in the 1700s, blacks were put below whites. Could this police action be a reminder of that? The victims did have issues that were legally questionable. Scott’s car had a light malfunction. Lollie refused to move his car out of the pickup zone. Garner was
by Yunmi Kim, reporter
photo from flikr.com
selling cigarettes illegally. Some of the victims resisted arrest, but did they have to die? The question many are asking is are these attacks “racist.” When they are questioned, the cops say that their life was in danger or that the victim was going for their pistol. However, videos from smartphones prove otherwise. Protesters around the country have sparked both violent and nonviolent protests. Their goal is to tell the world that black lives matter. “The police just don’t have good judge-
ment of the situation and just shoot if they suspect a threat,” freshman Chance Naauao-Ota said. “This will continue for as long as cops are trigger-happy, and/or keep feeling the surge of power.” She said police superiors should be more strict. “They should teach the officers what type of a situation to shoot or to taze the person. If they are superiors, they should know what to do in most situations,” she said.
Flores shares his experience with CTL members by Lin Song, co-editor L&L founder Eddie Flores Jr. shared his experience with members of Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders at McKinley High School on March 6. Flores was born in Hong Kong 69 years ago to a Filipino father and Chinese mother. His family moved to Hawaii later. When he was young, he bought watermelons and sold slices to his siblings. He never collected the money. He gave them credits to buy the slices and noted how much he was owed in a journal. “To me making money is a hobby. I still like to count my money,” Flores said. As a student at the University of Hawaii, Flores made as much as $1,000 a week by renting films of soccer matches and showing them on weekends at Kuykendall Hall. There was no soccer on TV in Hawaii at that time, although many foreigners living here loved the sport. Flores could pack the hall for three showings,
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THE PINION 3 NEWS
selling tickets at $1.25 a head. “I used to drive a nice car,” he recalled of his college days. Flores said that working hard and having strong determination are two essential points to be successful. Flores has a learning disability and did not get good grades in school. However, he worked hard and studied until two a.m. His first language is not English but he keeps practicing. Today he can give fluent speeches without notes. “If you cannot speak, you cannot succeed,” Flores said. L&L is a theme franchise restaurant chain based in Honolulu, Hawaii, centered on the Hawaiian plate lunch. Johnson Kam and Flores purchased the original L&L Drive-In in 1976. Although many people opposed Flores’ idea of expanding the business to the mainland and foreign countries, Flores
Eddie Flores Jr. is one of the founders of L&L. Photo from Pacific Business News
insisted and succeeded. According to Entrepreneur.com, today L&L has 179 franchises in the U.S. and eight franchises internationally. Flores said he enjoys his work very much. He begins work at 4:30 a.m. because he likes his job. Student Activities Coordinator April Nakamura said, “It is hard to imagine all the hardships Flores went through behind the success.”
McKinley’s class of 2017 will be the first to take the new SAT, in 2016, their junior year. There will be changes in the three sections of the test: math, reading and writing. According to College Board President David Coleman, the new SAT will be based on Common Core Standards. The math sections will have link abstractions such as the graph of a line along with real-life situations. It will have a calculator and non-calculator portion. The reading section will have no vocabulary and the essay part will be redesigned. There are some disadvantages in the new SAT. Students who have not adjusted to the Common Core Standards yet may not do well on it. Students who cannot afford to have one-to-one sessions with a tutor who could give tips on the new test as well as test-taking strategies may also not do well. The same applies to students who are from low-income families or have low English proficiency. At McKinley High School, there are 1071 students
The survey is based on 57 freshmen about their opimion on the usefulness of standardized tests for college admission. Infographic by Yunmi Kim
who receive free or reduced-cost lunch and 235 students with limited English proficiency out of the total 1757 students enrolled. Students in American public schools are expected to follow the Common Core Standards. In the Springboard books, the Common Core Standards at McKinley High School state that it “allows students to achieve the learning expected by college and career readiness standards.”
McKinley proposes changes to current dress code by Yunmi Kim, reporter
McKinley High School has a dress code mentioned in its planner. The school is proposing a revision to the code. On Tuesday, April 14, Principal Ron Okamura held a department chair meeting about teachers’ increased concerns, of students’ inappropriate clothes. Vice principal Anne Murphy was put in charge of the dress code committee along with selected students who have leadership roles in the school. “The clothes did not seem appropriate for school,” Murphy said. The selected students were allowed to bring a friend who did not have any leadership roles so that “there would be a balanced viewpoint,” Murphy said. Teachers in each department had until April 24 to provide the department votes of whether to accept the commitee’s recommendation. Murphy said that “the entire school has to promote it” in order to tighten the dress code. So if the votes all say yes, then the revised code will go to the second stage. The second stage will involve talking about consequences, posters to promote appropriate clothes, etc.
