creator on the rise Since 2013, Ava Moniz has been building a social media following on both YouTube and Instagram. More commonly known as Ava Jules, Moniz has over 200 videos on her main YouTube channel with over 700,000 subscribers and over 200,000 followers on Instagram. This up-and-coming social media influencer has been able to travel the world and connect with many people through her beauty and lifestyle videos.
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STEP RIGHT DE DEUX BY CAITLIN BARBOUR | DESIGN BY HAILEY SHODA
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n Sept. 21 to 22 and 28 to 29, Pas De Deux (PDD) Hawai’i, a dance company run by MHS Class of ‘95 alumna and owner Wendy Calio-Gilbert, put on their showcase at Kroc Center Hawai’i in Ewa Beach. This year’s theme takes inspiration from the circus, combining acts from each department: ballet, jazz and hip hop, into the performance “Step Right Up.” “For most of us, the first time we ever heard this phrase was at the circus. It’s a memory that stays with you for a lifetime, whether it’s the sounds and smells of the animals, the delicious food and snacks, or the huge prizes you can win at the Midway. The death defying feats of the tightrope, the oddities like the bearded lady and the wolf man — there was something that made a lasting impression,” said Calio-Gilbert. The first act from the ballet department of the studio is entitled “Imagination de Circus.” It begins the story of a little girl whose imagination transports her to the circus. Act Two is presented by the jazz department through “Carnival in the Park,” in which a mother and daughter get separated and must go searching for each other. The final act is “The Show Must Go On,” performed by the hip hop crew. The heroines find their way to the main event when the main act is injured, forcing the ringmaster to find a replacement. “We always try to come up with something that is fun, familiar and has the ability to encompass all genres of dance that we teach at
Kara Lynn Hayashi Sasha Numazu-Fisher | Mililani Times
PDD,” said Calio-Gilbert. “Our graphic designer Janice Gaspar created original circus themed art for our show poster, t-shirts, student name tags and more. Our teachers created short stories and dances centered around a circus; each act is directed by a different teacher. A lot of collaboration occurred to create one cohesive storyline.” The show included dancers from a wide age range, including Seniors Evan Imata and Hannah Ocampo. Both are part of the Senior Hip Hop Company and danced in “Puppet Master,” a number in which the performers dressed and danced like creepy puppets. “This is the first recital where I’m dancing with the Senior Hip Hop Company, which is the PDD competition team. The standards and choreography are at higher levels than what I’ve experienced before, so it’s definitely a step out of my comfort zone. Also, this showcase is special to me because it’s my very last one with the studio. I’ve been dancing at Pas De Deux since I was in fourth grade, so leaving the studio is like leaving home. I grew up and made so many friends there, and ‘Step Right Up’ is the final chapter for me,” said Imata. Calio-Gilbert gained experience as a performer through jobs as an actor, dancer, choreographer and vocalist throughout her career. She decided to open the studio in 2010 and it has since grown through the people that have chosen to stay there. “I had taught dance for many years, worked at Disney Parks, was part of the original cast of
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UP TO PAS SHOWCASE Andrew Loyd Webber’s ‘Bombay Dreams’ on Broadway and starred as Nina on Disney Junior’s TV series ‘Imagination Movers.’ In my second season of filming I decided it was time to give back to my local community and bring more performing and training opportunities to young dancers in my hometown,” said Calio-Gilbert. Both Ocampo and Imata began dancing at an early age. Ocampo started dancing at PDD in 2012 and Imata in 2011. “That was when dance crews like the Jabbawockeez and 8 Flavahz became big, so that inspired me to take hip hop classes. I chose Pas De Deux specifically, because they also offered acting classes, and I really wanted to be an actor as well as a dancer,” said Imata. Ocampo added, “I started dancing because it was always just so fun to watch other people do it and when I watched the recitals I thought that the dances were cool, thinking to myself that I want to be able to do that too.” PDD offers lessons in dance, voice and musical theatre, giving those at the studio various opportunities to improve their performance skills. After the amount of time spent together at the studio, the people there have formed a community. “Dancing at Pas De Deux is like dancing with a family. Everyone, from the staff to the students, is so nice to each other and we spend so much time together that it’s like a tight knit family,” said Ocampo. Imata added, “Pas De Deux is a safe and positive place. All of us have had to dance in front of each other, and all of us have had to do things that were out of our comfort zone. That was terrifying for me at first, until I realized that everyone there is supportive of each other’s growth as performers. The entire time I’ve danced at the studio, I’ve always felt like I was part of a family. My instructors have taught me to take chances, and I think that helped me to become more confident. At Pas De Deux, you not only grow as a dancer, you grow as a person.” For more information or to sign up for classes go to http://pasdedeuxhawaii.com/
