McKinley High School?sstudent led newspaper,The Pinion, isstarting its102nd year Editor in chief, Shane Kaneshiro, and digital/print editor,JeromeLinear share their thoughtsand feelingswhilemoving forward with ThePinion Linear and Kaneshiro havebeen apart of The Pinion staff sincetheir freshman year at McKinley They?re starting their third year with ThePinion
Kaneshiro said that being astudent in ThePinion meansyou'rejoining ateam that workstogether and supportseach other'swriting It'sonebig team; no oneis working against each other.
?It wasnot likearegular classroom It'salmost likea one on onesession,?Kaneshiro said When writing among other student writers, somepeople may think there?stension in theair,to alwaysbe competing However,Kaneshiro described ThePinion staff asafamily, working together closely and helping each other.
?Nobody ismad at each other,?Kaneshiro said ?Weareone family and team ?
Teenagersoften find themselvesdreading doing assignments and working seeing as thereisno reward or compensation for their time However, Linear said that working with The Pinion wasfun and engaging Working to agoal and enjoying their timeisalwaysup to thestudent who?s making that decision
?It?sfun if you make it fun,?Linear said.
?It'sjust alearning experiencethat you
can get to haveeasily?
A lot of opportunitiesopened up for thetwo of them during their previousyearson thestaff, many of which, they didn? t seecoming Last year,ThePinion madeabill to protect student journalistsby letting them exercise their right to thefreedom of speech in their newspapers and articles, it wassigned by theHawaii governor,David Ige It wasabig accomplishment for thewholestaff and futurestudents Linear described it as?life changing?
?I didn't know it wasgoing to belikethis. I didn? t know thereweregoing to beopportunitieswhereI madeabill into alaw I mean, it wasso life changing,?Linear said Everyonein ThePinion staff hascertain skillsand weaknesses Kaneshiro said being ableto master those skillsin all areasisunattainable However,pushing and wanting to better themselveshelpsimprovethoseabilities that aren? t strong.
?You arenot mastering; you arecontinuously learning,? Kaneshiro said
ThePinionstaff workontheir articles Photoby Chloe Cunninghamthem sharetheir thoughts," Dower said
byDominic NiyoLinsey Dower isan ethnic cultural affairsreporter for the Honolulu Star Advertiser and amember of Report for America Aspart of her community servicefor RFA, shehas decided to volunteer her timewith ThePinion'sstaff every Thursday
Dower?sjourney asajournalist began when shewas struggling to find theright path in college.A good friend recommended journalism asacareer,and sincesheloved writing, shedecided to try it out
?After I realized what good I could do, it really inspired meto keep going,?Dower said.
AsDower continued to pursuethispath, shethen started taking journalism internships Thesecond internship she took wasfor theHonolulu Star Advertiser. When anew job opening becameavailableat theStar Advertiser,her supervisor recommended her for theposition Thisnew job opportunity also included work with Report for America
?I think being in theright placeat theright timeand putting yourself in good opportunitiesspeaksto thevalue of doing asmany internshipsasyou can, becauseyou may never know whereit would takeyou,?Dower said.
Being ajournalist often takesalot of timeto get used to For some, it may bedoing too much research or being overwhelmed by theamount of work But for Dower,the most challenging part of her job isinterviewing
"It takesalot of timeto focus, for sure. Going up to strangersasking questions isn't something that came naturally to meand it still is something that I'm currently working on,? Dower said
Asall jobscontain advantagesand disadvantages, Dower said that themost rewarding aspect of her job isbeing ableto serveher community Shebelieves that giving peoplemore representation can improve her community
?For me, thegoal isto report on under represented communities I want to help thesecommunitiesvoice their opinionsand help
Dower said themost common misconception of journalism isthat, sincejournalistsliketo talk and ask questions, they think reportersareoutgoing and extroverted.
?I believethat you can still gather sourcesand information, whilebeing an introvert," Dower said "You can still haveapretty successful career "
Onestory that Dower hascovered that impacted her life themost wasthedocking of H?k?le?a, anationally renowned story consisting of Tahitian sailorssailing a threemonth voyageacrossthePacific Ocean by canoe.
?Being ableto experiencethecultureand talking to some of thepeopleinvolved wasreally just an amazing experience I really did my best to contributeto the emotion and thespirit,?Dower said.
Asaprofessional journalist, Dower'sgoal with ThePinion for thisyear isto inspirestudentsto join thejournalism work force. Shehopesto beaprofessional guideto student journalistsin themediaindustry,aswell ashelping them exploreother career paths
"I want to help thesestudentsfind out if journalism is theright pathway for them and if it'snot, at least they gained someexperiencefrom it," Dower said "I really hope to support thesestudent journalistsin achieving their wildest dreams."
