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< 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 Should I Stay or Should I Go? Students Worry About Where They Should Attend College Keyla Jimenez Education April 22, 2025 at 5:51:09 PM “I always dreamed too that I would go off to an ivy league, or a UC, but I think I realized that I could make an impact in any school I go to,” says senior RJ Arconado who explained his reasons for staying in-state for college. “So far a lot of people I know are going in-state,” he said, since it allows them to be “closer to home, while gaining our independence.” Arconado, like other students’, are hyper aware of the decisions they have to make in the last two years of high school. After all, these decisions may determine what happens for the rest of their lives. One of the most important of these decisions is where, why, and if they are going to college. As many describe, these questions are connected. The Cost of Isolation Hawaii's pool of 16 colleges is small. Within this pool, only 2 rank in the top 1,000 universities nationally . Compare this to Connecticut that has a smaller land area but over 100 colleges and universities, 7 of which rank in the top 1,000. This is discouraging to some students who were hoping to find opportunities suitable for their interests close to home. According to Jessica Terrel for Honolulu Civil Beat, “Half of students leaving Hawaii’s public schools are moving to the mainland,” as of 2022. “College-industry data available to admissions offices across the U.S. shows that Hawaii students are one of the most likely to leave the state for college,” says Roxie Shabazz , Director of Admissions at University of Hawai’i. “Hawaii’s isolated island geography” she observes, “leaves many students wanting more than the state can offer.” Ethan Luck agrees. Because Hawai’i is so small, there are “less places to go to" in-state and students are presented with "less opportunities” in the future. There are big costs for Hawaii's students attending mainland schools. Those who leave the state are hit with high costs for relocation and out-of-state tuition. Many will need to take out student loans that will follow them throughout their lives. Kameron McNair for CNBC reports that Americans currently hold a total of $1.6 trillion in student loans and, as Sandy Hario Livingston for KHON2 reports , Hawaii residents make up approximately $4.5 billion of that total. “The biggest obstacle to attending college on the mainland is affordability,” states College and Career Counselor Ginny Yasutake. “[For] those who aspire to attend a mainland institution,” she advises, “there are ways to reduce your cost of attendance through scholarships and financial aid.” Yasutake wants students to consider the opportunities in-state schools can provide even though she acknowledges that “It is difficult for students from Hawaii just because of our location.” The WUE, or the Western Undergraduate Exchange program, is another option she mentioned. In WUE schools on the mainland, students pay a reduced tuition rate that is lower than out-of-state tuition. Sophomore Giana Bayudan feels “a little intimidated” by the costs of college. “If I were to want to go out of state, I'm gonna have to work really hard in school to get the scholarships to help me pay for it, or else it's not gonna be paid for." Cost is everything for some. An anonymous senior plans on “going to trade school at UH Maui college.” When asked why, he simply stated “because it’s free.” This is a reference to the recent extension of free tuition at UH to LHS’s class of 2025. “They don’t have that here” Some students are looking for colleges that meet their very particular needs and future plans. Bayudan recognizes this problem, stating "whatever you want to specialize in, in college, whatnot, you can find a school for that [here]. But even then, it might not be the best option.” “I want to wrestle in college, and they don't have that here,” says Sophomore Safirah Ladore who also wants to be a lawyer. She was disappointed to see that “They only have like, one law school here.” Ladore is referring to The William S. Richardson School of Law at UH, which currently ranks #99 in the US, according to US News and World Report . The University of Hawai’i schools that include: UH Mānoa, UH Hilo and UH West Oʻahu, rank in the top 1,500 4-year schools, Acknowledging these concerns, Yasutake want’s students to know that Hawai’i has much to offer. However she also hopes students take that risk of going to a mainland school if they decide to. “UH Manoa is considered one of the few land-, sea-, and space-grant institutions in the country,” she pointed out and noted that UH Hilo also has a new Pharmacy program. BYU-Hawaii provides a “unique work-study opportunity to help pay for tuition and room and board.” This was a reference to the Polynesian Cultural Center where students may give culturally Hawaiian performances for visitors for money. She also noted that the Chaminade Forensics program has internships with the Honolulu and Guam Police Departments and UH Maui College has “an amazing” culinary program and a new creative media degree. According to Yasutake, Kapiolani also has the only Rad Tech program in the state. Arconado said that he personally has found great opportunities here with “The Direct Entry to Nursing Program” which he describes as “huge” since “last year the acceptance rate was 3.7%.” "We're at a disadvantage” "We're at a disadvantage,” says sophomore Emma Batson who feels that she may be a less competitive candidate on the mainland because of the quality of education in Hawai’i. She feels “It's harder to get into schools in the states because of our education system here." The worry among some students is that being educated in Hawai’i may lead to other problems that aren’t directly connected to geography or what programs are offered. According to US News and World Report Hawaii’s public schools rank #33 overall in the country. As UH Manoa takes 58% of its students from Hawai’i schools , some may even fear that this drop in rigor could impact higher education institutions. Yasutake doesn’t think so. She believes that “UH Manoa and the other colleges in Hawaii have improved their programs to be more competitive and locally committed.” Nevertheless, she added, “If you are passionate about a program of study, and your dream school is on the mainland, I do hope students take a chance and see what the future holds.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Keyla Jimenez is a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< Back The Soul of the School is Spirit Lahainaluna Celebrates a Powerful Return to Normalcy Seilala Samisoni Arts and Entertainment October 1, 2025 at 7:41:52 PM Lahainaluna has just concluded its 2025-2026 homecoming week after students of all grade levels came together to participate in school-wide activities. After the Covid pandemic of 2020 and the Maui Wildfires of 2023, isolation and then trauma hindered student morale, but with time, students are experiencing a rebirth of school spirit. Speak to any student, teacher, or alumni, and chances are they’ll have a story to tell about the impact school spirit had on their lives. Spirit encourages community engagement and gives students a sense of belonging. “My experience in high school all came down to my peers and I’s school spirit,” says Linda Ortiz, a 2018 Lahainaluna Alumnus. Ortiz remembers dance fever and that there was “a ton of participation,” which “bettered the experience.” Yet, right after Ortiz graduated, Lahaina experienced the Covid pandemic and devastating Maui Wildfire, leading to decrease in student participation and student morale. Noah Dela Cruz, 2024 Lahainaluna alumnus reflects on the impact of “the trials class of 2024 had to endure.” According to Cruz, this resulted in “an extreme lack of school spirit.” “Honestly,” he said, “our participation sucked and our class felt so distant.” According to student Council members, this year’s participation rate reached an impressive high across all grade levels, an impressive resurgence given the turnout in recent years. The successes of homecoming week are proof of how committed our school leaders are to reassembling the Lahainaluna community. Compared to previous years, this one feels like “we’re coming back to normalcy,” junior Class Treasurer, Lucia Mejia, said. Last school year, the freshman class only had one volunteer for the Dance Fever event. This resulted in the sophomores and freshmen creating a combined team for the activity, due to the lack of participation. The spirit that one freshman leader showed seems to have had a powerful effect on their peers and this year the sophomore class had all the volunteers they needed to win first place in the Dance Fever competition. Sophomore, Constance Kaniho is proud of herself and her class “for building up the courage to perform in front of the whole school.” Confidence like this is contagious. Freshman, Khloe Dela Cruz said “I will definitely participate in the next dance fever,” and Freshman, Ferdinand Palacio admitted “imma join next dance fever,” despite the fact that he “was lowkey scared to join this one.” Despite this success, students still tend to back out of school-planned activities fearing embarrassment or the inability to juggle busy schedules. Though once they manage to overcome these initial doubts, they will note that the experience was valuable. The benefits they receive from participating in these activities outweigh their fear. Freshman Shantelle Semillano spoke about how fear held her back, though she feels proud of everyone who participated. “I wish I would’ve joined, but I was too scared.” Similarly, freshman Shari Silao regretted not being more involved after the performance, saying “Man, if only I weren’t so busy.” The performances of Homecoming Week may have recruited new participants. “Bro, im so glad I joined dance fever last minute,” said freshman Lindsay Saturnio who danced to Disney hits, trending songs, and pretended to be characters from nostalgic shows. Students watching also approved of the choice of music such as “Falling For Ya” from the iconic “Teen Beach Movie.” Some in the audience even felt that they had missed an opportunity. “I regret not joining, I didn’t know it was gonna be that fun,” said Freshman, Kendyl Talaroc after the performance. Many students overthink the high school experience, or the reputation they must uphold. But what these students fail to realize is that time waits for no one. By participating in school-planned activities, students gain and build community pride, respect from their peers, and even trophies. “It made me so happy being able to create core memories with my friends,” said junior Alise Tufaga who performed a Samoan cultural dance during the event. Freshman, Augustine John Doctor, spoke about the benefits he and others gained from having school spirit, and how “it shaped students’ emotions and reactions.” Students on and off stage felt empowered by school-planned activities and many kids stated that they felt a greater sense of belonging at school. When students have pride in their school and who they are, it improves their well-being. Freshman Drew Briones thinks that “the soul of the school is spirit.” “We want participation,” says freshman Travis Utrillo, a Dance Fever choreographer and a part of StuCo Leadership Team. Utrillo danced to every song in the freshmen line up and played the part of several eye-catching roles. “We only have four years of high school together and we should make the most of it,” he said. Previous Article Next Article Copy link I am Seilala Samisoni. I enjoy playing guitar, I love reading books, and I am the freshman Class President.

