Issue 5 2019-20 by Trojan Times

mililani High school . community issue . february 2020

ca r nival l a r g e p e tt i n g z o o p o n y ri d e s

l i v e mu s i c e . k . f e r n a nd e z r i d e s

o n o f o o d b o oths f a r m e r s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; market

bb rr ii n hee ffaam i ll yy!! g th ng

5 pm-11 pm

11 am-11 pm

11 am-6 pm

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

WRITER Chloe Kitsu

Mililani Times’ mission is to inform the community of news, people and issues of concern.

Editor-in-Chief Chloe Kitsu

WRITER Chloe Kitsu

PHOTOGRAPHER Faustine Miura

DESIGNER Colbi Ohira

eflecting back on my high school career, I was a quiet and shy girl — I never raised my hand willingly to answer a question in class and I never had many friends. In my sophomore year, I made the decision to join newswriting. I only had a little bit of experience in the field going into it, but joining Mililani Times has forever changed my high school experience. PHOTOGRAPHER DESIGNER first, I was very nervous going into a class that I had no friends in. I still remember FaustineAt Miura Colbi Ohira the first day of school and walking into L205 — everyone was welcoming and I felt right at home. It’s this feeling of family and security that kept me coming back. Through the guidance and help from our adviser and previous editors, I was able to be pushed out of my comfort zone. Anytime that I doubted myself, they were there to encourage me to strive for the best and to put myself out there. Today, I am proud to be able to have this role as Editor-in-Chief and it’s a great honor for me to work with all of my staff members every day. DESIGNER Looking around at my staff, I can’t believe it’s already the fifth issue of this year’s Colbi Ohira Times. Through countless hours of layout, the fun birthday celebrations and Mililani the shared time and dedication we put into each story and page, our staff has really become a family. Whenever someone is feeling down, we are able to pick each other up. We may all come from different walks of life — band, gaming, musical theatre and much more, but we’re able to work together to form a time capsule of stories about not only Mililani High School, but the community of Mililani as well. Community to me isn’t only the place from which you come from, it’s a place or a group of people that you share something in common with. For my staff and I, putting this newspaper together gives us that sense of community. We are like a machine; we have many different working gears and parts, but we move together as one. We help each other out when one part is off and we all have one goal in mind — to make every issue the best issue it can possibly be. For this issue, we have a variety of stories that each show a different aspect of Mililani: from spectacular students at MHS, to community stories on different elementary schools to features on some important issues. Being that this is our third annual community issue and the last community issue for me and the senior staffers, I hope that you, the reader, enjoys this issue of Mililani Times.

Discover. Understanding. Together.

Adviser Christopher Sato

Design Editor Joie Agoo

Online Editor Jacob Nakasone

Community Editor Chanelle Camero

Director of Sales Hope Ishizaka

Copy Editor Maya Hirano

Head Photographer Genevieve Mumma

Head Videographer Tatiana Ala

Photo Stylist Reese Yamamoto

Director of Arts Jenna Lee Bundalian

Opinions and Blogs Editor Sasha Numazu-Fisher

Feature Editor Daisy Ann Hipolito

Hospitality Manager Rain Hashimoto

Head Illustrator Tai Phaniphon

Social Media Coordinator Alina Fujinaka

Distribution Manager Emma Lee

Maintenance Manager Mikal Reese

Leigh Berry Leigh Berry McGwire Ishikawa McGwire Ishikawa Madison Kelly Madison Kelly Faustine Miura Faustine Miura Kasandra Morse Kasandra Morse Bryson Ohtani-Quartero Bryson Ohtani-Quartero Colbi Ohira Colbi Ohira Alexander Ozawa Alexander Ozawa

Mina Pecoraro Mina Pecoraro Lauren Ramos Lauren Ramos Samuel Sameshima Samuel Sameshima Meagan Tamashiro Meagan Tamashiro Kosmo Wojack Kosmo Wojack Danean Wurlitzer Danean Wurlitzer Trey Yamamoto Trey Yamamoto Emily Zimmerman Emily Zimmerman

LOCATED AT

MHS Parking Lot

General parking ($5) is available all weekend in the MHS lower campus parking lot by the gym, at Mililani YMCA and along Kipapa Drive. Handicap parking will be at the top end of the gym lower campus parking lot.

Attendance is estimated

he carnival fundraises for programs that directly support students. (MHS Baseball, Tennis, Band, PTSO/SPADA, Class of 2021, Class of 2023, Hui Malama and Video Game Club will be involved.) The Tennis team will be selling tacos in a bag and coffee jell-o.

to be

20,000

The Video Game Club will have a booth for playing video games.

people

Class of 2021 will be selling Turkey Pesto Paninis with Tomato Soup and collecting stuffed animal donations for their Teddy Bear Drive.

February 21 to February 23 (Fri. 5-11, Sat. 11-11, Sun. 11-6) WRITER Daisy Ann Hipolito

PHOTOGRAPHER Reese Yamamoto

DESIGNER Jenna Lee Bundalian

Over school-run booths with local food and drinks

KIDDIE LAND will be by B/C buildings

featuring a petting zoo and new pony rides.

Two new kiddie rides: Balloon Race and Jungle Twist.

FEATURE

11 E.K. Fernandez rides

Zipper, Century Wheel, Balloon tSevenheRace,carousel, Jungle Twist, Lolli Swings, Magic Maze, Seas, Super Sizzler, Wave Swinger, and Zero Gravity.

5 Raising caneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 6 welding 10 kipapa lego league 11 scholastic art contest 12 mental health awareness 16 mhs pilots 18 nursing assistant class 20 wellness fair 21 dci callbacks 22 airbnb 24 vaping: emerging issue 28 Once on this island 30 trojan tik tok stars

Papa Ge, God of Death, played by Senior Henry Hawes was one of the four gods in Once On This Island, which was performed at Pearl City Cultural Center during January 24-26.

WRITER Sasha Numazu-Fisher

PHOTOGRAPHER Genevieve Mumma

COLUMN

DESIGNER Kosmo Wojack

hile reminiscing on the aromas of crisp french fries and sweet juicy burgers, you may find yourself in a state of nostalgia. You may remember the day Burger King waved its final goodbye and officially closed their Mililani Town Center location. The tattered remnants of the restaurant remained completely barren for nearly two years — a distant memory of an old era. This was so until a few months ago, when excavators appeared, construction workers rushed about, and the blacked out fences were adorned by a “Raising Cane’s Coming Soon” sign, a savior to this fast food tragedy. Raising Cane’s, a restaurant chain founded in Louisiana, has now taken their journey local with the anticipated opening of their second Hawai‘i location in Mililani. With over 450 domestic restaurants in 28 states, the restaurant continues to thrive by satisfying all chicken tender needs. The menu is based around a simple yet effective background; every meal stems from the use of chicken tenders. Their golden breaded chicken, honey toasted bread, and crinkle-cut fries all contribute to the restaurants five different menu options, which include chicken tender meals that differentiate by proportion and a chicken sandwich option. The first Raising Cane’s to have settled itself on Oahu opened its doors on Dec. 11, 2018. Their location opened on University Ave. right across from the UH Manoa campus and immediately received attention. At the center of a melting pot full of college students searching for affordable meals, the restaurant had found its demographic. Much of the restaurant’s decor had pulled inspiration from the UH campus, its walls embellished with the Rainbow Warriors logo and various UH sports awards. With so much influence from the university, it is likely that their new Mililani location will gain their own personalized aesthetic from the high school, since the restaurant will reside so close to the campus. High schoolers have commonly used the Mililani Town Center as a beacon for after-school hangouts, study sessions and consistent fast food binges. Despite the various restaurants that are already offered, with this new and exciting option soon to be available, it is obvious that the opening of the restaurant will draw in crowds. With their new location being so close to the high school, a similar demographic to their town location will be built and cause just as much attraction. The fast-food chain was founded through humble beginnings. The owner Todd Graves constructed the first location with his own bare hands, and named the restaurant after his dog, Raising Cane. At the time, neither Graves’ business professors nor banks believed that a fast food restaurant solely based off of chicken tenders would work, and those who have yet to try the delectable meals might find themselves asking the same question. How could a mere chicken tender possibly carry the weight of a fast food empire? The truth is, people love the simplicity and convenience of a small menu. In Raising Cane’s, your choices are limited yet right on target to meet both one’s cravings and expectations.

“One Love” is the Raising Cane’s slogan and motto which pushes for quality chicken tender meals.

