2017 September Eagle Eye Spike Nite

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VOL 32, NO 1 SEPT 2017

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HAWAII BAPTIST ACADEMY

New Teacher Blues? → By Joel Lau (‘18)

EDITORIAL

Cover Graphic

By Natalie Kwon (‘18)

EAGLE EYE Hawaii Baptist Academy 2429 Pali Highway Honolulu, Hawaii 96817

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Hawaii Baptist Academy’s Eagle Eye is a student-run and studentcentered publication.

Cast your minds back to the beginning of the school year.

Do you remember what you were feeling when you set foot on the campus for the first time?

While we all are seasoned veterans of that universal mix of excitement and uncertainty, we don’t often think about the new teachers that start the school year alongside us.

Behind the scenes, these teachers are often agonizing over lesson plans and manifold other worries that accompany the task of teaching a class of judgmental teenagers for the very first time.

In my experience, I find that we—the entire school community—are not doing enough to support new teachers as they navigate the nerve-wracking phase of being new to the school and their jobs. They are simply thrust into the classroom to fend for themselves, like soldiers with jammed rifles advancing under the fire of stress, burgeoning expectations, student ridicule, and helplessness. The fact that HBA is a Christian school does not equate to the saintliness or maturity of its students, who often choose to slack off at the first opportunity, frustrating the already harried teachers to no end. Overall, this undesirable dynamic in no way contributes to values HBA hopes its classrooms will cultivate: the Expected Schoolwide Learning Results of humility, curiosity, love, and commitment.

As far as I can tell, HBA endeavors to maintain a complete roster of teachers for every department. However, teachers at HBA are not contracted, meaning that they can leave their jobs at any time. If teachers give notice to leave during the summer or just before the beginning of the school year, (or worse, when the year is in session), the school administration often has to scramble to find a replacement. Yet the challenges don't end Continued on Page 4

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.

Class of 2021: First Month of School → By Johnson Lin (‘21)

For the Class of 2021, transitioning from middle to high school can be a daunting task.

First, there is the fear of failure or not doing as well as you like in high school, as all your school activities will affect your eligibility for college. In addition to that, there is the pressure of juggling school work with extracurricular activities, whether they be sports or clubs.

After the first few weeks of this quarter, freshman Kai Matsusaka, a first year HBA student, observed, “I came from a smaller school, where we only had four classes every day, and I am not used to HBA's seven classes yet. All of the different homework from all of the classes takes longer to organize, and thus makes homework take much longer for me to complete.”

FEATURE

EAGLE EYE TEAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joel Lau (‘18) STAFF Jarin Ashimine (‘20) Anika Chang (‘18) Timothy Dixon (‘20) Zachary Fujita (‘18) Daniel Jurek (‘21) Natalie Kwon (‘18) Jessie Lin (‘18) Johnson Lin (‘21) Kaycee Nakashima (‘20) Lance Tasaka (‘20) Jewel Tominaga (‘18)

However, not all things are abysmal for HBA’s freshmen.

Along with the chaos of the first weeks of school was a sense of excitement. HBA Lifer­— students who have been at the school since kindergarten— Sydney Senter described her Advisor first days of school this way: Eunice Sim “As a freshman, the first couple of days of school have been confusing, yet enjoyable. It's always exciting to start a new chapter of your life. The highlights of my first couple of days of school are being able to see my old friends Continued on Page 6

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The Class of 2022, HBA’s largest freshman class yet at 139 students, gather for a class picture at their first high school camp. PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTINA YASUTOMI.

Meet Our New Faculty → By Daniel Jurek (‘17)

NEWS

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(Left to right) Science and Math teacher Kenai Duran, Math teacher Wing Taketa, Japanese teacher Mayuka Weismantel, and PE teacher Reese Zu keran.

This year, the high and middle school faculty welcomed four new teachers.

KENAI DURAN SCIENCE & MATH (HIGH SCHOOL) Kenai (pronounced “Kee-nai”) Duran is a graduate of Fort Lewis College in Colorado, with a Bachelors in Chemistry. According to Duran, teaching has been a long-time goal. “I always knew that I wanted to truly impact people’s lives,” he explained. “I can’t handle blood, so my chances of going into the medical field went out the window, and that left me with teaching. I couldn’t have come to teach at HBA without God’s influence.”

Just a few weeks of teaching, Duran said, “If it is the Lord’s will, I can see myself teaching for at least thirty more years.” When it comes to his expectations for the year, Duran wants his students to follow his lessons with an open mind and heart. He also hopes to help his students deepen their relationships with God. Duran is named after his birthplace, Kenai, in Alaska. He enjoys going to the beach, playing video games, and watching television in his free time.

