The Pinion Vol. 102 No. 2

Vol. 102 No. 2 Dec. 2023

The student-run newspaper of McKinley High School

Established in 1920

by Joseph Mai Principal Ron Okamura has been working at McKinley High School since 2008 and has seen the chicken population from the beginning.

Okamura said originally there were two hens at MHS. “Someone had a brilliant idea that they need boyfriend, so all of a sudden this rooster appears,” Okamura said.

After the rooster arrived, the population increased steadily.

“The two hens we had, I used to call them McKinley chickens because it’s the first time I’ve ever seen black and gold chickens,” Okamura said. “Now they’re inbreeding, and they’re getting kinda ugly.”

Okamura said he was raised on a farm and chicken noises are like white noise and do not bother him.

“My honest opinion, I love chickens,” Okamura said.

Juden Bonilla (c/o 2026) said he also has positive feelings toward the chickens. He said he has seen the chicken population grow and their aggression lessen.

“Honestly I quite like them; they’re kinda fun to just look at sometimes,” Bonilla said.

Bonilla said when he and his friends were talking, a chicken ran on top of him.

“They were running in like the middle of the group and one of them tried to shoo them away so they just Please see CHICKENS on page 2.

1 Hen, 2 Chicks, ...

A Hundred Chickens Chicken Population Grows

RS 24-0513

“Honestly I quite like them; they’re kinda fun to just look at sometimes,” Juden Bonilla (c/o 2026) said. Photo by Shane Kaneshiro.

CHICKEN Continued from page 1. ran on top of me,” Bonilla said.

Esther Shibata, McKinley’s head custodian for over thirty years, said she tries to look at the positives. One positive is there are less bugs because the chickens eat the bugs. When she drove her cart during security checks at night before the chickens came to MHS, she would hear cockroach noises throughout the campus, but now with the chickens here, she no longer hears the cockroaches.

Shibata says she doesn’t like pesticides. Since the chickens are natural predators to bugs, they’ve been keeping the bug population low.

“I’ve seen them fight over trying to eat a centipede. One would pick it up and run and yell, and one would chase him down and grab it off his beak. it’s unbelievable,” Shibata said. “That’s the plus side, that they keep down the roaches and the centipedes, and the scorpions.”

But a trade between pests comes with its problems.

“When the chickens first came, I seen one, seen two, next you know we have more than a hundred,” Shibata said. “All you need is one, two, that’s it, they’re worse than rabbits. One day I see a hen, the next day I see like twelve little ones right behind her.”

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Shibata said she used to collect the eggs and give them out. She said these feral chickens are smart and can fly.

She said the chickens wait until the bushes grow long and fly up into the trees to lay their eggs.

“I wish they weren’t here because it’s more added work for us. They make holes in the ground, gotta keep patching it,” Shibata said. “Whatever they’re making dirty we gotta clean, so not happy with them here.” MHS isn’t the only community discussing chickens. A Civil Beat article said neighborhood boards in Manoa, Hawaii Kai, Kahala, McCully/ Moiliili and Downtown/ Chinatown are also complaining about the chickens.

Okamura said he has hired people in the past to catch chickens but for $700 they only caught two chickens. Shibata asked different farms if they wanted the chickens. One farm did agree to collect the chickens but over time even they had too many chickens and stopped collecting.

“If anybody has a solution as to the humane way to get rid of them, let me know,” Shibata said. ”I’ll gladly work with them. I just don’t know what to do with them.”

December 2023

NEWS

Strive HI Results Reveal Good and Bad for McKinley High

by Kenvin Huynh On Nov. 2, the Department Of Education shared how schools performed in the 2022-23 school year through the Strive HI Performance System results. McKinley’s scores were average, yet sufficient.

The Strive HI Performance System is an education assessment implemented by the Hawaii State Department of Education. It was created in response to the U.S. Department of Education allowing states to change some rules from the No Child Left Behind law. Hawaii’s education department developed Strive HI to replace outdated rules and improve support for students and schools. It looks at student performance and assesses if schools are doing a good job.

Although McKinley English results remained the same at 67% from 2022, McKinley outperformed the state’s overall English results, scoring 8% higher.

Students at McKinley showed improved proficiency in science, going from 26% proficiency in 2022 to 34% in 2023.

Math proficiency had decreased by 5 percentage points from the previous year, going from 30% to 25%.

