The Valorant team with their award after the championship. From left to right is Rendall Choy, Miah Lam (c/o ‘28 ), Dylan Pham (c/o ‘26), Tommy Nguyen (c/o ‘26), Codie Soriano (c/o ‘25), Jon Lui Dominguez (c/o ‘26) and Landon Apaka (c/o ‘26) .
Articles Featured:
Page 2-3: May Day Preparations
Page 4-5: New Plaque
Page 5-6: New Winter Guard
Page 7: Esports Valorant
Page 8-9: 10th Grade Honors Mock Trial
Page 10: Banned Books
Page 11: Minecraft Movie Review
Page 12-13: The Silent Patient Book Review
Page 14: Farewell From EB/HHSJA Awards
Page 15: Pinion Staff As Book Genres
Page 15
McKinley
Photo courtesy of Rendall Choy.
Kanaka Maoli Find Healing in Legacy of Annexation Pages 4-5
The plaque installed near the McKinley statue.
Photo by Kena Anien(c/o ‘27)
Justin Collado plays the ukulele as the group dances.
Photo by Kena Anien (c/o ‘27)
Preparations Key to Successful May Day
by Kena Anien and Rose Ganotisi
This article was written before the May Day performance occurred.
This year McKinley High School’s May Day performance took place on May 9 from 6 to 8pm.
This year’s theme highlighted the older, more traditional style of hula, inspired by the iconic Kodak Hula Show, a Waikiki staple from 1937 to 2002. This style of hula focuses on storytelling through facial expressions and simple movements.
“Most of the beauty, why people were captivated [by hula] was through expressions,” math teacher Justin Collado said, “If you tell yourself you’re beautiful and you translate that into your movements, you can be beautiful.”
Collado describes himself as being the director of May Day since he is in charge of putting everyone and everything together to create the show. The reason he wanted to put on a May Day show this year is because he helped put the show together last year alongside another teacher, who he refers to as Aunty Gina, who retired last year. Collado wanted to see if he could put on the production by himself and he said that he knows he can always ask Aunty Gina for help if necessary.
Since Collado is a teacher as well, he said it makes being in charge of May Day a challenge. All May Day preparations have to be done outside of class, meaning staying later after school. Collado also said he works another job which makes balancing these responsibilities a challenge.
Collado has been doing hula informally since a young age and joined a hula halau this past year. He is in charge of teaching the May Day Court their dance, which he said is going well and he is happy with their progress.
“I’m not worried at all because it
will end up being fun and that’s the main thing,” he said.
Collado also told the Pinion about some of the community members interested in coming to McKinley’s May Day performance this year including former Lei Queens for the City and County of Honolulu’s Lei
Day Program Aunty Puamana Crabbe and Aunty Perle Marie Puamōhala Kaholokula.
Shai Simbahon (c/o ‘25), this year’s May Day King, said, “It feels daunting knowing that those who do hula in a professional environment will be watching us. However it’s a huge honor knowing that they want to watch and support us.”
Knowing that these former lei day queens are coming to watch their performance, it makes some of the performers nervous because they know what a big deal it is but it also motivates them to work harder.
“I feel really honored to represent this tradition and hope I can live up to the legacy they’ve helped create,” said Maleah Acidera (c/o ‘25), this year’s May Day Queen.
Collado said that while they aim for
a good show, it is essential that the audience remeber it’s not a professional program.
“[This show should be] something that we can be proud of and have fun doing,” he said.
Unlike last year, there will only be a night show this year. Principal Ron Okamura recommended not having a May Day school assembly day performance this year so there is no disruption during the school day. Many of the performers who were a part of the show last year expressed disappointment about not having a day show performance for the whole school this year.
Angriel Olap (c/o ‘25), a returning performer from last year, said how many students do not come to the night show so the school assembly was how they were able to enjoy May Day.
“I feel like a lot of students are going to miss out, it’s really disappointing but I understand,” Olap said. When the King and Queen, Simbahon and Acidera, found out about their role in May Day this year, they were both surprised and shocked. To get their role, they had to audition by presenting a hula of their choice in front of a group of kumus including Collado. Collado was the one who had the final say in assigning roles to everyone who auditioned.
Simbahon and Acidera said there are high expectations for them such as being good role models and leaders for others on May Day Court.
To Acidera, this means leading with kindness, humility and confidence. She said she tries to make sure everyone is respected and included. She said that she wants to be someone others can count on.
“It’s all about setting the tone for unity and aloha,” Acidera said.
Simbahon said that he was never quite the leader type of person, but he always tries to give everyone sup-
Girls’ May Day court practice their group hula.
Photo by Kena Anien (c/o ‘27).
port and offers his help when needed.
“I try to let my other court members know that it’s not always about getting every move correct, but about feeling the music and having fun,” Simbahon said.
Both Simbahon and Acidera agreed that the roles they got this year are a huge honor for them, but come with a lot of pressure and more responsibilities compared to last year.
Regarding how their Court hula dance practices are going, both Acidera and Simbahon said they are going well but expressed how much practice is needed in preparation for the performance.
“It’s a lot of going through things over and over again [making] small little tweaks and stylistic changes,”
Simbahon said, “Our dancers are picking up the choreography really quickly. We have pretty much all the dances down, we’re just fixing things stylistically.”
On top of the Court hula dance, as the King and Queen of May Day, both Acidera and Simbahon came up with their own hula dance for a solo.
Acidera said that she had some prior experience with hula but has not danced in awhile. Simbahon said that he did not have any prior hula experience besides these last two years, participating in May Day.
