RS 13-0440 February 2013 Vol. 91 No. 4 McKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER President William McKinley High School T HE P INI N School extends to seven periods by Anthony Lee More classes means more chances Check out Jinling Yan’s video in opposi- tion of the schedule change at myhsj.org/ pinion Next year, students will gain an ad- ditional school period, a transition from six to seven classes. Ron Okamura, McKinley High School’s principal, said the legislature is requiring public schools to have longer school days and he thinks a more efficient way to do this is to add more periods. The legislature plans to steadily increase school instruc- tional time. This is no surprise consider- ing the state of Hawaii has one of the shortest and fewest school days. This seventh period will also allow more time for teachers to plan together. Starting with the class of 2009, the state’s graduation requirement was raised from 22 to 24 credits. With McKinley’s current schedule, students must pass every class to graduate. Sometimes students failing difficult classes do not have the money or time out of school to make up the credit. Some cannot handle the workload of picking up a class from a previous year and adding to their current year’s class- es. By adding an additional period, the students might still graduate, even with failed classes. For students keeping up with their work, more periods means additional electives. This allows more students to join academies and pathways to choose from for additional electives, which can be found in the McKinley Career and Pathway Booklet. These different career and interest paths will help students have a better idea of their future, whether it be finding a new life hobby or learning life skills. Okamura said more electives also lets students in band and orchestra to take addi- tional electives. Shayna Fujimoto (11), a band student, wishes that she had seven periods when she was a fresh- man. “Because one [period] was devoted to band, I couldn’t take other courses, such as foreign language. Because I planned to stay in band for all four years, that left me with no other elective during freshman and sophomore years.” This new bell schedule brings up all sorts of opinions. Winny Chen (11) said, “[This new bell schedule change means] more electives to try out for those who are on time to graduate and another class for students to catch up on their credit for their required courses.” “Thinking that this bell schedule will give more opportunities to fail, is bad thinking,” said Okamura. “These are the opportunities to pass, not fail.” He said that not knowing what to do past high school besides “college” is a problem among high school students and they need to explore their options in high school.
Transcript
RS 13-0440
February 2013Vol. 91 No. 4 McKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
President William McKinley High SchoolThe Pini n
School extends to seven periods by Anthony Lee
More classes means more chances
Check out Jinling Yan’s video in opposi-tion of the schedule change at myhsj.org/pinion
Next year, students will gain an ad-ditional school period, a transition from six to seven classes. Ron Okamura, McKinley High School’s principal, said the legislature is requiring public schools to have longer school days and he thinks a more efficient way to do this is to add more periods. The legislature plans to steadily increase school instruc-tional time. This is no surprise consider-ing the state of Hawaii has one of the shortest and fewest school days. This seventh period will also allow more time for teachers to plan together.
Starting with the class of 2009, the state’s graduation requirement was raised from 22 to 24 credits. With McKinley’s current schedule, students must pass every class to graduate. Sometimes students failing difficult classes do not have the money or time out of school to make up the credit. Some cannot handle the workload of picking up a class from a previous year and adding to their current year’s class-es. By adding an additional period, the students might still graduate, even with failed classes.
For students keeping up with their work, more periods means additional electives. This allows more students to join academies and pathways to choose from for additional electives, which can be found in the McKinley Career and Pathway Booklet.
These different career and interest
paths will help students have a better idea of their future, whether it be finding a new life hobby or learning life skills. Okamura said more electives also lets students in band and orchestra to take addi-tional electives. Shayna Fujimoto (11), a band student, wishes that she had seven periods when she was a fresh-man. “Because one [period] was devoted to band, I couldn’t take other courses, such as foreign language. Because I planned to stay in band for all four years, that left me with no other elective during freshman and sophomore years.”
This new bell schedule brings up all sorts of opinions. Winny Chen (11) said, “[This new bell schedule change means] more electives to try out for those who are on time to graduate and another class for students to catch up on their credit for their required courses.”
“Thinking that this bell schedule will give more opportunities to fail, is bad thinking,” said Okamura. “These are the opportunities to pass, not fail.” He said that not knowing what to do past high school besides “college” is a problem among high school students and they need to explore their options in high school.
The AOF and AOHT VP and teachers (Lorene Suehiro, Dave Blanchard, Gwen Maeda, and Dee Ann Murakami) had the honor of meeting with Senator Inouye at his capitol office after the National Academy Foundation conference in July. He was very interested in hearing their thoughts on high school students. Of course he took particular interest in McKinley High School. He expressed his concern for education because of the number of the nation’s high school graduates not able to meet the military entrance requirements.
2 THE PINION February 2013
Daniel Ken Inouye, the longest serving senator, died of a respiratory illness on Dec. 12, 2012, leaving behind his last word, “Aloha.” He was known for his bravery in World War II where he sacrificed his right arm to a German rifle grenade. For this he earned the Medal of Honor.
Inouye graduated from McKinley High School in 1942. Unlike students in McKin-ley today, Inouye and his peers had to wear gas masks during their graduation because it was only months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, on Dec. 7, 1941.
Two years after his graduation, Inouye volunteered for the army and was at first re-jected because his studies in the medical field made him a crucial part of the medical aid. After quitting the aid station, he was accepted and assigned to the 442nd Regi-mental Combat Team. While attacking German troops near San Terenzo, Italy, Inouye lost his right arm. However, he fought on until he was shot in his right leg.
After being discharged, ranked as a captain, he was nominated for the Medal of Honor. He and twenty-one other Asian-American veterans were rewarded with the Medal of Honor in 2000 by Bill Clinton.
Before entering military service and becoming wounded, he had hoped to become a doctor, but those dreams were now over. He instead studied pre-law at the University of Hawaii in hopes of getting into politics. Before becoming a senator in 1962, he was elected to the Territorial Senate, as Hawaii was not part of the United States yet. He was also in the United States House of Representatives.
In August 2011, Senator Inouye took the time to visit schools that he had attended, where he found many differences in the time he had been there and what it is like now. He saw many improvements in McKinley and commented on its brilliant status. Teacher Gwen Maeda said that in July 2012, teachers and vice principals of the Acad-emy of Finance and the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism were fortunate to meet with Senator Inouye at his capitol office after the National Academy of Foundation
View Annie Lien’s video about Senator Inouye with
additional interviews at myhsj.org/pinion
Daniel Inouye: One of usLong-time senator, MHS grad, war hero dies at age 88
by Annie Lien
Keith Carter/MCT
Senator Inouye graduated from McKinley in 1942 and this is his graduation picture.
myhsj.org/pinion
Happy New Year
February 2013 THE PINION 3
Times in Historyby Fanny Wang (10)
It is that time again, every four years.Time to elect a new leader, time for new ideas,
The time for us citizens to make an important choice.Have a chance to improve the living environments,
And the development of our country.
