Issue 4 2022 by Trojan Times

TROJAN TIMES MILILANI HIGH SCHOOL · ISSUE 4 · MARCH 2022

THE SHOW GOES ON The spotlight shines on senior Sara Imata and sophomore Zaden Jay Brub at the Central Theatre Arts Academy’s production of High School Musical. Performances, competitions, and hard work are shown in all aspects at Mililani High as quarter three comes to an end and the final weeks of the year rapidly approach.

LFE

A Letter From the Editor

Girl Push-ups

Trojan Times’ mission

school (and even sometimes in is to inform the community Writer my secondary years) when teachof news, people, and Jenna Kim ers would ask for big strong men/ issues of concern. boys to move chairs or desks for an Designer Community. Responsibility. Clare Sullivan activity. The looks on my female classmates’ faces were just enough. Dependability. The shift in the room was just I was a kid — and enough to empower those who were fed even now, I have up with the assumptions to run ahead Editor-in-Chief Head Social Media of the boys and claim girl power in the never had to Jenna Kim Shaylee Oshiro name of carrying furniture, or winning reach for the box dodgeball, or even being the fastest of gloves on the Story Editor Head Design top shelf or been typer on the old rickety school computKanako Yonashiro Clare Sullivan ers with their old, rickety, 2010 learning asked to carry programs. Girl push-ups, although so the 50 pound much nicer and so much easier, were Opinions Editor Head Photographer bags of flour to abolished. Macallister Graves Johnathan Escasa the kitchen at This is not to discount the absence my workplace. A man, even of my of choice presented to men, expectaCopy Editors Photo Stylist 4’11 stature, would tions often pushed beyond 50 pound Isabella Makino Brynn Vincent rowing up in the later 2000s, have, because that’s who he was raised flour bags and regular push-ups. In the Akira Pescador my ideas of feminism and gen- to be in the average human headaverage human headspace, men have der issues were always faced been without emotion since the dawn of space. I’m not asked to pay for meals, Digital Editor Advisor with a heavy contrast between the old open doors, do normal push-ups, or time and will take any feeling that they Alexander Ozawa Christopher Sato “thin-model-on-the-magazine-and- pick up major physical duties by those do have to their grave. The celebration of also-women-should-be-in-the-kitch- who carry those traditional views all one gender, race, or party often results en-making-me-a-sandwich” ideals at the expense of those in the darkness the way to 2022. Staff and the growing feminist movement. surrounding the spotlight, but each can Overtaken by the hyper-awareness Born right at the mainstream media’s of my physiological and psychologexist in the same realm of appreciation. Serena Birchard Shelby Seu transition between these two places, I ical capabilities (in both reality and During Women’s History Month, have always felt like a helpless young people’s prejudices), it’s hard to feel keeping each group in mind can help Alexia Cramer Serenity Shadowens strong empowered weak lesser amaz- as strong and powerful as Susan B. to uplift one without downplaying ing woman. another’s issues. Applying awareness all Anthony or Malala Yousefzai, or like Sarah Dittle Kalli Tanita I admit, gender inequality is some- I’m living up to the privileges these year long upon the fresh pavement of thing I’ve used for my own advantage women worked so hard to bring to our the gender movement, the Trojan Times Anya Hubbard Josslyn Rose at times. Women are viewed by some movement. wishes you a happy Women’s History as the weaker sex, and in turn, men Month and are grateful to showcase to But, in the littlest ways, Gen-Z Kiyana Okita-Cagdan Dannika Pila are worked by that view to carry evyou all the special groups and people on women like myself have always been erything. Playing the “dainty woman” aligned with the movement almost our campus this year. Arie Yamasaki Ken Sakata card has been part of my life ever since naturally. I remember in elementary

Jacob-Tavini Uelese

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PROFILE

Maddux Yoshitake: Writer Shelby Seu

Photographer Johnathan Escasa

Designer Ken Sakata

No Pain, No Gain

“I would just tell myself to keep going. And you know, I would think back on all the times I felt super insecure. Or when someone made fun of me,” said senior Maddux Yoshitake. Taking the negativity of his past and developing it into a positive end goal has been an important aspect of Yoshitake’s development and motivation through the years.

he journey to a toned and healthy body is one that many attempt to embark on. Especially during the pandemic, working out had become a big part of the daily regimens for those refusing to let the quarantine prevent them from being active. Through health specialists and influencers on social media — currently one of the most accessible and easily-consumable forms of entertainment and sources of information available — the motivation for fitness has spread like wildfire. From posts of daily gym workouts to links for at home exercises, fitness has been gaining a lot of attention during the pandem-

ic. However, Mililani High School senior Maddux Yoshitake started on his journey before the pandemic had even begun. “[In] middle school, I didn’t really take it seriously. I was very obese. And, yeah, I was told before I would hit high school that I would have type two diabetes. So I needed to change. That’s how I got into working out,” said Yoshitake. Yoshitake battled with being overweight for quite some time, but with his condition, unwanted attention and commentary followed. According to him, friends, peers, and family members would make fun of him because of his appearance. Yoshitake

also found himself being one of his worst enemies. With constant blows to his self esteem, Yoshitake faced a lot of name calling and labeling, internally and externally. “I was a loser. I wasn’t good enough. I was fat. I had nothing going for me. Nobody would talk to me. Stuff like that,” said Yoshitake. To deal with his feelings of insecurity, Yoshitake knew that he needed a lifestyle shift. He began working out with little to no knowledge on where to start, taking to YouTube and finding channels like Athlean X along with other at-home guides to aid him. However, learning how to exercise is only one part of the process, as one must find the motivation within themselves to apply such knowledge and maintain a consistent exercise schedule. “I would just tell myself to keep going. And you know, I would think back on all the times I felt super uncomfortable and insecure. Or when someone made fun of me,” said Yoshitake. “Sometimes you just have to use — have to do it even when you don’t need — don’t like it. You know? You can always be motivated all the time.” Yoshitake had to rely primarily on himself for motivation. According to him, no one took him seriously, leaving him very discouraged. While Yoshitake did use the negativity from others to fuel his drive for his success, he found that keeping the motivation to push through his journey was difficult. “I’d say half the time I wasn’t motivated at all. Sometimes even now I’m not motivated. Just this morning, I woke up at 4:00 and I was like, I don’t want to go to the gym,” said Yoshitake. “This bed feels so comfortable. But yeah, you just have to — sometimes you just have to do it. You have to get up. You have to get up off your — off your butt.”

Currently, Yoshitake tries to work out every day at the UFC Gym in Mililani. According to him, he would not be able to function properly without it. With each passing week, he follows a continuous cycle for his workouts — push, pull, and legs. “So push is like, pushing movements like chest and shoulders. And then that’ll be for Monday, and then Tuesday will be like pull,” said Yoshitake. “So like, your back, pulling, and then like, your biceps. And then Wednesday will be legs, and then we’ll just repeat.” For those who find themselves in a similar situation to Yoshitake, he urges them to try to push themselves to work towards a healthy goal. Upon further comment, he also wants to emphasize the importance of being open to new opportunities and chances. “I would say that motivation is just temporary; it always goes away. And you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. If that makes sense. If you want to grow as a human, you have to do things that make you uncomfortable,” said Yoshitake. “And really push yourself — I feel like that’s key to not just losing weight and like, getting like big, or like, getting into fitness, but just life in general. You just have to start doing things you’re uncomfortable with and get comfortable doing that.” Yoshitake is very proud of how far he’s come and how much effort he’s put into himself and his workouts. He still continues to wake up at 4 a.m. every morning to get his daily exercise drills in, hoping to push himself even further past his original goal that began at the end of 2017.

FEATURE

A Taste of Mililani’s Small Businesses Writer and Designer Shaylee Oshiro

A crowd starts to form at the Taste of Mililani as it gets later in the night, demonstrating just how much the community appreciates and supports these businesses.

ood trucks: convenient, delicious and local. Hawaii is a hotspot for all types of food, with cuisines from countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Polynesia, and more. The types of

Photographer Johnathan Escasa vendors seem to run like mom-and-pop type shops — a term used to describe smaller business that are either family owned or independent. For many, it’s an easy dinner option, being able to relax and eat good food without putting in all the work it takes to cook for themselves or an entire family. Taste of Mililani is a Mililani-run event that takes place on the fourth Friday of every month at Mililani High School. Various businesses come to provide some good food, a family-like atmosphere, and some much needed retail therapy. The trucks cater to everyone, no matter their demographic, as vendors’ products are varied. For example, notable items include Hawaiian honey cones, flavored popcorn, guava smoked meat, and more. “The most interesting part of working the food truck event is seeing all the other vendors and what type of products

they have,” said senior Keoki Kauanui. “I feel it’s important to support local mom-and-pop shops because some people want their business to grow more than just following the business norms, and instead want to provide their own personalization on things they love.” Many of the businesses stem from local owners who want to share something they love or take pleasure in seeing others enjoy their products. For students, there are many opportunities to eat local food at these events. Food trucks allow others to explore new foods while also allowing students to learn about sustainability and the importance of supporting local businesses. Students aren’t the only ones taking part in the event, as anyone from the community can attend. There are a handful of others who come from outside of Mililani, taking the trip out to support these businesses. Still, it’s important for those in Mililani to participate as it’s metaphorically just around the corner. “I think supporting local is super

important and showing up not only gives money to these businesses but also tells the school that you’re interested in having more of these types of events so it benefits both the businesses and us as students,” senior council executive Caden Chang said. Chang often attends these events with friends after extracurricular meetings, school event planning, and more, highlighting the convenience of a selection of good food and drink choices after a busy day. Taste of Mililani is a combination of food trucks, locally made snacks, and some small business retail. Students and families are able to take a break every fourth Friday of the month to enjoy the fun times and calming environment. In the future, the community looks forward to featuring more food trucks and tents, making the event larger and more known for everyone to enjoy. For more information, visit https://m.facebook. com/events/359837725820997 or https:// www.gohawaii.com/islands/events/ taste-of-mililani-1.

Sunday Sun at Mililani’s Farmers Market Writer and Designer Shaylee Oshiro

armers markets, especially in Hawaii, have gained more popularity in recent years. With the help of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Farmers Markets, Mililani High School hosts a weekly farmers market each Sunday at the school’s main parking lot. Vendors sell goods ranging from fresh locally grown produce to a quick bite to eat, from snacks like ice cream or chocolate-dipped strawberries to plate lunch style meals. For some, waking up early on Sunday mornings is a challenge, but for those who do and have a chance to come down, there’s always something to try and enjoy. “I’m a coffee-fiend, so it’s gotta be Tides Coffee at the Mililani Farmers Market. I’ve been a regular with them since they first started and they are so innovative with their coffee! They make their syrups and sauces in house, work with local farmers to source their ingredients, and even roast their own beans,” Yearbook advisor and Student Activities assistant Danielle Castro said.

“I also love Sage Creamery, run by MHS alumni. Their ice cream tastes so fresh and creamy, and they remind me of Salt & Straw from Portland. Tides Coffee also gives me Portland vibes. I think these two vendors stand out because they remind me of college and those were some of my most memorable years.” A big part of this local support is the idea of sustainability, especially within a circle of local vendors and consumers. Supporting small businesses through the news, blogs, and word of mouth has increased in importance. With goods such as jewelry, food, clothing and more, local businesses have become something that people now can make a living off of. Through enough work, individuals from the community are now able to share their passions with others for profit. It can take hours, days or months to learn, create and manufacture their products, and with an outlet like farmers markets to expand their brands and reach, it garners a larger audience to this cycle of sustainability. “Supporting local promotes sustainability in our communities, we’re supporting farmers and sourcing our food fresh and locally,” said Castro. “Eggs

last longer since they aren’t coming from overseas and the fish you can get was probably just caught a day or two before.” Over the last couple of years, businesses had to adapt to various recently established regulations, such as new rules on plastic use, where restaurants had to use environmentally-friendly alternatives to plastic utensils. The pandemic’s restrictions also changed food practices with the introduction of mask mandates, social distancing, and worker shortages. While social media isn’t a government-imposed idea, as it has gained large societal influence, its effects on the commercial world are nothing insignificant. Through quarantine, internet users had an ever-increasing dependency on social media to stay connected with one another. Hence, businesses advertising their goods and services via social media were able to reach more possible customers. The rising influence of content creators on such online platforms enhances the effectiveness of online advertising, as their views on trends can manipulate the market. Other recent developments in technology encourage consumers to pay with their smart-

phones or credit cards as opposed to carrying cash everywhere. “I also appreciate the hard work and innovation of the vendors as they adapt especially throughout the pandemic,” said Castro. “Some have adapted and now utilize tools like Venmo when they used to accept cash only. Supporting our farmers markets is also a celebration of what we have to offer as an island from the ground up — from the local produce to the fresh caught-fish, orchids and succulents, loaves of bread, we have a lot to appreciate.” With time, farmers markets seem to have become something more wellknown and attended, preferred not only for a healthier alternative, but also to support those who locally run their businesses. As the world is adapting to this economically sustainable movement, there have been many changes both by vendors and customers. With an increase of support, these businesses are on the rise, giving back to the community while also being supported the most by their consumers.

