Issue 7 by Trojan Times

Mililani times Mililani high school . issue 7 . april 18, 2019

Associated Students of Mililani High School (ASMHS) President Senior Arianna Nonies-Ramos balances a busy schedule all while influencing the school, community, and people around her. From her duties as president to dance practices and performances, she is able to do what she loves while challenging herself.

Angelo Bongbonga also has an interest in acting, participating in “The Little Mermaid” in his Sophomore year and “James and the Giant Peach” and “God of Death” in his Junior year.

Megan Schendel

enior Angelo Bongbonga has had a passion for mathematics and music from a young age. He began pursuing math and music in middle school and has since begun working on numerous projects including writing a math proof, a musical and producing albums for a band that he is in. “Over the past few months, I’m working towards getting a music album done for a band I’m in, composed of fellow high school students, called Monky Funk. I’ve also been doing some writing of my own songs for the past few years and have been trying to write a musical this past year. I’ve also been working towards writing a math proof,” said Bongbonga. Bongbonga has always had a natural gift when it comes to learning, especially in math. He is able to pick up on things fairly easy and strives to learn more. “I would describe myself as pretty active. In general, as a learner, I try to figure these things out on

Faustine Miura my own and try to just explore,” said Bongbonga. Calculus teacher Patrick Riehle added, “If I had to pick one word to describe Angelo, it would be curious. In many subject areas, not just math, Angelo is an extraordinarily curious student. He lets his curiosity run wild sometimes and it’s really cool seeing the conclusions he is able to come to. Within our math class, Angelo is always thinking about where the math is leading us as well as how it connects to other fields.” Bongbonga has been in the Math Club for all four years of high school. He has also taken a majority of the math classes offered at MHS and is currently in Calculus 3, the highest level of calculus at MHS. “Angelo has a gift for seeing patterns in the math. I still remember working on some sample problems for competition one year — Angelo solved a problem in 30 seconds that had a seven minute allotment for a team of three. Mr. Yoneshige

Joie Agoo and I, and the other students, were astounded not only at the speed, but at the elegance of his solution when he explained it,” said Math Club supervisor and Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry teacher Terrence Dunford. Riehle added “He has the natural gifts and tools to learn anything I could possibly imagine, so it’s really a question of what Angelo will choose to focus his energy on.” Bongbonga is currently working on writing a math proof. He began writing his proof in middle school and has been working on it since then. “Writing a math proof, in some ways, is much like any other scientific method based process. There is normally a hypothesis or theory that someone is trying to prove as true. While experiments are often used to model or predict what the conclusion will be, a typical mathematical proof does not stop there. There needs to be logical, mathematical justification for the conclusions reached,” said Riehle. Dunford added, “The ability

to write a proof requires a true understanding of the mathematics involved. It’s akin to getting from point A to point B without a map — all in your head. Proof writing is about pattern recognition and providing the evidence.” Bongbonga came across the idea for his math proof while working on an art project in middle school that involved placing hexagons on a plane. His proof focuses on making unique connections between sides, which he uses dots to represent, and why it is impossible to do so with some even numbers. “If you have some number of dots — I want a way to pair every point together. One of the pairs needs to be straight across and another pair needs to be right next to and another pair needs to be one over, but we can’t use the same dot twice. The question is whether a solution like the one that can be found with eight where there is a pair one away, adjacent, across and two away, is possible for some even number of dots,” said Bongbonga. “I would like to find a way to prove whether it has a solution and figure out if there is more than one solution for any random number of even dots.” Riehle added, “I was impressed at how motivated he was to proof something mathematically, and it involved levels of math that I haven’t studied since college. I was blown away, in a very positive way, by the lengths he had already gotten to in his work.” Though Bongbonga still has a lot of work to do on his proof, he is hopeful that he will be able to discover a more efficient way of

