The Pinion Vol. 94 No. 2

THE PINI N

150 YEARS of PRIDE and TRADITION

Student-edited paper of McKinley High School Vol. 94 No. 2

Honolulu, Hawaii

December 2015

Honolulu, Hawaii

2 THE PINION

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Giving back vs. forced labor

News

THE PINION 3 News

Community reactions mixed to mandatory cafe duty

by Sarah Kim, Josephine Muniz and Katie Jones, editor and reporters When a teacher announces to his or her class that they have lunch duty, how do the students react? Is cafeteria duty necessary for our school?

According to the State of Hawaii’s Board of Education, cafeteria duty is required for all Hawaiian public schools to provide students with nutritional meals, learning experiences, and positive eating habits.

Special education history teacher Laverne Moore said having students take part in lunch duty is important.

“You are preparing them for the real world of what work is about. It teaches students to collaborate with one another in getting the job done whether you’re serving food or washing pots and pans.

It’s good community service because all students need to know how to give back to society,” she said.

Senior Giovanni Rodrigues said, “Some students can’t afford lunch and they get free lunch when they do cafeteria duty.”

He also said it makes less work for the cafeteria staff.

Cafeteria duty has existed for years at McKinley High School .

“It’s been here since I was in high school back in the 60s...”

Laverne Moore, teacher

Mandatory lunch duty also occurs in other countries such as Japan. According to japansociety.org, lunch time for Japanese elementary schools is different from primary school students. Students have to take lunch from the kitchen and serve it to their class. After lunch is finished,

the student workers have to clean up after the students who ate and return all dishes back to the kitchen.

“The kids in Japan do the same thing because it teaches them how to respect their school and give back to the people,” senior Jon Kanno said.

A teacher noted many aspects of the mandatory cafeteria duty requirement.

“They have to miss class, and it’s something they really don’t want to do, even kids who don’t eat lunch have to do it.”, Spanish teacher Andy (Vietduc) Tran said.

Students took a survey in their English classes that questioned if students should be required to serve cafeteria duty. The results showed a close match with those who support the policy slightly than the those who don’t.

Cafeteria manager Mitch Arnold said that cafeteria duty is usually only 30 minutes or less. Students get free lunch, and it gives back to the school and classmates. He said all schools in Hawaii have cafeteria duty and it could be much worse.

According to Arnold, MHS tries hard to make lunch better for students and he hopes that all students who are against cafeteria duty would have motivation to give back.

The Pinion Staff Adviser: Cynthia Reves Editors: Sarah Kim and Karl Selga Reporters: James Deguinon, Katie Jones

Josephine Muniz, Hoang Nguyen, Kanoe Costorio Meyer

Publication Information

The Pinion is published by the Newswriting class and printed by Reprographics Learning Center.

This survey was administered via Google Forms in English classes. 273 students responded.

48% were male. Grade distribution was 35% freshmen, 35% sophomores, 18% juniors and 12% seniors. Infographic by Sarah Kim.

The Pinion McKinley High School 1039 South King Street Honolulu, HI 96814 Email comments or questions to pinion@mckinleyhs.k12.hi.us

This survey was administered via Google Forms in English classes. 273 students responded. 48% were male. Grade distribution was 35% freshmen, 35% sophomores, 18% juniors and 12% seniors. Infographic by Sarah Kim.

Despite dangers, teens still sext

Students have different views on sexting

by Sarah Kim and Josephine Muniz, editor and reporter

Dosomething.org says nearly 40 percent of all teenagers have posted or sent sexually suggestive messages, but this practice is more common among boys than girls.

In a survey of 273 McKinley High School students, 18 percent said they have participated in sexting.

“I think it [sexting] is something that is to be expected of some teenagers, and I don’t think it’s bad. It’s like you are exploring, “ freshman Erik Arana said.

“If...we were comfortable with each other then I probably would sext. There’s a sense of playfulness in it,” he said.

Sexting occurs when an individual sends sexually explicit photographs or messages via cell phone.

Sexting can have emotional and legal

consequences. The majority of the youth were not aware of the consequences that come with underage sexting according to a survey by Drexel University.

According to uknowkids.com, emotional consequences of sexting can include experiencing embarrassment, objectification, guilt and feelings of hopelessness. Legal consequences can include criminal charges for child pornography, being registered as a sex offender and exposing parents to legal consequences.