LinseyDower givesfeedbacktoa
student journalist JackyOasayabout her article
PhotobyDominicNiyo
In August of 2022, McKinley High School studentsand teachersreturned to campus, nearing thethird year of the COVID 19 pandemic with changesin safety precautions If COVID hastaught studentsanything, it'sto takeaction accordingly Concerning outbreaksof virusesand their potential spread, peoplearelearning from theprevious pandemic and now haveinformation to keep themselves safe. Stay cautiousand awareto stop thespread of viruses.
Thisschool year camewith new beginningsand revived traditions, someof which weretheback to school assembly, adiverseclub day, Homecoming and many more opportunitiesafter being shut down But themost important onethat should bere implemented arethe safety precautionsat MHS What had oncebeen strictly followed and monitored hasnow becomestored away as classroomsno longer usesurfacesanitizers, lack alcohol stationsand optional masks Now that COVID isnot occupying most people'sminds, it isimportant to
remember and educateoneanother on other health issues
Unfortunately, thelack of awarenessand misinformation regarding virusescontributealargefactor towardsthe spread asdemonstrated by COVID In casessuch asthe recent risein monkeypox, acommon misconception peoplehad wasthelevel of severity and confusion about susceptibility According to theNew York News, people victim of monkeypox report their experienceas ?Unbearable,?and,?Themost excruciating pain ?
Something both survivorsand health careproviders want to makeclear isthat anyoneissusceptibleto monkeypox, regardlessof race, ageor sex, according to the CDC
Peoplecontinueto facetheongoing challengesthat camewith theinitial pandemic, but thistimehasaccessto much moreinformation on how to stop thespread and prevent futurepandemics, whether it relatesto viruses such asCOVID, influenza, polio or others
Oneway to stop thespread isby researching vaccines and staying mindful of therisksthat may occur with or without it A noticeabledrop in immunization rates occurred nearly after theCOVID vaccineswerequestioned, disrupting thegeneral routinefor outpatient careand increasing theratesof viruses Research your vaccinesand makeinformed decisions
Studentsat MHSremain concerned about thespread of virusesand thechangein safety precautionsimplemented in school Onestudent saysif thereisto beafuture pandemic, action won't betaken in timeand leaderswill beforced into transition rather than ? acclimate
?I feel asthough theissuewon't beaddressed asquickly asit should havebeen with COVID, and I feel thesame mistakecould happen again,'' senior CayenneDabalos said
Regarding her comment, therewasalong period of time beforepeoplefinally started to takeaction against COVID. Themask mandatein Hawaii wasplaced on July 7, 2021, nearly ayear after theWorld Health Organization declared COVID aglobal health emergency on Jan 31, 2020, and monthsafter MHSstudentsweresent homefor "spring break quarantine' that ended up lasting over ayear Affecting studentsnationwide, from kindergarten to college, peoplehad to learn how to transition. And while anyonewassusceptible, elderswereat thehighest risk of transmitting thevirusand held thehighest mortality rate, affecting not only studentsbut entirefamilies.
?You never know if anyonehassick parentsor relatives at home If westarted to takecontrol, wewon't haveto go through another pandemic,?senior ShaynaJackson said, regarding her perspectiveon optional masksat MHSand therelaxing of safety precautions According to the National Instituteof Health, ?Morethan 140,000 U S children lost aprimary or secondary caregiver dueto
Art byJade Bluestone.COVID.?Although children and teenagersareslightly lesslikely to catch COVID asopposed to adultsand theelderly, they could haveunknowingly spread it
Tiffany Miyashiro, thehealth academy teacher,said someuseful tipsto help stop thespread.
?Ensurethereissoap in all of therestroomsand fill alcohol sanitizer stations It wassomething that was short lived but stopped after suppliesran out,?she said
Students, staff and teachersdeserveasafelearning and working environment But in order to do so, everyoneneedsto bereminded that virusesstill exist, but by taking simplesafety precautions, everyonecan decreasethespread of viruses
COVID hasfirst handely demonstrated how thelack of awarenessand action can lead to devastating outbreaks Virusessuch asinfluenza, polio, and the riseof monkeypox aresomeof therelevant and common illnessespeopleneed to beawareof. By reminding peopleabout thedangersof viruses, they can also beawareof how to prevent them It shouldn't taketheconsequencesof apandemic to initiatehealth safety procedures Peopleshould prioritizeprotecting not only their health but othersaswell Stopping the spread startswith individuals
"Thefirst and most important thing isto talk about it Learn from mistakesto ensureasafer future," said Dabalos
Maskshavebeen such aprominent part of lifeover the past two years, being mandatory to go anywhere Now masksareoptional and, although about half arestill wearing masksin class, McKinley studentsseem to approve of thenew policy They arehappy with their overall new freedom
Junior KatieTran likesnot wearing masks.