Murphy said that even if the second stage were to happen, there is no plan to have a uniform policy at MHS. “We try to promote college and career readiness in students,” but “we don’t want to squash your expression,” Murphy said. Senior Colt Dante doesn’t see a problem with what students wear at McKinley. “They’re fine,” Dante said. “It doesn’t matter what we wear because high school is all about expressing yourself and finding out who you are.”
“We try to promote college and career readiness in students ... [but] we don’t want to squash your expression.” --- Vice Principal Anne Murphy When asked about certain fashion worn these days such as tank tops that show the sports or tube top bra, Dante said, “There are things that have become socially acceptable.” However, Dante says that there are some fashion that he thinks is inappropri-
ate for school such as short shorts, clothes that show too much cleavage, see-through clothes, shirts with nude pictures, guns or swear words, and sagging pants that show underwear. When students go out into the working world, the type of clothes worn at work matters. AVID and Japanese language teacher Sandra Oda said, “The goal is to study in school and focus on learning, but it’s hard to focus when there is a distraction like inappropriate clothes.” In 2011, Harvard Review showed that 53 percent of women felt that in order to succeed in life, they must dress appropriately for a job, which does not include long nails, flashy make-up, plunging necklines, and short or tight pants or skirts. In the survey, 37 percent of men said that appearance is important and if the person does not look like a leader in terms of clothing, then it is possible that that person will not get a position as a leader. Visit mhspinion.com for image of the dress code change recommendations
4 THE PINION EDITORIAL
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Language courses lack variety
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THE PINION 5 EDITORIAL
Hey! Stay safe and avoid accidents! Keep your eyes on the road by Anela Chavez, reporter A text is not worth a life. In recent years, texting while driving has become a serious problem for every driver and passenger. In 2011 about 23 percent of car accidents were related to phone use. That’s over 1.3 million accidents. In 2014, there have been many cases and people have shared their experiences. One story involved a woman from Belmont, who caused an accident leading to the death of another person. There’s another story with a young girl named Liz who now can’t see through one eye, can’t smell, can’t hear very well and can no longer go to sleep without medication. There are so many more of these tragic stories because people made the irresponsible decision to read or write a text while in control of a two ton car.
Celebrities and major companies have banded together over the years to form pledges and campaigns to encourage people not to text and drive. This includes, “The Voice,” Adam Levine and Nissan who together have the Red Thumb Campaign, as well as Demi Lovato with the #X campaign, and the “It Can Wait” campaign by AT&T. These all have racked up many pledges. In fact, the “It Can Wait” campaign has 5,973,986 pledges and counting. The Red Thumb is striving for one million drivers to take their pledge. This is all in hope of preventing accidents. Texting while driving was estimated to be involved in more than 200,000 vehicle crashes in 2012, often involving injuries and deaths. Last year, AT&T worked with acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog to make a powerful documentary
and national advertisements featuring real stories of lives that were affected and even ended because of texting while driving. “When my mom is texting sometimes I get scared because we could be on the freeway but also sometimes I don’t because she can multitask,” passenger Deijah Bernard said. This is another aspect to the problem because people have started to accept it’s not safe, considering all it takes is a few seconds for an accident to occur. “I don’t really feel anything when my mom does it because like, I’m used to it,” passenger Makeila May said. No one should ever feel the slightest bit of comfort when their driver is texting because if a person is texting that person is not driving.
Open-campus lunch needed for students Infographic by Yunmi Kim
by Yunmi Kim, reporter On registration day at McKinley High School, I was handed the 2014-2015 course catalog along with the registration card to pick my new classes for my senior year. Most of my core classes were already decided because it was just math, reading, science, and social studies. When picking my elective class, I was looking for a language course besides Japanese since I was already taking it, but I found out that McKinley High School only has three languages to choose from. I still had to fulfill two years of a language course, so I picked Japanese 3A/3B. I wondered, do all public high schools have only three language courses or do they offer much more than what McKinley does? “Students and teachers determine what language classes we have at McKinley High School. If a certain number of students are interested in a certain language course along with a teacher who is able to teach that course, then it is possible to have that class,” Japanese teacher Faith
Yokoyama said. Roosevelt has a Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Hawaiian and French class where all of these language classes are from level 1-3 except for Korean, which is only available as level 2. Roosevelt also has an AP Japanese class. Kaimuki has only Japanese and Spanish classes at levels 1-4. Kalani offers Japanese, Chinese and Spanish. As for Moanalua, this school offers Japanese level 1-4, Chinese level 1-2, Spanish Level 1-4, Hawaiian level 1-4, German level 1-4 and French level 1-3. Senior Alexandra Kaohi wanted to have Korean for her language course. “I strongly recommend Korean because Korea, Japan and China are the largest Asian countries and many people are focusing on K-drama and K-pop. I think that our language courses lack variety. I would want language courses such as Russian, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese,” Kaohi said.
