2016 May Eagle Eye

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HAWAII BAPTIST ACADEMY

ALOHA! VOL 30, NO 7 MAY 2016

Four Lessons in Four Years EDITORIAL

→ By Kylie Yamauchi (‘16)

Looking back at my four years of high school, I barely remember the academic classroom lessons let alone the order of the Math courses I took.

As an exception, I’ll always know “what’s the physics unit for power,” but my point is this: High school is so much more than about gaining knowledge in academic subjects. High school is a time for getting a taste about how the world and life works. John Keating in Dead Poets Society puts it perfectly, saying, “...medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” The most important lessons in high school deal with friendship, happiness, fearlessness, and love. Here are four lessons I’ve learned in four years.

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Embrace all kinds of people and relationships Three people who have become like older brothers to me first stepped into my life as my paddling coaches. When I first met them, I never would’ve thought I’d be calling them on the phone after a frustrating race or talking to them about college for an hour in a parking lot. I used to go to my teachers only for academic help, yet now I find myself in one of my teacher’s room asking for personal advice whenever the need arises. I’ve learned that two completely different people with different lifestyles can still walk each other through the good and bad times. We shouldn’t write off people just because we can’t see the bigger purpose for their presence in our lives. It’s not always going to be our parents or friends that give us the best guidance. We should be open minded about everyone we meet and if the opportunity presents itself, we shouldn’t be afraid to go to them for help.

Take the time to pursue your own happiness Every school year, finals week falls near the PAC-5 canoe paddling State Championships. And every year during this time, I’ve prioritized sports over school by attending more practices, resulting in less study time. Pursuing a state championship is what gave me most joy and I didn’t let school get in the way of that. Yes, academics are important, but should it be the center of your life? Definitely not. After high school, we will continue to learn and work for the rest of our lives. Life isn’t going to give us a break so we need to make time for it. I don’t regret putting my well-being and sports first during that busy time. Looking back, I don’t remember how long I studied or if I achieved a grade to my liking, but I do clearly remember my paddling crew making it to states and the joy that came with that moment.

Take risks and be extraordinary without waiting until senior year.

Some people go through a period in their 50’s called a mid life crisis, attempting risky feats in order to find more meaning in their lives. With college only a couple

Continued on Page 3

Cover Graphic

By Gavin Arucan (‘16)

EAGLE EYE Hawaii Baptist Academy 2429 Pali Highway Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 Hawaii Baptist Academy’s Eagle Eye is a student-run and studentcentered publication.

Submissions The Eagle Eye encourages students, teachers, and staff to submit letters, essays, opinion columns, and artwork on current school and social issues. They must be signed by the author. Letters may be edited, but care will be taken to maintain the writer’s point. Please submit material to room 300B. Opinions expressed in letters and columns are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hawaii Baptist Academy or the Eagle Eye staff.

Advertising Businesses may place ads in the Eagle Eye on a space available basis and for a reasonable fee.

Please call the school for more information at 595-6301.

Distribution The Eagle Eye is distributed at no charge to the Hawaii Baptist Academy middle and high school students, faculty and staff. Mail subscriptions are available for a fee.

HBA Hosts Annual Arts and Film Festival NEWS

→ By Jessie Lin (‘18)

On Friday, April 30, HBA held its annual Arts and Film Festival, featuring artwork and films by students of the elementary, middle, and high school. The event also showcased science and robotics exhibits, the middle school Fine Arts drama class, and live music.

Editor-in-Chief Kylie Yamauchi (‘16) Staff Gavin Arucan (‘16) Ryan Higashi (‘17) Coltin Kaupiko (‘19) Marissa Kwon (‘16) Jessie Lin (‘18) Ku’ulei Rodby (‘16) Ryan Su (‘17) Karly Tom (‘17) Alexa Yoo (‘17) Judithanne Young (‘17)

HBA’s curriculum, he said, “Art is deeply rooted in the human experience. By the numbers, HBA’s Arts Department is one of the largest departments with Adviser the widest diversity of course Eunice Sim offerings. Oddly enough, the graduation requirement is on half a credit, and although that might seem alarming, the fact of the matter is that most students are taking four times that or more.”

Students in Malinger’s Art and History of Film class produced the film 13 Minutes this past semester. The yearlong class started off with the basic foundation of movie-making. “In the first semester of the Art & History of Film, students learn the basics of screenwriting, production design, acting, lighting, sound design, cinematography, editing, with history woven throughout. During the second semester, every student writes a short screenplay, then the ones that students feel are best are pitched to the studio’s executive producer,” Malinger Continued on Page 7

Below left to right: Senior Tanner Issacs along with HBA staff Lynda Powell and her daughter enjoy the elementary art display in the High School Library; Senior Sam Hixon gives a presentation on his portfolio from the Photograpy class.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN SU (‘17)

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The festival kicked off with a performance by the HBA jazz band, featuring students from the high school wind ensemble. Housed in different locations throughout the high school campus, exhibits showcased artwork done by students in art classes this year. The evening concluded with a showing of student-produced short films in the gym.

Debbie Shintaku, the Computer Science teacher, had her robotics and programming students give visitors a hands-on experience on their projects, which ranged from basic Mario games to robot interactions.

“There [were] more people in the programming and robotics exhibit than ever before. Students [in the programming class] write programs to create a new world. Students put in a lot of work year-round, so I am glad that many people showed up to this exhibit,” Shintaku said.

Seventh grader Gavin Yamamoto, one of Shintaku’s students, proudly presented a robot that he built with classmate Cade Weaver, using the Lego Mindstorms NXT program. “[Using] a remote control, we can control the other robots to go forward, back, and make its head go forward and back,” Yamamoto said.

Visual and Performing Arts Chair Sean Malinger, who teaches Photography, Documentary Film, Art and History of Film, and Advanced Filmmaking, notes that “art plays a role not only in HBA, but the big connection it makes to the world. On the role of art in

EAGLE EYE TEAM

It’s Not Purely Academic NEWS

→ By Jett Uehara (‘18)

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On Tuesday April 12, sophomore Joel Lau and juniors Chase Higa and Dylan Tsuruda represented HBA on the It’s Academic Hawaii TV quiz show on K5 the Home Team.