I voted for the man that supported gay rights,Lowering taxes on middle class families
and providing health care.This man could change the lifestyle of America.I believe that this man will lead America well.
Supporters of Romney, I respect your decisions.Everyone has a reason for voting for what
they believe in.My choice is Obama, yours is Romney.
On November 6th, 2012, the President of America will be decided.
The 44th President of America,Winning with three hundred and thirty two
electoral votes.Obama gets reelected.
Four more years.
conference. She said, “He was very interested in
hearing our thoughts on high school students. Of course he took particular interest in McKinley High School. He expressed his concern for education be-cause of the number of the nation’s high school graduates not able to meet the military entrance requirements.”
Inouye’s service to his country, as well as his state, was impeccable. He worked hard to better Hawaii and along the way, picked up many admirers including Pres-ident Barack Obama and former presi-dent Bill Clinton. They honored beloved Senator Inouye during a memorial at the National Cathedral in Washington and praised him with words such as “remark-able” and “extraordinary.”
myhsj.org/pinion
Hopeby Johyeon Jung(10)
I am a citizen of the United States.Obama or Romney?
Who will make our world better?Who will help to overcome financial difficulties?
I am a woman who worries...I want a president that understands our lives...
I want a president that will help overcome financial difficulties...
Who to vote for? Obama? Romney?
I am a mother who has two childrenI am worried how my children’s lives will be
What is the hope for the next generation?Future America is in their hands
I would vote for Obama
Most important I am a wife...I see the burden my husband has on his shoulders
I see the sea-deep wrinkles on his faceIt just breaks my heartRomney? Or Obama?
Go to myhsj.org/pinion to see a poem by Danielle Shimoda.
Go to B-104 at lunch through Feb. 15 to donate to the Senator Daniel Inouye Memorial Fund.
Support Inouye’s efforts to better the ocmmunity.
Top Left:Principal Ron Okamura and Senator Inouye during Inouye’s campus visit last year.Bottom Left: Daniel Inouye’s school I.D when he attended highschool from 1938 to 1942.Bottom Right: Inouye was assigned to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. While attacking German troops near San Terenzo, Italy, Second Lieutenant Inouye lost his right arm. However, he fought on until he was shot in his right leg.
Dear President Barack Obama,I am writing this letter because you are the best president that we have
ever had. You’ve changed the world and people’s lives ever since you became president of the United States. Also you are a very cool president because it’s really awesome how you are our first African-American pres-ident. You are the role model of how to become successful.
You are a person that doesn’t give up and does what you’re supposed to do. You are an example of a good educated student for kids to follow. Kids can maybe also be president, too, if they wanted to.
I didn’t want any other president elected but you, because you are the one that changes people’s life’s. In class we watched your presidential acceptance speech. When you spoke, everyone was touched and knows what is fair. Also, you explained how people can connect and communi-cate better with each other rather than being rude to one another. I wish you luck for your next four years of being president
Thank you for your cooperation.Sincerely,Mathew Le
Dear President Obama,I am writing this letter to inform you about how I feel
and tell you my opinion on things.First, I think it is awesome that you get to be president
for another four years. I am, however, sad because it’s your last four years. I think you’re a really good president.
Second, I would like school to be on Saturday because some students are not really doing so well in school, and adding one day to the school week may help a lot to bring up grades and get the extra help they need. I have seen that many students are failing because they either don’t under-stand their work or just don’t want to do it. I think this one extra day would be good for everyone. Parents will get to see their kids graduate and teachers will feel good to know that they have done their best.
I wanted to write this letter to tell you how I feel and give you my opinion on some things. I appreciate the fact that you took time to read this letter. I look forward to hearing from you and knowing your opinion on this.
Thank you for your cooperation,Amani Torres
Dear President Obama,I’m writing this letter because I’m very excited
about your very well-fought victory over Mitt Romney I think he tried very hard to win but people made their decision to re-elect you.
I very much hope that you will lead our country into greatness, not into destruction. Please thank the people who are supporting you in your running for President; also your two wonderful two kids and wife for being there to stand by your side when times were rough.
I think that you should make more school days so people can have a better future and succeed in their life.
Another thing is that you should make lunches a lot healthier because kids in this generation are kind of overweight.
Best Wishes,Kainoa Hussey
President Barack Obama was inaugurated for his second term as the 44th president of the United States on Jan. 23. He won sixty percent of the under-thirty vote.
4 THE PINION February 2013myhsj.org/pinion
In mid- February, view videos on the flu outbreak and MHS graduation rates
at myhsj.org/pinion
Keith Carter/MCT
Pool photo by Pat Benic-UPI-MCT
Women invade Congressby Ariana Makasiale
Tammy Duckworth, born 1968, is the United States Representative for Illinois’s eighth congressional district. She is the first Asian-Ameri-can woman elected to Congress from Illinois, the first disabled woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first member of Congress born in Thailand. She is an Iraq war veteran and served as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot. She suffered from severe combat wounds, losing both legs, as well as damaging her right arm. Duckworth was the first double amputee from the war.
Duckworth has a very special connection to McKinley High School. Duckworth was born in Bangkok. However, after moving around Southeast Asia, her family settled in Hawaii when she was sixteen years old. After skipping the ninth grade, she graduated with honors from McKinley. In 2007, she was the youngest alumnus to be inducted into the MHS Hall of Honor.
Tulsi Gabbard, born 1981, is the congresswoman for Hawaii’s 2nd congressio-nal district. She is the first American Samoan, the first Hindu member and along with Tammy Duckworth, one of the first female combat veterans in the United States Congress. Gabbard had previously served on the Honolulu City Council and as a Hawaii State Representative. Among her many firsts, she was the youngest woman in the United States to be elected to a state legislature. She is a company commander with the Hawaii Army National Guard and has served on two deploy-ments to the Middle East.
Mazie Hirono, born 1947, is the junior United States senator from Hawaii. She is the first elected female senator from Hawaii, the first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate, the first U.S. senator born in Japan and the nation’s first Bud-dhist enator. She is the third woman to be elected to Congress from the State of Hawaii. She won the election for U.S. Senate, defeating former Governor Linda Lingle in a landslide (Hirono 63% to Lingle 37%). Hirono previously served as a member of the House of Representatives for Hawaii’s second congressional dis-trict. Before that she served as Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii from 1994 to 2002 and was a former member of the House of Representatives from 1985 to 1995.
