2024 Spring Eagle Eye Spike Nite Edition

HAWAII BAPTIST ACADEMY

VOL 38, NO 3 MAR 2024

Cover Photo

By Samuel Ruan (‘25)

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

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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Taylor Malinger (‘24)

STAFF Cayte Akamu (‘25) Brendan Aoki (‘24) Joseph Giles (‘24) Olivia Kim (‘26) Kaitlyn Maruya (‘24) Allisha Nitta (‘24) Natali Nomura (‘25) Calla Pien (‘26) Samuel Ruan (‘25)

ADVISOR Eunice Sim Follow us @hbaeagleeye on Instagram www.hbaeagleeye.com

MAC WEEK: HBA Hosts Annual Supporter Visit → By Calla Pien (‘26)

On the week of February 20, 2024, Hawaii Baptist Academy hosted its Mainland Advisory Council on their annual trip to the school. On this 48th visit of the MAC, 32 out of the 108 MAC members, including 10 new MAC prospects, visited HBA’s elementary, middle, and high schools’ campuses.

The MAC members come from 18 different states, spanning the continent, including California, Oklahoma, and Florida.

There were over 75 student hosts selected from the student body to accompany the guests during their visits. As hosts, these students form the President’s Aloha Council (PAC) at the high school and the imPAC at the middle school. Billie Takaki Lueder, HBA’s Director of Institutional Advancement and coordinator of the MAC event, said, “The relationships formed between the student hosts and the MAC are very special and some will last beyond graduation.”

HBA recently launched the elementary school’s expansion project, which includes plans to renovate and build new facilities at the elementary campus. On the Wednesday of MAC Week, the MAC met at the elementary school to pray over the campus and the building project. According to Lueder, construction will start next month and last through 2026.

Donna Stanford has been a part of MAC since 1983, and when asked about her favorite part of MAC week, she said, “I love the kids and getting to know the students.” Stanford’s host, sophomore Zoë Naso, said, “I love establishing connections with the MAC people.”

That same evening, to close out the week, the Aloha Celebration was held at Ala Moana Hotel, where MAC members were entertained with performances by the Soldiers of Light, Middle School Choir, Wind Ensemble, and Halau Hula ‘O Ka Lama ‘Ula. Lueder explained, “The Aloha Banquet is the culminating event that includes our MAC and their MAC Hosts, many of who are current or past parents, friends of HBA, or alumni. These hosts help to care for them during their stay in Hawaii.”

Left: Zoe Lim, a freshman, performs with HBA’s hula halau at the Aloha Celebration, a dinner for the MAC guests at the end of their week at HBA. Facing page: The MAC guests spent their week at all three HBA campuses, meeting student hosts, hearing presentations about student projects and joining in with the school’s weekly chapels.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF HBA’S INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT OFFICE.

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On Thursday, the MAC visited the high school, where they visited the freshmen in their morning pods, and joined the middle and high school in their weekly chapel. The guest speaker at this year’s MAC WEEK chapel was Pastor Steven Fairchild, who serves as the pastor at LowCountry Community Church in South Carolina. On Friday, the MAC visited the middle school where they attended the 8th grade Capstone Project presentations.

HBA high schoolers help with the filming of a promotional video for the Family Fun Day Color Run.

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CRAIG CHANG.

Family Fun Day Returns in April → By Joseph Giles (‘24)

On Saturday, April 6, the HBA community will once again gather for an all-school Parent-Teacher Fellowship (PTF) Family Fun Day at the elementary campus. The event, formerly called the Fun Fair, last took place in 2019. This year, in addition to food, games, prizes, a baked goods sale, and entertainment by students, there will be a Color Run. The Color Run is a race with a twist as students will be given colored powder to throw at each other during the race. HBA PTF president Sandy Chong hopes “[the] kids can participate in a racecourse and get doused.” The elementary campus held a Color Run in March 2022 and it was a successful event, according to elementary vice principal Trisha Lee. “We gave each student a small bag of color powder for a ‘color war,’ where they could throw the powder at each other. It was fun to run around with the kids and throw powder at each other. There was lots of laughter and joy,” she recalled. According to Lee, the event raised a net profit of $55,000 which is being used to fund student activities, teacher appreciation days, and new playground equipment.

