MIlilani High school | ISSU E 1 | S ept em b er 7, 2 0 1 7
NEW NEWSPAPER
Meet mhs’ 10 new teachers
NEW LOOK
first Issue
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Septemb er 7, 2 0 1 7
Try Something New by camille Nevarez-Hernandez 2018 nevare z he rn and ezc@ mi li lan i h s.k12 .h i.us
School is back in session (if you haven’t noticed), which means new classes, new faces, new teachers, and most importantly, new experiences. Starting high school for the first time, learning how to drive, going on your first date, or trying out a new sport-being back in school creates these new opportunities to experience something different. People often shy away from new ventures because of the unfamiliar-the feeling of not knowing how it will all turn out in the end. But this should be a positive feeling instead of one you dread. Being in high school should be a time to discover yourself, to see what happens, to
see how it changes you for the better or worse. That feeling of not knowing, the pure fear in your gut, should excite you to challenge yourself and others. Starting this year, this feeling has been fueling my staff and I. Trojan Times has taken a hiatus this year, and Mililani Times has risen in its place. The tradition and prestige Trojan Times has built is often on our minds as we change old traditions to create new ones. We are switching up the look of Mililani High School’s newspaper to a more modern and fresh look for our readers. We want to incorporate more community-based stories, along with the school stories, to
Mililani Times’ mission is to inform the community of news, people, and issues of concern. Community. Responsibility. Dependability.
create a happy balance between both, while broadening our audience base. Our ultimate goal is for the spring issue to be distributed to the whole Mililani community. This is a big task that we have taken on, but what will be pushing us will be the feeling of the unknown and what it may bring. I hope it will push all of you to try new things this year, as well.
Editor-in-Chief Camille Nevarez-Hernandez Community Editor Maiya Ezawa
Copy Editor Caitlin Barbour
Community Editor Marisa Hayase
Vlog Editor Elgin Reese
School Editor Taylor Ann Ono
Social Media Editor Erisa Castillo
Online Editor Connor Tribble
Director of Sales Jacie Higuchi
Design Editor Gavril Ibaan
Photo Stylist Kamaile Fitzgerald
Head Photographer Adviser Timothy Won Mr. Christopher Sato Staff Tyler Birchard Chanelle Camero Jasmine Casana Christina Casanova Sakura Emmer Chloe Fong Coby Foreman Alicia Getty Jaden Ige
Kylie Jones Chloe Kitsu Nick Malae Jenna Nakanishi Mia Nava Emily Padello Carlos Prado Megan Schendel Chaeley Winkler
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 2018nevarezhernandezc@ mililanihs.k12.hi.us.
VEX Robotics:
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Teams take 3rd, 21st
by Tyler birchard
2019birchardt@mililanihs.k12.hi.us
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n Saturday, August 19, Seniors Damien Santiago and Liezl Rae Chan took their newly made robots and teams to their first competition at Sacred Hearts Academy. They competed against veteran teams from around the island, with team 1973B placing third and team 1973A placing 21st. Now, they work on refining their robots for their next competition. “We saw other robots from around the island and we got ideas from others; bounced off ideas and talked to other people about it,” said Chan. “We’re trying to make it our own and make it more efficient for us.” At the end of their first competition, team 1973B, captained by Santiago, ended up placing third. “I think that I did good because it was my first competition actually competing and so the fact that I took third place when there was other people that were more qualified than I am, I think I did fairly good,” said Santiago. Team 1973A, captained by Chan, placed 21st. “We didn’t place where I wanted to be. We didn’t go to finals. Basically, I don’t know what happened. Our drive just kept dying; our power expander and different power situations weren’t working out so we didn’t go as far as I wanted to,” said Chan. Industrial Arts teacher Timothy Pregana, who has advised VEX for 12 years, three years at Waialua High School and nine years here, believes
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Jasmine Casana | Mililani Times Freshman Montana Frias works on his team’s robot in preparation for their upcoming competition. The teams have spent the past weeks testing and rebuilding their robots with the assistance of their captains and advisor. experience is the best lesson. “Sometimes you’ve just got to bite your lower lip and let them find their own path building their own robots and learn from the lessons at the competition,” said Pregana. In addition to the difficulties faced at the competition, the teams had to overcome challenges while building their robots. “Before, as I said, when I got the freshmen to join, they only got to join this year because school just started for them. So up until that point, I was the only person on my team that could come into work. So
a task that should have been done in two weeks took me a month to do by myself,” said Santiago. “It was hard for me to create ideas. I’m not really a creative person, I was just like, ‘give me instructions and I’ll do it,’” added Chan, “That was the most difficult part, because that’s basically what you do in robotics: create whatever you think of.” Now, as the season is in full swing, the two teams are working on redesigning their robots based off of the information they gathered at their first competition. “We have completely tak-
en apart our robot and we’re starting from scratch, building something that is completely better than what we had before,” said Santiago. Chan’s team is doing exactly the same, as she describes the efforts her teammate, senior Joseph Knaus, has been making in rebuilding the robot. “I think he’s preparing for it, making a whole new arm, making a whole new thing because we saw what was our weakness. He’s been prepping and giving out ideas,” said Chan. The newly designed robots will first see action on Sept. 29 to 30 in the tournament at Waialua High School.