Hawaii ConnectionsFebruary 2013 THE PINION 5
myhsj.org/pinion
6 THE PINION February 2013
New experience in fashionby Briana Ribillia-Ramones
The fashion world is such a complex place with one idea after another. Fash-ion helps teens express themselves. In the fashion world you get hired and paid for creating new pieces. Jodi Akasaki, this year’s fashion design teacher, decid-ed to take on something new. Fashion de-signers are hardworking individuals who go through procedures and get to learn more about fashion. Some things they may learn in this class are patternmak-ing, color schemes, and sewing safety.
Akasaki attended the University of Hawaii and graduated with a Fashion Degree. This year students do hands-on projects that help them get the feel of creating something of their own. Some of these projects include a recycle gar-ment, a blouse, a skirt with a zipper, and elastic waist band shorts. Students who plan on pursuing fashion as their career have a lot of options. They can get jobs in retailing, fashion editing, design-ing, illustrating, etc… There are also some colleges that offer fashion such as University of Hawaii and Honolulu Community College. For those plan-ning on going to the mainland, there are specialized schools that are great for this career. Fashion design is “not as easy as you think,” said Akasaki, but taking this class will help students understand the way the fashion world works. In order to be known for designs, designers must have strong desire and passion.
Pinion Staff Adviser: Cynthia Reves Editor: Chanel Joy Alarca Assistant Editor: Briana Ribillia-Ramones Reporters: Anthony Lee, Annie Lien, Ariana Makasiale
Publication InformationTHE PINION is published by the
Newswriting Staff and printed by the Reprographics Learning Center.
The PinionMcKinley High School1039 South King Street
Protesters support teachersTeachers are standing up for their rights. Schools across the state are joining forces
and educating the community about “work to the rules.” McKinley is one of the schools that is participating in raising awareness, along with Campbell, Farrington, Aiea, Waipahu, and over 70 other elementary, intermediate and high schools across the state. Shelby Costa is an English teacher who also coaches the girls’ soccer team. As a teacher, she stays after school to help kids with work, grade papers and coaches practices and games. Laverne Moore, a member of the union states, “Teachers should be in the forefront in directing the movement regarding evaluation of students and educators, the selection of curriculum and basically the education reform movement that is taking place in America.” She also says that the help from the community can put pressure on the governor to settle an equitable contract with the teachers. On Thursdays in December, teachers and students held signs before school on the sidewalk of South King. St. “Hawaii Teachers Work To The Rules” on Facebook is a page that provides more information about this and sells t-shirts for students and teachers to wear. Be a part of this and help Hawaii’s teachers by liking the Facebook page or holding signs.
Safety not a concern
The biggest concern about school should not be if the roof will collapse on you in any given minute like the, Far-rington auditorium roof not long ago, but don’t worry, McKinley High School buildings are stable. Constructed in 1927, McKinley High School is in pretty good condition.The entire school went through a building renovation 15 years ago, except for W-Building. The school underwent a structural inspection and W-Building still seems to be in a solid state. However, in about two years, W-building will be renovated. Even though the buildings are not new or fancy, stu-dents should appreciate them and not vandalize them. Things such as graffiti, tagging, or in worse cases, criminal property damage are just irresponsible acts. The irresponsible acts cost money and labor to repair. “It upsets me,” said Ron Okamura, principal of McKinley High School. He said it shows a lack of respect to the school. Your school is like a second home to you, you don’t want to be responsible for disrupting it. The schools that you’ve gone to shape who you are now. It’s your roots.
I am Not One of Those who Abided by the Law
I am one of those who were tired.
Not tired physically, but tired of giving in.Tired of the disrespect, unfairness, and humiliation.
This exhaustion will soon end.
No more “colored” signs. No more segregated schools.And no more not having a choice.
“Separate but equal,” they say.Yeah, right.
If I were treated equal, I would’ve went to college.
I wouldn’t be given nasty faces everyday.Them snow-colored people, don’t seem to understand.
They don’t even try.
Completely aware of what would’ve happened,I sat on the bus next to a white man.
Refused to move even after told I would be arrested.“You may do that,” is all I say.
Standing tall and proud; empty of regrets.
I look at the cowards in the back.Change was needed, that’s why.
So change was made.
From left to right Kevin Ezra, Briana Leivan, Vanled Do, Jessica Van, Josaih Shimabukra, Tawny Stockinger, Mariah Newton Picture by John Paul Arios
by Briana Ribillia-Ramones
by Chanel Joy Alarca
myhsj.org/pinion
by Laila Khong
In Honor of Martin Luther King Day
Expectations rise yearly in HSAby Ariana Makasiale
8 THE PINION February 2013myhsj.org/pinion
HSA Round 2
MathFebruary 25 & 26ReadingFebruary 28 & March 1
Proficiency TargetsMath - 82% Reading - 86%
The pie charts show the percentage of 10th graders proficient after Round 1 and the percentage needed to meet the target this year.
What kind of test is given state-wide, does not get counted for a
grade, but it is imperative for you as well as your entire grade level to pass?
The Hawaii State Assessment helps assess the school academically and helps the students see where they stand amongst the rest of the nation.
Lisa Panquites is in charge of coordi-nating the administration of the HSA and she has done this for the past five years.
Over the years the significant trends with our scores have been good. “Our tests results are getting better…but as they get better the state target gets higher.
So, even though our scores improve they keep raising the bar… That’s some-thing we still need to reach for.”
For example, last year it was 64% and 72% for math and reading respectively and now its 82% and 86% for math and reading respectively. Soon, the target will be 100% in both subjects.
Successes at Panquites’ job over the years are that the counseling department works well together to pitch in and take care of the test administration. She said it’s more of a team effort.
There are also struggles. “Although
we’ve met the participation rate, (McKin-ley) has met the participation rate every year which is 95%; it has not been easy to meet that...”
They’ve had to chase students down, follow up on them, and even ask the teachers to chase them down to get them to the computer lab to take the test.
Before the test every year, there is an assembly where students are told about the year’s previous scores and expecta-tions as well as this year’s expectations. They are also shown a comparison be-tween our school and other schools as well as the test schedule.
Then at the end they are able to take the online practice test. They are told they are not getting scored; it’s just a practice test.
However many students will try to figure out the answers. Then they will check to see what they got right. So many, Panquites believes, are taking it seriously.