Locations in Kapolei and Pearl City will also begin construction in October 20202021.

When the first location opened, many people remained in a state of curiosity for the restaurant. There has been so much buzz caused from the people who had either eaten there on the mainland or who had already waited through the long lines and chaos for a single plate of chicken tenders. The people who found themselves rocking back and forth in line, facing back after back of others who were eager to try the Raising Cane’s experience filtered on for days. Although simple, it was the truth; the golden-brown chicken tenders had a compelling nature that drew people in. The famous Raising Cane’s experience is projected to officially make its reign in Mililani and open in the early months of 2020.

For More

LEARNING DAY BY DAY Columns On Trying Out New Things For The First Time

Check Out

MILILANITIMES.COM

TROJAN LIFE

WRITER Daisy Ann Hipolito

hough welding may not be a common hobby amongst MHS students, it is not overlooked by a select few, who follow the practice of state and national welders alike. Welding is defined as the process of uniting or mending together multiple pieces of material (metal, thermoplastic, wood, etc.) through the application of heat and pressure. This process results in a wide variety of creations, such as: tables, stands, chairs and other usable pieces of furniture or equipment. At MHS, students taking automotive technology (auto tech) are presented the opportunity to begin welding and advance their skills if interested. Senior Matthew Leonard was one of the few students to take up this opportunity and now considers welding as a unique and intriguing hobby. “If you’re not consistent with working then you’re never going to get anywhere. It’s just about consistent practice, getting out there, grinding your stuff and then practicing other things,” said Leonard. Similar to other high school welders, Leonard’s interest was sparked in auto tech. Auto tech is a class that allows students to learn the basics of automotive repair and maintenance while being able to work interactively with automotive equipment and electronics. “They have this little section that you can weld in. It has this little welding table and we’re currently trying to build a stand where we can hang sheets off of so that people can look in and see (the) welding so that we don’t have to worry as much,” said Leonard. Welding is known to be a very tedious and time consuming process. Students interested in welding learn about the steps and techniques that go into a quality weld. Later on, the students are able to execute their own knowledge into projects of their own. “The first thing is you want to make sure the metal is nice and clean and then, from there, it’s just making sure everything lines up and then from there you just want to have good technique,” said Leonard. Welding can be used in a variety of situations. While hobby welders usually

Every year before NASCAR, at least

950 hours are spent welding and working on each individual car.

More than 50 percent of all human-made products require welding, including planes, cars, furniture, pipes, etc.

PHOTOGRAPHER Reese Yamamoto

DESIGNER Jenna Lee Bundalian

work on smaller projects such as furniture and sculptures, more seasoned and professional welders work on grander-scale projects, such as pipelines, bridges, power-plants, refineries, cars or ships. “The first major project I did was — well we’ve done things on an axel, for like a trailer, and we've also done a grill where I kind of just welded some stuff to hold it together,” said Leonard. “I definitely have something that’s going to be there for a while. The stand I just made, that’s probably going to be there for who knows how long. So you get to contribute actively to the shop.” Welding results in more than just a self-made product; welders have gained many valuable and applicable life lessons through the process and practice. These lessons and skills can be used both in and outside of a welding environment or situation. “I think with anything it’s more like work ethic and you gotta stick with the project. If you aren’t consistent then that’s something you can transfer into life, anywhere. If you’re not consistent with working then you’re never going to get anywhere,” said Leonard. Aside from Leonard, only a few other students at MHS are known to weld as a hobby, and those that do understand that welding is not for everyone. However, that does not stop them from encouraging those who are intrigued by the activity to give it a try. “I think it’s because they think it’s (welding) tedious. We’ve given people the chance to weld and they’ll kinda just go and they kinda just play with it for a little bit, but to actually get good at it is a tedious process,” said Leonard. There are many benefits to taking welding up as a serious profession or side hobby. According to TopWelders.com, welding is currently one of the highest-paid labor jobs in the United States, with a yearly salary of around $50,000 to $185,000, or $160,000 to $2 million for military support welders in the United Arab Emirates. “I know in college I’m potentially thinking about getting a welder, so depending on when I can use it, I can just go to different job sites and as I get better people can just pay me and I can go do small projects. It’s just another source of income,” said Leonard. If you are interested in welding, you can look into MHS’ auto tech class or research local welding teaching companies.

at its current demand, the u.s. will need

Welders

372,664

do not need college degrees to practice their trade, making welding one of the highest paying jobs without a higher education.

welding professionals by the year 2026.

They do, however, need to be certified and licensed.

Leonard uses two welding techniques: a C pattern and a figure eight pattern.

TROJAN LIFE

t he

Welding Process

WRITER Emma Lee

PHOTOGRAPHER Reese Yamamoto

DESIGNER Jenna Lee Bundalian

idden near the tunnel in MHSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lower campus, select students like Senior Matthew Leonard weld in J building. There, they join materials like metal to create anything from furniture to equipment. Here is the process:

Safety first. In an appropriate working area, welders put on gloves, masks and jackets for protection against sparks. No shorts are allowed.

Various scrap metals can be found throughout the building. Every project is different, and selecting the right metal ensures a quality weld. Leonard advises against aluminum â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a specific welding machine is needed for that.

Sparks fly as Leonard grinds half an inch of his chosen metal. Grinding gets the metal clean and removes any paint that can make more sparks during welding. Leonard wears safety glasses for protection, but these sparks are minor compared to those created while welding.

The metal is clamped down. It must be grounded to create a closed circuit, and the two metals are aligned to be mended together.

TROJAN LIFE

The final product might be used for a table or reinforcement in a building. The popped bubbles are a result from high heat and the deep crevice, but the metals are welded securely.

Leonard sets the gas pressure between 30 to 40 psi (pounds per square inch). This range is ideal for quality welding. Now everything is ready. Leonard puts on his welding mask.

There are three main patterns for welding, the first of which Leonard uses here: the ‘C’ pattern, circles and a figure eight. The ‘C’ pattern is the easiest to control and is used by beginners. Circular movements are good for uneven surfaces, and figure eights (for the more experienced) create a really nice weld.

Senior Matthew Leonard

NEWS

Building Their Way to the Top

Kipapa Third Graders Head to Lego League World Festival WRITER Trey Yamamoto

PHOTOGRAPHER Lauren Ramos

DESIGNER Alina Fujinaka

his year, five third graders from Kipapa Elementary will be attending the 2020 LEGO League World Festival in Houston, Tx. Since this project is part of the school’s third grade curriculum, each class grouped four to five students into a team to compete in the event. Participating in the Junior level of the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) LEGO League, the five students moving on in the competition were selected out of 54 public, private, charter and home school teams. The students will be competing against nearly 100 teams from the U.S. and across the world in the world festival. “The students are fearless and jump right in trying new things. Sometimes they teach us things that we didn’t know the LEGO program can do,” said Kipapa Elementary’s Gifted and Talented teacher, STEM coordinator and Robotics coach Stacie Tateyama. The challenge for this year was “Boomtown Build,” where students were tasked to research different types of buildings and study how they were engineered. Their designs needed to possess the durable, accessible and environmentally friendly nature of the buildings they researched. “We designed a building that looks like an aircraft carrier at the naval station, to protect people,” said third grader Jonah Baniaga. Third grader SonRae Robb added, “We made a place for taking care of people.” Since his father works in the Navy, Baniaga took inspiration from Pearl Harbor when creating the crane, helicopter and houses for his group’s model. When building their project, the students also incorporated multiple moveable parts in their model’s functions. This allowed them to meet LEGO’s requirement of having at least one moving part. “The helicopter moves so that people will think it was a real helicopter. The cooling fan will keep the town cool,” said third grader Jadore Gapusan. Third grader Marcus Chaidy added, “The hub moves the cooling fan but it is difficult to work because the switch goes left and right but if you want to stop it, you have to go in the middle.” The students also incorporated a moving part that was controlled electronically. “For the crane, we used Bluetooth to connect it to the computer so we can program codes to make it go up and down,” said Robb. As the students prepare for the competition, they are given one month to build the project and another month to do their research and type out their project on their “Show Me” boards. The boards are made to illustrate the research they’ve done and their building process. “These projects are student-centered so the students complete the project on their own. We (do) have workshops to teach the students the basic functions of the LEGO and the WeDo programming components,” said Tateyama. When building and designing their project, the students’ main challenge was finding the right materials. “The helicopter (was a challenge) because the rotor wire had to be tight but loose enough to let it spin so we tried many times. We tried different sized pieces like shorter and longer and fatter (pieces) to fit and make the helicopter work. We finally found a serrated piece that worked,” said Baniaga. Gapusan added, “Not finding the right pieces is challenging because we need certain pieces to work.”