< Back Lahainaluna to Implement Strict Phone Usage Policy Students hate the idea Trinity Guiza Student Life April 1, 2025 at 10:46:20 PM Lahainaluna High School, known for its relatively lenient phone policy, is set to implement significant restrictions on student cell phone usage in a couple of days. Teachers will be required to collect phones at the start of each class period, during roll call, and return them only at the end. Jarrett Chapin, an English teacher at Lahainaluna, confirmed the upcoming policy, citing its potential to "benefit student learning." Chapin noted that his classroom's phone collection box has already "improved student participation" in his classes. The school's current phone policy, as stated on its website, emphasizes that: "Cell phones are considered personal property and shall be brought to school at the student's own risk. The use of cell phones that interfere with instruction or school activity is not allowed. Cell phones shall not be used to video or record any unauthorized activity... Misuse of a cell phone in the classroom shall be reported via the teacher to the office." The new announcement has gotten strong reactions from students. Mary Joy Velasquez questions the timing, stating, "Why now, when school is almost over? That’s ridiculous!" Sunny Galarita expressed disbelief, saying, "I didn’t believe it was true, but then one of my teachers announced it in class and told us to prepare." Owen Hegernes voiced his opposition, calling the policy "an absolute violation of our personal rights," and suggesting, "if teachers don't want us to use them, they should make their classes more interesting." Lahainaluna's move aligns with a growing trend in U.S. school districts, where cell phone bans are being implemented to minimize classroom distractions. Some schools are using Yondr pouches and requiring students to store phones in lockers or designated areas. When asked about the storage of phones, Principal Carosso stated, "Students' phones would not be kept far away from them. The main goal is to limit access." He did not provide specific details. While some students are resistant, others see potential benefits. Talaofa Sulunga believes the policy offers a "beneficial solution for both staff and students," as it encourages students to engage in class and allows teachers to "gain that attention they’ve been yearning for." Oliana Schur, who expressed a general dislike for phones, suggested a return to "telegrams like real people." "We need less screens and more good old fashioned morse code," she said. She also questioned the policy's effectiveness, arguing that "since our phones are in our pockets and not on the ground, then technically it’s never ON school grounds." *Principal Carosso was not interviewed for this article. Previous Article Next Article Copy link Trinity Guiza is a staff writer at Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< Back Ka Lama Hawaiʻi Then and Now Keyla Jimenez Jersea Borneman Trinity Guiza In 1834, only three years after the creation of Lahainaluna, its principal, Lorrin Andrews, started a student-run newspaper called Ka Lama Hawaiʻi , or “The Hawaiian Luminary.” The paper’s first issue explained the importance of knowledge. “In enlightened lands,” wrote its editorial staff, “it is believed that the spreading of knowledge is a good thing. When wise people ponder and come upon good new thoughts not known before […] they then desire to disseminate it abroad, and not hide it, so that all men may know” (61). Andrews described Ka Lama’s purpose in three goals. The first was to “give the scholars of the High School the idea of a newspaper [and] to show them how information of various kinds was circulated through the medium of a periodical.” The second goal was, generally, “to communicate to them [students] ideas on many objects.” Thirdly, it was designed as a “channel through which the scholars might communicate their own opinions freely on any subject they chose" (Qtd in Silva 109). Almost two centuries later, Lahainaluna’s current principal, Richard Carosso, sees Ka Lama as a space where students are “discussing among yourselves,” or where student voice is amplified. “It’s one of our only resources for students to voice their opinions and to get the input from, you know, their classmates about what's going on at school,” said Carosso, adding that the paper also brings student voices to the school’s administration so the school’s leadership “can tell what matters to you guys.” Historians remark that the original Ka Lama was mostly a way to send messages from missionary leaders to students; in 2025, it does the opposite. Both then and now, though, Ka Lama Hawai’i has encouraged discussion and literacy on campus while letting students engage with unfamiliar topics. Our History When the missionaries first arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1820 during King Kauikeaouli’s reign, they intended to use literacy or a knowledge of reading and writing to introduce Christian ideals. When they did that, though, they turned literacy all around the islands into a form of power. Ka Lama Hawaiʻi began under the control of missionaries at Lahainaluna Seminary with questionable intentions. Nevertheless, it created an important tool for promoting literacy: Hawaiʻi’s first newspaper. It was run by students of the seminary out of the printing house in the admin parking lot, Hale Pa’i, right here on our campus. On the 14th of February, 1834 Ka Lama published its first issue. It was only four pages written in Hawaiian, and, like every issue after, it contained an illustration by Alonzo and Mary Anne Chapin. The “Elefani,” or elephant, was the picture featured in issue one. Below it, Andrews and his students provided facts about elephants, their diet, habitat, and lifespan. The descriptions depict the characteristics of an elephant in an interesting matter, but they could only compare it to things people back then were familiar with. The elephant's nose is described as “being as long as a tree branch” (15) and its height is described as “if a man should stand upon the head of another, then their height would be that of the Elephant’s” (13). Presenting this content, historian Helen Geracimos Chapin writes that all the paper’s issues “delivered new and exciting information” to the students of Lahainaluna who had never known animals like that. The pictures, carved by Chapin, a physician at the seminary, brought “an air of immediacy about the world thousands of miles away” (16). As Chapin describes, Ka Lama , and all early Hawaiian papers, helped to colonize Hawaiian people with non-Hawaiian values by presenting such new and attractive information and images. Sometimes the captions and notes to Ka Lama’s pictures “spoke to the "superiority" of American culture, the Christian religion, and the Protestant work ethic.” “By such ʻtruth in an attractive formʻ,” writes Chapin, “were Hawaiian readers indoctrinated into the new culture” (16). Students printed the original Ka Lama and contributed to it. For instance, among them was the famous Lahainaluna graduate and royal advisor, Davida Malo, who published a song titled “He Kanikau No Kaahumanu,” in Ka Lama ʻs August issue (Silva 110). It was written in honor of the ali‘i wahine Ka‘ahumanu. While students were allowed to contribute to Ka Lama , missionaries controlled the paper and used it to spread their values. Most of the content discussed religious topics. An article not written by a student in the paper’s first issue was titled “The Reason For Ignorance.” It connected knowledge to religion and argued that “Sin is the reason for ignorance.” The authors of the article were “not identified” but they concluded that “returning to God with a new heart is what is needed” (Antonio 66). Articles like these were written by the missionaries, says Chapin, “to bring enlightenment to those they considered benighted,” or ignorant and unenlightened. Despite this, according to people living at the time, “upon receiving their copies, students would immediately sit down to read them through” (Chapin 16). In a recent documentary on literacy in Hawaiʻi, University of Hawaiʻi Professor, Puakea Nogelmeier describes the coming of the missionaries and their impact on Hawaiian society. He describes how literacy was encouraged because "High-level government positions often went to English-speaking foreigners because this interaction was critical for national continuity.” English literacy was recognized as important not just because of the opportunities that arose from being fluent but because of the opportunities that were being taken away by not being literate in the English language. As Nogelmeier describes “When Hawaiians questioned why there were so many foreigners in government, the King wrote back, saying they needed that interface until they could improve the pool of Hawaiians they could draw from” (Lihlihi). This is exactly why Kamehameha III “announced a mobilization of literacy ," Nogelmeier adds. "He was already literate, so he wasn't just aspiring; he was sharing. Everyone took pride in learning to read and write, and it became a national project.” English was a form of power that Kamehameha wanted everyone in the islands to have (Lihilhi). Ka Lama only lasted one year, but the papers that followed still give historians insight on public perspectives during Hawaiʻi's history. While missionaries did abuse their influence and power, according to Noenoe Silva, the newspapers served a further purpose for Hawaiʻi’s people. “While the common denominator of the early newspapers