During the actual test students will stay in for the full period and even over the allotted time just so they can fin-ish their test. Then they will stay even longer to review their answers. Students really care about the overall scores the get and are usually interested to know so that they can retake the test to raise their
scores even if they’ve passed.The math department and the English
department have come up with ways for interventions with students that do not pass. Advice for those students is that they should take advantage of that as well as study on their own.
Although most care about their scores and how it affects their grades, making the test a graduation requirement might leave students feeling motivated to pass and even more, exceed.
Cherish Peter (10) said, “I think it would be fair because the stuff we are tested on we learn in class.” David Alva-rez (10) also said, “It would be important and it would be fair since it would be just another grade.”
Panquites said, “When I meet with them, I tell them that scores do not affect their own graduation…But I do tell them that there’s a lot at stake for the school. It affects our status, like our report card.”
Some teachers actually use the test as part of their grade to motivate their students. Motivation and importance for the students are all in seeing where they are compared to the other students in Hawaii.
Cisco Torras explained, “It helps me to see where I stand academically and how well I’m doing with subjects.”
Changes coming to HSAThere are some changes that the
upcoming years will bring for the HSA. The past few years’ students have been tested on the HCPS (Ha-waii Content Performance Standards). However, next year it will change to the CCS (Common Core Standards). Another change is that the students will only be given two chances in-stead of three. Finally, next year the sophomores will take the test and then from the next year, juniors will take the test. That means that this year’s freshmen will be given the test two times, once in their sophomore year and once in their junior year.
1. Drink lots of fluids to loosen mucus and clear lungs. Hot tea may be especially good. (Caffeinated teas also contain theophylline - a bronchial dilator, further, both of these materials also help the clearance of the lungs).
2. Don’t overexert yourself when vog levels are high. Even better, take it easy.3. If practical, avoid high vog areas during times of thick vog.4. Avoid exposure to other air pollutants on the job and at home. Consult your doctor,
or if possible, a toxicologist or an industrial hygienist.5. Don’t smoke, and avoid people smoking or burning trash, especially during vog
episodes.6. When vog is strong, avoid contact with colds, flu, molds, mildew, pollen, and dust.
(Some of the lung clearance and immune functions could be compromised by high vog.)
7. For very high vog, stay indoors, close the windows, and run an air purifier or air conditioner. Indoor plants (especially spider plants) may help clean the air. You also can try hanging up sheets that have been soaked in a mixture of one teaspoon of baking soda to one liter of water (which can help trap acid aerosols and gases.)
8. Keep any respiratory and heart medications you use handy. 9. Respirators or wet handkerchiefs may help if vog levels are very high, but may
hurt individuals with pre-existing respiratory or heart ailments, due to increased breathing resistance and, therefore, increased stress. Consult your doctor about your state of health, and consult an industrial hygienist about respirators.10. Get some baseline lung function tests (after breathing “clean” air one week or more), then get retested if/when breathing becomes more difficult during high vog episodes.
Is it muggy, raining, and on top of that voggy? If you’re not from Hawaii, vog might not be a familiar term. However, for those who are from here, they know that vog is the nuisance that affects not only their health but their schedules. Vog comes from the words “volcano” and “fog” and is a form of air pollution. It results when sulfur dioxide and other gases and particles emit-ted by an erupting volcano react with oxygen and moisture in the presence of sunlight. The Kilauea Volcano erup-tion affects both the citizens and the environment. Despite what the cause is, this does not stop the citizens of Hawaii from asking, what is up with the vog?
Photography teacher Nancy Wilcox suffers from headaches and fatigue when the skies are heavy with vog. Be-sides her own health, it also has an im-pact on her scheduling for her students. “It’s difficult for me to take my students out on walking field trips in the neigh-borhood.” While it doesn’t noticeably affect the attendance of her students, it does make some students rather le-thargic. “It seems as though they have a lower energy level,” she commented.
What’s up, Vog?by Ariana Makasiale
Kirk Wei donated blood in the firsr drive. That drive totalled 34 pints, going over the target of 30 pints.Photo by Ariana Koli
Reasons To Give Blood from the Red Cross
Ten ways to lessen the health effects of vog
STEMworks students are planning two blood drives this year, one per semester. The next blood drive is scheduled for Friday, March 1. Donors have to be at least 17 years old, at least 110 pounds, and have had no tattoos or piercings for the last year. See Alan Sekiguchi for more information.
from Konaweb.com
February 2013 THE PINION 9myhsj.org/pinion
1. It’s the right thing to do.2. It’s something you can do on equal footing with the rich and
famous — blood is something money can’t buy. Only something one person can give to another.
3. You will be someone’s hero — you may give a newborn, a child, a mother or a father, a brother, or a sister another chance at life. In fact, you may help save up to three lives with just one donation.
4. You will walk a little taller afterwards — you will feel good about you rself.
5. You will weigh less — one pint less when you leave than when you came in.
6. You will be helping to ensure that blood is there when you or someone close to you may need it. Most people don’t think they’ll ever need blood, but many do
7. You will get free juice and cookies
Unchanging by Yunmi Kim
I’m still a caterpillartaking a long time to become a butterfly
There’s that feeling of wanting toBut there’s no action in it
Dreaming of the glorious days being a butterflyBam! I’m back to reality,
to plain old mewhile sleeping on a soft leaf
with rainbow colored dewdrops on glistening roses
having the fresh lemony scent of sunshine
The longer I ponderthe harder it seems to change
the planning, scheduling,and thinking
However, time passesI’m still unchanging
but with a little courage and a step forwardI can change
It’s a new year, it’s a new you. This poem means wanting to strive to become your best and setting goals for yourself, while facing reality. Go to myhsj.org/pinion to see a poem by Colt Dante on a similar theme.
Illustration by Caihong Ding
myhsj.org/pinion10 THE PINION February 2013
Illustration by My Lu
New Year Resolutions
Tu Vo: I want to get rid of my habit of procrastination
Kairis Yam: My main New Year’s Resolution is to be happier than last year with no stress... hence HAPPY NEW YEAR’S :)
Colt Dante: To take more chances!!!
Chris Li: I would like to improve my foreign language skills. (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language )
Angelika Marie Santiago: I want to get out more, have an adventure with friends, NOT always stay home, eat, sleep, clean, and just be lazy .
Year of the Snake
“Meticulous, agile and adaptable, but high tempered. Able to get along with everyone. The Rooster and Ox are your best signs but not the Boar.”
It’s been an especially fruitful time for rueful lamentations about “kids today.” Last Decemnber marked the 20th anni-versary of the text message. Along with it came the predictable chorus of belly-aching about the demise of literacy, the shortening of attention spans and the rise of abbreviations and acronyms that take longer to decipher than it would to pick up the phone and have a real conversa-tion.