In the past, the HBA Fun Fair was able to raise funds for significant school campus improvements. According to Chong, these included a new junior kindergarten playground, new lunch tables for the elementary campus, outdoor tables for the middle school, and the large projection screen in the high school gym.” This year, the goal of the Family Fun Day this year is to raise $100,000 to fund similar projects. Chong added that the money raised will also go to PTA-sponsored events like grade-level fellowships, the PTF Kick Off Dinner, Parent Cafés, and Ohana Nights. In addition, the PTA funds help to provide snacks at student study sessions as well as congratulatory gifts for seniors.

In order to reach the goal of raising $100,000 dollars, the PTF hopes that every student can raise $100 each. To encourage students to participate, there is an incentive system that includes a range of rewards from stickers to USB chargers. All HBA students received an information packet to take home about the fundraising effort. Information on the Family Fun Day can also be found at www.hba.net/familyfunday.

College Decisions: Finding the Perfect Match As the school year comes toward a close, seniors find themselves standing at crossroads, where they must make what feels like one of the most crucial choices of their lives: college decisions.

The process of choosing a suitable college involves a multitude of factors. Academic considerations are important as seniors must align their aspirations with the resources and opportunities offered by colleges. The geographical location of a college can also be a major factor; some students want to stay close to home while others crave the excitement of exploring new cities and climates, and starting life anew. Social and cultural aspects of campus life are also taken into consideration—what extracurricular options and interest groups are available to students? Finally, a big factor for many students is affordability. Balancing one’s college dreams with financial realities is a challenging task as students are constantly reminded not to jeopardize their long-term financial well-being by getting into too much college debt.

For senior Tyson Yoshikawa, all these considerations became reality on December 11 at the Wet ‘n Wild waterpark, when he was on the Science Department’s Boat Regatta field trip. It was there when he received his email acceptance into Cornell’s class of 2028. Yoshikawa remembers being ecstatic when he got the news. “I felt great. It’s like all my hard work finally paid off in a tangible way,” he said. Yoshikawa

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→ By Kaitlyn Maruya (‘24) NEWS

became interested in Cornell while looking for computer science programs. “What made me really want to apply, however, was the great research opportunities and labs at Cornell,” he said. While he has concerns about moving far away from home to New York, he is optimistic. “I feel scared because I’ll be so far from home, but I’m excited to have a new change of scenery,” he said.

Senior Noah Curammeng is among the many Hawai’i seniors who opt to stay home to attend the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. He was originally planning on going to school in California. “However, due to personal circumstances,” he said, “I decided that going to UH would make things a lot easier for me to do the stuff that I wanted to do. [It would also be] easier on my family financially.” Cummerang plans on majoring in mechanical engineering, and may look to someday venture to the mainland. “If I really want to, I’ll transfer to a California school or I might pursue my masters at a university in California,” he said.

Senior Leina Chu, a varsity volleyball player, made sure to look for a college that would give her an opportunity to continue her athletic career. She is heading to Willamette University in Oregon. “I have played and loved volleyball throughout my whole life. The work, dedication and passion I have put into volleyball has pushed me to want to play at the collegiate level. I look forward to the challenge,” she said.

The decision for Chu was not easy.

“I got numerous offers from different Continued on Page 13 divisions and parts of the country, but

English 11 Students Tackle Screen Time Usage → By Olivia Kim (‘26) NEWS

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English 11 students are required to chart their screen time usage on graphs, which are displayed in English teacher Dawson Vorderbruegge’s classroom. Vorderbruegge hopes the public display will help keep the students motivated and accountable. PHOTOGRAPH BY CAYTE AKAMU (‘25).

“Is this assignment graded?” is a loaded question in a classroom. Teachers loathe this question because it illustrates how students will only do work for a grade. English teacher Dawson Vorderbruegge decided to put this dynamic to good use; he created an assignment to motivate students to reduce their screen time.

Vorderbruegge explained how the assignment is connected to a book that the English 11 class is reading. The Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a novel about real-life escapism, where the characters in the book use a happiness-inducing drug named “soma.” For the assignment, the students must set a goal to reduce the amount of time they spend on their phones, along with charting their progress and journaling about their experience. Some of the students also chose an “accountability partner” to help ensure that no one cheated by overriding screen time limits on their phones. Vorderbruegge explained, “[The purposes are] to reveal how reliant we are upon our phones to comfort us when we feel upset. And second, to practice slowing our lives down and living more intentionally.”

Junior Nicholas Niwa finds that the assignment is interesting and helpful even though he had already set screen time limits on his phone. “It will force us to exert more self control and find other ways to spend our time, and this could potentially help our work ethic by taking away our main source of distraction,” he said. Classmate Abbie Kato agreed and stated that the assignment is a good way for them to take a break from their phones for a while.