“Students can either start a petition or ask the foreign language chairperson, Ms. Oda, to have their input be taken to Mr. Okamura for their voice to be heard,” Vice Principal Rickey Price said. Because the class schedule and curriculum have already been set for the year of 2015-2016, the class of 2016 will not be able to have the chance of having another language course. “It comes down to student interest,” and so far It never came up,” Price said. In addition, adding a new language course would require Principal Okamura’s approval as well as the Department of Education’s. It would take an entire school year to plan, Price said. So, if the class of 2017, and so forth want to have a foreign language course of their own, they must plan quickly, at least before the registration week for picking new classes for the next school year like I did.
by Sammie Yee, reporter Open-campus lunch is a privilege McKinley High School should give to students. Many schools in the mainland let students or upperclassmen leave campus for lunch. “When I had open campus, it was strictly regulated. Since it was the mainland, there was only one way,” Teacher Christopher Martin said. The single entrance at Martin’s high school made it easy to track who entered and left the school. Sometimes the school’s lunch isn’t what the majority wants. Open-campus lunch could help to meet all students needs. “I usually don’t eat anything for lunch because I don’t want to spend money on the school’s lunch,” senior Misty Tran said. With the few local shops that surround McKinley, 40 minutes is more than enough time to purchase food. Teacher Yvette Lam disagrees. “The reality is the school lunch period does not allow sufficient time to go off campus and purchase food, and then come back in
time,” she said. Another problem with open-campus lunch would be attendance. If a student were to miss class before or after lunch, just to buy food, the student’s name could be reported and the student should be stripped of the right to leave school for open-campus lunch. This will teach the students that they were given this privilege for only one reason and are expected to come back. If security could regulate students leaving campus, open campus lunch could happen. “It’s a good way for students to learn responsibility,” senior Chanel Alarca said. Having the opportunity to leave campus could teach students “discipline and time management,” she said. McKinley has 1700 students with five security. Covering that ratio in a 5.5-acre open school is difficult. Security Brandon (Puka) Tatupa said if the school could “create some kind of barrier,” the security team might be able regulate the students coming in and out of the school. For administration, an open-campus
lunch policy could be a safety concern. “Our priority is always insuring that we provide a safe learning environment for our students to succeed,” Vice Principal Anne Murphy said. Keeping students on school grounds is always a big problem in public schools. Liability is a major factor, although contracts/forms that students and parents sign could change that. The purpose of letting students leave campus for lunch is so that students who didn’t bring home lunch or don’t buy school lunch can eat what they want. Most schools in the mainland that allow opencampus lunch give the opportunity to upperclassmen. Students in Hawai’i should be given the same opportunity to purchase food outside of school. If security and safety issues could be addressed, such a policy could help many students perform in class better. Perhaps this could be the answer to poor attendance or engagement in the last period of the day.
6 THE PINION EDITORIAL
Are the classes you’re Interview with registrar Osa Tui
Q: How are you going to treat students who drop out of class? Are they still limited to the list of classes you have? What if they drop out of a core class (AP, Honors, etc.)? A: If a student drops out, the list of electives that they can choose are limited. Their core classes are handled by the counselor. Q: Is it different from last year? Is this a solution for any problems? A: This shouldn’t be much different than last year. Q: If you take one class, but you don’t want to advance to the next one immediately but instead the year after, do you have to retake that class again to advance? A: If you have a credit for a certain class, you can move on to the next one. You do not have to retake it again.