SMS, or short message service, technology dates to 1984, when a Finn-ish engineer named Matti Makkonen brought it up at a telecommunications conference. It wasn’t until Dec. 3, 1992, that the words “Merry Christmas” were sent from a PC to a mobile device over Britain’s Vodafone network and became the world’s first text message. Two years later, Nokia introduced texting as a gen-eral service on one of its mobile phone models, and by 2010, according to data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, some 188 billion messages were being exchanged each month in the U.S. alone - mostly by young people. The Pew data also showed that 25 percent of tex-ters between the ages of 18 and 24 send or receive more than 100 messages a day, and just over 10 percent field more than 200 a day.
In the process, an entire language, designed for maximum compactness and efficiency, has evolved. Most of us know the more common phrases - “LOL” for “laughing out loud,” for instance. But the lexicon runs deep. “LMKHTWOFY” means “Let me know how that works out for you.” “LMIRL” means “Let’s meet in real life.” All these acronyms, not to mention the endless emoticons and other signs and symbols, like “*$” for Star-bucks, could lead to some serious POAK (“passing out at keyboard”) especially if you’re a POTATO (“Person over thirty acting twenty-one.”)
As a person who’s not only well over 30 but tasked with regular weigh-ins about the state of the culture (the sorrier the state the better, since it’s so much easier to scold than to exalt), I was all
12 THE PINION February 2013myhsj.org/pinion
Texting turns 20, LOLby Meghan Daum/Los Angeles Times/MCT
ready to write a column about the ill ef-fects of text messaging. I was ready to cite those hoary statistics about the aver-age American attention span being eight seconds long, and ready to complain about the sudden ubiquity of the Internet phrase “tl/dr” _ “too long/didn’t read” _ which, for some Internet users, is the prima facie response to anything more than a tweet.
But I’m NGGT (“not gonna go there” - I think I just invented that one) be-cause, let’s face it, the good-old days of Rolodexes and caller ID-less land lines weren’t all that good. Remember be-ing a teenager and having to summon a mountain of courage to call the object of your affection because invariably her father would answer the phone? Remem-ber making cold calls while searching for a job and having to explain yourself to a receptionist who was almost certain to put you on hold while you were still talking? Remember having to use pay phones?
The post-caller ID, post-cellphone, post-email-and-text-messages genera-tions do not have such memories. And you know what? Lucky them! It was a drag to have to call a potential employer without being able to email him or her ahead of time. There was nothing par-
ticularly character-building about having to talk to your girlfriend’s grouchy dad. The telephone may be great for compli-cated business discussions and catching up with old friends, but for day-to-day logistics (“mma *$”) texting trumps talking. (In case you’re a failed POTATO and didn’t catch that, it was “meet me at Starbucks.”)
That’s why I can’t quite bring myself to use texting’s vicennial as an occasion for wallowing in false nostalgia. I can, however, continue to uphold my policy of never using text speak (except in a column like this). It’s repellent, though I probably think that because I can never find the smiley face on my keypad.
As it happens, I’m in good company. In a recent interview, Makkonen himself said he doesn’t use abbreviations but rather composes his texts in complete sentences using proper spelling and grammar - in Finnish, no less. Consider-ing that meeting someone at Starbucks would require typing “Tavatkaa minut Starbucksissa,” that’s pretty impressive.
So in Makkonen’s honor, I say we would-be curmudgeons swallow our pride and say “hpe anvrsre, txtn!” Or, as he would put it, “Onnellinen vuosipaiva, lahettaen tekstiviesteja!”
That’s POAK to you.
Social Networking Pros/Consby Ross Bala, Shelby Baradi, Krystel Chun, Diana Dinh, Iz Membrere, Ar-man Nazarian, Kameron Yamada
Go to myhsj.org/pinion to give your opinion.
In schools, social networking sites such as Facebook, You-tube and Meebo should be acceptable. These social networking sites can serve as educational tools; the social networking sites can enhance student engagement and improve communication among student and teachers (Campus Technology, 2012).
Students today are fluent in social networking technologies. Educators can use this knowledge to benefit the students and enrich the learning experience. With social media, instructors can help collaborate and discuss, create meaningful dialogue, exchange ideas and boost student interaction (ProCon, 2012).
Social media is an effective way to increase student engage-ment and build better communication skills. Students who rarely raise their hand in class may feel more comfortable ex-pressing themselves on Facebook, Meebo or YouTube (ProCon, 2012). Social networking technology enable teachers to estab-lish “back channels” that foster discussion of ideas that students are too shy or intimidated to voice out loud during regular school hours.
Facebook and Meebo can enhance communication among students and teachers. Educators can answer students’ questions via a Facebook page or a Meebo chat, post homework assign-ments and lesson plans, send messages and updates, schedule orannounce upcoming events, and share interesting Web sites and multimedia content (ProCon, 2012). Students can use Meebo to get help from instructors or other students. Meebo is a great way for instructors to give participation points in addition to in-class participation by having students chat about some-thing that was discussed in class.
Social networking sites such as Facebook, Youtube and Mee-bo are useful for the interaction between student and teachers. The three social networking sites listed above should be allowed in classrooms because they help students academically.
Social media should not be allowed in school because it can be a distraction, can lead to cyber bullying, and students lack face-to-face communication skills.
Nowadays, almost everyone uses social media sites mostly for leisure time, especially teenagers. Students sneak out their cell phones during class and slyly browse on Facebook, paying enough attention not to get caught. They update their status, take pictures for Instagram or watch hilarious viral videos that are all over YouTube. They even go so far as to use FaceTime to video chat with friends from other schools (Campus Technol-ogy 1). Using social media sites in school is a distraction to a student’s learning.
Social networking can also lead to cyber bullying. One in three teens reported experiencing cyber threats. The effects of cyber bullying are similar to that of real life bullying; however, cyber bullying does not end with the school day. Megan Meier, a thirteen-year-old girl committed suicide due to cyber bullying (ABC 1). The worst thing about cyber bullying is that most stu-dents do not tell their parents that they are being bullied online (Do Something 1). Bullying becomes much easier with so many different social media websites.
Finally, overuse of social media may result in a lack of real life social skills. Students have an easy time typing to com-municate; however, students lack skill in talking face-to-face with those they are not comfortable with. Students may find themselves at a disadvantage during college or job interviews because they lack their “voice” (Campus Technology 2).
In the long run, the negative effects of social media in a class-room outweigh the positive effects; therefore, it should not be allowed in class.
Freedom of religion? So I can pray to whomever I want to? Dear One Direction ...
