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< Back Mr. Carosso Principal I met Principal Carosso at lunch around the beginning of second semester. Despite having just come back from break, he seemed like he had a lot on his plate. I was nervous interviewing the principal of our school. However, before we began, he asked me if he should be the one who “should be nervous.” This gave me a slight boost of confidence and lightened the mood. I was expecting the interview to be nerve-wracking; after all, Principal Carosso is one of the tallest people on campus and is in charge of everything at Lahainaluna. Yet, after stepping into his office and sharing a firm handshake, I came to the realization that he was just another person. For instance, our Principal also listens to music and has a favorite movie. Mostly music spanning the 70s through the 90s, Mr. Carosso’s playlist is heavy on rock and roll, like the Eagles. When asked what his Spotify Wrapped looked like, he responded that he was “too old for Spotify” and that he uses Pandora. Mr. Carosso did tell me what his favorite movie is, but he seemed unable to tell me more about that at the time. Our interview was briefly interrupted when three boys barged into his office to report something. I got the idea that his whole day was like this. After he let me back in, he just said that he likes The Godfather. Despite moments like this, Principal Carosso assured me that he liked his job. He said that he likes to work with high school students and that he thinks “kids at this age are very fun and joyful.” Specifically, he mentioned that he likes “how we are at [our] age,” an age when “we are most fun.” Mr. Carosso reflected on himself at our age. “I didn’t make the most out of the opportunities in high school,” he said. His advice to high school students? “Be confident, be adventurous, and do not be scared to chase something because you think you are going to fail.” Regardless of this, he doesn’t regret anything now because he’s doing what he loves, being a principal at LHS. He has fallen in love with the place and says he “wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Mr. Carosso also makes sure to go to as many sporting events as he can. At these events he gets to see one of his favorite things about Lahainaluna: that we “have a lot of school pride.” For the same reason, he likes going to all our graduation days, and ceremonies. I asked our principal what he would do if he had unlimited resources. He thought hard about it and I waited a while for him to respond. But when he did, the first thing that had come into his mind was that he “would pay everyone a lot more.” “Everyone’s working hard,” he said. “A lot of our teachers would go above and beyond for our kids.” He added that he wouldn’t want our teachers having to go to a second job just to pay for a living; and with an unlimited amount of money, teachers would be able to put all their energy into teaching kids. I also asked if, with “unlimited resources,” he would do anything to the school itself. To this he said that he wouldn’t change anything. He wouldn’t try to make the school seem more modern. Our school is “unique,” he said, and he wouldn’t “want to change the feel.” Keeping Lahainaluna’s old stuff preserved its “charm and lore.” Other things that our principal thought to do with unlimited resources included finding new ways to make opportunities for the students. We should “not have the lack of resources be an obstacle,” he said. A bigger and safer kitchen for our culinary classes was another idea, as well as better transportation for students trying to get to and from school, better equipment for teachers and staff, and the money to get more help cleaning and landscaping our campus. Mia Palacio is a contributor to Ka Lama Hawai'i and the Vice President of the Lahainaluna News Writing Club.

A newspaper written by the students of Lahainaluna High School in the town of Lahaina, Maui. Ka Lama Hawai'i is named after the first newspaper in Hawai'i, which was also published by Lahainaluna students in the nineteenth century. Welcome to Ka Lama Hawai'i! News writing is kind of a tradition here in Lahaina. In fact, the oldest school newspaper west of the Rockies was published right here, by students, on the campus of Lahainaluna in 1834. Our paper, also run by students of Lahainaluna, is our way of sharing breath with that past and the students that came before us. All said, do you have a piece of writing to share with us? If so, please submit your writing in the form below. We will consider all submissions as long as they are student-authored and appropriate. First Name Last Name Email What's your idea OR what are you submitting? Upload File Upload supported file (Max 15MB) Send Thanks for submitting!