In 2011 the Hawaii Internet Crimes Against Children task force arrested a 45 year old man in Kaneohe for sending explicit text messages and planning to meet up with a 13 year old.

In 2012 Hawaii made minor-to-minor sexting illegal.

Commentary on Hawaii Revised Statute 712-1215.6 said, “The legislature found that the electronic transmission of

youth produced sexual pictures and videos was a growing problem, particularly because the images can be shared with many people almost instantaneously.”

According to dosomething.org, 40 percent of teenage girls sext as a joke, 34 percent sext to feel sexy and 12 percent feel pressured to do it.

Several female students talked about feeling used.

“It could mess up a relationship because you never know if a person is using you,” freshman Shelbi Okumura said.

“A guy can use you for sex,” freshman Katricia De Leon said.

Junior Jasmine Cahill said teenage sexting is bad.

“I believe that it is absolutely ridiculous that teenagers can send sexual images to one another and that a cruel individual would have the audacity to upload these photos to social media,” she said.

4 THE PINION

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THE PINION 5

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Ala Moana Center expands News

Features

Students say its modern but pricey Prakriti Kandel lives in Nepal.

Zanele Themba lives in South Africa .

This survey was administered via Google Forms in English classes. 273 students responded. 48% were male. Grade distribution was 35% freshmen, 35% sophomores, 18% juniors and 12% seniors. Infographic by Sarah Kim.

Two girls from South Africa and Nepal shared their expereinces about how they felt when they were fifteen. Prakriti Kandel lives in Nepal and said she wants to end menstruation restrictions there. Zanele Themba of South Africa said her generation has more opportunities than her parents had. Infographic by Kanoe Costorio Meyer.

by Kanoe Costorio Meyer, reporter The Ewa Wing attracts new visitors. Photo by Sarah Kim.

Being a 15-year-old girl can be difficult for many reasons. National Public Radio interviewed girls and women around the world about being fifteen. Visit their website to learn more.

by Sarah Kim, editor The Ala Moana Center opened its Ewa Wing on Nov. 15 after almost two years since the General Growth Properties began this project.

The 650,000 square feet expansion includes over 30 new stores. One is Hawaii’s first-ever Bloomingdale’s. Some stores are Zara, a second Forever 21, Brandy Melville and Foodland Farms.

According to alamoanacenter.com, the Ala Moana Center is the world’s largest outdoor shopping center and the new multilevel expansion is still not complete.

Ten new stores will open later.

The Ala Moana Center is a fifteen-minute walk from McKinley High School.

Several students at McKinley are excited about the Ewa Wing expansion.

“To have something that big and have it upgraded is long overdue. I am most excited about newer shops and a more modern look,” junior Naomi Franklin said.

“I’ve noticed there is a new coffee shop from Australia. There’s also Nitrogenie,

which is my favorite and Magnolia Bakery,” junior Luka Masuda said. “It’s a good addition to the mall, especially

“To have something that big and have it upgraded is long overdue. I am most excited about newer shops and a more modern look.”

Naomi Franklin, junior since it took a lot for the construction.”

“I think the change is good for our tourism because there’s more places for the tourists to see, and they won’t be bored with the same things every time they visit,” said senior Tomomi Kohno.

Kohno also pointed out one of the major disadvantages of the expansion.

“Things could be a bit overpriced, like a small ice cream at Nitrogenie is $5.

They have to make it overpriced because having a store there costs them a lot of money. Maybe tourists won’t mind the pricey things but they should make it more affordable for residents,” Kohno said.

Franklin agreed. “I think a disadvantage might be that a lot of the stores are more higher-end,” she said.

Masuda pointed out the unnecessary repetition of stores.

“The thing I don’t like about the Ewa Wing is that they have added two of the same Starbucks, Forever 21, and the Lego store. They are kind of too close to each other,” he said.

Anissa Ortiz is a freshman at McKinley High School. One reason she hates being 15 is that she has her periods.

Also, Ortiz said she feels she needs to live up to adult standards more each year.

Gloria Kim is a senior in McKinley High School. She is 18 years old, and she hated nothing about being 15. Instead she had to wait only one more year to get her driver’s license and be able to go places with her friends.

English teacher Megan Serrao said she hated 15 because she couldn’t drive.

Serrao also said she hated waking up every morning for school.