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looking at the problem so that he can finish it. “I want to ultimately publish my proof in a journal. I assume that perhaps this could have relations to some other fields of mathematics that I wouldn’t know right now. It could prove useful like other proofs. I’m not sure what journal I would publish it in — some math journal, though I’m not really sure right now. That will come later once I actually figure it out,” said Bongbonga. Having been a part of First Robotics his freshman year, Bongbonga developed an interest in coding. He learned how to code in the C++ coding language and has continued to develop his skills. “I’ve been teaching myself with online guides how to program. So far, I’ve made a simple calculator, some games — just text based of course. I can’t figure out how to make a windows thing, but I’ll get there I suppose. I’ve been working on logical skills — if and statements,” said Bongbonga. Aside from his love for math, Bongbonga also has an affinity for writing music and poetry. Inspired by his peer, Senior Evan Imata, also known as Evan Kepler, Bongbonga began writing in the summer before his freshman year. “I like writing really weird harmonies; that’s what I like about writing with more contemporary, 20th and 21st century, kind of style. I also like just expressing myself with the words,” said Bongbonga. “It’s kind of an outlet and it’s good for hearing things; if I have a melody in my head that I want to write, since I’m in choir, I can use solfège — do, re, me, fa, so stuff, to figure out what that melody is. It just

makes the whole music writing process faster.” Bongbonga is also working on writing a slice of life, drama musical, which he began in his junior year. He was inspired to begin writing by the installation of the sculpture, Starstruck, in Mililani Town Center, especially after speaking to the artist. “I started writing my own musical about life, living in Mililani. One of the major plot points is the sculpture at Town Center, which I was there for the ceremony of,” said Bongbonga. “For the musical about Mililani Town Center, I’ve written two songs so far. I still need to finish up the drafting page, but two songs are pretty much done.” Bongbonga recently joined a band, Monky Funk. Monky Funk is comprised solely of students from MHS. Monky Funk has produced one song thus far and is currently working on producing their first album, hopefully before this school year comes to an end. “They played for me their song and I was like, ‘Yeah, I can work with that. I think I can figure out how to produce that.’ I’m going to be doing production and post-production for them,” said Bongbonga. “Given that I am a poet, I would like to help with lyric writing.” Monky Funk’s first album will be released on SoundCloud. You can see more of Bongbonga’s work by checking out his YouTube channel: Plentelle, where he shows his compositions. He will be majoring in math at the U.H. Mānoa starting in the fall; he hopes to be able to use what he learns to help him finish his math proof.

Copy Editor Chloe Kitsu

Community Editor Jenna Nakanishi

Vlog Editor Jasmine Casaña

School Editor Megan Schendel

Editor-in-Chief Caitlin Barbour Adviser Mr. Christopher Sato Principal Mr. Fred Murphy

Social Media Editor Online Editor Kaitlin Hirasa Chanelle Camero Director of Sales Aidyn Aradanas

Design Manager Joie Agoo

Managing Editor Alexander Ink

Head Photographer Anika Ramos

Produced at 95-1200 Meheula Pkwy., Mililani HI 96789 To voice an opinion or concern, feel free to send a letter to L205 or to 2019barbourc@mililanihs.k12.hi.us. Staff

Tatiana Ala Jenna Lee Bundalian Shantel Gongob Henry Hawes Daisy Ann Hipolito

Maya Hirano McGwire Ishikawa Hope Ishizaka Madison Kelly Faustine Miura

Genevieve Mumma Jacob Nakasone Sasha Numazu-Fisher Mina Pecoraro Hailey Shoda

Charles Tothina Trey Yamamoto

MARCHING OUT

of Senior Year Maya Hirano

Jenna Lee Bundalian

Uniforms designed by directors, Derek KaĘťapana and Susan Segawa, worn by students over the past three years.