?It feelsgood and feelsfree,?Tran said Freshman Mohealani Feiloaki also likestheideaof masks being optional
?I likeit 'causeI can breathewithout suffocating in the mask,?shesaid
Although Feiloaki findsmasksuncomfortable, shestill wearsonewhen necessary.
?If I don? t feel safe, then yes,?shesaid
Other studentssaid that it dependsif you likeit or not, and if COVID 19 caseswent up again you should wear a mask. Another said wearing masksmakesit difficult to breathein ahot classroom
Senior Joseph Kim said, ?I don? t mind when peopletake off their masks. Personally, I liketo wear masks, but I won? t tell othersto wear them ?
Theschool isahugearea, with studentsroaming around and heading into other classesor rooms Thosewatching over studentsand responsiblefor their safety aretheschool staff and faculty
Principal Ron Okamurasaid hebelievesmaskscan keep peoplesafe. Hesaid hestill wearsamask most of thetime.
Heisawarethat if heisn't wearing amask in acrowded area, thereisachancethat hemight catch something
"Personal choicescomewith personal consequences,? Okamurasaid
Art byCheska Orias.
byJerome Linear
Ron Okamurahasbeen theprincipal at McKinley High School since2008 and isstarting his16th year Hehashigh hopesfor thisschool year after two yearsof theCOVID 19 pandemic
Thepandemic wasachallenging point for education and alearning and growing experiencefor Okamuraasa principal Hesaid in thepast two years"we'venever been so mentally and emotionally exhausted." Going through this, heknew hisroleasaprincipal and maintained his composurethrough it all with "Onevoice, onecalm voice"
?Thebiggest thing I'velearned isto beflexible, more flexiblethan I normally am with thefact that thingsare changing daily, they'rechanging even hourly, you know, thedifferent typesof guidelinesand ruleswehaveto take on,?Okamurasaid.
Managing theschool during thepandemic wasa "daunting task" for Okamuraand hesaid that he'sbeen in theDepartment of Education for 37 yearsand hasnever experienced challengessimilar to thedifficulty of the pandemic Thepandemic madehisdutiesasaprincipal morecautiousduring thetimebecausehehad people's livesin hishands.
"What really got to mewasthefact that I had so many livesthat I had to deal with, how to keep all you folkssafe, theteacherssafe, everybody who comesto thiscampus safe," Okamurasaid
Theideaof bringing back school during thepandemic madeit exhausting for Okamuraduring thetime During the2021 2022 school year,COVID 19 wason therisewith thedeltavariant which caused morepeopleto get infected with thevirus Thiswasan obstaclethat Okamurahad to deal with in order to bring back McKinley'sPrideand Tradition and to get school running back to normal
"It'sreally about hoping and planning that you put everything in place, so that nobody getssick and nobody diesfrom Covid coming back to school, and trying to bring back somenormal, I guess, operationsand just what is normal for school," Okamurasaid
Asaprincipal, Okamurastill thinksabout hisdutiesasa leader With hisgrowth and statusin hiscommunity, he still wantsto improveschooling by knowing how hecan get studentsto understand education and how hecan get studentsand staff to cooperatemorein school Hewants to beahelping hand to thestudentsof McKinley because heunderstandsthat academic learning in schooling isway moredifficult than before. However,Okamuraisfocusing moreon getting studentsto organizetheir prioritiesso that they could bemoreindependent in thereal world
?If you don't havethat self regulation, you don't have that self check that self monitoring and that self, I guess, push, you will fall down and sometimesdon't recover,? Okamurasaid
"It's really about hoping and planning that you put everything in place, so that nobody gets sick and nobody dies from COVID coming back to school, and trying to bring back some normal, I guess, operations and just what is normal for school."
-Principal Ron Okamura
Entering the2022 2023 school year after two yearsof social isolation hasbeen tough for someMcKinley High School Tigers Teenshavebeen forced behind ascreen to beinfluenced by themediain variousways? such asthe way onethinks, acts, and feels
Despitecontroversial newsand influenceover the isolated years, many McKinley teenssaid they believethat social mediahasimproved their character over thecourse of thepandemic, indicating that thereispositivelight shining from abluephonescreen
Freshman Jewel Ann SophiaCortez isonesuch student Social mediaisableto spread theword on certain topics, especially thosethat havesparked up during the pandemic. For instance, theBlack LivesMatter movement and awarenessof theLGBTQ+community This generation of teenagersarethinking with amore open mind and with moreempathy.
?I can really say my moralsand viewson certain topics (peopleof color,lgbtq+community, peoplewith mental and physical disabilities,etc) havetruly changed,?Cortez said. ?I ended up becoming moreempathetic during the pandemic dueto theinfluenceof social mediaplatforms?
However,somemay say that thisprolonged and forced exposureto social mediaand isolation hashad anegative impact on studentsand their social skills
Sincepart of ateacher?sjob isto havestudentsinteract with each other and partakein group discussions, school events, etc , it hasbeen increasingly moredifficult for studentsto do so dueto thepandemic.