The Strive HI results go beyond just test scores, they also reveal graduation rates. Last year, 88% of freshmen were promoted on time. Only 12 percent of freshmen failed one or two classes last year. Principal Ron Okamura said, “One thing that we’re really proud of this year is that our 9th grade retention went down to 12%. The previous years had been 25, 23%.”

However, McKinley’s absenteeism worsened. In 2023, 31% of students missed 15 days or more, an increase from the 28% in 2022. Okamura said he believes showing up to school seriously impacts a student’s test scores.

“If you’re not here, you cannot learn. If you cannot learn, you cannot do well on the test,” he said. This indicates the importance of attending school for both learning and performing well on exams.

Another challenge Okamura highlighted is getting McKinley students to take the test seriously. “It’s something that’s got to come from the students themselves,” Okamura said.

Although the test doesn’t count towards student grades or graduation, Okamura emphasizes, “The one thing that we want to see, and your parents want to see is where you stand as a student here at McKinley High School, in comparison to your classmates, district, island, and state.”

NEWS

December 2023

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McKinley Teachers Display Their Talents at Capitol Modern Artist Teacher Exhibit

by Nhi Nguyen Four McKinley teachers were given an opportunity to showcase their art and their talents and hobbies outside of the classroom at Capitol Modern’s Artist Teacher exhibit. The exhibit which ran from Nov. 1 to Nov. 24 featured 27 teachers, including MHS

teachers Kristi Auyong, Kaui Chun, Eren Star Padilla and Jeffrey Ideta.

The featured teachers were honored to have the opportunity to share their art pieces in the exhibit, and they encourage others to try art if they think it’s how they would like to express themselves.

“You just have to be creative.

Creative people are really important in the world,” Padilla said. “Everybody needs to express themselves somehow, whether that’s singing or dancing or talking or writing, even sports or running. Everybody needs an outlet to express themselves, and art is mine.”

Chun’s featured piece is titled “Mo’okū’auhau O Mele,” which translates to “genealogy of music.” The piece is an abstract depiction of musical notes and series of sounds, as well as the spinal cord, which Chun said refers to genealogy in Hawaiian understanding. To create it, he used acrylic paint and red earth from Moloka’i, the birthplace of his grandmother. In using the earth, Chun intended to infuse the spirit of his ancestors into his art.

“Art should be a transformative experience. So therefore, my materials carry a lot of message, like the red earth,” Chun said.

Chun is currently a history teacher, but he is also a professional artist. The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts purchased one of his larger paintings titled “Kahiwa,” which has been featured in many of its exhibitions. He also sells art to other places, such as hotels.

“I’ve sold over $200,000 worth of art over the last 15 years,” Chun said.

“Mo’okū’auhau O Mele” by Kaui Chun.

Padilla’s featured recycled paper collage, “Fairy Terns,” pictures two of the birds of which the piece is named after against a blue background. Padilla has been making collages throughout the year. She enjoys birdwatching, which was why she decided to create the piece.

“I call myself a bird nerd. They are like the human experience for me,” Padilla said. “They nest, they have families, they look for food, they talk a lot. I just relate to them, and I enjoy watching them.”

Padilla said her family told her that she has been making art since before she could talk. She says that she has been trying to make things ever since she was very little. Her number one passion is painting, and she makes oil paintings, collages, and also does printmaking.

“If [students] ever need art supplies, come talk to us in the art department; we’ll help you,” Padilla said.

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December 2023

“Fairy Terns” by Eren Star Padilla.

NEWS

Ideta’s piece, “That’s the Ticket!” is a ceramic sculpture of a fantasy animal mix between a giraffe and a horse, which he created as part of a Fantastical Animal project he did with his students where they had to combine characteristics from two or more different animals in their sculptures.

“I mostly work in the classroom/studio so the students can see how I work,” Ideta said in an email interview.

Ideta got his start in ceramics in high school, and he continued doing it throughout college. Ideta creates his pieces in a variety of mediums, including metal, casting, and fabrication, as well as wood. He said that he just uses whatever he has at hand and combines it in his sculptures.

“Art is the most difficult major. Every day you have to be authentic and original,” Ideta said.

“That’s the Ticket!” by Jeffrey Ideta.

“Harmony” by Kristi Auyong.

Auyong’s acrylic and mixed media piece, “Harmony,” shows a koi fish and a lotus flower in the clouds. She said the reason she decided to create the piece was because she liked drawing skies and recently gained an interest in peace-related things.

“I just want [viewers] to feel at ease when they look at my artwork,” Auyong said.

