The Pinion Vol. 102 No. 1 Oct. 2023

New Student Orientation Introduces Freshmen to McKinley High School

by Jerzel Bornios, Lukas Gaudier and Shane Kaneshiro

New Student Orientation was held on Aug. 7 on McKinley High School’s campus where faculty and staff welcomed the incoming freshmen by showing them the rules and opportunities the school has to offer. This event aimed to familiarize students with the school's facilities, ensuring a smooth transition into the academic year. Throughout the orientation, students were introduced to the school's campus, history and traditions.

In the gym, freshmen were taught the expectations of assemblies that will be held throughout the year. Seniors taught traditions like Lighting of The M, Hall of Honor, and to stay off the oval, while the sophomores and juniors taught the Black and Gold and the Alma Mater.

Principal Ron Okamara told the freshmen how they can enjoy their high school year by joining clubs and sports.

"High school is only as fun you make it," Okamura said.

"Get involved with clubs, sports and organizations ... Even if it doesn't interest you, check it out because it might be something you really might want to do."

As Okamura introduced staff and teachers, he shared the school will help students throughout their years.

"Start thinking about what you want to be and we’ll help you get there," Okumura said.

After the assembly in the gym, a program named Ignition was introduced. Ignition is a program to help freshmen adjust to a high school environment. Freshmen were separated by yellow and white groups. Each group rotated between three different locations around campus where they interacted with upperclassmen in activities.

Rosa Faaola-Ieremia (c/o 2027) said the Ignition program works well with engaging with other students.

“I enjoyed meeting people. The system of the students swapping like the yellow and white groups worked really well," Faaola-Ieremia said.

Hannah Jane Lastino (c/o 2027) said she liked the activi-

Sophomore volunteers raise the lyrics to the Black and Gold during the New Student Orientation. Photo by Joseph Mai.

The student-run newspaper of McKinley High School

Maui Fire Tragedy Affects McKinley Staff

What started out as scattered brush fires on Aug. 8 in Maui turned into a tragedy affecting masses of people in the town of Lahaina and beyond. Almost 2,000 structures were destroyed and almost 100 people died. Staff members at McKinley High School, including their families and loved ones on Maui, suffered from loss and devastation due to the fires.

Math teacher Justin Collado was born and raised in Maui before he moved to Oahu.

“Pretty much everybody from Maui, if you have ties to Maui, you’re affected, if you’re from Maui, you’re affected, if you have family on Maui, you’re affected. I can not stress how dire the situation is over there,” he said. Collado has flown back to Maui every weekend since the fire.

“I don’t know how to explain it, except it’s just like an apocalyptic zone,” Collado said. “Every time I go back home to Maui, it’s like time has stopped.”

Collado described how supplies were limited on Maui.

“Everything was just insane over there. Nothing was in the stores,” he said. “People literally just escaped with whatever clothes they had on their back.”

Collado thinks that the people and Lahaina are going to come back from this tragedy.

“The people of Lahaina are very, very, very resilient,” he said. “They are very proud of where they come from and they want to stay in Lahaina as long as possible.”

Principal Ron Okamura lived in Lahaina for 18 years before coming to Oahu. By the time he moved, he was the supervisor of Lahaina Schools. After he found out about the fire, Okamura called up his friends to make sure they were okay.

"I met a lot of people, a lot of teachers, a lot of students in Lahaina. A lot of my friends lost their homes,” he said. Okamura eventually found out that someone he knew was one of the dead.

Okamura recalled the memories of the places they used to hang out and the activities they used to partake in

when he lived there.

“Everything’s gone. All the historical places, the buildings, the businesses, and restaurants, everything is gone in just a blink of an eye,” he said.

Educational Assistant Kalai Makilan was sent to Maui to live with her aunt when she was younger. She remembers a time when Maui had a lot of sugarcane and no fires.

“But once the sugar cane disappeared, that's when Maui got all these fires going on,” she said.

During Makilan’s residency in Maui she attended Kamehameha III Elementary School. The school was destroyed in the fire. She also remembers the historic Lahina banyan tree.

“The banyan tree was my playground,” she said.

The banyan tree is charred after the fire but showing signs of life, which many see as a symbol of hope. However, Makilan does not feel as positively about the tree. She said she thinks people are focusing too much on the tree and not on the people.

“The banyan tree you can always replace,” she said. “You cannot replace life.”