Kicking off the first episode of the season, the trio competed against counterparts from Iolani School and Kaiser High School. HBA finished the round in second place, beating Iolani, the reigning state champion, but lost to Kaiser by 60 points.

The quiz show, currently in its fifth season in Hawaii, first started in 1961 and originated in Washington D.C. The goal of the show is to have the best students from schools compete against each other and draw attention to their academic achievements. This season, 27 Hawaii schools competed in the Hawaii franchise of the show, which first aired on Sunday, May 8.

HBA’s team, which was made up of 10 students, was coached by retired HBA teacher Maurine King and Chemistry teacher Michael Hu. They met three to four times a week during the three weeks prior to the show. Just days before the competition, the team voted for the three best students (plus an alternate) that would go on to represent HBA on TV. As it turned out, the top three students were underclassmen, as was the alternate, sophomore Lucas Chun.

“I enjoyed my second time on It’s Academic,” said junior Chase Higa. “I’m happy that we were able to make a significant improvement from last year.” Sophomore teammate Joel Lau said

that it was a fun experience being on a quiz show for the first time.

“I learned [about] a lot of random useless facts, the strategies on game shows and how to press the buzzer fast enough. I also learned more about TV production,” Lau said.

In addition to studying for the show, the team had to work on reacting quickly to a question.

COURTESY OF CHRISTINA YASUTOMI During practice, Hu and King would read questions as fast as they could When asked what he would do to help the and the students would press a buzzer if they team advance past the first round next year, knew the answer. If questions asked needed Hu said that he would stick to the same plan explanations, they would stop and discuss as this year. He explained, “Winning first place them as a team. “Getting a group of smart is really difficult because you have no idea kids together to practice is rather like ‘herding what the competition is like before you start. cats,’” King said, “because they have so many We have a very good, very young team. I hope other things going on.” She added that several the experience this year will serve them well students on the team did not want to be on next year.”

TV, but would spend their time practicing for King agreed. “Next year, if all the participants fun and to help those who did compete. return they will be a year older and smarter,” Hu said that one of the highlights of being a she said. “We will also put more emphasis on coach is “definitely getting to know students their reaction time.” that [he] wouldn’t necessarily interact with because they are not in [his] classes.” He added, “They are bright, quick, fun young people.”

months away, I have a similar yearning— suddenly choosing to take risks and pursue what I want. In high school, we often never feel ready to take risks or make huge decisions because we believe the timing is wrong or we’re not mature enough. As my wise friend Haley told me the other day: “We’re never going to have our life together.”

Life is always going to be constantly overloaded with responsibilities and new opportunities, so maybe there is no such thing as the right timing. Every day, we should attempt the extraordinary and for some of us that means taking a chance on a relationship, applying for a job, or checking off something on our bucket list.

FOUR LESSONS from Page 1

Love others radically and don’t forget to tell them that.

I use the different colored heart emojis on my iPhone carefully and intentionally. Red hearts are used for the people I can confidently say I love. I’m confident that I love someone when I can still see them for

their true character even after they do things to disappoint me or when it’s impossible to deal with not having that person in my life. When we are nearing the end of our lives, it’s not going to matter if we got an A on that Math test or if we got into our dream college. When all of our accomplishments become things of the past, the relationships we formed and put time into will remain. People matter—especially those that never stop caring even when we go through different phases. As I prepare myself to leave the people that have been with me through high school, I find myself using the words “I love you” more, giving more hugs, and using that red heart emoji on a consistent basis.

Inside Hawaii’s Legislature FEATURE

→ By Ryan Higashi (‘17)

When people think of politics today, the current presidential race often comes to mind: long speeches, grand promises, voter grabbing, and the parade of candidates. This stereotype prevents many people from noticing the work that goes on behind the scenes that keeps our government running. The Eagle Eye reached out to the majority and minority leaders of Hawaii’s Legislature, who happen to be HBA alumni, to get their perspectives on what being in politics looks like day to day.

Majority leader Scott Saiki (D) and minority leader Beth Fukumoto (R) were more than willing to share about their roles behind the scenes.

Scott Saiki (‘82)

>>His advice for students interested in a career of politics “There are various ways to be involved, such as volunteering for a candidate’s campaign, working with organizations that advocate for public policy issues, or running for office,” Saiki said. “Be clear about your priorities and philosophical base.”

Fukumoto, who graduated with the class of 2001, got her bachelor’s degree from UH Manoa and then went to Georgetown University for her master’s degree. Similar to Saiki, Fukumoto didn’t initially see herself as a politician and actually wanted to be a writer.

“After graduate school, I got a job at the Capitol, and I just spent time watching the way politics work,” COURTESY OF BETH FUKUMOTO she said. “I felt like we needed new voices involved in politics that better represented my community and my generation.”

As the minority leader, Fukumoto is responsible for “setting the message” for her party (Republican) in the state house and working with both Democrats and Republicans to find compromises. Fukumoto says that it is sometimes difficult to find solutions that the majority of Hawaii’s residents can agree with as some politicians put their own agenda or that of their political party first. Fukumoto also said that she loved participating at community events because it reminds her of why she’s a legislator. In the future, Fukumoto hopes that she will represent her district well and encourage others to see politics in a different light.

COURTESY OF BETH FUKUMOTO

>>Her advice for students interested in a career of politics “I would recommend interning at the State Legislature. I am always looking for interns, so interested students should feel free to contact me. Additionally, I would recommend that students study what they care about in school, rather than simply majoring in political science, if they want to work in politics. The great thing about politics is that it comes without any requirement that you have to study political science in order to work in politics. For example, I majored in English. Study a field that you are interested in and then use that knowledge to work in politics,” said Fukumoto.

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Graduating with the HBA class of 1982, Saiki went on to obtain his bachelor’s and juris doctor degree from UH Manoa.