“I am so happy that I get to learn and get more hula experience thanks to Mr. Collado,” Simbahon said.
For their solo, they had to first
choose a song they wanted to dance to. There were no limitations for their song choice, as it was completely based on their personal preference. Then they worked on developing their dance so that it represents the song well to tell the story.
Acidera said this was the most challenging part of May Day since she doesn’t speak Hawaiian fluently so she needed to translate the song into English. She knows it’s important the hula dance matches with the song, since some of the people in the audience speak Hawaiian fluently.
“They’re going to know what you’re dancing, so you can’t just make stuff up,” she said.
Acidera’s favorite part of May Day is dancing for everyone and sharing the mele through dance.
“It’s very unique to do that and it’s something so different,” Acidera said. Acidera said that to her, May Day is important because she can showcase her love for her Hawaiian heritage by telling stories through dance. Acidera said that she comes from a mixed background that also includes Filipino, Spanish and Italian cultures.
“I’m really proud of all parts of my heritage and being part of May Day gives me a special chance to honor my culture and celebrate it in a special way,” Acidera said.
She also said it is an important time to see all the other cultures showcase themselves in their performances.
“It’s very fun to see it all come together to life.” Acidera said.
To Simbahon, May Day is a day where everyone comes together to celebrate their culture and it’s a time to get to know other cultures better. Simbahon said that he grew up mainly around Hawaiian and Filipino influences but is also Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese and Caucasian.
“At this school, we don’t have a lot going with our cultures. May Day gives us an opportunity to connect with our heritage,” Simbahon said.
Simbahon also told the Pinion about how hula is a big part of his family, but is something that he never became involved in. Both of his parents did hula in their youth and he knows a lot of extended family members that do hula because they love it
and want to continue the tradition.
“This is a really good way to reconnect with my family in a different way that I haven’t before,” he said.
Ikaika Ibara (c/o ‘25) was also part of May Day court this year, representing the island of Molokai. This was an important honor for him because his family is from Molokai, which was something he mentioned during his audition for May Day court. Ibara’s great great grandfather, William Nakeleawe Kamakana, was once the landowner of most land in Mokai.
“It was very important for me to be able to represent this mokupuni because my ‘ohana is from that island,” Ibara said.
Another role Ibara had in helping to prepare for May Day was sometimes working with the boys on their Court dance. He explained how he dances for the same hula halau as Collado, so Collado has trust in his hula skills, allowing him to help teach the boys their dance here and there.
“It’s not a really big role, I would say, but it’s just like anything, when you’re a part of a group, you help each other become the best,” Ibara said. Ibara also expressed the dedication and responsibility everyone needs to have for all of their practices in preparation for May Day. He said he believes it doesn’t matter your role in May Day, big or small, everyone has that kuleana to guide each other and help bring out the best results for the show.
Ibara said, “Because you are doing all these practices, putting all this dedication into performing your hula, giving your mele and sharing this part of our culture, every person, I believe, is a key aspect in the result.”
To Ibara, May Day is a celebration of cultures and lei. He said that a lot of people describe May Day as Lei Day, with lots of beautiful Kui style leis and Lei Po’o. He also expressed how there are so many different cultures celebrated during May Day from all over the Pacific.
“It’s a celebration of cultures and how unique our people are here. It’s just a beautiful thing,” Ibara said.
Justin Collado plays the ukulele as the group dances. Photo by Kena Anien (c/o ‘27)
Kanaka Maoli Find Healing in Legacy of Annexation
by Dominic Niyo
Beneath the statue of President William McKinley at McKinley High School, a new plaque presents a revised account of Hawaii’s annexation.
Installed at the school’s oval, the plaque challenges the common narrative that Hawaii was annexed by treaty.
Members of Na Pua Onaona o Kewalo, the school’s Hawaiian Club, say the plaque is intended to educate the campus community and offer a fuller understanding of history.
The plaque, proposed by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, aims to correct a long-misunderstood narrative. It clarifies that Hawaii was not annexed through a treaty, as required by the Constitution, but through a joint resolution of Congress known as the Newlands Resolution.
Native Hawaiian cultural historian Pualeilani Kamahoahoa, a member of AHCC who supported the plaque’s installation, believes the marker plays a crucial role in correcting the narrative. She sees it as a tool for education and reflection, a step toward understanding what she describes as a “painful history.”
“If you cannot breathe life into somebody, they will
never exude life,” Kamahoahoa said. “This plaque breathes life into a truth that has been silenced for too long.”
Located in the urban core of Honolulu, McKinley High School has long carried the symbolic weight of Hawaii’s contested history. Founded in 1865 as Fort Street English Day School, it was later renamed for President William McKinley, who supported the U.S. takeover of the islands.
In 1911, a seven-foot bronze statue of the 25th president was installed at the campus center, with a document in his right hand symbolizing the annexation.
“Hawaii was not annexed by the United States,” Kamahoahoa said. “Our Queen was imprisoned, held at gunpoint by 162 U.S. Marines. There is no treaty of annexation, what occurred was the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.”
After the 1893 overthrow, profound changes occurred in the cultural, political and economic fabric of Native Hawaiian life. Supported by sugar plantation owners and U.S. military forces, the overthrow led to the dismantling of the monarchy and the establishment of a provisional
Native Hawaiian cultural historian Pualeilani Kamahoahoa engages Na Pua Onaona o Kewalo students about the significance of the newly installed plaque at the oval, clarifying the legacy of annexation. Photo by Kena Anien (c/o ‘27)
government. In the years that followed, laws such as the 1896 ban on Hawaiian language instruction and the 1895 Land Act reshaped land ownership and political power, contributing to the marginalization of Native Hawaiians in their own homeland.