discussed here is the desire that their editors had to convert Hawaiians to a radically different system of beliefs and practices,” she states, “the opening up of spaces for written expression, coupled with the Hawaiian embrace of reading and writing, made the newspapers a vital arena in which crucial questions about culture, knowledge, and politics could begin to be publicly debated” (3). Ka Lama Hawaiʻi built the foundation for all other newspapers in Hawaiʻi. One of them, Ke Kumu , was published out of mission headquarters in Honolulu right after Ka Lama ʻs first run. It lasted from 1834 until 1839 and was edited by missionary Reuben Tinker. The name of the paper, Ke Kumu , or “The Teacher,” signaled its focus on educating through missionary voices rather than having the focus be on student thoughts. The content of Ke Kumu “was mainly evangelizing by missionaries, with some letters from students and community members” (Silva 18). In this way, Ke Kumu was not so different from its predecessor, Ka Lama . According to Silva, Ke Kumu Hawai’i was used to represent “the broad aim of the Mission to create a nation that was not only Christian in name and spirit but also intelligent and industrious” (112). Most of its articles were written by Tinker’s fellow missionaries, writes Silva, but “it did not take long […] before both ali‘i and maka‘äinana began to use the publication space for their own purposes” (112). During its run, Ke Kumu featured approximately 146 writers, including Davida Malo (112). In his contribution, he wrote about his relationship with religion, combining Christian and Hawaiian terms. “Jesus, have mercy, Or I, your servant, will die. [I am but] the dust on your shoe. The grass upon your path. If you leave us forever, That will be our death forever, Death in the pö, Under continual darkness” (10). Ka Nonanona soon followed in 1841. It was run by missionary Richard Armstrong who had been a part of the printing staff of Ke Kumu . Its first issue declared that it would focus on “news; support for school children, teachers, school directors, and parents; a bit of assistance for the pono of the ali‘i, in publishing new laws and new positions in the government, as well as… point out the things that will be pono and the things that will harm the government.” The paper had a larger audience and covered larger topics than Ke Kumu . As Silva states, “Its primary intent was to be a newspaper that carried news from the capital, Honolulu, to all the other islands.” She adds, however, that it was “still in the hands of missionaries and still evangelical in some ways” even though it had “greatly expanded its scope in content as well as in intended readership.” Ka Nonanona , for Silva, marked the shift of newspapers from tools of missionaries to sites “for public debate and discourse” (118). Ka Elele Hawaiʻi started the same year. It was less focused on religion and more on government. It helped inform the public on Hawaii’s rapidly changing society and “served as a site of public debate over the role of foreigners in the government and the sale of lands to foreigners” (Silva 21). Ka Eleleʻs focus allowed citizens to express their opinions on the changing laws surrounding owning land and kept them informed. Ka Elele was a new kind of newspaper. Its format was “opening up of spaces for written expression,” argues Silva. “Coupled with the Hawaiian embrace of reading and writing, [ Ka Elele ] made the newspapers a vital arena in which crucial questions about culture, knowledge, and politics could begin to be publicly debated” (3). This is the purpose Ka Elele Hawaiʻi had up until 1855, when the paper stopped publishing. Hawaiʻi’s first four newspapers all served their individual purposes and proved important to how society interacted with each other. Early newspapers led to a burst in literacy in Hawaiʻi. Katherine H. Au and Julie Kaomea report that “by the late 1800s, the literacy rate in Hawai‘i compared favorably to that of any nation in the world, an accomplishment much to the credit of the Native Hawaiian teachers in the common schools” (6). They Learned by Their Mistakes For over a century since Ka Lama , Lahainaluna seems to have had no school newspaper. Then, in 1928, Ka Nani ‘O Hawaiʻi (“The beauty of Hawaiʻi”) appeared under the guidance of Miss Maurine Watson and Miss Margaret Chapman. Miss Watson also ran a journalism club in 1950 that seems to have had no direct connection with Ka Nani . The early issues of Ka Nani are lost. Yet, the issues we have show us small pieces of life on campus in the 20s. An issue published in July of 1928 contains an article where an anonymous alumnus reflects on her days at Lahainaluna. “It was customary to have people carry away bags full of mangoes on every commencement day,” she says, unaware that a century later the only thing people would do with the mangos is step over them. In the June issue of 1929, students of the glee club found it important to talk about the success of their musical performance, Pickles . It was, they claimed, “a great dramatic and financial success.” The paper’s establishment was purposeful and was announced by Principal Alton Rogers who wrote in a December 1928 issue about “School Publications” and their importance above all other school publications. “School publications, and especially the newspaper, are among the most worthwhile school activities,” he wrote. “Because of their function of carrying news, encouraging enterprises, and representing the entire school and its activities, they are of inestimable value in unifying the school.” Rogers was sad to say, however, that problems often blocked the creation of a high school newspaper. Instead of a regular newspaper, “[f]rom lack of skill,” or literacy, students “are prone to make the annual (yearbook) like all others.” By this time, Ka Lama , had become the name of Lahainaluna’s yearbook. The solution, Rogers thought, required students and advisors to be consistent and constant with their work, to “impress all with their uniformity rather than individuality.” Ka Nani was short-lived. It started and ended between 1926-1929. In 1929 it was taken over by Mrs. Margaret Tompkins who also wrote that year about newspapers, and described the passion needed for good journalism. “Journalism in the Islands is a bit of a crusade,” she says. “Those who rally to its banners must of necessity have stout hearts, imagination, patience and a goal.” For Thomkins, the school newspaper was mostly useful for the language training it gave students: “Any medium which will help us to use Better English consistently has much in it’s favor.” She complained about the challenges faced by the faculty advisor. At the end of the day, “before an issue comes out, the poor instructor with the large glasses and the red pencil rewrites paragraphs." This was one of the last things Ka Nani would publish. Ka Nani finished a year later, starting another 30 years before another school paper was published at Lahainaluna. Yet, in its last year, the paper’s staff coined a motto, “Hitch your wagon to a star.” The first issue of Lahainaluna’s third newspaper, Ka Leo Luna (Ka Leo means “The Voice”) ran in 1952 under the direction of English and “publications” teacher Alma Kaiama. Like other the other papers, Ka Leo announced its simple mission: “To inform the students and teachers of the activities of our school.” An issue printed in its first year reported on the activities of the “Future Homemakers, Leaders Today and Tomorrow,” Hawaiʻi chapter. They were set to hold their “annual territorial convention at Camp Erdman, Oahu, from April 5-8.” Staff included a list of delegates who would be representing our school. On the same page “Morikawa, Kozaki To Reign Over Junior Prom” titled a plan for the “Orchids in the Moonlight” prom. “Strands of vanda orchids streaming down on kahilis,” are imagined by the student writer alongside “colored balloons giving the room a gay, festive air; soft lights and a centerpiece of a vanda-filled pond.” All this, the writer said, would “transform the gym into a moonlit paradise.” Two years after starting Ka Leo , Kaiama left the school to educate others on Maui and eventually got hired at Maui’s community college. In 1980, she became the provost there. Ka Leo ran for 64 years, under the direction of fifteen advisors until 2017 (see figure below). Kaiama influenced advisors after her to keep student journalism going. She was born in Hana in 1930 and picked up a wide range of talents during her life. She taught at nearly every grade level, from elementary school to college (Rupenthal). After leaving Lahainaluna, she worked from her position at the college to get the school funding and joined a push for its transition from a technical school to a “community school” in 1967. Probably because of Kaiamaʻs early influence, Ka Leo Luna gradually became associated with a unique motto that appeared regularly in the English Department’s section of Ka Lama , again, the school’s yearbook: “They learned by their mistakes and tried very hard to make the next issue a better one.” The Voices According to the school’s registrar and the paper’s second-to-last advisor, Shanda Sasai, Ka Leo Luna was “all about wanting to know what people thought and then sharing that out and getting that out to people." To accomplish this, Ka Leo Luna covered school news, features, and sports. The feature that stood out to her the most in all her years of being an advisor for Ka Leo was titled “You know you’re from Lahaina if…” that featured student commentary on living here. She