Anika Ramos | Mililani Times (L-R) Isabella San Clemente, Kamyle Stamp
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October 4, 2018
s e l u J a v A
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youtube star By Chloe Kitsu Design by jenna Lee Bundalian Photos by Genevieve Mumma
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or the past five years, Senior Ava Moniz has been building a social media following consisting of over 700,000 YouTube subscribers, over 32,000,000 views on her YouTube channel and over 260,000 Instagram followers. On the internet, Moniz is more commonly known as YouTuber Ava Jules. Moniz’s channel consists of beauty, lifestyle, day in the life vlogs and clothing haul videos. What had started off as a YouTube fanpage, turned into a life-changing career. “I started on YouTube because I had a fanpage for Justin Bieber and I was obsessed so I did like ‘Belieber,’ all that fangirl stuff, and then I genuinely moved into beauty stuff and what I’m doing now,” said Moniz. Moniz was 13 at the time and didn’t want to tell her parents she was posting on YouTube. “So, I didn’t tell my parents when I first started, I kinda was just posting. When they found out they were like, ‘Oh whatever it’s not going to even go anywhere. Just post videos, don’t do anything stupid
or whatever.’ And then when my peers started finding out I was in middle school I think, and they were not very nice because it wasn’t really a thing back then, and I had a 100 subscribers so no one really took me seriously. So, that’s how people reacted. But now people think it’s really cool, obviously, because it’s a well known thing now that I have numbers it’s cooler I guess. But my friends and family are super supportive.” Moniz’s videos are not only based around beauty, but more so on the lifestyle of a teenager in Hawai’i. To come up with video ideas, she takes suggestions from her viewers or she uses her personal experiences to inspire her. When it comes to filming her videos, Moniz organizes what she wants to say, then films and edits her videos which can take up to nine hours total. “A lot of times I just ask viewers what they want to see or just take inspiration from everyday life and what I would want to see if I was a viewer and I would kind of do that,” said Moniz. “So normally I plan out what I want to say and stuff so I get a general idea so I don’t mess up. And then I film it which
takes about one to two hours. Then I edit it which takes four to seven hours depending. And then I just post it on the internet.” Through YouTube Moniz has gotten many opportunities to work and travel around the world. Most recently, she traveled to Fiji with over 20 other YouTubers on a sponsored trip with the brand Dote. “Me and my friends got sent to Fiji and basically we just stayed there and promoted like a brand which sounds crazy. It was a crazy experience getting to go out of the country for free in a place that people dream of going to and getting to go with your best friends,” said Moniz. At the start of 2018, Moniz had over 157,000 subscribers and by Sept. 2018, she had reached over 678,000 subscribers. Many of her videos consist of her being real and honest, which is what she attributes to her success. Videos such as her “drive with me” or daily vlogs shows Moniz in her daily life. “I think just being relatable and real.
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I think a lot of YouTubers, they don’t show their real side to viewers and I think it’s refreshing to see someone who doesn’t really care. Probably just being real and raw with people because that’s something that the internet needs more of,” said Moniz. A challenge that she faces with YouTube is being able to balance her school work with making YouTube videos. She has traveled to places such as Canada, California, and Fiji — due to the amount of time she spends traveling for YouTube Moniz faces challenges in keeping up with school. “The hardest part is the amount of work that it takes and just balancing school because it takes a lot of time, and then sometimes I don’t really pay as much attention to school
as I should. But just the amount of work and effort that it takes,” said Moniz. In terms of the future, Moniz plans on doing online college while also continuing to do YouTube and hopes to hit a million subscribers by the end of 2018. Through her experiences, she also plans on pursuing marketing after her career with YouTube. “But I just want to ride out YouTube because I want to see where it takes me and yeah, just ride it out and see what else can happen for me,” said Moniz. Moniz’s videos can be viewed on YouTube under the name Ava Jules. You can also follow her journey on Instagram @avajules_.