For Ikaika Ibara, (c/o ‘25) member of Nā Pua Onaona o Kewalo, McKinley’s statue stood as a painful reminder of the trauma many Kanaka Maoli carry. It honors a figure whose legacy is bound to the overthrow of his people, and the erasure of their sovereignity. However, with the installation of the plaque, Ibara has begun to see the statue in a new light.
“The statue now represents the resilience of our people,” Ibara said. “The plaque acknowledges not just the injustice, but the strength Native Hawaiians have shown throughout history. The past can’t be changed, but it’s important to see it for what it truly is.”
Over the years, several resolutions have been introduced in the state legislature to rename the school, citing McKinley’s role in the annexation. However, all have failed due to strong opposition from alumni.
Kumu (teacher) Kua’anaai Lewis, co-adviser of Nā Pua Onaona o Kewalo, said he believes that understanding the truth is essential for future generations to learn about the events that shaped Hawaii’s history. He sees the plaque as a crucial step in that education.
“The decision to rename the school isn’t for me to make,” Lewis said. “As a Hawaiian, I don’t walk by the statue with hatred. I look at it and think, that’s history—what can we learn from it?”
Kamahoahoa acknowledges the pain caused by the statue’s history but finds solace in the truth now being told. She said sees the plaque as a way to gain a fuller understanding of the past and believes the focus should be on education and reflection,
“We’re not here to tell people what to think, we’re here to tell the truth,” Kamahoahoa said. “That truth will set you free.”
McKinley Starts Winter Guard
by Jacky Oasay
After McKinley High School Band’s first competitive marching band season, they started a ensemble with the addition of a Winter Guard group.
Winter Guard is an indoor variation of a marching band color guard—meaning, the guard is the sole focus of the performance, as opposed to in marching band, where the color guard is an important visual for the band. It is a performance art descended from military tradition that involves intricate choreography and the manipulation of flags, rifles and sabers.
For McKinley’s first Winter Guard show, the theme was Barbie, with the songs “Barbie Girl” by Aqua and “Kings & Queens” by Ava Max.
The show opened with the performers in pairs. One wore light blue, representing Ken. The other wore pink, representing Barbie. Daphne Shiu (c/o ‘27), stood at the top of the stage and performed a dance solo elegantly. She then joined her members afterward in a swing flag solo. The rest of the show’s routine consisted of flag choreography with three rows of performers—the back and front row would turn the flag the same direction, while the middle row would go the opposite.
The flags being waved were purple, gold and white. The performers had cheerful smiles plastered on their faces at each performance.
The show, which focused on cute and feminine themes, representing women empowerment and independence.
They had three performances for their first season— March 29 at the Kamehameha Indoor Exchange at Kamehameha Schools, April 6 at McKinley’s Gym and April 13 at the WISH invitational at Leilehua High School.
“[Performing for the first time] is really nerve-wracking to see a lot of people watching you,” Shiu said. “You’re not just rehearsing.” Shiu, who is the Winter Guard and next year’s Color Guard section leader, has been in the marching band program since her freshman year. Outside of Winter Guard, she is in the Orchestra and plays the viola. Another performance art she used to do was hula. She is taking up the role to prepare for the upcoming marching season.
Shiu said taking this role has encouraged her to speak up more and be a role model to her members.
Half of the Winter Guard consisted of members who had no prior experience in Color Guard.
“It was a challenge to have them keep in time and be in sync,” Shiu said.
Shiu used her color guard experience in marching band to teach new members fundamentals before they started working on their show. The group started to practice their fundamentals in October and would often rehearse under T Building or at the W Building courtyard. They started (CONTINUED ON P. 6)
Photo by Kena Anien (c/o ‘27)
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rehearsing their show in January.
Mia Fiesta (c/o ‘28) played trombone during the marching band season. She joined because she enjoys dressing up and the visual aspect of the Guard.
Fiesta said there were many people in the marching band compared to a few of them in Winter Guard; therefore, she said their performance was much more exposed. In addition, the members rely on their own counts instead of looking at a drum major—the person conducting the band—to stay together.
“I’m thinking about the audience at Kamehameha … I tried my best not to look anyone in the eye,” Fiesta said. She said she panicked during their first performance due to the crowd, but immediately started counting so she would not fall behind.
Fiesta said the hardest part of their first season was gaining confidence. Additionally, she wants to improve
her tosses for next season.
An example of a toss in Winter Guard is a single 45. Fiesta said this toss requires a good initiation and commitment to catching the flag. Shiu taught the members how to prep the flag and toss it.
“It’s scary because it’s kind of right over your head,” Fiesta said. “The most important part of it is the initial prep.” The beginner members learned five tosses, while the veterans learned an extra five.
The selection of their show and choreography is created by their director Jasmine Oguma, who also directed the guard’s past two marching band seasons. This is her second year of directing Winter Guards as she directed at Kapolei High School before joining McKinley.
“I felt the show was fun and a great taste for what is to come in the marching season,” Oguma said via email.
The show was a minute and thirty seconds long. Oguma said this show was an idea she had planned that was fun, yet short, which is accessible for a first-season performance.
McKinley’s Indoor Percussion Performs at Their Home Show on April 6
For the full story on the Indoor Percussion check out mhspinion.com.
courtesy of Chloe Cunningham (c/o ‘26)
“The students went from not knowing what color guard is to being able to do a basic toss,” Oguma said, “along with performing moves as a united group with no one conducting them.”
