CENTENNIAL YEAR
Vol. 99 / No. 4 / May 2021
The student-run newspaper of McKinley High School
Established in 1920
RESOLUTION TO CHANGE SCHOOL NAME
FAILS IN COMMITTEE Shane Kaneshiro, reporter
A
resolution to urge the Board of Education and the superintendent to rename McKinley High School to Honolulu High School and to remove the statue of President William McKinley was deferred by the State House Education committee on March 18. After over an hour of verbal testimonies via Zoom between both supporters and opponents, Rep. Jeanne Kapela, vice chair of the committee, said, “With a very heavy and sad heart, we have to defer this measure today.” Kapela, who was one of the sponsors of the resolution, said, “While I do understand the reluctance of McKinley alumni to change the name of their alma mater, this issue is at its heart about advancing racial equity. Over the last few years, we have watched our nation engage in a reckoning with its troubled racial history, and Hawaii is no different.” the resolution. In the hearing, Nguyen said she believes the name and statue should remain to learn what happened during that period of time. “I feel like renaming the school and bringing down the statue will give our generation the wrong message that anything we oppose or disagree with we should erase and cancel,” Nguyen said. support of the resolution. Please see NAME on page 2.
RS 21-0773 May 2021
Est abl i shed i n 1920 All content and more can be found at mhspinion.com.Print archives can be found at issuu.com/mhspinion.
Report ers Althea Cunningham Shane Kaneshiro Jerome Linear Justin Nguyen
Advi ser Cynthia Reves
Mi ssi on The Pinion staff strives to provide and maintain accurate, entertaining and informativenews for the students, staff and alumni of McKinley High School. We strive to show diligence in creating all our content so we can make a positive contribution to the public.
Publ i cat i on Informat i on The Pinion is published by the Newswriting class and printed by ReprographicsLearning Center.
The Pinion McKinley High School 1039 South King Street Honolulu, HI 96814 Emai l comment s or quest i ons t o pinion@mckinleyhs.k12.hi.us
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Princess Ruth Keelikolani's palace was purchased by the Board of Education and renamed Honolulu High School.
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Continued from page 1.
but we can change the future, and pride and tradition does not stem from just the name ?McKinley.?It stems from McKinley High School being an overall great school,? Campbell said. Maj. Gen. Robert Lee, an alumnus and Hall of Honor inductee, testified in opposition to the change of the name of McKinley. ?We should leave the name the same because the students ... will learn critical thinking so they can understand the causes and the outcomes of that era, instead of running away from the problem by changing the name," he said. Alumna Cat Orlans supports the resolution. In the virtual Zoom hearing, she said, ?A name change ... (is) not going to take away those traditions we can still carry on.? She told the committee she got a geographic exception for all four years of high school and commuted daily from Nanakuli, where she lived on Hawaiian homestead land. ?My first days of freshman year were, of course, weirded out by the oval and the statue tradition that seemed to glorify the man who illegally overthrew the queen of my ancestors' kingdom.? She said that she, like everyone else, adapted to the tradition to stay off the oval. ?I'm forever grateful for my high school ohana," she said. "My education allowed me to go to UH at Manoa and finally learn and understand the true history of our native Hawaiian people and the history of this place, not the colonizer history that was taught during my time at the Department of Education in public school.? Hawaii State Teacher Association?s union lobbyist and a native Hawaiian teacher at McKinley, Laverne Moore testified in support of the resolution. "I grew up under President McKinley's indoctrination of Hawaiian students and a movement that obliviated native Hawaiian identity in favor of American patriotism," she said. "The devastating loss of native Hawaiian Identity culture and language has yet to be recovered. Those who did not live through this era as a native Hawaiian may never fully understand the far-reaching damage and trauma colonization
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NEWS