< 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 Students are Feeling a Chill What Lunas think about the possibility of immigration officers on campus. Trinity Guiza Politics April 30, 2025 at 10:58:07 PM On February 4th around third period, an Instagram post created by a student at Lahaina Intermediate spread through our school: “ICE immigration is at lis today and are supposed to come up here to lhs tomorrow. don't get deported” (sic). The caption appeared on top of an unrelated image: a glass cylinder sliding away from a student’s hand across a counter in a science class. The message was quickly dismissed by some as entirely fabricated. Yet, many were concerned and still are. “I heard a rumor about ICE going to lis but I don’t know if it was actually tea or not” said a sophomore who chose to remain anonymous. They will be referred to Anna below. “The scary thing,” Anna said, “is that it’s easy to believe something like that can actually happen because it is something that is happening on the mainland. I think we’re lucky to live in Hawaii where we aren’t as affected but I definitely worry about my friends and family on the mainland.” Recent events suggest that these worries might come closer to home than Anna and others may think. In March, an elementary student was removed from Konawaena Elementary in an immigration operation. The boy's father was detained due to immigration violations. With no one to pick him up, officers delivered him to his father. To concerns in the community, Lucia Cabral-DeArmas was sure to mention that “the two were never separated, other than during school hours.” Principal Richard Carosso sent an email around this time containing state guidelines for responding to ICE on campus: politely inform them that they are not allowed access to any information or room and call and wait for an administrator to handle the situation. What is ICE? According to the US Immigration and Customs Website (ICE), the agency’s mission is “To Protect America through criminal investigations and enforcing immigration laws to preserve national security and public safety.” Students and teachers shared different impressions, however. History teacher Ruth Mathis described ICE simply, as “an immigration system that gets people without their own proper documentation, and they send them back home.” “It’s a federal agency that investigates people if they are here in the country illegally,” said Junior Aleksandr Lucas. “Search their background and identify them. Eventually arrest them, interview and most likely deport them.” “It’s a government group coming and taking illegal American citizens of this country,” said Koryn Moury. “Their job is to find some illegal immigrants,” offered Science teacher Jacquelyn Ellis. ICE will “detain them or find out any more information about them and then they help with the deportation part of it as well.” A bit different, math teacher William Tatro thinks ICE’s primary focus is on “people who are convicted or charged with severe criminal activities.” “It's a private space” Talk about immigration on campus comes after Donald Trump’s recent executive order allowing immigration officers to conduct enforcement actions in or near sensitive areas such as medical facilities, places of worship, and schools. Following these announcements, Maui teachers looked for guidance on what should be done if ICE agents come to campus. The Hawai’i Teachers Association (HSTA) coordinated an information session with the Maui immigrant advocacy group, Roots Reborn, at Kulanihako’i High School in February. Leading the session was Aparna Patrie, an immigration attorney on Maui who works closely with the organization. “These are folks who are really important and essential to the fabric of our community,” said Patrie, who understands that a large percentage of Maui is foreign born. “They are terrified, and we've seen folks be afraid to get health care, afraid to go to school, afraid to go to church, afraid to go to the store and it's really unfortunate.” Ellis was one of several teachers who attended the information session. Afterward, she said that it was “useful” and that “it just helps you know what your rights are, because even immigrants who are here, not legally, have rights through our constitution and that's an important part of our nation.” Reflecting on what she had learned, Ellis described what she would do it ICE came to her classroom. “I would tell them that it's a private space. They cannot come in here and they need to go to the front office with any of their questions. I would never tell them a single thing about a single student in my classroom” Carol Holland, a History teacher at Maui High, also attended the info session. According to Holland, she would go to extreme measures to protect her students such as locking them in the bathroom to protect them. “The bathroom is a private space,” said Holland. “They cannot get into it without permission, so I will squeeze them all in there in my personal teacher bathroom, lock the door, slide the key under the door so it's inside the bathroom, so there's no way they can get in