FEATURE

Keeping Hope Alive How to Cope with College Rejection Writer Jenna Kim

Designer Shaylee Oshiro

s the panicked, scrambling application season ends for high school seniors and the dreaded results flow through emails in the spring, the hearts of students who intend to continue education in college beat louder and faster through the campus hallways. Although anticipated for essentially their whole lives, seniors of every class are hit hard by the changes and ideas that the responsibilities of adulthood bring. One such concept is rejection, specifically from the pre-planned lives that most students intend to follow after high school at their dream college, somewhere far away from home or even right next door. It is important to recognize that opportunities

Safety

lie everywhere and there is never an end of hope for the future. “To get through the emotional struggle — definitely take the time to do that, don’t brush over, don’t belittle that. Process through and then as they’re ready to employ one of us to talk with and look at what the next option is,” says college and career counselor Cindy Schrock. “It happens, definitely more often than we would like to admit. But, dealing with disappointment is definitely a life skill and so getting the support and being able to be a problem solver in a sense of looking for other opportunities that are still gonna give them what the student is looking for. The emotional process is something we

A college you’re confident you’ll be able to get into.

don’t talk too much about.” The first step to grappling with rejection from college is preparing oneself for it. The locus of control is a great example of how students can arrange themselves to be as successful as possible in the application process. It is a psychological term which details the extent to which an individual believes they have control over their own experiences — one with high internal locus of control believes strongly that their own actions will influence their life, and they have control over what happens to them. Those with a high external locus of control tend to leave things up to fate, believing that only external force can influence their lives. By developing

plans and keeping a schedule, college applicants will have greater control over their results. The College Board is an avid promoter of the “1-2-1” principle in college applications. A prospective college student should apply to one safety school, two good fit schools, and one reach school. For reference, safety schools have admission requirements that a student easily surpasses and often are not competitive, colleges that a student has a good chance of getting into are considered good fit schools, and reach schools are those which students may have a chance of getting into, but can be a stretch due to requirements, financial issues, or com-

good FIT REAcH at an academic level fitted for you, confident about acceptance.

Fits in the “Dream School” Category, selective but still a chance.

Enrolling in more colleges heightens the chances that you’ll attend a four year college. Applying to two compared to only one makes it 40% more likely to go to college. These tips were found on the College Board website. For more information, visit https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/college-basics. petitiveness. Applying to multiple colleges — especially those that have requirements close to one’s achievements — can provide numerous options for students during the decision season. “I think as you process through, having other options is what’s gonna help you find that there’s help,” said Schrock. “If a student doesn’t get into their number one school, I would want them to always keep hope because there’s more than one way to get to that school. To keep hope alive, I think students in disappointment need someone to remind them that there is much more ahead than what they may have been laser-focused on.” One option after facing rejection is to write an appeal to the college. Local universities like Manoa offer this to students; if you disagree with their admission

decision, the option to write a letter to the school detailing why they should reconsider is provided. Another option is to take a gap year and reapply to the school if it’s somewhere one really wanted to attend. College application season comes every year, and there are opportunities to apply at any age, not just as a high school senior. “There’s also a transfer option later down the road. And we also tell students a lot of you are looking at getting a master’s degree, so if you’re not gonna be able to get your bachelor’s degree from your number one choice there’s always the opportunity to get a master’s from there,” said Schrock. Community colleges on Oahu include Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College, Windward Commu-

nity College, and Kapiolani Community College. It is also important to remember that college is not the only option — students may go into work after high school, join the military, or take a break from the pressures of being in school or work. However, before taking any of these leaps, the most significant step for college applicants to take is based on their mental health state. “I think that is the part that a student should definitely work through — the emotions and the disappointment,” said Schrock. “There’s definitely a grieving process in there, and acknowledge that. Deal with that, and get the support that you need. Talk with people that you know are gonna encourage you and support you. Family, teachers, and friends.” The main goal of the entire future

planning process revolves around hope and positive wishes for oneself. Utilizing an internal locus of control and recognizing that actions influence outcomes is the most significant way to get through these times full of stress and changes. It is also highly encouraged to seek advice or counseling for anyone with questions or issues with the process. The College and Career Center can be contacted at their website https://sites.google.com/mililanihs.k12. hi.us/cncc/home, or Mrs. Schrock can be emailed at cindy.schrock@k12.hi.us. The College and Career Center is located at H106 on campus. “It is that persevering mindset, it is that hope, and that ability to bounce back in the process with the support that they surround themselves with,” said Schrock.

FEATURE

A Pawesome Performance: Gano’s Tahkira Macchiato Competes in Shows Writer & Designer Isabella Makino

ililani High School office assistant Irene Gano and her husband Royd Gano have been participating in dog shows and competitions since the ‘80s. Recently, their Afghan hound Tahkira “Macca” Macchiato won third place in Afghan hound breed standings and fifth place in all breed standings. Hosted by the American Kennel Club, the National Championship presented by Royal Canin took place in Orlando, Florida on December 18 and 19, 2021. “I think the best part is seeing your dog do well nationally,” said Royd Gano. “I mean we always believed it was a beautiful dog, but you don’t really know until you compete with other dogs, other Afghans, champion dogs, dogs that are nationally known.” Judges do not pick winners by comparing the dogs to each other. Instead, dogs are judged by how accurately they match up to the standard set for their particular breed. For example, for Afghan hounds, judges will look at aspects like their head, neck, body, tail, legs, coat, height, weight, color, temperament and gait, which is the dog’s manner of walking. By seeing how closely these dogs are to the ideal standard, judges are able to pick winners. “We knew that he had the poten-

FUN FACT! Afghan Hounds are part of the sighthound family. They have dolichocephalic heads, meaning they have 270 degree field of vision. This means that they are usually classified under a group of canines that use their speed and sight for hunting purposes, which are known as sighthounds.

Photographer Anya Hubbard

tial because he could run,” said Irene Gano. “But there wasn’t too many shows here. And we got him for that, for that reason that he was a good dog, he was a quality show dog, and we didn’t want to waste him, being stuck in nothing. So my husband decided to send him to the mainland and start showing him. So he went to the mainland. He’s been traveling the states.” The competition, which consists of multiple stages, first places dogs within their respective breed. For example, an Afghan hound like Macca would be placed with all the other Afghan hounds to compete for the Best of Breed category based on how well they measure up to AKC standards. Dogs are then sorted into groups, which encompasses multiple breeds. There are seven groups: the sporting group, the hound group, the working group, the terrier group, the toy group, the non-sporting group and the herding group. Finally, those that moved on from their groups would compete with all of the dogs from the other groups for the title of Best in Show. As for the dog in second place, the title of Reserve Best in Show would be given, with subsequent top-ranking dogs receiving the title of runner-up Best in Show. Macca, who placed fifth for all breed standings, was one of the runner-up Best in Show dogs. “Rankings for this year just came out. He’s the number 3 Afghan in the nation,” said Royd Gano. “That was like, whoa. We knew he was doing well, but we didn’t know how well.” Macca has also received the title of champion. To become a champion, a dog needs a total of fifteen points and two majors. Majors are a three point win. Once a dog becomes a champion, they will have the prefix “CH”

Gano’s other Afghan hound, Calahorra Lemon Sorbet (also called Dany), was shown in the Neal Blaisdell Exhibition Hall on March 5 and 6. Dany is one of Gano’s four dogs and is working on her gait to better match the breed standard. W hen walking, a dog’s feet should be syncrhonized in order to align with the standard, which requires time and practice.

in front of their name. However, the only way Macca would have been able to get a major was to win Best in Show. Because of this, along with the limited opportunities the pandemic created, Macca had to be sent out of Hawaii. In addition, Macca has received the Grand Champion title, which requires 50 points and attaches the “GCH” prefix in front of the dog’s name. Currently, Macca is three quarters of the way to the Grand Champion Bronze title, which requires 100 points. “You know, you don’t win that money to show,” said Irene Gano. “It’s more for the, I don’t wanna say glory but just being recognized that you know you have a good dog.” Previously, Irene and Royd Gano’s Samoyed Troy participated in these competitions. As time passed, Troy’s front legs were not aligned with the standard, resulting in him not competing anymore. “Yeah, well our Samy, which is the white dog, we used to show but as he grew older his front legs weren’t aligned correctly, based on

the standard,” said Irene Gano. “So we stopped showing him but he became more of our pet. But he still he has everything, he has the smile. But when he stands, when he poses, because you have to pose, sometimes the way his legs are standing, it doesn’t look correct.” The two also have another Afghan hound who is competing at the moment as well. However, her gait, or the way she walks, needs to be improved to be further synchronized. More practice is required for her in order to match the standards set by the AKC. “We got our first champion twenty something years ago,” said Royd Gano. “Like I said, now that the kids are grown up, we got a different breed, fell in love with that breed, and said let’s try it. First show out was a puppy match, he won the match and that got us hooked. So we said let’s do it. Haven’t looked back since.” Macca is still competing on the mainland at the moment. For more information about the AKC, visit their website at https:// www.akc.org/.

FEATURE

AKC’s Afghan Hound Breed Standards Head The foreface, or muzzle area, should be evenly balanced with the skull. The teeth of the upper and lower jaw should align uniformly, and the jaws should be long and punishing. Additionally, the nasal bone structure should have a slight prominence as well.

Body The back line should be level from the shoulders to the back area of the dog, which should be strong, powerful, and slightly arched. The hipbones should be pronounced. The length from the chest to the buttocks should be the same as the height at the dog’s shoulders.

Coat

Tail

The dog should be covered in thick and silky hair with very fine texture. The front of the shoulders and behind the shoulders should have short and close hair, which forms a smooth back.

The tail should have a curve or ring at the end, but it shouldn’t be curled over, positioned sideways, or be too bushy. It should not rest on the back, but it shouldn’t be set too high either.

Legs Forelegs should be straight and strong. There should be some length between the elbow and the pastern (the area between the wrist and foot). The forefeet should be long and wide with toes that are well arched. Their feet should be covered with long, thick and fine hair, and all four should be in line with their body. Their shoulders should be angular, as shoulders that are too straight will cause the dog to break down in the pasterns.

Gait The gait, which is how the dog walks, should be a gallop. The dog’s stride should be smooth and powerful. It can trot at a fast pace when on a loose lead, and the dog should place its hind feet directly behind its front feet when walking.

FEATURE

Man’s Best Friend:

Trojan Life with Service Dogs

Writer Kanako Yonashiro Photographer Jacob-Tavini Uelese Designer Clare Sullivan

ervice dogs take part in essential roles of assisting people with disabilities. This can bring a lot more ease to the lives of people with disabilities, and MHS students freshman Jordan Brub and senior Max Scott have learned to adjust their routine to in-person learning with their service dogs. “I mean a lot of people didn’t know that diabetic alert dogs even existed, like it’s actually ridiculous what people can train dogs to do. Dogs are just amazingly smart and they’re just awesome all around and I am very blessed to have Ruby in my life,” said Scott. Brub, seeking more independence in his routine, suggested to his parents three years ago to get a service dog. From there, the process of receiving his service dog involved finding a perfect fit for Brub based on his disability, and having to participate in additional training with the dog: one week in Maui and one week in Oahu. Although it required a lengthy process, he has felt a lot more comfortable in his daily routine upon receiving his service dog, Harper. He no longer needed to rely on his parents to perform certain tasks for him, such as picking up things or turning on and off the lights. “My favorite thing about having Harper is how she makes me feel a lot more comfortable especially when I get stressed out,” said Brub. Brub’s first experience of having Harper with him on campus was during middle school. One of the major difficulties he faced was having to adjust to campus life. Oftentimes, he struggled to focus on completing

Photo credit: Max Scott Senior Max Scott (right) with Ruby (left).

