New Students Reflect On School Year Thus Far

→ By Calla Pien (‘26) FEATURE

With half the school year behind them, HBA freshmen have mostly settled into school life. Among them are students who were not just new to the high school but new to HBA. The Eagle Eye checked in with these students to find out how they’ve adjusted to the school year.

recalled of his first few months at school. The rigor of freshman year compared to middle school is often challenging for students, new and old, but Higgins is thankful for the support of his teachers. “I was very surprised at just how helpful and caring the teachers were. They are always willing to help you through your work…it just seems like they actually care, which is a huge refresher compared to my previous schools,” he explained. However, these freshmen aren’t the only new students at HBA. New junior Tommy Tan remembered his first day of school as not only being exciting, but also encouraging as he felt acknowledged and welcomed by his peers. “It was the first time I would interact with my grade, but I didn’t think I would meet people who I felt respected by and appreciated my presence. One person in particular I got to know and sit down with was Nathan Brock, who was also a new junior, and someone I didn’t realize I would be able to connect with on various levels. My transition into HBA wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, especially because Tyler Higa, my host, had introduced me to many people, one specifically being [fellow junior] Jadynn Wong,” he said. Not only does transitioning to a new school provide new students with opportunities to get to know their fellow classmates, but it also means new activities and events to participate in. For Kim, Freshman Camp was a memorable moment that allowed her to bond with friends. “At my old school, we never really did many trips or field trips like that, so [Freshman Camp] was a really fun experience to do with my friends,” she said. Similarly, Zulueta-Imai mentioned enjoying Spike Nite, Homecoming, Freshman Camp,

While the first day of school back in August 2022 feels like a long time ago, the emotions surrounding that day are fresh in students’ memories. Freshman Olivia Kim recalled, “I remember being really nervous because I haven’t been to a new school in a while and I didn’t really know the people at HBA.” Classmate Seraphina Zulueta-Imai also commented, “I just remember feeling super lost because I didn’t know the campus at all. I was super nervous.” The freshmen in particular had the most nerves and butterflies coming back to school, because of the transition from middle school to high school, as well as adapting to a new campus, work expectations, and getting used to being, once again, the lowest grade on campus Freshman Collin Higgins is from a military family, and moved to Hawaii from Germany just last year. “To be honest, I didn’t expect HBA to be as challenging as it was. I have been to many schools in my life, but HBA is by far the most demanding of them all,” he and Spirit Week, which Tan described as “the most impressive and school engaging concept...bringing out the best of our school spirit!”

Additionally, this 2022-23 school year’s Spirit Week wasn’t only a remarkable experience for new students, but it was also the first full-scale Spirit Week held since Covid-19 restrictions were put in place in 2021 and 2022. The event was a memorable experience for many students, who engaged and participated in activities such as tug-of-war, themed dress-up days, decorating themselves with glow-in-the-dark paint, table surfing, and Pepper Squad performances.

In Higgins’ previous schools, “Spirit Week would usually come down to a single assembly with some school chants and maybe a relay race, so it is safe to say that my expectations were not high when Spirit Week was first announced at HBA…but I was proven severely wrong. Spirit Week was a blast. It was wonderful to see all the grades intermixed, playing exciting games and showing massive amounts of school spirit,” he said. As for Tan, Spirit Week gave him a chance to participate behind the scenes. “I had worked as sound that week during the assemblies, like managing emcee mics, music, and Pepper Squad audios,” he described.

Another unique experience for these new students is learning in a Christian context. There are mandatory weekly chapels, Bible courses, and an annual Christian Emphasis Week (CEW). “I was looking forward to HBA being a Christian school because my middle school was a public school, so I didn’t really have any Christian friends there,” Kim said. Tan added, “I felt that HBA has led me back towards the pathway of God, and I’m very grateful for that.” As for Zulueta-Imai, she said, “My old school was a Catholic school, so [the Christian learning environment] is not that big of a difference.”

Higgins too has felt encouraged in his faith this year. “HBA has helped me grow immensely in my faith with the Lord, by means of planned activities such as camp, CEW Week, and the weekly chapel services. I am ever so grateful for the Christian ministry leaders who help many students, like myself, grow in their faith every day,” he said.

Words Of Advice

“Be open minded and do what you want to do, not just what others want you to do, and to make as many good friends as you can.”

Olivia Kim (‘26)

“Take advantage of the experiences that you’re given, and prioritize homework.”