?I do think that peopletalk lessbecauseof the pandemic," ELA teacher Jordin Carmichael said "It seems likeit?sharder for peopleto talk in small groupsor in front of theclassif they don? t know people.?
Carmichael hasalso noticed avery notabledifference between studentsonlineand in person Thosewho may havebeen talkativeonlinearemost likely to bequiet in person Thismay bedueto theoveruseof texting and lack of social interaction over thelast two years, Carmichael said
?I noticed when wewereonlinefor awhile, sometimes therewould bepeoplewho would talk alot onlinelike typing in thechat on WebEx, and then when they cameto school, they werereally quiet,?Carmichael said.
However,asthisschool year hasbeen welcoming back normality and tradition, studentsareslowly repairing their social skills
A primeexampleCarmichael noticed wasduring the first full in person freshman orientation sincethe pandemic, asnew ninth graderswereforced to work together in groupsfor variousoutdoor activities.
?It seemslikeit?salready getting better thisyear than it wasthepast few years,?Carmichael said
Thisschool year,studentsarefinally coming back to a "normal" school scheduleafter dealing with the pandemic Hybrid learning, required mask wearing and social distancing areall thingsof thepast now.
At McKinley High School, seniorsaregoing through their ?last firsts?in anormal way sincethepandemic hit threeyearsago Thepandemic haschanged theseniors' high school years Their wholetimeat McKinley was almost fully onlineor heavily restricted They arejust so ready for their last ?normal?year
Senior Ohriyon Cuffiesaid heisexcited to haveafull, normal school year Headded acaveat; ?if everything goesaccording to plan ?
Thisistheseniors?first actual high school year and many of them arenervousasto what to expect Cuffie also said heislooking forward to collegeand everything to comeafter high school
Just likeCuffie, many other seniorsarealso getting ready for theoutsideworld
Senior Johnny Halealso expresseshisexcitement about leaving high school and pursuing other opportunities
?I?m excited becauseI can livetherest of my life,?he said
Halealso explained that heisexcited about all of the eventsthat will takeplacethisyear but heisjust ready to branch out into anew experience
Senior Gleeizah Corpuz said sheisgoing to makethe rest of her timeherespecial
?I'm looking forward to making thisthebest high school year I'veexperienced, especially becauseof COVID I'm excited about homecoming, prom, and all the other McKinley events,?Corpuz said.
Studentsaretrying to makethemost out of their final year of being aTiger whilealso trying to preparefor whatever comesnext in their lives. Corpuz also said she wantsto havethemost fun that shecan havewhilealso being ableto graduatewith academic honors
?I'm very excited about graduation Finally, after twelve yearsof upsand downs, we?ll becelebrating theclassof 2023?snext big step into our lives,?Corpuz said
Thenew school year bringsnew studentsbut also new faculty and staff With that, therearemoreteachersto get to know.
Principal Ron Okamurasaid hebelievesthemost important thing for the teacher and thestudent isto establish agood bond and strong relationship with each other A good student teacher relationship can bebeneficial for both parties. It helpsthestudent find it easier to ask for help from their teacher, whiletheteachersfind it easier to keep track of theprogressof thestudent, and seehow well they aredoing academically Okamuragaveonesimplebut important pieceof adviceto thenew teachers. Hesaid that being ateacher ishard work, but gratifying In hiswordshesaid a good teacher should establish agood relationship with thestudentsand be patient, tolerant and flexible ?Expect theunexpected,?Okamurasaid.