WING TAKETA MATH (HIGH SCHOOL) Wing Taketa is a graduate of the California Institute of Technology and wife of long-time HBA math teacher Cameron Taketa. According to Taketa, her first months at HBA have been fun but busy. “It seems good so far,” she said, “I enjoy helping the students learn.”

Taketa is also a culinary school graduate and spent some time working in a commericial kitchen. In addition to cooking and baking, some of Taketa’s favorite activities include crafts, board games, and spending quality time with her rabbits.

MAYUKA WEISMANTEL JAPANESE (HIGH SCHOOL)

REESE ZUKERAN P.E. (MIDDLE SCHOOL)

Mayuka Weismantel is a graduate of the Tsukuba Women’s University in Ibaraki, Japan. Back in her days of high school in Japan, she went on a home-stay to Australia, where she found her calling to become a teacher. “My host sister was learning Japanese and she wanted me to teach her Japanese,” Weismantel said. “It was really enjoyable, so I decided to become a teacher.”

Joining the middle school faculty this year is Reese Zukeran, a recent graduate of Oregon State University. Zukeran’s classes include Physical Education and Health.

Describing her time at HBA so far, Weismantel said, “It’s challenging but fun. I’m happy to have wonderful students.” To help keep her students engaged, Weismantel said it’s important for her to roam around her class and actively check in with her students. She hopes that her students will take her class seriously and see improvement in their Japanese skills by the end of the year.

In her free time, Weismantel enjoys the ritual of making green tea and spending time with her pet beagle, Snoopy. She is married to HBA Social Studies teacher Robert Weismantel.

EDITORIAL from Page 2

I believe these stringent requirements often force the the administration to relax their requirements concerning applicants’ work experience with students, therefore resulting in the hire of new teachers that often have little to no prior experience in the classroom. This is unfortunate because in order to teach well, teachers need to have an established pedagogy (method or system of teaching) that matches their teaching style and facilitates student learning. Teachers also need time to develop classroom management skills and procedures in order maintain a successful learning environment through discipline and the elimination of distractions.

Of course, all teachers were new at some point so the “inexperienced teacher phase” is not something that can be avoided. Throughout my high school career at HBA, I have studied under numerous new teachers, and in every instance, these teachers have tried to educate my peers and I to the best of their ability. However, the current system fails to ensure that both students and new teachers are equipped to handle the adjustment period that the teachers need to become fully comfortable and effective educators. During the time it takes for new teachers to become accustomed to being at the front of the class, say, for example, six months to a year, the students assigned to them are forced to join the teacher in his or her journey through the mistakes that inevitably accompany this period of time. Certainly, better behaved students would ease the situation considerably, but that would simply be treating the symptoms instead of solving the root problem. Ultimately, it is the

So far, he says, the transition has been relatively smooth, and Zukeran appreciates that the HBA faculty has been especially welcoming towards him. Looking ahead at the year, he has high hopes for his students. “I expect my students to learn about all the aspects of health: physical, mental, social, & spiritual, and to enjoy their experience in school,” he said.

Outside of school, Zukeran enjoys playing basketball, and hiking with his friends.

administration that holds the responsibility of rectifying the situation.

First, the school needs to survey students being taught by new teachers early in process, in order to identify problem areas, particularly relating to the teacher’s ability to maintain discipline. Secondly, new teachers themselves should be interviewed on their experience along the way, so that the administration can provide support to any challenges and affirm areas that are going well. For this to work well, the administration needs to ensure that the purpose of assessment is not merely to find fault but to help the teacher succeed in the classroom.

Finally, the administration needs to develop a formal training program for new teachers that focuses on alleviating the challenges that come with being new to classroom teaching. For example, new teachers should have to attend classroom management training sessions before the beginning of the school year, and be assigned veteran teachers as mentors for the school year.

The often rocky new teacher adjustment period isn’t a new problem at HBA. Yet I believe our school culture tends toward fruitless griping behind the scenes rather than speaking up for change. The simple diagnosis of this problem will not bring about resolution, for the responsibility to bring change lies equally on the shoulders of the school administration and the student body. In order to create and maintain a productive classroom environment, students too have a part to play. They can begin by respecting the courage and enthusiasm of our new teachers.

I came to HBA in the sixth grade and have repeatedly witnessed the immense passion the faculty, the administration, and even the students have for this school. Therefore, I know that we can all do much more to ensure that everyone has the best, most enlightening, and most nourishing experience that HBA can offer, regardless of which side of the teacher’s table they find themselves.

