The Pinion Vol. 100 No. 4 May 2022

Vol. 100 No. 4 May 2022

The student-run newspaper of McKinley High School

Established in 1920

Qua rter 4 Edition

PREVIEWS: To read about Lighting of the M, go to page 2.

To read about Hawaiian Place Name , Go on page 8 & 9.

To read about Menstrual Equity and Vaping Epidemic, go to pages 6 & 7.

RS 22-0948 - May 2022

M LIGHTS THE WAY TO NORMAL TIMES

Tiger mascot, Shane Kaneshiro, stares in wonder as the Lighting of the M illuminates the night sky. Photo by Izabel Bornios.

The talent show was held at the tables around the gym and held many contestants that did an array of different voice talents such as singing and rapping. The crowd grew when junior Adonte Willams performed multiple songs from his album ?16 - EP.?

Students and staff gathered around Williams and shared the same exciting experience that was going on during the performance. ?I thought that this crowd was so small compared to what I plan on performing in front of in the future. I had no nerves and felt comfortable and happy,? Williams said. He plans on performing for even bigger crowds in the future, Most of the students and staff shared an array of positive emotions and it was a really good experience for sophomores and freshmen considering they never got to see it like this because of the pandemic. Rosales especially liked the ending of the event when they lit the M. ?My first Lighting of the M met my expectations and it was really hype at the end,? Rosales said.

by Jerome Linear, reporter It was the first in-person event for sophomores since the pandemic interrupted their freshman year. McKinley High School?s Lighting of the M was held on March 24, a Thursday afternoon. The Lighting of the M has been going on since 1995 and even before that the school lit bonfires. The event had a talent show, a dance show, the lighting of the M, and even a food truck. ?It was really crowded and I was wowed by the way the M lit up on fire, and with the sun going down and everything behind it, it was perfect,? sophomore Aaleynah Rosales said.

The committee made sure to keep everyone safe and content at the event by mandating masks at the event and even providing food services. ?It was a fun experience seeing people gather up and perform and watching it with friends, then at the end getting to see a whole bunch of fire lit up on the M was really cool,? Freshman Esllen Johnston said.

PAGE 2

M ay 2022

NEWS

Teach er En cou r ages Stu den ts To Pu t Ph on es Dow n

by Perlynn Calep, reporter ?Ding ding.? ?Ring.? This is what you would probably see or hear daily in class - students on their phone texting someone, listening to music, etc.

Dwayne Sakaguchi teaches World History and did a project called ?Your Inquiry Design Model: Approach of Social Sciences.? His students made a poster of one rule on how using technology impacts their behavior in class and what teachers should do to prevent it.

Students then had to deliver the posters to classes and put it on their wall so others can follow.

Sakaguchi said, ?This poster is to create some sort of impact or change in behavior regarding kids using technology in school, and in class and having it to affect their academic performance."

He also argued technology can be useful. Like searching for something, or writing an essay online.

But then being addicted to the screen can have a negative effect. Students would go on social media and not pay attention to their work. ?I think that the good aspect of technology is that people can use it to gather information or to read, practice languages, keep themselves busy,? Sakaguchi said. ?But on the flip side when you're looking at it for school purposes, I think the addiction to having a phone in their hand or using it, doesn?t allow them to retain information.?

The freshmen students who also worked on the project think phones can have a bad side. ?In any way it?ll be helpful with research on work if you need help, but the thing is you don?t need your phone. You mostly need the thinking in your mind then on your phone because you won?t be able to think with your phone all the time,? Freshman Keith Alvarado said.

Another freshman, Lapake Iriarte, agrees, ?I think it?ll be pretty helpful because sometimes some teachers are trying to teach a class and than some kids are just on their phone doing things they?re not supposed to.?

But what should teachers do about the use of phones in class? Both Alvarado and Iriarte think the teachers should be aware and check on what their students are doing. ?I think one thing teachers can learn to do is how NEWS

World History teacher Dwayne Sakaguchi assigned his students a project.