Saiki never thought that he would end up in politics. “During and after law school, several of my classmates and I had been involved in various community projects and I felt that being in office was an extension of that work,” Saiki said. Though, Saiki was only convinced to run for the position of majority leader COURTESY OF SCOTT SAIKI when his retiring predecessor urged him to take his place.

Currently the majority leader of the Hawaii House of Representatives, Saiki is responsible for assisting the Speaker by managing the Democratic caucus and collaborating with committee chairmen to advance legislation.

Saiki believes that the most challenging part of his position is having to work with the other 43 Democrats, who all have different perspectives.

The best part of the job for Saiki is being able to work with his colleagues in the community and legislation. When asked about what he hopes to accomplish, Saiki said that he “would like (the) state government to be modernized so that it can adapt to changing circumstances and take on new challenges.” Saiki also strongly believes that the state government needs to be smart and efficient.

Beth Fukumoto (‘01)

Meet the 2016-17 Student Council FEATURE → By Joyy Young (‘17)

Put Joyy in the student council.

PRESIDENT:

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Hello fellow eagles, I am Joyy Young. First of all, I want to commend everyone who voted this election season for being an active participant in our student democracy. Besides being involved in the Student Council, I also participate in Model UN and NHS. Outside of school, I enjoy acting, fishing, reading, and dreaming about developing superpowers.

As the current student council vice president and former student council rep, I have been able see different styles of leadership and organization within the student council. For the next school year, I want to be able to utilize my experience to develop an effective and creative student council.

The Student Council is in charge of planning Winter Banquet, Spirit Week, Intramurals, All School Homerooms, and Skatie Hawkins every year. What I hope to do next year is to have the Student Council not only think about how we can make the events run smoothly but also think about how we can add to each event to make it more enjoyable. Besides the set events, I want to add more random activities days like the Easter Egg Hunt and different dress up days.

My final goal for next year is to be able to add a Quiz Bowl Intramural to the intramural sports. I don’t think intramural activities should be limited to only athletic games, and I believe a Quiz Bowl Intramural would be a great way to get more participation in the Intramurals.

For me, being in the Student Council is something I have loved since I was a second grader in elementary school. Going into the next year, I am devoted to making the HBA experience memorable and most of all fun.

I promise you: I’ll work my absolute hardest.

VICE PRESIDENT:

My name is Megan Yamauchi, also known as M.yaya, and I’m a sophomore.

I am the President of my grade (for the second year in a row), a member of NHS, and a food enthusiast. In my free time I enjoy sleeping, eating, watching Netflix, and most importantly, hanging out with my friends.

Next year I hope to instill a better sense of unity in our school. I believe we can get there by having more intramurals, better banquets, and an amazing Spirit Week. Better activities mean greater bonding, which is what every student needs during the tough trials of high school.

I wanted to be a part of student council because I believed that I could do a lot for our school. Since I have been in my class council for the past two years, I thought the Student Council would be a good challenge for me and push my abilities to make a difference. I’m looking forward to a great next year and can’t wait for what’s in store for us all!

I am sorry to say that I cannot promise you hammocks if you vote for me.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY: I am Makenzie Cammack. I am a junior at HBA and I have been at HBA since kindergarten. I am currently the junior class president and really look forward to serving on the student council because I love HBA. I grew up here and have been here so long that sometimes being at school feels like I am more at home than when I am actually at home. I feel like I am really not ready to leave it at the end of next year, but if I have to, then I want to make sure that I and the rest of the senior class end our time here with a bang!

When I was serving on the class council, I noticed something. Our grade was close but there was not the same connection between grades or between all of the students as a whole school. My goal for next year is to bring every grade closer together so that we can not only leave our mark on the students in our grade or our friends but each and every one of us leave a legacy here. I want to grow our school as a family so that people don’t say “HBA? Oh where is that” when they ask you what school you go to, but they say “oh yeah, that school is cool!”

More than just leaving something for future students and our community, I want to make sure that every student can go off to college and remember high school as a good and fun experience. Whether it be through Spirit Week, Winter Banquet, or even some new activities around the campus, I want to make your high school experience one that no one will ever forget.

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For success choose the best, so vote Morgan Lorenzo.

TREASURER: My name is Morgan Lorenzo and I am currently a sophomore. I am very excited to be the student body treasurer next year.

Next year I hope to plan a school year filled with fun, excitement, and memorable moments for everyone through events like Spirit Week and Winter Banquet. I want to be a part of student council because I want to make a difference in students’ lives. I want to be the one to work hard in order to give everyone a school year to remember.

I grew up hearing wonderful stories about HBA and dreaming that one day I’d get to go here.

RECORDING SECRETARY: My name is Keiko Sanders. This year, I’ve been able to be a part of the varsity cross country team and the PAC-5 Judo team, Ministry Team, and next year, the Student Council.

2016-2017 will be the best yet and I cannot wait to set my new ideas for Spirit Week in motion and voice any of the student body’s concerns to the student council. Next year will be my second and final year at HBA which means it’s my last chance to make a difference here. I really want to make senior year memorable not only for the class of 2017, but for the entire high school. I’m so looking forward to working with these wonderful student council ladies!

Jaci Ishikawa Takes on AP Studio Art FEATURE

Senior Jaci Ishikawa, voted most artistic girl by her classmates in the class of 2016, says she decided to take the class because she was interested in how far she could go with art. “Since it was also an AP course, I thought enrolling in the class could help me think about college art classes and my future,” says Ishikawa.

According to Pat Ota, Curriculum Director and teacher for the class, the AP Studio Art class is geared towards creating art portfolios and effectively utilizing the principles of design and the elements of art. “ Some people may think it’s easier but it’s a lot of work to produce that many pieces that are good enough to send in,” she said. Students have to create or submit twenty-four pieces of art to place in their portfolio.

Also, instead of taking an AP test, students have to turn in photographs of their art work. Twelve of those pieces are based on Concentration, which means they are based on a theme, and twelve are based on Breadth, which shows that the student is a versatile artist. In addition, students also have to turn in five actual pieces of art.