Auyong enjoyed doing fiber arts in college, but found it took up too much space, so now she mainly does drawing and painting. Auyong has dabbled in art since she was a little kid, and she eventually found it was something she was good at. She graduated from college with an art degree, and after realizing she wanted to teach it, she returned to school for a degree in education. Auyong said that people who are hesitant to do art should just try it.

“You never know until you try things. And it’s always good to try new things, even if you’re scared,” Auyong said. “The only way you can improve is just [to] keep on practicing.”

NEWS

December 2023

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Marching Band

by Jayson Jwanian Throughout McKinley High School’s 157 year history, there has never been a field marching band.

The school’s band program has been focused on concert band and has done halftime shows for football games.

“When I was in school we would perform at halftime and it would be like marching band, but it would be very short and sweet,” band director and McKinley alumnus Joseph Nakamoto said.

This year, Nakamoto’s main mo-

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tivator for marching band was to grow the program. The band has participated in three out of six festivals. This year’s performances were inspired by McKinley’s homecoming theme, which revolved around movies.

“Starting out, the marching band was mainly for the kids who just want that opportunity,” Nakamoto said. “[It’s] also to get even people that are not a part of the McKinley community to know how the band is doing and what we’re all about as a school.”

At many of the marching band competitions, the students were able

December 2023

to meet other members from other schools. Nakamoto said concert band students don’t necessarily get to do that unless they go out of their way to make it to certain events.

“The marching band was a good opportunity for the kids,” Nakamoto said. “Not only just to get the experience and not only to make it the first marching band ever that’s in the school’s history, but also it does help a lot with the kids’ enjoyment with the band.”

Trombone section leader and equipment manager Louie James Magcalas (c/o 2024) said the band

NEWS

Makes History represented the school well and it was fun to not only see other schools perform, but also to socialize with them and connect the image that the band program is more than just music.

Preparing for the festivals was challenging with practices from 2:30 to 6:30 on Sundays and two hours on Wednesdays for a total of six hours per week. Magcalas said even though the rehearsals were hard, it helped build the idea of endurance. Magcalas feels a lot of the band students here are very persistent and trying to succeed even though they get some

criticism.

“You can’t really grow as a band student if you’re not willing to take criticism,” Magcalas said.

Bailee Chang (c/o 2025) is the color guard section leader. “But that’s only a name.” Chang said.

“We all take responsibility for each other and all contribute equally to help each other learn,” Chang said.

“Our instructors and section leaders can only take us so far. A lot of it is up to ourselves. And I think the hard work that everyone puts in is really awesome to see.”

Nakamoto said next year’s performances will be more thoughtful about the themes and get more into the marching band culture which requires a lot more in depth visual dancing and playing music with a story behind it.

“So that’s what we’re going to try pursuing for next year. But this year, I think it was a really good starting point. We sounded really good,” said Nakamoto. “We did the fundamentals of marching band, and we also represented McKinley well.”

The McKinley High School marching band performs at the Mililani Trojan Bandfest on Nov. 11, one of three festivals the group performed at this year. Photo by Shane Kaneshiro

NEWS

December 2023

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Go-Green Event Held at MHS

by Malia Manuel Americans generate almost seven million tons of e-waste each year according to the U.S. Public interest Research Group. McKinley High School students, teachers, and their families participated in the Go-Green Event on Oct. 28 in the front parking lot to encourage the community to donate and help people properly recycle their e-waste.

It is very important to certain teachers at McKinley that this waste is taken care of in the right way.

Stacie Maeda was one of the coordinators for the event. Maeda took the initiative to host this event after the CTE department demonstrated a need to recycle e-waste.

“This event cost less to put on than hiring another company, and we wanted to get the McKinley community more involved,” Maeda said.

Jodi Fong, a business teacher, also helped and participated in this event.

“We did the Go-Green event to help dispose of our unused and old elec-

tronics instead of just dumping them, which you are not supposed to do,” Fong said.

“There was a pretty steady stream of people coming through. There was a lot of e-waste from McKinley High School. I was surprised at how much e-waste came from our school,” Fong said. Around 20 pallets of e-waste were collected, most from MHS staff.

“It was nice to see the public coming to support and dispose of their things the correct way,” Fong said.

“Most of the e-waste was pallets from the school built up over the last 10 years,” Maeda said.

“Every staff member participating contributed to the 19 pallets of ewaste, and maybe 1 pallet of e-waste was from the public community.”

Although there was a lot of e-waste collected, volunteers for the event were not great in numbers.