The grey stone building on Beretania and Victoria Streets, which is now Linekona School, was built in 1907, and the school's name was changed to McKinley High School. The bronze statue of McKinley, which cost $8,000, was unveiled on Feb. 23, 1911. has on its people. It is our kuleana to restore pono.? April Nakamura, McKinley's student activities coordinator, opposes the resolution and told the committee there would have been more people testifying in opposition if the community had had more advanced notice. She said the people who support the resolution were well prepared. Rep. Sylvia Luke, whose Finance Committee would have heard the resolution if it had passed the Education committee, echoed Nakamura's concern. ?We were kind of surprised that more alumni and students from McKinley didn't come out,? she said, "But I think part of it is because they didn't know and they only heard about it after the fact from the newspaper.? In her testimony, HSTA member Holly Honbo criticized the union. ?The HSTA board of directors decided to enter into this matter after being solicited by an organization outside of HSTA," she said. ?None of our 12,000+ members were contacted or polled by our union leaders. McKinley High School teachers were not contacted or notified by HSTA union representatives. The day after the resolution was deferred in the education committee hearing, Rep. Kapela sent a memo to the DOES asking them to immediately initiate proceedings to change the name of McKinley High School and remove the statue of President McKinley from school grounds. NEWS
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In Kapela's memo, she said the school name and statue are no different than the confederate monuments that have been dismantled on the continental U.S. to pave a path toward a more egalitarian future. ?We need to engage in a much-needed discussion about racial justice and the historical trauma endured by Hawai?i?s indigenous people. We need to build learning centers that reflect our goal of not only understanding, but responding to, historical trauma and preventing it from being repeated on our shores," she said. "Returning McKinley High School to its former name and removing the statue that sullies its grounds would begin to heal the wounds that the Hawaiian people have been suffering for centuries.? Former state senator, alumna and Hall of Honor inductee, Suzanne Chun-Oakland, opposes the resolution. She said similarly-minded community members can submit a letter to the superintendent and the Board of Education, asking them to understand the cultural values and all that is intrinsic with McKinley High School and not to consider Kapela's plea. Rep. Luke said the people who are pushing for this name change will keep trying. ?Be ready and do some research in the meantime," she said to those who oppose any change. "Something like this could come back year after year. Not knowing how to get more involved in the legislative process, it will be an opportunity lost.? THE PINION / 3
If you want to see the full resolution view the QR code
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THE PINION / 5
Senior Jordan Sequin lives on a banana farm in Waiahole Valley and shared this picture of the flooding.
OAHU BUSINESS OWNERS REFLECT
ON SUDDEN FLOOD by Justin Nguyen, reporter During McKinley High School?s spring break, heavy rains approached the island of Oahu, destroying many areas. Locations such as the North Shore and Windward Oahu were impacted by the rains more gravely than other areas. Residents living around McKinley High School may have experienced the weather differently through electrical blackouts and other inconveniences. Business-wise, the flood caused great damage. According to Hawaii News Now, the Windward area received 18 inches of rain, which caused the Waiahole River to overflow. There wasn't much area business could have done to protect themselves. The overflowing water spread into businesses such as the Waiahole Poi Factory. Equipment floated away or was damaged due to this event. THE PINION / 6
?It rains all the time here. But this was highly unusual. So I'm going to say, even if you have sandbags, that's kinda like hard to plan,? Waiahole Poi Factory owner Leinaala Cruz said in an interview with The Pinion. Cruz said they were not expecting to flood, but on the second day of the rain, the eatery started flooding. Other businesses such as Giovanni?s Shrimp Truck were not very prepared either. ?Just make sure that where you?re at is cleaned out. But in all honesty, you can?t really prepare for a disaster that happens like this of this magnitude,? Erin Nitsche told The Pinion. After the flooding cleared, clean-up followed. Because these businesses are in a flood zone, insurance doesn?t cover anything and everything has to be paid out of pocket. Killer Tacos owner Chris Bair said his business faced a couple of inches M ay 2021
of mud. He and his employees had to squeegee the water out of the Haleiwa restaurant. Bair said the business managed to reopen the following day on Tuesday. He said he advises business owners to have a quick reopening. ?It?s very important, though, as a business person, that you try to get things cleaned up and fixed as quickly as possible and then you reopen," Bair said. "And that?s exactly what we did.? Bair also said that at least 40 people were present and prepared to help. The community cleaned up driftwood and garbage and provided food and cleaning supplies. He said everyone was generous and he found it amazing. ?And if there?s anything we can do to help in any way, we?re going to help our fellow community members," Bair said. "Like they helped us.?