Ishikawa says she learned how to pace herself with planning, sketching, and creating pieces. “It was a bit difficult, knowing that I had to create several sets of artwork by a certain date, but it improved my working speed,” says Ishikawa.

Ishikawa will be attending the University of Hawaii, Manoa this fall and is planning on pursuing art in college. She says, “Anyone who is interested in attending an art college should take [the AP class.] It’s a great experience to explore art at a college level.”

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→ By Karly Tom (‘17)

This school year, HBA offered a new art class, AP Studio Art, to advanced art students.

(Left to right) Pieces from Jaci Ishikawa’s portfolio: “Heartache” and “Surrender, Release”.

COURTESY OF JACI ISHIKAWA (‘17)

acting were great. It was cool seeing the teachers come out of their regular teaching characters,” Giang said.

Overall, Malinger stated that he was pleased stated.

Sophomore Desmond Giang, one of the with festival turned out, but there could still volunteers at the festival, described the films as be more improvements. For example, he said, “phenomenal.” “The [films] showed how much a stage could be added for the middle school effort the students have put into throughout performances, and the centerstage area could the year. I thought the teachers and students’ been improved by a better sound system. “We HBAAFF from Page 2

are also considering again having two movie showings the way we did when we hosted the event on the Middle School Campus,” he said.

“I hope that the event, and all the work that leads up to it, helps foster humility, curiosity, love, and commitment.”

College-Bound FEATURE

→ By Ryan Su (‘17)

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As the class of 2016 prepares to head off to college, the Eagle Eye caught up with a few seniors to ask them about their plans for the future.

Left to right: Jantzen Nakai, Isabel Wiemken, Sydney Suzuki, Shaynie Fukuda, Gavin Arucan.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN SU (‘17)

>>Gavin Arucan Arucan, who hopes to work in the animation industry will attend Kapiolani Community College to save money. “I wanted to take my core classes at a cheap school rather than paying for tuition at CalArts for 4 years when I don’t need to,” Arucan stated about his choice. Some other benefits to KCC is that it is in state, which negates the need for housing, and also has an animation program which Arucan plans to keep an eye on. His goal is to complete one to two years at KCC before transferring to a mainland college.

>>Sydney Suzuki Sydney Suzuki also kept costs in mind when she chose to attend the University of Southern California. During her college search Suzuki didn’t have a set preference but ended up choosing USC due to a generous financial aid offer. When asked if she felt confident in her decision, Suzuki said, “USC is a better match for me because they have so many opportunities for undergraduates and they really encourage interdisciplinary studies. I’m interested in Genetics, History, and Japanese, so at USC I would have a better chance of incorporating classes that match my interests.” At USC, Suzuki plans to major in molecular and computational biology and minor in Japanese.

Continued on Page 12

Senior Bequests & Favorite Memories

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Rachel Amano

Stephanie Dang

Besides Game Club, prom, and My favorite memory at HBA was I bequeath my pun brain to Ty friendly chats with Jessica Truesdell all our lunch time laughs!

Minatoya and Kyley Nakagawa (you (class of 2015), my favorite memory gotta work on yours) and my clutch is winning the talent show during Gavin Arucan buzzer beaters to Haley Benn. Sorry the Maui trip by dancing the Cha I bequeath my magical video Ally, Katie, Morgan, Kiara, and CJ, Cha Slide and getting the class to join in too. Speaking of which, editing powers to Ryan Su; my it’s all up to Haley now. everybody clap your hands! ability to binge-watch multiple cartoons to Au’ahi Aiu; my superior Shaynie Fukuda movie reviewing prowess to I bequeath my grades to Kristina Michelle Kinumatsu Ryan Higashi; my near perfect Tommee, my bowling equipment I bequeath my amazing math attendance record to Jett “The to Kaitlyn Matsushima, and my skills to Kacie Yoshida. #APlusPlus Flake” Uehara; and my sarcastic, perfectionism to Bey Thompson. My favorite memory at HBA was dry sense of humor to Karly Tom. My favorite memory at HBA spending time with my friends on My favorite memory at HBA was would be watching Ashley Choo Maui during senior trip. senior trip on Maui. completely eat it when she was running, complete with her shoe Dillon Kodama Ashley Benn flying off and the cuts she got from I bequeath my teching skills to Shalev Eckert.

I bequeath my dancing skills to rolling on the asphalt.

My favorite memory at HBA was Ally Wada, my books to Kayla Look, Senior Trip. traps to Kiara Chun , eyebrow game Brandon Hirokawa to Morgan Lorenzo, fiyah playlists to I bequeath my bench press to CJ Ramos, man shoulders to Katie Ty Minatoya and my poker skills Marissa Kwon I bequeath my first and last name Nakagawa , and my test taking to Josh Joo. skills to Ty Minatoya.

My favorite memory at HBA was to juniors Marissa Chun and Chris My favorite memory at HBA was getting stuck in the elevator with Kwan. traveling to England with the Class Steph, Kainani, Arianne, and Tanner My favorite memory at HBA was of 2016 and 2017. even though I am claustrophobic. Gladiator sparring with Weismantel and Kylie.

Hellen Chen

Tanner Isaacs

I bequeath my elbow licking to I bequeath my artistic and Jalen Sur. theatrical talents to all Visual and Performing Arts students (for it is Lauren Chin my wish to see creativity continue I bequeath my mathemetical to blossom at HBA) and my decent skills to Shaye Suzuki.

Super Smash Bros. skills to any My favorite memory at HBA was student who is in or wishes to join when my class won Spirit Week as Mr. Vitek’s Game Club. Show me sophomores. ya moves!

My favorite memory at HBA was when we won Spirit Week twice.

Tyler Matsukawa My favorite memory at HBA was #shimizusjedis takes on splash mountain.

Brett Miller I bequeath my volleyballs to my child Davin Rausch, my “gently used” HBA uniforms to Maxwell, and my Kailua cruising abilities to Bryson G. As for the rest of you, stay golden.