recalls how she loved the concept of it as it allowed for positive discussions on student life. This was a reference to Jeff Foxworthy’s famous saying “You might be a redneck if...” Sasai went on to describe the process Ka Leo students went through. “Every student wrote,” said Sasai. “They had to get interviews, they had to get pictures. We ran through drafts like crazy. --the highest drafts was like… twenty-eight.” Sasai was Vice Principal Debralyn Arellano’s advisor when Arellano worked on the paper. Arellano managed the ads that went through Ka Leo in order to pay for printing. In her role, she had to “cold call” businesses downtown in order to sell ads. ”The paper did not have a budget,” she said. Ka Leo was exclusively a paper newspaper and Arellano noted how they had to print out issues on the mainland since it was more cost efficient. “We would stay up till like 10 at night in there. Just we knew it was deadline day, so we'd go run down and get our frappuccinos snacks and head back up and we'd just work on drafts and drafts and drafts,” said Arellano who looked fondly on her late nights in J-201. According to Arellano, Ka Leo journalists “were given that creative freedom to just pursue and talk about the columns that existed. And it was just fun. It was a lot of fun.” She added that, “in terms of creativity, that was nurtured and encouraged, and so it was just a great space.” Ka Leo Luna published its last issue in October of 2016. For 8 years, Lahainaluna students were silent. Then, in August of 2024, Ka Lama Hawaiʻi , now an online publication, published its first issue. Its first story, a feature on the endangered Kāhuli (snails), was written by Trinity Guiza. Ka Lama Hawaiʻi (Again) Ka Lama Hawaiʻi was named in honor of the first newspaper in Hawaiʻi by a small group of students, The News Writing Club, under the direction of its current advisor in Spring of 2023. The News Writing Club did not produce much content, though over the course of several meetings, they determined the paper’s layout, its sections, and that the name should point to the school’s history as the birthplace of the news in Hawaiʻi. They also planned the paper’s purpose, which included the amplification of student voices as well as the voices of people at Lahainaluna that students rarely meet–such as the custodial staff and office workers–a “We <3 LHS Staff” for student-generated profiles. Much more writing for Ka Lama was produced after it became a class. In the Fall of 2024, the school offered Journalistic Writing and enrolled a small team of student reporters who spent their year learning interview techniques and practicing an objective reporting methodologies. They covered school policies, student wellness, sports, and student life. Since its first issue, many have recognized Ka Lama’s significance to not only our school but to the state. Jean Martin Alternado, currently a junior, thinks that the paper points to the fact that “we are the most historic school in the state.” He thinks that the paper may help to spread awareness about Lahainalunaʻs legacy since “there's only a few students who really care about it.” Alternado published a story about students being held in the cafeteria and the issue of teacher shortages in Ka Lama’s first year. “[ Ka Lama Hawaiʻi ] is for people to share stories, to keep people updated, to see different perspectives of things that people didn’t really have resources to know,” said Alternado. Freshman Grayson Guzman, also a contributor to the paper, thought that Ka Lama was “important back then and now as we hold this legacy of having the first newspaper in Hawaiʻi published here by students.” Students recognize Ka Lama not just for its historical important on campus but for its impact on students' engagement with difficult topics, which is something that Ka Lama continues to do to this day. As Guzman notes, “today we still have this with students publishing articles giving voice to important topics.” “Our school newspaper is important so students can shed light on topics within our school and enlighten others.” Alternado has seen what the newspaper can accomplish, referring to recent coverage of sensitive student issues. “It spoke a few words that some people were too scared to say,” he said. “If we don’t have a voice, then what are we really going to change?” Student Stephanie Rubio Aguirre agrees: “Student voice is important because we want to hear the opinions on what students think about certain opinions.” She continued, saying “I feel like [ Ka Lama ] is something that students can look forward to whenever someone wants to read something about our school.” Current sophomore class president, Brianne Lagazo, comments on how when articles come out she “usually skim(s)” because as she states, “I enjoy reading what’s being presented and I am impressed by how these students are so good with writing and journalism itself.” Lagazo recently published a story about a controversy at private high school in the Lahaina community. Nicole Heinlein notices the usefulness of Ka Lama as “we don't necessarily have like, a comment box where students can voice their concerns.” The Future of Journalism at Lahainaluna Ka Lama brings attention to the fact that our campus has problems, and that we must acknowledge them to fix them. The newspaper's legacy, and the legacy of literacy in Hawaiʻi that it created, is carried by this new Ka Lama . There’s no way to measure if we’re doing it justice, but we do know that with it, students are being heard. Or, to leave with something that Aguirre said: “I feel represented.” He Ilio He Lio Advisors of Ka Leo He Ilio 1/7 Chapin, Helen. Shaping History: The Role of Newspapers in Hawai`i. University of Hawai’i Press, 1996, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Silva, Noenoe. “Early Hawaiian Newspapers and Kanaka Maoli Intellectual History, 1834-1855” Hawaiian Historical Society , 2008, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Rueppenthal, Sarah. ‘“Always there for each other” The Maui News , 2017, Wailuku, Hawaiʻi. Au, Kathryn H., and Julie Kaomea. "Reading comprehension and diversity in historical perspective: Literacy, power, and Native Hawaiians." Handbook of research on reading comprehension . Routledge, 2014, p. 595-610. Language of a Nation . Conrad Lihilihi, Smithsonian, 2020. https://www.conradlihilihi.com/ , https://www.conradlihilihi.com/films . Previous Next

< Back Homecoming After the Fire At Lahainaluna, It's All About Pride Sequoia Pelletier-Yamasaki Student Life May 31, 2024 at 9:32:39 PM The Lahaina Wildfire on August 8th, 2023 delayed the opening of our school for weeks, leaving students with a difficult decision: transfer schools or wait and hope that Lahainaluna would soon open again. Either option created a situation in which students, for at least a month, were forced to attend a school outside of Lahaina. "Going to Baldwin felt weird because Lahainaluna was like my second home, and the people in it helped me a lot," said junior Kefu Mendoza. Mendoza transferred to Baldwin after the fire where he felt like an outsider. "Baldwin made me feel like I didn’t belong because the students there weren’t my type of people” he said. “I didn’t know anybody." Many students who transferred to other schools felt more than socially excluded, however. They also spoke about a difference in rigor. Sophomore Fenuki Fakavai talked about his time at Baldwin and how their education was "way better than Lahainaluna." When he came back to Lahainaluna, "all the work seemed a lot easier." Indeed, according to education rankings released by US News and World Reports, Baldwin highschool scored over 20 points higher on a scale that includes the number of students taking and passing AP exams, proficiency in all core subjects, and graduation rate. Importantly, Baldwin students’ college readiness is 25.3/100, while Lahainaluna scores just 10.4/100. Similarly, Cora Gruber, a sophomore, attended King Kekaulike where they seemed to have a "more efficient way of teaching." "I definitely miss the teachers and my other friends from King K," she added. “They were super supportive and kind and it was super easy to make friends there.” Some students learned to appreciate their teachers’ presence more after coming back to Lahainluna. "At HTA, it’s a lot more self-directed learning, and it’s harder to get a hold of teachers to ask questions," said Lena Granillo, a sophomore who briefly attended Hawai’i Technology Academy (HTA) while waiting for Lahainaluna to reopen. HTA is a semi-online school where you only have to be on campus two days a week. While there, Granillo realized "how helpful it is to have teachers around me all the time, ready to answer my questions." While she “liked not having to go to school every day,” she also missed being at Lahainaluna. "I love how Lahainaluna’s campus is outside," she said. "At HTA, you are indoors with no air conditioning" Before Lahainaluna opened back up, Kūlanihākoʻi, a newly built school in Kihei, opened their doors to our students. Among those who attend Kūlanihākoʻi temporarily, sophomore, Lawakua Haia-Shim, said that "My favorite part about going to Kūlanihākoʻi was being able to see familiar faces and reuniting with a lot of my friends after our town burnt down." For many students, the first day of school at Kulanihakoi was the first time they saw their friends and peers since the fire. "It was really relieving to know that a lot of these people were still alive." "I don’t miss Kulanihakoi," said Gigi Grande, a sophomore. "But my favorite memory there was when all