Francis Vilar teachesAVID from freshman to senior year and LanguageArtsclassto the sophomores Hewasborn in the Philippinesand ishalf Ilocano and half Tagalog Hegraduated from Kapiolani Community Collegefor his Hospitality and Tourism degree He also graduated from University of Hawai`i for hisdancedegree Heis also an alumni, graduating from McKinley High School Hesaid heis going to beoneof thefaculty advisorsfor thedanceclub with Deijahlynn Holcomb asthehead adviser,and encouragesthestudents to join, saying it?ll befun, and stating that practicesareevery Wednesday and Thursday after school from 3 to 6:30 pm
?I?m excited to get along with former and new teachers, and the studentsthat I'm about to inspireand influencefor therest of their lives,? Vilar said
Amie Yee, McKinley?snew student servicescoordinator,wasborn in Vietnam Shegraduated from the University of Hawaii, having a bachelor'sdegreein teaching ESL, a Master in Curriculum and Instruction, and apost baccalaureatein teaching Individualswith Disabilities Education Act students Shesaid she moved to Hawaii when shewasin fifth grade, and thereshewas inspired to help students Shesaid shewasalso apart timeESL teacher in thelate'90sat McKinley High School
?I hopeto beableto work with faculties, families, and outside organizationsto support students, help them becomesuccessful, to graduate, and to becontributing membersof society,?Yeesaid
Linell Kam, McKinley?ssecond new Student ServicesCoordinator, wasborn in Honolulu, and ishalf Chinese, half Filipino Shegraduated from theUniversity of Hawai i, having amajor in education, while also having aDoctorateat Aspen University. In her own words, she supportsteachersand administration of theElectronic Comprehensive Student Support System. Shesaid it helpsdocument all individualized education programsof theIDEA students Shehasannual meetings with theteachers, whilealso continuing to test theIDEA students to check on their progress With the help of theeCSSS, shecan ensure that each IDEA student hastheir own set of programsto fit their personal needs
In hiswords, hisAVID classis ?essentially acollegepreparatory class,?Hesaid heteaches organization skillsto theclassand also helpsthem work on their college e binder online, which also helps further their organizational skills For LanguageArts, hesaid he teaches rhetorical devicesand how to write persuasiveessays Healso helpswith Reading Plus, which isaprogram that aimsto help studentsimprovetheir reading comprehension and vocabulary When describing his class, hesaysthat it ishands on ?100 percent ?Hesaid helikesto do activitiesat thestart of every class, such as"would you rather "
Miles Guy teachesEnglish for IDEA studentsfor juniorsand seniors He wasborn in Californiaand hasa mixed nationality of African, European, Asian, NativeAmerican, and Oceania. Hegraduated from the University of Hawai`i at Manoawith a bachelor'sdegreein Korean Language Hesaid helikesmusic, watching moviesand learning languages Heisalso planning to managetheAnimeClub
?If you need help with other languages, I can teach you,?Guy said In hisclass, heteachesAmerican poetry, and poetry in general Healso teachestypesof essaysand how to view amovie Hesaid hemakessure hisclassisactive,fun, sociableand as hands on asawriting classcan get.
Lacy Solis teachesGraphic Technology Shewasborn and raised in Honolulu, enjoyspaddling, and is of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Portugueseancestry Shegraduated from McKinley High School, and attended collegeat theUniversity of Hawai`i, majoring in Communication Arts
When describing her class, shesaid that ?they haveto takemy classto find out,?but said shecan ensure that it isahands on classthat teachestheAdobeSuiteprograms, how to screen print on at shirt, how to create, design, and layout banners and stickers, with afocuson having graphic design asboth aprofessional career and arecreational hobby She said shewantsher studentsto creatively design their projectsand seetheir work being produced She also wantsto teach her studentshow to managetheir timeand how to think out of thebox
Nicole Jankowski teachesResource Math, ResourceAlgebra, and co teachesModeling Our World She wasborn in Wisconsin and is Norwegian and Polish Shegraduated from Saint Cloud StateUniversity and majored in Special Education She competed in crosscountry, track and field and powerlifting whilein high school Sheisan avid surfer and has participated in Ironman triathlonsand Boston marathons Shesaid she teachesmath on abasic level and focuseson real world problems She describesher classashaving structure, routine, humor and afocus on accountability Shesaid shehopes to inspirestudents
?I think it'simportant to help kids know how theskillsI'm teaching them relatesto thereal world,?Jankowski said ?I hopemy kidsfind that I do lovemy job.?
Kelly Sakuda teachesPhysical Scienceand Biology. Hewasborn in Honolulu and isJapanese Hegraduated from Iolani High School and from theUniversity of Hawai`i at Manoawith abachelor?sin Education Science. Helikessportsand likeswatching it. Hehopes hewill beableto watch thegameswhereMcKinley will beplaying Helikeswatching football, softball and baseball themost In Physical Sciencehesaid heteachesthingsabout matter and interactions, aswell asitsforces.In Biology hesaid heteachesthe scienceof life, ecosystemsand organisms Hesaid hewantshis classto behands on, but isstill unsureabout it ashesaid hefeels likeheneedsto know theclassmorefirst.
Sandra Kugisaki Ongie isMcKinley?sCurriculum Coordinator.Shewasborn in Honolulu and isJapanese. She graduated from University of Hawai`i at Manoa, earning aBSin Electrical Engineering, aPD in Secondary Math, and mastersin Library Science Shealso used to teach math and scienceat McKinley during theearly 2000?s Sheisthe co adviser for theCrochet and Knitting Club, and also helpswith theStem Club. Her hobbiesincludecrochet, knitting, and basically any typeof crafts Asthecurriculum coordinator,it isher job to writeand revisetheacademic plan for the school Sheworkswith theteacherson thedatateamsprocessand also preparesfor upcoming WASCaccreditationsand visits ?Welcomeback to anew school year I hopethat you havean enjoyableand safeschool year!?Ongiesaid
Thefour membersof McKinley High School?sfreshman council area group of friendswho ran together knowing that they will providethe council with astronger senseof community and teamwork
MiyeIida, Hannah Lei Montero, BriannaUsita,and BenaceDeLeon all graduated from PrinceDavid KawananakoaMiddleSchool and promiseto makethisclassbooming with school spirit and involvement
?Wewould liketo contributeto our school, and thought it would befun if weran together becauseweknow each other well and could keep each other accountable,?said Usita, the freshman classelected treasurer
Thisgroup of freshmen are hard working individualspromising responsibility among themselvesand their peers, Usitasaid. They promised their council vision of unity and guidance, along with aplan to ensure their vision isfulfilled.