First VS VEX Robotics
Robots are three feet in length and width, with height varying upon the game Played in a twenty seven by fifty four foot field Constructed with any material team sees fit while within constraint of rules
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Robots are around a foot and a half in all directions Played on a twelve foot square field Constructed from a kit of parts given to the teams
NEWS
| Se pt e m be r 7, 2 0 1 7
Pinero Furthers Interest in Animation by Caitlin Barbou r |
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rom doodling on classwork to working on animation software, Senior Lansing Pinero’s love for art and design led him to take a month long summer course at Ringling College of Art and Design. “I knew I wanted to get into animation but I didn’t know just how much work I’d
have to do or, just in general, what type of software that I’d have to use,” explained Lansing Pinero. “But because of the program, I got to do everything that they would do if they were actually like a Disney studio.” The program provided the
opportunity to learn from industry professionals. Lansing Pinero stated, “All of our teachers were already hired by big companies like Disney, Pixar, or even Dreamworks.” Lansing’s mother Olga Pinero noted, “He’s taken all of the suggestions and critiques he’s got from the instructors at Ringling and he’s putting it into his art now.” What began as something he would do while bored in class,
Lansing Pinero’s art improved and evolved, becoming unique to him. “I told him to use his style to express himself,” said Graphics teacher Robin Gomes, “He’s not afraid to experiment and try different kinds of genres, different types of drawing.” Learning new skills while polishing old ones, Lansing Pinero continues to build upon this experience as he prepares to apply to Ringling for college.
further progress in a project that they have been working on since January. The project works with the Normandy: Sacrifice For Freedom Albert H. Small Student and Teacher Institute program. The institute selects student-teacher pairs to do research on a soldier from their state, who sacrificed their life during “Operation Overlord,” also known as DDay, during World War II. After tremendous amounts of research, Afuso and Boehning finally got to visit their soldier, First Sergeant William A. Andersen, at his grave site in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. “Being a person who wants to pursue a career in the military, I really wanted to have that ability to visit the important sites (in France), but also to really understand what does it mean to
sacrifice, what does it mean to be in the service, to put your life on the line, and if necessary to give your life as that last full measure of devotion to your country. Getting to read about, understand and in a sense, come to know a person who made that very same sacrifice, I think was very important and it’s an inspiration for me going forward to continue on that path of military service,” said Afuso. The soldiers who sacrificed their lives have left behind a legacy that Americans today can learn from and be inspired by. “We learn from the past. We see even today, when people don’t understand the past, we make the same mistakes. We, as Social Studies teachers, want to teach a cause and effect...