ver the course of their high school careers, 25 Class of 2019 seniors have been a part of the Trojan Marching Band. Directed by Derek Ka'apana, the Trojan Marching Band accommodates approximately 150 students each year and promotes an appreciation for music, dance and physical well-being. “I like marching band in the sense that it’s composed of all four grades and it’s welcome to anyone. So walking around freshman year I felt a lot better knowing that I could walk around campus and if I got lost, I could ask an upperclassman, like ‘where do I have to go?’ or they could help me with lunch schedules or any problems that I had. Now, I

like how I am the upperclassman. So it’s like these little underclassmen are my children, and they need help and I can be there to help them,” said Senior Chloe Fong. Fong plays the alto saxophone and has been in marching band her freshman, sophomore and junior year. In addition to marching band, she also participates in numerous extracurricular activities that require her to utilize time management skills. “I’m also on the cheer team, I’m the captain of the track team, the vice president of Interact club, I used to be in this class (newswriting) last year, and I’m in student council. Being vice president you have to go to the MICC meetings, and I’m also the secretary for that. Then

(there’s) the Student Alliance Mental Health and Wellness, it’s a new club I joined this year. It’s kind of a full plate, along with school itself like with AP classes and all that fun stuff. So it is challenging trying to find the balance between everything. It’s just a matter of communication between advisors and coaches and other people so that they know where I’m at in case I’m missing one practice for another,” said Fong. Marching band is also taxing as it requires both physical and mental strength in order to persevere through the long practice hours and shows. Teamwork, fitness and determination are key aspects that play a role in being successful. “There’s a lot of mental challenges

that I’ve faced because I’m a section leader, so I have to pretty much teach my section how to dance and just rep a lot of things with them. It’s kind of frustrating when they can’t get it as fast as I would like them to, but in the end they usually either practice at home or get it down at practice so we can be successful,” said Senior Stephanie Matsumoto, who also plays the alto saxophone and has been in marching band since her freshman year. Color guard Senior Teonie Lam added, “Throughout the years, there have been lots of moments when I’ve felt like quitting. My older friends have left and some of my current friends quit the program. I’ve had to keep my morale up and remind myself of why

“It was hard, but when I look back on it I don’t have any regrets joining.” - STEPHANIE MATSUMOTO

this program is so great. This winter season was the hardest season I’ve ever been in, mentally and physically.” Lam has been in marching band since her sophomore year. Along with perseverance and strength, this program has taught the seniors how to be better leaders and how to cooperate more efficiently. As upperclassmen, they have the extra responsibility of being an example for the underclassmen. “As a senior, I definitely felt the responsibility to be a good example. I had to take the responsibility to really know the flag work, counts, placement in the show, so I could help out the younger ones. It was nerve-wracking to have this responsibility because I didn’t

think I was that good but I had to be (a) mentor to them. When I was a rookie, I looked up to my seniors and it was crazy that the tables have turned,” said Lam. Matsumoto added, “I learned how to work with my peers better because I used to be pretty shy, but I really came out of my shell.” Overall, marching band has provided new experiences for the students. Being able to travel for competitions has given them unique lasting memories of their high school lives. “My most memorable experiences were the trips we took. We went to Bands Of America (BOA) 2017 to compete nationally. If I were able to travel back in time to relive a moment, I’d go back to the

time they announced which schools were making it to semifinals. This was Mililani’s second time going to BOA and it was our dream to make it to semifinals. BOA only takes 37 schools out of over 100. 30 schools were announced and we were starting to lose hope. Once they reached 37, a couple of us started to cry because we thought we didn’t make it. When we heard our school’s name being announced, we all went crazy. We screamed, ‘cheehoo-ed’, called our parents, threw shakas, cried,” said Lam. Added Matsumoto, “It was hard, but when I look back on it I don’t have any regrets joining.” All of the marching band seniors include Sydney Quitoles, Bryan

McAniff, Kristen Pascua, Jeffrey Butac, Anika Jiang, Cammi Tamura, Joey Teruya, Melissa Munemitsu, Allyson Munemitsu, Maya Ogasawara, Vanessa Nguyen, Chloe Fong, Stephanie Matsumoto, Trinity Oshiro, Teonie Lam, Sabrina Carll, Ryan Kim, Reece Hanaoka, Kiera Betts, Kaitlyn Hagihara, Fuamatu Timoteo, Darren Imamura, Dylan Phommavong, Casey Nakagawa and Alexandria Cuizon.

Hawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;i Judo Academy and Sekimoto Dojo impacted Mayu Wise the most and made her who she is today.

No Match For Wise: Three Time Judo State Championship Winner Chanelle Camero

Faustine Miura

enior Mayu Wise has been doing judo for 14 years, winning the state title three years in a row in her freshman, sophomore and junior year. This year, she is unable to compete due to an injury but still remains active as a coach for the girls team at tournaments and for both girls and boys at practices. “Judo is just something that is part of my life now. I have to work hard for it, which keeps me busy and have something to do. Judo teaches me many life lessons and gave me connections to many different people and I was able to make lots of new friends. I love the sport itself, but also many other things like the lessons and friendships that comes with it,” said Wise. Wise first started judo when she was four years old. Her parents enrolled her in judo but she didn’t start enjoying it until she was in fifth grade. “I went to a new judo club in Japan where they had very good players. Their training was very intense and long. I enjoyed being able to work hard with other people and I really liked the senseis and other kids there,” said Wise. To help her prepare for competitions, Wise would train year round at her club. She trained at multiple clubs including Pearl City Hongwanji, Hawai’i Judo Academy and Sekimoto Dojo in Japan. When high school seasons came, she additionally trained at MHS. “I would practice five days a week by doing judo, running and weight lifting. I also go to Japan to train whenever I can to get better,” said Wise. “It is a lot of work. I would have to push myself to my limits every practice. I would have many good and bad practices. I would cry and suffer a lot, but I still enjoy doing judo and working hard.” On top of her training here in Hawai’i, Wise

Madison Kelly

would also go to Japan to train. She trains at Sekimoto Dojo which is close to her house in Chiba prefecture. “Their intensity and the way they practice is very different. I would practice two times a day for about four hours some days. My judo becomes way better when I am there. Also, I enjoy talking and hanging out with the team as well,” said Wise. “I also practice at a high school who has an all girls judo team and another high school with an all boys judo team where my club is affiliated with. Those high schools are the best eight in the prefecture so they are very good as well.” Wise is currently a black belt in judo. She received her belt the summer after her freshman year in Japan. “I went to Japan every summer since I was little since my mom is from there and that’s my first language. That is also where I started judo, so I took it up there when I went for the summer again to visit my mom’s family and to train,” said Wise. During her junior year, some of her biggest challenges she faced were feeling confident in herself and cutting weight. Cutting weight is the practice of quick weight loss before a competition. “For the cutting weight, I had many people support me, like my teammates and coaches. So I was able to get through it. But also the motivation and drive to win my third state title was a huge thing,” said Wise. “My teammates, coaches, and my parents were the ones who believed in me so much so that’s how I overcome the challenge of not having confidence in myself. Also by training hard throughout the year and season especially.” Each year she trained hard and improved her movement, gripping and techniques for the

competitions. The state competitions were held at the Stan Sheriff Center where she defended her state title. “It’s one of the best feelings ever. To hear my name after I win my match and later when I am called up to the podium for first place. It makes me so happy and thrilled to know that everything I went through paid off. It also makes me glad I did judo and thankful for my parents, the team and coaches who got me to where I am,” said Wise. After a knee injury, Wise couldn’t do judo or compete this year. Due to this, she started coaching so she could still help out the team as much as she could. “I tore my ACL so I took the surgery in February. I decided to take it now because I am still continuing judo in college and I didn’t want to risk injuring it more by competing this season,” said Wise. “Just doing daily things were very hard the first week or two after surgery. Other than that, not being able to do judo is a huge change for me.” Through coaching, Wise is able to learn a lot and gain skills from these experiences such as leadership and responsibility. Although she’s unable to participate, she helps her team as a coach rather than a team member. “It’s very fun. I learn new things that I can’t when I’m on the mat. It’s hard to coach knowing I could’ve still competed, but I’m glad I can still help the team,” said Wise. “I am able to see things from a different perspective because I am always on the mat. Also, I understand the small things that my coaches tell me all the time even more.” Wise plans to continue competing in college at San Jose State University as well as in national and international competitions.