It took the students around two months to complete their projects

“We made a place for taking care of people.” -SonRae Robb

Aside from the challenges regarding the preparation and building process of their projects the students also have fears regarding the world festival. “I hope that our project doesn’t fall and break because it will take a long time to build it back again,” said Baniaga. Gapusan and third grader Anaiah Nunes shared the same fear that their project might break in front of the judges. The students also have fears regarding the functions of their project as well as their presentation to the judges. “I’m afraid that the programming won’t work,” said Robb. Chaidy added, “I’m shy so I’m scared of doing our presentation in front of the judges.” Leading up to the world festival, the students plan to build upon their project by making their crane and aircraft carrier more durable while also adding to their “Show Me” board. Alongside the FIRST Robotics League, Kipapa Elementary also has a competitive robotics team that participates in the VEX IQ and SeaPerch programs. The school is currently participating in the VEX IQ season and will participate in SeaPerch starting in February. As a means to fundraise and help to send the FIRST Robotics students on their trip to Houston, the robotics club has a GoFundMe page titled the Kipapa Boomtown Cougars and will be fundraising at the locations listed below on the following dates: February 13: McDonald’s, Kipapa (McTeacher’s Night) February 25: California Pizza Kitchen, Mililani Town Center February 29: Garage Sale, Kipapa Elementary School March 6: Panda Express, Mililani Town Center March 13: McDonald’s, Mililani Mauka (McTeacher’s Night)

Designs That Shine

NEWS

Students Win Scholastic Art Contest WRITER McGwire Ishikawa

PHOTOGRAPHER Lauren Ramos

DESIGNER Rain Hashimoto

he Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is an annual contest created to recognize talented artists and writers, displaying their works on a national level. Open to all students in grades seven to 12, the contest winners are awarded through a variety of categories such as architecture, poetry and painting. Awards are listed as follows: honorable mention, silver key and gold key. Among this year’s winners are Junior Katelyn McAniff, Junior Alwyn Matthew Agustin, Senior Jarren Gapusan and Senior Tai Phaniphon. “Art defines me today because it can be applied to everything. I think about elements of art in everything, from my school work to the clothes I wear.” said McAniff. Working since November, Agustin created a self-portrait oil painting. He used his skills of mixing and matching paint, winning a gold key. “Everything just came from my heart and I messed up a lot and that means that I’m learning and finding what can I improve more,” said Agustin, a self-taught artist. Drawing and Painting teacher Ruth Ravina-Koethe added, “It was well-deserved, they all worked very hard and it’s nice to be recognized when you do good work and you enter it in a contest and you win.” Phaniphon’s oil pastel painting was titled “Insomnia,” winning a gold key in the contest. Her painting was based off a poem she wrote a while ago. “It was fitting because I was just doing college applications and I was super tired, so I just did that. But I wanted to make it a lucid state, like lucid dreaming,” Phaniphon said. Gapusan, who does art mainly as a hobby, submitted two ceramic pieces created from clay and glaze: an uli’uli, receiving an honorable mention, and a Japanese teapot, which won a silver key. His designs were created as a way to express his cultures and ethnicities. “At first I wasn’t too confident in my ability to create an award winning work of art. But I ended up entering two of my ceramic projects, I thought that I might as well try,” said Gapusan. Ceramics teacher Kathleen Kaya added, “While he was making it, it was so creative and neat and I had it in mind that he was gonna use that piece for the contest.” McAniff was awarded a silver key for her oil painting. Her design was a renaissance-style portrait of her pet rabbit. “One day she was sitting inside of a garden pot and I thought it was so adorable that I had to take a picture and immortalize her in a painting. She’s getting old and I’ve literally spent almost half my childhood with her, so I thought a painting would be a nice way to remember her in the future,” said McAniff. Winning a gold key automatically made Agustin and Phaniphon nominees for the American Voices and Visions Medal. This is a national level award given to only one writer and one artist from each region. “As a self taught artist, people don’t know the struggle on how to mix and match paint. That is why when people are recognizing my work everything just disappears like nothing happened because art is my life and no one or anything can change that,” said Agustin. Phaniphon added, “You see so much of your own work, you don’t see how good it is until someone tells you it is, or you get recognition.” The winning pieces from all over Hawai‘i will be displayed at the Hawai‘i State Art Museum from Feb. 15 to March 14. More information can be found at https://www.artandwriting.org/.

Untitled by Junior Alwyn Matthew Agustin, Gold Key

Untitled by Senior Jarren Gapusan, Silver Key

“Insomnia” by Senior Tai Phaniphon, Gold Key

Untitled by Senior Jarren Gapusan, Honorable Mention

Untitled by Junior Katelyn McAniff, Silver Key

FEATURE

DESIGNER Joie Agoo

adults experienced mental illness in 2018 of those who had a mental disorder in the past year received professional health care or other services

65% of survey takers say school is their primary cause of stress

on a scale from 1-10, 57.8% of students surveyed rated their stress LEVEL at A SEVEN or above

48% of survey takers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like they can talk to adults at school about mental health issues

Mental Health

FEATURE

Raising Awareness on the Issue WRITERS Jacob Nakasone Danean Wurlitzer

PHOTOGRAPHER Samuel Sameshima

DESIGNER Madison Kelly

Social Media

t MHS, many students find themselves involved in various extracurriculars in addition to school. As a result of balancing these activities, many of these students experience high levels of stress and anxiety, leading to serious mental health problems such as depression and anxiety disorders. “Having taught for over 13 years, eight years in another district — in those prior eight years, I probably had seen maybe three or four incidences of anxiety and depression over the course of eight years. And so I’ve been in Mililani High School for five years now, and that number is probably somewhere between four, eight per class. So it is drastically higher today than it was in my previous teaching career,” said Advanced Placement Psychology teacher Doug Muraoka. Progression of technology and social media have contributed to the mental health issues of this generation. Sara Hashimoto, Psy.D., a Mental Health Section Administrator (MHSA) for the Department of Public Safety/Health Care Division, believes that there has been a shift in the challenges that today’s youth face in comparison to previous generations, making mental health issues more common today. “Kids are heavily scheduled, families spend less meaningful time together and there is an overemphasis of creating a distorted illusion of what is ‘real’ and valuable on social media,” said Hashimoto. Muraoka added, “My generation had academic success pressures, but I think they manifest themselves differently with today’s teenagers and clearly social media, I think also has an impact on it, because instantly and constantly, teenagers are forced to compare themselves.” The negative effects of stress and anxiety range in severity and duration. “So stress is sort of undue influences, things that change our state of minds. Stress can be both positive and negative, simple as the butterfly nervous energy that you have before an activity — or stress can be reactions to certain environmental factors such as (a) death in the family or loss of a job or things like that,” said Muraoka. “Anxiety is more of the fear response that we have or the nervousness that we have around our daily events. So things like getting the sweats, things like a rapid heartbeat. These are the things that cause us to be anxious.” In comparison to stress and anxiety, the diagnosis of depression focuses more on the way an individual feels, thinks and behaves. Depression is often associated with feelings of sadness and lack of motivation. “Depression is a little bit different (from stress). Depression is a state of mind quite literally where you lose the ability to find joy. There’s different degrees of depression and different levels of depression. But literally it’s how much joy you can bring into your life,” said Muraoka. While it is common for students to experience minor stress daily, chronically high levels

and Mental Health Other coping mechanisms for stress and depression include: exercising, getting involved with outdoor activities, drawing, coloring and keeping a diary with your thoughts.

Sources of

Strength

Kids are heavily scheduled, families spend less meaningful time together and there is an overemphasis of creating a distorted illusion of what is ‘real’ and valuable on social media.” -Sara Hashimoto

of stress may lead to both physical and mental damage. “So over time, chronic stress can have a lot of impact — simply it’ll change your biochemistry (and) it could affect your sleep patterns. And then there’s this ripple effect where when you don’t get a lot of sleep, your immune system can break down, your attitude changes, your motivation changes (and) your mood changes,” said Muraoka. However, there are various coping methods to deal with these situations that can be done at home, at school and with other people. “So when it comes to coping, number one first and foremost, find someone to talk to — anybody is better than nobody. I always suggest to students to try and find somebody who has either gone through — somebody older, somebody a little bit more experienced in life — (or) to talk to your friend,” said Muraoka. “Yale University has a program and their motto around that program is if you could name it, you could tame it. And basically what that means is that if you can understand and name what’s bothering you, you can also tame what’s bothering you.” Resources in Hawai‘i are available for people suffering with depression and anxiety disorders. If you or someone you know is dealing with any mental health issues, contact the Crisis Text Line Hawai‘i by texting “Aloha” to 741741.

