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Our mission is to report news within Moanalua High School and the surrounding community as impartially as possible, while maintaining transparency and accountability as journalists Being members of the media, we exercise our First Amendment rights to free speech and a free press Our core principles follow the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics, centering around seeking truth, treating members of the school and community with respect, serving the school, and taking responsibility for our actions

Moanalua High School Newspaper 2825 Ala Ilima Street Honolulu, HI 96818 www.nahokunews.com Instagram: @nahokunews

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MeneKalikimaka!

Jadin Washington: Editor-in-Chief

Camille Irurita-Corpuz: Associate Editor

Leilani Acosta: Staff Writer

Naomi Brown: Staff Writer

Luke Jones: Staff Writer

Chiedozie Orji: Staff Writer

Deja Nae Semes: Staff Writer

Shane Wellspeak: Staff Writer

Nevaeh Hoku-Medina: Contributing Writer

Advisor: Ms Jessy Shiroma

COVER: MENEGRAPHICS STUDENTS ALEA MALIE BATOTO (11), CHAEZIE SHIRAISHI (11), BRIANNE MAKI (11), REYN IKENAGA (12)

RHEANNA NOBLEZA (12)

Foul Fowl?

SHANE WELLSPEAK STAFF WR TER

lanyards are both

DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW?

“NumberofChickensand PeafowlSection7-2.5ofthe RevisedOrdinances”restricts thenumberofchickensand peafowltonotexceedtwo(2) perhousehold,exceptin areaswheremoreanimals areallowed.Violationsmay leadtofines.

--HawaiiHumaneSociety

I can always count on spotting chickens along the way to school They dig into the ground and sit on every available elevated surface, echoing sounds of [insert the noise they make here] and getting into trash cans While many don’t mind chickens, others consider them a nuisance. The question that stands is, how did the chickens get to Hawai’i in the first place and how did they become so widespread across the island?

According to The Atlantic’s article, “Hawaii’s Feral Chickens Are Out Of Control,” the chickens were first brought in during early settlement–specifically by sugarcane farmers and plantation laborers who brought them along for food When the plantations began to decline in value in the 1800s, the workers and owners took the easy route of releasing this invasive species into the Hawaiian ecosystem.

Despite how harmless they seem, we have to keep in mind that chickens are wild animals that shouldn’t be touched Chickens have been known to spread salmonella and Newcastle disease to humans through contact with them or bird byproducts If you’ve been keeping up with local news, you also know there are major concerns with avian flu on the Hawaiian islands as of November The City and County of Honolulu’s online “Feral Chickens, Roosters, and Poultry Fact Sheet” also states that households are allowed up to two poultry per household to avoid them becoming a nuisance and shares that people should not be feeding any wild chickens either.

What will come of our MoHS chickens? In order to avoid any risk, some faculty members I spoke to have decided to start planning a way to remove the chickens from the campus in order to minimize the chance of any chicken-borne illnesses spreading

Not much is known now about how this task will happen at this time

Although their squawks and crows can be disruptive, many of us have begun to get used to and actually take a liking to seeing these chickens in Mene Square hanging out alongside us, and it seems these feathered friends enjoy our company too.

A DANCE THROUGH THE SNOW WINTER FANTASY

CORPUZ

Winter Fantasy, sometimes known as winter ball at other schools, has been a tradition here at Moanalua High School since 1973. Back then, its first theme was "Mistletoe Madness” and only seniors were allowed to attend the event However, from 1974, all MoHS students were permitted to attend this event.

This year, Callie Yonemoto and Miel Garcia are the two chairpersons in charge of Winter Fantasy

Miel Garcia commented on the preparations for Winter Fantasy by sharing, “The Winter Fantasy committee selects the theme, food, and decorations. Callie and I have options laid out, and our committee collaborates to make the final decisions. All of our supplies are ordered from Amazon. Mrs. Koyanagi has the final say and directs us, but I think our committee and our advisors have really facilitated that process. Winter Fantasy is a fantastic way of bringing students together, and it's something to anticipate during finals. We don’t really have a homecoming, so I think it’s a wonderful way to connect with others, have fun, and unwind.