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there, for not every job applicant is eligible for the newly open teaching position. Every teacher at HBA is required to have a degree that either matches with the subject taught or is closely related. Not only that, HBA also requires every teacher “demonstrate a living relationship with Jesus Christ as described in ‘The Faith and Message,’ the tenets of the Southern Baptist denomination” and be an active member of an evangelical Christian church. When coupled with the fact that Hawaii is currently mired with a near constant teacher shortage that affects both private and public institutions, the recruitment of well-qualified teachers is not an easy task.

As a new teacher, Zukeran said he needed some time to get over being nervous on the job.

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(Above left) Bible teacher and Christian Ministries Advisory Team leader Tony Traughber introduces the “Wonder Why” chapel. theme for the semester. (Above, L-R) Teachers Joshua Williams, Eunice Sim and Isaac Duncklee lead worship at chapel. PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALIE KOWN (‘18).

Christian Ministries Undergoes Overhaul → By Natalie Kwon (‘18)

NEWS

“The goal of Christian Ministries is ‘to equip, engage, and encourage both Christians and non-Christians.’ ” Christian Ministries Advisory Team leader Tony Traughber

HBA’s Christian Ministries has taken this past school year’s theme “Transform” to heart and is undergoing major changes starting this school year.

After several years of organizing camps, leading chapel worship, and mentoring worship team musicians, HBA worship leader John Kaneshiro resigned from his position at the end of last school year in order to pursue seminary studies.

At the same time, Christian Ministries Director Robert Lockridge transitioned to the middle school campus to lead Christian Ministries there. The school is now in the process of hiring a new director to oversee Christian Ministries (K through 12) at HBA. In meantime, Bible teacher Tony Traughber has taken the lead as head of the Christian Ministries Advisory Team (CMAT), which is providing transitional leadership until a new director is hired. Working alongside Traughber on this team are HBA staff and faculty members Danford Chang, Ryan Frontiera, George Honzaki, Lynne Nakano, Sean Shiroma, Eunice Sim, Christina Yasutomi, and HBA President Ron Shiira. The CMAT currently oversees high school camps, chapels, Christian Emphasis Week and the Ministry Team.

Science teacher Sean Shiroma and Social Studies chair Lynne Nakano have taken chrage of the Ministry Team, which currently has over 50 students. Shiroma explained, “We’re making Ministry Team a big umbrella. Within Ministry Team, we have Worship, City of Joy, and Camp Counseling.” The group meets weekly during lunch on Thursdays, and the focus for the first quarter has been on training and equipping student leaders for ministry. Come second quarter, the Ministry Team will launch a variety of student-led small groups that meet weekly for devotionals and prayer.

With these changes in the Ministry Team, Shiroma hopes that the students will see that their spiritual walk is a part of leadership. He added, “We also

hope that another big change would be that students take their faith outside of HBA.” Along with changes in Ministry Team, Thursday chapels have also undergone transformation. Traughber kicked off this semester’s chapel theme “Wonder Why” with a teaching on “Why School” and chapel speakers have so far been HBA faculty, inluding Nakano, Sim, and English teacher Dawson Vorderbruegge. Traughber hopes the “Wonder Why” theme will allow students to ask the critical “why” question when it comes to the Christain faith. “For a long time when I was in college,” he explained, “I was in organizations always asking the ‘why’ question, because the ‘why’ question answers everything.” By the end of this semester, Traughber hopes both believers and non-believers will gain a better understanding of Christian beliefs and practices.

Journalism teacher Eunice Sim now leads chapel worship with help from some teachers and students on the Ministry Team. With Lockridge overseeing middle school Christian Ministries, the middle school now has separate chapels from the high school, though there are still combined

chapels from time to time. According to Traughber, split chapels allow middle schoolers to worship with just their peers. Also, split chapels can focus on topics relevant to just the middle school age group. He said, “I think it’s great for middle schoolers because they get to exist in their own area.”

This year, Christian Emphasis Week, will be moved from the end of the third quarter to the second week of the second quarter. Middle and high school students have already submitted their seminar choices, which includes seminars like “The Joy of Hospitality,” “Why Baptism,” and other seminars answering the question “why”.

According to Traughber, the goal of Christian Ministries is “to equip, engage, and encourage both Christians and non-Christians” at HBA. With this in mind, he hopes to give students opportunities to learn and grow spiritually so that they may take their faith beyond chapel and the school campus, and incorporate it into their everyday lives.