OPINION

Social Media

and Mental Health

n this day and age, it feels like everybody we know — everyone we’re close with— is battling some kind of mental illness. There are many kinds of mental illnesses, and they are all very prevalent in today’s younger society. This might not necessarily mean that younger people are more prone to developing mental disorders, but rather that we are more likely to express them publicly. At this point, we expect people to relate to our struggles because so many do. Has the internet shaped us to be less willing to get professional help? Our way of communicating has changed radically, as we have become more acclimated to an open-minded society. However, instead of talking through our problems and getting professional help for our emotional needs, we often turn to humor for expressing how we feel. By making selfdeprecating jokes or memes to share publicly, we resort to showing off our problems to the world. There are entire online communities dedicated to jokes like these and even Instagram accounts with thousands of followers named after some variation of the words “depression” and “memes.” Why do we do this to ourselves? And why has mental illness become so common that these massive communities exist? It’s how we were raised that made us so crazy about mental health. If we reflect on the past, we can see the differences in how mental health was once perceived to where it is now. Older generations generally kept information about their mental health to themselves. An article from The Guardian states, “Mental illness is a result of misery, yet still we stigmatise it,” showing that as recently as 2016, adults with mental disorders condemned for having or talking about mental illnesses. The majority of the younger generations do not stigmatize the mentally ill like this. So, how come we prefer to share our common experiences haphazardly in a humorous way? What made us so desperate to talk about our emotions, but not to resolve the problem? Easy answer: the internet. People born more susceptible to illnesses like depression or anxiety or brought up in unloving or unwelcoming households, had a place to confide in. They didn’t have to pay to go to a professional therapist or convince their parents they needed help; they just talked with people online. From there, the jokes began. So, is the internet at fault as to why people refuse professional help? Well, there is nothing wrong with sharing our experiences with others. These jokes give people a place — a community — to belong to. They allow us to express what is happening in our lives and our relationships — anonymously. Mayo Clinic states that these kinds of jokes can give us serious physical and mental benefits as well, like stress relief and an increase in personal satisfaction. It’s our own form of therapy — a free psychological aid that older generations never had the chance to use. However people decide to get help. As long as they consider it effective as an emotional aid, they should be free to get the help they need.

Sources of

Strength

WRITER Alexander Ozawa

PHOTOGRAPHER WRITER Samuel Alexander Sameshima Ozawa

PHOTOGRAPHER DESIGNER Madison Kelly Samuel Sameshima

Mental Health Heroes The Fight Against The Void By Tai Phaniphon

DESIGNER Madison Kelly

Sources of

Strength WRITER Emily Zimmerman

DESIGNER Madison Kelly

eenage suicide rates have been steadily increasing over the past couple of years. In Hawai‘i, suicide is the number one cause of death for those aged 15 to 24 (calculated in deaths per 100,000 people). MHS Behavioral Health Specialist Charnay Gima wants to address this situation by developing a new program called Sources of Strength. “We polled all the students based on surveys and what we got back was at least 50 percent of the students felt connected to a teacher and then also in the sense of belonging, 40 percent of students felt connected to the campus,” said Gima. Based on these surveys, half of the student body does not feel connected to the school. This lack of connection can lead to loneliness and, in severe cases, depression. Sources of Strength, a national suicide prevention program originally set up in North Dakota in 1998, will hopefully decrease that percentage and help students feel like they belong at MHS. The program will be a student-led organization that spreads positivity and awareness about mental health over the campus. Thirty one students from MHS have been chosen to be peer leaders and will begin training in February. “We realized we needed a change,” said Gima who, along with the school administration staff, felt that good mental health can lead to an improved school

NEWS

environment. “The change needs to come from the students. The change can’t come from the school.” The students chosen to be part of the program come from diverse backgrounds. According to Gima, that’s where the change comes from: social networking. Peer leaders from the program talk to their friends, their friends talk to other friends and so on, creating a ripple effect of positivity. “I feel that Sources of Strength is an important thing to have at our school because a lot of teenagers go through an immense amount of stress throughout their high school career and many don’t feel connected to the adults that support us here,” said Sophomore Rain Hashimoto, one of the students selected to participate. Sources of Strength does not only target suicide prevention, it also is an anti-bullying and substance abuse prevention campaign. “I am choosing to become a part of Sources of Strength because, one day, I’m hoping their mission of bringing hope will be a movement on campus,” President of the Student Alliance for Mental Health and Wellness Club (SAMHW) Senior Megan Ogasawara said. The club was also a driving factor in bringing sources of strength to MHS. “Sources of Strength empowers youth and teachers to be able to provide coping mechanisms and overall support for one another. No student should have to live life alone,” said Ogasawara. Other schools across the island are also participating in Sources of Strength, including Nanakuli High School, Waianae High School, Kahuku High school, Moanalua High School and University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. More information on Sources of Strength can be found at https:// sourcesofstrength.org/ or by contacting Charnay Gima at charnay.gima@ mililanihs.k12.hi.us.

PROJECT GRAD Project Graduation fundraiser opportunity right around the corner! MHS CARNIVAL - February 21-23, 2020 Email Debbie at mhs_projectgrad@yahoo.com for more info and sign up link!

Receive the cheapest price of $225 with 9 hours volunteer time at SPADA event. Regular price is $300 until March 2, 2020 and then $350 from March 3-April 30, 2020. Cash night of graduation is $400.

TROJAN LIFE

Licensed to Fly, Student Pilots

TAKE OFF

to their DREAMS WRITER Chanelle Camero

Senior Brayden Autele-Acera, Sophomore Kenan Tas (L-R)

or Senior Brayden Autele-Acera, Sophomore Kenan Tas and ‘18 alumna Theresa Lam, flying an airplane has become a part of their routine. While they are in different stages of training, they all share a passion for flying. Tas is currently working towards getting his student pilot’s license while Autele-Acera is working towards getting his private pilot certificate. Lam is currently working as a Certified Flight Instructor, taking up students into the air and training them. For all of them, their goal is to work as commercial pilots. “The most rewarding part of flying for me is being able to feel free. I feel like I don’t have to worry about any other people when I fly. It’s just me, the plane and endless opportunities,” said Autele-Acera. Autele-Acera completed three solo flights. For his first solo flight, he flew to Kalaeloa Airport and practiced his landings. For his second and third flights, he flew to Maui and back. “It was pretty scary at first because I realized that I was alone, and my instructor wasn’t there for me to ask for help. After my second solo, I felt pretty comfortable with flying by myself,” said Autele-Acera, who has his Private Pilot Written. A Private Pilot’s License allows them to operate the aircraft as the pilot in command, privately and to carry as many passengers as an aircraft can legally carry. To receive this license, one must be 17 years old, have a minimum of 40 recorded flight hours, pass an FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Practical Test, more commonly known as a check ride, pass an oral exam and pass an FAA third class medical exam at the minimum. In a couple of months, Tas will be taking the FAA’s knowledge test in order to fly solo. The knowledge exam covers things such as the foundation of how to control the aircraft and the purpose of its instruments. To prepare for his student pilot certificate, Tas is building up his flying hours. With his instructor, Tas practices landings and maneuvers such as managing stalls which happen when an aircraft exceeds its critical angle of attack, and S-turns which are a ground reference maneuvers. For Tas, being able to say that he did it as well as his instructor telling him that he’s doing a good job is a rewarding feeling. “It makes me feel good for how much work I’ve put into this training and the amount of — it’s expensive so when he says you’re doing good and you’re ready to do something that you would never think you could ever do, it’s a good feeling so,” said Tas. “And then also, having that dream to do that when you’re later on in life, you look back at all of the stuff that you had to do in order to become this. I’d say that’s pretty rewarding.” Their training can be broken up into two parts: ground and flight training. Ground

Being able to have controls of what the plane does, as well as being up in the air is something I believe everyone should try out at one point in their lives.” -Theresa Lam