Her vision for McKinley’s Winter Guard, and regular Guard program is to create a continued tradition that represents McKinley well. She said she hopes student and alumni would be proud of the program.
“Winter Guard focuses on body and flagmenship,” Oguma said. “By learning and practicing during the off season, one can strengthen their basics.” This continued practice also helps the members to be prepared for the upcoming marching band season as they perform for more audiences.
This opportunity is open to students who are not in the Band and Orchestra program. They are currently recruiting people in preparation for next year and marching season.
“If you’re interested in dressing up, playing with flags and being pretty, it’s a really fun experience,” Fiesta said.
The Winter Guard Performing “The Barbie Show” at the McKinley Indoor Home Show on April 6.
Photo courtesy of Chloe Cunningham (c/o ‘26)
Photo
McKinley Valorant Team Wins Zippy’s Championship
by Loraine Tambalo
After defeating Iolani 2-1 in the fall championships of the Vanta 2024 tournament, McKinley’s Valorant team was invited to the Zippy’s Invitational at UH West Oahu from Saturday, March 22 to Sunday, March 23—where they also came out on top. Out of three matches, they won two, finishing the event with a 2-0 final score.
The invitational included college teams like Michigan State, HPU, and Boston University, as well as a division for high school teams. While high schoolers didn’t compete directly with the college players, McKinley’s team had the chance to watch them play.
For those unfamiliar, Valorant is a free-to-play tactical shooter developed by Riot Games and released in 2020. The game is known for its strategic gameplay, distinct characters called Agents, and competitive team fights. Players control Agents with special abilities and aim to either plant or defuse a bomb, blending classic shooter mechanics with hero-based gameplay.
Rendall Choy, the team’s eSports adviser, said he recruited students who showed an interest in the game, though it took a bit of encouragement to get them to commit. This school year, the team started strong, worked hard, and won the fall championship. From there, Choy focused on selecting the best players—those who not only had skill but could also function well as a team.
“Everyone has a role,” Choy said. “We hope that students are humble enough to know when to sit and when to perform when their name is called.”
Each team member had their own take on the tournament. Dylan Pham (c/o ’26) reflected on the team’s humble beginnings.
“We started off pretty humble in the beginning. We were a new team, so we were like the underdogs. We needed to beat everyone,” he said.
The team also had to adjust to unfamiliar equipment, but Pham said they kept calm. “We just stayed nonchalant, no pressure.”
For Miah Lam (c/o ’28), the tournament was both exciting and stressful. While she enjoyed the experience, playing in front of a live audience made it harder for her to stay focused. Still, with her teammates’ support, she gained confidence.
“I was the last one alive on my team,” she said. “But I still won that round, so it’s fine.”
Tommy Nguyen (c/o ’26) thrived under the pressure. “Everything you did was on the screen, and there were a lot of people there,” he said.
In a tough match against Iolani, Nguyen recalled a turning point. “We almost lost,” he said. “But then we took a step back and really talked about our problems. We
started playing more together—and we won the whole tournament.
Landon Apaka (c/o ’26) said the hardest part was not being able to use their own gear. “It was hard getting used to the provided equipment,” he said, explaining how the unfamiliar keyboards and mice made it difficult to adjust. Playing in the tournament was fun, but he admitted there was pressure to defend their title. “A lot of pressure was on us to win again.”
Codie Soriano (c/o ’25) agreed that equipment was a major issue. “We weren’t allowed to plug in our own mice,” he said. “That was the worst part.” Despite losing their first game against Roosevelt, the team adapted and came back to win the rest. “It was really fun watching all the other players. It was even better when we won.”
Soriano also remembered a specific opponent who was vocal in trying to get under their skin. “We were down by four rounds, and they were getting overconfident—trying to ragebait us,” he said.
Choy noted that the team is full of talented individuals, but he hopes to see their teamwork grow stronger. “I hope they will be able to gel together as one team,” he said, describing their ideal synergy as a “well-oiled machine.”
Beyond the wins, Choy emphasized that eSports offers students more than just competition. The team didn’t walk away with scholarships, but they did earn a trophy— and meaningful experience.
“It teaches teamwork, communication, commitment, and grace,” he said, adding that character matters more than being number one. Choy encourages students to join eSports if it helps them find purpose and community. “If they need a place to belong—something to strive for together with other people.” Still, he cautions that it shouldn’t become a distraction.
Choy said he’s continually impressed by the team’s dedication and talent. “I’m just amazed; I’m just going along for the ride.”
McKinley Valorant Team competes at the Zippy’s Championships. Photo courtesy of Rendall Choy.
Guilty or Not Guilty? 10th Grade Honors Classes Take Odysseus To Court
by Cheska Orias
Guilty or not guilty? That is the question 10th grade English honor students of W226 are trying to answer in their mock trial case of “The Odyssey.” Students prepare to take on the roles of the prosecuted, prosecutors, lawyers and witness while researching and finding evidence to build their case. Irene Tanaka, 10th grade English and Honors Teacher, is the brains behind it all. Having done this for four years, this year will become the fifth. As the trial comes on April 29, May 1 and May 6, students choose their roles and prepare cases. And once the day of the trial arrives, students take to the stands of the classroom to settle the score.
“They have to show me understanding of character analysis, their TED Talk mannerisms they learned in quarter 2 and research skills which they did in quarter 1,” Tanaka said. “[Also] group works and the things that you don’t learn out of a book, like how to work together as a team and how to help each other out.”