McKinley freshmen and sophomores share their opinions on the benefits of their classes for their own future
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You should decide what is worth your own time
THE PINION 7 EDITORIAL
taking worth your time? mhspinion.com
MHS class choices are enough to provide a new way of thinking by Silvana Bautista, co-editor
by James Harbin, reporter
I used to do whatever I was told because I didn’t know any better than to follow instructions. One day I decided that I wasn’t going to sit around and do what was told just because they told me to do so. I’m a human being. My life has value. No one has control over anyone. Has anyone ever noticed that what we learn is not useful to everyone? Teachers say that they can prove that what they teach will be used in our everyday lives. Considering the fact that it’s their job to teach us, I would expect them to know. We should be introduced to the four core subjects but we should get a say in whether or not we pursue that subject for our future. I understand that they teach high skilled math just in case a student is considering being a construction worker or something that involves that skill as a future career but they don’t teach first aid for someone who wants to be a paramedic. They should have the students who need that skill for their future take the class, not everyone. I hate the fact that some people say that this generation of kids is getting dumber and think that making school more difficult will result in smarter kids. Maybe children are getting dumber because the work is getting too difficult? Why make biology or algebra mandatory to graduate high school when a small percentage of the students will have a future career that involves the knowledge obtained from those classes? It’s the students that should prioritize their needs for the future. Instead of teaching us the things that the DOE thinks we need to learn, teach us the things we need to survive. I wasn’t taught how to get a job, but I know how to dissect a frog. I wasn’t taught how to
pay taxes, but I know loads about Shakespeare’s classics. I wasn’t taught how to vote; they devoted that time to defining isotopes. I was shown the wavelengths of different cues of light, but I was never taught my human rights. What’s the point of learning all of this information if some of us won’t put it to any use? What we really need to learn is the essentials. We don’t know how to raise a child, buy a car or a house. I don’t even know what I’m voting on or who I’m voting for. What’s the point of having all of this knowledge on record with our stats. Albert Einstein failed his math classes back in high school. Steve Jobs dropped out of college. Yes, these are remarkable people, but they started out just like you and I. It’s up to us to decide whether or not we’ll be a standout human like them. So why does everyone say that you need to go to school in order to be successful when there is proof of their arrogance? It’s a complete waste of potential when we learn so much about the four core just to forget most of what we have learned after we graduate because some of us won’t need all that knowledge in our career path. Why must we have P.E. credit? I don’t see why you have to be somewhat fit to be successful. No one but us should decide what our priorities are. Only we know what’s best for us since everyone is different. It seems like the DOE is trying to making duplicate beings of the past so nothing will change. People need to stop trying to make a perfect, intelligent world where everyone is an absolute genius. Some people were just destined for different purposes and people need to start realizing that. Otherwise, it is just a wasted life on a road that wasn’t meant to be travelled on.
Art by My Lu
Don’t be affected by peer pressure or an ‘Easy A’ by Max Higa, reporter Are the classes we take truly worth the one year we dedicate ourselves to them? What if you use your freedom of choice to pick the classes that you may need, not just the ones that you want? Why do we need to go to school in the first place? Why can’t we hang at the beach, go to the mall or play video games and sleep at home? Not only is it the law, but we go to school to learn. That’s what our parents say. Have you ever enrolled in a class because it’s easy to get a good grade or because your friends are in it? Even if it’s a class you think will be boring, or if you just aren’t interested in it, you signed up
anyway? Sometimes, those classes just don’t prepare us for our academic future; we put easy grades in front of our needs. Grades and friends are important, but learning new things is what school is truly about. You shouldn’t take a class because it’s easy to get an A or because your friends tell you to. You should take a class that relates to your potential career. You have the freedom to choose which classes you want to take. Ultimately, the choice is yours, but remember to separate what you want from what you need.
You should choose challenging, enjoyable classes by Valerin Choniong, reporter I think most students choose the classes that they expect would be good for them. I chose my classes because I thought they would be suitable for me. My teachers wanted me to choose classes that challenge me. They also wanted me to choose classes that I would want to take. I thought high school classes would be hard. At first, it was easier than I ex-
pected. However, as the years went by, the classes became slightly harder and more challenging. It made me feel like I cannot pass any of my classes. The teachers were more challenging; the work got harder. Regardless, I believe the classes benefit me because they pressure me to do the work. I might as well try my best.
Throughout my 13 years in school, I never had any true concerns about the classes I took. I took classes that I was required to and have an interest in. There were a few times when I questioned the importance of my classes but I never really acted on it because I felt that there was no real reason to actually quit. However, this does not mean that I enjoyed every class I have ever taken because that is not true. I take classes with the mindset of passing and moving on. This way of thinking helped me get through all my classes, even the ones I dreaded. If you do not like the classes you’re taking now, whether core or elective, you should still do your best to pass and move on. I am aware of the variety of classes available at McKinley, but I’m also aware of the diversity of students on our campus. Some interests cannot be fulfilled because of the lack of class choices, so these students with these certain interests are forced to settle for a class that is related to what they do not like to do or take a class that seems easy rather than enjoyable. This may seem like a negative way of choosing classes but it could also lead to a student learning new things about themselves. The class they might have thought they would hate might become the one that they love. The class choices at McKinley will never be enough to fulfill everyone’s wants but it is enough to give students a good idea of what they might want to do. If you cannot find the classes you want, choose something that might seem interesting because it could turn out being something that you love. Do not have the thought of disliking something before you actually try it out.