the Lahainaluna students and staff members stood in front of the Kulanihakoi students and staff members and we sang our alma mater to them." Lahainaluna’s alma mater is a very significant part of the school, as it was written by a Lahainaluna student in 1898. Haia-Shim had originally transferred to Maui High and rejoined Lahainaluna as soon as he could. He did so to see his friends. After he came back, however, he discovered that the experience also gave him a new appreciation for our school’s history and tradition. Lahainaluna is the oldest school west of the Rocky Mountains, giving it a lot of history and making it a very special place. Transferring back from Maui High and finally being back at LHS gave Haia-Shim a new perspective on how "special Lahainaluna is." Once he was back, he said, "The biggest difference between Lahainaluna and Maui High is that Lahainaluna has so much school pride." After coming back to Lahainaluna, Gruber also noticed our school pride. "At King K," Gruber said, "people were definitely school spirited but not nearly as much as Lahainaluna students, and that’s one of my favorite things about Lahainaluna." So many students have so many different perspectives on being at different schools, but they all have one thing in common- their love for Lahainaluna. Whether it's because of the history of the school or that Lahainaluna makes them feel at home, they are all so glad to be back. I asked Sydney Villegas, a 10th grade ELA teacher at Lahainaluna High School what makes Lahainaluna special. "It’s special because of its community" she said. "There is nothing like Lahainaluna." Previous Article Next Article Copy link Sequoia Pelletier-Yamasaki is a contributor to Ka Lama Hawai'i and was a junior at the time she wrote this.

< Back Upcoming Freshman Elections Many are new to the idea but ready to serve. Ashlee Hufalar Grayson Guzman Student Government August 26, 2025 at 10:17:23 PM Elections for Student Council are coming up for the freshman class of 2029, and several candidates are preparing. Yet, many students are unsure of what is happening. “I don't even know what Student Council is,” said freshman Pannziri Arjana Lapus. Another freshman, Keely Benson, seemed even more bewildered: “did we have a student council at our school? I'm not sure.” It is likely students do not realize the impact they have. Sonya Eide, a freshman, stated that the Student Council influenced her middle school in ways she could recognize. “We have to raise money,” she noted, adding that StuCo also helps “like plan major events, and help make good decisions for the school.” According to Kumu Eva Palakiko, the Student Council is “about student voice, student choice, and nobody can represent the student better than the students themselves.” Student Council is behind all the non-academic activities and fun that students experience throughout the year, she added. “Without student government, students wouldn't want to come to school because there wouldn't be any fun activities or events for them to attend.” Another category of student officials, students on Leadership attend monthly meetings and assist officers in the planning and execution of grade level events. Those running for Leadership are Maile Zambrano, Tiana Larita, Kristine Tumpap, and Travis Utrillo. The Candidates Marjorie Carillo is a newcomer to student government, though she says she is excited to join. She’s ready to plan fun events, meet new people, and bring fresh ideas to the table. “I really want to be involved and help make our school a better place for everyone,” she says. Though Carillo was not a part of student government in middle school, she has begun in her first year of high school to think about what she can do for her fellow students and how to do a good job at it. She mentioned her plan to listen to student ideas, to put on meaningful events, and to work with teachers and other leaders to make our school more connected and positive. She describes herself as someone who is “honest, hardworking, and truly cares about our school. I’ll listen and do my best to make this a great year.” Seilala Samisoni longs “to uplift my peers through this journey and ensure that all students feel understood” and she is eager to make friendships and create connections with peers. She has leadership experience from middle school, but she has not played the role of president before. To her, the importance of Student Council and Leadership is to make her peers feel heard and supported: “While this will be a journey with challenges here and there, it will be a chapter of our lives that I feel is worth being memorable.” “My motivation to run for this position is truly my classmates,” Mariah Kauvaka states. Once a Laulima representative in middle school, she’s now running for a leadership position as Vice President. She holds an optimistic view, aiming to create a “big and better” environment for the entire school community and wants her classmates to feel “understood” and “heard.” She wants to ensure everyone has a voice. As Vice President, she said, she hopes to advocate for cleaner bathrooms. “I overall want the best for everyone.” Cami Yasutake hopes to make “this first year of high school really fun for my class as well as the whole school.” She discussed her previous leadership experience as vice president in the seventh and eighth grade. She’s been actively involved during summer, attending Student Council meetings to plan for homecoming events. As vice president, she would like to “bring our class closer to one another.” She wants to encourage more student involvement. “Why not try something new?” Kendall Pasalo answered when asked about why she decided to run for office. She added that high school should be all about new experiences. Though Kendall does not have much experience, she said that she is “committed to making sure their voices are heard.” “Secretary is all about getting things done and taking notes,” Pasalo described. “I think I'm great at doing both.” In her role as Secretary, she plans to keep things organized, and to make sure this Student Council is on task. Harana Peralta is also running for secretary against Pasalo. She sees the Secretary office to increase engagement in her class and inform students about what’s going on. “A lot of people don't actually do that,” she commented. While she has also never served in student government, she said that she’s good at taking notes and emailing. She’s also enthusiastic about planning activities and says that with no activities, “it’d just be pretty bland.” Like several of the other candidates, she also looking for ways to increase student participation since, she noted, “no one participates.” “I care about my peers, no matter if they hate me or like me, I care about them,” said candidate for Treasurer, Brielle Ramelb. “I have been taught to manage finances efficiently because my mom is an accountant,” said Ramelb, who sees herself as uniquely qualified for the job. Ramelbʻs brings previous leadership experience as 7th grade president and ASB president in 8th grade at LIS. She also has attended several leadership conferences and says that “helping people is one of my passions, and Student Council allows me to use my passion to help.” Sofiya Cartagena is running for Historian because she enjoys making graphics and doing digital work. She is an avid social media user and likes documenting what is going on. Photography is also one of her hobbies and she thinks she could use her skills “to help collect memories to show people on social media.” Cartagena is also familiar with the job she is running for. She did graphic design and posted daily bulletins for the school account in middle school and brings 3 years of leadership experience to the table. “I also love having fun,” she added, “and can’t stand having no fun at all. I can bring people together who are different from each other in unique ways.” “...the kids that people just gravitate to…” “I think that it's really important that students are able to get and have the opportunity to share and provide their input on how they would like certain things to happen at school,” said Michelle Brummel, a Math teacher and acting freshman class advisor. “Student Council provides an opportunity.” For some, Student Council is a place for those who are brave enough to put themselves out there, and who help make changes and create a better school community. Or, as Kumu Eva described it, “Those are kids that you are like ‘Oh I want you to be song leader … I want you to take charge of this committee’–because they are the kids that people just gravitate to.” “I find typically those that step up are pretty successful in school,” said Brummel. She explains that those in leadership have a great influence over their peers, as they’re taking on a huge role. She adds, “it is important to have positive leaders for our freshman class.” Kumu Eva offered some wisdom for our student leaders. “You're never gonna make everybody happy. All you can do is try your best and see what the majority wants and then try to make those things happen.” Her message can be summed up: don’t give up. “Stick to it and just persevere. Being a leader is never an easy task. And without you, your whole class, including yourself, wouldn't be able to participate in any activities.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Ashlee Hufalar is a sophomore and a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawai'i. Grayson is the current 2028 student council Vice President and is running for a second term as sophomore Vice President.