Inspired by the idea of sharing stories through art, Brotchie has been drawing for years and plans to pursue becoming a storyboard artist.

be a disney animator: marlena brotchie

A three time International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) qualifier, Tsou plans to continue science, studying to become a biomedical engineer.

cure cancer: min-hua “Cindy” tsou

Starting her YouTube channel in 2013, Moniz now has reached one million subscribers and recently been in the Brat webseries “On the Ropes.”

make $20 million by 20: ava jules moniz

T he Senior Most be a reality tv star: kara toguchi If she could, Toguchi would participate in the Amazing Race because she wants to be able to explore Europe.

be on broadway: evan imata

climb mt. everest: Azriel burcham

Imata has participated in several Central Theatre Arts Academy and Pas De Deux shows, as well as produced music under the moniker Evan Kepler.

Burcham’s favorite hiking trail on the island is Kaena Point. In the future he hopes to be able to travel the world and hike different trails and peaks.

Although not planning to go into politics, Evile has served as the senior class president for three years, through which she has learned how to be a leader.

be president: haley evile

Throughout her high school career, Reed has played soccer and ran track, garnering first place wins in numerous events.

Navares enjoys watching the skits featured on Saturday Night Live (SNL), particularly enjoying those that include James Franco.

be a professional athlete: mackenzie reed

be on snl: bradyn navares

t L ikely To... Caitlin Barbour

survive a zombie apocalypse: keaton kroning Kroningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan to survive an apocalypse includes finding a boat to live on and avoiding any possible zombie fish.

Anika Ramos Genevieve Mumma

Joie Agoo Caitlin Barbour

Caitlin Barbour

Anika Ramos Genevieve Mumma

be a meme god: Tyler birchard

be on top chef: jeffrey butac

During its peak popularity, Birchardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite meme was of the car salesmen. He updates his knowledge by finding new memes through Reddit.

Originally stemming from wanting to help his family in the kitchen, Butacâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s repertoire now ranges from instant ramen to tiramisu.

"ARI HAS THE PHILOSOPHY THAT 'NO ONE IS YOU AND THAT IS YOUR POWER.’” Janet Ward-Riehle

Nonies-Ramos does it all MODEL, dancer, actor, asmhs president PERSEVERING THROUGH HARDSHIPS AND CHALLENGES PREPARE FOR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL Hope Ishizaka

ith over 2,000 students at MHS, the Associated Students of Mililani High School (ASMHS) plan and coordinate school-wide events such as pep rallies, spirit weeks, homecoming, service projects and awareness days. Seven students make up ASMHS to ensure that each event goes according to plan while promoting school pride. This year’s president, Senior Arianna NoniesRamos, is the face and the voice of MHS as she represents the school and leads the ASMHS

Anika Ramos executive board. “Last year I was actually in the leadership class which really allowed me to shadow the last year’s group. And actually, I got inspired by their work so Alyssa, last year’s president, D.J., and Jessica, all them — I’ve actually grew up with some of them and seeing them (and) how ASMHS grew them into a bigger person really inspired me,” said Nonies-Ramos. To become ASMHS President, she had to apply and run for office last year. She also

Madison Kelly had to provide her mission statement, be recommended by her teachers and go through an interview process. “I believe Ari has also had a passion for her community and school. She wanted to make a difference, contribute (to) our school and leave a legacy as a student leader,” said Student Activities Coordinator Janet Ward-Riehle. “Ari has the philosophy that ‘No one is you and that is your power.’ That was the platform she ran on while competing for ‘Miss Teen Mililani’ and what she has carried into her

presidency. She has spent the year instilling that motto to not just our councils, but the student leaders of our complex schools through two trainings this year.” Nonies-Ramos is constantly busy as she has many extracurricular activities such as her monthly show at Mililani Town Center called “Arianna Chenoa & Friends” which highlights her hula and Tahitian dancing as well as the talents of other Mililani students who perform alongside her. Her talents and involvement in the community has been a great platform and