Makilan couldn’t find her brother, a Lahaina resident, for a couple days due to the fire and the havoc caused by it.

“My brother was finally found on Friday,” she said. “During those days, I was so frantic.”

Makilan has a lot of other concerns and frustrations, including how access out of Lahaina was blocked and about how the government failed to help the people.

“They were running for their lives,” Makilan said. “If they sounded the siren, if they sent notifications to everybody, there would be a lot of lives saved because people wouldn’t have stayed back.”

The McKinley community has done a lot for the victims of the Maui fire simply by donating and should continue to donate and visit Maui.

“That’s what Lahiana is all about, people helping people…. I just want you guys to keep the story going. Keep it alive because they cannot be forgotten,” Makilan said.

by Malia Manuel and Kiara Chastity Pajarillo

Wahikuli neighborhood just past Front Street in Lahaina. Photo courtesy of Justin Collado.

McKinley students write cards of gratitude and support for the first responders in Maui.

McKinley Supports Maui with Donations

by Malia Manuel and Kiara Chastity Pajarillo

After the devastating Maui fire on Aug 8, the McKinley community came together in solidarity for Lahaina by donating. McKinley High School, McKinley Community School for Adults, and McKinley Alumni Association were the main groups involved in the donation project. The donations started on Aug. 10. The student activities coordinator, April Nakamura, estimated around 75 to 100 students donated to the Maui cause and the amount of donations was about six truckloads.

Nakamura and Principal Ron Okamura set in motion the plans for the Maui fire donations after getting an idea from the daughter of the principal at Ka'iulani Elementary. The principal’s daughter works for Aloha Air Cargo and she wanted to send a load of donations in the plane over to Maui. The principal of the elementary school sent out a notice to the principals in the complex area.

The places students could donate varied. In the beginning, people could take their donations to the main office, then they started bringing everything to the Student Activities Center and the hallway outside SAC.

Orientation

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ties and that it gave her time to socialize with her friends.

"It was smaller and easier to communicate with each other and get to know their names," Lastino said.

Class of 2027 is one of the smallest classes at McKinley. Student Activities Coordinator April Nakamura said that even though the freshmen have a smaller class size, it’s

Nakamura said neither she nor anyone that was helping set the donations up had any loved ones on the island. However, the Maui fires affected people even when they did not have any familial connections to the island.

"Personally, I don't have any ties to Lahaina or even Maui, but I think as with everyone in Hawaii, just hearing about what happened and learning about what took place, it always just eats you up inside,” Nakamura said. “It feels dark. It feels hopeless at times.”

The students were asked to donate camping supplies at first, and then clothing, canned goods and hygiene supplies. Konatsu Udagawa (c/o 2025) donated to the people in Maui.

"I donated Tshirts, shorts, towels, blankets and other stuff they might need,” Udagawa said. "I was looking through the news and social media. You can see videos of houses burned down, people lost and it made me really sad inside and I thought maybe I can help."

Donald Nguyen (c/o 2025) donated clothes and towels.

“You should do what you can to donate and help, anything to help them survive,” Nguyen said.

a good thing; it means the freshmen will be closer with each other.

“So spend time getting to know each other; I think this class could be a really good class,” Nakamura said. “You're now no longer from a different school. You're McKinley Tigers.”

Michel Libokmeto and Jessica Cristina Valdez (both c/o 2024) load up trucks with the donations made by the McKinley community. Photo by Shane Kaneshiro.

Photo by Jerome Linear.

Principal Okamura Looks Forward to New School Year

by Joseph H. Mai

As McKinley High School returns to normal from COVID-19, Principal Ron Okamura is looking forward to the 2023-2024 school year.

To Okamura, having every student graduate is a big goal. He also hopes for every student to be safe and comfortable at school and believes that learning is a priority.

“This is our third or fourth year from COVID,“ Okamura said. “It's a little bit more exciting, getting back to normal, having you folks getting back to the normal activities of being a high school student.”

This year's freshman class has the fewest students because the age requirement for kindergarten was changed. Enrollment is about half the size of previous freshman classes. However, Okamura said the small class size is a positive thing.

“So far, my personal observation of this year's freshman class is that it's a really good class. They're really tight,” Okamura said. “I guess that's because of the small numbers. They want to get to know each other better.”

Okamura said he hopes another challenge like COVID doesn't happen again, which dampened many things for the school and him. Okamura said he wants the students to have the best experience in high school as possible.