there.” “I would just wanna see their papers [warrants] and examine it,” said History teacher Ruth Mathis at the session. “People need to be educated in here, and you can’t come to my room. You can't take a child out of this room.” On the possibility of ICE agents on campus, Tatro, who was not present at the info session, “would have to ask them ‘did you go to the administration first?” However, he added that there are situations in which you might want ICE agents in your room. Tatro painted a scene in which there is somebody “holding somebody hostage or somebody’s in here with a gun, threatening us. I’d want them to come in.” Yet, he circled back, noting that “if somebody comes in and it's not that threatening a situation, I would say ‘did you go to the administration first?’” He insisted that, minus the hostage scenario, he would “be a little bit uncomfortable with that particular circumstance.” “I Know My Rights” In a hypothetical situation if ICE were to arrive on campus, Principal Carosso said, he would “not give full and unfettered access to our campus.” Instead, in accordance with state policy, he would hold them at the admin building and “call our superiors, our complex superintendent.” It is likely that the majority of students on campus, like Moury, “wouldn't know what to do.” Junior Angel Sana says that she has “only heard of ICE through online. I have never seen them in real life, which I would be afraid to.” “I wouldn't say anything,” said junior Val Medina-Tellez. “As somebody whose parents immigrated here, there would be no point in saying anything. They would automatically assume you are illegal, [and say] ‘I'm gonna detain you.’ They wouldn’t actually care.” Some students were more assertive. “I know my rights, I would only say what is needed to say and stay silent,” said junior Aleksandr Lucas. “I would never help an agency that does horrible stuff to innocent individuals that only try to make their own lives and their children's lives better.” “For some reason citizenship doesn't mean anything to them.” said freshman Mele Faleta. “There are many requirements that have to go with living in the US” yet “people still don’t think that it's enough for people to stay here, then i think maybe just get something else to worry about.” Dezmond Jace “Dezzy” Longgay, a senior, said “I'd actually lowkey be afraid.” The reason he’s afraid is “because of the fact that even though I am a United States born citizen, because of my race, I will be deported back to the Philippines.” Longgay believes the possibilities of ICE coming to camps are high because “Hawai’i is one of the well-known diverse states in the U.S., other than like California.” Since we're all isolated on one small island Longgay thinks “they might see it as an advantage to find people.” “They're clearly not looking for criminals” Tatro believes that there are people who come to “destroy” the country he loves. He mentioned how in the last four years crime rates and violence have risen because of illegal immigrants. “I'm talking about the violent illegal immigrants,” he said. “I’m talking about the ones that have a history of crime.” Offering an example, he encouraged me to imagine “a group of individuals from a country that is in conflict with us, and you see single men 26 years old with their backpack and their jeans and their sneakers, their $200 sneakers. You wonder what they're coming here for–especially when you see many who look like this, no family, just themselves. Charged with various heinous crimes, you know what they're coming for?” He answered his own question: “they're coming here to bring destruction and chaos to our country.” “ICE in the past, or at least the last administration was supposed to be just targeting the top people with any criminal records, right?” said Ellis. “If Donald Trump is letting them come to schools, they're clearly not looking for criminals. They're looking for any and everyone.” Holland (who said that she would lock her students in the bathroom), agrees. I sat with her in a nearly empty Kulanihako’i cafeteria as teachers had begun to leave, most of their questions answered and some of their anxiety eased. Soft spoken, yet bold and confident with her words, Holland talked about this common connection between crime and immigration. “Less than one percent of the crime in this country is committed by immigrants” she insisted. “So the statistics and the facts don't back up that.” referring to others opinions on immigrant crime rates. According to a 2024 report on crime rates in Texas, a border state, the National Institute of Justice found that immigrants did in fact have a lower crime rate than citizens. Using FBI data, the American Immigration Council also notes that the idea that immigrants bring crime to America is a myth. The results from the population data in relation to crime rates showed “no statistically significant correlation between the immigrant share of the population and the total crime rate in any state.” They conclude that: “higher immigrant population shares are not associated with higher crime rates” Sana sees some of this and