How It Started
Tanaka started with a idea during a crime scene investigation (CSI) unit in the pandemic for a different Greek tragedy “Antigone”. She received positive feedback from her students as they said it was good, but wanted to see what happened after they did the police report. Tanaka used to be part of mock trials back in high school, so she called up her old mock trial coach who then gave her ideas on how to conduct the mock trial for her classes.
“I thought it would be a good way for students to exercise knowledge on what it takes to persuade, argue and
defend a point of view,” Tanaka said.
Tanaka chose “The Odyssey” as opposed to other Greek Myths such as “The Twelve Labors of Heracles” because it is easier to focus on since it only has one main character; “The Twelve Labors of Heracles” on the other hand had too many side characters and side quests.
“I felt that if we put Heracles on trial, then there would be too many charges against him,” Tanaka said. Students learned about the judicial system. Tanaka said they go through direct examination, cross examination, how to object to the other side and how to protect the witness without seeming hostile to the otherside. Tanaka said she thinks the challenge for students is building the case together.
“To work together to build a solid case is a skill you just don’t need for a classroom, but also for a work environment or in life in general,” Tanaka said. “You’re never really going to be working by yourself on anything unless it’s a hobby.”
Based on students’ readiness, Tanaka started off this quarter with reading “The Trojan War” while talking about the hero’s journey. Afterwards, she had them read “The Odyssey.” Tanaka also had her students watch the film on their own, take notes on the significance of each character and do side research on characters that weren’t in the films but in the myths.
Tanaka said all of that would be stage one. Stage two would be preparation.
In stage 2, students sign up for roles, prepare their cases, do research and get text evidence from either the written myth or the film; basing
their testimony for their characters. Students can sign up to be different characters from the myth or be lawyers for the characters. Tanaka said if there was just bailiff and jury, too many students would choose jury, because they think that’s doing nothing.
“When I was in 11th grade there were lots of oral projects, talking with words, socratic seminars and presentations,” Tanaka said. “I wanted to make sure they were comfortable speaking and looking for text evidence to back up their evidence.”
Tanaka said she had to strategically choose characters that would help students who were more introverted and needed a bit of structure. By choosing a character from the myth it gives students a parameter on how to act and what to say. Students who are more extroverted, could become a lawyer for a character and guide them on what they need to say during the trial.
“The year immediately after the pandemic (c/o ‘24), they had Odysseus and they almost won their case, but prosecution couldn’t get Telemachus [Odysseus son] to say the key point of evidence that they needed to win the case,” Tanaka said. “I was sitting there waiting for this piece of evidence to come up because it was obvious to me, like, you have to get them to say this, and they couldn’t get them to say it.”
Past Students Experience
Hayun Kim (c/o ‘26), a past honor student of Tanaka, found it a new experience. At the time Kim was in mock trial, so despite not doing any of the competitions for mock trial, it helped her practice a little.
“It was very fun to do it in [Tanaka’s] class,” Kim said.
Kim was a lawyer with her goal of memorizing the objections and protecting her client. Kim said she enjoyed objecting people and seeing her teammates be happy. During the trials, Kim was nervous, but was glad once it was over.
“In the end I really learned how to fight for what I believe,” Kim said.
Jeighna Raphalea Diaz (c/o 26), another past student of Tanaka, played the role of the cyclops from the myth, Polyphemus. Diaz worked with her lawyer to gather evidence and build a case. Diaz said to give enough time for the lawyer to object.
“You had to trust your lawyer to know who they were representing,” Diaz said.
During Diaz’s cases, she was to defend the fact that she (the cyclops) ate all of Odysseus’s men and trapped him in his cave arguing for self defense because Odysseus’s men came into his home and stabbed his eye.
“Out of three cases we won two,” Diaz said. “The one case we didn’t win, we weren’t able to prove that it was self-defense.”
Diaz said she learned to get over her stage fright since everyone’s eyes were on her and learned how to speak clearly because everything someone said in court is going to be written down and documented.
“I also learned how to be patient because sometimes the opposition’s lawyers are trying to get a reaction out of you,” Diaz said. “You can’t
Tanaka’s whiteboard counting down how many days are left till the trial. The posters on the right are a deep dive analyisis of the main characters of “The Odyssey” done in order to prepare students for the mock trial. From research, students determine the strengths and weakness of each main character. Students also did a short impromptu presentation to the class that used rhetorical devices of logos, pathos and ethos to try convince the class of the trustworthiness of the character. Photo by Cheska Orias (c/o ‘26)
show it because it’ll weaken you.”
Diaz found the work fun rather than hard, as she went to work with other different people and it was like an episode from “Law and Order,” a show about detectives and prosecutors pursuing justice in New York City.
“You just need to know what you’re defending and know the general story or direction, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to get it at all,” Kim said.
Diaz said Tanaka gave the option for students to dress up as their characters during the trials. Since Diaz played the role of a cyclops which only had one eye, she used a band-Aid on her forehead and a red marker on top of it.
“It gives the other side the sense of, oh, this is the character speaking. Not the student,” Tanaka said.
Diaz said some other student brought a white blanket as a cloak or dress.
“There was an Odysseus in my class that was getting super riled up and into the stuff,” Diaz said. “He actually stood up and Tanaka told him to sit back down.”
Diaz was going to be a part of the trials this year as a jury for the 4th
period honors class. Tanaka said that this is going to be the first year of having returning students participate in being a jury for her 4th or 6th period honor class. Tanaka said it might be a good way to show the 10th graders what the 11th graders have already done, and hoping for a more fair jury since they’ve experienced the whole trial.