“You hope you have no challenges every year, but you know unfortunately things do pop up,” Okamura said. “As far as the challenges, like I said, getting everybody to graduate; getting everyone to pass their classes; getting everybody to go to their classes.”

Okamura said every class from freshman to seniors talks about the things they did in school every year. He said students should take advantage of everything and remember everything that happens this year because it will last them a lifetime.

“Most people think senior year is the longest, because it's my last year. But you know in the blink of an eye it's January, in the blink of an eye it's May” Okamura said. “Things that you do now, in your senior year, will last a lifetime in memories.”

Okamura said students may say school life is boring and why should they finish their work and pass their classes, but in the long run they may look back and think that these were the best days of their life, especially when they reach the age where they are working and are thinking about fun times.

"Let's have a good year, everybody get to class, do your work, pass. Seniors, hundred percent graduation,” Okamura said. “Enjoy your school life, these four years, enjoy every minute of it."

Principal Ron Okamura talks to The Pinion staff about the new school year. Photo by Kiara Chastity Pajarillo.

Students Attend McKinley’s Welcome Back Assembly

by Jerome Linear, Joseph H. Mai and Nhi Nguyen

McKinley High School held an assembly on Aug. 11 at the gym to welcome back the students and kick off the school year. McKinley held games, practiced McKinley traditions, held a fashion show and more.

The assembly started with the JROTC Presentation of Colors with the band playing the national anthem and Hawaii Pono’i. Jayven Williams (c/o 2027) is a member of the band. His favorite part of the assembly was the band performance.

“Music is a big part of me; I love music. It’s my number one thing every day, so being able to do that, it was fun,” he said.

Principal Ron Okamura spoke to the students about the new school year and McKinley’s routines and traditions.

“Starting this week, in fact, starting today, every single one of you is beginning a journey to the next step forward,” Okamura said.

After the Presentation of Colors, counselors were introduced for the new year and then the cheerleading team

held a routine.

“I have lots of cheerleader friends and I thought they did really well,” Soleil Tucker (c/o 2026) said.

Following the introduction of McKinley’s athletics program and new staff, a fashion show was held to display the Tiger Locker’s merchandise. Multiple student volunteers sported McKinley merch including shirts, lanyards and hoodies.

Jenny Cheng’s (c/o 2025) favorite event was the “Sharks and Minnows” game because it shows which class is the best. The teachers were the sharks and the students were the minnows. The minnows’ goal was to pass the finish line before the sharks could tag them out and repeat until there was one minnow left. People from every grade level were screaming when the minnows dodged the sharks and when the sharks narrowly tagged some of the minnows out.

The results of the Sharks & Minnows game were that the juniors won, with freshmen and seniors tied for second place.

“I’m happy to see everybody with pride in this school,” Cheng said.

Students and teachers particpate in the game “Sharks and Minnows” during the Welcome Back Assembly. Photo by Lukas Gaudier.

McKinley Distributes Free HOLO Cards

by Kenvin Huynh and Jayson Jwanian

On Aug. 10, students lined up in the auditorium to get their free HOLO cards. Lines were long, and students waited around an hour to claim their free bus pass.

Schools on Oahu are distributing free bus passes paid by the state to all high school students, in an attempt to provide free and reliable transportation to all students. The department of transportation has partnered to print and supply all students in the 9th-12th grade with a built-in HOLO card chip on the back of their school issued ID’s.

These HOLO cards can help students get involved in after-school clubs and part-time jobs because they won’t be limited by transportation issues. Consequently, students will have the opportunity to enjoy a broader education and pursue their hobbies beyond school hours.

Cura Yoon (c/o 2027) said, “The HOLO cards are really useful because it helps me get to my job, and also helps me get to cheer practice. Without them, getting around would be a lot harder for me.”

Yoon also said the HOLO card has saved her money.

“Even though $1.50 isn't a lot, it adds up over time,”

Yoon said.

To activate the HOLO card, students must fill out a short application and wait 3-5 business days. The passes are valid until May 31, 2024. Students can visit https:// iportal.k12.hi.us/express/ to access the application or get additional information. Students can visit the business office to acquire a HOLO card if they have yet to get one.

Inho Sang (c/o 2027) said the free HOLO cards were a helpful resource for all students, especially those who don’t have their own transportation.

Sang, who doesn’t plan to use the free HOLO card, still said, “I feel the state buying a bus pass for students is a good thing.”