CLASS OF 2021 from Page 2

and meet new ones. Your friends are the people you spend your entire high school years with. If you look forward to seeing them, like I was, it means that you have built many strong relationships that will probably last the rest of these four years.”

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For this year’s freshman advisors, it has been a challenge handling a class of 139 students, which is the largest ever freshman class at HBA. Homeroom scheduling and logistics, for example, can be challenging for new advisors. Advisor and librarian Arlene Huster explained, “Because I’m a freshman advisor every year, I’m pretty familiar with the schedule and the various things that you have to go to, like advisory and

“Overall, I would just like to have a fun time along with doing well academically.”

Freshman Kai Matsusaka homeroom, and joint homeroom, and advisory homeroom. There’s so many different places that you have to be on different days.” However, according to Huster, any concerns the advisors had about having a large class quickly went away. “We have been so impressed by this class is. There’s 139 kids in the room but they are listening attentively and doing such a good job at being quiet. We are pretty impressed by that.”

Freshmen and teachers alike have have numerous hopes and expectations for the year ahead. For Matsusaka, his hopes are to get to know more of his classmates and meet new people who share his interests. “Overall,” he added, “I would just like to have a fun time along with doing well academically.” For Huster, she would like to see the freshman class grow closer to each other. Instead of cliques, she hopes to see the class get “really good at being inclusive to everyone.” She added, “The biggest thing is as we plan events, that everyone would be involved and excited about it and make our focus getting to know each other.”

(Top middle) Freshman Enzo Mazzuli (Team “Roaches”) participated in the fall dodgeball intramurals with an allfreshman team. (Bottom) Freshman Daniel Fujiwara (also with “Roaches”) during the intramural playoffs, where they lost to senior team “Ma Squad.” PHOTOGRAPHY BY JARIN ASHIMINE (‘20) and TIMOTHY DIXON (‘20).

A Gymnast in Both Life & Sport

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→ By Anika Chang (‘18)

FEATURE

Sydney Senter had no idea what trampoline gymnastics had in store for her when she first began at age 5. Fast forward nine years and find 2014 World Champion tumbler Senter, now a freshman at HBA, completing side somersaults, double fronts, and full twists.

Freshman Sydney Senter sports her 2017 team U.S.A leotard and will represent the U.S.A in the World Age Group Championshp in Bulgaria in November.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANIKA CHANG (‘18)

Although just 14, Senter is an athlete to be admired.

However, just as impressive as her gymnastics achievements is her journey to finding her passion for it.

Although Senter’s parents initially encouraged her to take up the sport, it was Senter’s passion that pushed her into the position she is in now. Once she started gymnastics, competing in the trampoline division soon caught her attention.

As fun as trampoline gymnastics can be, it also demands intense dedication. Senter’s rigorous schedule consists of the following in a three hour practice: a short run, dynamic stretching, and tricks on the double mini trampoline. If she has time at the end of her practice, Senter conditions to build her muscles.

Training every day except Sunday, Senter barely has time to catch her breath. Daily practices are from 5-8 pm, except on Thursdays when practices go until 9 pm. For additional strength and conditioning, Senter can be found working out at Egan Inoue’s Fit Body Boot Camp, located in Kailua, before the start of the school day.

The biggest setbacks Senter has faced are her injuries. Recently, she sprained her ankle while jumping on the double mini trampoline.

Although it wasn't the biggest injury she encountered, it happened just two weeks before a competition in Michigan. To recover on time, Senter committed herself to a painstaking regimen—icing, physical therapy, and strength exercises. However, Senter says the most important part of healing is the mental part. She believes that injuries are motivation to improve in other areas. “Some have been more severe than others,” Senter says, “but at the end of the day, an injury is an injury and in my opinion, it hinders you physically, emotionally, and mentally.”

Nervousness is another hurdle to overcome. Senter admits, “After competing in this sport for nine years, I still get nervous, and I don’t think that that’s something that’s ever going to change. The severity of my nervousness is dependent on my confidence in that specific circumstance. This includes the location of the competition, the level at which I am competing at, the difficulty of the skills I am throwing, the level in which my competitors are at, etcetera.” To cope with this, she always prays. Senter explains, “I don’t ask God to help me win; but instead I thank Him for the wonderful experience and ask that he help me take what I’ve been working on in practice and apply it to my competition.” Senter also listens to music to relieve stress and build confidence before she steps onto the competition floor.

Her rigorous training and somewhat stressful multitasking have not gone in vain. Senter has achieved much over her nine year career. She has won medals not only across the nation, but across the globe. In 2012, at the age of seven, Senter won her first national gold medal.