My favorite memory at HBA was Chicken Wednesdays.

Tanner Miyoi I bequeath this school to Scott Wong and Christian Fee.

Adam Murakami I bequeath my surfboard to Liam and Sam Hixon. I give my dark skin powers to the Shimatsu twins. I give my Hawaiian heart to Ty Minatoya.

My break dancing skills to Jared Hee. My Aloha to Auahi.

Trey Larsen

Joshua Namba

I bequeath the trumpet section to Brody because a man can dream.

Tgod out.

My favorite memory at HBA is Odell Cambell.

I bequeath the Hexagonix to Shalev Eckert, chapel worship to 6PM, and carrying the SOL risers to Micah Abe. My favorite memory at HBA was getting an A+ in Calc BC.

Jason Lau I bequeath the senior science internship role to Davis Tsuha, the fish tank to Ryan Suuuuuu, and Costco’s Kirkland Signature to Desman the sophomore.

My favorite memory at HBA was seeing all my friends and teachers everyday. It makes me happy to see them. I will miss y’all very much.

Kaitlyn Nomura My favorite memory at HBA was senior trip.

Matt Omiya

I bequeath my intellectual prowess to Alyssa Futa, as well as whatever is left in my wallet to Karly Tom. I also bequeath Tyler1, G2-8, a permabanned SKT Faker, Joshua Laxamana and the guide to maining the Baron/ I bequeath my legs to my kohai Solo Bot Lane/Assassin Teemo (aka and Davis Tsuha, my smash and the key to Challenger elo/NA LCS acting skills to Timmy Chang, my glory) to Gavin Koiboi, Hatsune senoritis to Alexa Yoo and Kylee Nakanishi, and Kimatachan.

Tawara, and my AP English textbook My favorite memory at HBA has to to Allyson Trang. be when I saw Vitek’s raw reaction

to the “My OCD” music video.

Asia Ono My favorite memory at HBA was on Senior Trip to Maui when we went to Safeway and Ai bought 12 bags of marshmallows and we were pushing it in the shopping cart and everyone was staring at us.

Matt Sakai

Kayla Vergara

Aaron Wong

Anna Young

I bequeath my swimming prowess I bequeath my leadership and to Travis Lau, my sass to Kelli patience to Bey and Serena (whom Higashiya and Chris Kwon, the I know will be great Interact environmental committee to Davis Presidents next year), all the emails Tsuha, and my procrastination and google docs needed to organize skills to Nick Kanno. the Math Challenge Competition to Josh, Zach, or Shalev (whoever Alexander Wong wants to take on that challenge), I would like to bequest to Chris and my past two years of AP English Kwan the sum of 1$. You have not knowledge to those who are taking paid me back fully for the bubble the class next year. Don’t worry, tea I bought you at ILH Champs. you’ll do fine on the exam. When To Shawn Tamashiro, 我给你我 in doubt, write about what you 的中文脑，可是我的脑很不好. like and are passionate about.

To Eugene Lee, you have Joyce. I My favorite memory at HBA is can’t give you anything better. when I was elected as President My favorite memory at HBA was for Interact. the river.

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I bequeath my ability to get shawtys to Ty Minatoya, my motivation to lift to Conye Wong, my basketball skills to Joshua Joo, my good looks to Payton Lee, my shoe game to Adam Kikuta, my ability to eat to Nui Sabas, and my ability to make new friends at Roosevelt to Khristian Vinca.

Ty Wakabayashi My favorite memory at HBA was I bequeath the banshee scream English class in junior year. to the Black dogs, my humility to Vinca, the mana cup to the Alexia Sommers sophomores, self respect to Jared My favorite memory at HBA was miyascrub, my grades to my sister, when our class won Spirit Week in and my trouble making ability to sophomore year. We all worked the band people. really hard as a class and went My favorite memory at HBA was above and beyond to entertain. band.

It was a turning point for our class when we all truly felt in that Jordyn Wang moment like a family. We couldn’t I bequeath my ochoing skills stop saying how much we loved to Ayla and Taija, my bad lunch each other for the rest of the year. scheduling to Bey (I’m sorry about that!), my motherly nature to Carissa Sugita my cousin, Paige O, my hugs to My favorite memory was winning Margarett Yamauchi, my ghettoly Spirit Week this year. casual wardrobe to Mama Yama, my bossiness to the Halau girls, Sydney Suzuki and the big doodoo to Johanna.

My favorite memory at HBA was Some of my favorite memories being a part of the 2014-2015 AP from my 13 years at HBA would World History Class. have to be dancing hula in Texas and Japan, exploring with friends Casey Takane in England, and causing trouble I bequeath my smash skills to with my fellow Sneaky Freaky Kylie Shalev Eckert.

Yamauchi. #jesuswept My favorite memory at HBA was senior trip.

Isabel Wiemken I bequeath the well-being of the Blaise Takushi Student Council to Joyy Young and I bequeath my musical talent to my good grades to my brother, my sister Tani Takushi.

Max. My favorite memory at HBA was My favorite memory at HBA was when my shirt for Spirit Week got when our class won Spirit Week as stained pink by my joggers and sophomores. everyone laughed at me.

I bequeath my half of our room and anything I forget to take with me to college to Allen, my ability to stay up late to finish homework to Ally, my nerf gun war strategies (beyond human shields and friendly fire) to Kassy, my Mario Kart skills (not necessarily the best, but it’ll beat George and your siblings) to Kylie, the confidence of being an independent wingman to the presidents to the next Interact VP, and the ability to form coherent thoughts and teach at 7AM to Josh/ Zach/Shalev/whoever becomes the teacher for Math Challenge next year.

My favorite memories comes from my trigonometry summer class. Kayla started the tradition where we (along with Michelle) would give each other air high-fives or fist bumps and say either “¡Vámonos! Or “Gaja!”

Over the years, this became a ritual. Even if we weren’t in the same classes, we would say it to each other as we passed each other in the halls. While it may not guarantee A’s Brad Wong every time, the encouragement I bequeath my XC captaincy to and support always gave me the Davis Tsuha, Patrick Delldonne, confidence to persevere.