Principal Ron Okamura said he thinks the HOLO card pass is beneficial. Unlike the other schools in the countryside and neighbor islands that rely on the yellow buses, McKinley students have the opportunity to use the regular city buses.

“Giving you a HOLO pass, I think it's a benefit not only to come to school and go home from school, but also on the weekends,” said Okamura. “You guys can utilize it to get to places that you want to go to like Ala Moana or beach.”

Students lined up in the auditorium to get their free HOLO cards. Lines were long, and students waited around an hour to claim their free bus pass. Photo by Shane Kaneshiro.

McKinley Introduces Finger Scanning Technology

by The Pinion Staff

During the new McKinley school year, finger scanning was introduced into the cafeteria lines along with more counters now open for students, faculty and staff. At the start of the first week of school, students went to the cafeteria with their English class to get their fingers scanned.

Vice Principal David Pila said the purpose of the identiMetric (finger scan) is to use a picture of your fingerprint, to allow students to get their lunch or meals. IDs are mandatory. However, students sometimes forget them, or they lose them and they can't get food.

“A student will never lose their finger,” Pila said. He said identiMetrics does not take a picture of your entire fingerprint, but rather only small points on your fingerprint. These points can not be used for complete

identification or identity theft.

“At the end of the day, all scanned fingerprints will be discarded or deleted. And it starts anew again,” Pila said.

Danielle Cummings (c/o 2026) said she gets food from the cafeteria almost every day.

“I think that it’s definitely easier. With IDs, it takes longer and more lines means it goes increasingly faster,” Cummings said.

Journey Pollescas (c/o 2025) also gets food from the cafeteria almost every day. She said she noticed a change from last year.

“[There are] faster lines and [it’s] much more convenient,” Pollescas said.

Jasmine Le (c/o 2025) said she also occasionally gets food from the cafeteria.

“I like it because it’s faster and easier in case someone forgets their ID,” Le said.

Principal Ron Okamura is also optimistic about other uses of identiMetrics at McKinley. He said that nearly 90% of McKinley students have had their finger scanned and he plans to do other things with this technology in the future, such as check-ins via fingerprint scan in every class.

“Yeah, so I enjoy that piece of it because I think it offers a lot more opportunities to us, and it’s more userfriendly,” Okamura said.

A student gets her finger scanned. Photo by Jerome Linear.

HomecomingRecap

During lunch on Monday, FFA and Speech and Debate clubs held an activity called “cornhole.” Photo by Shane Kaneshiro.

Tuesday’s spirit dress up day was Dynamic Duo. These two dressed up as the “Men in Black.”

Photo by Shane Kaneshiro.

The assembly had many different events including drill team, Homecoming showdown, banner competition, and the spirit competition. Juniors won first place in the spirit competition. Photo by Malia Manuel

After school, Lighting of the M took place in front of the gym. Clubs and sport teams hosted booths selling food and drinks while the military branches held activities. At the end of the night, the M was lit by the JROTC. Photo by

Suicide Awareness Prevention

This year’s Homecoming court was presented at the Homecoming game at Roosevelt High School. Walking through the JROTC Saber Squad is Homecoming King Jese Reeves and Homecoming Queen

McKinley’s Dance Club shows off their moves during Thursday’s lunch for Homecoming Week.

Art by Cheska Orias

Saydi Miyashiro. Photo by Shane Kaneshiro.

Shane Kaneshiro.

Photo by Shane Kaneshiro.

Prince Seiuli (c/o 2024) tackles a Kaiser football player. Photo by Shane Kaneshiro.

Principal Ron Okamura presented Derek and Corinne Oshiro a gift for rewelding the M. Photo by Shane Kaneshiro.

Morikuni Encourages New and Returning Athletes

by Jerome Linear

The start of the school year means the start of a new sports season. Bob Morikuni, McKinley’s athletic director since 2012, welcomes the new and returning athletes of McKinley to a new year of sports.

“I’m just excited to see how they’ve grown,” Morikuni said. “From their freshman year to their senior year… that’s what I’m excited about. To put their best foot forward and to try their best.”

Morikuni always tells the new students to try a sport. He said they may find some sport they’re good at that they never knew they were good at or might find a sport they love and enjoy.

“They [also] could find some of the best friends for the rest of their life,” Morikuni said. “My best friends today are the ones that I played sports with growing up.”

