< Back Misunderstanding in the Classroom What Lahainaluna Students Really Want Stella Pogni Keely Benson Education May 20, 2026 at 10:33:09 PM “Ugh I have so much work to do,” “I just wish the teachers understood us!” “Their class is so boring, I want to skip!” Complaints about teachers and classes fill the halls as tired students groan, waiting out the last two weeks until the end of the year. Has it always been this way? Are these genuine complaints or are they just making up excuses? Beyond the complaints, students have different ideas about what “being understood” in the classroom really means. Isla Carrol wished that school work was more interesting, pushing for “creative ways of learning subjects so you actually can understand the topic and memorize it in a fun and exciting way.” “Teachers should be more patient and recognize how draining school can be,” said Gianna Pogni, who expressed how a heavy workload can be overwhelming and tiring. The students who want change often suggest adding more interactive lesson plans. Muriel Hazlet suggests games like “Kahoots, 4 Corners, and Booklets" to play during class to bring an entertaining element to assignments or studying. Alexandria Poulsen also mentions the need for “hands-on labs and experiments,” sharing how they “allow students to create something of their own,” ultimately bringing learning to life. Not all students, however, wish for lessons to be changed. Many appreciate the current curriculum. Skye Carroll thinks that “it can be challenging sometimes, but it pushes me to stay organized and really learn the material.” She feels that the lesson plans provided already prepare her for harder challenges in the future, especially when time management is key. Enari Tuala adds that “not everything has to be turned into a game.” He thinks there should be a balance between class work and fun activities. Of course, making a class more fun or engaging sometimes depends on the class. Sophomore Taven Draper dislikes the “flipped math” curriculum “when teachers give me YouTube videos to watch. I prefer a more hands-on and interactive way of learning," he said. Draper thinks that the YouTube videos are teachersʻ attempts to “make their teaching more interesting.” “I love when teachers actually interact with the class, encouraging experiences like group discussions," says junior Miranda Sommers who claims that her personal learning heavily relies on her teachers' subtle teaching styles. When it comes to teachers who prefer to teach right out of the book, she “tends to struggle more and starts to mentally check out." Sommers thinks group discussions and engaging conversation will, overall, help the entire class understand best. Student responses suggest there should be opportunities to increase engagement through different teaching methods. This could be replacing passive instruction and generic videos with hands-on activities or class discussions. Lena Granilo, a senior, wants teachers to reflect on their students' performance and classroom feedback. She thinks it can help them identify opportunities to adjust their teaching. “If a class, as a whole, fails one test on a particular lesson, it might be how they teach it.” Granillo thinks that if the material could be presented in a different way, it might help students understand the concepts more effectively. Yet, some students think students should take more responsibility for their learning. “Teachers shouldn't have to change their curriculum if their class were to struggle on a test,” says freshman Drew Briones. He thinks that we already have a “solid structure” at our school, and feels that “while some of it is challenging, it's the material that really prepares the students for their futures out of high school.” Michelle Brummel teaches Geometry and Algebra classes. She has been a teacher for 12 years and has taught all grades, nine to twelve. Different from other classrooms Mrs. Brummel often includes games as a review to create a fun way to study and sees them as a way to help students transition “between notes and homework.” I witnessed Brummelʻs class as a whole participating in a game. It was group work where students had to work together to solve an equation. After getting it correct they would try to throw a tiny ball into a miniature basketball hoop. If they made the shot they would be able to take away “lives” from another group. If your group runs out of lives you lose but are still able to participate and the winners get extra credit. It was a brilliant activity that turned standard studying into an unforgettable experience. Brummel also thinks it is important to provide a quick mental reset after lessons. Giving students time to talk and interact with each other, instead of passively listening. She believes that these “brain breaks” help students stay engaged. Sure to take her time with notes and lesson plans, Brummel wants to make sure that the whole class understands the unit before moving on. She says that she provides time in class to go over homework questions. The goal? This helps students feel less nervous preparing for quizzes or tests. Brummel believes that students remember information better when lessons are more interactive than listening or taking notes. Freshman Ace Palacio doesn't really enjoy these activities. “I feel like it takes away some of my time for studying or completing my homework,” he explained. The brain breaks were good, but he doesn't feel they are necessary for everyday classes. Another teacher at the school, Mr. Granillo shared that he “tries to keep classes engaged by bringing current information or current topics into the classroom and connecting them to whatever it is that we’re studying.” He says that he tries his best to be an “active teacher in the room, not just sitting at my desk behind the computer.” Regardless of teaching style, students absorb information differently which can be difficult for teachers to find a “perfect way.” But change can help, when both teachers and students actively participate it can create a more positive learning environment. “When us students feel heard in class,” says Isla Carroll, “learning stops feeling like something we have to do and becomes something we want to do." Previous Article Next Article Copy link Stella is a freshman, c/o 2029, who contributes to the newspaper Keely Benson is a freshman, c/o 2029, who contributes to Ka Lama