6 THE PINION

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City of love becomes city of terror

Features

Guest Editorial

by Henry Trinh, guest writer

by Josephine Muniz, reporter “I feel confused and worried because I don’t know what the reason is for these attacks and what’s going to happen next,” said freshman Suejin Yi. Who led the masked gunmen? What were their motives? How did the suspects carry out their plans simultaneously?

According to cnn.com, the ringleader, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, was very hard to pin down. This man in his twenties had close ties to ISIS leader, Abu Bakr AlBaghdadi.

Abaaoud was killed in a police raid and it was confirmed with finger and palm prints. There were impact marks all over his body.

French officials did not reveal whether he got killed by police or committed suicide by blowing himself up. His father Oman Abaaoud, who lives in Morocco, told CNN he’s not glad, but relieved his

Laura Cappia lights candles to remember the 129 people who died on Nov. 13, 2015, in Paris.

Cappia was nearby when the shooting occured. Photo by Carolyn Cole.

Features

We must agree with righteousness

Students react to attacks The Paris attacks have many students asking who’s next? People live in fear because of the many incidents that occurred.

Masked gunmen fired into a restaurant, Le Petit Cambodge. Five minutes after the shooting, a bomb exploded at the State De France stadium. Simon Couper, a witness of the bombing, told a news outlet he felt the ground shake and knew something was wrong. Two minutes later, shots were fired outside a bar, Rue De La Fontaine Al Roi. These are just three of the incidents that prompted worldwide outrage and the ones that were posted instantly on social media. Many other attacks took place in Paris, but they were not publicized to that extent.

At least 129 people were dead, according to cnn.com.

THE PINION 7

son had died. He referred to his son as a psychopath and a devil.

The ISIS online magazine, Dabiq, quoted Abaaoud.

“My name and picture were all over the news, but I was able to stay in their homeland, plan operations against them, and leave safely,” he said.

Police say he faked his death in 2014, so he could travel back and forth without anyone knowing.

Students fear being the next victims.

“I feel scared because what if we’re next on the list to be attacked?” freshman Adrian Aguinaldo said.

“I think the ISIS will attack more unexpected places in America. The U.S. is an easy target,” freshman Amoreena Godoy said.

The Eiffel Tower was lit with the colors of the national French flag on Nov. 16.

More than 120 people were killed in Paris, France, on Nov. 13. The many deaths were caused by suicide bombers and shooters of the terrorist group from Syria, known as ISIS. Due to this incident, France and many other countries want to close their borders to immigrants. A lot of the immigrants before this incident were coming from Syria because they want to escape harsh life due to the war going on in their country. Preventing immigrants from entering other countries isn’t the right action.

An article on BBC.com in October summarized the situation in Syria.

“More than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with antigovernment protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war. More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar alAssad and those opposed to his rule battle each other – as well as jihadist militants from Islamic State,” the site said.

It isn’t fair to not let in immigrants trying to escape the horrible life of constant conflict and death around them. There are children that get killed with everyone else.

“We’re just living on the edge of life.

We’re always nervous, we’re always afraid,” a mother of nine whose husband was killed by a sniper told BBC.com.

Syrians don’t deserve to live like this.

The world should let the immigrants come in.

Although others might say that keeping immigrants out is the right choice to keep peace in their country and prevent any more terrorist attacks, it still isn’t the right thing to do to the immigrants from Syria.

Is 129 deaths in Paris worth over 250,000 deaths in Syria? What about the other people in Syria? How are they going to be safe? How can they live knowing they might die any day?

We must agree with righteousness.

This survey was administered via Google Forms in English classes. 273 students responded.

48% were male. Grade distribution was 35% freshmen, 35% sophomores, 18% juniors and 12% seniors. Infographic by Sarah Kim.

“Hawaii is the Aloha State, known for its tradition of welcoming all people with tolerance and mutual respect.”

- Hawaii Governor David Ige at a press conference

8 THE PINION

150th year filled with fun activities Editorials

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Taste Tea fills our bubble

by Sarah Kim, editor

small or large tapioca.

The variety may cause indecisiveness and curiosity, but the place offers samples at the register. I have never had the opportunity to sample bubble tea previously, but when I came here it made my decision fairly easy.

I would recommend trying the green tea blueberry macaroon. The flavor is unique with a crisp shell, soft texture, and smooth, rich cream.