“They can see based on their own experience what the 10th graders are presenting,”Tanaka said.
Diaz said for future 10th grade honor students to make sure to have some kind of communication with their partner, to think ahead and to not procrastinate.
“[Tanaka] does give you a lot of time to prepare for trial. Making use of that time would give you a lot of advantage within the trial,” Kim said. “Just do your best and don’t procrastinate like I did.”
“Students seem to be really scared of doing it at first, but as they go on, I think they’re more interested in who said what? What’s the verdict?” Tanaka said. “Since this is the fifth year we had three guilty and one not guilty.”
(CONTINUED ONLINE)
Opposing the War Against DEI and Information
by Malia Manuel
In May of 1933, crowds of students and soldiers surged through towns, universities, and cities gathering to spill ink and swallow time. An orchestrated purge of poetry, philosophy, science and stories highlighted a vulgar abscess leaking red, black, and gold. The acrid scent of burning paper hung heavily in the air as words of tolerance that were deemed “Un-German” vanished in the maw of the hideous blaze. A sense of repulsion mingled with authoritarian loyalty crawled through the masses, intertwining with the hair on their skin and latching onto their veins. The smell of sweat and unadulterated rage at something unknown, at an image constructed of greed, fear and dictatorship suffocated the air around them. The fog of nationalism wafted into the air as a cacophony of Nazi idealisms rang out in blistering dominance to the literary voices they were determined to destroy. Each flame marked a warning: that knowledge could be dangerous and the truth could be manufactured.
This prolific description is something many believe is part of a distant history, a relic of an ancient mindset that we’d like to think no longer exists. Unfortunately, this history is more relevant today than ever.
Book bans in the U.S. began to rise again in 2022, when Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools found 2,532 instances of individual bans across 138 school districts and 32 states. The bans followed no guide or standards that have been outlined by sources such as the National Coalition against Censorship. The ongoing bans target books that include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI.) Most of the content in these books surrounded oppression, LGBTQ+ topics, and minorities
Adding an educational perspective to the discussion, English teacher Christopher Martin weighed in on the issue.
“Simply put, book bans are used by people who want to further their own cause and agenda,” he said. “These same people believe their way is right and everyone else is wrong.”
Social studies teacher Rajani Dhakhwa Morita, recently led a discussion with her class on different instances of suppression of information throughout history. One infamous example they were discussing in class just this week was Hitler’s public burning of books.
“This was an attempt to erase diversity of thought. There seems to be a throughline of anti-intellectualism that fascist governments tend to support,” she said.
It is important to take this historical context into consideration as we traverse life under the current admin-
istration. Hitler’s book burnings and Trump-era book/ information bans share a key similarity: both aim to control ideology by suppressing ideas that challenge the dominant power. Under Hitler, the books that they destroyed were considered “un-german.” This act was done to enforce their ideology.
Under Trump, policies targeting books work similarly to restrict narratives that conflict with conservative values. The goal is often framed as protecting children or promoting patriotism, but the effect is silencing and narrowing public discourse. For example, one major action Trump took near the start of this term is Executive Order 14190. Signed in January 2025, this executive order prohibits K–12 schools from teaching materials considered “anti-American” or promoting “gender ideology” and critical race theory. It directs law enforcement to investigate and potentially prosecute educators who facilitate the social transition of transgender minors, including using preferred names or pronouns.
“The era of extreme Jewish intellectualism is now at an end… The future German man will not just be a man of books, but a man of character,” Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Propaganda said during the book burnings in 1933. This purge of literature was symbolic, each book was considered to be a threat to the Nazi’s way of thinking. Now, we are forced to compare that to language used in Trump’s rhetoric and policies, such as when his administration labels books as “anti-american” or radical indoctrination. ...
Art by Nhi Nguyen (c/o ‘27).
The Minecraft Movie and Irony of Enjoyment
by Leif Allgood
On April 4, 2025, The Minecraft movie finally released and I got to see it in all its glory opening night. My friend group and I initially went as a joke to celebrate my friend’s birthday, and we were all expecting it to be dumb and substandard. However, when I sat down in that theater, there were a good 100 people around me started yelling out quotes from the trailers and excited for it to start. In my opinion, it was a great movie. Not a fantastic life changing one by any means, but still very fun and interesting movie.
In 2011, a new open world survival game was released by the name of Minecraft. The game was an instant success, becoming the best selling game of all time according to IGN, a website dedicated to reviewing and giving overviews about video games. For many people, Minecraft was a pivotal aspect of their childhood. With the game selling over 300 million copies being sold, it was only inevitable that there was something bigger to come.
In 2014, rumors of a minecraft movie were floating around with Markus “Notch” Persson, the Creator of Minecraft, who is no longer associated with Mojang and sold the company to Microsoft in 2014, talking to Warner Bros. Pictures about developing a film. In 2024, the film was finally announced to some admittedly lukewarm reception. Myself and others thought that it looked really bad from just the trailers alone and were dreading its release. The artstyle of the world and especially its creatures looked uncanny and strangely realistic but gross. Along with casting big figures such as Jack Black and Jason Mamoa. A lot of people including myself thought the movie would be reduced down to a dumb joke filled with painfully modern jokes and Marvel-esque quips.
The movie, through trailers, started gaining some traction through irony. Much like the failed film of Morbius, the target audience started ironically claiming that the Minecraft movie would be the best ever. Several people started taking clips from the trailers and making bizarre memes with them resulting in widespread knowledge and ironic hope for the Minecraft movie to be good, and it turned out fairly decent, I say even pretty good.