Junior Xan Waialeale decided to give a English-essay worthy response when asked about his experience with the assignment. “A lack of cell phones? That would make anyone supremely somber, and I am certainly someone. This project is about reining in your urges, even abstaining from any and all use in the dreaded ‘monk mode.’ Many brave men will fail in this month-long challenge, but those that can last the entire time will find themselves on a spiritual plane of existence uninterrupted by trifle matters such as ‘mother calling’ or ‘overdue library books,” he said.

The assignment gives students a choice in setting their own goals, as Vorderbruegge recognizes that the goals have to be attainable.

Kato’s goal is a total of three hours per day, with a one-hour limit on social media. Niwa’s goal is to spend a total of one hour or less each day. For Waialeale, his goal was to bring down his daily average of 15 hours to 12 hours.

It has been four weeks since the assignment began and students were asked whether or not they would try and stick to the plan after the assignment is over. Kato said that she would like to try. Niwa said, “I probably wouldn’t continue to follow it so strictly.” Waialeale said, “If I had the ability to, I would continue this challenge until the day I die. Unfortunately, I lack the ability to. Already, my screen time fluctuates greatly. I often go many days in a row under 12 hours before losing focus just for a microsecond, and the next thing I know, I’m at a horrific 17 hours!”

Despite a range of results so far, Vorderbruegge reports that his students have journaled about getting more sleep, having more energy during the school day, and also spending more time with their friends and family.

FRESHMAN, SOPHOMORES HEAD TO EAST COAST → By Samuel Ruan (‘25) NEWS

This past fall break, 32 HBA Japanese Language students experienced a packed 11-day trip to Japan. “Going into this trip, I was really just looking to have a good time.

I was excited to go to new places, try new things, and shop around,” said Ellie Pelesky, a senior. And that’s exactly what they did.

This group of 40 freshmen and sophomores will head to the East Coast over Spring Break to learn more about U.S. history.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY GEORGE HONZAKI.

After a five year hiatus, the East Coast Trip is back. It is not only a chance for freshmen and sophomores to travel outside of Hawaii, but also an opportunity to experience, learn, and explore the historical struggle and culture of the United States’ long and complex history.

This year, 40 students will be going on the trip, which is led by George Honzaki, middle school principal. Honzaki says that the purpose of the trip is “to see how God shows up throughout our nation’s history and appreciate the way our nation grew through its struggle to become a great nation. To top it off, there is something special about seeing these sights with your friends; we’ll form great memories together!”

The group’s itinerary will take them on a ten day trip during the Spring Break to Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and New York. The students will be visiting many historical landmarks and tourist attractions like the 911 Memorial World Trade Center, the Capitol Building, and the Statue of Liberty. When asked about what part of the trip he is most excited about, Jacob Hofacker, a sophomore, said, “I’m looking forward to going to the Smithsonian and the

Statue of Liberty for the first time. Traveling to the East Coast can also be a chance for students to find and try new things that are not necessarily found in Hawaii.”

At the landmarks, the students will be assigned to collect artifacts such as ticket subs, brochures, and photos. Afterward, they will write journals about what they enjoyed the most about the visited landmarks. Mari Casamina, a freshman, said, “While we do have a journal and some assignments during the trip, it’s not as bad as having to stress about every little detail, not having to worry about being graded by what I took or didn’t take interest in, and having my knowledge of the subject put to the test.”

For a number of students, this trip will be their first visit to the East Coast. Drew Lohr, a sophomore, said, “I have been to a few of

the places, but I have never been to New York. I know how cold it will be, and I know my classmates will be very cold.”

Besides experiencing East Coast weather, the students will also encounter cultural differences, going from a small island to a big city. Social Studies teacher Anna Hamaguchi, who will be one of the chaperones on the trip, hopes that students will keep an open mind as they experience the East Coast for the first time. “Culturally, I can’t think of a more opposite setting from Honolulu than New York. Seeing a vastly different cultured city is helpful to broaden the students’ horizons.”

Cafeteria Theft on the Rise → By Taylor Malinger (‘24) NEWS

As the bell signals the start of lunchtime, hordes of hungry students converge on the cafeteria, eager to fill their stomachs with whatever fare Flik, HBA’s food service, has to offer. As the students roam the dining room in search of something to eat, eagleeyed cafeteria staff members stand by to assist their customers—and to make sure they are paying for the items they pick up.

Extra cafeteria workers just observing the exit doors is a new thing, and it has come about because of an increase in losses from unpaid items being taken from the cafeteria.