< Back Kids in the Cafe “a relaxing place to be” Jean Martin Alternado Education May 8, 2024 at 9:44:24 PM As I walked through the double doors leading to the LHS cafeteria, I saw at least 20 to 30 students inside. Many of them were spending that time playing games or doing things not related to school. It led me to worry about our education. Everyone's goal is to graduate high school and succeed in life, but how will we do that if we aren’t learning anything or getting the knowledge we need? Most people assume that a student’s absence will affect their grade; does a teacher’s absence have the same effect? Ms. Heinlein, a Vice Principal at Lahainaluna, determines which classes are in the cafeteria and which get a substitute. She says that anywhere from 60 to 75 students are in the cafeteria on any given day of the week. On rare occasions, 9 or more classes (135-180 students) may be there. Some students choose not to show up to the cafe at all. They can be found scattered around campus. A 2021 study conducted by researchers Hansen and Quintero shows that the absence of a teacher will reduce student’s knowledge in the related subject by at least 3%. Sofia Nebrida, a current senior at Lahainaluna High School, agrees. For her, the absence of a teacher affects students' ability to learn and develop skills because “We use the time in class for instructions and to work on things we need to improve on. Without the time with a teacher in a classroom, we will slowly lose what we learned.” Researcher Marie-Antonette Bone notes that the students who participate in class with an in-person teacher "more likely to remember a greater portion of the information" and to improve their critical and higher level thinking skills. Ms. Liza Buchter, a teacher at Lahainaluna, agrees that it is beneficial to be in a classroom because “There are too many distractions in a cafeteria.” She added that “[students] aren’t equipped with the right technology to learn. It is a bigger place compared to a classroom causing distractions. Also, the mix of other teachers and classes is making it very hard for students to focus.” Once students are in the cafe, they “revert to chit-chat and cause noise. It’s hard for a teacher to bring their class management and their student’s attention. Nothing gets accomplished when we’re in the cafe.” Ms. Buchter worries about student behavior and doesn't usually see students engaged in learning. Instead, they often watch videos or play games. She said that she often encourages people to become substitutes so that fewer students end up in the cafe. Not everyone thinks that the cafeteria is bad for learning. A few students say that being in the cafeteria benefits them because it provides a study hall in a familiar space. Azana Tolbert, a sophomore student at Lahainaluna, states that students in the cafeteria “get to learn at their own pace, and they get to catch up on work that they are also missing from classes. It’s a relaxing place to be and an efficient place to get work done.” Kamalani Kaili, a sophomore, says that she will do her work in the cafe, but “it depends on the class I have. I don't do the work they post on Google Classroom when I'm in the cafe. I use it as time to myself because it's the only time I get most often.” On whether or not doing the work affected the way she learned, Kaili said that it didn’t: “Time in the cafe is just a little break.” There is support for this idea. According to The Education Resources Information Center , students are more likely to get work done when around an environment they’re comfortable in. Students are more likely to have fewer behavioral issues if they are in a comfortable place. They may perform better in spaces where they do not feel as much pressure to perform. In the cafe, students are more relaxed and some are hard at work. They don’t seem pressured, just sitting silently and learning at their own pace. Many students there use their peers for help, while some goof off. We know that students grow smarter and more skilled in life when we are taught hands-on with peers and teachers to guide them. Many of us as students don't see the importance of this topic, but it is really something we should all take into consideration. Previous Article Next Article Copy link Jean Martin Alternado is a contributor to Ka Lama Hawai'i and was a junior at the time he wrote this.

< Back The Future of Student Voice Will Student Government Survive? Brianne Lagazo Student Government May 2, 2025 at 5:47:08 PM Once a cornerstone of school leadership, the student council is now struggling to attract members. Student council applications were opened for the 2025-2026 school year in February. Students interested in being a part of student government were encouraged to join. As the deadline approached, excitement gave way to silence. Only a small handful of students picked up an application. This left many to wonder: why don’t students care? Of the 11 freshmen who picked up an application, 4 dropped out; Of the 11 sophomores, 1 dropped out; 9 juniors picked up an application but 2 dropped out. Student Body applications were postponed due to lack of applicants. At the moment, we have 5 and 3 remaining vacancies. The same lack of involvement can be seen in voting as well. Out of 190 students in the class of 2026, only 71 voted in the recent April election. For the class of 2027, 93 out of 211 students voted. In the class of 2028, 83 out of 181 students voted. Many at LHS agree that this lack of involvement has become a problem, but we cannot definitively say why. Cassie-Anne Jacinto, out Student Activities Coordinator (SAC) states that “With less applications, it provides less choice for students during elections.” As a result, she worries, “there may be less diversity in student voice.” “Student Voice” According to The Bulletin of the National Association of Secondary School Principals “the organization of Student Council grows out of the desire of the educator to make principles of democracy operative in the school.” For this reason, researchers Smith, Miller, and Nadler defined a functioning student government as something that can “provide important outlets for students to be engaged in making decisions for the welfare of the entire campus.” Student Council is designed then to train students “to bargain, negotiate, and advocate for others whom they represent.” Student Council, says sophomore Xeila Santiago, is “a group of students elected by their peers who plan events, represent the school, and try to make their school environment a better place.” For years, we acknowledged the importance of the student council at Lahainaluna. But what will happen if students and educators no longer have this desire? “Student Council is not listening…” For some students, the dismal turnout may be connected to student distrust. “If students don't feel like their voices will actually be heard or that their participation will make a difference,” says senior ASB President RJ Arconado,. “They may not be motivated to get involved.” An anonymous freshman thinks that students may distrust the Council, under the assumption that they, the Council members, “are not being effective in making a change.” He thinks they may be “too lazy to make a change.” Similarly, junior Aden Ross thinks that “people are very bored and people won’t be interested in joining or participating.” This, he added, could come from “students feel[ing] like Student Council is not listening to their ideas.” Recently, Jersea Borneman reported on the student council’s ability to make changes. Emma Batson believes the Student Council lacks transparency and does not let students know what is truly going on. “They’re saying they're gonna communicate with us,” says Batson. “I've never heard any of them coming around, talking to any of us, getting our opinions on things, asking us.” “The possibility of failure” Sophomore Mina Nagasako offers a different view of the problem. She feels that students are either “not committed in general or may be intimidated by competition.” The publicness of StuCo may make students “afraid to be judged by their fellow classmates,” says senior Sarah Cariaga, adding that a student may be judged by “their ideas or just receive comments from students.” “Students are afraid of the possibility of failure,” thinks sophomore Keyla Jimenez, who imagines that challengers have a harder time since “they have to get people to remember their name while the person they are running against is already known on campus.” While this was true for 5 races across grade levels, interest was so low this year that many of the spots lacked an incumbent. Because the Student Council pushes people out of their own comfort zones, intimidation can also stem from public speaking and the possibility of being a known leader on campus. Lahainaluna’s Principal Richard Carosso comments that “there is an amount of courage required to put yourself out there. It’s a little harder for kids to take that step outside of their comfort zone and lead.” “People are just lazy” There are less interesting reasons for the decline in participation. For instance, some students may be lazy or lack the initiative to do something. “Student council can be a very stressful position if you don’t have the correct people helping you,” says junior Aden Ross.