Jeighna Diaz (c/o 2026) was one of the students who volunteered.

“It was a Key Club thing, and not a lot of people showed up to volunteer,” Diaz said. “My friends and I went to it though, and it was actually pretty

fun.”

“The highlight of the event was probably the food they gave us at the end,” Diaz said “It was super fun helping carry everything, though.”

Fong said the amount of volunteers helping with e-waste is small. Around six students, four teachers and their familes helped.

“I was shocked by both the amount of e-waste we had to pack and the small participation by the staff,” Maeda said.

Maeda was happy nonetheless about the outcome of the event and said she feels grateful for the small number of hard working people who came and helped with this event.

“They labored for six hours, three hours over the planned time, to help make sure all of the e-waste at the school was recycled properly,” Maeda said.

There are many places around the island to donate e-waste. Some of these places include E-opala Computer Recycling Center and T and N Computer Recycling Services.

Lack of Sleep Affects Students

by Kiara Chastity Pajarillo At McKinley High School, student life is diverse and bustling. Schedules to follow, work to get done, places to go during and after school involving routines students follow throughout their day, sleep being an essential part of student life.

Dinara Chelliah (c/o 2025) is one of many students at McKinley balancing her school schedule with her personal life outside of school. Chelliah said her classes are busy, keeping her sleep schedule from staying constent.

“I go to sleep depending on how much homework I have, like the time depends on how much homework I have,” Chelliah said.

Chelliah said that, in addition to PAGE 8

homework, stress keeps her awake, leaving her getting about six hours of sleep and feeling tired in class.

Mylee Rabago (c/o 2025) also doesn’t have a consistent sleep schedule. Her usual sleep time varies from 11:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.

“Homework is a major factor that keeps me up at night. The amount of homework depends on the school day and what classes I have. On odd days, I have homework for classes like chemistry, Algebra 2, and AP Psych, which usually take me a couple hours to finish. And on even days, I have less homework, but I still have homework for my AP Lang class which could take me between 30 minutes to an hour to complete.”

All this homework leaves Rabago with a few hours of sleep and negaDecember 2023

tively affects her throughout the day.

“It makes it hard to function and think throughout the school day.

It also means that I get tired faster throughout the day,” Rabago said.

“The amount of sleep you get really determines how your day is going to go.”

Nemours Childrens Health is a childrens health system that is dedicated to creating a healthier future for all children. NCH states the recommended sleep time needed for teens is 8-10 hours.

History teacher Shaun Kamida is one of the many teachers who sees how lack of sleep affects students.

“I think it’s always gonna be a problem. It’s always gonna be there, but I also feel that it’s getting worse over the school years,” he said.

NEWS

Realtors and Investors Take Advantage of Lahaina Residents

by Nhi Nguyen Whenever people talk about the fires that took place in Maui on Aug. 8, there is often a lot of speculation about who caused them, and anger that they happened. These emotions sometimes cause people to focus on the fires themselves and lead them to forget about the people in Maui that are still grappling with the aftermath of the fire.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, the fire in Lahaina was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. It also stands as the fifth most deadly fire in all of U.S history. Maui County officials estimate that 80% of the structures in Lahaina have been damaged or destroyed.

Amidst all the destruction, some realtors and investors saw an opportunity to profit.

According to Zillow, the average cost of a home in Maui is more than a million dollars. This means that victims of the Lahaina fire who opt to sell their burnt land would make far from enough to be able to replace and rebuild. The prospect of rebuilding is even more unlikely considering the fact that some investors are only offering a measly $100,000 for affected land, according to some Maui residents, including realtor Ashley Correa, who spoke to NewsNation.

Even though these offers are low,

desperate fire victims may resort to selling their land in fear that they will not be able to pay for a place to stay otherwise.

In a press conference on Aug. 14, Governor Josh Green mentioned his hope to issue a housing moratorium to prevent greedy investors from acquiring land from affected Lahaina residents. A blanket ban over all housing sales ultimately did not go into place because of worries about constitutionality. Nonetheless,

Art by Nhi Nguyen.

I think it was a good step towards trying to discourage investors from trying to take advantage of vulnerable Lahaina residents. But I find it disappointing that this is an issue Maui fire survivors even have to worry about.

Research has found that housing recovery is directly linked to economic recovery. If employees don’t have a place to stay, they can’t go to

work, and companies will not be able to function. Maui residents are still in a limbo. They don’t want to stay in another area to live. This means West Maui community will suffer.