Annie Lien
Taking away our freedom of speech? We’ll put to action our freedom to assemble.
First Amendment birthday celebrated “Pitch Perfect”has somethingfor everyone
Editorial cartoon by Annie Lien
This musical film stars Anna Kendrick as Beca, a freshman at Barden University who dreams of becoming a DJ. However, her father (played by) John Benjamin Hickey, a professor at the university, wants her to try out college for a year. If she does not like it, he would help her pursue her dreams in Los Angeles. After walking around campus on her first day she meets the Barden Bellas, an all-girls acappella singing group. Their rivals are the Treblemakers, the all-males group. After joining the Bellas, Beca makes new friends and learns to enjoy her col-lege life.
On October 6, my aunties, mom, sister and cousin had a girls night out and we went to see this movie. It was ridicu-lously hilarious, entertaining, romantic and heartwarming! I love the singing and the script was witty and well-written. I thought Rebel Wilson who stars as “Fat Amy,” made the movie ten times funnier than it would have been. One of her lines which I loved was, “I’m gonna finish him like a cheesecake!” after a member of the Treblemakers, Bumper (played by) Adam Devine, threw a burrito at her.
Throughout the movie there was a lit-tle romance going on between Beca and Jesse (played by) Skylar Astin, one of the talented singers from the Treblemakers. They were friends at the beginning of the movie and their relationship slowly evolved after a few obstacles. Some things to look out for in the movie are sexual language and swearing.
Overall, I really loved this movie and I would recommend it to those of you who like singing or music, romance, and comedy. There was a little bit of dancing in the movie, which was entertaining as well.
by Annie Lien
Review
myhsj.org/pinion
On Dec. 15, America commemorated the 221st birthday of the Bill of Rights, which includes the First Amendment allowing freedom of speech, press, religion, petition and assembly. Below are tweets in appreciation of the rights that the first amendment grants us. Check out 1forall.us to see tweets from other young people around the country.
Illustration by My Lu
February 2013 THE PINION 15
It’s true what our cafeteria manager said, “If you don’t want it, don’t take it.” Basically what I’m trying to say is that, for example, there’s no point of getting a salad when you’re not going to eat it. Don’t waste food. I know that our school has been paying a lot of money for this, so don’t waste food! We McKinley Tigers know better than this. All our cafeteria manager wants is for us to stay healthy and to start coming to breakfast and lunch more often.
The author that wrote this was very perceptive, Annie Lien. She did a good story on how our cafeteria manager wants what’s best for us. She also quoted well on what Mr. Arnold (Cafeteria Manager) says. Deep inside, I know that this situation must’ve been very dif-ficult from the start when they started changing the meal menu. Most of all, he agreed with Michelle Obama to make school meals healthier.
I want to thank our cafeteria manager and his helpers for all they do for us!
--Hilangela Conrad
There are many things that I enjoyed after reading this article, “Education, a Privilege Taken for Granted?”
First is, I like how you give your own opinions and point of views about the situation, and how you persuade audi-ences or readers to deal with education by citing specific examples and world connections from your paragraph.
Another thing that I enjoyed the most is, by making education as your topic, it shows that education was right for you to keep and can do many things in every persons’ life. I hope that all of the Pinion staff will write more interesting articles like this in order for us to be interested on more things as you write more trend-ing and educational articles.
Also having the Pinion can also show every writer’s and drawer’s talents. Can’t wait to see more articles, and by the way, good job authors!
--Pamela Siapno
I read McKinley’s student newspaper, and during that I saw an issue about school lunch that students were wasting food. The way they waste food was they take lunch even though they will not eat it. One time, the cafeteria wasted 580 salads because students did not want them. Also they throw away food. When I read the issue, I did want to say to all students at this school, “If you don’t want it, don’t take it!” Just like what the cafeteria manager said, and I do agree with that because I know that food is an important commodity and I don’t want to see that people are wasting an important commodity. Sometimes I see McKinley students play with and pop fruits and milk. Even if they don’t throw food into the trashcan, they waste food for fun, and I think that is really not a good thing to do. I hope our school students don’t waste food and I hope they know that food is important to us.
-Gloria Kim
I like the way the author wrote the ar-ticle “Computers vs Textbooks” because the writer has told us the situation at present. It is objective and this helps the readers who do not really understand the situation get to know it.
After that the writer expressed his opinion. He can both express the advan-tages and disadvantages of computers and textbooks respectively and finally told us what he prefers. In this way, the readers do not think the writer just ex-presses the advantages of one side.
I understand that it is so expensive if every students will have their own lap-top. It is hard to control how students use the laptop, whether students are using in a right purpose,
Nevertheless, the information and the resources update soon, so textbooks hardly provide the newest information to students.
Students can also find lots of relative information in the internet. Moreover, the school worries about students steal-ing the laptops. The school can make some policy such as it only allows stu-dents to use it in school or in class.
In conclusion, I think that the school can make a better policy in order to avoid those problems happening, but not ignore a better way for students to study.
-Yuk Yu Cheung
I know many people have been send-ing you letters of issues in school, but I will assure you that this problem is very urgent and it needs to be taken care of immediately. The problem is about stu-dents doing many illegal things during or after school, sometimes even fights after school.
Usually, when I’m going home, I go to the bus stop and I can already see stu-dents grabbing a cigarette and lighting it, then smoking it.
Also, at the bus stop, you can already see people with the pipe in their hand and you could easily smell it (marijuana).
I feel we need more security in this school to help make this campus a better place.
--Anonymous
myhsj.org/pinion
Read more Letters to the Editor by Joshua Castellano, Kairis Yam, Esi Amosa, Linh Dang and Seunghun Joo at myhsj.org/pinion
Illustration by My Lu
16 THE PINION February 2013
by Queenie Kiluwe
by Sean Gleason
During 2012, the McKinley High School JROTC “Tiger” Battalion had many fun yet challenging events, from competitions to community service. JROTC continues to train better citizens to be successful outside of the classroom by teaching cadets to volunteer time and gain work experience while also hav-ing fun completing missions with their friends. The Star Advertiser recently published an article stating that young adults who miss out on early work expe-rience are more likely to be unemployed later in life and less likely to achieve higher levels of career advancement.
McKinley Cadets participated in com-munity service as Precinct Officials for the Primary Elections on August 11 and the Presidential Elections on November 6. This event gave the cadets the oppor-tunity to understand the voting process so they could start voting once they turn 18. On December 1 cadets went to Blaisdell and fed foster families for Thanksgiving.