Freshman Jordan Brub (left) with Harper (right) on MHS campus.

his school work as he also felt the need to worry about taking care of Harper. He also found it difficult to handle students who would distract her from doing her job. “It was rough at some point but then it got better. Students really started understanding what service dogs can and cannot do, or can or cannot pet her but it has got better throughout the years,” said Brub. Scott first received his diabetic alert dog Ruby at the end of October 2021, after waiting two years. He was put on the waitlist for a year and had to wait another year for his dog to get trained. Because Ruby is trained to alert Scott when she smells his blood sugar levels go out of range, it was necessary for Scott to provide saliva samples of all his different blood sugar levels for her training. “She definitely brings an ease to my family and myself knowing that we have a 45 pound dog that is ready

to save my life at all times. It brings a lot of ease to my parents especially because they don’t have to worry as much because Ruby is always there to help me out. It definitely lifts that weight off our chest sometimes,” said Scott. Upon receiving Ruby, Scott had to reorganize his daily schedule around his new companion both at home and school. Similar to Brub, Scott has to not only focus on his school work, but Ruby as well during school. At times, he has to ensure that Ruby is not bothering any of his classmates or being distracting during lessons. Scott also finds it difficult to walk in the packed hallways with Ruby and having to maneuver through the crowd. “It was actually very nerve wracking having Ruby the first time on campus because you stand out a lot more when people see you and you just have a big spotlight on you but it’s really nice to have a cute pet right next to you

because you can play with her during class and she’s like my best friend that I take everywhere,” said Scott. Just like Brub, Scott struggles to handle situations where students pet Ruby while she is working. Although he wishes to provide students the opportunity to pet and play with Ruby, he needs to alleviate distractions in order for her to concentrate on alerting him. “It’s always nice to have someone there who just loves you and you know who’s going to love you forever so I mean it’s nice to have someone that you know who can have your back and save your life in my case but yeah she’s a great partner and I mean she makes life more interesting and more fun,” said Scott. For those who are interested in obtaining a service dog, visit https:// www.assistancedogshawaii.org/. For more information on diabetic alert dogs, go to https://www.diabeticalertdogsofamerica.com/.

types of s e r v i c e dogs Guide dogs mainly aid visually impaired individuals in navi-

gation around objects to avoid a collision, including various hazards and low-hanging obstacles. These dogs manage large spaces, ensuring the safety of their handlers.

Mobility assistance dogs assist those with spinal or brain injuries, arthritis, and other physically debilitating condition. They help by retrieving out-of-reach items, providing momentum, and even acting as a brace.

Autism support dogs prevent harmful behavior

towards oneself and emotional meltdowns. Responding to anxious behavior with nudges helps calm owners in social situations and prevent isolation.

Psychiatric service dogs help those who deal with depression,

anxiety, and most often, PTSD. Military veterans often experience flashbacks and anxiety, but with the help of psychiatric service dogs, they may feel more secure in their environment.

Allergy detection dogs help sniff out allergens like

gluten and peanuts to prevent deadly reactions. This service dog is frequently found at the side of children in school and alerts its handler when harmful food substances are detected.

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Oculus Quest

VS.

irtual Reality has been a part of gaming for the past several years now, and interest in it keeps growing by the day. Now it is expanding past gaming to include all entertainment in general, and this has come with more options for VR headsets. At the forefront of this industry is the Oculus Quest 2 (now known as Meta Quest 2) and the Valve Index. Both of these headsets approach VR in very different ways. The question is, though — who comes out on top? Let’s begin with the Valve Index. It is widely known as the “top-ofthe-line” VR headset, with a price to match. The Valve Index begins at $999. That price alone is one of the biggest downsides to the headset. It’s hard for people to justify spending that much money to try out new technology. However, that price does seem more worth it after some time using it. The Index’s hardware is very impressive, supporting a high-end display, a wide field of view, accurate motion tracking, and fantastic controllers that include hand-tracking, allowing you to use each of your fingers in VR. The Valve Index is the only headset currently on the market to include a 144-hertz display, which may help some users avoid motion sickness. It also has great headphones that hover just over your ear and provide fantastic sound. Now let’s move on to the Quest 2. This headset begins at $299, which is $700 cheaper than the Index. The largest difference between these headsets are ease of use and accessibility. The Quest 2 has no cables or wires to speak of, excluding those used to charge the headset and controllers. They also lack the need for any base station to track the wearer’s movements, or a desktop computer to run the games, both of which the Index relies on. It is a much better introductory VR headset, especially to those less familiar with the concept of VR or those who wish to avoid working too much with computers. Getting the Quest 2 up and running to play games took very little effort, besides fiddling with Facebook’s integration with the headset. The Facebook integration is a big downside. The Quest 2 requires

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Valve Index ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Senior Alexander Ozawa is the Online Editor and writer of the Geek Beat blog at Trojan Times, and also designed this page.

all users to link their Quest 2 to their Facebook account. To some stark anti-Facebook consumers like myself, this is not an attractive part of the headset. Facebook suffered a PR disaster in October 2021, and tarnished their reputation for many people. And now, with their movement as a company, their investment in the “Metaverse” is easy to question or criticize. After some time using the Quest 2, it worked quite well. To me, it still falls quite short of the Index, but that is what you get for a cheaper headset. To wrap things up, I thoroughly enjoy using the Valve Index. It feels great, the controllers are fantastic, and it offers a great experience for anyone new or familiar with VR. However, it is $999, which is likely out of the price range for many. The humble Oculus also offers a decent experience at a much more accessible price, and will work just fine for someone who just wants to try VR out. What it came down to for me was the fact that the Quest came from Facebook. If it was any other manufacturer, I may have opted to go with the Quest instead. So, if you care about Facebook, or even like the company, the Quest 2 is a decent headset for a decent price. If you dislike Facebook and would like to avoid it, I would strongly recommend the Index.

3/11/22 8:50 AM

A preview of our online blogs. See more of our blogs at https://trojantimes.org/blogs/

BLOGS

Clothes, Collectibles, Cuisine Ohana Marketplace Prepares to close its doors

ne of the most famous quotes from an animated movie, and specifically one based in Hawaii is “Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind.”This highlights the importance of family and the connections between people. Ohana Marketplace, though a large standout-ish building on Ward Avenue, is definitely not a widely known spot. In fact, out of the nine people I asked, only one knew of the place. Unfortunately, it’s not something that’s going to be around for much longer either way, as it will be closing on March 31, 2022. No specific location has been released yet, other than somewhere in Kakaako. The Ohana Marketplace is filled with small businesses. I, myself, enjoy strolling through the aisles and past the vendors to check out the variety of goods on sale.But still, I’m not going to claim that I’ve been going there all my life or that I know everyone there like family, because truthfully, I don’t. The first time I visited the Ohana Marketplacewas on a late afternoon after school, and I was curious because my aunty heard it was closing. My only regret? Not visiting sooner. The place is filled with cubicle-like setups where people run their own businesses. And even from a new, young and fairly naive perspective, one can tell that the vendors have worked unbelievably hard to get where they are. I’ve been there a few times since then, and each time I appreciate the owners more than the last. It’s hard

to run small businesses, especially in Hawaii where the economy can get a little haywire. “I believe that supporting small businesses is important because it helps boost the local economy, creates job opportunities, and supports your local community. You also get a different kind of care and quality because these businesses are run independently, not by stockholders or purely algorithms,” said senior Paige Villaruz. “It’s hard to keep small businesses running because ultimately they aren’t big companies, therefore we’re helping these owners greatly by supporting them.” They have collectables, food spots including both desserts and main courses, clothing, jewelry and more. During the last couple times I stopped in, the Ohana Marketplace was hosting live performances that went beyond the usu-

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Senior Shaylee Oshiro is the Social Media Editor and writer of the Hawaii Hotspots and Hidden Hangouts and Anime Amateur blogs at Trojan Times.

al relegated-to-background-noise level of audience engagement. The performers would talk to the audience. They even sang happy birthday to someone’s aunty who was sitting in the crowd, regardless of her insistence that her birthday wasnt for a while longer. It’s that unforgettable sense of community and familiarity that I’ll never really get over. Even if not now or anytime soon, I definitely recommend

checking out this place, especially because of all the people that will benefit from one’s support. While the Ohana Marketplace won’t be open in its current location much longer, it harbors consistent support through the local community continuously. If anything, you’ll find me taking a trip down to town when I have the chance.

A mural on display on a wall in Ohana Hale Marketplace.

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3/11/22 8:50 AM

NEWS

Students moving to Nationals DECA CTSO placements in states competition Writer Macallister Graves

Photographer Serena Birchard

Designer Dannika Pila

rom February 21 to 25, the Mililani High School DECA CTSO (Distributive Education Clubs of America, Career and Technical Student Organization) participated in the state competition, which was held virtually over Zoom. During the event, students compete individually or in a team, and are judged with a 100-question written exam followed by a presentation. Students compete in a self-chosen category, which range from Travel and Tourism to Retail Merchandising. The conference hosted many guest speakers, speaking on topics such as finding career paths, preparing for a business career, or saving and investing money. A few talked about college options, entrepreneurship, and their experiences in varying positions in a company. “I think definitely the guest speakers are helpful, even if you’re not interested in exactly what they’re talking about, usually you can ask them questions in general about their careers and any advice that they have for a younger person,” chapter president and senior Annabelle Ink said. Balancing school and studying was a challenge as the team started to practice, hence, many members prioritized school work and studied on the side, as an extra hobby, or when time was available. Many members also stated that they tried to take the competition lightly, and looked at it as more of a fun opportunity, as opposed to a stressful chore. “I think a lot of our students are very busy, a lot of them are officers in our club, their in other clubs, they do sports, or they might be in AP classes, just very demanding schedules, work, a lot of them actually work, as well, in part-time jobs,” said co-advisor Janise

Left to right: Annabelle Ink (12), Elise Norris (12), Lauren Johnson (9), Zoey Vinoray (11), Evelyn Carillo-Cobian (11)

Kim. “So I think carving out that time to study and prep is just hard for a lot of them, but you know, the ones that participated this year really wanted to do it, and they made it work.” The team started to train in December, preparing for the written exam through practice tests online. The written exam taken in early February is usually self-study, unlike the mandatory preparations for the presentation, which students practiced for both online and in-person. The practice for the presentation is a bit different; the presentations are more akin to roleplay, where students are presented with a scenario that they must propose a solution to. “My first year, it’s - honestly, it’s great, like it’s a great start to how my high school’s gonna be. Next year, I plan

on doing it for the following years, and being more active in the club cause it’s a great thing to do, especially for college and it looks good on things,” said freshman Lauren Johnson. “I’m just really excited to get to know the people in the club more and all that, and as a freshman, it’s definitely a little more scary, but I feel like I don’t have as much pressure on me to do this, so I’m just doing it more for fun and the experience.” Due to their placements at the state competition, five out of seven students will move forward, competing from April 22 to 26 in Atlanta, Georgia, at the National International Career Development Conference. Ink and her partner, senior Elise Norris, will compete in Travel and Tourism, along with junior Evelyn Carillo-Cobian and her part-

ner, junior Zoey Vinoray. Johnson will also compete in Retail Merchandising instead. At Nationals, there will be more opportunities for the students, various business related events, and leadership development workshops for students to attend. “I hope that next year, we’ll have a longer competition team because whenever we do have competitors, usually they do very well and we have multiple people sent to Nationals, and this year we have 5 girls going, so next year I hope that more people will be encouraged to compete so we can have a bigger team at ICDC,” Ink said. To learn more about DECA and its classes, contact Kim at janise.kim@k12. hi.us