?Sinceweget theinformation first, wewill try our best to shareit with our classand keep them asinvolved aspossible,?said Iida, thefreshman classelected president
Individually, all membershavetheir own aspirations, goals, and feelings towardsthecouncil and variousother school programs
Iidaisaprimeexampleassheis involved in many other activities. She isinvolved in theMath Team, Law Society, and KEY Club Although she hasabusy schedule, Iidaworksto manageher responsibilities
?It?sextremely stressful becauseI can? t beat all four placesat once Also for most activitiesI depend on my team, meaning not only do I have to fulfill my duties, but I also haveto rely on my partnersto do their share,? Iidasaid
Shekeepsacalendar with her,
mapping out thetimeof her activities, and setsagood examplefor other studentsby working with responsibility and timemanagement, proving sheisfit for thejob
?That?smy president!?freshman AndreKam said, who isabig supporter of Iida, cheering her on sinceelection week.
Montero, vicepresident and freshman classhomecoming princess, admitted that partsof thisposition arestressful Even in thisshort time period, therehavealready been difficultiesinvolving students? participation and how it affectsthe council, Montero said
?For me, it isstressful becausewe wereall thrown into everything all at once,?Montero said
Theother classes?council members had timeto preparefor thestart of theupcoming year,but thefreshman council wasfaced with immediate work and trials
?Especially for Danceand Chant, not everyoneiscoming and people aredropping out, so it isvery stressful,?Montero said Despitethestressand responsibilities, classtreasurer
BriannaUsitaseesthisjob asan exciting challenge.
?I decided to run for student council so I could challengemyself and I knew it wasgoing to bealot of work,?Usitasaid
Usitarunsher own jewelry business Shesaid sheusesher experienceasabusinessowner asa way of contributing to her position
?Being thetreasurer isall about financial related thingsalong with being ableto provideassistanceand guidance I havegreat experience with that sinceI own ajewelry business,?Usitawrotein an excerpt from her council election profile
Thestudent council said they care deeply about theschool, students, and atmospherebeing set
They promisethisyear to befull of opportunities, fun events, and a council vision waiting to becleared out by thefog Astheschool year progresses, they hopefor more involvement from thestudents.
?Don? t beafraid to try new things It might bescary becauseit?sanew school, but if you ever need help with anything, let usknow,?Iidasaid.
MiyeIida (president), HannahLei Montero(vicepresident), BenaceDeLeon(secretary), Brianna Usita (treasurer).Photoby JackyOasay. byJacky OasayOn Aug 1, theclassof 2026 started their first day of high school with an assembly, activities, and briefly going to their classes Only freshmen and Ignition mentorswere on campus Nonetheless, therewerestill somefreshmen who werenervous Freshmen wereasked what their first day of high school waslike Thefreshmen who did not attend theSummer Bridgeprogram, aprogram that helped 9th graderstransition into high school weresurprisingly similar to thosewho did attend theSummer Bridge program
Freshman Andy Fong went to theSummer Bridge program and said about hisfirst day, ?I felt nervous High school isabig deal and you haveto focusalot in high school.?
Fong said, "During Summer Bridge, it gavemealittle moreconfidencebecauseI got thechanceto seethe campus."
After weekssincethestart of high school, hesaid, "I feel okay but alittlenervousbecauseit'salready overwhelming with syllabushandoutsfrom different classesin oneday and if it lookslikethat, I'm going to beoverwhelmed throughout theyear with homework "
Freshman SelinaTruong did not attend theSummer Bridgeprogram and said about her first day, "On thefirst day of school, I wasexcited to learn about my new
teachers, classes, classmates, and campus I didn't expect to makenew friends, but I just wanted to learn my classmates' namesand get familiar with school becauseI just liketalking and making new friends. I'm extroverted."