Other tea shops McKinley High School students like

by Student govenment McKinley High School is known for its pride and tradition and this year marks the 150th anniversary of our Tiger legacy. As a senior, it is truly an honor to be part of this year’s sesquicentennial commemoration, from planning the events to seeing alumni and students enjoying the festivities. I could not have asked for a better year.

One of many celebrations that has happened this year was the first McKinley Lu’au on Sept. 25. Senior Noel Nepomuceno said the event made the Tiger community closer together. He also said, “The event was marvelous. It was truly amazing to see all these memories we have made on that day.” Afterward was the Lighting of the M, an annual event that expresses what it means to be a Tiger. This year had a surprise. This surprise was met with open and wide eyes as it lit up the sky. For the first time, fireworks were introduced to the traditional Lighting of the M, making it a special occasion for MHS. On Feb. 26, there will be a Tiger Pride and Tradition Day during school hours. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about MHS and the events that have touched the school. Students will walk away with a new sense of pride for MHS. There will be entertainment on the front lawn as well as a mini fair.

On March 12, MHS will be hosting a community fair.

There will be various food booths, food trucks, game booths, mini rides, a dunk booth, a farmers market, plant sales and a white elephant sale. One of the food trucks will be “Aloha Plates,” who were the Season 4 winners of Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race.” The fair will also feature Hawaii’s tallest cupcake tower. This fair will focus on the past, present and future of MHS. Current school programs at MHS will be featured as well, such as the clubs and academies.

On April 28, there will be a Gala at the Sheraton Waikiki.

It’s the last event of the year-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of MHS. I know these events will have a big impact on my high school life and memories and I hope it will affect yours, too.

Editorials

being the most prominent feature on the otherwise plain walls, but as you step inside, the aroma is fresh and the sound of reggae music is comforting.

The menu has a vast variety from a classic milk tea to a mustache milk tea.

The mustache milk tea was creamy and somewhat frothy, but it still had that pure tea flavor. It almost resembled a milkshake but contained a modern twist with chewy grass jelly. The grass jelly can be substituted with other toppings such as

I have always been fond of bubble tea drinks. As a newcomer to Hawaii this year, it has been a challenge to find a satisfying tea shop.

I have passed Taste Tea while driving on Kapiolani Blvd., but I’ve never had the opportunity to try it until I went with The Pinion staff.

The outside appearance is not the most appealing with the bright green logo

Anticipated events remember McKinley High School’s rich history

THE PINION 9

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Mr. Tea Starbucks Shaka Shaka Tea Express Infinitea Dragon Tea

Editor’s pick

Music establishes positivity

by Karl Selga, editor The editor’s pick for this issue is the band Neck Deep. Neck Deep is a Welsh rock band. The band formed in 2012. The group is a rock band, but is more catered towards the Pop Punk genre. The band has made many mixed tapes, but has only made two studio albums, “Wishful Thinking” (2014) and “Life’s Not Out to Get You” (2015).

The band won the Best British Newcomer in 2014 at the Kerrang!

Awards. They have played at events like the famous Warp Tour and the Reading Festival where bands like the Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Arctic Monkeys and Jimmy Eat World performed. You can find the lineup for each year on their website at readingfestival.com. When I was going through a rough time in my past, my friend recommended a song named“Part of Me” by Neck Deep. After I listened to that song for the first time, I immediately started to research the band. I found other songs I could relate to and I bought their 2015 album. My favorite song right now is split between “Growing Pains” and “December.”

Go online to mhspinion.com to see more reviews on the tea shop.

Book Recommendations Looking for a good book to read over the winter break?

Try one of these recommended by McKinley High School students.

• “Teardrop” by Lauren Kate

• “Paper Town” by John Green

• “1984” by George Orwell

• “Skate” by Michael Harmon

• “5th Wave” by Rick Yancey

• “The Lost Tomb” by Jack How-

• “Binge” by Tyler Oakley

ard

• “The Giver” by Lois Lowry

• “Uprooted” by Naomi Novik

• “If I Stay” by Gayle Forman

• “The Enemy” by Charlie Higson

• “Life Of Pi” by Yann Martel

• “Let It Snow” by John Green

10 THE PINION

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Dress code changes considered; Students think it’s unnecessary Editorials

Letter to the Editor

by Karl Selga, editor Recently the student body and faculty were given a survey in advisory about the dress code.