NEWS

SkillsUSA Competition: MHS Students Place Top 3 in Multiple Categories Writer Kanako Yonashiro

killsUSA is an industrial organization that aims to prepare students for the workforce by offering to develop personal, leadership, and technical skills. From February 1 to 15, Mililani High School SkillsUSA members competed virtually and placed in the top three in several categories. Regarding the placement of participants in the SkillsUSA competitions, MHS students had top-scoring positions in various categories across the board. Senior Ethan Ibanez won first place and sophomore Ryan Vagay won second place for internetworking. Senior Nina Shaw won second place in Pin Design. Senior Miya Nishihira won second place for Job DEMO. Junior Zachary Boston and junior Gabriel Macion-Pointer won second place for Mobile Robotics Tech. Junior Hailey Shimazu and junior Gabriel Macion-Pointer won second place for Video Production. “My time in Skills, I feel like it has made me a better leader and has helped me work on my communication skills, and just overall improve as a better person I guess because it helps build your confidence and it has also made me more passionate about graphic design too because I feel a lot more motivated to pursue it in college,” said MHS SkillsUSA president Nina Shaw. In the video production category, students were instructed to create a one-minute video based on this year’s theme “United as One.” Most students began scripting, filming, and editing as early as January and submitted their final products in Google Classroom. Throughout the process, Shimazu felt that this project allowed her to improve her time management ability and technical expertise in video production such as color correcting. “We called each other to watch the video award ceremony and we were so excited that we won,” said Shimazu. In the pin design category, the proj-

Club Competitions Kick Off: Mililani HOSA attends Hawaii State Conference

Designer Dannika Pila ect involved creating a pin based on the same given theme while representing the state. Participants in this category began planning ideas, drawing sketches, and preparing for their presentation on their design two months prior to the competition date. Shaw competed in this category in hopes of expanding her skills in graphic design. As a result, she believes that her participation in SkillsUSA has helped secure her interest in studying graphic design in college. “It feels good to win. It was very unexpected because I didn’t think that I would be placed at all so I was very shocked but I was mainly relieved because it was stressful,” said Shaw. As for the Internetworking category, the competition procedure involved building a simulation of a network, taking a written test on knowledge, and testing customer service through a simulated call with one of the judges. Ibanez competed in this category with the expectation of taking the skills that he learned in his networking classes and applying it to a practice setting. “So on top of being able to verify that the two years of classes amounted to something, it’s given me a really good way to use those skills and give me a reason to keep polishing them because I wouldn’t really be doing that unless I had a job in that,” said Ibanez. While the SkillsUSA national competition was held virtually last year, this year it will be held in June and in person. Many of the students that qualified such as Ibanez are excited to compete and have already begun preparing their next projects. For those interested in learning more about SkillsUSA, visit the organization’s website at www.skillsusa.org. MHS students that are interested in joining SkillsUSA, visit the club advisor Blaise Hanagami at room G202.

Writer Sarah Dittle

Designer Dannika Pila

n March 4, Mililani High School attended the State HOSA Conference, with senior Elliott Fujinami taking bronze in the Pathophysiology category. Fujinami qualifies for the HOSA International Leadership Conference being held from June 22-25 in Nashville, Tennessee. As the end of the quarter approaches, so too comes the beginning of club competition season. Mililani has a few clubs hosted by outside organizations such as DECA, SkillsUSA, FCCLA, and HOSA. These clubs are all centered on a particular career path — DECA on business and marketing, SkillsUSA on education, FCCLA on family consumer sciences, and HOSA on health-related careers. “Our meetings are on a need-to basis, where if there are new announcements, deadlines for collection or upcoming events will we have a meeting. Any club-related or HOSA state business that needs to be addressed then a meeting will be called. So far we only had in the morning an on campus activity promoting Healthy Heart Day on Sept. 29, 21. Club members had a “pin the heart on the torso” game, free blood temperature checks were given and information on the blood pressure chart with their own reading,” said HOSA club advisor Shirlen Tanaka. HOSA encourages both advocacy and medical education through its competitions, scholarships, and activities. “Basically our club meetings are just preparing for our competition and at the competition there’s either team events or there’s single events and for the teams, which is what I participate in,” said HOSA recording secretary senior Jazlyne Nitta. “I’m in Community Awareness so we pick a topic that we think is pretty prevalent in our community that we want to advocate for. Then you just research it and then eventually spread it to your community through morning bulletin or social media posts or whatever, and then you gather all of your findings and what you’ve communicated to your community and then you put that into a portfolio and that’s

what you submit to HOSA.” Nitta also completed a project on ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament, a key piece of tissue that stabilizes the knee) tears last year. This year, her project focuses on the mental and physical effects of staying inside for too long. Nitta said she and her partner, senior Paige Fujiwara, were motivated to do so by the sudden 2020-2021 quarantine caused by COVID-19. While teams come up with partner presentations, individual competitors study from textbooks for written tests. Individuals also choose from six categories: Health Science, Health Professions, Emergency Preparedness, Leadership,Teamwork and Recognition. Those who score the highest (who place gold, silver or bronze) qualify for the HOSA International Leadership Conference. HOSA, along with experience in preparing and presenting an advocacy project, also offers scholarships from health corporations such as CVS Health, American Dental Association, and the National Technical Honor Society. “The HOSA club provides the students the opportunity to get involved in the health profession by attending the state conference where there are medical field symposiums as well as community service opportunities posted for HOSA members through HOSA. My purpose is to give the health pathway students the opportunity to gain leadership, communication and social skills that they can use in their future endeavors,” said Tanaka. As a teacher in the health pathway, Tanaka has been running the Mililani HOSA club for the past five years because she teaches the second through fourth level health pathway classes and HOSA is the co-curricular for the classes. To find more information on HOSA, see Ms. Tanaka in L104, or visit the HOSA website at https://www.ctsos.org/ ctsos-2/hosa/.

FEATURE

r f u c s lu h b t i w y a Ad It’s been a year since the Surf Club was able to hold a surf sesh due to COVID. Over quarantine and during the school year, members learned multiple surf tips: the anatomy of a wave, how to read a current, paddling form, and the use of proper equipment. With the easing of social distancing protocols, the Surf Club was able to conduct their training. “Just them getting together and then going out and actually catching a wave and on their own at the end, they get to apply everything they learned in the classroom to real life and take them out on longboards, push them and then they’re standing up and they got a great smile on their face,” said Colonel Timothy Schiller.

advisor Colonel rfer and Surf Club ins beach. 40 year veteran su board at White Pla his th wi s se po Timothy Schiller

From left to right : Marley Chung (11) , Keanu DeJesus betta (12), Sophia (10), Aguqetzali To Pascareli (10), Cons var (10), Leonardo tantine Cramer (9 Andrew Diago (12), Sa), Jacinda Stager Dannika Pila (10). (10), Lily Heatherly (10),

FEATURE

With his chest up, Senior Leonardo Sabetta paddles out to catch a wave. The surf club practiced paddling at the Mililani YMCA a month prior to learning how to balance on the surfboard. “I told Sabetta the main focus when catching a wave is timing and balance; at first I noticed how light the board was, and I understood why it was hard for a big guy like him to catch his balance, but he figured it out quick,” said sophomore Keanu DeJesus.

Pop up! After paddling out, Senior Leonardo Sabetta successfully executes his first pop up. Getting balanced was more difficult for him but with help from coaches Senior Andrew Diago and sophmore Keanu DeJesus, Sabetta figured it out. “Our instructors, who included student leaders, were very helpful. Everyone who went there either didn’t know how to surf, or have been surfing all their lives — they were the coaches, and they were still having fun coaching people and seeing them develop. Personally, I’d only surfed once or twice before, so surfing that time, really brought me from not being able to surf, to being able to catch a wave on my own,” said Sabetta.

Out of the wa ter, the surf club members to start a new decide tradition: bury ing and transf ing members int ormo mer-people. “It just happen everyone felt ed, like doing it, it’ s a new traditi guess, like it sy on I mbolizes unity and strength funness,” said and freshman Cons tantine Cramer .

Sport of the Arts FEATURE

indoor indoor groups groups to to represent represent Mhs Mhs at at national national competition competition Writer Arie Yamasaki

ig and bold performances are in the making with a particular competition on the horizon for Mililani High School’s winter guard, drumline, and winds. Winter Guard International, often abbreviated to WGI, is a large event which features competing color guard, percussion, and winds groups, as the WGI organization is recognized as the governing body for these activities. All three groups derive from the marching band sport, each expanding on the group’s individual skills and focusing on intricacy in the different pieces of equipment they use. This year’s WGI is to be held in Dayton, Ohio, although competitions have taken place outside the United States in the past. Both scholastic groups — performing units from the same school — and independent groups participate in the event in two divisions. These divisions are then further separated into three classes: “A-Class” with beginning programs and performers, “Open Class” with intermediate performers, and “World Mililani’s winds group was recently promoted from “open” to “world” class, competing in the most challenging group. Placing third in the 2019 Winter Guard International competition, the winds have high hopes for their show as they head to Ohio this year.

Photographer Johnathan Escasa

Designer Jenna Kim

Class” with the most advanced of performers. With last year’s event being held only virtually, anticipation is ramping up toward the chance to perform. “We’ve heard so many stories from the alumni and from other friends who have gone and it’s always just this super incredible experience. Like you get to go out of the island, you’re competing against people from across the nation, and it’s this super big event that you should be proud of,” said senior Asya Burcham, drumline’s front ensemble captain. The event will span over the month of April 2022. The color guard performs from April 7 to 9, drumline throughout April 21 to 23, and winds throughout April 23 to 24. From the moment they land, all three groups run through rehearsals to ensure they’re performing to the best of their abilities. Despite the students’ tight schedule throughout the trip, being in a place so far from home presents its opportunities. “I personally got to experience a bunch of new things

and learn a whole set of new skills while there. It was also incredible watching all of the ‘world class’ guards compete and seeing the difference in skill and movement they have. It was quite eye-opening and inspiring to be there,” said winterguard weapons captain and senior Aiden Miarecki. For many upperclassmen, this year’s participation in WGI holds substantial gravity. The same opportunity was granted to the 2020 performers and many had their sights set on being able to compete in the prestigious event. All three groups had undergone tribulating and demanding practices all in the hopes of putting on a good show. However, the COVID-19 pandemic had reached the shores of the United States during the 2019 to 2020 school year, leading to the cancellation

of WGI 2020. “When that season got shut down, it was pretty disappointing. I could also sense the feeling of disappointment especially from our directors and our upperclassmen because that was their final production that they were never able to finish,” said senior Jalen Lum who plays the soprano saxophone in the winds group. Many of the groups, such as drumline and winds, are reusing and elevating their shows that were to be used in 2020. This year’s seniors, who had only been sophomores when the event was canceled, are presented another chance to perform on a bigger scale outside of Hawai‘i. With this, focus is set on running through routines and developing shows to outshine other competitors traveling from all over the world.

FEATURE

the color guard consists of 20 members, all ranging from grades 9-12. while the open guard is a selected group, an “a” guard team is open to anyone who is interested in starting color guard

the open guard’s 2022 show is called “pale Blue Dot,” based on a speech given by astronomer carl sagan in 1990.

Color Guard W

ith practices on Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. and from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Sundays, preparation is underway for winterguard. Color guard performances at WGI include the usage of flags, sabers, mock rifles, and other equipment. These shows highly emphasize interpretive movement such as dance and the acrobatic waving and throwing of flags and rifles. “I’m really looking forward to having that big moment on the tarp, finishing the show and being proud of the numerous months of hard work we’ve all put into it,” said Miarecki. On weekdays, winterguard hold their practices in the cafeteria. However, as a result, adaptations have to be made to accommodate factors such as low ceilings that don’t allow for high tosses of props to be made. On these days, the group mainly focuses on learning and experimenting with their routine. With Sunday’s practices being held in the gym, they take advantage of the ability to practice high throws and observe how the group as a whole moves around the mat from a judge’s viewpoint. The group has had to work together to overcome challenges presented this year leading up to WGI. One of the lead choreographers had left for an opportunity to participate in Pride of Cincinnati, an independent color guard group on the mainland. Despite this, the winterguard team has been able to pick themselves up from the unexpected situation. With time and

practice, the team has worked on polishing their movements for the show. Now, their sights are set on improving on the last act. They’ve received large amounts of support from people such as Derek Ka’apana, the band director, guard consultant, and flag choreographer who’s been experimenting with new ideas when it comes to performance. “I think it helps that we have a lot of extroverted little ones who have helped bridge the gap between us and honestly brought us seniors and juniors closer to the younger generation, something my year never really had,” said Miarecki, “It really helps bolster the mood during practices and the chemistry between the team makes it so things go smoothly.” With the awkward gap year due to COVID-19, this year for winterguard has focused on getting the underclassmen to where they need to be in terms of technical skill. With MHS’s winter guard being able to reach semi-finals the last time they participated in WGI, there are high standards that all members work to strive toward. Therefore, the group has their eyes set on doubling down on practices as well as experimenting with new concepts. “Every night after practice, we take a group picture in front of the chorus room mirror, to the point where it’s kind of a ritual or tradition. One of the rookies has actually become one of my best friends, so I’m really happy with the people this year,” said Miarecki.