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ALUMNUS RECONNECTS WITH FAVORITE TEACHER A surg eon unknow ing ly sa ves life of tea c her's m om by Althea Cunningham, reporter Marshal Rosario graduated from McKinley High School in 1965 and became a neurosurgeon. Years later, he saved the life of a woman suffering from a blood clot. That woman turned out to be the mother of Agnes Yamada Rosario?s favorite teacher from his time in McKinley. Yamada taught English and she was Rosario?s favorite teacher because she would mark everyone?s essays with red ink with constructive criticism. She created challenges that made students want to learn and improve. ?Rather than saying, ?You got a B?and that was it, she said, ?You got a ?B?but if you do these other things you can make it an 'A,?and that?s why she was my favorite teacher,? Rosario said. After graduating high school, Rosario decided to major in chemistry at the University of Hawaii. He lost all contact with his teacher and only heard from a friend that Yamada moved to the mainland to get a Ph.D. in English at the University of Oregon. ?I wondered whatever happened to her,? Rosario said. In 1970, Rosario stopped studying chemistry and switched to medical practice. It was the Vietnam War and hippie era, so he wanted to become a general practice doctor to help the hippies on Maui. ?I never thought I?d go into medicine,? Rosario said, ?but while I was in chemistry, I wasn't enjoying it as much as my fellow chemistry graduates.?
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While he was in medical school, his mentors encouraged him towards surgery because he was good with his hands and could act decisively. He followed through with his medical studies and transferred to Stanford for his residency and internship. Thirty years later, in San Jose, Calif, he was called in as a neurosurgeon to look at a 93-year-old patient who had fallen. A blood clot was forming in her brain due to blood thinners she was taking at the time. ?I just happened to be the neurosurgeon they called to the emergency room. I saw the scan. I saw the patient and decided that she needs immediate surgery to save her life,? Rosario said. After the operation and her recovery, Rosario talked to the patient. During the conversation, they discovered they were both from Hawaii. Rosario told the patient he had graduated from McKinley. The patient said her daughter used to teach there. ?What a revelation. I did call her (Yamada) and spoke to her on the phone but after that lost touch until this year, 2021, when I received a letter from Agnes who again thanked me for helping her mom,? Rosario said. Yamada had gotten her Ph.D. and taught English at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Southern California, where she and her mom lived together. The mom lived for twelve more years after her encounter with Rosario and died at age 105 of a stroke. ?It's kind of cool, how someone who really inspired you to do well in school, you end up by pure chance, you know, helping her and then reconnecting,? Rosario said. M ay 2021
Agnes Yamada taught English at McKinley High School and was Marshal Rosario's favorite teacher.
Marshal Rosario graduated from McKinley High School in 1965, became a surgeon and saved the life of his favorite teacher's mother. THE PINION / 7
DISTANCE LEARNING CAUSES INCREASED FAILURES, ANXIETY by Jerome Linear, reporter Students all over the country are continuing to fall behind as the school year nears its close. Students wanting to pass to the next grade or even graduating will be very difficult. Codan Teixeira, an Aiea High School freshman, remembers the days when school meant asking for help, staying on schedule, and communicating with friends before the bell rang. Now, Teixeira struggles with communication with fellow students that could help him know what schedule he has, technical problems such as the meeting not working, or even asking what he has to do and how to understand it better. It's his freshman year in high school and he barely knows what any of his classmates look or sound like because almost no one turns on their cameras or mics. ?Going to school was much easier than what it is now because I used to know what to do. Now all I get is stacked assignments or I look answers up because I don't know how to do something," he said. Like many students during virtual learning this year, Teixeira's grades have suffered. This is not only happening to Teixeira and not only in Hawaii. One school district in Charles County, Maryland, saw a 72.7% increase in failing grades for students enrolled in high school. In New Mexico, more than 40 percent of middle and high school students were failing at least one class. For McKinley High School student Jeremiah Samuelu, classes have been more stressful than they had been
before. Like most students during virtual learning, Samuelu has experienced a range of emotions since virtual learning started. He describes his emotions and feelings as depressed, angry, alone, and even difficult. ?I never used to hate school up until now. The reason for that is because everybody thinks I'm not trying and bringing me down," he said. "I'm frustrated and confused and they still don't care for what I have to say.? It's not just Samuelu. Many other students around the country feel unmotivated or down because of digital learning. Suicide rates for students have seen an uptick nationwide. Kids such a Spencer Smith found his mostly online class schedule challenging. An 11-year-old child killed himself while in his distance learning class. Depression and anxiety have also risen tremendously since online school started. Jazlyn Anela, a freshman at Waipahu High School, said, ?Sometimes I just give up and don't go to class because I'm always lagging or I can't hear anything.? Computer difficulties have been a big problem during digital learning. Many students are not provided with a strong internet so it can be difficult to learn most of the time. Even things such as computer glitches, server shut offs and disabled meet links can trouble a lot of students. This leads many students to feel unmotivated to learn at all. Lots of times during digital learning, there are compatibility issues with systems and browsers. Nowadays lots of students are calling online school annoying, unfair, stressful, and frustrating. How will we fix this digital learning tragedy?