8 THE PINION READING SPECIAL
mhspinion.com
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The Seven Basic Plots: People are
reading recycled stories
Ecclesiastes 1:9 states, “What has been will be again, / what has been done will be done again; / there is nothing new under the sun.” This holds true to book plots as well. According to English journalist and author Christopher Booker, in his book “The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories”, there are only seven plots. He claims that the seven plots are Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, The Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth. These seven plots can be seen in books, plays, movies and other types of entertainment media. Knowing the plot(s) of books you like and dislike can help you decide what to read next. Overcoming the Monster The main character learns of a great evil and sets out to destroy it. This can be seen in Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series, “The Heroes of Olympus” series and “The Kane Chronicles”. J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series also follow this plot. The series mentioned are all New York Times best sellers. The first two books in the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series: “The Lightning Thief” and “The Sea of Monsters” were both adapted into movies. The entire “Harry Potter” series has also been made into movies. These
Eventually the protagonists would pass those obstacles and end up together. Comedies can also be subplots in many other types of stories. The comedy plot is common in many romance books, such as those written by Nicholas Sparks. The fact that his books have become movies shows that there is a demand and like for them. Comedies can also be seen in classics such as those by Jane Austen and William Shakespeare. In a survey conducted by The Pinion, comedies were very popular among the students. Senior Malia Blanch said that she likes to read, but it depends on the genre. In the survey conducted by The Pinion, “50 Shades of Grey” was the favorite comedy at MHS. Blanch is one of those students. She also watched the movie but she said that it had a “messed up ending.” Tragedy The Tragedy is similar to Overcoming the Monster but the main character is the villain. The villain will lose his or her power as the story progresses before ultimately dying and freeing the world from his or her tyranny. Many of Shakespeare’s plays fall into this category such as “Hamlet,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Macbeth,” and “Othello”. Rebirth
THE PINION 9 READING SPECIAL
by Silvana Bautista, co-editor series prove to be popular even at McKinley High School. The school library has multiple copies of them. Senior Jonathan Cho said that he does not normally read for fun but he enjoyed reading both “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” and “Harry Potter”. He said thar for the Harry Potter series, the books “had more emotion” and that the movies were “more action-y.” Regardless of the popularity of books with this type of plot, including the “Divergent” and “Hunger Games” series, some people like certain types of stories with this plot more than others. Senior Chanel Joy Alarca has not finished many book series. She said that she did not finish the “Harry Potter” series, but she did finish the “Hunger Games” series. To her, the fact that “Harry Potter” was really popular and had movies made reading it not worth as much. She said, “Because there were movies out, [since] there were so many books to read, I might as well watch the movie.” Rags to Riches Rags to Riches is a story about an unfortunate protagonist who matures and gets everything he or she ever wanted in the end, such as treasure, power and the love interest. This type of plot can be seen in many
Disney movies, especially princess movies. These types of stories are remade with every new Disney live action princess movie. This can also be seen in classics such as “Jane Eyre,” “Great Expectations” and “David Copperfield.” The Quest The Quest has the protagonist go on a search for an item with companions. The item usually has no significant reason for existing rather than to advance the story. This can be seen in Greek mythology such as the story of Perseus, “The Iliad” and the story of Jason and the Argonauts. This also includes more modern stories such as “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Lord of the Rings.” Voyage and Return Voyage and Return has the protagonist travel to a completely different world and return more mature. This can be seen in “Alice in Wonderland” and “Peter Pan.” “The Odyssey” also has this plot. It can be seen in fantasies such as “Bridge to Terabithia,” “Chronicles of Narnia” and fairytales such as “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Comedy In a Comedy, the protagonists (usually the male and female leads) are destined to be with each other but obstacles abound.
Riordan’s ‘Kane Chronicles’ involves Egyptian mythology
Marr’s ‘Wicked Lovely’ merges fantasy and reality by Silvana Bautista, co-editor What if you could see things that others couldn’t? What if you can’t ever tell anyone about the horrors of those things? What if you pretend to be ignorant of those things to avoid them? What if those things find you anyway? Aislinn has the ability to see faeries. Knowing that they’re dangerous, she stays safe by pretending to be a normal person who can’t see them. This changes when she attracts the attention of the Summer Faery King. Now, Aislinn has no choice but to interact with the very things that have terrorized her her entire life. Author Melissa Marr has the talent of
showing off her characters’ weaknesses and strengths, whether human or faery. The series has five books: “Wicked Lovely”, “Ink Exchange,” “Fragile Eternity,” “Radiant Shadows” and “Darkest Mercy.” The first four books act as introduction pieces since each one features a different lead character. The last book solves all the problems the four others caused or failed to solve. It includes all the characters and has no particular main lead. The series also includes two short stories: “Stopping Time” and “Old Habits,” which focus on the characters in Ink Exchange. Some books can be found in the library.