Jensen Manuel, the head chef and manager for Flik Independent School Dining (FISD), notes that this has not always been the case. According to him, Flik has recorded an increasing amount of missing items from the cafeteria within the last two years. “There are a large variety of items that are stolen from the dining room including chips, musubis, ice cream, drinks, cookies, brownies and even the utensils,” Manuel explained.

The disappearance of such items, while they are stolen by individuals in small quantities, is noticeable. In addition to actually seeing students take food and utensils without paying, Manuel adds that Flik utilizes a daily inventory system to keep track of goods.

“When reconciling our POS (point of sales) receipts, we can see if our sales match the items remaining on the floor,” Manuel said.

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There are several possible reasons for the increase in dining room thefts. The most common student explanation for stealing items is that Flik food is too expensive. One student who had stolen from the dining room explained his motive for stealing: “I was broke, and I was also hungry. Realistically I could have done better, but I was so desperate for food and just to eat something...” Another student reported that her lunch account is self-funded rather than parentsupported, so she is “too broke to pay” and has resorted to stealing before.

Despite this increase in theft as documented by Flik, vice principal Ryan Frontiera stated that his office has not necessarily seen a spate of students caught stealing. However, he points out that, in general, the price of Flik food is not completely insurmountable or unreasonable. “I understand that students may feel food is expensive…but if you go to any store or if you’re not buying something in bulk, stuff is really expensive,” Frontiera said. “And I think overall fixed prices are pretty fair for what they are, and they provide really good quality food and really good service. Plus a lot of the items are by no means required; no one needs gummy worms to get through a day,” Frontiera added.

According to Manuel, Flik strives to provide affordable options for students by offering food in a wide price range. According to the HBA High School Flik Price guide, the cheapest item is a “hand fruit” such as an apple, orange, or banana for $1.00. The most expensive item is a poke bowl for $9.00. Other food options include sandwiches ($4.25), hot lunch bowls ($8.50), cinnamon rolls ($5.50), and spam musubis ($2.25). (For comparison, musubis cost $1.95 at 7-Eleven and $2.79 at Foodland.) Manuel also noted that “the rising cost of inflation has had a significant impact on the cost of the ingredients and supplies for foods to be prepared, along with rising labor costs,” making it more challenging for Flik to maintain lower prices.

Another possible reason for the thefts, Frontiera observed, is that it is simply easy to do so. Students can effortlessly hide small food items on their way out of the cafeteria especially during peak times, stuffing cookies, drinks, or other snacks up sweatshirts and sleeves or hiding them under bigger purchases. The dining room is also arranged with open shelving and self-serve stations.

“The cafeteria structure with a lot of items sitting out has probably made [theft] more prevalent or made it seem easier for some students to make bad choices in that sense,” Frontiera said.

A Flik cashier prepares to scan a purchase at the register. In addition to collecting payment, the cashiers also hand out spoons and forks to paying customers as those are no longer available in the self-service bins. PHOTOGRAPH BY TAYLOR MALINGER (‘24).

To address the cafeteria’s susceptibility to theft, Flik has adjusted the layout of the dining room. “Some of the changes that we have made include limiting the amount of items that we have on display and available for people to purchase or take,” Manuel said.

“For example, the spoons have been moved to the register now.” Students

For those who do not want to purchase the main hot entrée and salad ($8.50) offered daily, Flik offers a variety of other hot and cold meal options on a wide price range. PHOTOGRAPH BY TAYLOR MALINGER (‘24).

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must now ask for a spoon when they purchase their meal rather than helping themselves. These modifications are not ideal for both HBA’s food service provider and the students. “We would love to showcase more items and have more variety of choices available for purchase. Our primary focus should be providing the best food service for the students and employees at HBA, but recently we have had to also be aware of loss prevention,” Manuel added.

they report the date, time, and item stolen to the administration for further investigation, as well as provide any security camera footage. On his end, Frontiera meets with the students involved to address the issue. “Those students [who steal] can get demerits or pay it back…Usually, we try and give them the chance to meet with the Flik staff and apologize if they know they’ve done something they shouldn’t,” he said.

Additional effects of inventory loss include an increase in product prices. For example, plastic utensils are among the most stolen items from Flik, though many students don’t consider taking utensils as theft. Senior Nicole Shibuya said, “It’s just a utensil. It’s not something [someone] labored at. It’s not like they had to cook it or bake it. It’s just a utensil you buy; that’s why I pay tuition.”

However, although students are allowed to take an occasional utensil from the dining room, Manuel noted, “The utensils in the dining center are technically there for the purchasing customer.”