A dress code is something used in private schools all over the world . A dress code is made for the students and faculty to wear and follow so they look organized. It also makes it easier for the students to figure out what they are going to wear that day.

I came from a private middle school where it was mandatory to wear a certain uniform. This uniform was to be worn every day or you would get detention or a referral. In my opinion a private school dress code isn’t a bad idea, but McKinley does not feel like that kind of school.

I feel like this school having a dress code which lets all the students express their creativity is beautiful.

As a freshman I was confused because I never really wore anything besides my uniform to school. So in the beginning I felt very awkward, but at the same time I felt much more comfortable and creative.

I could wear anything I wanted and not get in trouble. Well that statement is kind of true.

The MHS dress code tells us, the students not to wear any distracting or clothing with suggestive or derogatory pictures, phrases, gang-related apparel, or advertising or advocates the use of illegal drugs or alcohol. That is what the dress code says in the planner, but what really is “distracting?”

In today’s society the fashion in my opinion is not really fashion at all. Some girls on campus wear revealing clothing and other girls are just rocking band T’s and Chuck Taylors. There really isn’t that much of a “fashion” trend here at all. The closest thing to a trend were those stupid chokers.

by Deziree Huynh

This survey was administered via Google Forms in English classes. 273 students responded.

48% were male. Grade distribution was 35% freshmen, 35% sophomores, 18% juniors and 12% seniors. Infographic by James Deguinon.

One reason for a stronger dress code is because some clothing may be distracting for some boys. What I say to that is, it isn’t the girls or boys fault.

I blame the clothing designers. They are the people who decide how everything looks and then they produce it, give it to someone famous and then boom it spreads like wildfire.

Bottomline is that a new dress code is not necessary in my opinion. We can keep going as we are now, but as a student body we have a responsibility to follow the rules that this school gives us.

When I interviewed Major Corey Marlowe and asked him if he would like to

see this school be given a new dress code he said, “It would all depend, if McKinley High School was issuing uniforms for free as students came in then I’m all for it. If we had uniforms then students would not have to worry about what they are going to wear. They won’t have to worry about being judged and we would know who is a student and who is not.

But being that the school district doesn’t have enough money, I will have to go with no.”

I am writing this in response to the survey we took in advisory. I think it’s unfair to people, especially the girls, who have stayed in reasonable dress code throughout the years to have to be put into possible uniforms, strict dress code, etc.

Granted, I do not know what the actual dress code rules might be, but I hope they are not “shorts must be five inches from below your kneecap, no spaghetti straps, etc.” The way we dress does not affect our education. The tank top, shorts and slippers that I am wearing will not stop me from learning about the annexation of Hawaii. Trust me, I do acknowledge the fact that some students abuse our current dress code at McKinley High School.

If that’s the case, then they should be the ones punished, not everyone in the school. We live in the heart of town (2,400 kilometers from the equator) where temperatures rise along with humidity. We would feel more comfortable wearing our “Hawaii weather” clothing.

This brings up another point that I heard a teacher say. Clothing girls wear may distract some boys. That is not our problem. The boys should learn to respect females and focus on their school work.

So, because some boys have eye problems, we need to change the way we dress?

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THE PINION 11 Editorials

In advisory in October, students were surveyed on how appropriate and safe they thought the following items are for school.

• Slippers and other shoes without backs • Low cut tops, or tanks with deep arm holes • Shirts/ Tops that show midriff • Sleeveless shirts or tank tops • Holes in jeans or pants • Short skirts • Extremely tall high heeled shoes • Short shorts • Inappropriate T- shirts

12 THE PINION

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Should MHS buy AC; Cost too prohibitive?

Editorials

by Hoang Nguyen, reporter

McKinley High School should not buy more air conditioning .

First of all, according to the Hawaii Department of Education it will cost $1.7 billion if all schools want to buy more air conditioning. Air conditioning is very expensive.

Second, according to the DOE, the current annual electricity bill for Hawaii schools is $48 million. This amount would increase as high-energy AC systems are installed.

Third, if we put air conditioning in classrooms, the temperature will go down and it could get colder. It can make the students in classrooms feel cold or sick and the student cannot pay attention in class. Freshman Haixin Ruan said she is scared of getting too cold.

It is true, 90 degrees in a classroom is too hot. Instead of buying air conditioning, MHS can buy more fans for classroom that don’t have air conditioning.