Afuso, Boehning Pay Respects to Hawaii WWII Soldier Buried in France
Photo courtesy: Gary Pettit While in the Normandy region of France, Afuso (12, right) and Boehning (left) stayed in the town of Bayeux, and visited major sites which included Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Saint-Lô village, Sainte-Mère-Église and the Pegasus Bridge. by Taylor ann ono |
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iving in a state such as Hawaii, being surrounded by military families is not abnormal. With all that they give to the country, they are appreciated and recognized for their bravery, and just like today,
soldiers who sacrificed their lives decades ago, are also honored and remembered. This past summer, Senior Travis Afuso and Social Studies teacher Amy Boehning were one pair of 15 that flew to Washington D.C. and France to
See online for more mililanitimes.com
Domingo Delves into OSU Engineering by Connor Tribbl e |
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hen you ask most high school students what they’ll do when they grow up, they probably won’t have put much thought into it. However with Senior Mika Domingo the story is slightly different, from a young age she wanted to go into the medical field, but over the course of four summers at the Summer Experience in Science and Engineering for Youth (SESEY) Oregon Summer Program, Domingo has taken a liking to the field of engineering. “I say that I’m not exactly sure if I’d go into engineering for a career because I’ve been so set on entering the medical field from a young age - but things may change. This camp helped me figure that out and also explore different
fields within engineering,” said Domingo. Held at Oregon State University (OSU), Director of Precollege Programs Willie E. “Skip” Rochefort, heads the program, giving high school students a chance to experience engineering fields at the college level. “We were actually given a list of all of the projects and we ranked our top five. The one that I was assigned to this past year was a bit confusing - it was called ‘Using Computational Methods to Study
Atomic Structures.’ (We used) this computer program that the professor in charge of the lab already made to find the best structure for different elements. The best structure for the atom would have the least amount of energy so that’s what we were looking for,” said Domingo. The program brought together like minded students, giving them an opportunity to practice what they love. “All of the kids there really do have an interest in engineering, or at least science and math, I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in STEM. The projects
cover such a broad range of topics that anyone interested in math or science can find something,” said Domingo. Although Domingo doesn’t yet know if she’s going into an engineering career, the experience was enlightening. “There’s so much more to engineering than people realize and I’m just glad I got the opportunity to try out new things that I wouldn’t have considered doing before this camp. Hopefully in college I’ll be able to take a class or two that’ll broaden my horizons,” said Domingo. Moving forward Domingo can apply the experience she gained at the program to whatever field she decides to go in. For more information on the program, visit the OSU website.
Kyle through having neighboring rooms. “I did not expect to be treated much like an independent college student, but we were. It was exciting to have the freedom and to take responsibility for myself instead of being bound by a schedule, class periods, same routine everyday kind of environment I live in during the school year,” said Singh. While not attending classes, students had opportunities
to get to know each other on a less academic note. “It’s a completely different culture over there. Everyone comes from all around the world. I dormed with someone from Michigan but I know people in my hall, so to speak, came from India, China, Oman, just different places in the world,” said Yang. He hopes to use this experience to better himself, and plans to pursue more opportunities in the medical field such as internships at medical facilities and the possiblity of joining HOSA.
Yang Experiences Stanford Chemistry
by Alicia Getty |
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2 0 19 gettya@ mi li lan i h s.k12 .h i.u s
ver the course of eight weeks, Senior Kyle Yang attended the Stanford High School Summer College program with a focus in chemistry. Between attending classes and interacting with other students, the program provided a unique experience. “In some ways it’s exactly college, but for high school students. And it’s faster because the quarter usually covers ten weeks. In my case I took Intensive Chemistry 31 A&B, so it would be 20 weeks worth of chemistry, two quarters, covered in eight weeks,” said Yang.