Sincehigh school started, shesaid, "I definitely am much, much morecomfortablearound my classmatesand teachers.Something I'm still nervousabout isquizzesand tests, but that'smostly it "
Studentswho went to theSummer Bridgeprogram and thosewho didn't werepretty similar Even studentswho attended Summer Bridgewerestill nervousabout something
AfreshmanconfirmswithIgnitionmentor LenNguyenwhereher classesareonthecampus. PhotobyShaneKaneshiro. FreshmanStudentsareworkingtogether towintheski race PhotobyShaneKaneshiroTheMcKinley High School Theater Group isreturning after nearly adecade, with themusical ?LittleShop of Horrors?But thereismuch to bedone, from choreography, directing and design, everyoneispreparing beforethecurtainsopen on Oct 14
TheMHSTheater waspreviously retired along with itsformer director, Jim Nakamoto But during that time, MHSwasknown for itstheater productionsand plays
Founded in 1963 by Nakamoto, The McKinley Theater Group, also known as MTG, was essentially agroup of
passionatestudentsand directorswith agoal to create plays, musicalsand theater With Nakamoto?s42 year involvement, it wasdifficult for thegroup to transition asMTGwaspassed along to variousteachersoncehe retired Thegroup eventually disbanded in 2014 and remained amemory until it wastimefor anew director
After working and reconnecting with theater alumni during aplay in honor of Jim Nakamoto in 2021, chorus teacher Taketa Kim decided that, ?bringing theater back to theschool would beagreat direction to take, not just for thestudentsbut thecommunity asawhole.?Then in 2022, Taketa Kim took on theroleascoredirector and revived thetheater
Shortly after,casting, training and practicesstarted. Taketa Kim decided that ?LittleShop of Horrors?wasa good start for thereturning theater becauseit'saplay studentswerefamiliar with, requiresasmall cast and is perfect for the?spooky season?coming thisOctober. But therewereinitial concernsabout finding students passionateabout acting and theater 'LittleShop of Horrors?isadark, creepy sci fi show, but acomedy of it.
Acting Director NatashaTaketa Kim Natasha Taketa-Kimleadsa rehearsal withDior Lee, KylieEbesutani andMaribenVillejo.PhotobyJadeBluestone.?Without every single one of them, this would not be possible,?
Taketa Kim wanted to givestudents theopportunity to audition, regardlessof background to ensurefairnesson stage Then, the?CreativeTeam?was assembled, which consisted of many teachersand community memberswho joined together to help studentswith the courseof production.
-Natasha Taketa-Kim, actingdirector DwayneSakaguchi, choreographer
Scott Takata, singingdirector andpianist -JosephNakamoto, musicdirector withband -AnsonBernal, constructioncreator
Kristi Auyoung, JeffreyIdeta, Eren Star Padilla, stagecraft
-JohnMesser, light andsoundengineering
Theseteachersand membersgreatly impact MTGand helped make theplay possible, said Taketa Kim
Starting in thesummer of 2022, the theater group began working on stage etiquette, vocal training and choreography.Sincethen, thegroup met, practiced and trained for hoursaday
Junior actress, KaylieEbesutani who plays Ronettesaid, singing and performing hasalways been her dream
?I am honestly excited to do thebowsat theend of the play,?shesaid
Senior DanielleCastro, who playsthelead role, Audrey aswell astheroleof Crystal said performing is her way of branching out
?Personally I havealwaysbeen insidemy shell, but my family kept encouraging meto do something performance wise, and then thiscameup,?she said ?Something I am excited for isto do the wholeplay in full for thefirst time?
Director Taketa Kim said, she?smost excited to showcasethestudents? contributions.
Shesaid, ?I am excited that thestudents worked very hard and werevery dedicated to makethisshow happen.?
Thecourseof production wascomposed of many different aspectsof theater From stage crafting with thehelp of art club and wood shop, music preformed by theMcKinley band, vocal training, choreography, MTGand everyone elseinvolved worked together to bring theater back to MHS. But therewere somechallengesalong theway, not just from thecast members, but from the teachersand directorsas well
into character and portraying them accordingly Thecharacter I play isso oppositeof meand I still try to improvetheir mentality,?Ebesutani said ?Thebiggest challengeistrying to balancethe schedules Everyone'savailability isdifferent,?
Taketa Kim said Cast memberspushed past the initial awkwardnessand worked through the challenges Whether goalsto allow studentsthe chanceto work with theater,makenew connectionsor try new experiences, MTG continuesto revivetheater at McKinley High School
Taketa Kim said sheappreciatestheendless hard work every singlemember putsinto theproduction
?Thebiggest thing that wastruly my favoriteisseeing themany peoplewilling to work together,to put on something assimple asashow that'sonly two hourslong with endless monthsof rehearsal, preparing and committing thetimefor our studentsand community has been wonderful,?Taketasaid
For senior actress
Dior Lee, her rolerequired her to beavocal singer, but that wasn't her strongest suit ?A difficulty for me personally would be singing I don't sing in public so I had to learn,?Leesaid
Junior actressEbesutani struggled with getting
?I want theaudienceto know how hard we worked on thisto givethem agood show,? Ebesutani said Over thepast years, therewere many flawed attemptsto revivetheprogram, but Taketa Kim plansto keep MTGactivefor yearsto come. Shewantsto allow studentstheopportunity to collaboratewith othersand so that peoplecan witnessliveperformances Sheplansto takecollege classesto enhanceher knowledgeon production and acting to givestudentsabetter theater experience
?Without every singleoneof them, thiswould not bepossible," Taketa Kim said
StudentsDanielleCastro, Puipui Faletoi andIkaika Ibara duringa rehearsal of "Little Shopof Horrors."PhotobyJadeBluestone.For thelast two years, CharlesAne theThird, called Coach Kaleby his players, isreshaping McKinley High School?sfootball team to itsformer glory With six yearsin theNFL and 20 yearsasafootball coach and athletic director at Punahou, McKinley?sfootball team hasone truly experienced coach.