Fortunately, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been working to help them recover. According to AP News, FEMA has paid out $5.6 million dollars to assist Maui residents, which includes a one-time payment of $700 for immediate needs and temporary housing in hotels and motels. FEMA is also offering up to $500,000 for home repairing or replacing.

This is all great news for disaster survivors, but it may still take a long time for benefits to come in or for rebuilding to begin. In the meantime, a resident may decide they want to sell their land. For this reason, I think a new civil law should be introduced that would ban offers significantly below market value while still allowing landowners to put their land on sale if they want to. This would protect the disaster victims while still granting them autonomy.

A combination of a new law and simple regard for those who are in difficult situations will make it so that Maui residents will stop having to worry about predatory investors taking advantage of their land. And if Lahaina residents no longer have to worry about this, then victims of future natural disasters in other parts of Hawaii won’t have to worry either.

Ka Hana Kaulana BE A PART OF MCKINLEY’S LITERARY MAGAZINE

Submit poems, short stories, essays, photos, and artwork via this QR code or bit.ly/kahanakaulana.

OPINION

December 2023

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A Girl’s High School

Experience

by Malia Manuel

O

bsolete ideologies and stereotypes on female roles and limitations still exist. During the formative years of high school, the teenage girl faces the brunt of most negative social experiences. We must suffer the impact of an unbridled rumor, the targeted efforts by society to police female dress, sexual assault and harrasment.

A high schooler’s primary form of information is gossip and rumor.

When a boy spreads heinous lies about a girl, their word is often taken above hers.

My friends and I have all experienced something of this nature during high school. An example that stands out is a freshman girl who liked a junior boy and his friends spread around that she was having sex with multiple guys. Many people immediately assumed that this rumor was fact. This made her feel overly self aware and that she was going to be viewed as “attractive” only if she was willing to be sexual.

These experiences force teenage girls to fit a certain standard in order to not be judged and that if they don’t, they feel insecure. They feel as if they have lost their self value.

In addition to these social obstacles, we also have to deal with how certain regulations are designed.

School dress codes often say things like don’t wear crop tops or show your stomach, don’t wear short skirts or shorts. I realized something; the codes were either aimed at everyone or at girls. None were specific to boys.

My first experience with such a dress code was in the ninth grade. A teacher pulled me out of class to tell PAGE 10

me my crop top was distracting to the students in the class. I marched back into the room and asked the class if they couldn’t do their work with me wearing a crop top; they looked at me puzzled, most just muttered they could or that it was fine.

Despite this answer, I was still told to cover up and sent to the office because I did not have anything to cover up with.

Girls are told to cover up in school, to be prudent and modest. A minor infraction against the dress code and we could be sent out of class to change, or to talk to the principal and call our parents. At McKinley, although enforcement is rare, the feeling persists. Labeled as “distracting” or “tempting,” it seems our natural bodies will continue to be seen as a taboo subject. Our outfits and how much skin we are showing, should not affect our learning.

School is supposed to be a place built for the students and as such, we should be able to feel comfortable and confident in what we wear. Our stomachs and shoulders should not be the subject of a detention, a class interruption, or a referral.

Regardless of what we wear or how much skin we decide to show, teenage girls are sexually assaulted and/ or raped at an alarmingly high rate compared to their male counterparts.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau, one third of teenage girls have been sexually assaulted as opposed to one out of every 20 boys. According to the Child Protective Services, 82% of sexual assault victims under 18 are female. The Children’s Advocacy Center found that females ages 16-19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted December 2023

rape, or sexual assault. According to Pew Research Center, about 90% of high school girls in America alone say that being sent explicit images such as nudes from boys happens to them a lot. 75% of high school girls report that pressure to send sexual images of themselves happens a lot.

My friends and peers are a part of these sexual assault statistics and inappropriate images statistics. And sometimes it happens on campus.

The simple fact that people are THIS comfortable committing these horrific actions on a high school campus speaks volumes to me. Young boys appear not to have been taught to have any regard for what their female counterparts are comfortable with.

The phrase “boys will be boys,” implied by some of our very own teachers and staff members and the teaching our young women so early in their lives to show less skin is just continuing the normalization of a man’s inappropriate behaviors and the shaming of a woman. We cannot legitimately claim that these statistics, this systemic bias, is the result of just a “few bad eggs.” Those “rotten eggs” are a product of a system that tolerates and perpetuates misogyny.