It’s also true that, because of the high heat, some students and teachers in some classrooms start looking tired in class.

It’s hard to focus.

Freshman Lynn Nguyen said, “McKinley needs to buy more air conditioning.

When it’s too hot, it’s harder to learn because it’s too uncomfortable.”

Freshman Trieu Benny said, “The rooms are too hot and there are few windows.”

Seamus Puette, ESOL teacher, said, “MHS is too hot. The temperature today was 85 degree with 66% humidity, making it feel like 91 degree. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declares that temperature to be in the ‘goldenrod’ category; Extreme caution. For student and staff safety, air conditioning is highly recommended.”

I am not for more air conditioning because the air conditioning costs so much money and I think we can buy fans and drink cold water.

Should MHS buy more AC?

We live in a world where technology is everywhere. People go online and post silly and ridiculous pictures or videos on the internet and chat with their friends typing things like LOL or TTYL or FYI. However, people should start thinking what they are typing before they post.

Proper grammar is important.

Imagine this. Employers go on social media to check your background, your record, and your posts. For example, in Facebook setting up your profile there is one part that says “Works at.”

If you joke around on it, employers

could check it. Employers are looking for people with skills and a professional attitude. For your future, you should use proper grammar.

Also, proper grammar could help you singles get into a relationship. Sure, some people get in relationships by how a male or how a female looks. However, if you can put in the correct words with the right tune, chances are you could just get in a relationship.

The dating site match.com, asked more than 5000 singles in the U.S. and found that 88 percent ofwomen and 75 percent of men said they care about proper grammar the most.

McKinley High School students’

THE PINION 13 Online highlights

Want more of The Pinion? Check us out at www.mhspinion.com. We publish news, editorials, sports and features and we update our Tiger Tally every two weeks. We also have social media so check us out on Twitter for daily updates and follow us on Instagram to read about what’s going on at school, our community and around the world.

Freshman Adrian Aguinaldo (Tiger Tally #3) said he is thankful for being healthy.

This survey was administered via Google Forms in English classes. 273 students responded. 48% were male. Grade distribution was 35% freshmen, 35% sophomores, 18% juniors and 12% seniors.

Proper grammar matters in love and writing

by James Deguinon, reporter

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opinions on the value of proper grammar varies, “For essays, yes,” said freshman Pe San. “Well, in some cases, it depends,” said freshman Benny Trieu.

“It depends on the situation,” said freshman Darius Nakao. “If you were either reading or writing, sure it’s important. “If you were talking to someone like your friends, not really but if you were talking to a stranger, then maybe,” said Nakao.

You don’t have to use proper grammar all the time. All I’m saying is you should think. Think about what you say. Think about what you type. Think of the situation. We all have the ability to think.

Junior Long Chen (Tiger Tally #2) said he is getting B’s in his classes.

Freshman Alazay Miller (Tiger Tally #1) said he is too old to wear costumes for Halloween.

14 THE PINION Sports

Student petitions for stadium on MHS grounds Wants home base for school athletics

by Avian Madriaga, guest writer Former athletic director Neal Takamori has been working for the last 20 to 30 years to help McKinley High School construct an athletic stadium. He has been working with the legislature, attending meetings with members of the senate, spoken with many governors, and the business and community leaders.

He has faced many obstacles and trials but he has persevered. At this time, I am jumping in to this effort and bringing the student voice to make this happen. My name is Avian Madriaga. I am a senior and a student-athlete here at MHS. I have been aided by Principal Ron Okamura, student activities coordinator April Nakamura, as well as Takamori.

Throughout my years at MHS, it was a routine to catch the bus to school. If I got lucky, the bus would stop right in front of my first period class on King Street. On the days I got unlucky, I would have to stop at Kapiolani Blvd. and walk that big empty field.

I would often wonder why a lot so big was not being utilized to it’s advantage. I head that years before, MHS held yearly carnival events and farm fairs in that field. Today, a new softball field with bleachers was just dedicated.

The students, which included one of my cousins, said having their own field with families watching from the bleachers had increased the softball teams motivation. The remaining part of the field

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Should MHS have its own athletic stadium?

Sports

Dan Villejo: A player with character Despite ACL injury, athlete ready for season

by Karl Selga , James Deguinon and Hoang Nguyen editor and reporters.