FEATURE

he drumline has also been setting up preparations to compete in Winter Guard International. With practices on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m., those in drumline have also been undergoing rigorous practice in order to participate in the event. There are two main sections in drumline: the battery and the front ensemble. The battery consists of the marching percussion section, which is usually composed of snare drums, bass drums, and tenors. The front ensemble makes up the members of drumline that are stationary, including xylophones, vibraphones, marimbas, chimes, cymbals, and other auxiliary instruments. These groups work together to put on a theatrical, musical performance. “I found a love for performing, and with that love for performing, I realized, it’s one thing to perform in front of your crowd, in front of the high school people you know, relatives, people you know in your hometown, and you kind of want more, after that,” said senior Raya Okazaki, who plays the drums and auxiliary. During the field season, Okazaki led as a drum major, gaining leadership experience and learning how to overcome pressure, which are skills useful in the WGI competition. The mainland had offered more challenges with new competitors in WGI that came from high schools, circuits, and independent groups. MHS’s own drumline would be at the forefront against 250 other percussion groups. “I think I’m looking forward to the feeling of having that large of an audience as well as seeing how far our show can come because, we’re really still in such early stages and I wanna see what we’re really able to put out there for everybody,” said Burcham. As of now, the performance is in the midst of conceptualization. The show will be built off of three movements. The first portion is

drumline to symbolize the idea of “going up” with the music in this section rising in intensity. The second portion of the show is to symbolize “going down” with descending chords and runs that will demand the attention of marimbas and vibraphones in the front ensemble. The third movement is the idea of “all around,” and is still being thought about in terms of execution as the drumline works together to plan it out. “We’re a really strong group and our drum director says this a lot but, ‘people that are friends and they play together.’ It can be any instrument but in this case it’s drums and stuff, they’re going to play better together compared to if you’re with strangers,” said junior Taizo Bernal, who plays the bass drum. “Even if you’re really good, you tend to play better with the people that you know.” During the period at which COVID-19 was at its height, those in drumline were left to march alone in their rooms behind a screen. There was a lack of connection between members in drumline, and with the return of in-person activities, there’s a renewed sense of comfort upon being able to become familiar with old friends and new. Communication has become much smoother, with bandmates even being granted the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company outside of school as well. The social environment has sparked excitement among the members as enthusiasm builds between one another with the topic of roommates on the trip as well as uniforms.

“It helps you work together better because you all know that you pretty much have the ultimate goal of going to WGI and performing to our best ability, and that just adds so much drive to it, knowing that you have all these other people who want the same thing you do,” said Burcham. Drumline practices are steered by the efforts of the upperclassmen and captains. Besides sectionals, where each group is able to work and prioritize their pieces of music, the drumline gets together to run warmups, then later jumps into practicing their music. With constant repetitions, the drumline captains are able to guide themselves and their peers in recognizing where a piece may have gone adrift and how to correct it. With the staff not directly pointing out the answers, it encourages students to determine their own areas of weakness and work together without relying on outside help.

FEATURE

he third group gearing up in order to perform is winds, who are reputable for their placement in World where the most advanced players go to compete. Practice for winds are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. as well as Sunday from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Winds in WGI have the same expectations as color guard and drumline: to put on a marching performance. Yet, this time students in the wind section will be participating. The winds consist of brass instruments, which include horns, trumpets, and tubas, as well as woodwind instruments, which are the flutes, clarinets, and oboes. However, the competition in WGI winds is not limited to solely wind instruments as well. “I think one of our goals is to be able to complete this production, sort of like exceeding our expectations from what we initially had during quarantine, because what we’re picking up from is extremely different,” said Lum, “We’re in a place right now where we’re trying to catch up to where we once were, the skill level we were at before.” The challenges at which winds are expected to reach is at a higher level. In 2019, Mililani High School’s winds group had reached 3rd place in WGI out of 40 other of the top wind groups in the nation. Yet, due to these high achievements, there’s a large pres sure and desire to strive

winds

for the top once more and even beyond that. However, there are challenges to be faced along the way. “The music and especially with the body movement is especially hard since I don’t come from that background of jazz dance, I guess you would call it. It’s nice learning some new stuff,” said senior Colby Suzuki, who plays the alto saxophone. While on Thursdays, the wind group practices the musical component of their performance, Tuesday requires the practice of the routine’s choreography. Although the work demands musical focus in being able to sufficiently play an instrument, the performances in Winter Guard International are meant to incorporate movement and dance. With this element, the practice may be unfamiliar to some, presenting a new obstacle to overcome. However, this obstacle isn’t faced alone but with the collaboration of other members on the team. “I feel like the most exciting part with WGI is being able to hang out with my friends one last time. Especially in this kind of production whereas in the field season it’s all over, but this is the last time I’ll ever be able to hang out with them in this kind of setting,” said Suzuki. The the group is putting together is titled “About You,” which derives from a slam poetry piece by Adam Roa titled “You Are Who You’ve Been Looking For” and was featured in a TedTalk. The piece places focus on embracing self-worth and the relationships between people. Throughout their performance, the wind group fully embodies these concepts.

With long practices throughout the afternoon, all three groups require the dedication and commitment from the student performers. There are sacrifices that are necessary to make in terms of making time for practices and rehearsals. In order to fund for the large and expensive competition, students are to take time out of their weekends to work the concession stands at University of Hawai’i’s athletic games. For students that have other responsibilities to manage such as other ensembles or schoolwork, this presents itself as a challenge. “WGI is a big deal, costs a lot of money, costs a lot of time, you have to sacrifice a lot of things, and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for us highschool students in this state, so I’m very, very grateful,” said Bernal. For the seniors, WGI 2022 marks their final performance on center stage with the peers they’ve practiced and bonded with, some over the course of 4 or 5 years. With high hopes on the horizon, all three teams work toward perfecting their show through their hard work at rehearsal and tireless nights of practicing, in addition to balancing school and other activities. Being granted this large opportunity to compete, the teams are striving to give it all they have to offer. “There is the added pressure coming from a little island out on the sea, like we should be making a big impression on those in the mainland,” said Miarecki. “But I’m very proud to be part of this guard because we are the only ones to have gone in the first place.”

FEATURE

For Women, By Women

Women’s Na Writer Shelby Seu

A Trojan Times Column Shelby Seu is a reporter and designer for the Trojan Times. She enjoys volunteering in her community and helping others in her free time.

he 355, despite having low ratings, was actually an enjoyable movie to watch. The plot circled around Mace, a female CIA agent, who joins forces with four other female international agents — Chinese, British, German, and Columbian — to retrieve a state-of-the-art hacking device that could intercept any enclosed network and potentially start WWIII, according to Mace. I first had my doubts during the beginning of the movie because it took quite some time for the plot to fully develop, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of thought, representation, and awareness the movie had brought to the eyes of viewers. You see, the foundation and meaning behind the movie is the part that hardly has people talking, and that is the title. The number 355 was a codename given to George Washington’s first American female spy to be activated during the Revolutionary War, and to this day no one knows of her true identity. When I first learned of her, I had thought that she was one of the most amazing, impressive, inspirational women I had ever come across. But the more I thought about her and her relationship with the movie, the more I realized the legacy she had started and left so many years ago. Agent 355 was brought into the Culper Ring — a grapevine of American spies that would listen and report on a variety of British conversations with accomplices — around 1778 - 1780. This was also a time where females were held accountable for housework and childcare. They were seen as helpless beings who were in desperate need of saving. That’s why I admire Agent 355 so much. She fought at the front lines against the views and expectations society had placed on women. She recognized her true worth, not through the eyes of a man, but through herself and knew she was meant for greater things than just dishes and cooking. Her legacy is shown in the movie through the diverse casting and characterization of the female agents. These women are from all over the globe and specialize in numerous fields such as combat, STEM, and psychology. Through Agent 355’s example, she proved

and continues to inspire the idea that all women, no matter race, nationality, age, background, etc, are the equal counterparts of a man and have the ability to excel farther than the stereotypes society has carved out for them. Nowadays, some women still feel that they need validation from a man to define themselves as pretty or successful. There are parents who depict the success of their daughter by her ability to marry a well-off man and have children. In fact, during the movie, enemies of the agents are seen degrading their associates and their ability to perform based on the fact that they are men, who had outnumbered the four agents, and still manage to not only have them escape their grasp, but become physically defeated in the process. They would say it's pathetic to lose to a woman and have them be one step ahead. Not only does this upset me, but it shows just how disappointing society can be when views like these survive after years and years of growing as a community and as a world. Seeing girls as young as six years old be concerned about how they look in the eyes of their male peers, or to see women as old as ninety-five tell their daughters’ granddaughters that they need to know how to cook, clean, and care for their children if they want to marry well. Why can’t we as a society, through men, women, and everyone in between, demolish these views and set new ones to last even longer than these? Humankind proved that some ideals can’t last longer than one’s life span. So, why not create views that can actually inspire and encourage everyone? We now have the resources to do that. We have social media, movies, and public viewing/streaming platforms at our fingertips. Agent 355 had none of this; she doesn’t even have a birth name attached to her legacy, but she still is a light that guides women of all ages decades after her passing. She blazed this trail for women with only her actions; what’s stopping us from continuing her legacy when we have things easier? The movie 355 is a reminder to everyone of not only the type of woman that once lived, but the women that we can be. We have the power to be determined, to change, to inspire, and most of all, to do what we do best and love.

he United States of America have been around for 246 years and have gone through numerous changes. From alterations in government to everyday life, America has evolved exponentially, and with that growth comes a greater emphasis on reflection. Reflecting on the history and people that made this future possible has become of great importance to most nowadays. Women’s History Month, which has been celebrated throughout the month of March since 1995, is recognized by many across the nation in order to acknowledge and appreciate the numerous and diverse female trailblazers of leadership and opportunity for many generations to come. Agent 355, Susan B. Anthony and Katherine Johnson are a few of many other game-changing women in history that are celebrated this month, but for others, they choose to recognize the mature, inspirational women closer to home. “I know this is a very cliche answer. But one of the figures that I look up to in my life is my grandmother. She was, you know, born in California. And she was raised by her grandmother, which is, you know, very unusual for her time. And when she graduated from high school, she bought a one way ticket to Hawaii. And she lived at the YWCA and she worked her way. And finally, was able to start going to the University of Hawaii. She ended up getting married to my grandfather. And so she dropped out of school and moved to Wahiawa where my family has their egg farm. And she just helped and supported there. She had three kids each a year apart. I don’t know how she did it,” said Hawaii State Representative Lauren Cheape Matusmoto. “But she raised her kids. And when my mom went to college, she went back to college. And she finished her college degree. She got her Master’s. And she became the first female in the state of Hawaii to become the director of agriculture under Ariyoshi.” Matsumoto is not the only one who honors the hardworking women