The poster on the top right is the product of Keith Andrew Alvarado.

Photos by Perlynn Calep.

to incorporate using their phone in class, like using it to take surveys and interact with games with the kids, I think that would be a good way for teachers to use technology,? Sakaguchi said. Technology is growing and everybody uses it everywhereschools, work, home.

It?s becoming essential but looking at the screen too much won?t help you think or focus often.

"I don't think a lot of kids know how to think because they are used to looking things up on their phone," Sakaguchi said.

M ay 2022

PAGE 3

RESTORATION OF HAWAIIAN PLACE NAMES

REJECTED

by Shane Kaneshiro, reporter For the second year in a row, the Hawaii legislature was faced with a resolution to rename McKinley High School and remove the statue of President McKinley on the oval.

After hearing testimony on March 24, Representative Jeanne Kapela, vice-chair of the House Education Committee, proposed an amendment to create a working group to make recommendations regarding the restoration of Hawaiian place names throughout Hawaii's public school system in reference to the injustice to Native Hawaiians.

The committee rejected the resolution and the amendments. Several legislators provided comments on their opposition, including Representative Sean Quinlan of House District 47.

Similar to McKinley?s situation, Kahuku High and Intermediate School were targeted for it's nickname of ?Red Raiders? and it's traditions. Following recommendations from the Department of Education?s Civil Rights Compliance Branch, the school removed the mascot and controversial traditions, such as the tomahawk chop chant.

The nickname "Red Raiders" remains with a new logo. ?I have a fear from my own community," Quinlan said. "A couple of years ago some folks tried to rename our state championship Red Raiders football team."

In his opposition statement, Representative Gregg Takayama said that policies regarding names are already in place, citing the Board of Regents for the University of Hawaii system.

Takayama attended Farrington High School and Dole Intermediate School and referenced the PAGE 4

M ay 2022

roles of Sanford Ballard Dole and Wallace Rider Farrington in Hawaiian history as possible future name controversies. In addition, he mentioned Washington Intermediate and Jefferson Elementary, which are named after major slaveholders in colonial days. ?My concern is that setting this working group sets a path to which I don't know the end,? Takayama said.

Takayama said he sees an alternative: create a curriculum that encourages students to engage in critical discussions of their school namesakes, positive and negative, and let that be a part of their education.

A former student member on the Board of Education, Representative Troy Hashimoto explained the original intent of Act 51, created in 2004 to reinvent the way that schools are governed, with the establishment of a school community council. Board of Education?s Policy 301-8 asks each of the school community councils to have the responsibility for naming those facilities. Hashimoto reiterated that each community should have that conversation.

NEWS

?I don't think it's us, the legislature, that should be leading the conversation about name change," Hashimoto said. "It should be each school having that critical conversation and that was the role and the purpose of Act 51. It allows each school's governance board to kind of have that conversation.?

In response to Chair Justin Woodson?s inquiry about the policy and its process towards the formal discussion, Ken Kakesako, acting director for the Policy, Innovation Planning and Evaluation Branch, elaborated on Policy 301-8. ?We (DOE) like to leave the decision to the School Community Council and the school itself to make the judgment call," Kakesako said.

In a Zoom interview with The Pinion, Kakesako explained that Act 51 was implemented for the SCC to advise the principal on matters that affect student achievement and school improvement. The leadership structure enables shared decision-making among principals, teachers, school staff, parents, students, and community members. The SCC strengthens the ties between school and community that provides a voice for all major stakeholder groups. The SCC creates opportunities for collaboration and partnership in the educational system and focuses on a shared goal of improving student achievement and system accountability.

On Nov. 18, 2021, McKinley?s SCC submitted a formal letter to the Board of Education to confirm their vote at a Sept. 29 meeting. The SCC voted nine out of nine against

the name change.

McKinley's principal, Ron Okamura, elaborated on this decision during an interview with Hawaii Public Radio. ?The school community council should be the one that determines the name change. That is what the law is saying. That's what our policy dictates and procedures dictate," Okamura said. "And to me, that's the ultimate decision.?