pursue more of my extracurricular activities as well as school, but one of my goals is to become more outgoing in my modeling and acting and hula dancing ‘cause it’s something I’ve been working on outside of school so I hope it pays off in the future.” Nonies-Ramos dedicates the majority of her time to helping others both in and out of school. While this is a lot for a senior in high school to uphold, she is motivated by those around her to continue what she does. “I’d say my biggest motivation is really the people who look up to

of them interest her and she can not choose a favorite thing she participates in. “Like right now it’s Merrie Monarch time. This is my first time competing this year and in actually a couple weeks. So it’s a little back and forth,” said Nonies-Ramos. “Sometimes hula dies down and it’s just practice, no performances. Then sometimes (with) ASMHS there’s homecoming which is like the biggest event in school. So it just really varies.” As her senior year comes to a close, she has her eyes set to what lies ahead. After high school she plans to travel and further her dancing, modeling, acting and education. She will attend Honolulu Community College during the fall to study fashion designing.

"Some of my goals this year was to get out of my shell. Before this, I was a really shy person" N

President to Merrie Monarch Festival

a way to connect with others. “Her dancing has also opened other doors for her, as she will be competing at the prestigious Merrie Monarch festival later this month and throughout Japan in the summer,” said Ward-Riehle. “Ari has also modeled in Hawai’i Fashion Week. She has also hosted the Brown Bags to Stardom competition both on campus and on television. Ari works hard developing her talents and showmanship through these activities.” For Nonies-Ramos, balancing out ASMHS with school and her extracurricular activities has been a big task. She heavily relied upon time management and organization skills in order to avoid getting overwhelmed. “Arianna has a strong sense of perseverance and dedication. Regardless of what life throws at her, Ari faces each day with a smile and the drive to do her best,” said Ward-Riehle. “Her day starts early with school and goes far into the night with her hula and Tahitian practices. Sometimes she will have performances during the week. She doesn’t let her long days or strenuous practices affect her willingness to serve.” Throughout the year Nonies-Ramos set up goals for herself to accomplish. These goals involved both her school work, modeling, acting and dancing. “Some of my goals this year was to get out of my shell. Before this, I was a really shy person. I kind of am, but my goal is still trying to be fulfilled,” said Nonies-Ramos. “I do plan on to

me. Doesn’t really have to be typical little kids. Some of them are my friends who look up to me. And I’ve really been a well-rounded person. My mom really pushed that to me and my siblings,” said Nonies-Ramos. Ward-Riehle added, “Ari is also very dedicated towards serving her school and leaving it better than she found it. Ari saw ASMHS in action last year as she assisted in various activities and events as a member of my leadership class. She took her experiences and knowledge from last year and brought them to the table this year to better not just herself as a person, but her school.” With everything that goes on, she has faced many challenges and hardships such as the loss of a loved one and the stress of school. However, she is able to make sure that nothing interferes with her work and she encourages those around her and who looks up to her as a role model. “I think a lot of the challenges that hit me are from losing a family member or finding something out through family. But like how I said earlier, just think of why I’m doing it. And there’s a time and place for those feelings and I try not to let it affect me for my work purposes. Being at my position, it’s like you have to uphold yourself a lot so it’s not just what you do, it’s how you look and how you portray to people and talk to them,” said Nonies-Ramos. As the seasons come and go, she transitions throughout her extracurricular activities. All

onies-Ramos has been dancing hula for about 14 years. She was inspired by her older sister and grew up following her dance movements as she practiced. From then on Nonies-Ramos fell in love with dancing hula and will participate in the prestigious Merrie Monarch Festival in April. “As time gets definitely closer and closer to Merrie Monarch, like any other hula dancer getting ready for competition, I am a little nervous. But I’m more excited than nervous! Merrie Monarch is like the Olympics of hula, very serious, very cultural and keeps you at the edge of your seat. Ever since I watched my first Merrie Monarch, it automatically became a goal for me as a hula dancer to one day dance on that stage. And after 18 years of watching it on TV, I am now following my dreams and competing in this years Merrie Monarch with my Halau,” said Nonies-Ramos. Nonies-Ramos will be dancing for Halau Hi’iakainamakalehua under the direction of Kumu Robert Ke’ano Ka’upu IV and Kumu Lono Padilla. Their practices and preparations for the Merrie Monarch Festival began in October of 2018. “My goal as a dancer going into this, is to portray my kumu’s visions through my dancing. As an individual, my goal for my Merrie Monarch journey is to know that if I can accomplish this one dream of mines, no matter how long it takes, I can accomplish anything and everything, as long as I put my mind to it!” said Nonies-Ramos. Merrie Monarch Festival will be from April 21 until April 27 in Hilo, Hawai’i. KFVE will be broadcasting the event.