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(21.2%)
HAUL Videos
38
(17.5%)
about
Q&A Videos
Ava 13
Along with her main channel, Ava Jules, Moniz also has a second channel, Ava Jules Vlogs. Ava Jules Vlogs has over 86,000 subscribers and over 2,160,000 views and was started on July 21, 2014. On this channel she features more “get ready with me” and “day in my life” videos.
Moniz’s most popular video is her “Bikini Collection Try-On 2018,” with over 2,133,000 views.
The name Ava Jules is Moniz’s first and middle name. Moniz did not want put her first and last name when she first started because she didn’t want anyone to find her channel because she was embarrassed.
You can learn more about Moniz by going to her website avajules.com Sasha Numazu-Fisher | Mililani Times
Beauty Videos
(6%)
?
Favorites Videos
24
(11.1%)
Lifestyle Videos
61
(28.1%)
Misc. videos 35 | 16.1%
*As of 9/26/18
Athlete of the quarter: falanika Danielson By Mina Pecoraro Design by Madison Kelly Photo courtesy by Tonie Herrera
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n and off the court, varsity volleyball outside hitter Junior Falanika Danielson, embodies all the qualities of a star athlete. Her compassion, drive and humility makes her someone that her teammates and coaches can always depend on. Her dedication to the sport and to her team, as well as her positive attitude, has earned her the Athlete of the Quarter title. “I’m happy knowing that I accomplished many things while playing the sport I love. I hope that in the future I can inspire others to pursue what they love to do. I am doing what I love for the people that I love and strive to work harder each day,” said Danielson. Many team members feel that teamwork is the key to their success. They say that Danielson has helped keep the team together and make them feel secure. “My team, especially the team chemistry is very important. It helps us to stay together when we’re playing because volleyball is such a mental sport. So when we have each other’s backs, it provides that bond and chemistry or like that good sense of feeling to work together,” said Danielson. Teammate Junior Aysia Miller added, “Everyone can relax when she’s around because she does big things for us and she helps out the team a lot and she’s just an overall great player.” Danielson is also a very dedicated student who works hard to balance volleyball and school. With practices every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and games every Tuesday and Thursday, she says good time management is one of the skills she has learned from volleyball. “I’m here at school more than I am at home because
I live in Ewa. I probably leave my house around 6:30 and I don’t come home until 10 so I have to try and find time in school to do my homework, so I can get sleep, then I have practice, and then I have to worry about (things) like college recruiting,” said Danielson. From doing clinics when she was just six years old to being a top player of the varsity team, Danielson says that she has grown as a person from playing the sport she loves. “Volleyball has taught me different skills with like interacting with others, working as a team, and knowing my goals. Because before every game we have to do a team goal and personal goal and setting goals is something I have to get used to and it’s becoming religious for me so it taught me that and then taught me to deal with tough situations, especially with pressure and overwhelming myself with everything,” said Danielson. When times get tough, Danielson says that her family is always there for her and motivates her to keep pushing through. She also has the desire to leave her own legacy which also helps her to keep going. “I think a lot of it has to do with my parents. They push me because I’m the last in my family and both of my sisters already went through college, especially my older sister because she graduated from U.H. and she was a very popular volleyball player,” said Danielson. “I wanna be my own self. Not being known as being like someone else, but to have a name for myself. I want to make accomplishments and succeed in what I can do.” Danielson believes in her team’s strength as they push on throughout the season. Their next game is on Oct. 8 for OIA playoffs.