70%
56%
Of 137 students and staff who responded to The Pinion's survey, 70% said they have felt increased anxiety or depression this year.
Of 127 students who responded to The Pinion's survey, 56% said their grades have dropped since last school year. THE PINION / 8
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Teaching hybrid classes is one of the hardest things I've had to do in my life. I'm trained as an in-person math teacher, so the added stress of pivoting to virtual/hybrid teaching and not being able to fully assess or support my students like I would do in-person made me feel like an incompetent teacher in so many ways. What I've found that kind of helps me is reminding myself that this isn't forever and that things will get better eventually. Justin Collado, math teacher
My grades at the beginning of the year dropped really bad, but since then they have improved and I have figured out how to time manage and get work finished. Freyja Mersberg, freshman
Staying inside the house and not really interacting with friends or new people is depressing. Eleina Olap, junior
I have felt depression this year because I don't know when is going to be a NEXT time I will see my friends. I have been staying inside the house 24/7 and the only person that is keeping my head up is my mom. Kyle Ngo, senior
My grades haven't dropped, but it has definitely been extremely harder to find the motivation and energy to do work and online school. Jaena Grace Velasco, sophomore
If you are struggling, visit McKinley High School's website. Under Academics, click Counselors, then Updates and Announcements for a list of support resources.
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St u den t / St af f Su r vey THE PINION / 10
I would tell myself to hug loved ones a little tighter and a little longer because you won't be able to do so for a long time. - teacher Megan Serrao Things are going to get hard from here but don't let that change who you are. You're better than this, you know your worth, don't let whatever happens change you. - junior Alexander Laurin
What is something you have found out about yourself?
Don't grow up too fast. - sophomore Dennis Keola Bro, stop thinking about what would happen or what could go wrong, just start doing it and find out where it goes from there. - sophomore Paul Bagara I would tell myself to live in the moment and not worry about what the future has for me. Tell all my loved ones how much I appreciate and love them. - senior Felicity Tuitele Put yourself first, you have the ability to do what you want in this life, don't let that go to waste simply because you're afraid of not agreeing with someone. - senior Jingsong Zhou I would tell myself that I wasted my time sitting around doing nothing when I could have been learning new things, improving on my mental health, and working out consistently. But it?s ok that I did that because I learned from it so yes I did waste time but it helped me later on to stop the bad habits. Everything happens for a reason so we can?t just sit and dwell on the past. All we can do is live in the present. - junior Eleina Olap
One thing that I found out about myself was that I don't like to be alone and that I really do need friends or just people to come to my house. - freshman BobbieJoy Kaakau I found out that, while I am a hard worker, I am also easily susceptible to distractions and temptations to just do other things while in class. - junior William Lin I found out that I need to be more independent, and at my age it's hard to do. I'm trying hard to complete the work from school. Hopefully I can graduate this year with my friends. - senior Chau Vo I found out that I really don't like answering questions (in virtual class). In actual class, you would probably raise your hand to answer a question. For online learning, though, you have to unmute and risk interrupting others who are trying to answer. This causes quite a bit of anxiety in me, so I end up not answering at all. - sophomore Alan Gan My wife and I, after 21 years of knowing each other, still get along. She always works a lot but since April 2020 she has been out of work and it has actually been enjoyable family time... most of the time. - teacher Christopher Martin
o ould g c nd u a o If y in time 0 you back019-202what tell 2nything, u tell a uld yo ? wo ourself y
Honestly through this time of the pandemic. It has made me more independent and helped me improve myself and mature more. - freshman Shaiana Tavares
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During this time, I have become more aware of others. I want to keep myself and my family safe and everyone around me. As a student, I've been able to value my education more. I know that, even when times are rough, we can't give up and we need to keep pushing and striving for our education, for our ourselves and our upcoming future. - freshman Yasmeen Shamim
s What hobbieen k have you ta ved up or impro pon? flute I have been practicing myubamboo