Women deserve the right to bodily autonomy, to have the ability to say stop and be heard, instead of being forced, derided and told that others know more about our basic rights and desires than we do.

We must stop saying “that’s just how it is,” as it is remaining complicit to the archaic views that we know simply as “tradition.” School, an inaccurate hidden curriculum, and how our lives and influences are structured socially as teenagers in high school is where change needs to start.

OPINION

Sit down and listen to your friend, and let them express themselves without judgment. Art by Cheska Orias.

Communication Is Key

by Cheska Orias One of the most important things in a relationship is communication.

Relationships come in all shapes and sizes and range from friends, families, romantic, and even with those you dislike. Communication is the bridge in a relationship with others, and if there is miscommunication or misunderstanding that bridge will sever and break.

There was a time I didn’t communicate properly. When I was at my lowest point in my life, I refused to ask for help, thinking that it would make me seem weak. I cut myself off from others who tried to help me, weakening and breaking the once-close friendships we had. Once I did get help and tried to talk to them, it took a while to mend those friendships.

As I grew from that experience, I OPINION

learned how to express my feelings and thoughts much better.

Keep an Open Mind Listen without judgment and without mentally criticizing the things the other person is telling you.

If they say something alarming, be concerned but don’t say to yourself, “Well that’s a dumb move.” Remember that the speaker is trying to convey their thoughts and feelings.

Be Attentive Be present in the moment and pay attention to what they are saying.

Give them your attention while they give you theirs. Mentally tune out background distractions so you can fully focus on what they have to say.

Be Patient Don’t rush the conversation. Allow the conversation to go at its own pace. If you don’t understand something, don’t interrupt. Instead, wait for a pause to ask for clarification.

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Look for Body Language When we communicate, we also say a lot without speaking. Our posture, tone of voice and facial expressions can convey a message.

Remember, not all people verbally communicate, as there are some who use sign language or communication cards, it is still important to be patient and attentive to them. There are times when things get overwhelming for me and I can’t speak, so I talk using my notes app. It allows me to convey my feelings and thoughts, while the person on the receiving end patiently waits and allows me to explain my thoughts through text.

Whether it be through speech, text, or any other form of communication it is important to have open ears and an open heart. It allows relationships to foster and blossom. But without that communication, relationships will wither and decay.

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ID Policy Needs Revising

by Joseph Mai This year, McKinley High School has been enforcing their ID policy for safety, by sending students found not wearing their IDs to the business office to buy a new ID for five dollars.

The main reason MHS has been enforcing their rules is so that students can be easily and safely identified by others and to identify those who should not be on campus.

The faculty now reminds students to wear their IDs during recess and lunch. They find students that do not have an ID by periodically checking student IDs during their classes I think this way of checking is fine because it is not obtrusive to the students and teachers. However, it doesn’t differentiate between those who do not want to wear their ID and those who do not have their IDs for the first time.

MHS should revise this rule to differentiate between those who abide by the school’s rules and those who do not. When a student abides by the rules but genuinely forgets or loses their ID, they should not be sent to

buy another one like those who do not follow the rules.

The business office does not keep track of people who bought a new ID but keeps track of people who still need to pay for the ID. Since they don’t keep records of those who get a new ID, they cannot keep track of those who constantly get a replacement ID. This means they cannot differentiate between those who are genuine about wearing ID’s and those who do not want to follow the rule.

A system to differentiate between students who keep losing their IDs, those who do not want to wear their IDs; and those who are not wearing their ID for the first time would highlight which students to focus on.

Students who do not want to wear their ID should be required to talk to their counselors.

Those who are not wearing their ID for the first time could get a light warning. This solution is simple but could be abused. A way to stop those from abusing this privilege is to give out detention for repeat offenders.

The costs will pile up if the student continuously gets new IDs. This can be a problem for those who keep los-

ing their ID. To solve this problem, MHS can advertise different methods to not lose them. For example a different method of wearing their ID with a clip but with a lanyard or teach them a mnemonic method to not forget their ID. The ID is one of the ways McKinley is trying to keep the students safe. It is also the student’s responsibility to respect the rules of the school. As a community, we need to come together to amend any grievances we have to keep our school safe for all.

Art by Jade Bluestone.

Hazel Health Program Works to Help Students

by Cheska Orias Hazel Health has been a program here at MHS for two years, and has partnered with the Hawaii Department of Education to provide quality mental health care for all students, at no cost to the family.