I will say the plot of the movie did feel extremely rushed. Some shots in the movie were beautiful and well shot. With tons of cameo’s from famous Minecraft Youtubers and a tribute to the late, great, Technoblade, a famous Minecraft Youtuber who sadly passed away from cancer, this movie felt like a love letter to the game that I grew up with. The movie also included several queer
Chicken jockeys in Minecraft are a hostile mob consisting of baby zombies that ride on chickens. They were first added into the game in Nov. 2013, in the 1.7.4 Java Edition update. They are a rare appearance in the game with a 0.25% spawn rate. Despite its small size, the mob can prove quite a challenge for newer players.
Art by Cheska Orias (c/o ‘26)
themes which spoke to me and my friends.
Overall, this movie tapped into my nostalgia and just general enjoyment of fun movies. It definitely was a dumb-fun movie, nothing spectacular or to analyze but still a darn good film. The characters were written well and had good back and forth with each other along with generally enjoyable acting. Several of the action scenes were fun, well-paced and watching the characters explore the Minecraft world was super entertaining but with a good sense of irony to it.
It was an enjoyable watch and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It tapped into my childhood nostalgia of playing Minecraft at 7 AM on my PS3. The Minecraft movie is still being shown in theaters, albeit with very chaotic audiences that will no doubt make it a noteworthy experience.
‘The Silent Patient’ Good Potential, Poor Execution
by Nhi Nguyen
This review contains major spoilers.
What makes a good thriller book? Is it a gripping plot? The characters? A unique premise? Or the ending? Can one element singlehandedly break an entire thriller?
These are all questions I’ve asked myself after reading Alex Michaelides’s “The Silent Patient,” and I’ve found that you can’t afford to neglect your twists in a genre defined by them.
“The Silent Patient” is perhaps one of the most popular thriller novels, written in 2019 and appearing on most if not all thriller book lists you find on the internet. The book centers on Theo Faber, a psychotherapist who transfers to “The Grove,” a small psychiatric facility in London teetering on the edge of closure, in hopes of understanding Alicia Berenson, a woman who killed her husband six years ago and has never spoken since, her only message the “Alcestis”—a cryptic self-portrait of herself in front of an easel and canvas after the murder, her paintbrush “dripping red paint—or is it blood?”
“The Silent Patient” compelled me to read from the exposition all the way to the final twist at the end of the book in a single sitting. Unfortunately, this twist turned out to be so profoundly disappointing it ruined the rest of the book for me.
“The Silent Patient” makes use of the “unreliable narrator” trope, where the main character is either
On April 9, Principal Ron Okamura sent a mass email to parents addressing an “employee misconduct allegation.” Visit mhspinion.com to read an editorial regarding the community response.
shown or revealed to be misleading the reader either unintentionally or on purpose—the latter in Theo’s case. Though I am usually fond of unreliable narrators, it does not work well in “The Silent Patient.” Many of the events leading up to the twist feel nearly meaningless by the end of the book.
Throughout most of “The Silent Patient,” Theo tries to do three things: become Alicia Berenson’s psychotherapist (which he achieves relatively early in the book) get Alicia to communicate with him and unravel her mysterious psyche, and learn more about Alicia through the people who knew her, all of which would help him get her to talk to him and finally reveal the reason she shot her husband. As the book progresses, Theo succeeds in getting Alicia to create a painting, which features the Grove alflame with two people on the fire escape, and Theo says: “I recognized the man as myself. I was carrying Alicia in my arms, holding her aloft while the fire licked at my ankles. I couldn’t tell if I was depicted as rescuing Alicia— or about to throw her in the flames.”
Later, Theo makes a major breakthrough: Alicia gives him her diary, where she has documented her life leading up to the murder. From here, Theo investigates the people she mentions in it to learn more about who she was before the murder. These people include Max Berenson, Alicia’s brother-in-law, and Paul Rose, her cousin. In the last fourth of the book, Alicia finally speaks. The next day, Alicia explains to Theo what happened the night of the murder: it was a masked intruder, not her, who killed her husband. But Theo recognizes her story as a lie.
The book also has a second storyline which runs alongside the main plot. This storyline is focused on Theo Faber’s personal life, where he finds out that his wife Kathy is cheating on him through a thread of dirty emails with another man. Shortly after Theo finishes reading Alicia’s diary in the main plot, he follows Kathy in the second storyline and sees the man his wife is cheating with for the first time. After witnessing them together, he continues to secretly follow Kathy, and tails the man as he returns home after another one of their trysts. This way, he finds out that the man has a wife at home he too had betrayed. The next several days, Theo repeatedly returns to the man’s home, stalking the wife and planning how to reveal the cheating to her.
The twist of the book relies on an assumption by the reader that the two storylines take place at the same time. But this second storyline was in fact set in the past, and
the man Theo’s wife was cheating with and his wife were none other Gabriel and Alicia Berenson. During the climax in the last 20 pages of the book, the last entry of Alicia’s diary recounts the night of the murder. Theo breaks into their home, knocks Gabriel out and restrains both of them. Theo tells Alicia he will kill Gabriel and she pleads for his life, and he forcefully wakes Gabriel and tells him to decide who he wants Theo to kill: him or Alicia. Gabriel hushedly answers, “I don’t want to die.” In response, Theo aims the gun at Alicia, making Gabriel beg him to shoot, but then shoots the ceiling instead. Theo then unties Alicia and leaves. The now silent Alicia picks up the gun and shoots Gabriel. In the diary entry, Alicia also reveals that she’d thought she recognized Theo from that day all along, but his reaction to her fabricated story was what told her she had to be correct.