No.1 MICROWAVeABLE e a s y s te p s

f d O o R o F COLLEGE

n o m key b r

e d d a a e mwith goodness Kitsu

Hailey Shoda

No.2 nachos

Serves: 1-2

INGREDIENTS 1 bag (5.5 oz) Food Should Taste Good™ Tortilla Chips Multigrain 1 cup Old El Paso™ Refried Beans 1/2 cup Pico de Gallo or Salsa 4 tbsp Old El Paso™ diced green chiles 2 cups shredded Mexican Blend Cheese (Optional) Guacamole as garnish Sour cream as garnish Pico de Gallo as garnish

INSTRUCTIONS Scatter the entire bag of chips onto a large plate. Place beans in microwave for 30 seconds to make them easier to mix. Add in Pico de Gallo and mix together. Drop spoonfuls of the bean and Pico de Gallo mixture onto the chips. Sprinkle green chilies on top of the bean mixture and chips. Evenly distribute the shredded cheese over the top. Place in microwave and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. Remove from microwave and top with sour cream, additional Pico de Gallo, and guacamole if desired.

No.3 pizza in a mug

INSTRUCTIONS

Serves: 1

INGREDIENTS 4 tbsp all purpose flour 1/8 tsp baking powder 1/16 tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp salt 3 tbsp milk 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp marinara sauce 1 generous tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese 5 mini pepperoni 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs (basil or oregano will work)

*Monkey Bread Serves: 10

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt butter and mix with sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. 7 tbsp butter 2/3 cup brown sugar Cut biscuits into quarters and pour sugar mixture over. Stir to coat. 1 tsp vanilla Microwave on high 4 minutes. 2 tsp cinnamon Let stand 2 minutes to cool. Flip out 2 cans biscuits onto a plate and serve.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a microwavable mug. Add in the milk and oil with mix together. There might be some lumps but that is okay. Spoon on the marinara sauce and spread it around the surface of the batter. Sprinkle on the cheese, pepperoni and dried herbs Microwave for 1 minute 10 to 20 seconds, or until it rises up and the topping are bubbling (timing is based on a 1200W microwave so your timing might vary). Enjoy straight away!

No.4 mac and cheese Serves: 1

INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS

Mix the macaroni, water and salt in a microwaveable mug. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir. Add the milk, cheese, salt and pepper, then stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds, stir and garnish with a sprinkle of chives

1/2 cup dried macaroni 1/2 cup water 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup milk, any percent 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded cheese

No.5 pancake in a JAr Serves:1

INGREDIENTS Mason Jar Bisquick Syrup Water

INSTRUCTIONS Fill jar with bisquick 1/3 of the way. Mix with water. Microwave for 90 seconds. Add syrup.

*Recipes taken from Tasty, The Neighborhood Moms, Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking and the Mama’s Girls.

Ask an Alumni... Caitlin Barbour

Jenna Lee Bundalian

hether having already decided or still exploring, choosing where to go to college is arguably the hardest decision a high schooler has to make. From location, to academics, to (most importantly) the food, each college offers a unique experience that students must consider in order to find the right fit for them. MHS alumni, having already made their decision, share their experiences in colleges both in and out of state.

“ “ “

Erisa Castillo

C/O 2018

HANNAH GAMBLE

Chapman university political science & History

C/O 2018

University of Indianapolis Nursing

“Make sure you study a lot and don’t procrastinate on assignments. It’s much easier if you just get it done. Time management is super important as well. Main thing is to find a good group of friends and have as much fun as you can.”