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October 4, 2018
PLAYBILL PEARL CITY CULTURAL CENTER
music, lyrics and book by Jonathan larson presented by mililani high school’s
central theatre arts academy
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CTAA’s “Rent, School Edition” Hits the PCCC Stage
by maya hirano | design by joie agoo | Photo by jacob nakasone and charles tothina
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With cast members being from abundance of mature themes. “I various high schools around O’ahu, know that it’s a good piece, and I students got the chance to meet know that it’s a way to get kids from new people who share their passion all different schools involved and for acting. The students also gained excited because of the content and it speaks to them in a different way,” more awareness and confidence said Taira. working with the heavier themes. The cast had been rehearsing “I think for sure they learn trust; since mid August. Junior Amelie they learn how to trust themselves, Valenzuela, who and to trust their Especially in a piece like played the role of cast. Especially in this where it’s a lot more a piece like this Joanne Jefferson, intimate, they really have where it’s a lot more had also acted in “The Little Mermaid to feel like it’s a safe place intimate, they really and “James and the for them to really tell the have to feel like story. it’s a safe place for Giant Peach.” “I was them to really tell really surprised the story,” said Taira. Valenzuela at first, because I didn’t think we added, “We’ve learned more about would do ‘Rent’ since it was mature. being safer with themes such as The rate we’ve been going at, it was sex and drugs and stuff like that. more of a children’s sort, because Rent centers around AIDS and drug we did ‘Little Mermaid’ before and addiction, so it was cool to be more ‘James and the Giant Peach,’ and aware of those things.” they were more all around ages,” said Valenzuela.
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identity, loss and relationships. n Sept. 28-30 at Pearl City “I think the hardest part is Cultural Center (PCCC), connecting with their characters, students from MHS, as because none of them have well as students from Kapolei, Radford, Castle, Kaimuki and experienced what these characters Kalani High School performed in in ‘Rent’ have experienced. For “Rent, School Edition” put on by the me, the challenge is getting them Central Theatre to come to a place Arts Academy where they can the challenge is getting (CTAA). “Rent” one, understand them to come to a place is a rock musical their character, and where they can one, which originally understand their character, then emulate and came out in and then emulate and really really tell the story of their character 1996 and has tell the story of their in a way that means been adapted character in a way that into the school means something special to something special to them,” said director edition in order them. and performing arts to make it more teacher Carolyn Taira. suitable for Through CTAA, Taira has younger actors and actresses. It is previously done shows such as set in the 1980s and focuses on the “James and the Giant Peach,” “12 lives of artists struggling to survive Angry Men,” “The Little Mermaid” in the east side of New York. The and “Almost, Maine.” “Rent” themes revolve around mature was Taira’s first musical with an topics such as drugs, AIDS, sexual
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October 4, 2018
us good direction,” said Valenzuela. To help them deepen their This musical is a change of pace understanding of the show, the from the more family friendly students were required to research CTAA shows of the past. While the set time period. They learned entertainment remains more about the AIDS Rent centers around important, it is not epidemic that was AIDS and drug the only message going on during the addiction, so it was that the production 1980s, as well as cool to be more aware wants the audience to how society was in of those things. get out of “Rent.” “As that time compared someone’s coming in and to now. Taira also watching it, I want them to get the guided them through the process entertainment value, but I want of bringing their characters to life. them also to understand where “She gives very precise direction society was and be able to be put so you know exactly what to do. into that situation or time as they’re Even beside that, her as a teacher watching it,” said music theory and as a person, I can really lean teacher and “Rent” on her for support I want them also to music director Kristi or anything that I’m having trouble with, understand where society Higuchi-Delos Santos. was and be able to be put CTAA hopes to put even not just as into that situation or on more musicals like playing my character time as they’re watching “Rent” in the future, but also in general it. as these experiences with life stuff. With are an important acting she’s really opportunity for the good; she knows her vision and she students and the community. knows what she wants to put on that stage, so it’s nice that she gives
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MEET THE CAST MARK COHEN
JOANNE JEFFERSON
MHS Junior Henry Hawes plays an aspiring filmmaker who narrates the show, documenting the lives of his friends. Guilty that he, unlike his friends, does not have HIV/AIDS, he shows that he is more comfortable looking at the world through his lens than interacting with it.