If a student wants to be referred to Hazel Health, they should see McKinley counselor Cami Yoshioka. Yoshioka said Hazel Health might benefit students who are having difficulty/ need support in school, family, peer groups, social settings and relationship conflicts.

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“If they notice or teachers notice changes that they’re experiencing, or they are looking to talk to somebody further about it, it might be a right fit,” Yoshioka said. “This is something that is not long term. It’s a short term solution,” Yoshioka said.

Students need to be referred to start Hazel Health. Yoshioka said students can do a self referral or be referred by a counselor or any school staff. Once Hazel Heath gets that referral, they will contact the student’s parents.

“It’s usually fast. Within 48 hours someone will reach out to them to December 2023

provide the next steps they need to do on their end, and parents need to give consent,” Yoshioka said.

Once it’s submitted, students go to do an initial interview with the parent and the Hazel Health therapist.

“If all the paperwork’s done and everything else is complete, then they’d be able to go on and do their weekly sessions together,” Yoshioka said.

“I think it’s something very helpful and a good opportunity for students to use if they’re experiencing situations or issues that are challenging and/or personal, and want someone to talk about it with,” Yoshioka said.

OPINION

Self-Discovery is Important

by Kiara Chastity Pajarillo Who am I as a person?

I came face to face with this question for the first time in elementary school when my class was asked to write on this topic for homework.

Since I had never given this question much thought, I wrote simple things like “kind,” “friendly” or “honest.”

Thinking back, I realize this question is a bit more complex.

Entering high school, the only thought on my mind was to “graduate and get into a good college,”

which didn’t leave me any room to decide what I truly wanted, valued or wanted to do after high school. During my sophomore year, I stumbled upon self-discovery when I needed to do a TedTalk about a topic that interested me for Honors English.

I learned that “ self-discovery” is the process of discovering yourself.

Jordan Tarver, editor at Forbes and the author of a best selling self-help book, stated, “Self-discovery is not a journey to discover someone new; it’s a journey to break down the barriers within yourself to discover your deepest truths. As you begin to invest time in learning about yourself, you’ll turn over new leaves that reveal your OPINION

most authentic self—the person you deserve to be.”

Self-discovery describes the process of gathering knowledge on your abilities, character and feelings. During our lifespan we encounter many variables like people, situations, experiences, peer pressure, relationship issues of any kind and self identifying crisis. That being said, any person on this journey, disregarding age, can learn what they value, their needs and wants, a better understanding

Art by Kiara Chastity Pajarillo.

of their abilities, their character and their feelings.

Reflecting on my life, I learned I wasn’t really prioritizing myself and instead allowed myself to get treated badly during freshman year. I let myself get taken advantage of and December 2023

degraded simply because I thought that was “friendship.” Self-discovery allowed me to discover that what I was facing wasn’t friendship and that I should put myself and my mental health first. Self-discovery was the best choice I ever made because it allowed me to live a healthier life mentally and physically.

Self-discovery differs for each person, but I recommend to start your journey with a commitment. Going through this journey will require you to focus and take action to

prioritize your needs.

You can’t make a change without putting the work in. During this journey you will reflect a lot on yourself, visualize the person you are and want to become, and allow your passions and interests to guide you.

Obviously, every person has different features and personalities, but when we evaluate our lives and think about what’s energizing and what’s not, self-discovery clarifies on what we want our future to look like by allowing us to perhaps find a more fulfilling career that we feel connected to or allow ourselves to realize and accept things that will move us physically, emotionally and mentally.

PAGE 13

Wrestling Forges Discipline

by Kenvin Huynh I started my wrestling journey just five months ago, thanks to the help and encouragement of a friend and quickly realized wrestling is a tough sport that really helps shape a person. It’s not just about throwing people to the ground. It’s about learning discipline. When you’re in the world of wrestling, the training is undeniably hard. It takes discipline to study hard all day and then go through a grueling two-hour practice right after school. This kind of routine makes you stick to a schedule and teaches you to be committed.

You can see the impact of wrestling in the lives of those who do it. This carries over into school and work.

Wrestlers often work really hard and are able to handle pressure well.

Landon Cruz (c/o 2025), a varsity wrestler on McKinley’s team agrees.

“I think wrestling has improved how I do things now, especially my discipline,” he said.

Consider the similarity between wrestling training and the challenges individuals face in everyday life. McKinley wrestlers are required to endure grueling sessions, pushing through physical and mental exhaustion. This mirrors the perseverance needed to overcome obstacles in real life scenarios, whether it’s in academics, careers, or personal goals.