During the COVID pandemic, it was a challenge for McKinley to continue sports because they had to cancel all sports for some time. Ever since the pandemic ended and sports started up, Morikuni has been even more grateful that McKinley is able to continue sports.

“I’m even more thankful now that we do have sports so that the students can do something and can participate and come to school,” he said.

Morikuni insists students who wish to perform in sports stay up to date on their academics, character, and attendance. For Morikuni, these challenges will always appear.

“Sometimes, fielding a team is tough,” Morikuni said. “Not having enough boys or girls for a team. And … making sure that they’re good citizens.”

For McKinley’s spectators and athletes, Morikuni

said he hopes they represent the school throughout the year. He hopes to see McKinley’s athletes playing with pride and looks forward to seeing them try their best this year.

“We all want to win. That’s the nature of sports,” Morikuni said. “But we want them to play the right way and represent McKinley High School in the best possible way.”

Ka Hana Kaulana

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New Teachers on Campus

Shook-Starsnic finds passion at McKinley

by Jayson Jwanian

Mary Shook-Starsnic has taught at all kinds of schools, such as elementary, middle and high schools. She’s also taught on the mainland and loved teaching at the schools she’s taught at before.

“I’ve taught at Farrington. I’ve taught at Waipahu High School and Waipahu Middle School, Waikiki Elementary, and several schools in the Bay Area in California,” Shook said.

Shook just started teaching at McKinley High School. She has found a passion for teaching here at McKinley and loves teaching here.

“Teaching McKinley students is going great so far,” Shook said. “I feel lucky. It’s fun. It’s challenging. And I really look forward to it.”

She teaches all kinds of subjects

Mafi Transitions from Football Assistant to Teacher

like sociology, global studies, and economics to seniors right now. She’s going to teach psychology and American Problems next semester.

Shook chose to teach at McKinley because she’s taught at other schools and she lives near the school so it encouraged her even more to come and teach at McKinley.

“It’s close to where I live, and I wouldn’t change it. I love it here,” Shook said.

She’s taught for ten years and has multiple goals for teaching at this school. She loves trying new things and tries to make them as interesting as possible for students.

“I want to empower my students so that they feel confident and prepared for life,” Shook said. “I like being creative, making lessons that I feel will be interesting but also teaching

ty to teach special education classes in W223. She has taught at McKinley for three years as a substitute, teaching English as a Second Language, and is now teaching special education English for grades 11-12.

Mafi chose to teach at McKinley because she feels everyone here is like family to her.

“I am very familiar with everyone here at McKinley, and I just felt it was an ohana to me, and my husband is an alumni,” Mafi said.

Although Mafi’s husband went to McKinley, she attended Kamehameha School.

critical thinking.”

Shook likes interacting with people and getting to know them. Being a teacher has helped her learn more about her students and coworkers and has also given her goals. She finds teaching as one of her favorite things.

“I get to do something new every day and it allows me to interact with people and I’m an extrovert,” Shook said. “I like getting to know my students and I like getting to know my coworkers.”

A concern Mafi has at McKinley is the safety of all students. She worries about the things happening outside of the classroom, and how it can affect students here at McKinley.

“With all of the crime and abuse of substances that are going on in our community, I worry about our students,” Mafi said.

One of Mafi’s hobbies is watching sports. Her favorite sport to watch is basketball. She also used to assist the McKinley football team.

by Kenvin Huynh

Aulii

Before getting the opportunity to teach permanently at McKinley, she was a substitute teacher. After the COVID year, Principal Ron Okamura was looking for new teachers.

“I was in the substitute teaching pool, so I would come and sub sometimes. He then asked me if I would consider being a emergency hire teacher, and that’s when I took the offer,” said Mafi.

“I enjoy helping and watching all of the McKinley sports. I go to the football games, the volleyball games, the basketball games, baseball, softball, and my son is the only golfer for the school so we also go to golf,” Mafi said.

Mafi has many goals she wants to accomplish throughout her career.

“One of my goals is to possibly become a resource specialist,” Mafi said. “I want to be able to help or train other teachers to become better.”

Mafi, an emergency hire teacher who used to be an occasional substitute and attendance clerk at McKinley, recently got the opportuni-

Photo by Jessica Cristina Valdez

Photo by Heidi Hui

McNabb Inspires Self Reflection in Students

by Lukas Gaudier

Tommy McNabb, a new math teacher at McKinley High School, works in A-213, renovated with new chairs, plants and paintings, Both to his Aglaonema plant and his students, he cares for them.