The Rebirth is similar to the Tragedy but the main character changes or fixes his or her flaw, therefore preventing their complete downfall. This can be seen in fairy tales such as “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Frog Prince,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “The Snow Queen” (adapted to “Frozen”). Overview The production of movies shows the demand of these types of stories but the movies do not always hold true to the original. Sometimes, the stories are altered to suit the new type of media, while other times, the stories remain relatively the same. These seven plots are the complete basics. As seen from the varying titles of books, plays, fairy tales and movies, these plots can show up in books that a person would otherwise think are completely different. These plots exist as a backbone and it is up to the author, playwright, storyteller, screenplay writer or director to decide what type of situation with what type of characters to use. It is also true that a story does not have to stay true to one particular plot as it can have a mixture of two or more. Challenge: Name a book or series that does not fall into one of these plots. Main plots and subplots count.
Collage by Silvana Bautista
Tiger Tally How do you feel about AR? I do it because I have to do it. (52%, 23 Votes) I just wanna watch the movie. (36%, 16 Votes) It's so easy. I HAVE OVER 9000 POINTS! (12%, 5 Votes)
Total Voters: 44 The Pinion Staff
by Silvana Bautista, co-editor The “Kane Chronicles” follows the Kane siblings on their adventures with Egyptian mythology. The series has similar themes to “The Lightning Thief” such as the importance of relationships but this series focuses more on the importance of family rather than the importance of friendship. Carter and Sadie are siblings who have been separated from each other since they were young. After their father disap-
Visit mhspinion.com for Yunmi Kim’s book review of “Between Shades of Gray” by Ruta Sepetys.
Collage by Silvana Bautista
pears, the two learned about their family background. Similarly to “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series, this series has comedic parts to lighten the more serious themes. This series is complete with “The Red Pyramid”, “The Throne of Fire” and “The Serpent’s Shadow”. All three books can be found in McKinley’s library.
Adviser: Cynthia Reves Editors: Silvana Bautista, Sean Gleason, and Lin Song
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
10 THE PINION READING SPECIAL
Fiction is winner with mhspinion.com
MHS student readers mhspinion.com
Best books for high school students
by Karrina Johnson and Yunmi Kim, reporters A survey was done of 712 MHS students. Eighty-two percent said they prefer fiction over nonfiction books. As for the types of fiction, mystery earned 311 votes, romance 351, thriller 194, science fiction 196, historical fiction 131, fantasy 362, horror 167 and classics 120. Fiction books such as “Divergent” and “The Hunger Games” have a writing style that people tend to understand more easily. It can connect with their speaking style as well as focus on things such as romance and fantasy. According to the Chicago Tribune, schools in the United States give their students more contemporary books to read than classic books because these books can relate to the students more. Classic books such as Shakespeare are written in Old English such as thou, thee, nay, etc and other English words that people in the 21st century would not use commonly. Freshman Sharon Chen said she likes fantasy, drama, action and adventure books. These genres can put readers in the mindset of the characters in these books.
“It feels like you’re one of the characters, and sometimes you can relate to things,” Chen said. “I like horror books because it gives
Senior Tiana Pero likes “Barely Breathing” the best.
Junior Ryan Ruiz’s favorite book is “The Lovely Bones.”
From the New York Times
you the chills and such creepiness like you’re in the book,” freshman Jasmine Kaleiohi said. She also said, “I love comedy because I love laughing.”
- Homer’s “Odyssey” and “Iliad” - Charles Dickens’s “Great Expectations” and “Tale of Two Cities” - Plato’s “Republic” - John Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath” - Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Scarlet Letter” - Sophocles’ “Oedipus” - Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” - George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” - Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” - The poems of Robert Frost - Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” - F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Great Gatsby” - Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” - Karl Marx’s “Communist Manifesto” - Aristotle’s “Politics” - The poems of Emily Dickinson - Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” - The novels of William Faulkner - J. D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” - Alexis De Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” - Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” - The essays and poems of Ralph Waldo Emerson - Niccolò Machiavelli’s “Prince” - John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” - Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”
Infographic by Lin Song
Junior Destinee Brown’s favorite book is “Lockdown.”
THE PINION 11 READING SPECIAL
Freshman Jennifer Liu likes “Things Fall Apart” the best. Photos by Mengling Wang
Infographic by Lin Song
12 THE PINION FEATURE
mhspinion.com
What makes a perfect prom?
2015 Senior prom “A Black Tie Affair” will be held this Sunday May 24 at Hyatt Regency Hotel. by Lin Song, co-editor Finding dates, buying prom dresses and signing up for tables, everyone gets excited as the prom day approaches, hoping to create a great high school memory. So what makes a perfect prom? Senior Angel Au’s answer is to have, “good companion and a fancy setting.” Senior Baby Tuaga Manu said there should be “good vibe and entertainment.” What seniors June Yi, Seunghun Joo, Sean Choi and Zhihui Yan hope is to “have good memories with friends.” A perfect prom needs “great people and music,” senior Oilau Lutall and Dayonara Gaoteote said. They said the music of the junior prom last year did not meet their expectations. DJ should “play music that fits us,” Gaoteote said. This year, the prom committee tried to improve by collecting music suggestions from students. They also collected prom slideshow photos from seniors. Junior Alice Cheng wants fun games and “maybe a photo booth for selfies.” Teachers might have a different focus for prom. “I want to see them happy and having fun,” teacher April Nakamura said. But more importantly, “Our number one concern is that they are safe all night,” Nakamura said. There will be security and teachers as well as the principal at the prom. Teacher Osamu Ono is one of them. “Our responsibility is to make sure that students do not do anything wrong,” Ono said.