It’s something every grade can enjoy "

The committee advisors are Mrs. Koyanagi and Mrs. Arakawa. Winter Fantasy had been held at the Prince Waikiki Hotel until 2023, which was last year; it is now being hosted at the Ala Moana Hotel The estimated limit is 320 people.

"I attended Winter Fantasy when I was a freshman,” Koyanagi shares

“Advising for Winter Fantasy is a two-teacher endeavor Previously, it had been at Prince Hotel, but we changed the location to Ala Moana Hotel due to cost. The hotels are now renegotiating the meal costs to make it as economical as possible so more students can participate. We used to do formal photography, but it’s starting to fade away We’re instead bringing in more photo booths, and the clientele is changing.”

Sometimes it can be easy to forget the history and efforts behind school-wide events like Winter Fantasy, but understanding and acknowledging the history allows us to make each year grander and greater.

Cathryn Wu

CAMILLE

Above: Students gather at their tables at Winter Fantasy 2023, which was held at Ala Moana Hotel

Left: Students let loose on the dance floor after dinner at Winter Fantasy 2023

Above: A pair of ch ckens roams the M Bu ld ng walkways after schoo

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

JADIN WASHINGTON

EDITOR-IN-CH EF

Every year, over 500 new faces show up on campus. They go through their first year of high school which starts with freshmen orientation, and they manage to figure out when and where they’re supposed to go as they find their new classes. (Our campus isn’t tiny!) Eventually when exam week rolls in, they participate in their first exam week Without any previous high school experience, new freshmen may have first imagined the high-school myths and movie tropes, such as how freshmen get shoved into lockers by upperclassmen.

Three MoHS freshmen reflect on their initial expectations of what high school would be like.

Kayla Oliver (9) was asked, “What is a stereotype that you believed in before coming into high school? Did it come true?”

Jayden Smith (9) was asked, “What was something that you were expecting when you came to Moanalua High School?”

Cyrus Tang (9) was asked, “What was something that you weren’t expecting at the high school?”

Since a new campus means a whole new sense of direction, freshmen find their way into their classrooms and buildings, and can sometimes understandably get lost. Some, however, get a headstart and receive pieces of advice (take a photo of your schedule, stay out of drama, avoid crowded walkways, etc.) from older siblings, so some come in with a small advantage and a more accurate glimpse of the reality high school life.

Despite all of the ups and downs the freshmen are dealing with during their first semester, some have already made new expectations or set personal goals--almost like a New Year s Resolution--for their second semester

“I’m expecting to be very confused so that I can learn and end up not being confused [in the future],” said Smith.

“I don’t really know, but I am expecting to get into AP classes [next year],” said Oliver.

“I’m expecting changes to my classes, but nothing too big of a change,” said Tang

You made it, freshmen! Congratulations on finishing your first semester here.

Semester1 Highlights

“I was expecting to get my head shoved in a locker because of all those movies I watch, but it’s not true, and everyone’s super nice ”

“I was completely expecting a big campus because my brother has shown me this [campus] before, and I was expecting for there to be a big cafeteria ” --Jayden Smith (9)

“I wasn’t expecting the wacky schedule In Moanalua Middle School, it was the same schedule for five weeks, and you go in a certain order With this schedule, there [are] three different types of schedules depending on the day, and it’s kind of wacky.”

--Cyrus Tang (9)

MOANALUA HIGH SCHOOL

DEC 14, 2024

HONOLULU CITY LIGHTS ICE PALACE DEC 7, 2024-DEC 31, 2024 MON-FRI 11AM-10PM

SEIHA BABAUTA (11)

JENYCE LAUVAO (9)

--Kayla Oliver (9)

CELYNE CARVALHO (10) TO WRITE MORE STORIES AND SPEND MORE TIME WITH FAMILY

JACARI MERRIWEATHER (12) TO CONDITION HIS BODY AND SEE PROGRESS AND RESULTS IN THE GYM.