Recently, Senter won two gold medals in the Slavic Games in Minsk, Belarus. Senter says, “[A very significant medal to me] is the gold medal I won at the 2014 World Age Group Championships because it was the biggest meet that I had ever competed in. Also, it was the first time that I got to compete against people from all around the world.”

In just this year, she has competed in a total of five competitions, with three more scheduled by the end of the year. Every other month, Senter also takes part in competitions at her gym, Hawaii Academy.

Recently, Senter was selected for the U.S. team that will compete in the World Age Group Championships this November in Sofia, Bulgaria. She will participate in both the trampoline and double mini trampoline events. Looking further ahead, Senter is currently training to qualify for the Olympics. However, even though the next Olympics are in 2020, her sights are set on the 2024 games because most of the athletes in her sport tend to be older and have more experience before competing in the Olympics.

If not foundv training, competing or doing homework, Senter plays volleyball, surfs, sings, goes to the beach, hangs out with her friends, and shares quality time with her family. On special “cheat” days Senter indulges in ice cream, brownies, boba, and pasta. Senter says, “Gymnastics, or trampoline in my case, has basically become an essential part of my life. I fell in love with it from the start and although it can be very time consuming and require lots of hard work, it’s one of the best things I have in my life.”

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If there is one thing Senter has learned from her schedule besides dedication to her craft, it’s time management. HBA helps her to balance both school work and gymnastics. Senter says, “Since I have been traveling for a long time, HBA already knows about my busy schedule.”

Although HBA does make accommodations to help Senter with her competition and travel schedule, her driven personality is what helps her keep up with both school and her sport. Senter uses guided study periods and even passing moments to stay on top of her homework.

Although the sport is demanding, gymnastics has taught Senter many virtues and life lessons. “One that is really significant to me,” Senter says, “[is] being able to work hard and remain passionate about something even when you are forced to face challenges that hinder and discourage you along the way. It seems pretty straightforward to me that if you truly, passionately want something—within reasonable reach and realistic measures—then you should go get it.”

New Clubs Enrich Students' Lives → ByJewel Tominaga (‘18)

NEWS

(Clockwise from top left) Club advisor Elena Yoo, juniors Kristin Lau and Emma Tamashiro speak to prospective members of the Korea Club; Sophomore Anna Sullivan signs up for the Photography Club; Sophomore Cobi Pimental head up the new Drone Club. PHOTOGRAPHY BY

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TRINITY HALEMANO-REED (‘20)

This year at HBA’s high school club fair, students had a wide range of over 25 clubs to choose from.

Clubs at HBA have been an integral part of the student experience for years and the annual club fair is something that students can look forward to.

Among the spread of groups represented this year, a handful of new clubs made their debut. The new clubs included Drone Club, Korea Club, Boba/Karaoke Club, Star Wars Club, Politics Club and Red Cross Club. Senior Preston Iha, student officer of the Star Wars club said, “Our target club members are anyone who likes Star Wars and has a passion to do something about it.”

Similarly, Politics Club officer, junior Dakota Gavin said, “Anyone looking to discuss or expand their knowledge about politics is welcome. We want to promote healthy political discussion between varying opinions and students.” Fellow club officer, junior Mason Nakamura, explained why they created their club adding, “I think there is a lot of interest in politics in our school, but we don’t really talk much about it.”

Another club making its first time appearance at the fair was the Korea Club. Korea Club faculty advisor Elena Yoo said, “Students who are interested in anything about Korean culture, food, music, Korean TV/Movies should join because that is what we'll be covering.” Junior Kristin Lau, one of the club’s student officers and founders, said, “We started Korea Club because at HBA there’s only Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish languages that are offered, so HBA students don’t get to actually experience and see the amazing Korean culture. We wanted

to give students that opportunity.” Students took advantage of this opportunity as over 40 students signed up for the club during the fair.

However, the Korea Club wasn’t the only hit at the fair. The Boba/ Karaoke Club table run by seniors Katelyn Nakagawa, Ally Wada, and Davin Rausch was crowded by students of all grades eagerly waiting to sign up. Club officer Katelyn Nakagawa promoted her club saying, “Anyone can order boba, but we’re gonna have our members make boba in our meetings and have some fun karaoke singing competitions.

We’ll see what our members are most interested in.” Bubble tea, or locally referred to as boba, is a popular drink with HBA students. You’ll likely find a group of students in school on a daily basis, sipping on the cool beverage, and then chewing on the drink’s signature tapioca balls. Nakagawa and her fellow officers noticed this trend and chose to do something about it. “We made this club to bring people with the same interest—boba—together, ” she said.