Coach Kale'sfather wasalso in the NFL Coach Kalehasstrived to bea football player just likehisfather sinceearly in hiscareer. Coach Kale wasguided by hisfather to pursuehis goal asafootball player and would, later on, play for theKansasCity Chiefsand theGreen Bay Packers
?Hedidn't push me, but hehelped guideme, which iskindawhat I like to continueto do with thesekids,? Coach Kalesaid
To him, hisfather'sguidanceasa rolemodel hasinfluenced how he coacheshisplayers Coach Kale recallsthegood and thebad of being
coached Hisson, TeeTai Ane, who coachesMcKinley'soffensiveline, said hisfather doesn't integrate strategieshedidn't enjoy asaplayer
?Hedoesn't liketo beyelled at, so hedoesn't yell at people Hedoesn't likewhistles, so hedoesn't havea whistleon thefield " TeeTai said "He rememberswhat hefelt likewhen he went through certain situationsand triesto accommodateothers?
SophomoreMathiasMafi said Coach Kaledoesnot disciplinethem but correctsthem in agentleway He said Coach Kaletreatstheteam with respect and tellstheplayersthe honest truth To Mafi, Coach Kaleisa great educator and agreat teacher
?Hesaysthingsthat touch you emotionally and mentally. If you don't understand something, hetells you in depth It really strengthensthe team,'' Mafi said
Being at McKinley for only two years, Coach Kaleisstill in a transitional phasewheretheplayers haveto build trust with him. He needstheplayersto sharewith him
any problemsthey arehaving, bethey school, community, or football related, to build trust.Coach Kalealso said theteam istrying to createaculturewhereeveryone workshard every day, goesto their class, and isresponsible
?It takestimeto establish the rapport and to establish thosekinds of relations,?Coach Kalesaid ?The biggest part of coaching isto connect to theplayersand to connect to the staff. When they celebrateI celebrate, when they'rehurting I'm hurting That?swhat I think makescoaching special ?
SophomoreAlati Katasaid that most of theteam, especially the returning players, areclosely bonded with Coach Kale. To Kata, Coach Kale isalmost likean older unclewho will help him and theplayersto get to collegeafter high school or to the NFL with all theconnectionshehas Senior Lotupo Moafanuasaid hetold Coach Kalehisdream wasto bein the NFL.With Coach Kale?sconnections to colleges, coachesfrom different
CoachKaleisgivinga talkandshowingmoral support tothefootball playersduringtimeout.PhotobyShaneKaneshiro.schoolscameover during practiceto seethewholeteam.
?If it wasn't for him, thesecoaches wouldn't behere I got alot of offers becauseof him and heisahugeimpact on my life,?Moafanuasaid
Astheseason progresses, Coach Kale believestheteam isgrowing and is going to get better.Mafi said theteam islikeasnowball effect
"Oncesomething good happens, they keep rolling," hesaid.
Coach Kalesaid theteam participated in off-season conditioning to show if they arecommitted to the program, to thecoach, and to themselves Last year,theteam didn't havemuch successasaprogram Coach Kaleexplained that theplayersmust start thinking they can compete against other schools Healso thinks they aremuch better than they think
"They just haveto havesomefaith and beconsistent," hesaid
Moafanuasaid, ?Theteam isgetting better just becauseheishere. Heis making alot of difference Hemakes sureyou shineon thefield Hedoesn't want you to sit in thecorner and don't know what to do Hewantsyou to shine; hewantsyou to succeed ?
Coach Kalesaid theteam would comeback to thecampusafter the gameto talk They primarily focuson theeffort, theattitude, and what they could havedonedifferently, sharing what they could havedonemore effectively
?After thegameistheideal time wheretheplayersget to sharetheir own experience, even going up to speak to theteam,?Coach Kalesaid
At theend of theday, Coach Kale said their main goal isto grow asa team, learn from theexperience, and havefun Coach Kalesaid their focusis to maketheplayers' families, the school, and everybody proud, not only with thefootball team but with the school.
?Wewant theseguysto cometo volleyball games, cometo basketball games, cometo baseball gamesand support everyoneaswell,?said Coach Kale ?Onceweget that going, McKinley isasleeping tiger It isthere, wejust haveto get it going and it's going to begreat ?