When large quantities of utensils go missing without a paid meal accompanying them, Flik is forced to increase the price of products to alleviate the costs incurred on their end. Manuel explained that such action is particularly “due to Hawaii’s plastic law [because] the compostable utensils that are required cost more than the plastic utensils used in the past.” As such, Flik cannot afford to provide as many disposable utensils for non-paying customers, so paying customers ultimately foot the bill.

Frontiera believes the process of addressing this behavior, which may appear harmless, is actually crucial to student development as it teaches them responsibility and how to live well in community. “[Theft] not something that’s going to change once [students] leave HBA. It’s also just wrong morally, and it’s against the law, and it’s stealing, and it impacts everyone in our school experience because, when things are stolen, then prices have to go up to kind of balance things out,” Frontiera said.

Addressing this problem requires Flik and HBA administration to work together. If a Flik staff member notices a theft taking place,

Manuel also added that Flik’s eagerness to tackle the issue of theft stems from more than just a business concern. “The team at Flik wants to align with the core values of HBA—humility, curiosity, love and commitment,” Manuel said. “While we may be viewed as a food service vendor, we also want to encourage and guide the students in a direction that will lead to future success and moral character.”

Is There Any Truth to Student Stereotypes? → By Cayte Akamu (‘25) FEATURE

HBA alumni and current students are familiar with the stereotype that students at the school are “nerdy” and less socially adept than students at other schools. Also, there is a public perception that HBA is an academically rigorous and homework-heavy school. The Eagle Eye wanted to find out what students thought about these assumptions and if they saw themselves in the same way.

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The Eagle Eye conducted a survey of 337 HBA high school students asking them to rate from 1 (Not true) to 5 (Very true) what they thought about HBA students as a whole when it came to stereotypes. Then they were asked to use the same scale to rate themselves.

Interestingly, when it came to social skills and being sheltered, the survey results showed that many students felt that the stereotypes were true in general but not true of themselves as individuals. In other words, many students who chose 4 or 5 (Very true) for the group stereotype rated themselves as 1-2 (Not true) when asked if they fit the stereotype.

Kamden Kaneshiro-Takeuchi, a junior, believes that as a small private school with a majority-Asian culture, students are definitely sheltered. However, Brenden Ahuna, also a junior, believes that HBA’s small school size actually helps the students develop social skills as it’s not overwhelmingly big. Another junior, Kaipo Danner, added, “I don’t know what everyone does in their free time...quite a lot of them act a little more reserved or just a little different from students at other schools, but as long as they’re happy...”

Ally Low, a junior, believes that having a very involved administration and faculty inadvertently keeps students sheltered. “They tend to keep everything pretty orthodox and try to keep all of the bad stuff out, which isn’t bad. But they keep everything centered around HBA and I think that because of that, a lot of [students] just stay in their bubble,” she said.

In addition, Caleb Piech, high school Science teacher, thinks that students who spend a lot of time online and don’t socialize outside of HBA are in danger of being out of touch.

“Many have lives that are only engaged with HBA. This can be sheltering because the HBA community is just a small snapshot of the world that they will exist in after high school,” he said.

Snapshots of high school students taken

by HBA’s Communications and Public Relations department. While these photos depict different aspects of student life, in reality, do students mostly spend their time in the books, as the stereotypes say?

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF HBA’S COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

Not all students think that HBA students are uniquely differently from other private school students. Tyler Yamanoha, a sophomore, said, “I don’t think that [the lack of social skills] applies to many people here. I think that everyone is pretty well socially adjusted.” Ahuna added, “The perception could be partially true, but not fully because I believe that most of us can socialize well.”

When it comes to spending more than the recommended time on homework per day, more than 50% of students report that that is true. (The school recommends that high schoolers spend no more than 2.5 hours on average per day on homework if they do not

Facing Page: Infographic by Cayte Akamu (‘25)

Sterotypes vs Reality WHAT HBA STUDENTS THINK ABOUT THEMSELVES

RESULTS OF A SURVEY OF 337 HBA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN JANUARY 2024.

120

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

100 80 60 40

STEREOTYPE:

REALITY:

COMPARED TO PEERS AT OTHER SCHOOLS, HBA STUDENTS ARE OVERLY SHELTERED IN COMPARISON TO PEERS AT OTHER SCHOOLS.

“FOR STUDENTS AT HBA, IT SEEMS THAT THEIR LIVES EXIST ONLY ONLINE OR AT SCHOOL. THIS CAN BE SHELTERING BECAUSE THE HBA COMMUNITY IS JUST A SMALL SNAPSHOT OF THE WORLD.”