< Back Artificial Intelligence The Future is Here? Trinity Guiza Science & Technology February 7, 2025 at 5:36:28 PM “It makes my job easier,” Judd Levy, a science teacher at Lahainaluna, said about using AI to assist his teaching work. “When I'm developing lessons, I can't think of everything, but the AI knows everything.” Even so, Levy objects to students using AI as a replacement for their own work and thinks that the problem is that “we haven't taught students how to use it ethically,” and that students more often are using AI as a “cheating tool.” Coming across AI-created assignments is “frustrating,” he shared, “because I don't want to give an assignment and have to read what AI wrote, you know, from twenty different students.” Jenifer Ariemma, an English teacher, repeats this frustration. “I stand firm with my students,” she says, telling them that “I would rather them write the worst paper that was ever written as long as it was theirs.” The majority of students and staff at Lahainaluna are familiar with artificial intelligence. They all have some notion as to what they think it has done for us and for our future. Yet, many disagree on or are unsure about what that future looks like. “There is a lot of uncertainty” Vice Principal Christopher Webber thinks about AI a lot. He connects confusion over AI to the fact that “we are right at the beginning of what it might become.” “Because of this,” he continued, “there is a lot of uncertainty at school, not just our school but all schools, about how to utilize it, or if we should utilize it.” Levy says that the use of AI in schools is “a slippery slope, because the technology is changing so fast.” Despite the lack of an official policy, Ariemma says that she and others in the English Department give students a chance to redo the assignment or take a zero on the assignment. She adds that “we have a gentleman from the DOE who comes every couple of weeks telling us how important AI is and how we should have all of our students using it.” Webber claims that he isn’t sure about how AI is being used in school. “What they are using it for and how they are using it, I don't actually know. [...] It seems to be shrouded in this kind of secrecy.” But students are using it. Freshman Amaziah Irrobis noted that other students “use it a lot to help with exams and answers, but they also use it a lot to cheat.” An anonymous senior admitted that “I've used it before, mainly used it for like procrastination. I write down something fast and it writes something for me.” Many teachers assume that this is the case. Ariemma offered an example: “Right now my classes, they’re doing an assignment that's due on Tuesday,” she said as she was interviewed just outside her classroom door. “I guarantee you if I walked in there, none of them will be doing it. They’ll wait, they’ll wait until Monday night and then they go 'uh oh,' so they run it through AI. I think it’s borderline laziness.” Talaofa Sulunga, a junior, agrees, and thinks AI “is just a lazy way out for many people.” The Artificial Intelligence Race Webber has concerns that are bigger than the school. Specifically, he worries that AI is the future and that if students are not able to use it, the school is “leaving our students behind in terms of what their lives and their world’s gonna be.” While he is concerned about whether our students will need AI, he of course sees that it might be affecting our “academic rigor.” He has seen an increasing number of AI plagiarism cases, the majority coming from English classes as well as “the school’s credit recovery program, EdGenuity, where students are using AI to plagiarize their essays.” Aurora Webb, a senior at Lahainaluna, said, “I think it's awful. I think if you need to use AI to pass a class, then you should not be in that class.” Freshman Irrobis (above) has a similar opinion: “AI could help us in many different ways, but it can also harm us.” Webb mentioned that “I do think education around AI as a subject should be something people receive. We have already seen that without that sort of understanding, AI can be handled improperly.” She believes “that education should be about AI as a topic and not as a tool for other topics.” Webb agrees that AI has potential, but currently doubts students can be trusted to use it responsibly. “I think it’s really useful and 100% has a place in today's society,” she said. “But it's being used the wrong way.” “I think it would be great for analytical things,” she added. “It would be awesome if AI could do our taxes.” Given the dangers, however, Webb thinks “it should be completely banned,” or “out of the hands of the general public.” Similarly, Freshman Edger Ortiz thinks that “AI can be used to study, not used for plagiarism. You shouldn’t get a grade for something you didn’t do.” The best use for AI, Ortiz thinks, is as a tutor or a tool that will “simplify” complex ideas “to help students better understand.” Mikayla Vergara, a junior, disagrees and thinks that AI “overcomplicates the questions that it is asked. In my experience in using AI, I’ve often had to tell it to simplify the given answer in order to understand what it is trying to say.” There are other problems associated with AI. For instance, in the worst case, AI “could harm our education because sometimes it could use fake information which overall isn’t good.” Ortiz refers to a phenomenon called hallucination or artificial hallucination in which a response generated by AI contains false or misleading information presented as fact. Though many seem to share Webber’s concerns about AI’s role in the future, few know how we should be using it or doubt it is being used properly. Ariemma thinks that “at this stage of the world, where we are right now, it’s really important that we start developing critical thinking skills.” She added, “Critical thinking and AI do not go together.” Levy sees the issue differently. For him, knowing about AI is unavoidable and important. To be relevant, “Students need to know how to use it because it's going to be a part of everything they do in the future. It's gonna be everywhere.” He paints a picture for the future with the past: “There was once a time where students had to do all their math calculations by hand,” he said. “When the calculator was first invented, it was really frowned upon in school, and students were told not to use a calculator. Now it’s an essential tool that students use in school, and I think AI will be the same way, as soon as we discover how to use it efficiently and ethically.” Planning Ahead Webber is in the process of creating a new policy on AI that will be different from the DOE's current policy . “I will tell you I used AI to write the policy,” he said earnestly, “which is kinda where I am right now.” Because of how new the issue is, Webber admitted to having a hard time finding examples. “Many DOE schools that I researched simply disallow the use of AI.” The thinking behind them, he assumes, is “that students are gonna plagiarize or use it irresponsibly.” Webber said that his draft policy “seeks to be ethical” since “we want to make sure that people are not disenfranchised, that they have access to AI, but all the time keeping in mind the need to have ethical classroom experiences.” Despite these concerns, there are still hardline clauses in Webber’s policy that say you can’t use it to “take the place of original students' thought and effort.” Ariemma has other concerns. “I said in the meeting,” she said, referring to one of the meetings with the DOE gentleman (above), “that I want all of my students to write by hand, and the feedback in the meeting was that there will come a time when you won’t need to be writing anything, with your hand.” “My heart sank,” she said. “I pray that that never happens. I really do. I don't ever want to lose handwriting because that’s so unique to each of us. I may be the last man standing with all this, but I'm gonna hold on to it as long as I can until I'm told otherwise.