Getting the chance to experience a college setting brings unexpected out insights. “We had our labs in the afternoons, if you finished oftentimes you could just walk out. If you were done just walk out. There’s a lot more freedom in those classes as opposed to here,” said Yang. Senior Akshat Singh, from Rochester, Minnesota, attended the program and got to know
NEWS
| SE PT E M BE R 7, 2 0 1 7
Murphy Ushers New Goals, Hopes
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By Maiya Ezawa | 2018ezawam@mililanihs.k12.hi.us
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ootsteps, both old and new, befall hallways that previously spent two months in silence. The start of the school year drags students back into the flurry of papers, textbooks, homework and lectures—and the 2017-2018 session is no exception. However, amidst the routines and standards come some major new initiatives that MHS is implementing this year. These changes include a push for a better cafeteria experience, remodeling in the agricultural center, and overall improvement in infrastructure and safety. “When people think about Mililani High School, they usually identify with this logo that we’ve put together, and these three words, ‘excellence, tradition, pride.’ It’s on the back of our shirts, it’s a branding that we’ve done for our school and again, I want (this year) to be about a comprehensive high school, high quality programs, successful students, future leaders, outstanding educators, (being) the hub of the community—we want them to
think about these things,” said Principal Fred Murphy. Keeping with this year’s theme of voyaging, and paddling—an analogy for the cohesive teamwork aspect of the teachers, the staff, and the students—the administration and student leaders are encouraging students to look past academics and to use high school as a time to find who they really are. “The biggest takeaway from Murphy’s theme this year is that unification is needed in order to make this school work. We are all needed to make this canoe move. To me, the students at Mililani High represent the canoe that sails and navigates across the rough ocean water that represents the workload we receive daily, the constant pressure to begin planning our futures and the same time trying to find out who we are as individuals. As for the teachers and faculty, they are the paddlers that work together and guide us in the right direction to the awaited destination that differs for every student,” said 2018 Class Council President Senior Brittany Plan. “What is that sense of purpose that we have? Not just to each other and to the land, but that will serve us when we travel elsewhere? Skills that we’ll be able... See online for more mililanitimes.com
7 Elementary School Goals
“This year, we’re focusing on growth, the growth mindset. Instead of saying ‘I can’t do this,’ say, ‘this is challenging, but I’m going to figure out how to do it.’ We focus on teaching the whole child.” Mililani Kipapa Elementary Principal Corinne Yogi “One of the new initiatives is with social emotional learning. We’re helping the students to regulate themselves so that they’ll be more successful later on.” Mililani Mauka Elementary Principal Avis Nanbu “What we’re trying to do this year is build the connections between the elementary schools, the middle school, and the high school. We want to get our students ready for their time at the middle and high school.” Mililani Waena Elementary Principal Troy Tamura “Our theme this year is Ike pride, and it comes from the book “Only One You” by Linda Kranz. We continue to set a solid comprehensive educational foundation curriculum to develop complex thinkers.” Mililani Ike Elementary Principal Lynne Ajifu
Students Study Cyber Safety: MMS CyberPatriot Program By: Marisa H ayas e
2 0 18h ayas em @m i l i l a n i h s.k 1 2 .h i.u s
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s the new school year rolls in, Mililani Middle School, following in the high school’s footsteps, will be taking up a High Interest Program (HIP) for students interested in pursuing cybersecurity and operating systems. With the Cyber Hui’s help, yellow track HIP advisors Laurie Sogawa, Daren Anzai, and VP Jacob Kardash launched the CyberPatriot program with the intent of emphasizing technology awareness amongst Hawaii’s youth. “We listened to what (the Cyber Hui) wanted as a program, and we were interested, and so we said that we would help coordinate. The NSA (National Security Agency) is the one that helps to get the (mentors) that understand - their jobs are cybersecurity, and so what they’re doing is they’re passing their knowledge on to the middle school students,” said Sogawa. Eager to begin, the middle school students participated in a Cyber Camp after school from Jul. 24 to Aug. 4, where they learned from high school level Cyber Patriots, and those already in the field. “(I’m) definitely able to work with a team more, and I’m able to help assist others better,” said yellow track eighth grader Brian Valdez. The significance teamwork played in their success was evident. “We notice that if they weren’t able to
work together, they had trouble with even the simple tasks. So, the ones that were able to work, they seemed to be faster at going through the tasks, and getting more points,” added Anzai. The high school students who volunteered were grateful for the opportunity to teach other interested individuals the fundamentals of cybersecurity. “Well, I think it’s important because the prevalence of technology in the world today, and it’s becoming more and more important for everyone, no matter what you plan to do with your career or your life, because twenty years ago you would only need to know most of the stuff if you were a specialist in this. Now, most people need to know, because if you don’t know how to make your computer secure, you might lose your credit card information to someone, or you could lose your livelihood because someone stole your identity,” said Senior Evan Henderson, who helped out with the Cyber Camp. “It could be more of a life skill in this day and age, rather than a hobby or a specific career.” Although the year just started, it’s apparent that this program has become a remarkable part of the students’ lives. “Just learning new complex things about it, get the understandment [sic] about it, and then later achieving things about it,” said yellow track
eighth grader Rhandy Yoon, on his favorite part of the program. CyberPatriot has challenged the students’ abilities and knowledge, but they were enthusiastic about learning practical skills, and to potentially pursue cybersecurity as a future career. “Since in today’s society we’re starting to use more technology, (the school) wanted to be able to help kids to pursue a path to help manage the technology and make it more safe,” said Valdez. These students are starting their preparations for upcoming competitions with other Hawaii schools. “It was a lot of basic things like, how to distinguish between a fake website versus the legitimate website, how to find stuff in the OS like where your IP address is, how to find that, things like that,” said Henderson. With their first qualifying competition coming up in the beginning of November, they have a lot to look forward to this school year.