My mindset went from immature to mature. I used to always make jokes out of everything and act inappropriate in serious situations. I would also get really bothered whenever bad things were said about me but eventually, I learned to keep my composure in situations. - sophomore Christine Nguyen
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(dizi) and have started learning to play the guzheng (Chinese traditional stringed instrument). - teacher Jade Louie
I believe that my mindset has improved. So many events have happened over the year and that shaped my mind to be more accepting of others and I try to be more open about myself. I learned things about me that I wouldn't have discovered unless the pandemic happened. - junior Katelyn Reizel Prak
I'm learning a third language, and I launched my own company/brand for YA fiction and manga/anime development. It's networking across the globe now. - teacher Irene Tanaka
I've bettered myself as a person and I'm still trying to figure out how to be completely at one with myself and the universe. I'm learning and evolving through the hardships I'm going through. Everything that once stopped me and made it hard for me to push through life I can now go through with ease. I used to look at the things around me as the problem but then I started to be more conscious. Doing that taught me that everything starts with YOU. If you think negative all the time then your life will always be negative. If you think and look at everything as a Ho w hlife will be more positive then your positive andcyou'll vibration. hangbeavatea yhigher ed th oinumy opinion Positivity and negativity is yeyour ar?perception is all according to of life and what you perceive of these things. I've reprogrammed my mind to the point where I can stop myself from letting things really bother or affect me and my energy. - senior Jefty Andrada
My hobbies of nearly every fine arts. I greatly enjoy creation. From music, to drawing, to writing. All of it, I want to grow, have fun, and enjoy the slow growth I have made. - junior Amy Ruan
One hobby I've improved/taken up is Jiu Jitsu. Since we couldn't go in person, I have been doing online classes. This bettered me for when we go back in and spar. Another hobby I've taken up are puzzles. I enjoy doing it with my family. Lastly, staying active and doing workouts. Not only do I participate P.E and Jiu Jitsu, but on my own time I go on runs. - freshman Tiffany Alejandro
I improved my guitar skills. I know very little about playing the guitar but I'm practicing. Now I know how to play at least two songs. - senior Taumaoe Taula There were times just out of boredom when I used to explore music on Spotify/YouTube. Music is the constant thing that motivates and soothes me when I need comfort or energy to do things. I get stressed easily because of the pandemic and I'm getting tired of the music I play constantly so I took on exploring music again and it helped me. - sophomore Hope Setik
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THE LAST 50 YEARS This year marks the 100th year of The Pinion publishing articles about events that have impacted our school, our state, our country and our world. In this Centennial Spread, we will share some of those articles from the last 50 years of The Pinion.
EDITORIAL ABOUT AMERICA AND VIETNAM IN 1975 This editorial reflects on the events that happened in the Vietnam War. The writer talks about America's failure in the war and his thoughts on it. Editorials like these help readers to understand recent events and arrive at a conclusion about the event.
EDITORIAL ABOUT 9/ 11 IN 2001 The Pinion wrote an editorial about how the 9/11 attacks were unreasonable and should not have been done. The article explains about how violence shouldn't be resorted to. This editorial demonstrates that The Pinion was willing to cover significant events and help readers of The Pinion to form an opinion on events such as this one.
1965
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REPORTER SHARES HURRICANE EXPERIENCE IN 1982 Former Pinion reporter Tom Ladd shares his experience with Hurricane Iwa in the article on the left. This article is an example of how The Pinion can serve as a text that readers can refer to for learning experiences that they don't have.
SWIMMING POOL REPLACED WITH ATHLETIC COMPLEX IN 1991 A swimming pool that was at McKinley High School for about 50 years was destroyed with hopes of constructing a new athletic complex. The Pinion covered this event while the demolition was happening. This news coverage allows students to understand what is going on and what plans were proposed for the future of the plot of land.
MCKINLEY SPORT COMPLEX FINISHED IN 2017 Because of The Pinion's coverage, students were able to know about the development on this plot of land that had been a dream for a long time. The Pinion's reporting helps students keep track of events and development of events over years.