MHS Junior Amelie Valenzuela plays a lawyer and activist. She is in a relationship with Maureen Johnson and struggles not to be jealous due to her flirtatious nature.
played by: Henry Hawes
played by: Amelie Valenzuela
ROGER DAVIS
ANGEL SCHUNARD
Kaimuki High School Sophomore Maka Bailon plays a once successful musician who finds out that he has AIDS through his girlfriend’s suicide note. Scared to enter into any new relationships, he rebuffs Mimi Marquez’s advances and struggles to write one last song before dying.
Castle High School Junior Austin Yoshida plays a gay drag queen and street performer. His relationship with Tom Collins is a source of inspiration to the other characters as their friend group begins to drift apart.
played by: Maka Bailon
played by: Austin Yoshida
TOM COLLINS
MIMI MARQUEZ
Kapolei High School Sophomore Jeremiah Ulufanua plays a gay computer genius and anarchist who was expelled from MIT. He enters into a relationship with Angel Schunard, choosing to love and care for each other even though they both have AIDS.
MHS Senior Shayna Yasunaga plays a young stripper who struggles with AIDS and an addiction to heroin. Despite being exposed to the hardships in life, she still views the world as a young girl and is determined to live life.
played by: Jeremiah Ulufanua
played by: Shayna Yasunaga
BENJAMIN COFFIN III
MAUREEN JOHNSON
Castle High School Junior Hunter Chock plays a businessman who married into money. Previously Mark Cohen and Roger Davis’s roommate, he gets caught up in his new wealthy lifestyle and his friends consider him a sellout.
MHS Junior Kimie Fujioka plays a bisexual performing artist. The ex-girlfriend of Mark Cohen and the current girlfriend of Joanne Jefferson, she struggles to show Joanne her commitment.
played by: Hunter Chock
played by: Kimie Fujioka
Looking quite fetching: OFFICE ASSISTANT Gano Returns to Dog Shows
Anika Ramos | Mililani Times In each group, the top four dogs are awarded with only the first-place winner advancing to compete for the title of Best in Show. In each group, the top four dogs are awarded with only the first-place winner advancing to compete for the title of Best in Show.
Anika Ramos | Mililani Times by Megan Schendel | Design by Genevieve Mumma
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nspired by a love of dogs, MHS office assistant Irene Gano and her husband Royd Gano began entering their dogs into dog shows in the 1990s. Now, after three kids and a decade-long break, Irene and Royd Gano have once again taken up dog handling. “When my kids were born we kind of stopped, but along the way we kept our Samy (Samoyed) and then we got interested in Afghans (Afghan hounds) now — that’s our new thing. We’re back into it because our kids have gotten older — two of them are away — so we’re getting back into the dog show world,” said Gano. The Ganos began participating in dog shows after buying a female Samy — a large dog breed with a white, double-layered coat. They initially
bought her as a pet back in the ‘90s and, after being contacted by the breeder, decided to show her. “We got our Samy from Australia and then we just kind of went around (looking into breeders and dog shows). We got introduced to the breeders here in Hawai’i and we thought it was something interesting so that’s how we got in way back when,” said Irene Gano. “We started watching the Westminster show and actually we saw an Afghan that we loved and I said ‘wow,’ we never knew how to get one and we saw a Samy and got that. She (Irene) started going to shows and hooked up with the Samy handlers or exhibitioners and they said, ‘Hey, just bring your dog and try it out,’ and we liked it and got hooked for a while,” said Royd Gano. “Our first dog — all
our dogs actually — was from Australia. She’s too small for the U.S. standard so, luckily, her breeder ended up hooking us up with other people. We got a dog, showed it, got it titled and got hooked.” Earlier this year, Irene Gano and Royd Gano decided to try and find an Afghan — the dog that had inspired them and led them to getting their first Samoyed. They now have a three year old Samoyed named Troy, as well as male and female Afghan puppies named Macchiato and Daenerys, or Macca and Dany for short. “We’re just getting back into it and we’re learning and with a new breed, it’s a totally new deal,” said Royd Gano. Irene Gano added, “They’re a little bit different from what we’re used to — the other one is so obedient and this one, the Afghan, is stubborn.” Having had their second Samoyed become a champion back in ‘95, the Ganos are still determined as ever to meet and surpass the success of their past dogs now that they have returned to the dog show world. The Ganos enjoy the competition of the dog shows, as well as the chance to show off their dogs. “Best is, just do what you can and leave it up to the powers that be I guess. You like everyone looking at you, I guess, and that’s another scary thing — everyone’s looking at you and, if you can’t handle your dog, everyone’s going to be looking at you and going, ‘Wow, he can’t handle his dogs,’” said Royd Gano. To avoid the prejudices of judges from interfering with the scoring of the competition, judging for the competition is not based off of what each judge personally likes and is rather