What is Cyber Patriot?
The CyberPatriot program was created to call attention to the significance cybersecurity plays in our society. The youth of the nation are taught and directed towards a future in which they protect themselves and others against security attacks.
NEWS
| Se pt e m be r 7, 2 0 1 7
Seniors Spencer Jenkins (Left) and Kaitlyn Shimizu (Right)
FFA Students Investigate World Issues By Megan Schen d el |
2 0 1 9 s c h en delm@ mi li l a n i h s.k 1 2 .h i.u s
Seniors Kaitlyn Shimizu and Spencer Jenkins traveled to the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) over the summer as members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). Along with 12 other students from Hawaii, Shimizu and Jenkins attended
the event in Washington D.C. from July 17 to 22 to learn how to take a more active role in their community. “There’s so many problems that we don’t really notice,” said Shimizu. “Even one little action is going to make a big differ-
ence, and even if those actions don’t seem to succeed there are a whole bunch of other people who are (working) towards the same goal, so if everyone is (working) towards that same goal it isn’t so hard meet it.” The conference did not focus solely on agriculture but also
encouraged students to take leadership roles in their communities. “It promotes agriculture, but more importantly for the student members it’s about developing, growing themselves, leadership, personal growth, those kind of things, as well as leading into potential careers
Alvarez Takes On Capitol Hill
By Jacie H ig uc h i | 2018H ig uc h iJ @mililan ih s.k12.hi.us
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spiring politician Senior Jorge Aponte Alvarez Jr. spent his summer at the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) for political action and public policy at the American University in Washington D.C. From June 25 to July 3 Alvarez gained insight on different political perspectives and learned how to be a U.S.
Senator—including writing his own bills and taking part in mock campaigns. “One night we stayed up until two a.m. in the morning in the halls talking about what life experiences had led us to believe what we believed and why we are the way we are,” stated Alvarez. “That’s the great thing about political science, we got to
know each other’s political views and we understood.” Individuals such as Alvarezwho judge based on the situation and put the country over the party-fall into the middle of the political spectrum. “I consider myself a moderate democrat, during the election I supported Hillary Clinton, but I See online for more mililanitimes.com
Student Leaders in Washington DC
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Illustrated by Chaeley Winkler
in agriculture,” explained FFA Adviser Jeffrey Yamaguchi. One of the main goals of the program was to create better leadership for tomorrow and to expose students to different social issues. In exposing the students to a wide variety of social issues through games, activities and lectures they hoped to expand the student’s ability to problem solve in their community and collaborate with
their peers. Participation in the community wasn’t all that the conference stressed. It also motivated students to take a look at the world around them. “One night we did an activity where they simulated how the world eats. A large portion of us had one bowl of rice that we had to share among ten of us, and some ate like kings. It simulated how a lot of the world is hungry,”
explained Shimizu. Through activities and lectures students worked toward finding their purpose. “Given our mission, I think the most concise statement of our goals is codified in the FFA motto, ‘Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve,’” said the Hawai’i State Career and Technical Education (CTE) Specialist Michael Barros.