CRAFT FAIR

COMP LEDBYCH EDOZ EORJ JR

You have the Right to Remain Skeptical: How to Protect Yourself from Fake News on Social Media in the Wake of the 2024 Presidential Election

When I first opened my Instagram on November 5, 2024, I immediately got bombarded with political messages from all sides of the spectrum. Scrolling through my story feed I had caught a case of informational whiplash from the clashing blue and red parties. One story had expressed concerns over having Donald Trump, a convicted felon, elected as U S President Then the very next story proudly proclaimed, “Make America Great Again.”

Among major broadcast networks such as CNN and Fox News, social media is emerging as an influential news outlet for political information This is especially true for Generation Z (Gen Z), the rising generation of voters and adept in social media usage

In January 2024, the Springtide Research Institute conducted a study on 6,669 young people aged 13-25 More than a third said they consume political news on social media on a daily or weekly basis. In an interview with Springtide, 21 year old David cites the benefits of social media in regards to the Palestine and Israel conflict, “Would I have known about that if it wasn’t for media sources?” Several other interviewees agree that social media provides them with a platform to receive news on political issues and get firsthand information from users who post about current events, but with this widely consumed information outlet comes the risk of misinformation.

Or is it disinformation?

These two terms are often used interchangeably, despite having distinct, separate meanings. The American Psychological Association (APA) states that misinformation is “getting the facts wrong” while disinformation is “intentionally misstating the facts.”

On social media, it’s easy for a single seed of disinformation, sowed with the intent of causing chaos, to be picked up by social media users eager to make a point for their party Social media tends to ride the wave of emotion, promoting things that get a rise out of people in order to promote engagement and viewers Thus, the seed of disinformation is then spread as misinformation.

This is where the real danger lies Users are shown the most popular posts amplified by political parties, without regard for if the news is accurate or factual With the accessibility of technology, it makes spreading disinformation easier than ever. So, how can you find the needle of fact in the haystack of fake?

The best thing you can do is to approach political posts with a grain of salt This also applies to all major news outlets In the land of the free, we have the ability to be critical of anything we see on TV or the internet Even if you want something to be true, it's better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to your vote

Finding the truth requires digging deeper into the post and evaluating the source and its credibility. Several news accounts provide a list of sources they’ve pulled their information from But just because there is a bibliography doesn’t automatically mean it s credible

You should actually look into the references cited to see if they are from reputable sources, like peer-reviewed journals or subject matter experts providing objective information.

Verifying sources may seem like taking the straight and narrow compared to the convenience of taking things at face value.

Although it may not always seem like it, the freedom to fact-check is a privilege. Countries under the control of a dictatorship indoctrinate their citizens by broadcasting extremist propaganda in support of their agenda. These citizens are expected to believe everything they see and never challenge the validity of the information

America is not perfect by any means, but we have the ability to question any news or issues that are presented to us if we find them to be suspicious. In short, don’t believe everything you see online

You have the right to remain skeptical.

Winter Sports Preview

“I’m looking forward to how our team is gonna look and how all the competition out there is gonna be this year I feel that our team got a bit smaller this year and we got a lot of new ones but we still can manage and help build our team to defend our title We would love for you guys to come out to our home tournament on January 18 and maybe for States on February 21 and 22 ” ZAIRA SUGUI (11)

AND BOYS SOCCER

“I’m looking forward to fin shing strong with my last year doing high school sports and we have a good group of girls so I’m positive we will do better than previous years This year we are a lot more gelled because we have that chemistry from playing with each other from previous years [Please come watch us on our] senior night, on December 28th.”

LAM (12)

Whatdo youwantforChristmas?

“Looking forward to better results then last season and make it further in OIA We are a lot more locked in this season then last season Our hardest games are Kalani and Kaiser so I’d definitely would want people to come support those games.”

KODY SAVELIO (10)

SWIMMING

“I’m looking forward to the meets and bonding with my team I feel like our team bond will make us strong and more confident. I would like for people to come support our Junior championship team ”

PADDLING

“[Our goal is to] place at least first, second or third place in all my races The bond difference will bring us closer as a team and push us to do better. I’d like people to come support us if we make it to championships and states ”

KALAI SETO (11)