Getting together with people who have similar interest is just one of the benefits of joining school clubs. Senior Bey Thompson, student officer of the community service focused Interact Club, commented, “Interact is a good club to join because it looks great on college applications, it's internationally recognized, and teaches teamwork skills.”

Sean Aoyagi, Boba/Karaoke Club’s faculty advisor, believes club membership leads to healthy student development. “In general, students should join clubs to interact with other students in different grade levels. It gives students the chance to show their personality and mature as young adults,” said Aoyagi.

Shooting For Perfection → By Lance Tasaka (‘20)

FEATURE

The Pac-5 Air Riflery season kicks off every fall and this year, the team comprises students from six private schools: Hawaii Baptist Academy, Maryknoll, UH Laboratory School, Pacific Buddhist Academy, La Pietra School, and St. Andrew’s Priory.

This year HBA makes up about a third of the team and all HBA members are either freshmen or a sophomores. Three of these students are on the varsity team while the rest are on the junior varsity team.

Air Riflery is a shooting sport that teaches proper and safe handling of firearms. Participants use compressed air or pump air rifles that use .177 caliber pellets (4.5 mm in diameter) to hit targets 10 meters (33.3 feet) away. The goal is to consistently hit the “bull’s eye” ring (5 cm in diameter), which is worth 10 points. There are three positions that the shooter must shoot from: standing, kneeling and prone. The sport is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. It takes serious concentration and dedication to improve and do well.

Most of the HBA shooters this year are new to the sport. Freshman Mindy Higa said, “I wanted to join Air Riflery because I thought it would be fun and I wanted to make new friends and try something new.” Other freshman shooters also shared her hopes at having fun and trying new things. Freshman Daniel Jurek said, “I enjoy that the sport has a concentration factor due to its imperative role in the shots.” For sophomore Timothy Dixon, being part of a team is what makes the sport enjoyable because “we not only compete with ourselves for a personal score, but we also compete as a team for an overall team score.”

This year is looking good according to Pac-5 coach Yuji Hata. “We got some motivated shooters who are willing to learn and win,” he said. Coach Hata and his wife, Robyn Hata, have been coaching Air Riflery for about 10 years now. Along the way coach Eric Ebesu joined the coaching staff when his son Evan Ebesu (‘17) joined the team as a freshman at HBA. This year, his second son, HBA freshman Jason Ebesu joined the team as well.

The coaches led the teams last year to first place in the Varsity Boys, JV Boys and JV Girls divisions. Current sophomore Donovan Shiraish also won the JV Boys Championship as a freshman. In the last four years, HBA shooters have taken the top spots in their ILH divisions and and have won Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) state championships. In order to qualify for these state matches, shooters must first rank in the top 20 for the season, which then qualifies them to compete at the ILH level. The top 12 ILH shooters then advance to the HHSAA state championships.

Looking ahead at the year, first-year varsity sophomore shooter Jarin Ashimine said, “One goal that I have is to make the ILH individual championship again and maybe even win a medal in one of the positions.”

Higa said, “My goal for this season is to beat my personal best every match. I’m looking forward to challenging Mid-Pac.” Coach Ebesu has similar hopes for his shooters. He said, “As coaches, each year we hope for a positive winning season. We hope for Pac-5 team members to successfully qualify for the ILH Championships and to have the varsity participants win a bid to the HHSAA State match.”

Assessing the season so far, Coach Yuji said, “We are getting better since the start of this season, but other schools are very strong this season. Pac-5 is known for being a slow starter, but do well towards the end. We will see.”

(Left) HBA students shooting in the standing position. Sophomore Timothy Dixon (far right) is sighting in and preparing to take a shot.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JARIN ASHIMINE (‘20).

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Even though it’s considered a team sport, individual performance is a primary focus for the shooters. Shooters strive to improve in their personal scores and those who are always improving are more likely to win. That is what makes this sport a mental game, where mental

toughness is what makes a winner. The shooter is forced to rely on himself to practice, to learn and to perform well.

Review: Hot pots & Korean BBQ FEATURE

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→ By Anika Chang ('18)

Classic lunch meal set including orginal Ichriki broth, sliced ribeye, an assortment of vegetables, rice, noodles, and dipping sauces ($20.95).

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANIKA CHANG (‘18)

Hot pots and Korean BBQ swept summer food trends by storm.

Snapchats of various meats, pots, sides, and friends lit up the screens of many users. As a food lover myself, I decided to hop onto the bandwagon and experience what these popular places had to offer.

To kick things off, I dined at Ichiriki, a Japanese hot pot restaurant.