thinks that ICE is “sending people home where they are from because of their colors or race.” Yet, she still thinks that “some immigrants did come here without papers and still yet committed crimes, including rape, murder, theft, and other crimes. I would be very much happy if they sent those people who committed crimes.” Sana added, however, that, “for others who came here with papers and have the right of residency, and yet still getting sent home is far too much.” “I think that it is being used to push certain agendas and deporting people like Kilmar Garcia who have little to no criminal record,” said Anna. “To me it shows that the government doesn’t need a reason to take someone you love who might not be a white person and send them to a federal prison in a whole other country.” Lucas thinks ICE “has really turned into a whole racist organization,“adding that it’s “despicable and shameful to the country.” Ellis thinks that ICE “should never be a worry for these kids who are at school to learn. It should be a safe space.” “I feel like ICE shouldn't even exist,” said Holland. “The whole principle of the country of America is built by immigrants, so the fact that a bunch of xenophobic old men are trying to hold onto their privilege by implementing immigration policies is an affront to everything this country stands for.” Mathis offered similar sentiments. “It's always been discriminatory from the beginning,” she noted. “[N]ow the situation has changed in the country where the minority groups–they come together to become the majority, and the people who are the majority now they become the minority. It's the fear, the fear that all these people would come together and maybe they will take over.” Angel Sana is a junior who thinks the situation is “messed up.” For Angel, ICE is just a group trying “to take advantage of humans that are not Americans.” They “do whatever they want,” Sana continued, “but they do it in their own way. They don’t follow the rules.” “Honestly because they put a bunch of racist, bigoted people in charge and we’re just seeing the effects of our country’s ignorance,” said Anna. “It’s important to understand the impact that they have on our communities and the actual threat that they pose,” she said. “I have friends and even family members who are immigrants who are worried about this kind of thing and it’s horrible to see.” “I think everybody wants it good for the country” “I think everybody wants it good for the country, so nobody is gonna take over, so let it be cool on immigration and encourage ingenuity of the immigrants," said Mathis, who offered a history of immigration in America that “dates back to the coming of the settlers. Everyone that came from Europe, especially the United Kingdom, were immigrants.” “Immigration is very important. We have to support it and not discourage it. Because that's how we got all these brains that we have, all the inventions, everything. It's immigrants' knowledge that built this country and you can't do away with immigration.” Mathis went on: “These children, one of these children, they could help you tomorrow. That's the blessing of immigration. We all have different skills. So no ICE person can come to my door and take anybody.” Holland hoped that our generation “would live in a world where you didn't have to fight these struggles anymore.” She said “you guys are gonna have to stand up. You're gonna have to resist, you're gonna have to push back against tyranny, against authoritarianism. Against the rise of fascism again.” “It's time for people to stop being ignorant about important issues like these,” said Lucas. If you are feeling distressed about current events, the Ka Lama staff recommends you seek out your grade level counselor. Previous Article Next Article Copy link Trinity Guiza is a staff writer at Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< Back In the Nation's Spiritual Center Lahainaluna’s Annual Celebration of Lā Kūʻokoʻa Grayson Guzman Coleman Riddell Traditions November 7, 2025 at 7:44:18 PM For the students and staff at Lahainaluna High School (LHS), the annual celebration of Lā Kūʻokoʻa (“Hawaiian Independence Day”) is far more than a simple history lesson. It is a powerful act of spiritual and political reclamation celebrated in the former center of the Hawaiian kingdom. Lā Kūʻokoʻa began on November 28th, 1843, commemorating political recognition from major powers Great Britain, France, and the United States of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s sovereignty. It was celebrated in the Kingdom for five decades until the 1893 overthrow, when it disappeared from calendars for nearly a century. As they prepare for the 4th annual Lā Kūʻokoʻa celebration on Boarders' Field (November 24th), students prepare to enjoy food, games, and art as well as a greater feeling of connection to their history. “...a forgotten holiday…” Lā Kūʻokoʻa’s return in 2022 began with a collaboration between Hawaiian studies Kumu Eva Palikiko and P.E. teacher Cliffane Casco. With the celebration’s absence, Palikiko saw an opportunity. After the overthrow, said Palikiko, “People