determined by the standards of organizations such as the American Kennel Club (AKC). The judging criteria varies by country as each has their own set of ideals for every dog breed, which is why the first Samoyed that the Ganos had purchased from Australia had a hard time winning in the U.S. “They don’t judge dog against dog, it’s your dog and how it matches up against breed standard and same with the other dogs. I guess they have a point system. What you basically do is run around the ring so that the judges can see the gait — see how the dog’s movement going away, coming towards, going around the ring looks (and) just standing, teeth — they’ll have you show their bite so they can see how the teeth are,” said Royd Gano. In order to compete for the top award, the dog has to win the first two rounds of the competition. If your dog wins first in their breed and then in their group, they’ll move on to compete against six other dogs for the top award, Best in Show. “There’s seven groups in the AKC world, in American Kennel, so we’re in the hound group. You have to compete with all the different hounds — your breed first and then your group and then you get into the big show,” said Irene Gano. AKC hosts a variety of matches, which are more for fun, and shows, which are a more serious venue throughout the year. The main reason that most dogs are entered into AKC sanctioned shows is to be able to get enough points for the dog to earn their championship. “The championship is just a title. Say like our boy, Tachira Macchiato, so if you get championship you get the title ‘CH’ in front of your dog’s name and you get a certificate saying your dog’s got his championship points and now he can be called Champion Tachira Macchiato. It’s just bragging points,” said Royd Gano. “As far as points go towards your championship, each breed is different in that it all depends on how many dogs are entered in that competition. Unfortunately for us, for the Afghan and the Samys, there’s not enough dogs to get what they call a Major — a three point Major — where you would need four dogs to get at least three points. It’s 15 points to get your championship, but of those 15 points, you need two majors. So,
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og shows are a process of elimination competition, with the ultimate winner being named Best in Show. In order to compete in the competition for Best in Show, the dog must first compete in and win the first two rounds of the dog show: Best of Breed and Group. Only those who win Best of Breed advance to compete in the Group competitions.
for us, where we don’t have enough dogs in the breed, we would need to place first in the group.” The Ganos plan to breed their dogs and sell the puppies, building a bloodline representation. The kennel name is essentially the name that a breeder attaches to their dogs’ bloodlines in order to mark the puppies that they sell as a descendant of their dogs. “The plan is to eventually get our own kennel going and, to get your name out there, you need to show your dogs and get them titles and hopefully that brings the money in — also the prestige. Just like horses, you want your horses to win so that when you stud them out you can get your money back at least. That’s the goal is to try and get your money out,” said Royd Gano. Irene Gano added, “So my kennel name is Motley — we started that name back in the ‘90s so hopefully we can revive that. You have to show your dogs; you have to get your championships in order to build up your kennel name and that’s what our goal is — to build up our kennel.” On Sept. 2, the Gano’s youngest Afghan, Macca, competed and placed fourth in his breed and won Best Match. Both Macca and Dany will be competing in the Windward Hawaiian Dog Fanciers Association show on Sept. 30 and Macca, accompanied by Royd Gano, will be competing at the Orchid Island Dog Fancier Club, Inc. show in Hilo on Oct. 6. Ultimately, Irene and Royd Gano hope that continuing to show their dogs and building up their kennel will help promote dog handling and a raise in the amount of shows and dogs in Hawai’i. (Disclaimer: This story was written and printed prior to the show on Sept. 30).