PHOTOGRAPHER Reese Yamamoto

DESIGNER Rain Hashimoto

training is about learning aerodynamics, flight planning, emergency procedures and restrictions. Flight training is about applying this knowledge to perfect flying skills such as navigating, landing, maneuvers and talking on the radio. “He (Tas’ instructor) challenges you by like turning off your engine or asking you to do something like call up the ATC or something — the Air Traffic Control — ‘cause you’re gonna have to learn all that stuff in order to fly the big planes, the jets,” said Tas. Lam added, “Everything that you read and learn on the ground you are able to apply in your flying, so it’s nothing less than exhilarating. Being able to have controls of what the plane does, as well as being up in the air is something I believe everyone should try out at one point in their lives.” Lam and Tas attend The Right Flight Services flight school while AuteleAcera attends George’s Aviation Services. While training there and flying, it’s common to come across technical challenges. “The most challenging part of flying for me would be the radios. Sometimes, there can be tons of other planes on the same frequency as you, and you need to be able to listen for your instructions among the chaos,” said Autele-Acera. Tas added, “The most challenging part I’d say (is) probably landings right now because it looks easy but to make a really smooth like coordinated landing like — ‘cause you have to be on the centerline. You know how there’s a white line in the middle of the runways?” For Tas and Autele-Acera, their average flight lasts an hour and 40 minutes and two to three hours respectively. Tas’ longest flight was to Lanai and lasted three hours. Autele-Acera’s longest flight was over two hours one way and was from Prescott to Page for the Embry-Riddle flight camp he attended this past summer. “Our flight consist of four parts: preflight, runup, flight, shutdown. For preflight, we check to make sure the exterior parts of the plane aren’t broken (fuselage, exterior flight controls, tires, propeller). We also take samples of the fuel to make sure its not contaminated, and check the oil level. After we finish preflight, we start up the plane and taxi out to the runup ramp,” said Autele-Acera. “For runup we check to see if the engine runs at the normal operating speed. We fly, and then come back. Once we return to the parking ramp, we do our shutdown. Shutdown is basically when we turn off the plane, push it back and tie it up.” For more information, you can go to George’s Aviation Services’ website at https://www.georgesaviation.com/ or go to The Right Flight Services’ website at https://www.trfshawaii.com/.

One of Autele-Acera’s first experiences with planes was when his neighbor — who was an air force pilot — took Autele-Acera and his friends to an airshow when he was younger.

When Tas was around 7 years old, he began thinking about flying as a career option.

TROJAN LIFE

NEWS

High Schoolers Get Head Start with New Nursing Assistant Class WRITER WRITER WRITER MayaMaya Hirano Hirano Maya Hirano

PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTOGRAPHER Samuel Samuel Sameshima Sameshima Samuel Sameshima

DESIGNER DESIGNER DESIGNER ColbiColbi Ohira Ohira Colbi Ohira

ith the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting employment to grow by 11 percent from 2014 to 2024, the demand for certified nursing assistants is climbing — especially in Hawai‘i. This year, MHS is offering a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) class, available to juniors and seniors who have taken prerequisite classes. While MHS is currently partnered with Leeward Community College (LCC), in future years they will be partnering with Hawai‘i Pacific Health (HPH) who had originally asked for the school to implement the program. “There is a high need. That’s why HPH is asking high schools to offer this course — is because it’s benefiting not only the students, right — being able to get certified while in high school and they can go get a job, but it’s also helping HPH because then they’re getting that much more certified people in the job force,” said Clinical Health and Directed Studies teacher Shirlen Tanaka. The CNA class is part of the Directed Studies elective offered to students who have passed both the Health Services Core Pathway and Clinical Health electives with a B or higher. The CNA portion itself begins in the second semester and is taught by a certified instructor. “I was interested because I thought that it would be a great opportunity for me to immerse myself in the health field and I thought the CNA class would be a great foundation for my journey into the health field,” said Junior Angelina Dulay. Senior Crislen Suan added, “I want to become a physician assistant and then CNA gives you that basic knowledge to become one.” Student cost for this year totaled $200, as they are required to pay for two sets of scrubs, safety glasses, a blood pressure kit and the final exam. In order to get certified, students must have attended in-class instruction, performed 100 clinical hours and passed the prometric exam. Clinical hours were tentatively planned to take place at Paolo Chinese Home in Honolulu from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the weekends and during spring break. “It’s going to be a challenge because like for most of us, we have seven classes a day and we have to fight traffic too, going and coming back, so I think that’s one major thing. But I think one good thing is that we’re going to be carpooling a lot, so it’ll be fun and I’ll get to like bond closer with everyone in that class,” said Senior Madison Isa-Real. Tanaka added, “It’s cheaper to do it within the DOE (Department of Education) versus if you were to do it outside private, so I think the cost is a good motivator too.” Some examples of curriculum that is covered throughout in-class instruction include learning how to measure the height and weight of patients, admit a resident and take a manual blood pressure. Instruction with LCC was planned to begin in late January. “During the break, Christmas break, we got our two

hospital beds that (were) donated through HPH. They were the ones who were able to give us the beds and they also provided hospital (tables) too, so you know, already HPH has invested in Mililani by giving those high cost equipments to our program,” said Tanaka. With 2020 being its pilot year at MHS, the CNA class may spark interest in other students who are planning to pursue a career in medicine. For seniors, obtaining certification will allow them to get a career-related job and gain experience while still in college. “(I found out) through our teacher that I had before for the first section of the Directed Studies pathway, and she said that there was this new opportunity happening so I was like, I have to take this chance because it’s the best I’m going to get,” said Isa-Real, who plans to attend college in Arizona to become a labor and delivery nurse. Prior to registration, not many students had known of the class due to lack of advertisement and lack of time for paperwork and parental permission. “I feel like — yeah, if more people knew about it and the opportunities it had, it’d be good for them to just join,” said Senior Jayce Lozano, who ended up being the only male in the class. Tanaka finds the MHS student body to have a high interest in the medical field and expects the CNA class to grow in popularity in the upcoming years.

The CNA class is part of the Directed Studies (Health) elective taught by Shirlen Tanaka. The CNA portion itself will be taught by a certified instructor provided by LCC.

Congratulations to Mililani Times for another wonderful community publication. I am proud to support the journalism program at Mililani High School and look forward to reading more issues in the future. RE-ELECT

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COMMUNITY

What Do We Truly Eat? Rita Madden Hosts Wellness Workshops in Mililani WRITER Rhea Wojack

PHOTOGRAPHER Faafetai Laga

DESIGNER Quinn Goo

n Jan. 13, nutritionist and author Rita Madden held a wellness workshop discussing healthy eating and habits. Madden discussed harmful additives and preservatives commonly found in foods and their effects, explaining how to avoid them and eat healthy while maintaining enjoyment. “Really health can come at any size, so eating good quality foods and making sure they’re real as much as possible (for a good diet),’’ said Madden who has been a nutritionist for over 15 years. She presented a video which explained how marketers hire researchers and testers to find the most addicting flavors, then replicate it by manufacturing chemicals. These additives and preservatives are addictive, and one of the major factors harming the health of Americans. Madden discussed how these additives and preservatives were linked to health and behavioral issues. Cancer and blood disease are one of the many of the deadly risks of eating chemicals that are added to food. These synthetic flavorings are becoming one of the major threats to people’s health and should be watched out for carefully as they are not being identified by a majority of the population. Madden advised, to replace fake ingredients with natural foods closer to what “our ancestors ate,” making the end product healthier and having a closer flavor to the original. As an example of this method she used saimin, explaining that the powder in the flavor packets are made exclusively out of chemicals. However, by replacing the packets with natural chicken broth or flavoring, it would make the saimin healthier and cancel out the various health risks created by the additives and preservatives. By using this method one can eat healthier without sacrificing flavor, an issue many people have with diets and dieting programs. Madden also recommended to store foods in a natural way to avoid added salt or preservatives. She said to buy products without preservatives and store them in the freezer or refrigerator. “If you are eating the right foods, eating the right amounts, managing your stress and doing a joyful activity then your doing everything you can do for your health,” said Madden. She explained that a lot of health issues stem from snacking and eating too much sugar. A method she recommended to avoid munching on food is to find something that a person doesn’t particularly like. Whenever that person is hungry they decide if they are willing to eat the food or not. To keep up a healthy diet Madden recommended to eat 80 percent of the time healthy and use the other 20 percent for nutritious treats. She talked about enjoying food and not only being healthy. The goal of the workshop was to inform people about harmful things that the population should avoid when it comes to picking meals. Madden only skimmed the surface at this workshop and will be expanding on the things discussed during future programs. The next workshop will be held on Feb. 10 at the YMCA. For more information about the workshops visit www.moongardens.org.