20 0

1

2

3

4

-CALEB PIECH, FACULTY

5

120 100 80 60 40 20 0

NOT TRUE - - - - - - - - - - VERY TRUE

100

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

80

60

40

STEREOTYPE:

REALITY:

STUDENTS AT HBA ARE AWKWARD AND SOCIALLY INEPT COMPARED TO OTHER STUDENTS AT OTHER SCHOOLS.

“I BELIEVE THAT HBA STUDENTS CAN SOCIALIZE, BUT COMPARED TO OTHER SCHOOLS, THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE A BIT DIFFERENT AND AWKWARD.

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- SAM RUAN ‘25

0

1

3

2

4

5

NOT TRUE - - - - - - - - - - VERY TRUE

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

“HBA students spend too much 100 time doing school work 80 outside of school hours.”

60 40

STEREOTYPE:

REALITY:

COMPARED TO THEIR PEERS IN OTHER SCHOOLS, HBA STUDENTS SPEND TOO MUCH TIME DOING SCHOOL WORK OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL HOURS.

“STUDENTS TEND TO STICK WITH JUST DOING HOMEWORK OR EXTRACURRICULAR FROM HBA INSTEAD OF MEETING AND INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE.” -ALLY LOW ‘25

20

0

1

2

3

4

5

NOT TRUE - - - - - - - - - - VERY TRUE

1

2

3

4

5

NOT TRUE - - - - - - - - - - VERY TRUE

200

“I interact and communicate well with a variety of people.”

150

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

“Compared to their peers in other schools, HBA 120 students lack social skills.”

“I do not feel ready to face the real world when I leave high school.”

140

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

140

“Compared to their peers in other schools, HBA students are overly sheltered.”

DO THE STEREOTYPES APPLY INDIVIDUALLY?

100

50

0

1

2

3

4

5

NOT TRUE - - - - - - - - - - VERY TRUE

“On average during school year, I spend 2.5 hours or more per day doing homework/studying outside of school hours.”

2.5 hours is the recommended maximum at HBA for most students.

False (48%)

True (52%)

take AP classes.) This is a likely factor that contributes to the perception that HBA students have “no life” outside of school. Yamanoha said, “I spend a lot of time on academics, around five hours between a few days or so… I don’t really get to go out too often, but I spend a lot of time with my friends at school.”

Science teacher Issac Duncklee observed HBA students are just too busy. “I do see a lot of students who over commit themselves to academics, clubs, and extracurricular activities which may lead to that stereotype of them,” he said. Similarly, Low noted, “The majority of students tend to stick with just doing homework or extracurriculars from HBA instead of meeting and interacting with friends or more people from other schools.”

The popularity of video gaming also plays into student stereotypes. Nick Niwa, a junior, said, “There’s like two sides to HBA: the weebs, like me, and the social sports jocks… but yeah, I spend about 24 hours a week on gaming, more or less.” Fai Steffany, senior who does not play video games, had the same observation. “A lot of the people here play video games too much… they need to experience life outside of HBA because when you’re in HBA it’s just HBA culture and it can really really suck,” she said. Kaneshiro-Takeuchi summed his observations up this way: “Video games, card games, anime, or work out. I bet you can’t find someone at this school who doesn’t do one of those things.”

Even if students don’t belong to social circles outside of HBA, Duncklee points out that at least, one unique strength of the HBA community is that it is faith-based. “In my opinion, what I see here at HBA is that there is a sense of belonging to something bigger, which does lead to more positive social interactions.”

“College Decisions” Continued from Page 4

Lee applied to UC Irvine and wishes to major in international business.

Lee was drawn towards UCI due to their student population. “Many schools on the mainland are majority Caucasian, but UCI has more Asians,” she said. Lee is also excited to experience new freedoms.

“I’m looking forward to having more independence and also having the ability to figure things out by myself. Out of all the options, UCI is my perfect match!” she added.

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ultimately I chose the college that would be the best fit for me academically, athletically, and socially,” she said.

The University of California schools are popular options among HBA seniors.

According to the University of California, they received a total of 250,436 applications for the fall 2024 admission. And by March 31, all applicants will be notified of the status of their applications. Michelle

SPRING SPIKE NITE 2024 March 14, 2024 Varsity 2 vs. Hanalani 5:00 p.m.

Varsity 1 vs. Mid-Pacific 6:15 p.m.