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Trinity Guiza is a staff writer at Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< Back You Can't Always Park Where You Want Limited Space, Rising Frustrations, and Calls for Change Jersea Borneman Student Life March 15, 2025 at 6:43:48 PM “This campus was designed before the idea of having so many students and staff,” said Vice Principal Christopher Webber. “As we’ve grown, we just don’t have the infrastructure to accommodate everyone.” To park at Lahainaluna in the paved lot, there are rules. According to Uncle Tommy Akima, all students who park in the upper lot must have a parking pass, which costs fifteen dollars. To get this, they must present their vehicle’s registration, driver’s license, proof of insurance, and school ID. “Without a parking pass you parked on the lower dirt parking lot.” Yet, not every student who has parked on campus has had a pass. Some have parked with much less. Also, recently, parking spaces have become harder to find. Again, the main parking lot is for the drivers who purchase a parking pass. Seniors get priority for parking, but lately this hasn't been happening. “Even though I paid fifteen dollars for my sticker when I get to school sometimes there isn't enough spots,” senior Anuhea Coon said. One reason for this, offered senior Stasia Pililani, is because “a lot of sophomores are getting their licenses, and so then once they get their license, they think that they can park up top.” She thinks this is unfair and that “the freshmans and sophomores need to just stop parking in our parking spots and we'll be fine.” There is currently no requirement for where to park based on grade level. Yet, if all the spots are full, the dirt lot is an alternative. Some students may even choose the dirt lot for other reasons. An anonymous senior admitted that “when I was a sophomore and a freshman and I was driving with no license, I would park down in the dirt because I didn't want to steal a spot—If you don’t have your license you don’t have a spot.” Unlicensed students may be contributing to the fact that the dirt lot, according to some students, has also become full. Junior Giana Pogni offers another reason: “over winter break everybody got cars so now there's like ten times more cars then there were.” Junior Isabella Higgins relates the difficulty of parking now in the dirt lot since “You need to park between a lot of cars and there's usually not a lot of room.” Parking in Restricted Areas Without a pass, students should be in the dirt lot. Yet, Uncle Tommy observes that “nobody wants to park in a dirt parking lot.” Students like Coon have started to find other places to park, such as the gravel area by the portables. She says, “I’ve had to park in the dirt lot and then I've also like resorted to parking in the upper lot. Not like the staff lot but like the upper grass lot.” Vice Principal Webber has noticed students are starting to try to park in the trainers’ lot next to the trainers’ room. This has led them to close off the area. This is not the only off-limits place they are parking. “Students are taking the initiative,” says Webber, “to park just below borders field.” Uncle Tommy has seen students parking in the administration lot as well. Japanese teacher David Esselburn says that sometimes when he goes up to the library during the day, he “will see student vehicles up there.” More Cars, More Problems “It’s hectic to go out of the parking lot,” says Isabella Higgins. Webber thinks a reason for this is because “You’ll be in line trying to get out and some people will just cut in front of you.” “We don’t actually have assigned parking spaces,” Webber notes. “So the way that students park may be sort of haphazard and that might make it difficult for some kids to get in and out as well.” Junior Higgins thinks, “We need to expand the parking lot to get more parking so everyone can fit.” To this, Webber notes that “we cannot magically make more parking spaces on campus,” but he thinks that “maybe we can designate proper like parking spaces, chalk out some lines, and maybe that will have people park more orderly so that we can fit people in better.” There was a time at our school when we had this. Webber recalls, “Two or three years ago we had designated spots for each student in the student lot. You had your spot with a number and you as a senior, you could even decorate it.” Webber admits, “We have talked about maybe doing that for next year again.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Jersea Borneman is a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< Back BJ Alvarez Head Custodian He’s a chill man riding around in a golf cart, in a red t-shirt, blue work jeans, work boots, camo hat, and sunglasses. He's calm and familiar. He’s BJ Alvarez, the Head Custodial Supervisor at Lahainaluna High School. Since 2009, the year he began working at Lahainaluna, Mr. Alvarez has woken up before his children. He now has three: 3, 6, and 11-years-old. Two of them, his 6 and 11-year-old, are enrolled in Hawaiian immersion. As Head Custodian, Mr. Alvarez directs the custodial crew of 6 who maintain the cleanliness and sanitation of our school. When he’s not at work, he’s probably at the beach, a barbeque, or both. He’s also a musician and enjoys the fluid and laid-back feeling of island reggae music. For Alvarez, playing music “helps with coping.” In turn, listening to music “helps other people cope.” Alvarez described music as “medicine.” Alvarez is the keyboardist for the local band, Lahaina Grown. Their self-titled 2005 “Lahaina Grown” took on a new significance for Lahaina locals after the recent wildfire. Alvarez grew up listening to Lahaina Grown and is now one of their