Ichiriki has 4 locations: Kaimuki, Aiea, Kaneohe and Ala Moana. I dined at the one on Piikoi Street, located a five minute walk away from Ala Moana.

The restaurant is divided into 2 sections. Half the room is booth seating, fitting up to 2-4 people, and on the other side has individual rooms mimicking a more traditional Japanese seating. This portion of the room requests the customers to remove their shoes before stepping onto the mats and sitting at the drop down table. On each of the tables lies a portable gas stove where the hot pot magic begins.

The menu is packed with a variety of broths, featuring the signature

Ichiriki (shoyu base), Shio (salt base) and Yuzo Kosho, just to name a few. Accompanying your choice of broth, diners have the choice of various Nabe Sets: USDA Choice Ribeye Chanko, Berkshire Pork Belly Chanko, Shortrib Shabu Shabu and Chicken Chanko. The prices range around $12 to $20 depending on the set. The choice of ramen or udon is an additional cost of $1.50.

I’d highly recommend the Yuzu Kosho or signature Ichiriki broth. Yuzu Kosho has a bit of a peppery kick, while the Ichiriki is more of a richer, salty broth. Each broth comes with a spicy alternative, if you’re looking for a bit of a heat. My favorite of the spicier broths is the Pirikara. The ribeye set is the highest quality meat. However, the chanko sets are a budget friendly, stomach filling meal. Each chanko set comes with a Tsukune, a stick of raw meat that the diners use to make meatballs.

I’d recommended the USDA Choice Ribeye Chanko.

Once seated, the waiters quickly poured my broth into the pot. Shortly following, my mouth watered, as the waiter set the red marbled ribeye slices onto the table. My chopsticks trembled, as I dropped the crisp lettuce, crunchy carrots, and hearty shiitake mushrooms into the simmering broth. The room was a melody of distant chatter, boiling

With blue lights and a spacious set-up, Gen is trendy take on classic korean barbeque. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANIKA CHANG (‘18). broth, and the slurping of noodles. Overall, it was a very warm and cozy atmosphere, especially in the company of friends.

My next food adventure was Gen. Opening in March on the top floor of Ala Moana, Gen BBQ was quick to catch attention of many foodies.

Fortunately for me, dining on statehood day allowed me to pay the reduced lunch price of $15.99. On regular holidays (Christmas and New Years) the price is upped to $26.99.

I arrived at 10:45, and while the restaurant opened at 10:00, there was already a 10 minute wait. Gen is notorious for its waiting time, only allowing reservations for parties of 10 and up. I’d suggest coming at least a half an hour earlier than the time you want to eat, unless you arrive as soon as the restaurant opens. The restaurant’s atmosphere is something I’d describe as modern and trendy. Blue light bathed the entire room, pop songs pulsed through the speaker, and loud chatter surrounded the restaurant. An overhead vent and sprinkler sits overhead every table. On the preset tables lies the grill, three types of sauces, and four sides of various pickled vegetables.

For the weekday lunch price of $15.99, diners have access to an all you can eat 28 item menu. Accompanying the meal are complementary sides of salad and white rice. Diners have a two hour limit and can only order up to four dishes at a time. Because the menu can be so overwhelming, especially for newcomers like myself, the menu indicates popular dishes with a thumbs up. My favorite of the menu would have to be the brisket, thin sliced pieces that melt in your mouth.

Other favorites would be the pork cheek, garlic chicken and boneless

kalbi. Some dishes can be very saturated in sauce, however. The beef bulgogi’s marinade was a little overwhelmingly sweet. It is great for those who enjoy those flavors, but for some it can be overpowering.

Service was a bit more sporadic than I would like, but this might have been due to Statehood Day. The waiters start by asking the customer what foods they’d like to start with. After ordering, I waited eagerly, watching an experienced couple methodically place each tender strip of meat in a semi circle.

The order portions are about a plate or a bowl full of meat. If dining with only one other person, I’d suggest ordering half portions to get the most variety out of your meals.

Overall, both experiences were extremely different but very satisfying.

Ichiriki is a good bang for your buck if shared with another, costing as low as $7. Gen on the other hand, is an unbeatable lunch price for all you can eat. However, it’s only worth it for lunch on a weekday.

Weekend and dinner hours cost $27 dollars compared to the $16 on weekdays. For $16 and all you can eat sides and meat, Gen would be a very popular choice as well.

In terms of ambiance, Ichiriki is a quieter and cozier experience, while Gen is the opposite with blue lights and loud music. Something to note for Gen, however, is that the wait can range from 15 minutes to an hour. I’d recommend a reservation. Whichever is preferred, both restaurants lived up to the hype of the summer. I perhaps have never been so satisfied partaking in such a meal, and my tastebuds never so thankful that I did.