dog group classifications Sporting (gun dogs that were developed to assist the hunter, and generally have high energy and stable temperaments) Hound (hunters that bring down the game themselves, or hold it at bay until the hunter arrives, or locate the game by tracking it by scent) Working (generally intelligent and powerfully built to perform a variety of tasks, including guarding homes and livestock, and serving as police, military and service dogs) Terrier (determined and courageous dogs that were mainly developed in the U.K. to be small and agile enough to pursue rats, foxes, and other vermin) Toy (small dogs that often resemble larger breeds of dogs like poodles, that are bred to be companions for people) Herding (dogs whose purpose is to serve ranchers and farmers by moving livestock from one place to another) Non-Sporting (dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club that don’t fit into any of the other groups)
Anika Ramos | Mililani Times
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Hawai’i Hazards Awareness and Resilience Program (HHARP) aims to help communities be self-reliant and better prepared for natural disasters. The resources in the program help communities strengthen resilience by:
Increasing awareness of natural hazard events Educating residents about direct response actions Improving personal preparedness Developing understanding to select appropriate hazard mitigation measures Guiding communities in the development of emergency plans by training and exercises Supporting events for community outreach
Mililani Disaster Preparedness Team By Jenna Nakanishi | ILLUSTRATion by Maya Hirano | DESIGN BY Alumna CHAELEY Winkler
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his past year, a group in Mililani has taken it upon themselves to ensure that the community is prepared in the event of a natural disaster. Organized primarily by retired brigadier general and alumnus of the first graduating class of MHS Braden Sakai, the Mililani Disaster Preparedness Team (MDPT) is run by the community for the community. “Every community has to be able to sustain themselves. (And) the responsibility of taking care of the residents of Mililani should come from each residence,” said Sakai. Because Hawaii is the most isolated population in the world, there is an even greater need to be self sustainable. Having a 14 day kit is important for not only during a natural disaster, but after as well. “Should a hurricane or tropical storm make a direct hit on Oahu, Mililani will be isolated. It will be a while before responders will be able to reach Mililani due to debris, downed trees and utility poles (and) lines, and damage to roadways or bridges. Initially, first responders and city and state response will be focused on life saving (and) safety, debris clearance on roads, restoring our port and airport operations, and damage assessments. Our immediate assistance will come from within our community and neighbors,” said MDPT member Anson Kimura.
Officer Crystal van Beelen at the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) added, “MDPT and preparedness groups like them are extremely important as they can help in filling the response gap until such time that help arrives post-disaster. Government can’t always be there immediately especially after a major disaster.” MDPT initially started out of Sakai’s realization that in the event of a natural disaster, he would have to stay at Hickam Air Force Base and be isolated from his family. In addition, cellphone lines may go down and debris may block the road and prevent travel, giving him no way to check in on his family. “When I asked the Mililani (Town Association) what their disaster preparedness plan was, they told me they did not have one. And I knew right away my wife and my kids were on their own,” said Sakai. “I won’t be able to get to my family, so I won’t know if they are good or okay, safe, or what happened. We were gonna be isolated from each other, so that concerned me right away.” This prompted Sakai to begin MDPT, which immediately consisted of collecting volunteers and starting their training, which is run by the City and County. This training includes exercises such as shelter management, damage assessment and learning how to administer
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first aid, CPR or AED. “The City and County of Honolulu, Department of Emergency Management encourages everyone to be better prepared for a disaster and become more resilient. When we become aware of a group such as (MDPT) who wish to get their community ready, DEM provides technical guidance as well as supporting the organization with educational materials and subject matter experts as needed,” said van Beelen. In light of the recent hurricane season, the need for a group like MDPT is growing increasingly apparent. They are working to try and prevent chaos and uncertainty in the community following a natural disaster. “Hawai‘i residents need to take hazards seriously, there is too much complacency and a false sense of security. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when and it only takes one,” said Kimura. “MDPT is educating its members, developing a team, reaching out to other agencies and responders, and learning about available resources and partners. The time to prepare, identify resources and meet your response partners is now, you don’t want to meet for the first time after an event happens. You want to develop the relationships and know what to do, where to go, who to call and how to reach them beforehand.” MDPT would be there to step in directly following a natural disaster. Sakai is working to develop a reasonable plan. “I would think within 24 hours to 48 hours, after people kinda come to realization, ‘Okay, this is what I’m dealing with,’ we’re gonna have a predetermined time where
we would meet at these rally points. We’ll have volunteers set up where we have a way to call people, or we meet there at a certain time — we’ll start the cycle, ‘You man this area,’ for maybe a few hours, and we start rotating so people, they know where to go, just to seek help, just to talk to somebody,” said Sakai. Currently, the MDPT volunteers are going through training and seeking more residents to join the team. These volunteers are necessary to make MDPT successful. “MDPT is a voluntary team developing a plan to prepare Mililani to respond and recover from natural or man-made hazards. We need the community to be aware of and participate in the planning and any response. We need their knowledge of their neighborhoods and skills to round out the team. It will take the community and people working to help each other to make the plan work,” said Kimura. The next meeting for prospective MDPT volunteers will be held Oct. 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Rec. 2. For more information you can visit their website at mililanidpt.com.