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THE PINION 13 FEATURE
Freshman gets hit by motorcycle in Vietnam by Anela Chavez, reporter In the summer before her eighth grade year, freshman Minh Tran was involved in a hit and run. She was outside playing tag with her friends in Vietnam when she was hit by a man on a motorcycle. Her arms received the most damage because they were slammed into the engine. “My skin was literally cooked,” she said. Tran’s friends rushed her home safely. When Tran’s mother saw her daughter, she screamed. Her father was not with
them at the time. He was in Hawaii. Tran remembers many negative things that happened that summer. Whenever Tran saw headlights, she felt that “something bad was going to happen.” Tran did not go to the hospital because the injury was not severe. She could not play with her friends for fear that the injury would cause problems. Her parents want to know who hit her. However, Tran does not.
Minh Tran suffered from a motorcycle crash.
Senior learns a lesson from car accident by Sammie Yee, reporter
“Have good memories with friends.” ------Senior June Yi, Seunghun Joo, Sean Choi photos by Lin Song and Zhihui Yan The MHS senior prom this year is a week before graduation. That night will be special because of everyone’s memories of the past and hope of the future. “At the prom night, students come together as a senior class in a formal way,” Nakamura said. “They behave differently when they dress differently,” and become “more sophisticated and more mature.”
Senior Tiare Taum was in a car accident and shares her experience.
When asked about an experience she could never forget, senior Tiare Taum said, “The car crash.” “I felt as if my life flashed before my eyes, and ‘BOOM,’ the car hit the rail,” she said. This year, Taum was in a car accident with her friends. They were driving down Tantalus Lookout, going above the speed limit. The result was a towed car. Taum said how fast the incident was and how shocked her body became. She said, “When you’re in the moment,
Food fights the heat
you feel numb to any pain.” After the day of the accident, she was in a lot more pain than when she got out of the car. She said her seatbelt pushed onto her stomach when her friend slammed on the breaks. “I was the first one out because I didn’t know what would happen to the car,” she said, when asked about how she was able to exit the car in such a state. “I don’t ever want to be in that position ever again,” Taum said. “The car was wrecked... I was wrecked.”
by Yunmi Kim, reporter
“Great people and music.” ------Seniors Oilau Lutall and Dayonara Gaoteote
“Our number one concern is that they are safe all night” ------Teacher April Nakamura
Some schools in Hawaii have air conditioning, but many do not. McKinley High School is one with many hot classrooms. Besides having the air conditioners to cool off, certain foods are recommended as well. Chorus teacher Natasha Taketa said that fruits are very refreshing to eat even if it is not chilled, especially fruits like watermelon. Junior Le Xinh (Gina) Li said she thinks that fruits like watermelon or cucumbers as good as cold water. Li also said that when she eats food that cools her off, she feels “cold inside and outside”
and doesn’t sweat as much. Senior My Lu said, “Ice cream and ice soda are good for cooling off heat.” Lu said she also doesn’t sweat as much when eating something cooling. When the body starts to feel hot, it produces sweat to help cool down the body temperature in order to prevent overheating. Maybe this is why some people prefer to eat spicy food in order to cool off in the heat. Lu said that eating spicy food makes her focus mentally on the spicy taste in her mouth instead of how physically hot she might be.