Tonight’s food and drinks are sponsored by the Hawaii Baptist Academy Athletic Booster Club.

A big mahalo goes out to these Athletic Booster Club sponsors:

UNDER SEAN’S WATCH → By Allisha Nitta (‘24) FEATURE

Security Supervisor Sean Seradilla is the first school staff most students see when arriving at school as he directs the morning drop-off traffic at the high and middle school campus on most days, rain or shine.

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THIS PHOTOGRAPH and PAGE 14 PHOTOGRAPH BY BRENDAN AOKI (‘24)

The name Sean Seradilla might not immediately ring a bell with HBA students and families, but the unmistakable smiling face behind it is a familiar one. Every school day, Seradilla is likely the first HBA staff everyone sees when arriving at the high and middle school. He stands at the driveway directing the morning traffic, accompanied by a top hits playlist and a welcoming shaka.

Prior to becoming a security guard at HBA, Seradilla was managing a Gelato shop in Kaimuki. He enjoyed his time there but didn’t feel it was the best fit for his personality. He then started working for a security company, Securitas, which is HBA’s security contractor. In July 2020, he was assigned to HBA and was promoted just a few months later to become a site supervisor. Teoni Obrey, HBA’s security coordinator, requested that Seradilla take on more leadership responsibilities as he observed that Seradilla was “trustworthy, dependable, organized, and communicated very well.” Obrey was also impressed by Seradilla’s commitment to the school. “He was a very fast learner, showed initiative and desire to make our school security team better. He was extremely positive and willing to do more,” Obrey said. Those at HBA that have since crossed paths with Seradilla couldn’t agree more.

Amidst the rush and stress of student drop-offs and pick-ups, rain or shine, one can find Seradilla full of smiles starting at 6:30 a.m., waving cars on in his energetic fashion. His friendliness is a key part of his job.

Seradilla explained, “I’m going to be the first thing that they see in the morning. It’s better to have someone who is smiling and waving to start off their day.” Madison Callo, a senior, walks past Seradilla daily. She said, “He just brightens up my mornings each day with his welcoming smile. I always look forward to hearing what song he is playing and hearing his signature slogan, ‘No prob.’”

When not directing traffic, Seradilla makes his rounds on campus, making sure nothing is out of order.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRENDAN AOKI (‘24)

When there are after-school events, parent meetings, or athletic games, Seradilla sometimes remains on campus till 8:00 p.m. During these times, Seradilla is challenged with managing the school’s limited parking space, and the emotions and concerns of people who may not be able to find a parking spot. “At times, it can get backed up and Security has to think on the fly to get things flowing or at least ease the backup. Although it’s pretty stressful, it keeps me on my toes and is a nice change of pace,”

he said. In these circumstances, Seradilla keeps one thing in mind: “The main thing is to keep a level head and make sure I don’t make the situation more stressful for the drivers,” he said.

His quick thinking is appreciated by the front office secretary Sharon Darapiza. She wrote, “Mr. Seradilla has a spirit of flexibility that’s able to adjust to any circumstance.

He communicates well and is constantly on alert when students leave the campus on foot, being picked up by parents, boarding school buses for sports activities as well as directing traffic and accommodating families and visitors for on-campus evening events.”

To Seradilla, putting people first, whether they are parents, faculty, students, or visitors, is essential to doing his job well.

Rob Lockridge, middle school Christian Ministries coordinator, has been impressed

by Seradilla. “During Spike Nite and Homecoming, he can park more cars on this campus than anyone else,’’ he said.

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In a couple of weeks, students will be off on their spring break, but Seradilla will be on campus going about his daily duties besides directing traffic. These include patrolling the school’s three campuses, monitoring security cameras, helping any visitors that come on campus, and assisting the remaining campus staff as needed. Then come April 1, Seradilla will be back to greet students as they return, a welcome sight that has become a fixture in the HBA middle and high school experience.

“

It’s great to have [Mr. Seradilla] as part of our HBA community and ‘ohana...he is a gem!

MS. SHARON DARAPIZA Top: Students walking out of campus to the student parking lot can always rely on Seradilla to make sure that the crossing is safe for them. Above: Guests who stop at the security guard shack during Seradilla’s shifts are guaranteed a warm welcome.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRENDAN AOKI (‘24)

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BOYS VOLLEY HAWAII BAPTIST ACADEMY BOYS VARSIT Y 1

“My most memorable moment was when Cole and I slammed a chocolate molten lava cake in one minute.”

“My most memorable moment was the Hilo trip because I got to make memories with my teammates. Quote by Zavior Ward, ‘Age BA’.”