Okamura emphasized local people were born and raised to have a sense of belonging to a place. McKinley has always been that place and is held in high honor, Okamura told HPR. ?It is truly about looking at education. You don't censor history. You don't change it. That's always been my stance on what's going on here and the continuation of this movement,? Okamura said. ?We teach all sides. The good, bad, the ugly, and we let our kids make the decisions after that, but you have to give them that perspective of every single side. That was the reason why we exist today. And that's what history teaches us. You don't make the same mistakes again.?

Aligned to Okamura?s belief of education, Representative Luella Costales applauded Resolution HCR 56 HD1 and HR 50 HD1, a student-initiated force to implement Filipino history, culture, and identity curriculum in high schools for empowerment. ?We saw from this the students who were involved in the Filipino culture and history that they took the matter into their own hands and moved it forward and are really making a lot of accomplishments,? Costales said. "I don't see this as a stopping place for this discussion.

A student member of McKinley's SCC, Junior Cayenne-Ayana Dabalos, was in attendance at the meeting when the council voted to keep the name.

She said, however, more could be done and this conversation should continue. ?I feel as though it (this decision) should be opened up to more staff and students of McKinley High School,? Dabalos said.

Another student member of the SCC, Erwin Laroco, agrees with Dabalos. He said he wants to hear more from the students. He also wants the students to have an opportunity to speak up, Scan t he code t o vi ew rel at ed edi t ori al s by give their opinion, and Li l y Cheng, Li an Fouse, My Que Ly, Kat i e vote about this Thai and Yu Yi ng Yu. controversial topic.

NEWS

M ay 2022

PAGE 15

Menst r ual Equit y When it?s that time of the month, sometimes females forget to bring an extra pad.

They have to go to the health room and ask for one and, to be honest, it can be a bit embarrassing. So when are public/charter schools in Hawaii going to put female hygiene menstrual products in bathrooms?

The Hawaii state legislature passed Senate Bill 2821 now because not all students can afford pads or tampons. The bill was introduced in January by middle schoolers, and as of April it has been passed by both houses and is on its way to be signed by the governor.

According to a statewide survey regarding menstruation, one in three people who responded experienced difficulty obtaining menstrual products due to cost. The legislature also finds that many women miss school and work because of their menstruation.

Junior Kiana Lovie Hung is passionate about menstrual equity. She wrote an essay regarding this topic in school. ?Women, especially in schools, should have easy access to menstrual products because it?s a natural thing women are born with,? Hung said.

There is a term called "Period Poverty." It negatively affects menstruating students that are in low-income housing, experiencing homelessness, identify as non-binary or transgenders.

The legislature believe menstrual products should be provided in school because there is evidence students cannot afford these products, which causes them to miss school.

by Perlynn Calep, reporter

Art by Mai Doan and Kirsten Sakaue-Mito.

PAGE 6

M ay 2022

NEWS

V a p in g Ep id emic The pungent smell of flavored air fills my nose as I walk into the bathroom. The cardboard and plastic packaging litters our campus and pollutes our environment.

You can?t turn a corner without seeing a student pulling a brightly colored stick out of their pocket. Vice-principal William McGuire said that at least one student a week gets pulled into the office for vaping. "I've never seen it (vaping) this bad," Principal Ron Okamura said. "They (vapes) are supposed to last a week. We've seen students go through them in three days."

by Athena Matautia, reporter

Vaping is unhealthy in a variety of ways. For example, studies show that there are loads of unhealthy chemicals in the juice that powers the e-cigarette. Not only are there lots of chemicals, nicotine is also a prominent issue with vaping. Nicotine has been proven to be more addictive than heroin, cocaine, and alcohol. In an interview with Principal Okamura he said, "Sometimes they (students) can't even go one hour without it." Vaping also causes breathing difficulties, nausea, and weight loss. These symptoms are caused by buildup of oil or white blood cells in the lungs.