Rita Madden, formerly a nurse intern, changed her profession to nutritionist to prevent hospital visits.

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TROJAN LIFE

Spinning Into The Future: Madeline Partin Receives DCI Callbacks

WRITER Leigh Berry

PHOTOGRAPHER Genevieve Mumma

DESIGNER Alina Fujinaka

hen MHS Senior Madeline Partin, a four year Trojan Marching Band veteran and flag captain for the Mililani color guard, decided to audition for a Drum Corps International (DCI) group, her top choices were Santa Clara Vanguard (SCV) and the Phantom Regiment. This past December, Partin flew to Orlando, Fl. to finish her final DCI audition for SCV. She had already submitted multiple video auditions for the Phantom Regiment and was just two performances away from completing the first step in her journey to join a DCI group. “I was definitely worried that I would be so nervous that I wouldn’t do my best. I was also scared that I would be way over my head and I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the other people at the audition,” said Partin. Self-described as “Marching Music’s Major League,” DCI hosts multiple worldrenowned teams including SCV, the Phantom Regiment and the Cavaliers. Class of 2017 MHS alumnus and former DCI Cavalier Akoni Pasoquen-Castillo described DCI as a professional marching band, with each season lasting one summer. Pasoquen-Castillo said Partin’s passion for guard and her drive to achieve her goals have shown that she is capable of performing at this high level. “It means a lot to be a part of a color guard member in Mililani or in the marching band in general. You spend so much time with them that they truly become your second family. You develop relationships that can last for a lifetime after high school and that in itself means a lot,” said Pasoquen-Castillo, who has been helping to train and coach the MHS guard for three years and is a former captain of Partin’s. Partin was inspired to audition for a DCI group by coaches and friends after expressing an interest in continuing color guard after high school. “Of course there were things that I could’ve done better (during the auditions), but overall I thought it went way better than I ever thought and I was proud of myself,” said Partin.

If Partin continues past the Phantom Regiment’s callback camp, she will perform with the drum corps on July 12 for the beginning of the 2020 DCI season.

The Phantom Regiment required Partin to send several videos demonstrating basic across the floors (coordinated steps done in a series, usually across the floor) and flag tosses as well as two pieces of choreography: one with a flag and one without. For her SCV audition, Partin performed two pieces of flag choreography as well as one piece with no flag. “I was so happy and thankful when I found out I got a callback (from) both groups I auditioned for. It meant a lot to me, but the support I got from my friends and guard staff made my heart really happy,” said Partin. Partin’s guard career has not been without hardships. During field season, color guard members practice three times per week — Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition to the time commitment, many of Partin’s friends had left the program or graduated throughout her years in guard. “But my junior year especially was when I ‘popped off’ because Alex Pai, a guard member who graduated when I was a sophomore — she was a big inspiration to me and was the main source of motivation to improve because I wanted to fill her shoes after she graduated,” said Partin. Because Partin received callbacks from both SCV and the Phantom Regiment, it was up to her to choose which group to follow through with on her journey to joining a DCI. It was a difficult decision for Partin, as both were her dream DCI groups. In the end, with the help of guidance from friends and loved ones, she chose the Phantom Regiment. Partin will perform in the Winter Guard International competition from April 1 to April 4. She will attend the Phantom Regiment’s callback camp from April 24 to 26.

COMMUNITY

Airbnb:

Travelers Find Their Way to Mililani Airbnb WRITER Akira Pescador

PHOTOGRAPHER James Ferree

DESIGNER Anya Hubbard

otels can cost anywhere from $82 to $715 a night on Oahu. However, as an alternative, travelers could stay in an Airbnb hosted by local residents for as low as $30 a night. MHS Junior James Ferree and his father Anthony Ferree run one of the higher-rated Airbnbs of those listed in Mililani. Together, they’ve been providing a place to stay since May 2016. “I was inspired to do an Airbnb out of my home by my mom, who was always willing to open her home and heart to friends of the family in need,” said Anthony Ferree, a 62 year old military veteran who’s now working for the USDA as a consumer safety health inspector. “When financial times were difficult, I found myself doing the same thing. I could pay some bills doing this, and I was a natural,” said Anthony Ferree. Tourists can stay at the Perree’s Airbnb for $67 per night, compared to the cheapest hotel being $82 a night as of January, 16 2020. The Perree’s Airbnb has a near five-star rating at 4.63, whereas the aforementioned hotel is rated at 3.6. “I am not a fan of Waikiki or the big hotels in downtown Honolulu. It’s the crowds, parking and everything that’s just so expensive. I’ve made so many good friends from all over the world, saving them that money, think of me as a diplomat of the aloha spirit,” said Anthony Ferree. The responsibilities of an Airbnb host include: deep cleaning the room, scheduling arrivals, transporting tourists to and from the airport, accommodating guests with amenities, transferring funds, interacting with guests, explaining house rules and providing general hospitality. “It’s not that difficult, but I think the hardest part would be managing bookings because I have to interact with guests every now and then. Sometimes on overlapping days, I have exactly an hour to get the room ready for the next people,” said James Ferree. These tasks often conflict with James’ schoolwork, disturbing his sleep schedule and limiting his time to do homework. To host an Airbnb, one must register an account on their website and then list the living space. Without a permit, it’s illegal for a host to rent out their entire house. However, new hosts can legally rent as many as two bedrooms without a permit as long as the host also lives in the house. Only 1,700 permits are allowed to be issued on Oahu, which is based on the number of dwellings on the island. “It makes me happy to open my home to travelers and show them places on the island that better represents Hawai‘i than Waikiki ever could. Especially since all I have to do is ensure my guests aren’t committing crimes, don’t disturb my neighbors and file the income with my taxes,” said Anthony Ferree. For more information, visit realhawaii.co/blog/airbnb-on-hawaii-what-isand-what-isnt-legal or go to the official Airbnb website.

The Ferree’s Airbnb includes amenities such as a TV, toaster oven, microwave, air conditioning, a personal bathroom and a jacuzzi-jet bathtub.

The Ferree’s is one out of eight Airbnbs found in Mililani.

FEATURE

VAPING: An Emerging Issue WRITER Tai Phaniphon

PHOTOGRAPHER Reese Yamamoto

DESIGNER Joie Agoo

s of Nov. 3, about 75 percent of 418 students at MHS know someone who uses a nicotine device and about 91 percent are aware of the recent deaths, health risks and/or injuries that are caused by vaping. In a more recent survey conducted on Jan. 21, 29 percent of 205 students have seen their fellow students vape in the bathroom and 16 percent have seen them vape in the hallways and classrooms, establishing a prevalent problem throughout MHS. The use of e-cigarettes and the act of vaping was first introduced to the U.S. in 2006. Originally marketed as an alternative to cigarettes, the detrimental health effects are now starting to proliferate 13 years later, alluding similar health effects as its predecessor. “I think with the chemicals found in vaping, they’re easily absorbed by the body because it’s in liquid form that can be a part of the circulation system, whereas smoking — yes it can be filtered through the lungs first but it doesn’t mean it will be part of the circulation system,” said AP Biology teacher Nel Venzon, who has a doctorate in education and leadership through the University of Southern California. The term vaping is defined as the act of inhaling and exhaling aerosol or vapor, which is produced by an electronic cigarette. The smoking device comes in many forms and the liquid that is being vaporized is often called “juice,” which is available in flavors such as Blue Raspberry, Strawberry Lemonade and Banana Bread. “It is like getting a pack of gum, when you think about it. But really when you look at the core of it, it’s still nicotine,” said Dr. Jeremy Creekmore, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Ho’ola Pono (a private practice) and professor at Chaminade University. With the variety of vaping devices comes many modifications both to the e-cigarettes and the aerosolized liquid, which can be laced with carcinogens, arsenic, cadmium, lead, nickel and the common drug marijuana (containing the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol or THC). The concentration of nicotine can also be modified, such as condensing the amount used. As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are having a hard time pinpointing the exact chemicals linked to vaping related illnesses. “The unfortunate thing is that these devices can be modified. So what someone gets from the store is not something they may actually be using,” said Creekmore. “You heard about the (exploding) and now you have people who are dabbing and aerosolizing THC.” With Hawai‘i now hopping onto the “trend” of vaping, a total of two illnesses have occurred since Sept. 10. A teenage girl on the Big Island was Hawai‘i’s first case. Her health was in critical condition and she was airlifted to Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children on Oahu. Since Nov. 13, The Hawai‘i Department of Health has reported four cases, with two of the patients being adults and the other two being adolescents. These