Designer Ken Sakata

that are in her everyday life. Mililani High School’s class of 2024 president, sophomore Ashlee Acob, has found her inspiration in her mother. “Through her personality — her personality is just really out there. It kind of inspires me to try my best to be out there as well,” said Acob. “In every aspect of her life, like she’s always involved.” However, when there is a need to recognize the past, then there is a need to recognize the present and future as well. Matusmoto currently serves as the Minority Floor Leader, with her responsibilities varying between organizing how people will speak and vote within the house, seconding the motion on the floor, and reading off the votes of her caucus in the final reading. However, she not only finds herself in a leadership role within the islands of Hawaii, but on a national level as well. Matsumoto also serves as the vice chair of Women in Government. She describes this national organization as a non-partisan, non-profit group for women in state elected office from as early as 20 years old to women in their 80’s. Since 2013, she has attended numerous meetings and has met many women across the country with similar drives in finding solutions to national issues that affect their communities. Acob, as the president of her graduating class, indulges in numerous planning and management tasks. From coordinating class activities with her fellow council members to helping represent them at pep rallies and assemblies, her main goal is to be able to provide the opportunity for her peers to meet each other and make new friends. Still, behind these two women, like many others, is a journey. For Acob, she found herself drawn to leadership roles at a young age. She was driven by the desire to become a stronger woman because she was well aware that men dominated different careers compared to women. This was a recurring topic discussed among her family, which is predominantly women, with her father

FEATURE

ational History Month: Recognizing Her Story

being the only male. “I feel like it’s always been since elementary school. I’ve always been a part of student council. And then in middle school,” said Acob. “I tried my best even though they were like little opportunities. And then high school was the perfect time because I’m a little bit more mature. And I love getting involved with the school.” Meanwhile, Matsumoto climbed her way through the ranks at the age of 24. According to her, she ran for office with very little experience. She wasn’t a lawyer nor was she in possession of a political science degree, so she knew that there were going to be obstacles during her journey into office, but when she had earned her place, she was then referred to the Women in Government organization. From attending her very first meeting, she knew that this organization was meant for her. “I went to my very first meeting. And I really enjoyed it because it didn’t focus on a [government] party. It focused on issues and it focused on solutions and I absolutely loved it. So I went from being a, you know, a member of going to the conferences, then I became a state director. I was asked to then a few years later be on their board as a Western Regional Director. And then I moved up,” said Matsumoto. “I went on to their executive board, as a secretary, as the treasurer, as the vice chair, and then later this year becoming the chair. But again, what I love most about that organization is really not getting involved in the politics of at all, but just finding quality solutions for not just our states, but the entire country.” When it comes to Women’s History Month, not only are the women highlighted but the problems they faced are as well. Throughout the course of history, women were seen as beings that always needed the assistance and protection from a man. Some women, even to this day, feel the need to seek

approval from men’s opinions, but for Acob, she knew deep down that it was herself that she needed to please. “I guess as women like, we — our bodies are very, like men comment — think they have the right to comment a lot about our bodies. There

was a time I was just walking in the mall and some dude just mentioned how my body looked and it bothered me, but I just tried not to listen to it,” said Acob. “I would say, honestly, you put your mind to things like, you decide what you want to do. You don’t have to listen to a man. Men can have an impact to what we do, but it’s our — you have a right to make a difference.” Though the past sometimes made women feel at a disadvantage because of their sex, Matsumoto refused to see herself in that light; she looked at her gender as an advantage. “I think when you look at things from a place of what do I have to offer? Then you’re actually getting so much further and you’re helping to make a better solution rather than looking at it and going, ‘Oh, where am I all disadvantages,’” said Matsumoto. “Going, ‘where

can I make some changes?’ ‘Where can I make this better?’ I just think that’s the outlook I’ve chose to have in my time in office, and I realized, this is my 10th year, I have now been in office for a decade, which is crazy to me.” So, with all this talk about

During Mililani High e hl School’s quarter 3 Rie rdleadership development a et W day, Representative Lauren f Jan o y s urte Cheape Matusmoto, who is also Photo co the vice chair of the Women in Government organizations and a fellow alumni of MHS, talks to the young leaders about valuing their voices. Matsumoto shared numerous ways of how to make a difference within the community and state through tips on how to submit a testimony and attend neighborhood board meetings. She also told personal stories and anecdotes that left students at the meeting inspired and more empowered to create change.

women, and a month designated to them, it would seem that only they could benefit from it. But according to Mililani High School ASMHS president and senior Caleb Beeler, everyone, regardless of their sex, can learn something from this month of honoring and reflecting upon the past. “I think everybody has a message and can always learn something from anyone and especially from women of the past who have a different outlook or having a different experience with

paving the way I think,” said Beeler. “Going into the future, there’s lots of important lessons that anyone can learn from it. No, yeah, no matter your age or gender. There’s always lessons and important things that you can learn from, especially the strong women of our, of our past and the experiences that they’ve had, like you said, paving the way for future generations.” Beeler was able to learn something very important from a female figure in his life. Former MHS student and 2021 ASMHS president Angelina Dulay taught him to step out of his comfort zone. According to him, without Dulay’s influence, he never would have tried out for ASMHS because he wasn’t good at exposing himself to new things. “Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t very super active person in the school, or I kind of stuck to myself, but Angel was the one who really like, encouraged me to, like step out of my comfort zone,” said Beeler. “And even join ASMHS and continue to step out of my comfort zone and grow in my leadership, and then eventually, actually follow in and take her position after so she has always been encouraging me and pushing me to grow more.” With history continuing to be made every day, many people are making accomplishments and changes that can benefit the world. As for women, more and more inspirational stories pop up everyday, coming from social media forums, the news, and even from one’s own home and school. Representative Matsumoto emphasizes that even though there is a month designated to honoring these women and their achievements, it shouldn’t be confined to that respected month; it should be recognized year round as well.

FEATURE

Musical High Schoolers: Play Production Returns to the Stage Writer Isabella Makino

Photographer Johnathan Escasa

mong the various consequences the Omicron variant introduced, the cancellation of the live performance of High School Musical was one of them. The musical— created by Play Production classes at MHS as well as students from other schools— was originally set to be performed in front of a live audience in January. Despite not being able to be shown as it was originally intended, the musical was shown to a smaller audience and is available to watch digitally. “I mean, I’m very proud of the kids and the cast that we have, and the crew, you know, like everybody here at play production,” said Acting teacher and Play Production supervisor Carolyn Chung. “They’ve had to adapt to so much this year, and they’ve had to, you know, pivot and change and go through all of these challenges that we’ve had with COVID and everybody has done it with such a great attitude and with just great energy that I think it just shows how much they appreciate the program and they appreciate being in the show.” Though high COVID-19 cases caused the production’s initial plans to be canceled, it was still able to be performed. It was shown to a small group of family,

Designer Jenna Kim

friends, and teachers on March 8 and 10, and will be available for everyone to view on March 25 and 27 through the website https:// www.showtix4u.com/event-details/61211. “I would say I got very unmotivated,” said junior Lyric Illiana Bernard, who played the role of Gabriella Montez. “I would say that I got really sad because we were so close to the show. We were two weeks away, and then all of a sudden it was all gone. But I would say that I also took a lot of time to myself, like practicing my lines and not dealing with it. Not dealing with High School Musical. I did spend a lot of time outdoors and being at peace with myself.” After the cancellation, members would attend virtual practices held on Zoom in order to rehearse material. However, issues like lag and other complications made virtual practices challenging. Starting in February, there were in-person rehearsals as well to practice choreography. “We did start virtual rehearsals actually,” said Bernard. “So we were still, although it felt silly and it did feel like last year all over again, it was needed if we wanted to be the best we can be. So I think that’s really good.”

The cast and crew had originally started practicing in the middle of October. Practices would be from Mondays through Thursdays from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. It would take place in the MHS cafeteria. The musical featured 27 cast members as well as six schools that participated in the production. Students in middle school were able to partake in it as well, with the youngest member being in sixth grade. There are also different directors for certain aspects of the musical, such as a music director, costume director, lighting director, set director and choreographer. Additionally, due to the nature of musicals, the performance featured live music. Mililani Middle School Music teacher Grayson Mento worked with students playing instruments to help them learn their parts. The musicians played with those singing onstage. “I feel like our program especially, from my experience with it since sophomore year, we put in a different type of attention to musicals because we usually prioritize those first,” said senior Bella Guiney. “We get the biggest working space with it because it’s hard because you have to have more space to work with everything,

with dancing and everything. And usually the budget’s larger and a bigger audience that will come and see a musical.” Those on stage would wear KN95 masks for safety precautions. The masks wouldn’t impede vocal performance because they were fabric instead of plastic masks, and performers were able to use microphones. The musical followed the plot of Disney’s original High School Musical and featured songs from it. “You know, honestly, it’s been like two years since we really put on any production in here. So it’s been a long time,” said Chung. “And I didn’t know what kind of kids actually we were going to have, because a lot of our kids that were in the production before, they graduated in 2020. So this is going to be like a brand new group of kids, brand new group of talent and every thing. And I thought High School Musical was just going to be a fun, enjoyable musical that kids would want to be a because I thought maybe they could identify with the story or they you know, there’s the show now on TV that people watch, with the story or they you know, there’s the show now on TV that people watch, there’s a series on

FEATURE

Although rehearsals for the show were pushed back, the Play Production started back up again and were able to accomplish putting on their show, High School Musical. Wtih a brand new group after the pandemic, the team worked hard to put together a performance for the rest of their peers.

High School Musical. I just thought it could be something that would be relatable to the kids today. And that’s something that they will want to be a part of.” While other schools helped with the production of High School Musical, most performances would only be the work of Play Production students. The class, which is strictly for credit, allows students to choose different areas of a production to participate in. These areas range from sewing to working with power tools. Students aren’t required to perform onstage either; they are able to be part of the production crew and work backstage instead. “I really like being a part of the crew because then I feel more in control of things,” said Guiney. “And that’s something, really, and I get to work with other people, not just the actors. Because what I do as a stage manager is I work directly with the crew and the cast. I’m kind of a bridge between them. And so that’s a lot of fun to me.” At the moment, Play Production classes are only working on High School Musical and Clue, which is not a musical. It features a smaller cast, with only about ten in comparison to High School Musical’s

27. It is set to be performed live at the end of April. “I think this program is good for kids that have a creative side and they don’t know how to, they don’t know where to express their creative side,” said Chung. “And it’s good for kids who just have an open mind and want to work hard at something and be a part of something bigger than themselves. Because I think you’ll learn all of these skills here. So any students you know, we take all age students from 9th grade to 12th grade for this program. And a lot of the cast sometimes when we audition, we take kids as early, as low as elementary school.” To get access to High School Musical, visit https://www.showtix4u. com/event-details/61211. Additionally, for more information about the performance, go to https:// centraltheatreartsacademy.org/ or email Carolyn Chung at Carolyn. Chung@k12.hi.us.

SPORTS

Taking Home the Championship JV Tennis Girls win OIA’s Writer

Designer & Photographer

Macallister Graves

Brynn Vincent

From left to right; Kylie Oyama (10), Zoey Hirata (9), Ava Misaki (9), Raelani Dizon (10), Dallas Lee (9), Aline Misaki (9)

ith the ending of the winter sports season comes the win of another Mililani High School team: the JV Girls Tennis Team. On February 5, the team played their final match against Kalani High School as the home team. Together, the girls went through the season, and won the OIA championship, not dropping more than four games total per match. “Honestly, we didn’t have much challenge from other schools, it was mostly between ourselves and confidence-wise and stuff. So, it wasn’t really our opponents, it was more put-

ting ourselves in pressure that we had to control, so we’re not making like a billion mistakes,” said freshman co-captain Dallas Lee. Practices were on Wednesdays and Fridays after school at the school tennis courts, past the lower campus portables. The season, though shorter than usual due to COVID-19 pushing back winter sports, still required practice and preparation, with the team focusing on different ways to develop their game. The team worked on versatility and consistency, learning to be more flexible in strategy, while staying steady in

pressure-prone situations. “The preparations that we did was — I don’t know — encouraging each other and you know, hyping people up and making sure they do their best,” said freshman co-captain Aline Misaki. The team also spent time with each other out of practice as well, sometimes going out for drinks or food together. Misaki noted the importance of the team’s closeness in building their chemistry and overall bond. The season, which was described by Lee as not very challenging, allowed players to focus on the social aspect

of the sport, such as stressful situations and confidence. The benefits of such connections are visibly apparent in doubles, where communication between players is important. “Okay, so, some of the challenges were, like, communication throughout the match, cause sometimes in the beginning of the season especially, some of our girls didn’t know our other girls so they would be super quiet already, and they would kinda be — it’d be like out of their comfort zone to talk to each other during the point,” said Lee. A good number of the current JV players are moving on to the Varsity tennis team to play in the spring sports season, and they wish nothing but the best for the next JV team. “I hope next season the girls can get another win, but most importantly have fun,” said Lee. “We will all be cheering for them.” To learn more about the JV girls tennis team, Coach Jason Tamura can be reached at G204 or at Jason.Tamura@k12.hi.us. JV is only open for freshmen and sophomores, with tryouts being held before the next winter season starts.