“I’m thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for never leaving me, my parents for always supporting me and taking me to practices, Jeremy for training with me during the off-season and pushing me, and Coach Teoni for pushing me to be a better volleyball player. ”

“I want to thank my family for supporting me, and bringing me to practices and games. I also want to thank my coaches for club and school for helping me improve my game.”

Joseph Giles Senior • OH • 6’ 0”

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Tanner Hankey Soph • OH • 5’ 9”

“My most memorable moment was after the Bird Classic and eating pizza with the boys.

Thank you Jason!”

“My most memorable moment was watching one of my teammates do his funny impression of Coach Teoni.”

“I would like to thank my family and coaches who have supported me throughout my volleyball journey and always making sure I am the best version of myself on and off the court.”

“I am grateful to my parents for driving me all the way to Leilehua and Nanakuli for the Bird Classic. ”

Kenshin Casamina Junior • MB • 5’ 11”

“My most memorable moment was when Joe started rapping Christian music at a restaurant.”

“I want to thank my mom for coming to our tournament on the Big Island and cheering so hard for us.”

Jason Rivers Freshman • OH • 6’ 0”

Cole Sakai Junior • Libero • 5’ 7” “My most memorable moment was when we beat Punahou and even Coach was super hyped jumping up and down.”

“I would like to thank my parents for always showing up to my games and supporting the team no matter how much playing time I got. Also Coach Finn for believing in me back in 7th grade and letting me on my first club team.”

Brendan Aoki Senior • OPP/DS • 5’ 10”

“My most memorable moment was spending time with the team during our Hilo trip.”

“I would like to thank all my coaches for pushing me to get better at volleyball every day and my parents for always being there to cheer the team on.”

Samuel Mokan Soph • OPP • 6’ 0”

BALL “My most memorable moment was the volleyball trip to Hilo, because I had a lot of fun hanging out with my team.”

“My most memorable moment was going to Hilo and hanging with the boys.”

“I am grateful for all the coaches who gave me advice to become a better volleyball player.

And I want to thank my parents for always supporting me.”

“I would like to thank my family and coaches for helping and supporting me throughout my journey in volleyball. ”

Reo Furuta Junior • MH/OPP • 5’ 11”

Kai Toyofuku Junior • Setter • 5’ 8”

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“My most memorable moment was vibing with the boys after winning the La Jolla tournament last year.”

“My most memorable moment was when we took the picture with the plaque and Kai’s hair looked stupid.”

“I am grateful for my parents for always pulling up to the convention center for my tournaments and my coaches for believing in me from the beginning. ”

Presley Longfellow Senior • OH • 6’ 4”

“Having all the seniors in the same van with Coach Teoni as the driver was easily the most fun I’ve ever had since his stories are GOATed.” “I want to say thank you to Coach Teoni for believing in me even when I stopped playing club volleyball.”

Preston Gonzalez Senior• MB • 6’ 2”

“I am grateful to Coach Teoni for having faith in my abilities and pushing me to be a better teammate.”

Kamden Kaneshiro-Takeuchi Junior • Setter 5’ 11” “My most memorable moment was when I was trying out a new serve and not getting them in but my teammates and coaches were still super supportive. Later on I started getting my serves in and they all cheered when I got them in.”

“I am very grateful to coach Teoni for believing in me. At tryouts I was definitely not playing my best but they let me on the team and I feel like I am growing and learning as a player every day. I also am grateful for Coach Danford for all the times he took me off to the side and gave a little extra that I very much needed. I also would like to thank my teammates for always being supportive even though I am still pretty new to the sport and can get in the way sometimes. Last but not least I want to thank my mom for being that best mom I could ask for and always being supportive in anything I chose to do. Without my mom I don’t how I would get through the week.”

Zavior Ward Soph • MB • 6’ 2”

VARSITY 1

2023-2024 HBA BOYS VOLLEYBALL

BACK (L-R) : Joseph Giles, Presley Longfellow, Preston Gonzalez, Samuel Mokan, Kenshin Casamina, Jason Rivers, 19

Zavior Ward

Brendan Aoki, Tanner Hankey, Kai Toyofuku, Cole Sakai, Kamden Kaneshiro-Takeuchi, Reo Furuta

VARSITY 2

FRONT (L-R):

BACK (L-R) : Tyler Higa, Nainoa Nakamura, Tate Coulter, Samuel Fujimoto FRONT (L-R):

Kai Motoyama, Jarin Leong, Andrew Young, Shane Kimura