Model: Kale Glunt

The smoking device comes in many forms and names such as: Mod, Suorin, Pen, Juul, Orion, etc.

vaping related illnesses have recently been given the name EVALI by the CDC, which is defined as a patient that has a lung injury associated with the use of e-cigarettes or a vaping product. Hawai‘i’s Department of Health set a Health Advisory on Oct. 7, informing the general public about the risks of vaping and current global findings. This was Hawai‘i’s first attempt to lessen the growing vaping problem. “E-cigarettes and vaping products are unsafe and unregulated,” said Hawai‘i’s Department of Health. “While there are claims that vaping devices help smokers kick their cigarette habits, not enough time has elapsed, nor has testing been done, to verify this claim or the potential for other health impacts.” Like many other states such as New York, Rhode Island, Michigan and Massachusetts — Hawai‘i’s Department of Health has discussed banning vaping altogether, although they ultimately decided against it. With the possibility of becoming heavily regulated, vaping brings the appeal of breaking rules. “Then it becomes something sneaky, fun or black market. So it may even push the issue even more because then you really get unregulated products,” said Creekmore. MHS Teen Care Supervisor Ellen Fooks added, “Some people get excited by trying to break rules (and) that is not an answer.” Due to this lack of regulation, some Hawai‘i lawmakers want to push for a ban on vaping products that have interchangeable open-cartridge systems. Currently, the FDA has a partial ban on closed cartridges and certain products. As of Jan. 14, the CDC has recorded that of the 2,668 vaping related illness cases reported, 15 percent are under the age of 18. In terms of classroom size, in a class of 20 students, roughly two students in every class vape. Hawai‘i is

25 ranked the second highest state for vaping among high school students (23 percent) and first for middle school students (13 percent) in the nation. Hawai‘i’s population size and demographic may be a prevalent factor. “In Hawai‘i things get trendier quicker and go out of style quicker too,” said Fooks. According to a recent survey at MHS, about 60 percent of students think teens vape to fit in or be cool. “Oahu is in very similar ways like a big city,” said Creekmore. “So we are seeing a lot of the stuff that is going on on the mainland kind of catch up here and of course we are an interpopulation which would actually skyrocket the act of vaping.” On Oct. 16, two national tobacco control experts joined more than 100 public health advocates, educators and law enforcement officials for a Menthol and Flavored Tobacco Summit, deciding that vaping should be treated like smoking. This means raising tax prices to be less accessible for children in terms of price, ban flavors other than tobacco and reduce access through the internet and retail stores. The Hawai‘i Department of Health has also released information specifically for clinicians on how to assess patients with EVALI and how to educate them. “If someone comes in with a cough (or) any other symptoms, it probably would help to just go deeper, to make sure it is not tied to some other vaping related illness,” said Creekmore. The first vaping related death was reported on Aug. 23 in Illinois. Since then, multiple vaping related illnesses have spiked all over the U.S.. “As of Oct. 22, 2019, 1,604 cases of e-cigarette or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI) have been reported to CDC from 49 states (all except Alaska), the District of Columbia and 1 U.S. territory,” said the CDC. The state of Colorado had their first vaping related illness on Sept. 9. Piper Johnson, a freshman college student who suffered from a fever and rapid heart rate, became part of the rising vaping related illness statistics. Soon after, on Sept. 16 the CDC released to the media that the Emergency Operations Center was activated to aid in the investigation of lung injury illnesses related to vaping, eventually establishing the term EVALI for vaping related illnesses. “You do get respiratory illnesses like cough, chest pain, but there is also a lot of gastric and intestinal. So like stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,” said Creekmore. “So people aren’t putting two and two together.” MHS is not excluded from the statistics, as many students at MHS know fellow students who vape. In addition, as shown in a recent survey, about 83 percent care about the recent vaping related illnesses. Of those who have previously vaped, 13 percent have stopped vaping. “So we work indirectly with vaping because the kids that we work with, I would say six out of ten of the kids we work with also vape,” said Fooks.

In Hawai’i things get trendier quicker and go out of style quicker too. -Ellen Fooks

FEATURE

Teen Care focuses primarily on alcohol and marijuana use. With the middle schools, they focus more on vaping awareness. “We go and do a project alert prevention class with the health classes,” said Fooks. “We do a vaping content thing, a semester at a time.” As the dangers of vaping are becoming more evident by the day, the next step in addressing the vaping problem would be raising awareness. Educating students of the detriments can be incorporated into school activities, such as assemblies and advisory. “There is a lot of money being thrown at it now and there are specialists that would actually come to the school and actually do that for us,” said Fooks. Venzon added, “We should encourage students to know more about it and we should inform everyone — not just the students, but the community members — about the negative adverse effects once you start vaping.” Parents can also help by becoming aware of the effects of vaping. Furthermore, educating the youth and openly expressing concerns in regards to vaping, allows children to confide in their parents. Parents should be conscious of the symptoms of an onset vaping related illness, to help possibly identify the illness in their child. Although adults and parents care about vaping use in the youth, it is the younger generations’ concerns and opinions that will arise a change. There are many ways for the youth to get involved, either through social media, or becoming aware. “Adults caring can help to a certain point, but when you guys (students) start caring and if it’s not cool to vape, it starts a new kind of phenomenon,” said Fooks. It is common for those who vape to avoid confrontation. However, if a student vapes and is seeking help or knows of someone who does, there is assistance available on the MHS campus. Teen Care, which is open during lunch, recess and after school, is always an accessible option for help on campus. Counselors are also available outlets for teens looking to talk. “You know the school counselors here are just amazing and they are not going to rush to tell the parent that you are smoking and vaping a lot,” said Fooks. If you vape and are experiencing symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, fever or abdominal pain, seek medical attention. You may also call the Hawai’i Poison Hotline at 1-800222-1222, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Water and Oil” By Tai Phaniphon

FEATURE

DESIGNER Joie Agoo

NEWS

School in Progress to Install Bathroom Vape Detectors

WRITER Serena Birchard

DESIGNER Danielle Murphy

ILILANI - Within a year, Mililani High School administrators will begin to install vape detectors in the school bathrooms. In doing so, they hope to reduce the amount of students that camp out in the bathroom for the sole purpose of vaping, and help other students feel safe and comfortable. “This is the first time I ever was afraid, honestly afraid, that my kids in this class year 2023 are not going to live to graduation, because this stuff is killing people,” said Vice Principal Andrea Moore, who has been working at MHS since 1991. The matter of vape detectors is still being discussed with the Department of Education, but it is planned to be installed next school year after it is state approved. Similar to vape detectors on modern planes, they work by pointing out certain chemicals that are in the vaping devices. These vape detectors use an ammonia based air sample system to detect both THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and nicotine. This technology is predicted to cost at least $1,400 per detector. “Bathrooms have constantly been an area that students have identified being unsafe and uncomfortable. And when we question them on why they feel unsafe and uncomfortable in the bathroom, it’s often times associated with the risk for behavior that’s going on in there. And a lot of times it includes vaping,” said Health teacher Carina Morgan. Before the first quarter, the amount of people caught for vaping was overwhelming, but the school administration managed to reduce the amount of students caught vaping down to 40 percent of the 15 to 20 students that were caught a day. These new detectors aren’t necessarily going to be used to “bust” kids, but it will make it more convenient for security. “I think vape detectors are a good idea but at the same time, the issue can be addressed in a different way. For instance there could be harsher punishments for being caught with vape items or have administration patrol around campus to enforce the rule,” said Sophomore Ryne Nakaguma. With Mililani High School being the first school in the state of Hawai‘i to implement vape detectors, there are some concerns. Since most schools in Hawai‘i, unlike the mainland, are outdoors, there’s a possibility that the wind will affect the results of these detectors and the sensitivity of it. For this purpose, MHS will be installing two different types of vape detectors and testing which one works better. One version is called “Flysense” and is manufactured by Soter Technologies, and the “Halo IOT Smart Sensor” was created by IP Video Corporation. For more information on these specific models you can visit https://www.cpexecutive. com/post/soter-technologies-upgrades-vape-detection-sensor/ or https://ipvideocorp. com/halo/.

The school will be considering one of these models, the HALO IOT Smart Sensor (left) and the Fly Sense FS255 (right).