Aside from learning new skills, Shimizu and Jenkins were also given the opportunity to make new connections. “They get to meet FFA students from across the nation, get to know others, and (it) gives them as well as us different perspectives of what goes on in agriculture,” explained Yamaguchi. In their final year in FFA, Shimizu and Jenkins will use the skills learned from the WLC.
threats,” said Afuso, “I think it really inspired me to continue on that course of serving my country in the military and afterwards potentially going into the intelligence field.” The NSLC is a program that offers selected students the opportunity to participate in different fields from psychology to neuroscience. Afuso attended the NSLC National Intelligence
and Security program held at the American University in Virginia. “We had the unique opportunity to talk with a number of experts in the field, so we visited the FBI building, (and) the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington D.C.,” said Afuso. “We also went to the Pentagon, we had a special tour and we were able to meet with the...
Afuso Attends Security Conference
BY Erisa Castillo |
2 0 1 8c ast i llo e@ mi li lan i hs.k 1 2 .h i.u s
Senior Travis Afuso flew to Washington D.C. from July 15 to July 20, with an invitation to the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) for Intelligence and National Security. He experienced a fast-paced and high level program with peers who shared similar interests. NSLC provides high school students with a chance to explore
career options and leadership experience that will further aid their future endeavors. “Understanding the dedication that goes into the National Security field and recognizing that every single day there are people who are working to protect the people of the United States of America, to keep us all safe from a wide variety of
See online for more mililanitimes.com
Kamaile Fitzgerald | Mililani Times
Pens, pencils, highlighters, sharpies—all the essentials. Make sure you have five of each because by the end of the year, you know that you’ll probably have lost at least three of them.
Notebooks are a one hundred percent musthave. They’re used to take notes that could possibly become the answers to a future test. Although they’re mostly used for doodling when things get less interesting.
Every student needs an endless supply of gum, because when you’re thinking really hard, it’s reassuring to have your jaw chewing vigorously. It helps to get your brain thinking!
If math is your hardest subject, then you’ll definitely need a calculator to survive. Everybody has brain farts, and you might forget how to do the simplest of equations.
At eight in the morning, everyone needs something to make them a little happier about the day to come. Whether that “fuel” comes from Starbucks, or Gatorade, that’s all up to you.
The infamous cell phone and headphone combo. Every student has got one, every student has secretly used it during class. But how can you possibly concentrate on homework without a little background music?
Bec isn’ be ess ass em wat the
FEATURE
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What are your goals for the school year? “To pass, ideally pass with a minimum of 3.0 so I can get off this rock. Oh and to pass the AP exam so I didn’t waste a year.”
J un i o r B ra n d o n To m
cause your phone just ’t enough! A laptop can used to type up your says, turn in your signments, send mails… and maybe binge tch Netflix if you have e time.
“I just want to have fun in my classes. I wanna get better at the subjects I was struggling in at first and then go more in depth into the subjects that I was okay in.”
F r es hm a n Da n iel Yo shin o
“My goals for this school year would be to excel in the classroom and do good at softball and balance all my priorities.”
F r es hm a n Lexee Leha n o
“Get decent grades, like not 4.0, but decent. Be more involved, because last year, I wasn’t really. Like, Glee Club, Leo Club, and Spanish Honors Society.”
S o pho mo r e Ty l er sea pn o
With your planner, you’ll never forget any important due dates. That is, if you check and use it everyday.
“Do better grade-wise; balance all the clubs I’m in, like slam poetry, Math Club, Glee Club; also balance after school clubs like play production, and select choir.”
J un i o r A n g elo B o n g b o n ga
“Not get suspended or get into a fight that’s it.”