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The 99th YEAR
C/O 2020 GRADUATES DURING A PANDEM IC by Ryan Vanairsdale, SY 2019-2020 editor On May 24, McKinley High School had a modified graduation ceremony to give seniors a graduation experience while obeying coronavirus safety guidelines. There was a virtual ceremony from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m., after which seniors could come on campus during their assigned hour to cross the oval. Students were required to wear masks and observe social distancing. Cars first lined up on Pensacola. As they turned into campus, staff checked them in. Cars went either ewa or diamond head of the auditorium. Then, the seniors got out of the car and went into the auditorium. Inside, they received a medallion and had their picture taken professionally. Obeying social distancing, they exited out the front door of the auditorium, two at a time, to cross the oval. After crossing, their picture was taken and they got back in the car. Cars then drove past cheering alumni as the graduate was given a goody bag as they left campus. Senior Rianna Jones-Ichiuo felt sad about the changes to a traditional graduation but also loved some parts of the experience. ?Standing in the auditorium knowing some of us will never see each other again, all I could think of was that this was our last moment together,? Jones-Ichiuo said. ?But having some of my favorite teachers for the past four years cheering me on and even strangers on the street congratulating me was amazing.? Senior Jason Cao found the graduation to be a weird experience because of all the guidelines put in place for attendees.
?It was a bit different because only the graduate was able to go outside the car, [you had to] practice social distancing? you were not allowed to have friends lei you in school (many students did this on their own at home).? Senior Keoni Martin was surprised at how much planning had gone into the graduation. He said that being able to see his teachers and McKinley alumni made it a very memorable experience. ?Overall, I was surprised to see how much thought and effort the school put in to make this graduation successful, including the decorations, sign wavers, and picture taking. It put a smile on my face to be able to see some of my past teachers and alumni as the ceremony went by, which made this graduation special,? Martin said. Martin also said that even though the graduation wasn?t what it would have been, the memories he?s made at McKinley will still be there. ?Our graduation was different from what we wanted, but it was ours. Not being able to see everyone one last time was tough, but the memories we all made together for four years is something that will always be cherished.? Principal Ron Okamura spoke to seniors during the virtual graduation. He said that the changes to normal life had made everyone stronger, and told the seniors that they were now in a much larger community of alumni. ?Now you?ve joined a bigger community of McKinley alumni; you not only represent the school, but you represent a bigger community of McKinley Tigers? Take that pride and tradition from our school and take it to the community and you will join the thousands of other graduates that have walked through these halls and crossed the oval,? Okamura said.
Starting from upper left, seniors started their day waiting outside the auditorium. Once in the auditorium, they received a medallion and had their picture taken. Next, you can see teacher Ching Mei Luong explaining how to leave the auditorium to cross the oval. Once seniors crossed the oval, the car that had dropped them off picked them back up. At their last stop on campus, you can see Jenelle Ricca Sipia receiving a goody bag. More photos are at mhspinion.com. Photos were taken by Pinion adviser Cindy Reves.
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U.S. Air Force Graphic
PANDEMIC REVEALS PROBLEMS WITH AMERICAN FREEDOM by Justin Nguyen, reporter The American concept of freedom is partly based on the country?s constitution. Essentially, this doctrine of freedom states that the government is not allowed to restrict any of the rights stated in the Bill of Rights. It raises a few issues, especially in times when proper authorities are unreasonably disobeyed. It has become clear, with the blatant rejection by many of mask mandates and social distancing requirements, that this view of freedom cannot endure. One problem that this doctrine produces is individualism. Individualism, according to Webster?s dictionary, is ?a doctrine that the interests of the individual are or ought to be ethically paramount.? In other words, each person pursues their own standards and values. Because America grants everyone permission to pursue what they feel is good for themselves, individualism develops. This can create disorder. Italian philosopher Thomas Aquinas said, ?Several men, for instance, could not pull a ship in one direction unless joined together in some fashion.? Plato said most men are too dominated by their appetites rather than reason to be trusted to rule their own life on their own. If a society has no shared end goal, it is difficult for that society to figure out its next steps.
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Another problem with the American concept of freedom is that it fuels ethical decline. Other countries may enforce their morals or common good by the government or by the society itself. The American doctrine of freedom rejects these authorities. This is manifested in many Americans?refusal to follow safety rules or suggestions with the explanation that these government actions are unconstitutional. This refusal ties in with individualism and a lack of charity. Of course, sometimes disobedience is reasonable when the authorities enforce something that does not benefit the common good. Philosopher Augustine of Hippo said, ?It seems to me that an unjust law is no law at all.? Recently, there's been a rise of unreasonable disobedience of the law. I must point out that disobedience to mask mandates would be reasonable if there was a valid justification supported by evidence, such as if research came out stating masks don?t work. However, this isn't the case with many people and they simply point to the constitution to justify their protests. Students should avoid this philosophy and the consequences of it. They can recognize that we have the freedom to do good and accomplish the common good. However, it should not be taken as freedom from restrictions. Restrictions are not always bad and rebelling against them without proper reason can be individualistic and selfish.