newest members. Alvarez said that, to him, “Lahaina Grown” “represents home and the struggles people are going through. If you listen to the “ Plantations ” song in the Lahaina Grown album, you can see that this song still has meaning in current problems, we are still fighting our fight.” His favorite song to play is “He Iwi” from the same album. Mr. Alvarez has a few gigs lined up with them for graduation parties, so if you want a sick graduation party when you graduate, then try getting Lahaina Grown to play. In 2021 Alvarez received the Kimo’s award for his outstanding work managing the cleaning and sanitation at our school. He was also acknowledged for his positive attitude, hard work, and for caring for the community. He graduated in 2004 from Lahainaluna, where, according to him, he was just a “normal local boy, you know, getting into trouble now and then.” He remembered two teachers from his school years, Mr. Fujii and Mr. Pizano, who were both part of the SMC (Special Motivation Center) for students who misbehave. SMC was before the ALC (Alternative Learning Center), a program designed to promote the success of at-risk students. The SMC program was housed in P12. Alvarez claims he “never got bad enough” to advance to the ALC program. That’s probably because Mr. Fujii was “a scary guy.” Despite that, he still remembers his number. When asked about the students in our school and if they are respectful, he said “they're awesome, but you will always have a few disrespectful ones now and then who make a mess.” This just makes more work for Alvarez and his staff who are also required to handle the landscaping on campus. Between this chore, he said, in addition to “cleaning the bathrooms, landscaping, and irrigation, there isn't enough of us to pick up after the disrespectful students.” He proudly said that this school is one of a kind and he wouldn't change a thing, but he wouldn't mind having more custodial staff to maintain the school. Speaking as a former student and an employee, Mr. Alvarez has a message for current Lunas: “try and be nice to one another, you might not know what they are going through. Do the basic things like cleaning up after yourselves and respect the rules like no eating in the classrooms, that's just more trash in the rooms.” The next time you see Mr. Alvarez or any other custodial staff around campus don’t forget to say “hi.” Trinity Guiza is a staff writer at Ka Lama Hawai'i.

Explore the latest sports updates from Lahainaluna on our news magazine page. Stay informed with engaging content on all things sports at Lahainaluna. Sports at Lahainaluna Football Wrestling Wrestling At King Kekaulike Read More Lahainaluna vs. Leilehua Lunas Ready for Playoff Clash Against Leilehua Read More Lunas v. Maui High Sabers If they win, the Lunas have a chance at the state championship. Read More Lunas’ Fighting Spirit Overcoming COVID Challenges Read More

< Back Monique Blando Custodian For Monique “Mo” Blando, a custodian at Lahainaluna High School, her job is more than a way to earn a living—it's a way to connect with her roots. A proud graduate who was born and raised in Lahaina, Blando followed in the footsteps of her mother, who was also a Lahainaluna alumna, and her uncle, who previously held a custodial position. "I'm proud to be from here," she says. "I look forward to making him proud." Her passion for family is clear. The seventh of many siblings, Blando has embraced her role as a doting aunt. “I have all older brothers and sisters, and I don't have any kids, thank goodness, so I just take care of theirs,” she shares with a laugh. Her day begins with a clear routine: “take the doggy for a walk, make sure my mom's got her meds and eats a little bit,” and then it's off to work. Once on campus, her goal is to “make sure that everything’s around is clean, looks good and safe for you guys.” This sense of responsibility extends beyond her official duties, as she also tries to “make sure the students are in the right areas.” While she likes her job, she finds that “communication between the generations is probably the most difficult.” She's learning that kids on campus today are different from when she was in school. "We got to learn how to talk to you guys differently," she says thoughtfully, "because you guys don’t always respond the way we were taught to.” Blando's deep community ties are meaningful, but there are some drawbacks to being so connected. A self-described "big talker," she says she's always trying to "make sure I don't embarrass any of my nieces and nephews while I'm working.” Jersea Borneman is a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< Back How We Believe The World Sees Us Samantha Monnett Painting The Work In today's society with the growth of social media also comes higher beauty standards. For this sustained investigation, I wanted to show how I could use art to interpret how I think the world perceives me as a person through hallucinations that we all make up in our minds, how we tend to feel all these eyes on us from people judging our looks and every physical change that we make. With all of the artworks, I am investigating how we all tend to be self-critical and create illusions to match what we think others are thinking of their experience of us. During the beginning of the sustained investigation, I wanted to focus on the idea of reflecting our self-perceptions as seen in mirrors, highlighting how we are often our harshest critics. However, while experimenting with various paints and materials to depict these reflections, my investigation shifted towards portraying hallucinations of distorted images that reflect how we believe the world sees us. As I came towards the end of my sustained investigation, the hyper-realism didn't really matter within the projects but rather the message that was portrayed behind it that everyone experiences. About the Creator Samantha Monnett graduated from Lahainaluna in 2024. Previous Next Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Send Email