F r es hm a n Mieszko Stac howski
new teachers 17—18
“I always had a desire to help people, always and watching people grow and being able to be apart of their journey.”
by c aitlin barbour
201 7cb a r b our@mililan ihs.k1 2.hi.u s
Mililani home to many people with diverse backgrounds and unique personalities is where adults and children alike can learn from each other and grow. This year MHS welcomed into its staff ten new teachers - each of them contributing their own experiences to the classroom and the learning of the students. Taking the time to share about themselves, these teachers are working hard to develop relationships with fellow staff and students as part of taking on the new year.
would you rather? Have money or love
Not physically or mentally age
How or when you’re gonna die
Travel to the past or future
End hunger or hatred
Explore space or the ocean
Teachers work an average of ten hours per day and 1,927 hours per school year.
denise kochi
“I think that money doesn’t really bring you any happiness. You would just be alone.” 77% of U.S. adults feel teaching is among the most underappreciated professions.
“I guess I’d rather know when. But then you’re gonna be like a ticking time bomb, like OMG.”
britney hagihara Teachers spend an average of $13,000 of their own money on school supplies for their classroom over the course of their career.
janise kim
kari debusca
Since 1950, there has been a 252% increase in teachers.
“If the students do well, then I’ll know that I’ve performed well.”
jed uson
curtis defeo “Because there’s enough food for everybody in the world it just doesn't go around as it should.”
“If I was protected I rather go to the past, you know really learn the things I’ve studied.”
katie rockwell argie miller
liana garma
takeisha st. hilaire
“Mentally because at least you still have all of... you’re aware of what’s going on and like that kind of stuff. You know, who cares about looks?”
the United States, surveys reveal that teachers are second only to Did you Inmilitary personnel as the occupation that contributes the most to know? society’s well-being.
Marisa Hayase | Mililani Times
FEATURE
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| Se pt em b er 7, 2 0 1 7
Tradition, Culture, Camaraderie, Family: 2017 Mililani Hongwanji Bon Dance BY MAIYA EZAWA
2018EZAWAM@MILILA N I H S.K1 2 .H I.US
T
he arrival of summer for many in Hawaii is a time of community, festivity, and spirituality in the form of the state’s annual bon dances. Typically held at Buddhist temples, these events, honoring the dead, span the course of two nights with food, dancing and games. From Aug. 18 to 19, the Mililani Hongwanji celebrated their 40th anniversary and hosted one of two bon dances in the area. “I think it’s wonderful that people feel free enough to dance together with other people at this festive occasion. I think that’s wonderful and I hope it continues that way. You know in this day and age, where we need to find more things to bring us together—Hawaii is the melting pot,” said Mililani Hongwanji founder Melvin Hayase. Traditionally, Bon Dances were rooted heavily in the Buddhist religion and is a time to celebrate one’s ancestors. However, after time and localization, the event has evolved. “You see when I grew up, bon dancing, it was more traditional, and if you wanted to dance, you had to wear either kimono or happi coat, you had to have that kind of outfit on,” said Hayase. “And I think that pretty much was the rule. I know when we started the bon dance, it tended to be like that, but we made it very clear from the beginning that let’s be more
welcoming, let’s let anybody who wants to dance, dance, as long as they have, you know, clothes on.” From its establishment in 1977, the Mililani Bon Dance has changed in location and size—expanding its impact and fixture on the community. “We began, I think it was our first bon dance was at the (Recreation) Center One—we had it inside (Recreation) Center One the way it is now. Inside of it we built our own yagura, the center place, and we kind of danced around it. That was our first bon dance,” said Hayase. “So basically, that’s the change. It’s kind of grown, mushroomed into this activity that we have now. So I think that (the) bon dance has brought the community together, and all kinds of people participate in it. And I think it’s one of the major annual events here in Mililani.” Despite changes in size, traditional aspects of the event stay fundamentally the same every year, allowing patrons both old and new to bond together over the shared experience. “The annual bon dance is truly a community event for multiple generations of Mililani families and their friends, as well as bon dance aficionados from all over the island, who come together to experience the friendly and family oriented Mililani community,” said Co-Chair of the Bon Dance Committee Roger Babcock. “We
Marisa Hayase | Mililani Times Sophomore Arem Pai was one of the many dance teachers that provided an example of the various dance moves for inexperienced people to mimic.