Chase Higa and Shalev Eckert, my mock trial captaincy to Preston Iha Jeffrey Zhang and Eugene Lee, and my passion I bequeath my amazing clarinet for soccer to Nick Kanno and Shaye skills to the whole clarinet section, Suzuki, since I suck. Love you guys. the ZOE committee to anyone I’ll never forget AP World. Most who plans to run it, and my AP fun I’ve ever had in a class. Thanks knowledge and stress to Samuel Weismantel and Kunta Kinte.

Hixon, the fearless leader.

My favorite memory at HBA was Kylie Yamauchi sophomore camp and the senior I bequeath my counseling trip. office privileges and 75% HBA employee tuition discount to Megan Yamauchi, my pristine citizenship grade to Khristian Vinca, my love for the 44 to Ty “Rando” Minatoya, and the PAC-5 red mesh steersman jersey to Christianne Young.

My favorite memory at HBA was Spirit Week during my sophomore year.

Saving Money in College FEATURE

→ By Ku‘ulei Rodby (‘16)

PHOTO CREDIT: JOHN LUND / BLEND / LEARNING PICTURES / UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP RIGHTS MANAGED

Surviving College FEATURE

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→ By Alexa Yoo (‘17)

Going off to a new school, whether it be five miles or several thousand miles away, is frightening and foreign.

So many things change: you’re on your own, and you have to learn how to take care of yourself. Now, admittedly, as a junior, I can’t claim to know a fraction of the confusion and excitement seniors are about to experience. I also have no experience when it comes to “surviving college.” But thankfully, the internet is a great resource. Here’s a compilation of some of the most helpful tips that I’ve found.

>>Academics According to many university advisors and counselors, it’s advisable to take easier courses your freshman and sophomore year. The higher your GPA is come junior and senior year, the harder it is to bring it down (if senioritis makes a comeback, college style).

Studying for 30-50 minutes (with 10 minute breaks in between each) is the most effective way to retain knowledge.

How to write long papers: There’s a formula. If you have to write an eight page paper, you need to write roughly 16 paragraphs.

Taking into account a paragraph for an introduction and a paragraph for your conclusion, that’s 14 paragraphs. Brainstorm Continued on page 13 14 ideas/claims that support

As students step out of their comfort zones to attend college (many times away from home), we are given the freedom to spend our money as frivolously as we want.

Our parents can no longer stop us from buying twenty candy bars or a life sized cardboard cutout of Elvis Presley. It’s difficult to remember that with great power comes great responsibility. You have the choice to spend your money wisely or squander it. Following these tips will help you keep your budget under control.

1. Join memberships at places you frequent.

Next time the cashier asks you if you want to get a membership card, try joining instead of waving off the opportunity with a “no thank you.” These kinds of things can only benefit you, since they open the door to discounts. If you already spend so much money at a certain store, then it wouldn’t hurt. Drugstores like CVS and Walgreens even offer their members free credit in addition to hundreds of sales every week, which is just like free money. Who could pass up an opportunity like that? Just make sure you don’t force yourself to buy something you don’t need just to “save” some money.

2. Take advantage of store and manufacturers’ coupons.

Next time when you’re at the grocery store, it never hurts to save a buck or two on a few essentials. It may seem like a nuisance to carry around, but they sure come in handy when you really need to buy multiple things under a strict budget. You can find loads of them in the Sunday paper or on websites like redplum.com. Many apps like Ibotta also offer cash back for certain items purchased.

3. Recycle cans and bottles.

What can you do with all those empty cans and bottles that are left strewn around after a party? Recycle them, of course! This is a relatively easy way to help the environment and earn some pocket cash.

4. Restrain yourself from eating out too often.

Going out for lunch or dinner with friends is fun, but the costs add up over time. This can easily be avoided if you create a budget and don’t stray from it. It’s much cheaper and healthier to cook your own meals. Also, relying on your college’s meal plan can also help you save, since many plans are an “all you can eat” style.

While college is a time to hit your social stride and enjoy the newfound independence, it’s important to remember that if you are taking out a college loan, you’ll eventually have to pay the money back with interest. Your future self will thank you.

College-Bound

Left: Shannon Mau (Santa Clara), Rachel Amano (UW), Chambre Mangiarelli (UW), Shelbi Nakano (UW), Chester Hui (UCLA).

Right: Kylie Yamauchi (USF), Noa Kerr (Menlo College), Joshua Arenas (USF).

>>Shaynie Fukuda

Shaynie Fukua chose to stay in Hawaii and attend the School of Nursing at UH Manoa.

This program allows incoming students to immediately start working towards a degree. “I was super ecstatic to hear that I got accepted into the direct entry program because it’s been my dream school since freshman year,” Fukuda commented about her choice.

>>Isabel Wiemken

Left to right: Stephanie Dang, Kailee Liu and Elizabeth Yee are all heading to Seattle Pacific University.

Student Council President Isabel Wiemken also chose her college in her Freshman year at HBA. She will attend Chapman University in California to study Creative Producing. While Wiemken’s time will involve hard work, she also plans on having fun and enjoying her college experience. When asked what activities she plans to do, she responded “I’m definitely going to join the Ultimate Frisbee intramural team because that’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m also going to pick up indoor rock-climbing since one of the dorms at Chapman houses a 50-ft rock-climbing wall.”

After college Wiemken plans to work in the entertainment industry and hopes to manage a band.

>>Jantzen Nakai Jantzen Nakai will attend Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. He plans to major in International Political Science. Nakai chose his college based on location and prestige. “Since Georgetown is in D.C., and I am an avid follower of politics, it is the perfect place to study political science. Also the Walsh School of Foreign Service is one of the best in the world for foreign affair studies,” he explained.

Nakai has visited Georgetown during the summer and is excited to return in the fall.

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COLLEGE-BOUND from Page 8

Are Christian Films Doomed to Fail?