For competitive events, McKinley High School JROTC participated in Waianae Veterans’ Day Parade on the
11th of November. They placed 2nd out of all the schoosl with JROTC programs for Best Marching Unit. The Tiger Bat-talion Rangers competed in the Saint Louis 1st-year Ranger Challenge- same day as the Foster Family Feeding, hav-ing two teams-an all-girl team and an all-male team. This friendly competi-tion contained categories such as Rope Bridge, Obstacle Course, Knot Tying, Bench Press and the 1.5 Centipede Run. The Girls’ Team placed 3rd in Rope Bridge and 2nd in Knot Tying. The Boys’ Team placed 2nd in 1.5 mile Cen-tipede Run and 3rd Place Overall.
This quarter, the Rangers have an-other competition in March and the Drill Team is getting ready for an event at the end of the month called West Point Drill Meet. The West Point competition reveals which schools have the best team in marching, drill creativity and leader-ship. Wish our Tiger Battalion luck for these future competitions this year.
Boys: (from left to right) Mark Delos Reyes (11th), Ranel Cablay (12th), Allen Lin (9th), and Mauro Tommy (11th). Girls: (left to right) Jade Angelou Daan (10th), Van-Razzle Caprio (12th), Danimel Ranido (11th), and Zena Gran (9th). This is the Saint Louis 1st-year Ranger Competition at Saint Louis.
The 40th Annual Honolulu Marathon was a disaster I’m glad happened. My goal was 4 hours and my time was a dis-appointing 7 hours and 51 minutes. What happened to my goal isn’t important. What’s important is that in the midst of disaster there’s hope, reconstruction and lessons learned… the hard way.
I had a top-notch strategy for the Honolulu Marathon I’d prepared years in advance. First to 13th mile, run 9 minutes and 50 seconds per mile and the 13th to 20th mile at 9 minutes per mile. Lastly, run the 20th mile to the finish at 8 minutes and 30 seconds per mile, which-if, my math is correct-, should mean I come in at about 4 hours.
“Dad! Dad! We’ve got to go!”Did you remember to put your number
on son?” asked my dad.“Nope, thanks for reminding me!”Shortly after pinning my number to
my shirt, we were on our way to Ala Moana Boulevard. Upon arrival at the roadblock, it was time to say goodbye to my dad.
“Thanks for waking up early, dad.”“No problem… Good luck, son, and I
love you.”“Thanks, dad, I’m going to need it. I
love you, too!” I happily said With that, my dad departed and I
couldn’t help but think of all the support, emotional and financial, my mom and dad have given me over the years for my running.
As I walked towards my desig-nated start line in the cold morning, my thoughts strayed away from my strategy and onto the journey I’ve been on to get to this moment.
“4 years… 4 years of training for this day,” I contemplated. “I still remember the day I started running. It was the best decision I had ever made. I’ve seen my-self go from not being able to run a mile in sixth grade, winning my first 1st place age division medal in 7th, preparing for my first Great Aloha Run in eighth and finally to planning for the Olympics here in 10th grade.”
JROTC “Tiger” Battalion
Remember to follow the rules for getting your bus pass.
myhsj.org/pinion
Journey to the Finish Line
February 2013 THE PINION 17
Journey to the Finish Line After reaching my starting line, I
warmed up and stretched well. Soon, more and more people started to show up. Ala Moana Boulevard, as well as Ala Moana Beach Park, started to fill up. It was starting to become increasingly harder to suppress doubts. You’re not good enough; you won’t finish; no Glea-son has ever been a successful athlete; no one will ever recognize your abilities; you’ll never compete in the Olympics.
“The 40th Annual Honolulu Marathon
will be beginning in less than 30 min-utes!” proclaimed the announcer
Mentally, I went through my Hono-lulu Marathon strategy again, tied my shoelaces well and before I knew it, the fireworks started. The 40th Annual Ho-nolulu Marathon had begun.
The first 12 miles went swimmingly for the most part, pace perfect, hydration swell, running form superb, and breath-ing well.
The 13th mile mark is where I just couldn’t hold pace anymore. Sort of similar to how a car is when it’s battery is dead. That mile was the worst mile
I’ve ever experienced in my life. All of the emotions of disbelief, shame, melan-choly entered my mind. I just lost the will to fight and I literally didn’t
know what to do. I had thoughts of quitting, of
getting on a bus and just going home…of
crying.“How
could this happen?” I thought.
Even the hap-piness and
confidence I had for
the future vanished. However, depres-sion and self-criticism had never gotten the best of me before and around the 18th mile- as I continued to walk- I tried to look for a logical, fundamental, positive, and analytical answer to my question. My mood also started to get better as I began to focus on how I’d gotten myself in this predicament.
As I walked, I thought about the year 2012 as a whole to look for a possible solution and, at around the 23rd, I finally put the pieces of the puzzle together! Be-fore my sophomore year during the sum-mer, I had run a marathon, which was my first marathon. I had gotten caught up in my confidence and it blinded me from the marathon-training program I’d made for myself. I figured I had enough time in between the summer and the Honolulu Marathon to recover. However, I was very wrong. I had injured myself in that first marathon and never was able to gradually work my way back to marathon-ready.
“That has to be it,” I said in confi-dence. “If I hadn’t run that marathon this summer, I never would’ve gotten injured and I would’ve been more than ready to complete the Honolulu Marathon in 4 hours... Man, I sure am audacious.”
At that moment I looked to my left and noticed the gorgeous view Diamond Head offered, the view that I usually ig-nore when I run around on my own.
“Wow,” I thought, “I could use a little break.” I walked off of Diamond Head Road and onto the sidewalk. At first, I couldn’t believe what I was doing!
“Am I stopping during a race to take in the scenery?” I questioned myself. “Yes, yes I am, and I’m loving it,” I proclaimed to my thoughts.
At this point it didn’t really matter what time I came in, as long as I fin-ished, so I decided to rest for a while and enjoy the view of the ocean
After walking across the finish line at 7 hours and 51 minutes and eating a malasada or two- or four- I contem-plated how can I prevent all of this from happening again? First, I’d take time to give my legs some rest and then get back to marathon training as if nothing
had happened. Thankfully, the injuries I’d sustained were pretty minor... some sores in my right calf and left thigh, but other than that nothing serious. Second, I’d join the cross country team. I’m glad I joined cross country for their 2012 season. It helped me improve my pace greatly. I’d be a fool not to join again for my Junior and Senior year, also consider-ing the amount of fun I had. Last but not least, I’d continue to participate in the Honolulu Marathon as long as I can. As long there is breath in my lungs, I will run the Honolulu Marathon every single time.