“Living in a different state away from family and friends was something I had to get used to. I learned to appreciate the little things in life, especially as a college student we take many things for granted. Living in Hawaiʻi in my opinion, is a small bubble. Although Hawaiʻi is great in many different aspects, you aren’t able to experience all that life can offer you.”

Andrew valladeres C/O 2017

Western Oregon University - Communication

“My classes are getting easier by the year, but it just depends on your major because your major really shows how hard and how easy your classes are and also your professor. The food at Western Oregon is honestly alright, it just depends on the person, but the only thing is Western Oregon is in the middle of nowhere and there’s no food places.”

Maya Otsu C/O 2018

oregon State University Environmental science “It is different from high school because in high school I feel like you have a lot more support from teachers but since my school is really big, each of my lecture hall classes have 200-plus people and the professors could really care less about your education or the grade you get, it taught me to be more independent and to better manage my time. “

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Madeline Turpin C/O 2018

Seattle Pacific University music Therapy

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“Don’t be afraid. I was terrified of college and I thought I was not smart enough. But I soon realized that college isn’t as bad as a lot of high school teachers made it out to be.”

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Victor Tamayo C/O 2018 Leeward Community College - Business Management “You meet so much new people with different goals and ambitions. The people you meet are in different stages of their life, some people have kids, are in the army and some are fresh out of high school. I feel a lot of people look over LCC but it’s honestly so much cheaper for the same education and at least I’m not taking out student loans.”

Alexis Kelly

C/O 2018

Portland State University undecided “The only difference from high school for me is now all the responsibility of getting to school and waking up and getting my homework done is on me, no one’s gonna check on me to see if I’m doing what I need to do, I have to do that. Also your teachers treat you more like a colleague than a student; all my professors so far have instructed us to call them by their first name.”

Study Tips, tricks A

P testing season is fast approaching, and many teachers are starting their review sessions. It is a crucial time for people to condense all that they learned in the year and to ensure they are well versed in the course content so they can get their ideal score. Many students take several AP classes, and keeping track of all the different concepts can be challenging. To maximize the effectiveness of reviewing, several memory tips and techniques can be applied to better study habits to ensure preparedness on test day.

Jenna Lee Bundalian

One of the most important aspects of studying is simply paying attention to the content. Eliminating distractions around your study space is an effective way of focusing your concentration â&#x20AC;&#x201D; listening to calming music can eliminate background noise and using apps that lock your phone can help lower the temptation to use it.

Engaging in deeper order memory processing helps retention of information. Students could get more out of a study session if they actively analyze the material to check understanding instead of simply memorizing formulas or skimming notes. Processing is reinforced when students are able to attach personal meaning or experiences to material, or when the material is organized in a way that makes sense to the student.

Jenna Nakanishi

One method that is applicable across many subject areas is the method of loci. This method involves taking an imaginary walk around a familiar setting and associating specific items to be memorized with specific locations along the path. When you try to recall these items later, envision yourself walking along this path and the locations should serve as retrieval cues to recall what you memorized. Retention is especially increased if the memorized items are in an organized order and the path is one you take often.

Creating mnemonics to remember material is effective because it attaches a single cue to multiple pieces of information. The most common mnemonics are acrostics, a short phrase in which the words or lines serve as cues to recall information, and acronyms, a word where the letters are also the first letters of a set of information to remember. Using acrostics and acronyms is especially helpful when trying to remember several terms as part of a single concept. In addition, they are effective because the mind usually finds it easier to recall personal or silly phrases rather than abstract pieces of information. They can be words, visuals, or musical in nature â&#x20AC;&#x201D; using the one that works best for you is what makes it effective.

Though it may be difficult to keep track of all the different material you have to know for different classes, reviewing and studying effectively is a good way to ensure you are prepared for AP and other tests you may have. Using these techniques and applying good habits helps you in mastering course material and achieving the score you want.