This survey was administered via Google Forms in English classes. 273 students responded.

48% were male. Grade distribution was 35% freshmen, 35% sophomores, 18% juniors and 12% seniors. by Hoang Nguyen.

is still huge. Before I leave MHS, I would like to leave a legacy behind. My actions today will benefit the future generations of McKinley High School. This is why I am petitioning for a football field for McKinley High School. MHS has stood in the heart of Honolulu for 150 years.

150 years, and MHS has never had its own athletic complex.

As a cheerleader, going to other schools other than our own to play is a different feeling. Although we appreciate Roosevelt’s field, it takes 4 to 5 school buses to rent and transport students back and forth to the venue. The field would not only benefit the football team. It would also be of a benefit for those involved in track and field, cross country, soccer and many more. Perhaps one day, the greatest athlete might come from MHS. The field can also be used and rented out to other school events. Having our own field may increase the number of students to the athletic department, and an increase in student involvement and as a result, better behavior. This would bring in good morals because student can feel a sense of ownership to the stadium. Just imagine playing in your own “home” school in future homecoming games, that indescribable feeling of pride and joy for being a part of MHS. The stadium could also be used for assemblies and other events that build community– something we need being the most urban school in the state

of Hawaii.

Before the first quarter ended, I attended a faculty meeting announcing the petition and getting the teachers to buy into the project. As of the end of November, the petition has 729 signatures. I am hoping for continued support as I seek more petitioners among student, faculty, staff, families and those within the community.

The field would not only benefit the football team, it would also be a greater benefit for those involved in track and field, cross country, soccer and many more. The field can also be used and charged out to other school events.

Having our own field may increase the number of students to the athletic department. This would bring in good morals because students can feel a sense of ownership to the field. Just imagine playing at your own home school in the future homecoming games, that indescribable feeling of such pride and joy for being apart of McKinley. Perhaps one day, the greatest athlete might just come from McKinley.

I currently have 331 petitioners since September 25. I am hoping for the continued support as I seek for more petitioners among students, faculty, staff, families and those within the community. By signing this petition, we are one step closer with fulfilling the needs of a football stadium.

Basketball season starts soon. Dan Villejo is a senior at McKinley High School and plays for the varsity team. He considers himself as an all-around player, but he mostly plays point guard.

Villejo said his teammates would probably describe him as hard working, humble and a team player. He has been playing basketball since he was in fourth grade. Villejo is passionate about the sport. In the Philippines his family has a history of good basketball players.

As a junior, Villejo held a large margin of the points. For example last year against Campbell he made 27 points for the win. His percentage averaged out to 66.7.

“Basketball is a team sport. No one player can win the game. It takes the whole team to win and it even takes the players on the benches,” said Villejo.

Villejo plays basketball because his family and friends play. As soon as he started playing basketball, he really en-

joyed it and now it is a big part of his life.

He intends to go for a college scholarship for basketball and wants to stay

“He is a very respectful player with high character.

Villejo is one of the best basketball players in the state.”

- Bob Morikuni, athletic director

on the island and attend Hawaii Pacific University or the University of Hawaii. If he leaves the island, he said he wants to go to Denver, Colorado.

“I am excited to play against Kalaheo,” said Villejo. That game is scheduled for Jan. 2, 2016. Villejo tore his anterior cruciate ligament and has been recovering, but he said he will participate in the games.

“He is a very respectful player with high character. Villejo is one of the best basketball players in the state,” said athletic director Bob Morikuni.”

Some of Villejo’s teammates were asked questions about Villejo.

“He got much taller and his shots got better,” said senior Nikko Venzon.

Is Villejo one of the best players in the state? His teammates said yes.

Do you think Villejo’s injury will change the way he plays? His teammates said he plays with caution.

Basketball games 1/02 @ Kalaheo

7:00 p.m.

1/05 @ Kailua

7:00 p.m.

1/07 vs. Moanalua

7:00 p.m.

1/09 @ Kahuku

7:00 p.m.

1/12 vs. Kalani

7:00 p.m.

1/14 @ Castle

7:00 p.m.

1/16 vs. Roosevelt

7:00 p.m.

1/20 vs. Farrington 7:00 p.m.

1/22 @ Kaiser

7:00 p.m.

1/26 vs. Anuenue

7:00 p.m.

16 THE PINION

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