COMMENTARY

→ By Gavin Arucan (‘16)

Having attended a Christian school for nearly nine years, I’ve come across countless ways students and teachers worship God. Whether it be singing songs in Chapel, finding a secluded place to read Scripture, or joining a Bible study with friends, everyone has their own way of showing their love toward Christ. However, in recent years, a new form of worship has grown in popularity within the Christian community: film. Christian films have proven to be very controversial with Christ followers. Some welcome the art form as a new way to experience God’s love and get just as hyped to see a film like God’s Not Dead as they are when it comes to seeing the latest

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SURVIVING COLLEGE from Page 11 your thesis and rearrange them in a logical order. That’s an 8-page, well-structured essay with added evidence and citations.

Also, when taking notes in a notebook, leave a few pages blank at the front of the notebook for a table of contents. This will make studying for your final exam a lot easier and more organized.

>>Saving Money Make an actual budget. Keeping track of your money keeps your conscientious about how much you can even afford to spend. Using personal finance apps like “Mint” (free for iOS), which imports data from your bank and credit card accounts, to monitor spending can show you where you’re spending most of your money.

Marvel movie. Others feel like the movies represent the worst of religion and cringe at the shoddy filmmaking and cheesy acting. I am part of the latter group.

I consider myself a bit more critical of films than the average moviegoer. I like to analyze the plot, characters, cinematography, and score in order to figure out why I like or dislike a certain film. Being the fan of cinema that I am, I feel like it’s my duty to study film and look deeper at the art and philosophy that goes into making it. The first time I watched God’s Not Dead, I was left confused at how a movie that should rejuvenate my relation with God left me with such a dreadful feeling.

I understand that this may be a touchy subject for some, but please realize that this is entirely my opinion. If the following movies gave you some sort of spiritual experience, I respect that. I have no right to get in your way. But in return, I ask that you respect my opinions.

To determine whether or not a film has failed is almost entirely dependant on its main objective. In the case of the God’s Not Dead franchise, I believe the two movies aren’t the pro-Christianity movies Continued on next page they are believed to be. They are

BANANA BREAD

Ingredients: ¼ cup ripe mashed banana 1 tbsp agave or maple syrup 1 tbsp flavorless oil (coconut, vegetable, canola, etc) ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract 3 tbsp oat or white flour ¼ tsp baking powder Pinch of salt Pinch of cinnamon Optional: 1 tbsp walnuts or pecans

>>Quick Foods

Instructions: In a microwaveable mug, mix together the banana, oil, agave/syrup and vanilla.

Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nuts, and mix until combined. If prepping the night before, keep dry and wet ingredients separate until the next morning.

Microwave for around 45-55 seconds. The timing is based on a 1200 watt microwave so adjust accordingly. Enjoy with fresh fruit.

You fall asleep studying at 2 AM, you have a final that day, and you can’t be bothered to walk all the way down to the dining area to grab breakfast. Don’t settle for a cup of coffee and energy bar—those are simply empty calories that won’t last you very long, making it hard to avoid binge snacking until lunch time. Here are a few quick, fairly simple microwave recipes that you can mix up the night before and pop into the microwave a the next morning.

Writer’s note: When I tried this recipe, it actually took around 2 minutes and 25 seconds total of cook time in my microwave. Just keep popping it back in the microwave at 20-second intervals until the desired consistency is achieved.

For something cooked assembled in a few minutes and cooked in a microwave, this is a decent recipe. It was satisfying and something I would make again.

GRANOLA IN A MUG Ingredients: 1 tbsp maple syrup/honey/agave 2 tsp water 2 tsp vegetable oil ⅛ tsp salt 4 ½ tbsp rolled oats 1 tbsp dessicated coconut 1 tbsp pecans, chopped

Instructions: In the large microwave safe mug, mix the maple syrup, water, oil, salt, oats and nuts until blended.

Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds and stir, making sure to stir up any syrup on the bottom of the mug. (Timing based on a 1200 watt microwave.)

Microwave for 1 minute longer or until oats are golden brown.Be careful it doesn’t get too hot as it will burn.

Let it stand for 2 to 3 minutes to cool before eating. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Serve with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit.

“A film should always be a film first, not propaganda.” of actual kindergarteners.

So, if all these better films exist, there is absolutely no reason to talk about the inferior ones, right? On the surface, I seem to have wasted my time looking at films with no reliable commentary on faith. And yet, here I am having an in-depth study on Christianity in film all because I saw a little indie movie by the name of God’s Not Dead. Somehow, I feel like I’ve grown closer to God through this experience that, in theory, should have separated me from Him. I think this goes back to why I decided to study Christian movies in the first place. I was curious, I wanted to know why these films don’t work. When studying the art of filmmaking, bad films are just as important as good ones.

It all comes down to the basic principle of learning from someone else’s mistakes: bad movies make good examples of what not to do when making movie. Without comparing the good to the bad, I wouldn’t have come to rethink my stance on faith, which is a topic that I haven’t touched upon in years. In a strange way, these terrible films along with the great ones helped me reignite my relationship with God, something that had been stagnant for quite some time.

If these Christian films did in fact bring me close to God, does that still mean that they failed? Obviously, my dislike for them isn’t what the filmmakers were hoping for, but they got the intended end result. I’m not sure if that means the films succeeded, but I think that this is a testament to how powerful religion in cinema can be. Film can provide a unique experience in spite of its quality.

Whether these Christian films are failures or not, there’s always a valuable conversation to be had about them, and sometimes they can shed new light to an important subject.