Vaping is a problem in not only our high schools, but our middle schools as well. Hawaii has the highest vaping rate among middle school students and the second highest vaping rate for high schoolers in the country. In the state of Hawaii, a new bill was introduced: The ban of flavored tobacco products. This bill was introduced in late January. It has gone through both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but certain conditions and amendments are currently being debated by both sides.

Data from Centers for Disease Control.

NEWS

M ay 2022

PAGE 7

JOURNALISM LEADS TO

The Pinion staff testified online to adapt to the COVID-19 spike during the third quarter.

by Shane Kaneshiro, reporter

For the past two years,

we the students of McKinley High School have experienced unprecedented times that have had a profound effect upon us. The Pinion staff reported on it all In school year 2020-2021, The Pinion staff were all first-year journalists learning the basics of journalism on the Zoom, Google meets, or Webex platforms (constantly changing due to the internet lag). I struggled big time.

Interviews are such an important part of journalism and I couldn't figure out what the interviewee was thinking or feeling over virtual platforms. I had to be innovative. Many of the ways I had to get in contact with sources were Google Meets and Gmail. They even texted me their answers through Discord!

I wasn't feeling the joy of journalism. Then I discovered The Pinion archives. I didn't PAGE 8

M ay 2022

know that our school used to have a daily newspaper. I started to search for more information about our school's history from the beginning of The Pinion in 1920 all the way to the present. Because it was The Pinion's centennial year, we interviewed former staffers.

During this time, I found my pride in this school, this newspaper and journalism in general.

Unlike last year's restrictive situation, this year was more rewarding. During the first quarter, I was able to interview students and teachers in person. Interviewing people I don't know can lead to interesting stories.

I even wrote a piece for the Star-Advertiser. I interviewed Jack Seitoku Nakamura an 100th Battalion nisei veteran. This project came with challenges.

Because of COVID, we had to use Zoom, but I was better at it than last year. We also had to use a land line phone to talk to Nakamura to compensate for his hearing loss from being thrown 30 feet by an artillery shell. Even with all these issues, listening to his mesmerizing stories about the war every week was a reward in itself.

Many of his stories were about how he received his purple heart awards, befriended German prisoners war, and even how he met General Eisenhower.

While I was writing for The Pinion and interviewing Nakamura, a bill to protect the First Amendment right of student journalists, HB1848, was going through the legislature. The Pinion staff led the advocacy for this bill. We set up zoom meetings with other newspaper staff from other schools (even neighbor islands) to educate them about this bill. Throughout the entire legislation process, we learned how to participate in

EDITORIALS

SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT democracy (without a social studies class!) to testify confidently to the committee members in person and online. I testified at the first two hearings via Zoom.

During spring break, the state capitol reopened to in-person testimony. Three of us testified in front of the senate education committee. One member asked us if we had written about the controversy regarding McKinley's school name and even asked us to send a copy of the article. Once the governor signs the bill, it will become law. And we helped make that happen.

Even with all these events, we were able to win several awards in the Hawaii High School Journalism Awards contest. We placed third overall in the writing division. Thanks to senior staffer, Althea Cunningham, we also won several honorable mentions in the artistic categories. We will miss Althea next year.

With journalism, like life, there are always challenges, but The Pinion staff overcame them and Reporter Shane Kaneshiro taught other schools about the student the outcomes were greater than we could have hoped. journalism protection bill during the virtual Journalism award ceremony on April 14.

Althea Cunningham, Shane Kaneshiro, Jerome Linear, Athena Griep, and Perlynn Calep went to the Capitol to support HB1848 during the judiciary committee.

The hearing was only for decision making, so they could not talk but wanted to be in the room. After the successful vote, the staff visited Speaker Scott Saiki's office.

Saiki sponsored HB1848 and asked The Pinion staff what they learned.