< Back Forward > Lunas’ Fighting Spirit Overcoming COVID Challenges Samantha Shibao Previous Next “I think it affected us big, because knowing that the younger people haven’t had big boys–and our big boys is like the foundation of our team,” said Michael Rayray sitting in the AD’s office. The AC was blasting, and the other captains waited silently for Rayray to finish. They seemed only a little anxious, searching for something to say about their time during COVID. “Without big boys, they don’t really know everything,” Rayray finished, “They don’t come up ready.” Picture of Lahainaluna’s Offensive line (David Kauvaka 50, Tua Olakauatu 63, Kawika Kaili 53, Simione Olakautua 51, Maaulina Montgomery 46) during quarter four of the Lahaina vs. Baldwin game. PC: Samantha Shibao. In 2020, these five players, like everyone else in the world, were isolated from their friends and stuck at home behind a computer screen all day. They sat in Zoom meetings for 6 hours at-a-time, silent, their only interactions with parents and siblings in other rooms. In this environment, our communication skills began to deteriorate, and anxiety levels soared. Big Boys According to Collins et al. in Medicine , COVID-19-related disruptions created “heightened states of anxiety, isolation, and depression.” College-level athletes after COVID disruptions, for instance, experienced reductions in the “motivation to train and level of satisfaction from training.” Examining high-school athletes found that COVID had given them “increased anxiety, more dejection, and more anger.” These negative feelings and frustrations, associated with a long period of isolation, might have been “magnified in high school student-athletes seeking collegiate-level athletic scholarships,” they add, as older students would have also become anxious about missing out on recruiting opportunities. While this last point is about older players, younger players and our current players, as Rayray noted, came into the sport unprepared, without mentors, guides, or examples to follow. Chemistry and Music “The goal is to improve every day—together and individually,” said Luna’s Team Captain Joe-boy Archangel before Saturday’s Homecoming game. He was referring to the team’s emotional growth over the past three years. “Having discipline was important to getting through [the effects of COVID], but obviously we can always work on it. I already know that, throughout the season, we’re already gonna pick it up, slowly but surely.” Chaser Boaz said simply that success is a matter of “chemistry and teamwork.” Rayray added, however, that success is something more personal: “Honestly, just music. Gotta lock in and be in that zone. Staying disciplined, that’s all you need.” Kawaika Kaili notes that preparation is key. “It’s like a steppingstone into our entire MIL season. We’re just learning, seeing our mistakes in the preseason so we can fix it overall and practice. Then, once we have our MIL season, we’ll be prepared for anything.” On the future and preparation, Rayray said that “lifting helps us with everything and puts us all together.” “I feel like the trainers too,” Archangel added. “Going in their room, making sure that we’re staying healthy, and if we have any injuries we need to take care of, they make sure we get that 200 percent." Training Separately and Together After a recent defeat by Kamehameha, Hoken Hironaka suggested, “Honestly, team chemistry wasn’t really our problem. I would say that we just have to practice harder and smarter.” Picture of Lahainaluna defense (Hoken Hironaka 17, Maaulina Montgomery 46, Kupono Tihada 10, Ezekial Opunui 27, Kahi Magno 5, Kua Balcalso 8) stop on the 50-yard line. PC: Samantha Shibao To train, the Lunas do drills and conditioning on the field, but they also watch videos that the team makes available to all the players. According to Boaz, they do much of this viewing on their own. “Everyone watches films on their own time, and nobody really relies on anyone else to give information.” Athletic Director John Conrad suggests that reviewing game footage is helpful, but something that only the best players do. Comparing it to academic preparation, Conrad notes, “Would you rather be an A student or B student?” Despite the time commitment, some of our players regularly do their (football) homework, which, as Conrad notes, helps our players anticipate the plays of the other team: “If you watch a play of another team before the upcoming game against them, and you can practice on how to go against it, then when you see that play get set up by the opponent’s team, you’ll be ready and know what to do.” Teamwork Teamwork is crucial for the Lunas’ success. According to sport science writer Luke Nielsen , reviewing videos, like anything else, is most effective with guidance. This guidance often comes from coaches and senior players who help younger teammates understand and analyze game footage. A study conducted by Desmond McEwan and Mark R. Beauchamp concluded that effective tams use “multiple teamwork behaviors.” Effective communication, mutual support, and shared goals are essential for the Lunas to perform well on the field. Looking Ahead As the season progresses, the Lunas are focused on continuous improvement. “We always reach a certain point towards the end of the season, but we kind of let the physical part do the talking,” Boaz stated about the team as a whole. When asked about how their preparation had set them up for homecoming, Jackson Hussey, Simione Olakauatu, Enoka Balinbin, and Jeremiah Baybayan all dismissed the question before Simione spoke for the group: “We aren’t going to say nothing like that. We’re Lahainaluna, we don’t talk, we just do.” Heading 6

< Back Memory of the Disaster Angela Tumpap Painting The Work Major events in life can impact and alter the way you view the world around you. My sustained investigation explores the idea that it's your choice how you want to view the world. Through this journey, I illustrated my efforts trying to overcome the grief that came from the loss of my hometown and how it changed my perspective on life. Healing isn't linear; there will be setbacks along the way. How you handle them is what makes life beautiful or cruel, depending on how you choose to see it. The five stages of grief was how I wanted to display this investigation at the start. However I soon let go of the idea since grief is much deeper than that. With my artworks I drew the progress I was making, whether it be that I fell back into sorrow or obtained moments of peace. You can see the moments where I improved as well as where I was faced with challenges. Later projects show signs of life becoming softer in my eyes, even revising an artwork I made when I was low spirited. As the end approaches, I am delighted to say, I am happy. About the Creator Angela Tumpap is a senior at Lahainaluna and a multi media artist practicing expressionism through art. She aims to evoke emotional responses in every piece she creates. She has a brother and sister and wants to go to art school at UHMC. Dan Schultz is her favorite teacher of all time when all her teachers in all subjects are taken into account throughout all her years of schooling. Previous Next Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Send Email