“Dad! Dad! over here!” I yelled.As I approached my dad, I could feel
a tinge of uncertainty come over me as I remembered my time and wondered what my dad would think of me.
“Hey, how long were you waiting for me?” I asked.
“That doesn’t matter,” said my dad. “I’m proud of you.”
(sigh) “It doesn’t feel like a victory; it feels more of a loss.” I said
“What happened ,son?” asked my dad.It’s a long story, Lets head for home.
Well, now that I think about it, I guess today wasn’t a total loss I suppose,” I said. “I sure did learn from it.”
“What did you learn from it son?” “I learned you need to be prepared,
that you can’t let your confidence get the better of you. I learned that the only way we can be ready for the future is to plan ahead. I learned that there’s always a bright side and, of course, hope. Hope that whatever may bar your way, you can and will surpass it.
“So what are you going to do next?” asked my dad.
“I’m going to take it easy for the next week or two and get back to running, maybe on the week of New Years.”
“Only two weeks?” he questioned.“Yeah, well I’m hurting but I’m not
completely dying! Besides, the Great Aloha Run is only weeks away.”
With that we neared home. The follow-ing evening wasn’t very eventful. Just me relaxing, bathing in ice water, going over my plan as a runner for 2013..., and homework.
“Am I stopping during a race to take in the scenery?” ---Sean Gleason
Copyright Honolulu Marathon
myhsj.org/pinion
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Athletes in action
The McKinley Tigers played Maryknoll during the Black and Gold Tournament on Nov. 29. Here Tiger forward Jerry Wu (6’4) takes an outside jump shot. Later in the season, Wu sprained his wrist. Photo by Katey Ezra
In the Black and Gold Tournament for boys varsity basket-ball, Joey Pebbles #23 plays defense on the opposing team. EJ Javier goes for a layup in traffic. Photo by Roel Abitong
John Lai and Micah Kuhia stop the ball against Kahuku. The Tigers lost Kahuku to 6-1 on Dec. 5. After playing Kalaheo on Jan. 23,, the soccer team has 3 wins and 9 losses. Photo by Chamara Silva
Changing Faces
Entering the foul-smelling, cold locker room. Greeted with early morning, tired faces. Slowly pulling the sturdy pads out of my enormous bag.
Now seeing faces through caged helmets,I see not tired, gloomy faces, but excited, smiling faces.As our sharp blades rip through the clean white ice, we hear the roar of the parent-infested crowd.Then a high-pitched sound hits my ears.The game has begun.Now the smiling faces turn serious.
As we step off the ice, we are confronted with proud faces.The faces of our parents warm our spirits inside the cold rink.I look all around and see relieved but disappointed faces.We are glad it happened, but sad it’s over.
After playing hard beside my teammates, I see tired faces again. Mouths open, breathing hard.Once the buzzer sounds, we know the game is over.
18 THE PINION February 2013
by Simon Sohng
February 2013 THE PINION 19
Reeling in Something GoodHOW IT ALL STARTEDNathan Kane
first fished when he was just about three years old but seriously got into after his dad traded in his airsoft gun for a fishing rod for Christmas around the 7th grade. He said, “So, yeah, it was sort of like by accident.”
His friend Jus-tice Yokoyama also got into fish-ing in middle school. He said, “I just en-joyed it from day one.“ Kane compared fishing to a relationship. “Sometimes fishing would treat you good; sometimes fishing will kick you in the butt.”
FULL-CONTACT CRAZINESSDespite his love for fishing, Kane ad-
mits it can be dangerous. Kane said, “In Hawaii it’s pretty much a full-contact sport.” Yo-koyama agreed, “Sometimes it’s better to have family members with you than going by your-self.” Fishing by yourself can be very risky be-cause something might happen to you while you’re too busy waiting for your catch.”
Kane said, “Waiting for the fish, thats the thing of being crazy. Who would wait hours and hours for, you know, a fish to actually bite?” During that time anything can happen. Kane said, “It’s dangerous, and you gotta be smart,... If you wanna
be a good fisherman, you should be physically fit, strong. Most people think fishing is, like, in the lake with your grandpa. But in Hawaii it’s different...
For me it’s a life-style and a sport cause, you know, you live, breath, and eat fish. De-spite the need for physical strength, Kane also says you need some crazi-ness. “I tell you, fish-ing is 25% physical strength, 25% skill, but 50% cra-
ziness. You gotta be kinda crazy to do it at a certain level, you know.”
Kane calls fishing “addicting.” He said, “Once you catch that fish that you always wanted to catch, you want a bigger one. I mean you wanna constantly grow up and progress. …You always wanna grow the amount of catch, the size of the fish,
everything.” He de-scribed the adrena-line rush “that just comes from when you get up, the thrill of hearing the reel scream and the bell go off.” Kane admit-ted fishing can be costly. Yokoyama agreed, “Especially if you’re just starting off, you have your light poles and your small reels. When you start to get into it, you buy bigger poles and stuff.”
CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT Kane’s most memorable fishing expe-
rience was his first ulua. “When I was reeling it up, I had my flashlight shining on the fish and I saw the eye, and the
eye is like, really big and I tell you, just the shine of the eye is the most amazing thing to see at night, you know ,after a hard night of fighting the fish.” Kane said that the ulua is “basically the holy grail.” He said, “If you catch one, you get sta-tus.... The fight was unbelievable. Pound per pound, the fish is the best fighter in the world.” Yokoyama has never caught an ulua, just a papio, which is an ulua less than ten pounds. He said ulua can range from ten to two hundred pounds.
In addition to the type of fish caught, you can judge the fisherman by the type of gear they have and how far they can cast. Kane said, “Basi-cally this is how I got to my skill level. I learn from the best to become the
best, and that’s it.”
THROW ‘EM BACKKane doesn’t usually keep his fish.
He tags the fish and records the data. If someone else catches that fish, they can call the number on the tag. “It’s almost like, how you say, putting a note in a bottle and then somebody else finds it and you get to know how far they trav-eled, how big it got, how many days it was free.”
This illustrates the size of bait and hook Kane uses when fishing. Kane said this fish is the size people buy to eat for dinner.
by Chanel Joy Alarca
myhsj.org/pinion
This palani has some fin missing. It looks harm-less, but it can cut you, which is how it got its English name of surgeonfish.
Kane described fighting this 6-pound papio, his biggest ever, as “eight minutes of pure pressure.” He said you can’t see the fish, so you use sensory skill and reflexes to follow the fish..
This palani was Yokoyama’s first decent-sized catch, one he fought by himself.
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