Anthropometric studies conducted on male university-level practitioners of Josey Le and Brandie Pahia-Obra prepare for combat sports by Anna Burthe next tournament by practicing cradles. Photo

by Shane Kaneshiro. dukiewicz show that wrestlers often tend to have a more meIf you’re currently looking for a somorphic, or ectomorph build, new world of discipline and selfinstilled by the sport. This further improvement, I recommend trying shows that wrestling can help with out wrestling.

It’s not just a sport, it’s weight management and keeping a a journey that challenges you physistrong or agile physique. Not only cally and mentally, and also comes will wrestling benefit you mentally, along with multiple benefits. it can also benefit physical health.

Soccer Has Benefits

by Jayson Jwanian I’ve played soccer for most of my life. Soccer is a challenging sport that’s like a school for important life skills which also gives health benefits. It also requires a lot of practice to improve.

Peter Krustap, leader of a research study comparing recreational soccer to running, wrote, “Soccer is a very popular team sport that contains positive motivational and social factors that may facilitate compliance and contribute to the maintenance of a physically active lifestyle.”

Throughout the years, it’s made me better at communicating with my teammates and my friends. I’ve had multiple times where I made a run down the line to be open for a pass and I told them loudly so that PAGE 14

they could hear that I was going to be down the line and it’s given the team a lot of goal scoring opportunities. When I’m with my friends, I’m quicker with thinking before saying something and I make sure I’m not too quiet so that they hear me.

While I’ve played soccer, it’s helped me with my physical health and my cardio has gotten better. My doctors have told me that playing soccer has helped me get my exercise in and that it will help me in the future. It’s also really helped me with my routines to stay healthy and fit for the sport.

Sports psychologist Dan Abrahams wrote, “Soccer is a game of speed.

Pace will always play a beautiful part of the game but I’m not on about quick feet. I’m talking about a quick mind. I’m referring to nimble thinkDecember 2023

ing. A soccer player should live, breathe, and sleep speed of thought.”

My coach always reminds my whole team that you need to have critical thinking during the entirety of the game when you’re on the field because you won’t have all the time in the world to choose the best option.

This has happened to my teammates where they’ll hold the ball for too long and miss an option and then the other team will get the ball that way.

People should give a try to soccer by joining the McKinley soccer team or joining a soccer club outside of school and they may find they’ll want to continue. It offers a challenge to all players, also takes dedication and effort, and teaches you social skills such as communication and gives physical/health benefits.

SPORTS

Social Media Highlights of Quarter Two

Senior Council held “Soak-a-Senior” during lunch on Dec. 4. Selected teachers and seniors were doused in water with water balloons, water buckets, or with ice.

Nov. 2 the McKinley Band and Orchestra hosted “Falloween” concert in the W building courtyard.

In response to the death of McKinley High School student Sara Yara in February from a hit and run on Kapiolani Blvd., the Hawaii Department of Transportation is installing raised speed bumps on Pensacola Street from Nov. 27-Dec. 1 at 8am -3pm.

On Sunday, Oct. 27, the McKinley Theater Group performed its last show of the musical “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” The musical is based loosely off the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Washington Middle School students toured McKinley High School on Nov. 15 to introduce the middle schoolers to MHS with the help of staff and upperclassmen.

Nov. 29 was a rainy day. MHS students took out their umbrellas and dodged puddles to get to class.

Only On mhspinion.com

Editorial: School Threats

by Lukas Gaudier

Feature: New Attendance EA

by Lukas Gaudier

Editorial: Prepping For College

by Jerzel Bornios SOCIAL MEDIA

December 2023

Scan QR code for articles PAGE 15

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

What Superpower Would You Want and Why?

I want to be strong because I want to help people.

- Keimy Keleb (c/o 2026)

Adviser Cynthia Reves

What “Pinion” Means “Pinion” is a synonym for

I want teleportation so I can go straight home and don’t have to wake up early to go to school.

a feather, wing or quill

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.

- Ayva Walthall (c/o 2025)

Publication Information The Pinion is published by the Newswriting class and printed by Reprographics Learning Center.

The Pinion McKinley High School 1039 South King Street Honolulu, HI 96814 All content and more is at mhspinion.com.

Print archives are at issuu.com/mhspinion.

I would say super speed because I think it would be pretty cool.

I also can quickly get from place to place so I don’t have to waste time doing stuff.”

- Mario Fotia (c/o 2024)

Questions or Comments?

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Email - 10002427@k12.hi.us December 2023

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