SPORTS

Shooting Into History:

Varsity Boy’s Basketball Wins OIA Championship

n a historic 2022 season, the Mililani Boys Varsity Basketball team battled their way to an Oahu Interscholastic Association title for the first time since 2008 and for the second time ever. After an impressive 15 game winning streak, the Trojans ultimately took second place at the state championships against Saint Louis. Senior and co-captain Jackson Mayo, the team’s starting shooting guard, was recognized as the OC16 Impact Player of the Division I championship against Kailua. Spectrum’s OC16 channel provides exclusive coverage of Hawaii sports, and for key games they choose the Impact Player as the athlete with the most important contributions to the team. Receiving this award in the OIA championships demonstrates Mayo’s ability to play under pressure. Yet, he described the game as a team effort. “We had grit and we had heart. And we found a way to get the job done every night. There were different ways that we made it happen, whether it be shooting good or playing good defense but every night we found a way to get the job done, which is pretty cool,” said Mayo. Playing in their league, Mililani faced several tough teams, especially Kahuku and Kailua. Their success at the OIA level translated into the state tournament, when they went head to head with Maryknoll and Iolani, two private school teams. With a series of wins against public and private schools

alike, the players had a no-nonsense mindset. “I would just say that we did our job,” said Mayo. “We’re supposed to do that. I don’t view us as underdogs in any game that we played. Knowing that we have the ability to beat any team, so just, it feels good when you finish a job. So every night when we won it felt like we got that job done.” As one of the captains, Mayo took on leadership roles on and off the court. This season was unique in many aspects and presented its own challenges. The start of the season was pushed back due to the pandemic, masks were enforced, and spectators were limited. In light of this, he pulled strength from his coaches, teammates, and especially parents. “I would definitely say that I look up to my parents and they’ve really shown me how to be a leader and how to develop a team. So their influence on that leadership aspect of me is something that made me grow a lot and made our team grow a lot.” During this high-energy season, the Trojan basketball team hyped each other up and stayed determined with many traditions and celebrations, from their coach hitting the griddy, to blasting music on the bus ride home. The boys kept up the tradition of singing the alma mater on the way home as well. Yet, their successes didn’t always come easy. Junior J Marxen had been used to being more on the offense, but focused on

Writer

Photographer

Designer

Josslyn Rose

Shaylee Oshiro

Brynn Vincent

Point guard junior J Marxen aims for a free throw in a game against Campbell High School. Although Marxen is more on the offense, he focused primarily on defense this year.

defense this year. The boys had to adapt not only individually, but as a team in order to prepare for difficult games. “Most challenging was probably Kahuku just because of how big and physical they were,” said Marxen. The all-around performance of the Mililani Trojans was even more impressive coming out of a pandemic, when sports were shut down and seasons got pushed back. Mayo and Marxen agreed that their appreciation of the game never wavered. “I think the pandemic made me love the game more, just because it was the only thing that I could do for a while,” said Marxen. Similarly to the way Mayo’s parents influence him, Marxen looks up to his mom as a big supporter of his basketball career. His first thought after a win is: “Where’s

my mom at?” Both players seek to continue playing basketball. Marxen still has another year of high school ball, while Mayo aims to take it to the next level in college, regardless of the division. Proud of his senior season, he will soon decide the next school for him. In a final word of advice, Mayo relays a message to upcoming athletes: “For future Mililani players, I would just say come ready to give your all. I mean, everybody on the team is involved whether you play big minutes in the game or play small minutes. So every practice, every game, you have to bring all your effort no matter who you are.”

SPORTS

Undisputed OIA Winners: JV Girls Soccer Writer Arie Yamasaki

Photographer Kalli Tanita

Designer Shaylee Oshiro

ounding out a consecutive 21 win streak, the Mililani High School Junior Varsity Girls Soccer team finished their season with a successful win at the Oahu Interscholastic Association championship. Their final game was against Kaiser High School and ended in a score of 2-1. As reigning victors of the OIA championship for the last 20 consecutive years, there were a large amount of expectations set for both the team and the new soccer coach at MHS, Danielle Ross. “Overall, the season, we worked really, really hard and the girls executed our game plan very well. All the girls got along on the team, good team dynamics, on and off the field, good work ethic overall,” said Ross. There were high hopes for success on the field as they practiced every Tuesday and Friday in the weeks leading up to the game. This led to the need for the players to build and maintain a close team bond with one another in order to collaborate together during the season. Going into tryouts, there were cliques between the team due to the fact that many of the incoming soccer players had come from outside soccer clubs. “We played each other on the field but never really on a team. So, I think it was something we had to adjust to but I feel like we were all pretty open to working with each other,” said center back and freshman Maya George. The division between clubs was deconstructed through team bonding exercises, one such activity being a treasure hunt activity that the team did together, where individuals were separated into groups that the players hadn’t been comfortable with before. The players learned to adapt quickly and got along with each other well, building connections as teammates and as friends, on and off the field. “You definitely form a bond on that team. Like, wearing a jersey on Tuesdays and Fridays and seeing everybody on your team wear it, it unites you and

Left to right: Maya George (09), Malia Wagatsuma (09), Camryn Kunihisa (09), Keilana Tanigawa (10). Junior Varsity Soccer Girls brought home the OIA champion title after a season of team bonding, hard work and extensive training.

makes you feel like a family,” said center midfielder and freshman Camryn Kunihisa. As the students on the JV Girls Soccer team grew closer, they began to spend time with each other before and after practice, creating bonds that motivated all of them to work hard. This uplifting of others presents itself in a particular game during the season: the game against Leilehua on January 14. The players not only cheered for their peers while on the sideline, but they gave those who didn’t normally get a chance to shine the opportunity to score. This teamwork earned them a win of 14-0. “I was definitely nervous the whole season, no matter what. Like, at tryouts I was nervous and at games, that’s when it really rocked me, but I just had to calm down. I mostly tried to talk to the rest of the team,” said holding midfielder and freshman Kuhela Ledward. “Talking to the team is mostly what calmed me down before games and tryouts.” The support from teammates carried the JV Soccer girls throughout the season with the constant encouragement serving as a motivation to overcome obstacles. Such obstacles exhausted the

girls from the sheer amount of training to juggling other responsibilities and school work. The JV Girls Soccer team is a high-practice team with training focused on fine-tuning the skills of each individual player, requiring full focus of the entire team during practices. “I feel like this season we pushed ourselves harder than we’d have ever pushed. Digging further than we’d ever dug before was really important and it meant a lot to us because we were doing it for each other,” said George. Determination manifested within the girls as each player arrived to practice, dedicating their time and effort into performing their best. This showcases itself particularly in the January 11 game against Pearl City. The team was down halfway through, yet throughout the second half of the game, the players made a comeback, finishing the game with a score of 5-1. Despite the unease of losing, the team found ways to push themselves to persevere and win that game by uplifting each other. This game was only one of two games in which the team had scored a point against them. “I also feel like the support helped because in club soccer you don’t get your classmates coming out, so we wanted to

show them we could do it but we also wanted to show each other that we were good enough,” said center back and sophomore Andriah Watson. With a lasting streak as OIA champions that has been ongoing for 20 years, there was a heavy weight on the players to not let their team and their school down. They could not afford to let their title as reigning champs be taken from them, but oftentimes this pressure was overwhelming. “We just tried to remind each other that it was not about that [winning], it was just about playing the game and taking it step by step,” said freshman and attacking midfielder, Malia Wagatsuma. The players made it all the way to the final game for the OIA Championships with just one game against Kaiser to win it all. In the first half, things had been looking up for the team, as they scored against the other school. However, worry began mounting in the second half of the game, when the players hadn’t been making as many shots and Kaiser had scored a point against them, making the score a tense 2-1. Yet, the JV Girls Soccer players pushed forward, kept their lead, and secured the win and the title for the game. Although exhausted by the end of playing, enthusiasm was high. The players now strive for reaching higher goals for themselves such as building upon technical skills as well as their mental stamina. Their sights are set on preparing themselves and working toward making it to Varsity Soccer. The team continues to spend time with each other and carries hopes of playing together in the future. “At the end of the day we kept pushing each other and we kept saying that everyday we would come back, and show them what we got, and we would always push each other to do our best,” said Kunihisa.

SPORTS

Best on the Field: Girls Varsity

Soccer Team Wins 14 Straight Games Writer Sarah Dittle

Photographer Serena Birchard

Designer Shaylee Oshiro

ith a win rate of 14 wins and only one loss throughout the 2021 to 2022 season, the Girls Varsity Soccer team is at a high. After winning the Oahu Interscholastic Association championships on Saturday, February 12, the team went on to win two more games in the state semifinals before losing to Punahou on February 25. They placed third overall in the Hawaii High School Athletic Association championship. “The pre-season was eliminated and we had to wear masks to play, but the worst consequence of COVID was that spectators weren’t allowed at games. Family and friends bring a certain energy to games and playing without them there just wasn’t the same,” said captain and junior Raine Komata. With a shortened season of 11 weeks instead of 15, the 15 games were still squeezed in, but friends, parents, and siblings still were not allowed to spectate in-person. There was the hope for in-person fans after the ban on spectators was lifted in October of 2020, but it was reinstated due to the Omicron variant concerns before the team had a chance to play. “We had to play with masks on so that was kind of hard to do because we had to adjust and do a little more fitness to get used to playing with it on,” said captain and junior Kayla Sato. The team also was not able to do the usual weight-training the soccer team does, as masks make it harder for them to breathe and was cut from the schedule due to health concerns. Still, the team worked hard and managed to score 99 goals this season, only being scored on a total of five times. “The OIA championship game was amazing. Our team was able to connect really well and we played as one unit. Once the game was over and we got to celebrate our win over Campbell, everyone was so proud of how far we came,” said captain and senior Kiana Muratsuka.

Left to right: Raine Komata (12), Kiana Muratsuka (12). Captains, especially seniors, spent the majority of their season fine-tuning their skills, bonding as a team and collaborating to lead their team to victory as OIA champions. Komata and Muratsuka along with several other captians were able to finish off the season with a well formed and trained team.

The team had a close bond and often spent time outside of practice together, whether during school hours or in their free time. The team was able to play both defensively and offensively, racking up points with an average of six goals per game. “We have a very tight-knit group and it has been nothing short of wonderful being able to coach our girls. Like any program or family, we may have our ups and downs, but overall we stand firm in our mentality and work ethic to reach our goals as a team. That is the best I could ask for and exactly what our girls put forth this season,” said head coach Darren Smith.

Smith has been coaching girls soccer at Mililani for four years now, after coaching the JV team for one year and the Varsity for three years. Smith also played for Mililani when he was a student, making it to the OIA Championship all four times. “It has been such a blast to be able to cheer on the team and be a part of their journey during my last and final year here! It was so cool to see how each and every girl has improved and grown stronger from this season,” said manager and senior Kelsi Kiyoi. As a manager, Kiyoi attended every game and practice to cheer on the team and help them with whatever they needed.

Kiyoi retrieved far out-of-bounds balls during practice and took records for the coaches to effectively strategize for games. The Girls Varsity Soccer team has had an outstanding season under the leadership of Smith, coach Danielle Ross, coach Aislynn Crowder, coach Jamie-Miranda Molina, coach Jose Ochoa, and assistant JV coach Allie Kagawa. With the addition of three new players after the JV season ended, the team ended the season with 27 players, three managers, six coaches, 99 goals, and 15 games played. In the future, when COVID-19 restrictions start to dissipate, the team is sure to do even better.