TROJAN LIFE

“We Tell The Story” Seniors Give Their Final Musical Performance In “Once On This Island” WRITER/DESIGNER Lyndsey Hagihara

PHOTOGRAPHER Rhys Lavatai

PHOTOGRAPHER Lana Patlingrao

ove conquers all. From January 24 to Jan. 26 at Pearl City Cultural Center (PCCC), Central Theatre Arts Academy (CTAA) performed “Once On This Island.” The musical is based on the legend of a poor girl and a wealthy boy whose love is tested by four gods who rule over their island. As the last CTAA-produced musical performance for this school year, the cast and crew worked hard to create an exciting and memorable show. Emotions were high as the seniors gave their all in one of their last performances together, as high schoolers. “I came to this school when the seniors now were freshman, so I was able to watch them grow and to be a part of their lives the last four years,” said director Carolyn Chung. “It kinda came full circle and just to be able to work with them one last time.” Most of the cast had been in numerous plays throughout high school. However, “Once On This Island” was able to take students out of their comfort zone and create a lasting impact on them with its unique storyline and dance style. “I’m trying to make this [play] the best one yet,” said Senior Gracia Waite, who played several roles: Madame Armand, Storyteller, Peasant, and Gossiper. Her main role was Andrea, the woman who is arranged to wed Daniel Beauxhomme, one of the show’s starcrossed lovers. The cast had rehearsal for about three hours every day after school since the beginning of October, all while juggling schoolwork and numerous extracurriculars. “It taught me a lot of time management and just making sure I stick on top of school, on top of going to rehearsal and just practicing my lines outside of rehearsal as well,” said Senior Kailee Chatters, who played Mama Euralie, the adoptive mother of the orphan protagonist, Ti Moune. Themes such as segregation allowed students to gain exposure about real life issues through an emotional lense as the musical describes two lovers who were are were both physically and culturally kept apart on the island. The peasants were pushed away by the gates of the Hotel Beauxhomme and are expected to create a livelihood for themselves. “I hope it kind of opens the door to things like discrimination and I hope that this show can be a good example of [how] two people can still be together, even though they’re not supposed to,” said Senior Dennis Dilwith, who played Beauxhomme and Storyteller. His main character, Daniel Beauxhomme, is a wealthy young man whose life is saved by a poor village woman, Ti Moune, with whom he falls in love with. For many of the seniors, theater allows them to creatively express themselves while also meeting new people. Seeing everyone’s immense amount of talent inspired the cast members to strive for their best too. As their talents and abilities began to grow, so did the feeling of family within the cast. “For me, I didn’t come to this school ‘til sophomore year, actually. So I didn’t think how much I was gonna fit in or about all this,” said Senior Marcus Otaka, who played Ton Ton Julian, the adoptive father of Ti Moune. “But being here for the next few years, I built sort of a family. And now I’ll be the one leaving, so it’s gonna be definitely a hard separation.” CTAA will be taking “Once On This Island” to Hilo Palace Theatre on the Big Island on Feb. 22. For more information about CTAA, visit centraltheatreartsacademy.org.

“In the show you make different discoveries about yourself and your character.” Ti Moune, played by Kimie Fujioka, and Daniel Beauxhomme, played by Dennis Dilwith, are starcrossed lovers who can’t be together because of their social class.

Asaka, the Goddess of the Earth, played by Rowan Foster, sends Ti Moune off on her journey to the city to find Daniel.

-Dennis Dilwith (Daniel Beauxhomme)

“Try not to let it get to your heads too much. Try anything and everything.” -Kailee Chatters (Mama Euralie)

“Always be on time. And always give it your best. And practice, practice, practice.” -Marcus Otaka (Ton Ton Julian)

“Everyone’s role is important.” -Gracia Waite (Andrea, Madame Armand, Storyteller, Peasant, Gossiper)

TROJAN LIFE

Trojans Take On Trojans Take On WRITER Daisy Ann Hipolito

ikTok has taken the world by storm— and MHS is no exception. Since the app was launched in 2014 under the original name of Musical.ly, it has become a popular platform for iOS and Android users to make short lip sync, comedy and talent videos. In 2016, the application name changed to what we know now: TikTok. With an ever-increasing amount of downloads, the increase of the app’s users and their own social media following is no surprise, some of which are MHS Trojans themselves. Sophomore Myra Delle Espulgar, Junior Sulia Su’a and Junior Maile Hamili all run their own TikTok accounts, with follower counts as high as 125,500 and views as high as 3.8 million. “It’s just a bunch of random comedy things. When you’re alone and you’re not hanging out with anybody, you just go on the app and it’s just a form of entertainment. We’ve had Instagram for a long time, now TikTok is here to give us more,” said Delle Espulgar. Though heavily varying in genre and type, TikTok is most popularly known for its comedy videos. “I wanted to start TikTok because I’d see a lot of funny videos on other social media (platforms) such as Instagram and Twitter and I thought it would be fun to make some funny videos of my own to share with my friends,” said Su’a. Hamili added, “But when my second post blew up, I just started having fun on the app and liked making people smile.” Most commonly, TikTok accounts get their recognition from one viral video. Delle Espulgar got about 1.7 million views on a video of her staring at her baby brother, Su’a received about 1.4 million views on a video of herself displaying typical stereotypes of locals in Hawai‘i in a humorous fashion and Hamili got about 1.6 million views on a “Hawai‘i check” video of her showing her support for the Mauna Kea movement as well as other daily Hawai‘i lifestyle aspects. “After making the video and uploading it, I didn’t think much of it and hours later, I came to find that it had thousands of views. It was very unexpected for me and I was glued to my phone the whole night, constantly refreshing my account. Honestly, I was tripping out on how much recognition I got,” said Su’a. Though TikTok begins as a feed of short videos, it does more than just provide its users

TIKTOK HAS 500 MILLION ACTIVE USERS WORLDWIDE

Delle Espulgar downloaded the app around March 2019 but started making videos of her own around June 2019.

Hamili started making TikToks in late September. A few days later, she came out with her second post which became her most viewed video.

Outside of TikTok, Hamili enjoys art and Delle Espulgar enjoys singing and taking dance classes.

PHOTOGRAPHERS Genevieve Mumma Faustine Miura

DESIGNER Madison Kelly

with a platform to post on. Some users use TikTok as a place to expand their horizons and learn more about themselves in the process. “I think TikTok gave me more confidence. Before, I used to hide how my jokes were and hide how loud and chaotic I was but on TikTok, I feel like I can express myself in the weirdest ways and people wouldn’t judge,” said Delle Espulgar. Su’a added, “I’ve noticed that after receiving a large following on this platform, I have gained more recognition from my community.” TikTok makes gaining popularity and getting “internet famous” fairly accessible to everyone. However, these Trojans choose to use their platforms in positive ways. “What I hope to accomplish from making TikToks is to provide fun entertainment for my peers and hopefully put a smile on their face and make them laugh,” said Su’a. Hamili added, “I genuinely enjoy making people smile, so I decided to go on the comedic route more towards teens and younger adults.” However, what their positivity may not showcase are the various obstacles these influencers have faced. “(I’ve had) social media drama with someone because he was using me and other big influencers to gain more ‘clout’ or followers. But it’s been resolved and we’ve broken off from that guy and now we work together for collabs by ourselves,” said Hamili. For many, TikTok is an accessible way to express themselves. Not only can influencers entertain, they can also encourage and inspire others to give the social media app a shot. “I encourage others to participate in TikTok because it’s something that is genuinely fun to do, especially when you’re bored or with your friends,” said Su’a. “I think TikTok can uplift its audience by providing fun and humorous content. It also has the potential to bring its users together.” You can find Delle Espulgar on TikTok as @mairuhh_, Su’a as @liakooks and Hamili as @themailehammahz.

TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app

Tiktok Was the Third most downloaded app for a part of 2019 with 188 million new users, growing 70 percent from ITS USERS IN 2018

TROJAN LIFE

Top right Sophomore Myra Delle Espulgar, top left Junior Sulia Suâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;a and bottom Junior Maile Hamili

TikTok was ranked the top most downloaded app in Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iOS App Store for a part of 2019 with more than 33 million downloads 68 percent of TikTok users watch other creators video and 55 percent uploaded their own videos 41 percent of users are aged between 16 and 24 TikTok is available in 155 countries

Issue 5 2019-20

Articles inside

welding

trojan tik tok stars

airbnb

wellness fair

mental health awareness

Raising cane’s

kipapa lego league