McNabb said he finds teaching challenging, needing to stay organized, planning, and dealing with the problem of student motivation. Yet, McNabb said he is optimistic about teaching. He said he believes his students have the ability and potential to learn and wants to find out how to have his students care for their education, assignments and school.

"The students are very friendly, as are the teachers," McNabb said.

Before coming to McKinley, McNabb worked as a math tutor. He

chose his job not only because he likes math as a subject wholly, but because he enjoys explaining and helping people learn. Coming to McKinley, McNabb also chose the profession of math teacher because math is straightforward with what is correct and incorrect.

"I think intellectual life is enriching," McNabb said.

If McNabb could choose a job other than a teacher, he would like to work in the sports industry. He would also consider a college professor, or a book reviewer because he likes reading, although he is not adept in writing.

In an effort to furnish A-213, McNabb picked up a few paintings from art teacher Star Padilla. One painting is about mental health and another is about caring for the Earth. McNabb chose these paintings to fur-

Jacobs Builds Positive Learning Experience

by Nhi Nguyen

After being a long-term history substitute teacher at McKinley two years ago, Allison Jacobs decided to take an opportunity to join McKinley High School’s science department for the 2023-2024 school year. Jacobs teaches in MS9.

Before teaching, Jacobs was a lawyer, but she chose to switch to education. She has taught at Lunalilo Elementary School and was a substitute teacher for six years. Jacobs enjoyed the experience and the working conditions, so she applied to become an official teacher at McKinley.

“I love teaching high school,” Ja-

cobs said.

Something Jacobs hopes to accomplish is to have a good impact on her students.

“I want students to have a positive learning experience, and hopefully get at least one thing that they’ll remember,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs is originally from Connecticut and has a daughter who lives in California. At home, she takes care of two cats. Jacobs has many hobbies, including chess, which she plans to share with the school by becoming the adviser of the Chess Club. Jacobs also knits and crochets and said she plans to participate in the Crochet Club. If she wasn’t a teacher, she

nish the bare walls and spread a good message. A third painting displays a school hallway with Magritte-esque students with phone faces. McNabb chose this painting to "inspire selfreflection in students.”

If you have problems, McNabb warmly invites you to come to A-213 to visit.

would be reading and writing.

“I’d like to write fiction,” Jacobs said.

So far, Jacobs has had a great experience being a teacher at McKinley.

“Everyone is very friendly and helpful,” Jacobs said.

Photo by Kaitlyn Matautia

Photo by Brian Cruz

Chun Finds Interest in Pride and Tradition

by Jerzel Bornios

Clarence Kaui Chun wishes to bring a fresh perspective to McKinley High School with his passion for history.

Chun teaches sophomores in F255.

Chun said that McKinley chose him. He was traditionally an art teacher, but decided to teach history since this subject has always been in his background.

As he was given the opportunity to expand his knowledge of history, Chun was thrilled to be able to do what he loves and experience new

things as a new history teacher.

Chun’s passion for teaching has led him to a better understanding at McKinley that has a rich tradition.

”I think it’s a great school,” Chun said.

Because Chun has enjoyed this subject for years and has taken many history classes during his education, Chun said one of his many goals as a new teacher is to master the content of history.

With his love for history and his passion for teaching, Mr Chun wishes to keep his students engaged.

“I love teaching first of all, I love the local kids, I’m local myself,” he said.

Smith’s Opportunity to Build Rapport

impact on me and the person that I am,” Smith said.

At first, Smith did not want to become a teacher. However, the positive influences of her teachers made her realize she wants to become a teacher.

“The more experience that I had through college and everything made me realize that that's what I wanted to do,” Smith said.

on the stressful side. But it's balanced out pretty well,” Smith said. “Just seeing students get engaged, being excited about things and just being able to kind of build a rapport with students.”

by Deon Kelley and Kai Pendleton

Zoe Smith wanted to become a teacher because of her past teachers in school that influenced her.

“I had some really good teachers in high school and they had a huge

Special Education Teacher Laws Faces the Challenge

by Isaiah Dexheimer

If Denice Laws wasn't a teacher today, she would be a Broadway actress.

“[A] failing Broadway actress,” Laws clarified.

Laws would have liked to be a Broadway actress, but she was afraid of failing and working at a fast food place for the rest of her life.