< Back Endangered Kāhuli The Chain of Events Trinity Guiza Science & Technology April 17, 2024 at 12:09:42 AM Last year 2023 was officially dubbed as “The Year of the Kāhuli” in Hawaii. Kāhuli is the name of the Hawaiian land snail in ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, the Hawaiian language. Tiny creatures that have many different shapes, sizes and colors. When asked, a handful of Lahainaluna students offered the following associations with the word “snail”: “slow,” “slimy,” "gross,” “annoying,” “cute,” ect. Though they may be slimy and annoying, they are also responsible for maintaining the lush environment of these islands. That is, Hawai‘i’s ecological health rests on the tiny “shoulders” of snails, more specifically the land snails endemic to the Hawaiian islands. Kāhuli have always been prominent in Hawaiian culture. They feature in their own stories wherein they sing beautifully in the trees. Their shells were used in lei and jewelry that was of great importance to Hawaiian people of status. Queen Lili‘uokalani once owned lei pūpū kuahiwi ("Land Snail Shell Lei") made of the shell of many different land snails, including the Achatinella land snails. This lei is currently held at the Bishop Museum in Kalihi, O‘ahu. Achatinella along with the Partulina genus are kāhuli belonging to the Achatinellidae family. Many know them as O‘ahu tree snails or pūpū kani oe. They have many different names and come in many different sizes, patterns, and colors. Both generally have smooth and glossy shells, which are conical (like an ice cream cone) shaped, and both play critical roles in Maui's ecosystem. Kāhuli are nocturnal and known to live on land in the trees, bushes, and the forest floor of the mountains and valleys on our island. They live on one tree their whole life, not once leaving their trees unless they are blown away. All 40 or so species of the genus Achatinella are listed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered. Despite this fact, little can be done to regulate the tide of their main predators in the islands, namely, rats, Jackson's chameleons, and Rosy wolf snails. These predators were all introduced to the Hawaiian islands with the arrival of foreign trade and biocontrol against other invasive species. Kainoa Pestana, conservation manager at Pu‘u Kukui Watershed preserve (PKW) said that he tries to help people understand the ecological importance of the snail with the catchy slogan “No snail, no whale.” He explained the whole chain of events that will damage the Hawaiian ecosystem if these snails were to go extinct. First the kāhuli eat and clear the leaves while their feces acts as nutrient rich fertilizer for the plants. Without the obstruction on the leaves the plants can photosynthesize better and produce more plants effectively. If the snails do not do their job, the plants will soon die off. If that were to happen there would be no roots to hold the dirt together in the valleys and mountains. When it rains, dirt would runoff into the rivers and oceans. The debris from the run-off would prevent new limu growth, leading to the small fish having no food. Without the small fish, there is no food for the bigger fish. Long story short: “no snail, no whale.” Pu‘u Kukui Watershed preserve’s job is to protect and maintain a steady supply of fresh water “so that there is enough water in 500 years from now for us to drink and use” Kainoa stated. The threat to snails, again, is a threat to native Hawaiian plants. Kainoa mentioned an important Hawaiian proverb “Hāhai nō ka ua i ka ulu lā‘au,” which he translated “the rain follows the forest. No forest then no rain.” Without rain the island will become just like any other rock in the middle of the ocean. When people think of extinction they imagine it happening over a long period of time. But all of this could happen in a single lifetime, and after the loss of a single organism: the kāhuli. To stop this from happening the Pu‘u Kukui Watershed preserve on Maui protects the fragile native Hawaiian rainforests by protecting native fauna and flora, endangered or not. They are the largest preserve on the Hawaiian islands with more than 9,000 acres of regulated and protected land. The division of forestry and wildlife in the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) in the State of Hawaii has authorized $2,080,000 in funding for Pu‘u Kukui Watersheds 2024-2030 long range land management plan. This is part of the Natural Area Partnership Program (NAPP) which encourages the management of private lands that contain some of Hawai‘i’s most intact ecosystems and endangered species. The PKW has built a snail enclosure to protect the rare native tree snails from predators and habitat destruction. One of PKW’s management plans is on Pu‘u Keka‘alā‘au at an elevation of 2,358. This is one of many special ecological areas for the land snails. PKW continues to give these kāhuli a fighting chance by joining with SEPP (Snail Extinction Prevention Program) to save these endangered snails and record the emergence of new species. SEPP encourages the reproduction of hawai‘i's rare land snails by providing predator-free living conditions with optimal laboratory controlled enclosures. Kalena Lee-Agcaoili said, “Part of our work is to make sure that these kāhuli get to do what it does, to give them the space they need to live.” During the 2022 Lahaina wildfire that went above the L at Pu‘u Pa‘upa‘u, some snails went extinct . Most people believe nothing lives up there, that fires don’t reach the rainforests, but the kāhuli does.Because these snail species are on the endangered species list, every snail could cost upwards of 20,000 dollars for their loss. The way the PKW and SEPP calculate the worth of these snails is by going up there and walking through the forests to survey and collect data on how many there are and where they are. The fewer there are, the higher their worth. To help save the kāhuli, you people can make a small donation to the Pu‘u Kukui Watershed preserve. It’s also helpful to simply just recognize their presence and to talk about them with others. Like the kāhuli, impact has little to do with visibility. If creatures as small as these Kāhuli can make such a difference, then think of how big of a difference you can make. If we don’t acknowledge the importance of the kāhuli, the next generation may not grow up to see or hear them singing again among the trees. Previous Article Next Article Copy link Trinity Guiza is a staff writer at Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< Back Everybody’s Special AP and the Path to Valedictorian Lucia Mejia Education April 28, 2025 at 9:51:26 PM In 2021 there were 24 valedictorians, in 2022 there were 26, in 2023 there were 35, and in 2024 there were 36. The trend suggests that the number of valedictorians