“No one wants to spend most of their days planning events, people are just lazy.” “Perhaps students feel overwhelmed with their workload between school, outside work, and outside activities,” biology teacher Arica Lynn suggested. “It might be a challenge for them to stay involved in student council and even other opportunities here.” “The lack of wanting to join comes from laziness,” offered sophomore Kaliyah Cutty. This is less about students and more about timing, she says, since the race “happens towards the end of the year when most students are drained and don’t feel like doing any additional work.” While it is possible that this is teenage “laziness,” students may just believe that someone else will take on the job, meaning they don’t have to. Our student Activities coordinator (SAC), Cassie-Ann Jacinto, believes that student turnout can be chalked up to the“bystander effect,” or a situation in which someone does nothing because that person “expects someone else to step up.” “People would rather just watch people do things,” she added. “We’re still recovering” Jacinto points out that she has learned while talking with other Student Activities Coordinators that “there has been a decrease in engagement, not just at Lahainaluna, but also at other schools” She notes that the recent fall in participation may have started with COVID, but , at our school, it may have been drawn out by the 2023 Maui Wildfire. “We’re still recovering from the fire, and people are trying their best to come to school, go home and keep the cycle going,” Arconado says. “Some don’t even live in Lahaina, so student council is a hard thing to commit to for those not living in town.” Similarly, teachers are also preoccupied with current struggles to the point where they cannot engage with students as much as they used to. Carosso says, “it’s harder for everybody. For all of our kids, our staff, and our families to get involved. It’s just harder all around than it was.” “Like minded individuals” Offering incentives to encourage involvement may play a key role in increasing interested applicants. Recognition, acknowledgement throughout the school year, and celebration of student council members may seem miniscule now, but may go a long way. Arconado adds that one benefit to joining student council is “that you are surrounded by like-minded individuals that if you keep them close you will soon then call your best friends.” “The school can encourage student council participation by recognizing their efforts and planned events,” said an anonymous senior. Moreover, if students see that Student Council is not only working, but also something enjoyable, students may feel more inclined to join. This comes from a council’s ability to effectively plan events that make students feel welcomed. Conversely, if the Student Council appears ineffective and dysfunctional, “our legacy as a student council will go down to the dump,” says Arconado. Carosso says he has “confidence and faith that Lahainaluna–being Lahainaluna–-is the one place that can restore that kind of drive.” “We couldn’t do much this year,” said Arconado, “but I hope that in the future we can get cooler events to showcase what the Student Council has to offer.” “So fun” Because student council is the backbone of school-sanctioned events, such as homecoming and spirit weeks, a lack of involvement may cause planning and organizing conflicts. A year of this may make the situation worse, creating more challenges with filling positions or having dual positions,” said sophomore Treasurer Lucia Mejia. If this current trend were to continue, students who are overly-involved may also experience burnout as they take on more responsibilities. “Events like lip-sync are so fun,” Science teacher Jacquelyn Ellis lamented. This past year, student engagement was so low that lip-sync and assemblies had grade levels forfeiting, or events were canceled altogether. “It used to be a really big deal,” said Ellis, “and it’s been sad to see less students participate.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Brianne Lagazo is a sophomore at Lahainaluna. She is currently the president of the class of 2027, attempting to shed light on issues inside and outside of her school. She enjoys working with others, being a part of student council, giving back to her community.

< 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 Valentine's Day High Hopes, Low Expectations Bryson Aquino Student Life February 7, 2025 at 7:37:48 PM “Valentine's day is absolutely horrible,” said sophomore Marcus John Palacio on the upcoming holiday. Explaining his feelings, he admitted that his dislike is entirely personal: “I am very jealous and very envious of all the people that get to experience love in this young, innocent, and youthful way.” As Valentine's day approaches, students at LHS have mixed feelings about the holiday and the dating culture on campus. We wanted to talk to them about dating on campus and the expectations they (and their fellow students) have for their relationships. Here’s what we found. “...a great day to bake cookies…” While some students may envy the happiness of others, some students still appreciate the 14th of February. Senior Dylan Paul Lat said, “I love Valentine's day! It's a great day to bake cookies and show love to everyone, not just in romantic relationships.” Similarly, Junior Brandon Gonzales said “I feel like it’s good that love is in the air.” Yet, other students may doubt whether anyone really cares about the holiday or takes it as seriously as they should. Freshman Mele Fita Feleta, believes that Valentine’s day has lost its significance and that “not many people really care about the day anymore–no one really does anything.” Similarly, sophomore Lucia Mejia noted that “it doesn't seem like a big deal to guys. I don't really see guys going up to girls and asking them to be their valentine anymore.” Expectations in relationships Despite their feelings about the holiday itself, LHS students are still looking for romance, though many of them have different ideas about what that looks like. “I imagine the perfect guy,” says an anonymous sophomore. “Then when I talk to an actual guy. He’s not what I pictured and it disappoints me.” According to Dr. Lina Guzman, teens tend to begin with high standards for relationships. Nevertheless, she finds, “they don’t always expect to find those qualities in a partner” because they have a pessimistic outlook when it comes to relationships. The teenagers interviewed for Guzman’s study knew few adults “whose romantic relationships were worthy of emulation.” The absence of healthy relationship models creates a cycle, she suggests, in which young people feel resigned to unhealthy patterns. For Guzman, “relationship habits formed in adolescence shape future adult relationships.” In contrast to these findings, students like sophomore Annika Yu-Cua have pretty practical expectations for a teenager. She wants a partner who has “actual goals in life and a plan to succeed.” Freshman Avery English is also just looking for “the minimum effort.” Though, she added: “I don't want you to be mean.” Some students feel that finding a relationship in a small community like Maui can be challenging. Faleta put it simply: “it’s hard to find someone here–especially if your standards are really high.” Sophomore Mia Lee admits to having fairly unrealistic expectations about her future person, though she claims that her ideas are learned. “I'm just way too delusional,” she joked. “My expectations are way too high because of the books I read and the movies I watch.” Sophomore Lucia Mejia also observes a common trend in student preferences: “Everyone here looks for a tall guy.” Gonzales suggested that some student relationships seem temporary or insincere. Among students, especially freshmen, “I see a lot of them dating for a week and then breaking up.” Social Media and Dating It is possible that our dating patterns and expectations may be influenced by the technology that has become such a big part of our reality. Dr. K. R. Subramanian argues that the decrease in face-to-face interactions due to social media use has led younger people to prefer isolation and spending time in their own “imaginary world.” Stuck to their phones, young people sacrifice time with their family, neighbors, and “real friends.” Cameron Leslie agrees, saying, “I judge more because social media makes things look different from reality.” Social media has played a significant role in dating. It has “changed people’s perceptions of what a relationship should be. They see a nice couple on Instagram reels, now they're looking for the perfect person, and think they're entitled to it,” says Senior Tyzo Kaska. Leslie agrees: “I feel like people just start to slip away from, like, the respect part of it because they just fantasize more of the idea of having a relationship.” “People need to be reminded that relationships take work. Some only focus on the good and ignore the hardships,” says Aunty Cass. Senior Jericho Yagin also notices that social media “makes it easier to start conversations with people rather than talking to them in person,” which creates virtual relationships that don’t work in reality. Student Activities Coordinator (SAC), Aunty Cassie Jacinto thinks so too. She warns that “since the internet makes it so easy to connect, it also makes it easy to jump from one person to another, which can create trust issues in relationships.” Mejia points out that a lot of what we see online is not even appropriate or relevant for younger people in relationships. “Everyone online talks about ‘red flags,’ but we’re literally teenagers—were still growing and developing.” V-Day Event Despite these challenges, some students remain hopeful, while others are content with celebrating love in all its forms, not just romantic relationships. Aunty Cass as SAC plans events based on student council input. But, she adds, it is also important to “make the events for the date inclusive,” for those looking for romance as well as those who simply like baking cookies. Previous Article Next Article Copy link Bryson Aquino is a senior at Lahainaluna. He’s a student reporter interested in shedding light on and writing about problematic issues on campus. He likes to interact with school institutions. A movie that he really resonates with him is called Not Without My Daughter because its main idea is how one person will go so far just for someone they love. A funny fact about him is that high blood pressure is hereditary in his family, so don’t make him mad!