NEWS

Boys Varsity Soccer Pulls Through To Reclaim OIA Title Writer Josslyn Rose

Designer Clare Sullivan

Photo Credit: Danielle Castro

uring the intense 2022 season, the Mililani Boys Varsity Soccer Team reclaimed the title of OIA Champions for the first time in six years, totaling 17 league championship wins. This decisive match was won against Kapolei, the team that had ousted them in 2019. Despite their first and only loss against Kaiser in the quarterfinals, the boys came back with two more wins to earn fifth place in the state championships. Senior and co-captain Max Scott was the scoring leader throughout the season as outside forward with a total of fourteen goals. This OIA-winning season was during Scott’s senior year and final season with Mililani. “I mean that was just amazing, being able to win with a team in front of all those people. It was definitely something special, and I was very grateful to share that moment with all my friends,” Scott said. The final OIA match happened to land on Mililani’s Senior Night, leaving an impact on the team’s seniors. It was a close game; the boys narrowly won against their Kapolei opponents, with a final score of 2-0. “The reason why it was our hardest game is because basically Kapolei was our rival and going into the OIAs it would have been based off that game. It would determine who would be, I guess, ranked higher throughout the West and OIA overall, so that was probably our hardest game,” said senior Seth Uson. As a leader himself, Scott had many role models that he looked up to for guidance, support, and inspiration. He appreciated all of his coaches and teammates, but he acknowledged two in particular. “For coach, I definitely say Kevin Higaki. I mean, he’s just a good dude, a good coach, and he’s just very easy to talk to and he’s just a great person.

Captains senior Seth Uson, senior Will Simpson, senior Noah Fujikane, and senior Max Scott pose with the 2022 Division 1 Boys Soccer Champions OIA Plaque. “It’s always great to win league. It’s definitely a big accomplishment and I think I’m just very proud that we were able to win something together as a team and we were able to share a memorable moment together looking back,” said Scott.

And, for player, I really think highly of Noah Fujikane. I think he’s a great player. I think he’s definitely the key role to our team and I definitely look up to him,” said Scott. Part of the Trojans’ success can be attributed to the bond between both the athletes and coaches. Scott and Uson explained the many traditions their team had, including the “breakfast of champions,” eating at Raising Cane’s, and blasting music on the bus. Overall, they felt they had a strong connection that enabled their accomplishments. “I think we were all able to come together and just really perform. I think that was our biggest role. I think we were able to use what we learned in training and from our prior, before high school, and we were able to put it together and just play well. I think it also helps that we

gave a lot of effort in training and just effort together. And we all fought for one goal: to win as a team. I think that’s the most important thing,” said Scott. Uson agreed, adding that their individual potentials were critical, but how they played as a team was the ultimate determining factor of their success. Regardless of whether the athletes were offensive or defensive, starters or not, each influenced the season’s outcome. “We definitely do have a very good base of very talented players. We all have talent and I think what makes us good this year I think, granted that we were all good, we had to humble ourselves and know that we have a greater goal in mind. And this is a team game so everything from goals being scored to the defensive plays to everything, it’s a team effort. So,

finding that chemistry was probably the reason why our success was portrayed throughout this whole season,” said Uson. Scott and Uson are excited to continue their soccer careers at a collegiate level, and both have committed to schools in California. Scott will be attending California Lutheran University, while Uson will be attending Cal-Poly Humboldt. Uson offers a piece of advice to rising players: “Whatever you do, do it for your team. Love everything you do cause it goes by so fast. I can’t tell you how just by me thinking about how freshman year pretty much felt like to me as if it was yesterday. It goes by really fast so enjoy every moment. And even the times when it’s not enjoyable, make every use of those moments. Represent more than just yourself.”

NEWS

Undefeated JV Boys Soccer Season Ends in OIA Victory

he Junior Varsity Boys Soccer team has finished their season strong, winning the Oahu Interscholastic Association Junior Varsity championship, beating Kalani High School 2-0. The goals scored by players Jackson Cosner and Jarin Kumasaka consisted of a shot and header. Although many other schools lacked JV Soccer teams, the Mililani High School team did well and played against schools like Kaiser and Cambell leading up to OIA championship. “ We won every single game. We were undefeated. We had no goals scored on us, and overall the season

was just pretty good,” said sophomore and co-captain Maddox Flanders, who plays the position of forward and goal keeper. In addition to their wins, the JV team was given the opportunity to experience real sportsmanship for the first time in almost two years. According to athletics director and vice principal Joy Matsukawa, the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams were very close and supportive of each other. When the JV team played, for example, the Varsity team came to watch and support their classmates, and vice versa. During a time where live streams are replacing live spec-

tators, the cheering from the other soccer team boosted morale, with players doing well in spite of absent onlookers. The team was also able to continue one of their practiced traditions. “Almost everyone on the team came back Sunday with dyed hair. I think the memory of us just dyeing our hair and coming together to do something- it was pretty memorable,” said Flanders. The JV boys soccer season began in late December, and came after tryouts on the 21st of the month. Shortly after tryouts, players were able to get on the field, and practice ensued

Writer Alexia Cramer Designer Clare Sullivan Photo Credit: Tyson Nakashima

for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. “The difference this year is our kids, our athletes were all excited to be out there. Because we haven’t hadlast year was a COVID year, so there was no soccer. So a lot of players were excited, and we had a lot of new players come out,” said Matsukawa. The JV Boys Soccer games are still available to watch on the SeasonCast streaming service, found at https:// seasoncast.com/mhsathletics/recordings.

SPORTS

Making Waves:

MHS Swim Team Wins OIA Champs Writer Macallister Graves

n February 18 and 19, the Mililani High School swim team competed in their OIA championship at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center, which is located in Central Oahu Regional Park. The team, consisting of 52 swimmers, had to rebuild after an off season due to COVID-19, stepping up practices and rebuilding connections. Against all

Designer Ken Sakata

odds, MHS placed first in the swimming OIA championship for the first time in over a decade. “That’s kind of circled on all our calendars for being our priority at the moment, Mililani hasn’t won in over a decade, so that is goal- that’s the ultimate goal, is to try to bring that title back to Mililani High School,” said swim team coach Grant Bramer

before the competition took place. To prepare for the competitive season, the swim team changed their practice schedule, now adding morning practices, and beach practices to increase the intensity of their training. Normal swim practices are held Monday through Friday, from 3:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, swimmers train in the MHS gym and lift weights from 6 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. as a part of their newly-added morning sessions. Beach

practices are held on the occasional Saturday, according to Bramer, giving swimmers a change from the regularity of their normal practices. Additional coaches were called upon to assist the MHS athletics department — including swim coach Karli Blanchard — to, according to Bramer, give more attention to the athletes and their needs in the water. “I think any way that we can challenge these swimmers to kind of strengthen their abilities in the water

Swimming into competition! The Mililani High School swim team competes at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center, in the Central Oahu Regional Park. The team won the OIA championship on February 18 and 19, a testament to the extra practices and training the team did. The team worked together to rebuild the connections and conditioning lost due to COVID-19, eventually going to the State competition on the Big Island. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Stockdale

SPORTS

by throwing new things at them, helps them improve and increase their speed,” said Bramer. Other challenges that arose were not necessarily physical, but through communication, as COVID-19 changed some aspects of the team. With no season last year, the team needed to reconnect with their fellow swimmers. This ended up being the responsibility of the seniors, who are more experienced members of the team. A group of about 14 to 18 seniors were tasked with showing their teammates the ropes and easing them into the new season. “Without them on the team, our swimmers would kind of be starting from scratch; having that experience, even from a couple years ago is really integral in building our underclassmen up, and kind of sharing their expertise for what’s going on, and their experience with the sport, and what meets to look forward to, things to do when they’re at practice, things to do when they’re at meets, without our upperclassmen, I think our team might have a very different season,” said Bramer. Aside from rebuilding the team, swimmers also had to adjust themselves, as many had to get used to the rigorous practices again after a long off-season caused by the pandemic. Many attended the extra practices to get back in shape, while others had kept up training during the off season with other clubs and sports. “It was hard to get back into the routine and practices, but they were kind of the same once we got back into it,” said sophomore Belise Swartwood. Regardless of these challenges, the swim team did well, even in the start of their season, winning first place for both boys and girls in their first meet — the 44th Kalani Invitational — for the first time in MHS history. The meet hosted many strong schools, with competitive racing between Kaiser, Roosevelt, Kalani, and Radford. “It’s measurable, you can track

Dive right in! A diver from the Mililani High School diving team competes at Central Oahu Regional Park. The diving team, consisting of mostly swim team members, hopes to widen their reach with the other students at the school. Divers, unlike the swim team, focus more on in air mobility, and is working towards building a base team that incoming students can learn from when they join. Photo courtesy of Tanner Zane

them as we’ve had the qualifying meets as we had different time trials and what not, our swimmers are getting faster, they are showing growth,” said Bramer. The team worked together to build a supportive base for swimmers, both new and old. Although, according to Swartwood, the team requires a lot of dedication and time management, as the support from the rest of the team lessened the pressure of meets and practices. Paired with the swimming team, Mililani High School also hosts a diving team, which practices on Monday and Thursday from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. at VMAC. Due to the diving team sharing an overlap of members with the swim team, the coaches wish to recruit more team members, as many people in the school do not know

the sport is offered at MHS. Bramer relates it to track, stating that diving is an element of swimming, and that the diving team is open to cheerleaders who are flyers, pole-vaulters, or anyone who wants to increase their mobility in the air. “Absolutely, I think, we’ve been trying to make it so, everybody swims, everybody wins, that mentality that anybody who wants to come out for the swim team can come out for the swim team and we’ll work with them based on their ability level,” said Bramer. “We’ve had several swimmers that never swam before come out for the team this year, and we haven’t lost them, they’ve continued with the sport and they’re excited about their growth within the sport, and they’re looking forward to training in the off-season.”

For any further questions about the swim team, Bramer can be reached at Grant.Bramer@k12.hi.us. Swimming takes place during the winter sports season, ending in late March as one of the last winter sports to end.

NEWS

Mililani High’s First eSports Team: gaming at the next level Writer & Designer Jenna Kim

Photographer Alexander Ozawa

fter their intense gaming tournaments in January, students of Mililani High School’s first eSports team stepped into light, with individuals ranging from grades 9 through 12 rising to challenge themselves and others within their passion for video games. This year, hobbies in art and skill have grown increasingly relevant on campus as dozens of new classes and clubs have appeared, such as the new Career and Technical Education program’s courses and the recently founded feminism and fashion clubs. The addition of the school’s first eSports team marks another new program available for students to explore and expand their interests, possibly growing into a career or opportunity for the future as well. “I’m glad that kids now are getting the opportunity to have something that we didn’t,” said club advisor Nick Malae. Malae is an alumni of Mililani High School, and was approached by principal Fred Murphy and athletics director

Joy Matsukawa about starting an eSports team for the school due to his interest in video games. Other schools on island participating in eSports include Radford, Moanalua, Punahou, Roosevelt, Iolani, Kamehameha, and Waianae. The eSports teams play numerous games including League of Legends, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, consisting of an “A” and “B” team for each game. The members of the Mililani team take part in weekly competitions with other participating schools’ teams. “It’s exciting because this hasn’t been done before,” said freshman Dorian Kim, who participated in the Super Smash Bros tournament and participates on the “A” team. “We’re paving the way for something cool for the school, because a lot of these people play these games.” The club currently gathers in the library for their meetings and tournaments. While at the moment, the club is a decently small and humble

operation, it is a great start to those who have been waiting for a club like this to form. “My favorite thing is the fact that we have an eSports team for Smash,” said junior Isaiah Nabea. “We used to play by old lanai after school just for fun, but it’s nice to have an official name.” The teams additionally give students an opportunity to pursue their passions and spend time improving in hobbies they enjoy. Practicing in the library for a few hours each week, the members are able to make memories and new friends with those of the same interests, whether in each separate game or within gaming and technology as a whole. “All the memories that you can make with all of the fabulous people here — the random stupid moments that can happen are what make this so fun,” said senior Athen Draculan. The formation of this club comes after a dramatic increase of interest in video games due to the COVID-19

pandemic, which we covered in a story last school year. “I would say I got more into gaming than I would have if not for COVID,” said Nabea last year. As eSports continues to grow worldwide, clubs and organizations like this one will become increasingly prevalent in our community, and will shift and evolve over time, Games competitors play may change, or competitions may transform in the future. One day, students might gather at John Kauinana Stadium to see these athletes perform. For more information about the Mililani High eSports team, contact advisor Nick Malae at nick.malae@ k12.hi.us.