will rise again this year. For reference, consider that in 2010 there were only 2. According to Hawai’i State Department of Education guidelines, to become valedictorian in a Hawaii DOE school students are required to have a 4.0 or above GPA and earn one of the three Honor Recognition Certificates. The fastest road to a 4.0 and above is AP, or Advanced Placement courses or college-level classes that add an extra point to your GPA regardless of how you actually perform on the AP exam. Yet, this system creates an inconsistency–while APs are supposedly designed to offer challenging, college-level courses, grades are often equal to completion. In 2024, in all but one subject, Lahainaluna students, on average, failed their AP exam, which means they earned a score of 2 or less. 33.9% or 56 out of 165 AP test takers passed with a score of 3 or better and, of the number who passed, only 18.78 percent of that 165 did so with scores of 4 or better. As Keyla Jimenez recently reported , school-wide test scores are not much better. Recent data compiled in the DOE’s Strive HI report suggests that in the 2023-2024 school year only 28 percent of students demonstrated proficiency in language arts assessments, followed by 17percent in science and 5percent in mathematics. These scores, like AP scores, are evaluated independently by people outside of Lahainaluna. While we lack data on classroom grades for AP students grades across campus, these numbers suggest that there may be a gap between students' academic performance in regular courses and their ability to succeed in more rigorous settings like AP. “...something's wrong, right?” Principal Richard Carosso offered insight into the data, wondering “If you have 30 kids in your AP class, and you've given 25 A's, but your average score is a 1.7 on the AP exam, something's wrong, right?” The problem would simply be grade inflation or a course grade that does not match mastery of that subject. The possibility, Carosso commented, is “not correlating for what I think the rigor of an AP course should be." Students may be taking more AP classes to pump up their grades, but the level of rigor they are encountering may not match the expectations set by the College Board (the organization that develops the AP content and evaluates AP tests). Students may feel they are being challenged, but in reality, they may not be developing the deep understanding needed to succeed on the AP exam. Principal Carosso thinks that it is important to distinguish between learning and doing, because that's the difference between a high AP exam score and just a good classroom grade. “If you're giving all these great points and grades for doing everything, " said Carosso, “you kind of have to switch the mindset of, it's not just about doing. It's about learning.” If the focus is on completion rather than understanding, he suggests, AP grades may be rewarding students for completing assignments or fulfilling requirements, rather than demonstrating mastery in the skill itself. Our AP scores also point to another issue. Students at LHS may have come to expect higher grades for less effort, especially with the trend of grade inflation and the focus on completing tasks rather than demonstrating mastery. Students may feel entitled to grades simply because they showed up or finished an assignment. “I could have been prepared much better.” Transitions teacher Marc Watasaki thinks that AP classes should be open to anyone willing to try. “I think just being a high school student means you are AP ready,” he insisted. “I think everyone should get the opportunity to take those classes. But I don’t think everyone should expect to do well in there.” While AP classes are in fact open to any student, grade inflation may work against students looking to take on bigger challenges. “Students receiving higher grades than their actual mastery in the material might create a false sense of preparedness,” says AP Biology teacher Arica Lynn. Lynn thinks that some students may have come to expect high grades without putting in the necessary effort. They may not have prepared then for the level of work and understanding required in AP courses “when they enter the more rigorous environment of an AP course and eventually face the standardized AP exam.” Junior Juliet Ronen is currently taking AP World History. Reflecting on whether her earlier classes prepared her, she said “some did but some didn’t, I feel like I could have been prepared much better.” “When I went into AP Seminar I was so lost and unprepared,” said sophomore Jersea Borneman. “It was completely different than my previous classes.” Sophomore Brianne Lagazo is in the same class but thinks preparation has little to do with the subject itself. “My biggest problem when doing AP was managing my time correctly,” she said. “Freshman year’s light workload didn’t teach me proper time management, so when sophomore year’s pressure hit, it became overwhelming.” Lynn agrees. While some students have the ability, the “students who are successful are usually organized, plan ahead, and dedicate consistent time.” Sophomore Mina Nagasako adds "I can guarantee that there's many students who want good scores but few who strive to take the action to study and fully apply themselves." “I believe that students are ready and can do the work given,” said Joseph Balinbin. “I think the larger problem is getting them to show effort. Teenagers have lives outside of school and it’s gonna be a challenge to pick 2000 word essays over going to the beach with your friends.” “There's other things in life important as well than just schoolwork,” said Watasaki. “They're really interested in it." Despite the gap between grades and AP scores for most AP classes, AP Art taught by Mr. Schultz is different. AP art students scored an average of 3.71, almost two points higher than every other AP class on campus. While this may suggest that Schultz’ students were simply better prepared, he offers a different perspective on last year’s scores. “I feel like sometimes they were putting students in my class that just needed a credit for art, and they didn't have any of the background for AP,” said Schultz. “That was pretty bad for trying to build up those, the foundation and the fundamentals.” Yet, in 2024, things changed. “There weren't any of those kinds of students, so they were a little bit more prepared when they were going into it.” As a result, most of his students in 2024, he claimed, wanted to be there. "Art is an elective,” he said. ”The people that decide to take art have chosen it, and they're passionate about it, and they're really interested in it." Unlike core subjects where students might feel compelled to take