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However, the way that this movie portrays prayer may be damaging. Those who watched the film know that Miss Clara advises the main anti-atheist movies desperately trying to character, Elizabeth, to pray in order to fix her prove atheism wrong. The films aren’t just deteriorating relationship with her husband. pandering towards Christians, they are trying However, praying is literally the only thing to get atheists into the theater and preach Elizabeth does. She does absolutely nothing to them about how wrong they are. And with to try to reach her husband and mend their that, the films instantly lose their credibility. marriage on her own. Sure, there are difficult This is the most evident in God’s Not Dead times when the only things you can do is pray, 2. The film follows a standard court case and that’s exactly what you should do, but story, but instead of fairly arguing for both there are times when you should actively try sides allowing for audience interpretation, to fix your problems. You shouldn’t just pray the movie villainizes the opposing side. In its and expect a miracle, you should go out and attempt to convert atheists to Christianity, be that miracle. the movie has taken the wrong route. Nobody I could go on for hours about other Christian likes to be hated on, but that’s exactly what films that dislike. Kirk Cameron’s Saving the sequel is doing to its intended audience. Christmas, Old Fashioned, Second Glance, Most atheists follow logic, so talking down to the list is long and painful. However, on my them about miracles and Jesus not only won’t unpleasant quest to watch these films for affect them, it will enrage them. To me, God’s research purposes, I came across a wonderfully Not Dead and its sequel were made to further relieving little gem known as Life of Pi. This their agenda, making it nothing more than award winning movie adaptation is a perfect example of how a Christian film “You shouldn’t just pray and expect a miracle; should be made: it shouldn’t be a Christian film. Rather than shoving you should go out and be that miracle.”

Scripture into the audience’s face, the religious overtones are kept propaganda. A film should always be a film very subtle and allegorical. Life of Pi presents first, not propaganda. Films that don’t follow religion in a completely unbiased way and that philosophy are usually doomed to fail. treats the topic with a lot of respect. The movie However, not all Christian films make that allows the audience to form their own opinion. mistake. The film War Room knows exactly Christianity, or any religion for that matter, what its target demographic should be and isn’t something that should be forced onto a doesn’t try to speak out to anyone other than person. This is a person’s entire belief system fellow Christians. On my first viewing, I honestly that’s in question; it’s not some trivial thing that couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the can be easily proven right or wrong. Isn’t it a film. It was very forgettable and seemed quite much more powerful and personal experience harmless, which makes its fatal flaw a lot for people to come to God through their more scary. It took me a while to realize that own free will rather than having Him shoved War Room is promoting what I believe to be a down their throats? Even what is considered misconception with Christianity. The fact that to be children’s films seem to understand the possibly harmful message of the movie that. The animated film, The Prince of Egypt, almost went right over my head and nearly goes back to what I mentioned earlier: it’s got a pass is a worrying thing. At the end of a film first. Much like the classic epic, The War Room, viewers are encouraged to become Ten Commandments, it focuses on telling a prayer warriors, which, on the surface, is an good story with Biblical themes rather than important message. Prayer is a powerful tool preaching to its audience. Even VeggieTales for Christians to not only deal with their own does the same thing and doesn’t talk down problems, but also to help others in need. to its audience, and that audience is made up CHRISTIAN FILMS from facing page

Expectations Vs. Reality FEATURE

→ By Marissa Kwon (‘16) & Jessie Lin (‘18)

Eagle Eye staffers senior Marissa Kwon and sophomore Jessie Lin share their perspectives on senior year.

Marissa

Jessie

Senior year is the final push, especially for students who want to get merit-based financial aid from colleges. Maintaining a high GPA can help save students money on college tuition. High caliber students especially—those who are well-rounded, have good grades, unique interests and talents, or a lot of community service hours—should take AP classes to help them stand out even more in their college applications.

I am expecting that it would mellow out from junior year. I also heard something about not having to study as much during the third and fourth quarter of senior year because colleges don’t look for that in your application.

>>Academics

>>Academics

>>College

Ah, college. This is where all the stress is from. I hear that college applications are what keeps students from getting any sleep. This is when students apply for financial aid and scholarships, and need teacher recommendations.

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>>College

[See Jessie’s comments.] All this is true. Get to know your counselors and teachers right now.

These are the people you will be working with to reach your long and short term goals. You will need to ask two to three teachers to write you recommendations. Make sure you ask people who will accurately and positively represent you. Ask everyone—not just your counselors—for their perspectives on the colleges you’re interested in and about what to look for in your post-secondary education. Ultimately, it’s your responsiblity to gather all the information you need to make a good decision.

>>Privileges & Discipline

>>Privileges & Discipline

RYAN HIGASHI (‘17)

[See Jessie’s comments.] Yeah it’s kind of true, students generally get away with more in their final year. Or it just may be that after three years, you understand the rules more and know how to push the limits of what is acceptable. However, don’t forget the big picture: Don’t jeopardize your graduation. Also, be nice to your teachers. It’s your last year, and the way you leave HBA should be a positive and memorable one. Speaking to your teachers should be easier now that you’re a senior so pick up some life advice and fresh perspectives from them before you leave.

A few demerits here and there are irrelevant. But bad habits, a docked citizenship grade resulting from too many demerits, and anything that can be placed on your permanent record can be much harder to get rid of and should be avoided.

>>Standardized Testing

[See Jessie’s comments.] This is true, but practice makes perfect. National Merit Scholars aren’t created overnight. If a competitive score is not your goal at first, take it once as a junior just to get it over with. Then take it again in the fall of senior year and request to have your score sent to up to four schools.

>>Everything Else

Any leftover stress from junior year is still very much there in the fall of senior year. After you finish applying to college, complete the seventh semester of high school, get accepted to college, file for federal financial aid (FAFSA), determine the actual cost of attending college, work out a way to pay for it, commit to a college, and apply for scholarships, then senior year is pretty much stress free.

I think teachers let seniors fly under the radar. Maybe they are too old to get into trouble? Many of them turn 18 during senior year and have the legal rights of an adult.

After submitting college applications, I am guessing that your school records don’t really matter. So a couple of demerits during the third and fourth quarter shouldn’t matter.

>>Standardized Testing

I don’t think the ACT or the SAT really matters in senior year. Shouldn’t all of that stress be in junior year?

>>Everything Else

I think senior year will be a blast. I expect it to be really laid-back and mostly stress-free. Other than college preparation, I think seniors don’t have much to worry about. Seniors should make the most out of their final year and end it on a high note after all the hard work they have put into it.