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October 4, 2018
Bouncing Back MHS Ping Pong Club Returns By Henry Hawes | Design by Madison Kelly
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Tonie Herrera | Mililani Times Top (Left to Right): Cody Villegas, Kotaro Mason, Michael Johns, Jordan Choo Bottom (Left to Right): Mikala Aboagon, Aaron Catalan
fUn facts about ping pong Ping pong originated in England in the 1800s The Official Rules of ping pong were created in 1926 It became a medal Olympic sport in the 1988 Summer Olympics Servers switch off after serving two points in a row When the serve is legal but touches the net, it’s a let serve which aren’t counted
HS hasn’t had a ping pong club for nearly five years, but a small group of students are bringing table tennis back to the high school. Although the founders never actually expected the club to be anything more than an idea, they’ve gained a large following of students and are already making plans for a school-wide tournament. “It started off as a joke late at night, but we turned it into a thing,” said club president Senior Jordan Choo. “Total signings from club fair was around 130.” Even though Choo and his friends, Seniors Aaron Catalan and Kotaro Mason, didn’t originally regard the club as a serious endeavor, after overwhelmingly positive feedback from other students they decided to pursue the idea and founded the club. During the process of creating the club, they discovered that ping pong already had a history at Mililani. “There was actually an old ping pong club, apparently, before ours,” said Choo. “If we’re actually gonna do this, we have to live up to that expectation.” Enthusiasm for the club wasn’t only shared by students, the administration welcomed the return of ping pong to campus with open arms. Tournament planner Aaron Catalan, or in his words, “Tournament Guy,” felt that he and the other founders didn’t encounter any issues when it came to creating the club. “Mr. Murphy was really ecstatic about it too, like he immediately signed the paper before reading anything, it was great,” said Catalan. Choo and his friends went to health and P.E. teacher Micah Turell and
asked if he would advise the club, and he quickly agreed. Turell was excited to provide a stress relieving outlet, and a place where students could come to meet new people and discover new opportunities. “Honestly I think my favorite thing is just seeing the excitement and the smiles on their faces,” said Turell. The old club didn’t leave behind much, only an old table and a few paddles, which were hardly enough to fit today’s demand, but Choo and Catalan are hoping to change that. The founders of the club made plans to purchase new equipment, and maybe even expand to another room. “With the club fees, we’re gonna buy a new table, and more ping pong balls and paddles,” said Catalan. Turell hopes to provide an opportunity for the club founders to develop important life skills. He keeps the team on track by providing challenges and setting goals. “I want them to grow on their leadership as well and then see their thoughts and their creativity come out,” said Turell. Although tournament schedules have yet to be solidified, Choo envisions a friendly competition open to any MHS member. This means that students won’t actually have to join the club if they wish to participate in the tournament. “We’re hoping to have them every month, and anybody can join, even faculty. We’re gonna try and get Mr. Murphy,” said Choo. The club meets in P-1 every Wednesday and Friday for an hour after school and has ambitions to hold open tournaments within the upcoming months.