AP classes for GPA purposes or college applications, art students, at least those who have chosen to be art students, are self-motivated. They enter the class with a clear interest and a strong desire to learn, which Schultz believes, makes all the difference. “I just have to be able to regulate my time” Students planning to take AP courses next year already have mixed feelings. Many have heard rumors and warnings about the workload and what to expect. some have taken those rumors and warnings to heart. "I talked to a lot of students, and they all say it's like, really hard and impossible” says one anonymous student. Freshman Murphy Crossman-McGibbons agrees, saying "I've just heard them, like, just complain about the workload a lot. It's like, a lot of reading." One anonymous student has taken these warnings seriously. Describing the challenge of finding balance early on, “I just have to be able to regulate my time with other things and also be willing to make sacrifices for my outside life,” they said. After his experience in AP this year, students like sophomore Harlan Owen are looking at the situation realistically. Next year, he said, “I’m not doing AP classes because I procrastinate too much and I don’t have enough time.” Crossman-McGibbions hopes that his current Honors English class will help him on the AP track as he thinks “the whole class is designed around” preparing him to enter AP Seminar next year. “If everybody’s special, no one’s special” The title of valedictorian has been reserved for those who stand out academically, traditionally with the highest academic achievements in a graduating class, often determined by GPA. But the path to a 4.0 has become increasingly more accessible, and some argue that the system of awarding the title of valedictorian to so many may unintentionally dilute the accomplishment. The growing number of valedictorians combined with our dropping math and english scores also raises important questions about the value of the title. “When we have 30 kids at 4.0 it seems that it lessens the accomplishment,” says Carosso. “If everybody’s special, no one’s special.” Watasaki agrees that “the meaning of valedictorian means less with more and more people achieving that status.” What does this mean for the future of academic recognition? Will the title of valedictorian return to its once prestigious status, or will it continue to be just another box to check off. Carosso emphasized, “we just all have to teach the best we can. Raise our expectations of our kids, raise our standards, you know, for all our kids.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Lucia Mejia is currently a junior and Treasurer of the class of 2027.

< Back Panliligaw Lyndsay Sultan Sculpture The Work My theme is about Filipino courtship, called panliligaw . Panliligaw is the process where a man tries to woo a woman into dating, eventually leading to marriage. There are many different customs and disciplines that are part of Filipino tradition. Usually, the man tries to show his commitment by giving gifts, writing letters, and even performing harana. The woman remains disciplined, showing no emotion until the man demonstrates an act of true love. In my theme, I often showcase harana because it is very common, where the man sings to the woman outside her balcony or window. I chose this theme to highlight more of my culture. During an art comic project I created in my sophomore year, I watched a documentary about harana. I learned how older generations still remember the songs they sang to their significant others. However, they mentioned how panliligaw has largely faded because our generation is more reliant on technology. I wanted to illustrate the contrast between the past and present in Filipino courtship. The Harana The Harana project is made out of cardboard, modeling clay, ribbon, colored paper, and acrylic paint pen. I was trying to interpret how harana is shown as (without the balcony). I wanted to interpret how harana is shown. Fun fact, there is an option to have either one or two friends to play an instrument while the man can sing to the girl who he is courting. The harana project is made out of cardboard, modeling clay, ribbon, colored paper, and acrylic paint pen. I was trying to interpret how harana is shown as (without the balcony). I wanted to interpret how harana is shown. Fun fact, there is an option to have either one or two friends to play an instrument while the man can sing to the girl who he is courting. The Bulaklak Shop The Bulaklak shop is made out of cardboard, acrylic paint, air-dry clay, ribbons, and marker. I wanted to make this project to create a small replica of the flower shops in the Philippines. I traveled to the Philippines this summer and saw multiple bouquet shops stuffed with flowers. I decided to look more into the costs and the translation to have it put onto the display. The Bulaklak shop represents a good place to get flowers for the person you are going to court. The Aroma The Aroma is a project I made out of modeling clay, cardboard, ribbon, colored paper, paint, and an acrylic paint pen. I wanted to show a girl receiving a bouquet, which is one of the acts of Filipino courtship. I learned that it is one of the ways, and I wanted to show it in a little showcase box. She is leaning closer to the bouquet to smell the aroma. Maniligaw For this project, I decided to go back to using traditional clay. I used the pinch technique on most of the parts and blended them together. I added more clay to sculpt more of the head. I wanted to show the top part of the man wearing traditional clothing. I also wanted to use traditional clay to emphasize the “traditional” aspect. I aimed to create a head sculpture with the top part featuring the man’s traditional clothing. Online Ligaw I decided to make a present project showcasing how dating is now in the present. I used air-dry clay, watercolor paper, ribbon, cardboard, and acrylic paint. Online ligaw means online dating. I wanted to showcase the connection between two phones connecting across the earth, especially with the two points of view where the girl is talking during the day and the guy is talking at night. I was also trying to interpret what long-distance relationships are like. About the Creator I am a Lahainaluna student who strives to think outside the box. As an artist, I experiment with new mediums such as ceramics, drawing, painting, and more. I enjoy exploring different techniques to create art pieces with meaning, often showcasing that meaning indirectly through my work. My goal is to become an animator and share my culture with the world. Previous Next Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Send Email