Seraphina ZuluetaImai (‘26)

“Do not be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions can really help you understand the topic that is being taught, which is much better than just trying to memorize everything and teach yourself.”

Collin Higgins (‘26)

Tommy Tan (‘24)

Sophomore Randie Lueder was six when she watched a production of Aladdin. It was in that theater where the magic of a genie lamp and flying carpet transported her beyond the desert kingdom of Agrabah to a dream of becoming a performer herself.

That same year, Lueder joined the musical theater program at Pas De Deux Hawaii, a local performing arts school where she was already taking dance lessons. Since then, Lueder has performed in shows like Hairspray Jr., Legally Blonde Jr., The Little Mermaid Jr., Moana Jr., and In the Heights and is currently involved with the Performing Arts Center of Kapolei.

Lueder’s favorite part about being a performer is embodying a unique story through each role. “To be a good actor you need to have a reason for everything. Acting is reacting and if you don’t find a purpose then it falls apart, so I love digging into my creative side and getting to explore my character,” she said. “Once you get into your mode, you kind of become that character. It’s really fun to be someone that you’re not.” In Seussical Jr., Lueder portrayed the antagonist Sour Kangaroo. She especially enjoyed the character’s brassy, judgemental attitude, which allowed her to do a lot of eyebrow raises and add riffs to her songs.

Like Lueder, junior Hannah Cheng also does theater outside of school. She is part of two local performing arts organizations, Ohana Arts and Shooting Stars. Cheng and Lueder both started theater with a dance background and sing together in the Soldiers of Light, HBA’s select high school choir. Theater allows them to bring their three passions—dancing, singing, and acting—onto one stage.

Some of the biggest challenges of performing that these actors face are the many lines, gestures, and movements that they need to memorize and perform. Stage fright, or performance anxiety, is a common experience in theater. Lueder encounters difficulty when hitting an “acting block,” her coined term for overthinking about the portrayal of one’s character. “You need to have a purpose and be intentional, but you can’t think about the way you’re going to say it or else it falls apart. When you’re playing your character, you are the character, so you shouldn’t be thinking about what you’re doing. It just comes naturally,” she explained. Lueder copes with the “preshow jitters” by praying and talking to her castmates, while Cheng finds comfort in practicing different breathing exercises.

Among the regular rehearsals and performances each year, Lueder and Cheng both cherish the tight-knit bond with their castmates, whom they tackle the stress and nervousness with. Lueder’s favorite memory includes her program’s “senior circle” that takes place during the last show of the season. The tradition seeks to celebrate the graduating seniors, who reminisce on their experiences, impart wisdom, and bid their farewells to the rest of the cast. Similar to Lueder, Cheng also enjoys gathering with her castmates before every performance to share their feelings and offer encouragement towards each other. “It’s just a very special moment because our directors are always reminding us, you’re never going to have the same experience. You may do this musical again, but the people are going to be different, and the experience is going to be different,” she said.

Throughout her nine years of performing, Cheng has seen herself grow as both an actress and mentor. She stated, “As you get more experienced, your voice and your range grows. I also feel like since I’ve been doing it for a long time, the perspective grows. When you’re little, you see all the older kids, and you look up to them. As you get older, you take on more of a role model position, helping out with the younger kids. It’s still a similar experience but through a different lens.” Cheng hopes to work this summer at the theater program that she usually participates in.

Cheng also believes that theater has taught her how to quickly adapt to unexpected situations. “There is going to be stuff that goes wrong, and you have to either improvise with it or make it part of the scene. [I’m] learning to go with the flow more. Someone’s going to trip and fall or drop something—because I know I’ve done that—and you just have to go with it,” she said.

Lueder, on the other hand, greatly appreciates the artistic craft and the personal connection that come with theater. “Acting has taught me that human emotion is beautiful. Being able to portray it is a gift from God and getting to experience the realness of our emotions is extremely humbling. I get so emotional when someone has an amazing performance just because it’s so real and it touches a part of you that you didn’t realize was there,” she said.

Both Lueder and Cheng share a similar sentiment of encouragement towards those who have never done theater. Lueder said, “The stage fright is a small part of it. It’s more worth it to have the opportunity to be with your cast. It’s more gratifying than people think it is. Just try to have a little more fun with it.” Cheng added, “You get to try different things and step outside your comfort zone. Especially if it’s not something you’ve done before, it can be really nerve-wracking, but you should try something new, even if you think you’re not going to be good at it.”