“I didn't want to say ‘Would you like fries with that?’ for the rest of my

Smith is a first year science teacher. She took this job because she thought it was a good opportunity for her. But she knew it wasn't going to be easy.

“I'd say (it’s) a mixed bag. There's definitely highs and lows. It's a little

life,” Laws said.

Laws recently started teaching special education math at McKinley High School.

“I wanted to work a little closer to where I was living. So that was why I chose McKinley High School,” Laws said.

Laws said she likes the traditions and pride at McKinley.

“My favorite things so far have been the history of the buildings and knowing that there's a lot of pride in the traditions here,” she said.

Laws said she likes to teach special education.

“Sometimes the challenge of getting students to learn something they're struggling with can take

Smith paddles outriggers in her free time. But that's not the only thing she likes. Smith also writes in her free time. Her favorite colors are pink and purple. Her parents painted her entire room purple when she was in third grade. However, she used to dislike pink.

“I think [pink] just kinda started growing on me the more I liked purple,” Smith said.

really interesting paths," Laws said. "It's fun to get people where they're learning a skill they didn't think they could learn.”

Photo by Ryo Connery

Photo by Kyle Emnace

Photo by Alex Tijerina

by Malia Manuel

I have been protesting for over half of my life. There's a reason for that. Since the ripe age of eight, my aunt has involved me in the world of political activism. She herself had been protesting for decades before, fighting against issues ranging from global environmental decline to police brutality. She's formed so many close friendships and connections throughout the years. She's the leader and primary spokesperson of multiple groups. She'll be coming up on her 32nd year of being an activist. My aunty has been my main source of inspiration in that area and I felt she must be given her proper credit.

After so many years of being exposed to suffering and a deliberate affront to what little this world has of innocence, I realized what is truly important to me is righting wrongs, to make an attempt to be a part of a voice that helps people who cannot help themselves, a voice for the voiceless. The foundation of my advocacy is deeply rooted in my own personal experiences with oppression. Some examples of this are during protests, the most horrible racist and/or misogynistic quotes are screamed at me by the opposing side, or something as simple as rumors being spread about me by boys who didn’t get what they wanted. When I started to see that some of the issues I fight against affect me and my peers closely, it was

Why I Protest

a giant eye-opener. Fighting for the betterment of humanity and against social and environmental injustice is something that should be an undisputed necessity to the ongoing stride for mankind's prosperity. It is important that I will always fight for what I know is right. That is the duty of young people, to challenge the corruption and complicity our society tends to normalize.

Because of my proclivity for political debates and such, people often describe me as argumentative and idealistic. They say I care too much about things that they seem to think are impossible for one girl, a teenager in high school at that, to bring real change to. I'll happily take that challenge! They say I have a too-big heart and a short temper, seeing as I do not tolerate any and all forms of ignorance. I have no patience for an uneducated tongue. Although there is a lot of blame that goes to the system, there is also a very high sense of individual accountability I hold people to. These days especially, it is very easy to find real, credible information. We are even taught in schools the signs to look for! It is as easy as it is imperative to find these things; education is always first. There is a level of blame when people willingly do not do that.

I guess those are my main obstacles. The fact that certain people are in charge of things that don't even affect them, such as primarily old white men on the Supreme Court that

think they can dictate what a woman does with her body. Things they know nothing about and the people who support the authority in charge, the system and its perpetrators that have been so deeply ingrained in the minds of the people that are a product of it. There will always be forces pushing against me and my movement. But ultimately, it boils down to a very simple question; Are you down with those who oppress or with those who are oppressed?

I usually spend my free time helping my groups plan and organize actions and activities for protests. I also love to read and further my knowledge on things that interest me so I am able to educate my peers and the people who need it, so I am able to help them.

Considering all of this and me constantly teaching those around me something, I think I would want to be an educator of some sort. Shaping young minds to help build a better future for humanity, so we can all finally stop saying that youth is wasted on the young. I'd definitely be either an English or history teacher, so I could teach students how to speak out for what's right for one, and teach them how history shows the parallels of when we need to start speaking out today, for the other. I protest for a better future. If you are interested in helping the fight for a better humanity, look at groups such as WorldCan’tWaitHawaii, Refuse Fascism, RiseUp4AbortionRights, etc.

by Cheska Orias

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, which is symbolized by a purple and turquoise ribbon. Another symbol people use is the semi-colon to show that their story isn’t over. The purpose of the month is to raise awareness about suicide as it’s a serious health problem, and how everyone can play a role in preventing it, along with breaking the stigmas around suicide and to share the stories of people who were suicidal once in their lives.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the leading cause of death in the United States with over 48,000 deaths in 2021. Also during 2021, an estimated 12.3 million adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million made plans, and 1.7 million attempted. Hawai’i currently ranks 39th among U.S. states for suicide death with 12.9 deaths per 100,000.