My issue with this twist is that once the motive for Alicia’s murder is revealed, Theo’s investigations lose any relevance to the plot. Through the investigations, Theo learns that Max was jealous of Gabriel and tried to take her from him; Paul reveals that he grew up with Alicia after her father died by suicide, and her aunt Lydia Rose blamed her for his death. Besides this, nothing more comes from their addition to the story. Many of the other characters have a similar issue of feeling like they exist solely to act as a red herring or plot device. For example, Christian West, a psychologist at The Grove is antagonistic towards Theo and is revealed to have previously treated Gabriel before his death. But besides criticizing Theo’s every move and making his lack of faith in The Grove’s patients clear, the reader gets little other indicators of his personality. It feels like Michaelides did not put much thought into Christian’s character other than making him an obstacle in Theo’s way and a possible suspect at fault for Gabriel’s murder.
Theo’s investigations could be explained by an obsessive desire to “fix” Alicia and justify himself as a hero of
“You were in a state of shock. But over the next few days, you must have found your voice returning to you ...? By then ... it seemed pointless. It was too late.” - Excerpt from “The Silent Patient.” Art by Nhi Nguyen (c/o ‘27).
her story. But the twist never gives a satisfying explanation for Alicia’s silence. When Alicia speaks to Theo for the first time, she says that her silence all those years was because “it seemed pointless … there was nothing to say.” While I was reading, I’d assumed that this was not the full reason, and the real reason for her silence would be shown later in the story. But a better reason is never given. Considering that Alicia’s silence was one of the main mysteries of the story from the start, it makes finishing the book feel pointless.
Overall, Michaelides does a poor job of fleshing out and justifying his twist. Although his book has an interesting premise with a lot of potential, it goes to waste because of a twist and an ending that fails to give a satisfactory answer to some of the main questions that initially pull readers in. But even not considering the book’s disappointing twist, Michaelides fails to flesh out any characters other than Theo and Alicia. So much of a thriller revolves around the characters and the twist and so thriller book cannot afford to fail to properly develop them as “The Silent Patient” does. This means that even though “The Silent Patient” does a good job at pulling in and hooking its readers, it ultimately is not a book worth reading to the end.
Final rating 4.5/10
Farewell from The Pinion Editorial Board
“This was my second and last year on The Pinion and I wish I would have discovered it sooner. It was such a good opportunity to explore a different kind of writing that helps to inform my community as well as give my work a chance to flourish. I am really looking forward to pursuing journalism in college.”
- Malia Manuel (c/o ‘25)
“I am so happy to have returned to The Pinion this year. Besides writing articles, I’ve had such a great time meeting and learning about everyone on the staff. I believe that this year we have truly succeeded in accomplishing our mission, as we expanded our outreach and made an impact on our community. I’m really looking forward to my senior year with The Pinion!”
-Jacky Oasay (c/o ‘26)
“With this year being my third year on The Pinion, I am greatful to be able to interact with the community here at McKinley and being able to hear your stories! From The Pinion, I learned to grow as a person and was able to interact and mete people I would have never talked to before. I’m looking forward towards my last year on The Pinion in 2025-2026!”
- Cheska Orias (c/o ‘26)
Serving as an editor for The Pinion has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my journey. It taught me that journalism isn’t just about headlines or doing the bare minimum, its about listening, questioning and honoring the voices of our community. From hosting townhalls to uncovering information in active police investigations, I have learned the value of telling stories with integrity.”
-Dominic Niyo (c/o ‘26)
“This is my second year as part of The Pinion, and it was a great experience getting to interact with everyone in our school community this year. It has been an honor to able to serve McKinley through our work and I’m looking forward to my next two years with The Pinion!”
-Nhi Nguyen (c/o ‘27)
On April 17, The Pinion staff attended the Hawaii High School Journalism Awards banquet at the UH Manoa Campus Center ballroom. HHSJA recognizes the best writing, photography, design and online publications of Hawaii high schools. Hear Pinion journalists talk about their experiences as mhspinion.com
-MCKINLEY AWARDS-
WRITING DIVISION
State - Second Place
(First among public schools)
PHOTO DIVISION
State - Tied for Third Place
(Tied for first among public schools)
DESIGN DIVISION
State - Tied for Third Place
(Tied for first among public schools)
First Place - Contest Poster
Journalist Changes the World by Cheska Orias
What if some of The Pinion staff became their favorite book genres?
With so many book genres out there, what are some of the favorites of The Pinion staff? To find out more about their interests, visit mhspinion.com
The Pinion 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.
Publication Information
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The Pinion’s Crossword Game
ACROSS
1. Which high school did McKinley’s Esports team lose to in their first round?
3. What is the other Greek character Tanaka considered to do for the mock trial, but didn’t because too many charges would be pressed against him?
5. What is Theo Faber’s job in “The Silent Patient?”
DOWN
6. The U.S president credited for the annexation of Hawaii, which many consider be illegal.
8. Which Hawaiian island does Ibara’s famliy come from?
10. Who is in charge of organizing/putting together May Day?
2. What instrument does Aki play after she joined the front ensemble? (answer only available at mhspinion.com!)
4. Who is the original creator of the game Minecraft?
7. What was Diaz’s role last year during the mock trial?
9. At which school did the Winter Guard do their first performace?