< Back "Cruelty is the Point" Inside Maui Prep's Anti-Transgender Policy Brianne Lagazo Student Wellness April 30, 2025 at 10:17:41 PM On the 21st of April, a deadline passed by which time Maui Preparatory Academy was asked to respond to the ACLU. On the A CLU Hawai'i website, the high school was asked to “rescind” their new anti-transgender policy, as it violates current law that prohibits gender identity discrimination. From the Maui Prep Handbook, the new policy read as follows: “Maui Prep recognizes biological sex assigned at birth as the basis for determining participation in athletics, overnight stays, and access to facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms.” According to a staff attorney at the ACLU, Maui Prep has not responded to, or even acknowledged receipt of the ACLU letter. Maui Prep continues to receive strong backlash for implementing a policy many say harms students. “bad parenting” In September, Tim Hehemann, Maui Prep Board President, proposed that the school would only permit students to wear clothing, enforce bathroom guidelines, and participate in sports teams according to their birth gender. In their post, the ACLU states that Hehemann described transgender identity as a result of “bad parenting” and as a form of behavioral misconduct. While these policies will not be implemented until the 2025-2026 school year, many people worry about the emotional harm this may cause to students. It is also important to mention cultural as well as legal incompatibility of such a policy in Hawai'i. According to the ACLU of Hawai'i, Maui Prep’s policy is in direct defiance of a current law that prohibits gender identity discrimination by any school that receives state funding. Should Maui Prep fail to comply, the funds that the school receives from the State Department of Human Services, the State Department of Education, and allocations from the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools program will most likely be rescinded. Because of strong backlash from parents and community members, the West Maui school agreed to respect student’s personal pronouns, but will continue to enforce strict bathroom and sports guidelines. Hehemann’s plans leaked to the larger community in December. Yet, it had been discussed in private throughout the summer of 2024. Once Hehemann and Jim Bozich, a major donor at the school (Maui Prep’s gym is named after Bozich) pushed the policy publically, the school’s nondiscriminatory policy was removed from their website. Board members who opposed it resigned or were forced out. “Those māhū’s were our protectors.” The problem is much larger than the legal battle. The issue of trans rights closely connects to an important social and spiritual identity in Hawaiian culture. According to Kumu Hina, a famous Native Hawaiian māhū kumu hula, the word “māhū” can be used to describe someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. The tradition was recorded by missionaries when they first arrived in Hawai'i. The word was used to describe a person who embodies both male and female spirit, also known as the gender “in-between”or “third gender.” Despite the term being used in a derogatory way, the word “māhū” in Hawaiian culture means something important to Hawaiians. Hina explains that māhū were known as caregivers and teachers of ancient traditions, keepers and teachers of hula. However, when white colonists arrived from Europe and America, they were repulsed by māhū-identifying people, who they interpreted as immoral and unnatural. A local community member with connections to Maui Prep who we will call Mele, voices her opinion on the cultural aspect and the school’s impact. In terms of culture, Mele states that “growing up here, it is normal even though people may not agree with it.” She told a story about growing up with māhū kane nearby, and how “when we were in the bathrooms, they were in the bathrooms with us and keeping the boys out from causing trouble.” “Those māhū’s were our protectors,” she said. “It is kind of weird for me to hear them [Maui Prep] say that because I feel like they’re almost ignorant or scared of something they don't know,” added Mele who believes that Hawaiian culture, including the concept of māhū, taught people discipline, respect, and the meaning of ohana. By contrast, she said, American culture lacks discipline and can ultimately lead to disrespect and ignorance. “I think it’s interesting that a school here in Hawai'i is so happy to ignore the traditional Hawaiian māhū culture that has existed here as long as people have lived here,” said Kumu Kaui Spitalsky who teaches in Lahainluna’s Kaiapuni (Hawaiian immersion) program. “I suppose I don’t find it very surprising that Maui Prep is the school that would want to ignore Hawaiian culture and exclude those that they don’t agree with," Spitalski continued. "They are a private school. The point of a private school is to exclude the public - to exclude those that don’t fit into their view of the world.” Sentiments are similar among students like senior Kaui Wright Smith who proudly claimed her Hawaiian ancestry during our interview. “It's a very harmful way of thinking, this Western concept of homophobia that was brought on by colonization.” Mina Nagasako also thinks that “This organization is making a decision that excludes a whole group of people and others should know what this organization is doing.” While Maui Prep often integrates parts of Hawaiian culture on campus, Mele noted their tendency of “picking and choosing bits and pieces [...] that they want to incorporate at their school, which does not sit well with me right now.” “Māhū was a very important value,” Nagasako said. “To exclude that and continue to use Hawaiian language terms in your school is so disrespectful.” “cruelty is the entire point” Many Lahainaluna students seem to understand this point, though they may not speak about māhū culture directly. “This being a policy in Hawaii honestly makes us look bad knowing that we’re LGBTQ+ friendly,” says Annika Yu-Cua. Similarly, freshman Ako Peralta thinks that the policy "might be really unfair on their students" and that all this does is make people “feel like they dont belong there.” “We shouldnt be excluding people just because they’re part of the community.” Similarly, as an anonymous freshman noted, the policy “disregard[s] a whole demographic of students.” The school is “wrong in a multitude of ways,” says history teacher Sara Eubank. “It seems like they [Maui Prep] realize that trans and gender nonconforming people exist and they would rather reject and discriminate against them instead of accepting a child for who they are.” If anything, she suggests, the policy will only promote the “internalization of transphobia,” which “causes a lot of harm that can possibly last for years to come if not addressed.” Therefore, Eubank concludes, “It’s an attempt to force people to be ashamed of who they are and to bully them into conforming. The cruelty is the point.” “It is not a step in the direction that fosters acceptance.” says Biology teacher Arica Lynn. She agrees and notes that “these policies do not support a positive learning environment for our student population.” “If a student feels uncomfortable in their surroundings they won’t be willing to learn,” adds sophomore Jaylee Vierra. “I have friends and family that align themselves with the community and it harms their sense of self,” says Senior Kayla Mabalot. Freshman Elijah Cabanilla agrees. “People should also be aware that this hurts the student’s mental health because they can’t get the help they need at school.” “...they can do what they want…” In the spring of 2024, it is possible that Maui Prep approached the MIL asking if they could withdraw from competition with MIL teams with transgender participants. Yet, this cannot be proven and no one is able to confirm this story. Yet, Carosso confirmed that the MIL informed Maui Prep that they cannot withdraw from competition against an MIL team because of their transgender participants. This is due to the MIL’s responsibility of coordinating game and travel schedules. In this one case, said Athletic Director Jonathan Conrad, “They're basically in a situation where they [Maui Prep] need to conform.” Yet, as it is with their general trans policy, “they’re a private school and they can do what they want.” “If they [Maui Prep] are actively violating an MIL policy,” added Conrad, “then they’re not allowed to play.” Richard Carosso added that “we don't have the right to change their [Maui Prep's] policy.” But “if you [Maui Prep] want to play with us, you have to accept MIL rules.” “Fractures that feeling of ohana” A letter sent to all Maui Prep faculty memebers by a concerned Maui Prep parent pointed out that faculty members who have been a part of the community for years will not be returning next school year because of the new policy. According to the letter that Ka Lama obtained from an anoynymous source, Maui Prep’s college counselor, all four preschool teachers, and 17 teachers and faculty, will not be returning next year due to the Administration’s recent mistreatment. Concerned with how alienating and firing teachers will ultimately benefit their children, the parent group also claimed that the school lacks transparency. They criticised the school for failing to explain the changes. Former teacher Vashti Daise was reportedly fired for openly defying the anti-transgender policy. She had emailed faculty and staff stating that “if we are going to enact a discriminatory policy against trans children or any kind of children, I would no longer be able to stay at the school.” Sometime after her email, she told Maui News Now, she was called into the office, where staff informed her that “it was time for us to part ways.” Maui Prep’s administration informed the Maui News that they would not comment on Daise’s unemployment. “This policy has literally fractured that feeling of ohana,” Daise continued. “People are really experiencing low morale and fear.” Carosso says he doesn’t think that an anti-trans policy is “in the best interest of educating kids academically and emotionally. We need to always lean in with aloha and acceptance first [...] and I don't think this policy reflects that.” “The trend of us becoming a kinder, gentler world continues to progress,” Carosso added. “To some extent, this policy is a step back.” While some in the present may not agree with it, said Mele about the long-lived presence of māhū culture in Hawai’i, “we are always accepting. If you don’t like it, maybe you shouldn’t be here.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Brianne Lagazo is a sophomore at Lahainaluna. She is currently the president of the class of 2027, attempting to shed light on issues inside and outside of her school. She enjoys working with others, being a part of student council, giving back to her community.