provide an open air venue, free to the public to come and share in an age old cultural tradition of remembering our ancestors through music, dance, and fellowship,” said Mililani Hongwanji President Rene Mansho. The annual Bon Dance is a time to gather and show tolerance and respect for the many different people in the community. “We promote the concept of ‘dana’ which is unselfish giving to do good without any expectations of receiving anything in return. People just want to live together in peace and harmony and Hawaii is the best place to bring us all as one,” said Mansho. “As the president for the past two years, my vision has been to work to honor our past legacy and to seek ways to open our temple to the community in order that they may view Mililani Hongwanji as a place to appreciate Buddhism, live the values of gratitude, com-
passion, and promoting peace, and come and enjoy activities for all ages, all ethnicities, all religions to respect one another.” The yagura, standing in the center of the Mililani Hongwanji parking lot, serves as a marker for participants to dance around. “My favorite part of the bon dance is just getting out there and joining in the joy of dancing in the crowd which looks chaotic, but is very organized as we move together in the circle following the teachers in the center. The loyal (teachers) keep us in time, and we rely on their leadership,” said Mansho. Mililani Bon Dance stands as a centerpiece of the community, strengthening relationships between family, friends and neighbors. Organizations such as the Mililani Judo club, Ki Aikido club, MTA, Lions, and Soroptimist volunteered their time to make the event run smoothly.
16 SPORTS Years Later, Soft Tennis Rallys Back | Se pt e m ber 7, 2 0 1 7
Erisa Castillo | Mililani Times Tennis player Senior Isaac Goshay makes the transition from tennis to soft tennis. One slight difference is the type of stroke. Soft tennis has a spin whereas tennis has a flat stroke. by Chloe Kitsu |
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one for almost fifty years, soft tennis is making a comeback at MHS as a new fall sport this school year. “It was back in the early seventies, then it was discontinued because the tennis coach at that time felt that it was not conducive to tennis, you know, different kind of stroke, different kind of ball, so we discontinued it,” said Athletic Director Glenn Nitta. Soft tennis was brought back this year at the request of the current tennis coaches, Jason Tamura and Jason Agsalda who will also serve as head coach and assistant coach respectively.
“Honestly, to give our regular tennis players more conditioning as well as providing the rest of the student body an opportunity to play a sport,” said assistant coach Jason Agsalda. But getting students to play soft tennis has been one of the challenges that the team has been facing. “We didn’t have too many players come out, but we had a lot of, I would say, probably about six or seven varsity tennis players who came out to try it out,” said assistant coach Agsalda. Another challenge in reviving soft tennis was the lack of proper equipment. “We had to basically
The sport not only serves as an extracurricular, but also as a preseason prep for the regular tennis season. “I wanted to join because it seemed like a fun sport and to prep myself before tennis season,” said Senior Halie Chang. The team has many goals and hopes that they want to achieve by the end of the season. “To play together as a team, give our hundred percent on every point and with that hopefully we’ll make it far in the OIAs. We just want to get acclimated to this new opportunity and have fun,” said Agsalda.
The more you know - Matches can be played as singles, men or women
- The next match will be at MHS on Saturday September 9th, at 2:00 pm against Wailua.
- In soft tennis doubles, the serving rotation is the same as in regular tennis, but the partners on the team take turns serving two consecutive points throughout the game. http://www.astf.asia/whatissofttennis.html
get equipment from other schools because we haven’t had it for so long, we didn’t have any equipment and it’s not like you can get soft tennis equipment from the local sporting goods store,” said Agsalda. For some of the players, adjusting to the game of soft tennis has been a challenge. “It’s been hard adjusting to the different racquets and balls that we use in soft tennis. The balls aren’t as bouncy and the racquets are smaller so it’s definitely harder to move and hit the balls the way you want to,” said Senior Reannon Suzuki.
https://www.thoughtco.com/soft-tennis-3208195
doubles, and mixed doubles. - Instead of tie-breaks, soft tennis uses a “final game” at 3-all in singles or 4-all in doubles. The final game, single players or double teams take turns serving two points at a time and change ends after the first two points then after every four.