2017-18 GIRLS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL

“My most memorable moment was when we won States my freshman year.”

“I would like to dedicate this game to my family and friends who support me in everything that I do.”

NAIYA FUJIKAWA Junior • Libero/DS • 5’ 2”

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“My most memorable moment would have to be spraining my ankle on the very first day of practice last season.”

“I would like to dedicate this game to all my friends and family who come and support me, and to Shinka.”

KATELYN NAKAGAWA Senior • OH • 5’ 2”

“My most memorable moment is when I got slammed in the face with a ball by MJ.” “I would like to dedicate this game to my parents, grandma, friends, and Rosey.”

HANA JARDON Senior • Middle • 5’ 6” “My most memorable was when Davin got slammed in the face with a ball by MJ and blood ran down his face. ” “I would like to dedicate this game to my dad for always pushing me and believing in me. You are my inspiration and I wouldn't be the person and player I am today. I love you! ”

KALLIE LANGFORD Senior • OH • 5’ 9”

“My most memorable moment was last year’s Vegas trip.”

“I would like to dedicate this game to my family and friends.”

MAYA NAKASONE Junior • DS • 5’ 2”

“"My most memorable moment was when Sasha smashed me into the wall during practice.”

“I dedicate this game to my family and friends and Juli Lau.”

COURTNEY ARUME Sophomore • OH • 5’ 4” “My most memorable moment was during preseason at the McKinley tournament, and during our bye we played a game called Pterodactyl.

The gist was not laugh but at the end all of us were out because we couldn't hold in the laughter.”

“I would like to dedicate this to my grandparents."

RIYANNA WERNY Sophomore • OH/Opp • 5’ 3”

“My most memorable moment was when I got to play with all of my friends this year during summer volleyball. ” “I would like to dedicate this game to my parents and friends, especially Jess and Ari. Love you guys!”

ASJA DEAI Freshman • Libero/DS • 5’ 4” “My most memorable moment was in freshman year when I ran over Rylie during Spike Nite because she was in my way.”

“I would like to dedicate this game to Nana, Papa and Amma. Thanks for all the continuous love and support throughout the years and for always bringing me fruits after games. Love you guys! ”

ALLY WADA Senior• Setter • 5’ 7”

“I would like to dedicate this game to my mom”

KATHRYN HARADA Sophomore • Setter • 5’ 0”

BRIENNA NISHIMURA Junior • OH • 5’ 6”

“My most memorable moment was when the team kept asking Brie to say the word 'pants'.”

“I would like to dedicate this game to my dad, who never gives up on me, and my family, who supports me no matter what.”

KRISTIN MONIZ Senior • MIddle • 5’ 4” “My most memorable moment was when I got a block in pratice, because then everyone started yelling out all the nicknames I'd earned this season. I love you all so much.”

“I would like to dedicate this game to my dad. He's the one who really pushes me to be a better player and person. Seeing me play at a higher level must make him proud because he knows what I'm capable of.”

AMBER LOO Freshman • Middle • 5’ 8”

“Getting to work with my previous HBA teams was the most memorable.

I like how we work together and play as a team.”

“I would like to dedicate this game to all of my friends and family who have been supporting me all these years and to my teammates who helped me realize that volleyball is more fun when played with passion, intensity, and heart!”

BRITNEY O'DONNELL Senior • MB• 5’ 10”

“My most memorable moment was the entire season! It's amazing playing with such a fun team!”

“I would like to dedicate this to my parents! Mom and Dad, thanks so much for supporting me! I love you guys! Hi Marissie!”

RACHEL NAKATA Sophomore • Setter • 5’ 3”

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“My most memorable moment was when we won the D2 championship in JV last year.”

“My most memorable moment was when I got to play with my sister at the 2015 State Champs. It was such a big moment playing with my best friend and biggest supporter!”

“I would like to dedicate this game to my seniors. I am so incredibly proud and thankful for every one of you for being such great teammates and even better friends, I can't wait to see what the future has in store for you! I love you guys!”

VA R S I T Y

BACK (L-R):

Rachel Nakata, Asja Deai, Ally Wada, Britney O’Donnell, Kallie Langford, Brienna Nishimura, Amber Loo, Hana Jardon Naiya Fujikawa, Maya Nakasone, Courtney Arume, Katelyn Nakagawa, Kristin Moniz, Riyanna Werny, Kathryn Harada FRONT (L-R):