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EDITORIALS
BLACK AND GOLD COLLECTIVE
ACCOMPLISHES GOAL
by Althea Cunningham, reporter The Black and Gold Collective was designed to help students relax and have some interaction without the pressures of class. Students signed up for a variety of fun virtual classes. Counselor Lisa Panquites and Student Activities Coordinator April Nakamura teamed up to create the sessions. In most classes during school, teachers don?t make students turn on their cameras and the class is silent, except for the teachers. In the BGC sessions, everyone was encouraged to turn on their cameras. ?We thought if we structured it that way, you could take off the mic whenever you felt like it," Panquites said. ?You could see other people talk story and not have to just sit there and listen.? I signed up for a few BGC sessions, and I saw that most of the classes were being led by school staff and alumni. For example, Peter Quach is an alumnus who works at
EDITORIALS
Pearl Harbor. In his session, he showed us how to change a tire and some other basic car maintenance. The embroidery class was led by Hailey Tanaka, who works in the main office. She showed us basic sewing techniques and gave out practice kits to participating students. Talking in that class was easy and it was fun being with other people with the same interests. All the sessions had a presenter and a student host. I volunteered to be a host in a session I attended. I had to get to know the presenter a little, ask questions, and promote conversations. This was helpful to avoid awkward pauses. The conversation and questions went smoothly. With other people talking and having fun, it was easy to relax and join in the conversation. The Black and Gold Collective event accomplished its goal. I watched as cameras came on and people talked. These sessions did not make active participation or attendance mandatory. There were no grades or homework. Just some time to have fun and maybe discover a new hobby.
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Tennis Team Retur ns with Safety Protocols by Shane Kaneshiro, reporter The pandemic restricted student-athletes ability to participate in sports during the first three quarters of the school year. This last quarter, spring sports have been able to make a comeback. Tennis is one of those sports that is able to return based upon the moderate risk DOE athletic guidelines. Procedures have been implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Freshman Christyna Nguyen said started this tennis season with low expectations. ?I only join it for fun, but yeah, I also want to do matches,? Nguyen said. Since joining the tennis team, Nguyen has experienced ups and downs in tennis. One positive she has experienced was being able to keep her health up. However, she feels that transitioning from playing tennis for fun to competitive tennis is important. "I prefer to learn the proper ways to play tennis, rather than just like doing whatever you want,? Nguyen said. Sophomore Kenta Udagawa said tennis practice builds his confidence. ?I get to be more ready during matches or anytime I play tennis with someone. From my experience, I'm pretty fine during practice but then, every time during matches, I am kind of scared of missing [the ball],? said Udagawa. Udagawa said tennis is his life. Although this tennis season is short, Udagawa is appreciative of the opportunity to play. ?I have been playing tennis for ten years now. I think tennis is the only sport I've been really into since I was
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little. ... And if I don't practice. I have nothing else to do,? Udagawa said. Junior Phuong (Christina) Doan is also happy to have a tennis season. ?I know a lot of sports didn't get to have a season, but I am very grateful that we got to have somewhat of a season,? said Doan. ?I honestly missed it. I miss rushing to practice, putting on sunscreen, trying to do 300 jump ropes in five minutes. I like the experience of it. I really miss that," Doan said. "That's why I wanted to come back and have a chance to see all the people. And to get a little bit back to normalcy.? However, with the mandatory shutdown for all sports, returning to tennis was a challenge for Doan. ?The first day back, I had to run around the field and I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was gonna die,? said Doan. However, in gratitude to the safe return to tennis, Doan said, ?Everything is so spread out, and (we are) assigned to (pods) at different courts.? At the same time, Doan said, ?it gives you an opportunity to meet new people on your court.? Some players, however, said the risks of contracting COVID-19 were too great. Von Nicholo Escalona chose not to participate his senior year. ?I think my parents were really worried about me catching it," Escalona said. Kyle Hiranaga, tennis head coach, has been challenged to bring the students back into condition. ?The most difficult part, so far, is getting everyone up to speed because, during the year off, a lot of people either didn't exercise regularly. They didn't practice tennis,? Hiranaga said. However, Hiranaga said having a tennis season is a reward in itself.