Yet, despite its low ranking compared to other U.S. states, suicide is still a leading cause of death in Hawai’i, especially among young people. It’s the second leading cause of death for ages 10-34. The number is higher among high school students nationally–nearly 20% report thoughts about suicide and 9% report a suicide attempt according to CAMS-Care.

I am one of that 9%.

While I may not be able to speak for all who suffered from suicidal thoughts, I truly cared for my family and friends. Yet, in those darker times, I thought I was just a burden to them and a waste of space and the thought of suicide was the only way to make them happy. This thought and idea only worsened when my parents who weren’t informed and didn’t know the severity of it told me, “It’s just a phase, you’ll get over it.” My parents had never dealt with such a thing and didn’t know what to do when I felt like this. This is a reason Suicide Prevention Awareness Month exists, to inform the public and what they can do to help.

Those who have lost loved ones to suicide wished they could have seen the signs, wished they could have done something to help. Learning the signs is important to recognize it in others, or in yourself.

Talking about wanting to die or kill themselves

Talking in bleak terms ex: “I feel like a burden to others,” “Nothing matters,” “Everything is a pain.”

Starting to give away precious/valuable things away to others

Socially isolating/Withdrawing from social contact

Doing increasingly risky/destructive things to themselves

Displaying extreme mood swings

Eating or sleeping more or less

Some signs I exhibited were extreme mood swings and withdrawing from social contact. My friends and family could see these signs, but didn’t know how to react so they just dismissed it.

Risk is not just one singular thing. It can range from individual, relationship, community and societal risk factors as stated by the CDC.

Some factors/reasons someone may try to commit suicide are:

History of depression and other mental illness; serious illness such as chronic pain; bullying; discrimination;

job/financial problems or loss; current or prior history of adverse childhood experiences; loss of relationships; high conflict or violent relationships; lack of access to healthcare; access to guns or firearms in the house

It is difficult to tell who will act on suicidal thoughts, as suicidal thoughts can look different in everyone. The risk factors are still important to keep in mind, as someone showing warning signs of suicide may be at higher risk.

I’ve had many risk factors in my life. One big thing is loss of relationships in the form of friends. At the surface it may sound childish, but those friends were everything to me at that time. When they left, I felt so lost and alone. I felt like I wasn’t good enough and it was all my fault for losing them.

Sadly, there lots of stigma and hurtful misconceptions surrounding suicide that make it harder for those suffering from suicidal thoughts to reach out and ask for help. A common misconceptions is that “Suicide is selfish.” Suicide is not selfish; suicide is a cry for help.

One might counterargue “You’ll bring unbearable pain to your loved ones if you kill yourself,” but as a society we need to understand suicide happens in a moment of intense emotional or mental health crisis, getting to the point where they can not tolerate this pain anymore, feeling suicide is the only way to end their pain and suffering.

Suicide is an ongoing problem that needs to be addressed. Even when it’s not Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, continue to learn about the signs and ways you can help your loved ones. Lend a shoulder for them to cry on, be there for them and listen without judgment.

Let them know they are not alone.

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Established in 1920

Editor-in-Chief

Shane Kaneshiro

Reporters

Jerzel Bornios

Isaiah Dexheimer

Lukas Gaudier

Kenvin Huynh

Jayson Jwanian

Deon Kelley-Reed

Jerome Linear-Owens

Joseph Mai

Malia Manuel

Nhi Nguyen

Cheska Orias

Kiara Chastity Pajarillo

Kai Pendleton

Adviser

Cynthia Reves

Mission

The Pinion staff strives to provide and maintain accurate, entertaining and informative news 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.

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A return to the Daily Pinion

In 1920, McKinley High School students started a newspaper called “The Pinion.” Over the years, it was biweekly, then weekly, then daily. The name was changed to “The Daily Pinion” and kept that name until the 1990’s. This year, we have brought back “The Daily Pinion” via The Pinion’s Instagram, @mhspinion.

October 2023