Art by Yunmi Kim
14 THE PINION FEATURE
Fashion mhspinion.com
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expresses
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ARE
by Anela Chavez and Karrina Johnson, reporters
ou could spend hours planning out an outfit, making sure it’s perfect, or you could just grab the first thing you see. Fashion is a way for people to express themselves through their style. “Every day my character changes,” sophomore Jade Otis said. To freely express yourself without using words can be empowering and grant you success. Italian fashion designer and founder of Versace, Gianni Versace once said, “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.” His words sum up exactly what fashion means to people. Many factors influence fashion. It could be family, friends, models or singers. “My favorite model, Denise Bidot, influences me a lot, not really by clothes and stuff but more just by her personality and her being herself and… whatever size you are or color you are, you can wear whatever you want…and still feel confident,”
Otis said. Freshman Alan Norr said he gets inspiration from people at the beach. Norr said his style is comfortable, but it can take him 30 minutes to get ready because sometimes he’ll say, “Ooh that looks good, and so does that, but they don’t match.” Even dressing in casual clothing can bring out your personality. It can be simple and comfy, and when accessories are added, it can be stylish. Bold prints, quotes on a shirt, bright colors or anything that’s unique can give an outfit personality. You could even add a belt or bag to a basic t-shirt and jeans to add to your look. “Spanks and a Brandy Melville t-shirt … casual … I just want to feel comfortable,” freshman Rhea Correa said. In an interview for Seventeen Magazine, pop sensation Ariana Grande said, “The best fashion advice I’d say would be just to do what makes you comfortable and what makes you feel cute, and that’s how you’re gonna look your best ’cause when you feel your best, everybody else
Sports build character by Sammie Yee, reporter
who you
Jade otis
THE PINION 15 SPORTS
Sports have always been regarded as something that build character. “Trust is important. If you do not have 100 percent trust in your team, you will fall,” senior Kairis Yam said. Yam was involved in competitive cheerleading for two years. To have a solid foundation in a team, one must have trust and confidence in the other, to do their job. Team members count on each other and support each other during times where everyone feels hopeless. In volleyball, senior Oilau Lutali said, The Mitsui brothers and the Epstein twins show camaraderie after a cross country race. “You have to be a selfless player. UnderPhoto by yearbook photographer Yuki Loyd stand that what goes on, no matter what the line-up may be or what the coaches decide, that it’s what’s best for the team. You have to constantly reevaluate yourself on how you can do better and how you by Sammie Yee, reporter can contribute to your team.” In an intense game such as volleyball, that they will be able to do their best for “You must have good sportsmanship it is easy for players to be distracted and the team throughout the competition. and be able to support each other,” freshmiss the ball. However, other members cheer in the man Henry Trinh said. “Keeping a positive mindset is also key. stands to give encouragement and, during Trinh said an individual sport such as You have to push each other, no matter practice, help is given when needed. cross country still requires good commuwhat. Have faith that one setback doesn’t Individual sports can deliver the same nication with team members to become a determine the outcome of a game,” Lutali better athlete. support that team sports do. The relationCross country runners cannot receive ship built through individual sports within said. Being involved in sports helps develop a any help when they run. Athletes in inditeam members is just as determining and person’s trust, selflessness and positivity. vidual sports must have the self-assurance spirited as team sports.
Individual sports require teamwork
Skylar Mena Photos by Anela Chavez
can feel it, too.” Casual wear is a great way to express yourself when you don’t feel like dressing up. To really understand someone you have to look at their style, because it’s actually their personality you get to see.
TIGER TALLY
Do you spend a lot of time picking out what to wear?
Coach requires study hall
Yes, I have to look my best!
(41%, 19 Votes) If it’s comfy, I’m wearing it. (41%, 19 Votes) I don’t care. (11%, 5 Votes) I just grab the first thing I see. (7%, 3 Votes) Total Voters: 46
by Kapono Costorio-Meyer, reporter
JV Captain Mattson Siarot. Photo by Mengling Wang
Athletic coaches always ask if their athletes are doing well in classes. McKinley has a new football coach and he is making a change. Football players go to study hall before practice. “Having a study hall before football practice for the upcoming season is a good idea,” freshman Damian Tinay said. Tinay plays defensive line and offensive line for the JV football team. Tinay struggled in school and practice time this year.
The JV team went 1-7 last year. Many players were either on academic probation or injured. “Student before athlete,” freshman Mattson Siarot said. Siarot plays wide receiver and is one of the JV captains. Siarot said the most important thing for him to do as a JV captain is to motivate his team to do well in all their classes. He said he cannot do that unless he does it himself.
16 THE PINION mhspinion.com
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The Pinion celebrates birthdays for Anela Chavez, Yunmi Kim and Valerin Choniong. The Newswriting classes love snacks and drinks. Photo by Cynthia Reves.
Pinion reporters interviews Principal Ron Okamura about school issues. Photo by Mengling Wang.
Editors Silvana Bautista, Sean Gleason and Lin Song hold two of Hawaii High School Journalism Awards. The Pinion’s website, mhspinion.com, earned first place in the public school division and second place overall. Photo by Mengling Wang.
Pinion staff Karrina Johnson, Anela Chavez, Lin Song and Sean Gleason attended 2015 Hawaii High School Journalism banquet, a great chance to meet professional journalists. They earned eleven awards in total. Photo by Cynthia Reves.
The Pinion staff visited newsroom of Honolulu Civil Beat, an online newspaper. Photo by Cynthia Reves.
The Pinon learned about column & sports writing from guest speakers Michael Tsai and Stephen Tsai, reporters from the Honolulu Star Advertiser. Photo by Cynthia Reves.