EDITORIALS

M ay 2022

PAGE 9

M

ar ch t o ar ch adn ess

by Althea Cunningham, reporter

In March 2020, I enjoyed the blessing of a two-week extension on my spring break. Unfortunately for myself and many students across the nation, that blessing turned into a curse.

Two weeks turned into an entire summer.

There were no signs of things returning to normal, and soon I got word that I would be starting my junior year online.

During the 2020-2021 school year, the rate of students failing classes was higher than ever.

McKinley High School made numerous adaptations in scheduling, and teaching to accommodate students.

I tried to stay on top of my subjects as best I could, but soon I started to slip.

Every night, I pulled all-nighters to complete assignments. It did not help that I saw my smartest peers struggling as well. After all, they were at the top of the class. if they could not do it how could I? This dangerous mentality stuck with me for most of the year even as hybrid learning became an option.

I took the hybrid learning option in an attempt to see my friends

PAGE 10

and teachers, even if it was limited to six feet with a mask on.

I believed it would motivate me and give me the boost I needed to get back on track. That plan was shut down when I found out I was alone in most of my classes. In some cases, I was awkwardly working with two or three classmates I didn?t know very well.

During the year of endless nightly grinding, historic international events were happening like the controversial 2020 presidential election, widespread protests against systemic racism, the Asian hate crimes, and the end of the war in Afghanistan. It felt unreal. There was so much happening in the world while I was doing my homework at 3a.m.

I found comfort in my extracurricular activities: Newswriting and JROTC. I should?ve been prioritizing my core and AP classes but simply had no energy to do so.

I was immensely grateful for summer break and I tried to recover my sleep schedule as much as possible.

Coming back to school for my senior year, things were different,

M ay 2022

and I am not talking about the new safety procedures of maintaining space and cleaning desks and wearing masks. The attitude of the student body had shifted.

Freshmen and sophomores were wild and disrespectful. McKinley had had problems with theft, vandalism and vaping before, but now it was taken to a whole new level. Bathrooms were being mistreated and temporarily closed in several buildings.

Juniors and seniors overall were tired and just wanted to graduate.

My friends and I have been accepted into our colleges and we are ready to start a new chapter in life.

In March 2022, I was grateful that I was able to enjoy a normal spring break than compared to March 2020. I was able to come back to experience homecoming and the traditional Lighting of the M in person with my peers.

These past two years have been anything but normal. We all faced unique hardships in our lives during this time, and the lessons we learned will stick with us.

Hopefully, by next March our lives will be less mad.

EDITORIALS

Writeyour own March- to- March Memory

EDITORIALS

M ay 2022

PAGE 11

All content and more can be found at mhspinion.com.Print archives can be found at issuu.com/mhspinion.

What Ar e Your Summer Plans?

St aff "I will be going to the Philippines and have fun. meet my family and party. Catch up with old friends and have more time with my grandma because I haven't had time with her."

Junior Noel Dave Patricio

Althea (Tia) Cunningham Perlynn Calep Shane Kaneshiro Jerome Linear Athena Griep

Advi ser Cynthia Reves

Mi ssi on The Pinion staff strives to provide and maintain accurate, entertaining and informativenews for the students, staff and alumni of McKinley High School.

We strive to show diligence in creating all our content so we can make a positive contribution to the public.

Publ i cat i on Informat i on The Pinion is published by the Newswriting class and printed by ReprographicsLearning Center.

"I am going to find a place to volunteer at. Along with that, if I get into Ignition program, I will go to school to bond with the upcoming freshmen. I am (also) taking summer school online for acceleration Modern Hawaiian History and Participation in Democracy. I am going to hibernate because I need sleep. I am sleep deprived."

Sophomore Jennifer Danh

The Pinion

"I am coming here (McKinley) for summer school and football practice too.

We will see when summer comes around."

Junior OJPaul Raslap

McKinley High School 1039 South King Street Honolulu, HI 96814 Emai l comment s or quest i ons t o pinion@mckinleyhs.k12.hi.us

PAGE 12

M ay 2022

POTS