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?I think now there's more appreciation for being able to be out," he said. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, Hiranaga said they follow many safety precautions. ?We have the daily wellness check that students are supposed to fill out before they come to practice, and, obviously, the biggest change was the wearing of masks during practice and at all times," he said. "There are smaller things like having a hand sanitizer when we come into court. It is more or less just like guidelines for social distancing, avoiding sharing of water, towels, rackets.? To get back into practice, the numbers of COVID-19 cases had to drop. ?Nobody could foresee if we're going to have like a fourth wave of COVID or, you know, the numbers are going up or down,? Hiranaga said. "We're basically doing our practice in pods ... so they don't have as much interaction,? Hiranaga said. Team members said they feel the coaches are implementing the safety guidelines well. Nguyen said, ?I think Coach Kyle and the (assistant) coaches are doing very well with it.? Udagawa said the safety protocol creates a safe environment. ?I think it meets the standards because the coaches tell us to make sure that we're (6 feet) apart during practice. They make sure that we always have our masks on and apply hand sanitizer every time we leave the court,? Udagawa said. For Doan, the strict prevention strategies to maintain health checks and screening make her feel safe at practice. ?I am not concerned about (contracting) COVID because we follow all the regulations and guidelines,? she said.
SPORTS
Freshman Christina Nguyen adheres to the safety guidelines by wearing a mask during practicing in the spring season. Photo by Shane Kaneshiro. Below is a screenshot of the only way spectators could watch a match on Saturday, Apr. 24 .
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SPORTS
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memor i es THEN I remember that May Lee Chung helped me find my passion and I blossomed. - Laburta (Chang) Kanno. Class of 1965. Co-Editor. We used liquid rubber cement to paste the articles and pictures to the grid and would rub off the excess glue into a ball. By the end of the year, that ball was the size of a baseball. - Eleanor (Hirai) Marquez. Class of 1965. Reporter. My first story was the naming of a new football coach in mid-season. When I worked at the old Honolulu Advertiser, I wrote his obituary. - Stacy Kaneshiro. Class of 1977. Sports Editor. I worked with a great group of guys who were primarily nerds! I loved them! They were like brothers and we?d go out to watch Star Wars movies. They did their job in excellence - proud of my team!- Alexandria (Lanai) Lum. Class of 1999. Editor-in-Chief. It was my first year as editor and I was really stressed about finishing the paper. I remember having this big white board with each page number on it that I used to keep track of which pages were done. And I remember finally finishing the layout and how each box was marked complete/done and how satisfying it was. - Anelalani Chavez-Parsons. Class of 2018. Editor-in-Chief.
and now A message from 2020-21 st aff members A message from Ci ndy Reves The Pi ni on advi ser In August, I started my tenth year advising The Pinion and met the 2020-21 staff, the 100th staff of Tigers to produce The Pinion. Like all new journalists, they were nervous and excited to be a part of this tradition Unlike any staff before, though, I met these students on Google Meet. I was in my classroom and they were in their homes. We were starting school virtually during a pandemic. One of my favorite sayings about journalism is that it is the first rough draft of history. As this staff and I interviewed previous staffers and dug into The Pinion archives to prepare our Centennials Spreads, we saw all the history our predecessors had given voice to. And we recognized that this product you hold in your hands, as well as our online platforms, is more vital than ever to tell the story of our community during this historical year. None of the staff this year had prior journalism experience. Only one of them even had experience as a McKinley student before August. I am so proud of them. Through the year, they have grown as journalists and as Tigers.
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One memory from being on The Pinion is attending the statewide Journalism Day and being able to learn more about journalism from professionals that I wouldn't have thought about. I learned about writing appealing articles and making sure the subject is newsworthy and the writing isn't too wordy. - Justin Nguyen Something that I learned while working on The Pinion is that I enjoy interviewing people. I like to listen to the people and have the ability to share their ideas, events or situations. I learned that journalism isn't just about writing. It is about the challenge to capture the moment though writing and to having the readers experience it first hand. - Shane Kaneshiro Journalism is more than just sharing facts and stories. It's about connecting and bringing our community closer together. The first time I had to go on a call with an interviewee, I panicked for like 10 minutes before composing myself and going on the call. It ended up going smoothly I think and I got lots of information. Afterwards, I panicked some more, but this time there was a mix of glee - like I took a step toward something bigger in my life. - Althea Cunningham
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STAFF M EM ORIES