kind of forgot about what Lā Kūʻokoʻa [was] and it became a forgotten holiday.” The effect, she added, was felt “especially in our education systems.” She described how students following the overthrow were physically punished if they celebrated Hawaiian holidays. In this environment, Lā Kūʻokoʻa was silenced until the start of the Hawaiian Renaissance in the 1960s. Even to this day, Lā Kūʻokoʻa is still not a state-recognized holiday. Palikiko noted that there was no Lā Kūʻokoʻa celebration when she arrived at Lahainaluna, though she was familiar with the celebration from the school she had transferred from. It was convenient that Casco had already incorporated the Makahiki games into his curriculum. It was even more convenient to revive Lā Kūʻokoʻa since it was so connected to Lahaina. “...the mana…has still always stayed here…” Palikiko said that the celebration is special in Lahaina, as it connects the school to the enduring spiritual power, or mana, of the area. “Lahaina remains the nation's spiritual center,” said Palikiko, “because this is where the piko was, where Mokuʻula is, that used to be the capital of Hawai'i before it moved to Honolulu." And, while the capital eventually moved (in 1845), “the mana, the spiritual, has still always stayed here... The bones of our aliʻi are still here and all that mana that was established here is still here in Lahaina." Sophomore LeiAloha Amram explained Lahainaluna “is so cultural and has so much history behind it.” As a boarder, she said, “I always feel mana around this school. It’s just so spiritful and I feel like we have a unique kind of people and things that we do that makes us different.” “When we all gather as a school to honor and celebrate these significant historical milestones and figures, I feel both pride and mana coming from everyone who acknowledges the complex history of our Kingdom,” said sophomore Ka’iulani Balinbin. “The power and beauty of it emerges when we all come together as one.” “...we're still our own country…” "It's fitting that our Hawaiian independence Day be returned back to Lahaina,” Palikiko added. “especially since the people who were very crucial in Lā Kūʻokoʻa, like Timoteo Haʻalilio and Kamehameha III (Kauikeaouli)—they are Lahaina people." Timoteo Haʻalilio studied at Lahainaluna, was a historical writer of the first historical society in Hawai’i—‘Ahahui ‘Imi i nā Mea Kahiko (The Royal Historical Society)—and was a government official through membership in the Kingdom's House of Nobles. He was raised alongside and became the personal secretary of Kamehameha III (Kauikeaouli). In 1842, Kamehameha III (Kauikeaouli)** commissioned three diplomats, messengers—William Richards, Sir George Simpson, and Timoteo Haʻalilio. The delegation traveled to Europe and North America to get the signatures on a letter of recommendation, called Palapala, otherwise known as the Anglo-Franco proclamation for Hawaiian Independence in 1843. The mission was motivated by a fear that Hawai'i would fall to a foreign power, as had nearly happened during the Laplace Affair in which the French military threatened war on the Hawaiian Kingdom for their discrimination of Catholics. Haʻalilio was even offered as a hostage. The Hawaiian Kingdom hoped that the overseas diplomatic mission would prevent future conflicts like this. Because Lā Kūʻokoʻa was historically suppressed by the occupying government, students feel strongly about the importance of keeping such traditions alive. "Hawaiian Independence Day reminds us of the things that these foreigners came to do to Hawai’i... it was literally a stand for our people,” remarked junior ‘Āina Kapu. Sophomore Pililani Wilsey-Bothelo celebrates Lā Kūʻokoʻa with her Kula Kaiapuni (immersion) class and believes that in “Hawaiian eyes, we still are an independent nation, and we don't believe we are part of America, only because they illegally overthrew our queen.” Senior Maluaka Wilsey-Bothelo thinks Hawaiʻiʻs political status should be a part of why we celebrate such holidays. She contended that "technically,” Hawai'i is still “an illegal[ly] occupied nation.” Yet, “by heart,” he added, “we're still our own country, so we should all definitely still recognize Lā Kūʻokoʻa.” “...to make it a little bit more special.” "Every year our goal is to add just one little more thing... to make it a little bit more special," Palikiko stated. The celebration on November 24th is designed to give every student an opportunity to engage with their history. The event is a community fair packed with fun and learning—sharing the mana with everyone. Students can check with their Po’okela teacher if their class is planning to go. Casco will have Makahiki games, traditional Hawaiian sports. Including ʻulu maika (stone rolling), moa pāheʻe (sliding darts), uma and pā uma (arm wrestling), Haka moa (chicken fighting), Huki huki (tug of war), and konane (Hawaiian checkers). Drawing and Painting students, led by art teacher Micah Kawaguchi-Ailetcher, will run a live screen-printing station where students can bring their own shirts or tote bags to be printed with a Lā Kūʻokoʻa design in honor of the school’s historical role as early printmakers in Hawaiʻi. Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Lahainaluna, Hawaiian Immersion, is planning to provide food for the event and will be sharing information about important historical figures for Hawaii’s independence. There will also be lei making with plants provided by agriculture teacher Bradley Mason. “Papa hula o Lahainaluna has been working on a mele named ‘Eia nō au ‘o Timoteo Haʻalilio,’ that we will be performing” shared Balinbin. “We will be performing this to honor Timoteo and his historical significance.” Boarders are also planning to work on community service activities, such as cleaning up historical sites. “We might be planting some things up at the grave [Lahainaluna Mission Cemetery],” boarder Aiyana Kimokeo reported. “Or we might be cleaning up places…like the [Ka Pa Kalae] stage,” this stage at Boarders' Field representing our recently passed kupuna, “Aunty Lori” Gomez Karinen. Lahainaluna’s modern Lā Kūʻokoʻa traditions are planned to go beyond our campus. “Last year we invited Kulanihākoʻi… we're gonna invite them again… we’re [also] inviting Fourth to Eighth grade Hawaiian Immersion [students],” Palikiko explained, “give them a spark.” “...we’re thankful and grateful for being Hawaiian.” Celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving and Lā Kūʻokoʻa often fall on the same day. This creates an interesting cultural contrast. While students like Kyren Malacas Bagoyo view Thanksgiving simply as a day for family and food, “Oh, we eat. We just go eat,” Hawaiian Independence Day provides a necessary political counterpoint, reminding everyone of Hawai'i's ongoing history and the ongoing fights by its people. Mike Landes, Modern Hawaiian History teacher said, “I love Thanksgiving…And what [it] has come to symbolize with the gathering of family. But the story behind Thanksgiving that we are sold at a young age--the happy pilgrims and Native Americans holding hands and sitting around together in life being beautiful--is certainly not reflective of the reality of the time. It's a nice way to gloss over forced removal, the genocide of the native population, and the colonization of their lands.” Palikikoʻs ʻOhana celebrates both holidays "but we put a bigger emphasis on Lā Kūʻokoʻa,” she said. “We make an imu, still do the turkey, but we fly our Hawaiian flags… We take that same premise of Thanksgiving, of being thankful and being grateful—but for being Hawaiian [and] for living in Hawaii.” Micah Kawaguchi-Ailetcher believes both celebrations can coexist, “I feel that having them all around the same time lends itself to this extra feeling of festivity.” “...it is not something that we will keep quiet of” “It’s important that no matter who we are, that we try to understand the history of the place where we live, and the people who are or were indigenous to that place,” Landes states. As Lahainaluna lights and passes our torch, we hope to see more recognition and celebration for Hawai’i’s historic Lā Kūʻokoʻa. “We should never give up on what we do because no matter what, this is our home… It's still Hawaii,” said Pililani. She continued, “there's a lot of wrongdoing Americans did to Hawaii, and that is something that the Hawaiians will not stand for even today…We all still fight for our water, we all still fight for lands. And Lā Kūʻokoʻa is just something to remind us that it is, it is our Hawaiian history—it is not something that we will keep quiet of.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Grayson is the current 2028 student council Vice President and is running for a second term as sophomore Vice President. Coleman is a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawaiʻi. He is currently a senior at Lahainaluna High School.

< Back Replanting Our Legacy Boarders Replant Liliʻuokalani's Famous Palm Kristina Meguro Keiko Wegner Traditions November 7, 2025 at 9:05:57 PM On November 2, 1906, Queen Liliʻuokalani visited Lahainaluna to plant a tree. “This popular lady, though out of office, still reigns queen in the hearts of her people,” reported Maui News in its coverage of the event. Event Agenda in Maui News article, Nove 2, 1906. Queen Liliʻuokalani was here for Arbor Day and to witness one of Lahainaluna’s specialties: the throwing of poi. As Valerie Monson wrote for Maui News a century later, “the students would lop up poi on a finger or two and fling it into the bowls on the table.” Apparently, our students did this with “such speed and accuracy” that they “never spilled a drop. Their talent became something to see.” While the Lahainaluna “boyʻs string band” performed “a number of pieces,” the royal palm was planted “by Her Majesty’s own hands” on the spot in front of what is now the principal’s cottage. “Its verdant leaves,” the reporter concluded, “will help to keep ever green, in the hearts of her people.” Today, there are at least 22 royal palms spread out around campus. Some of the most significant areas where you can find these magnificent trees are the pathway leading up towards the main office near the bandroom and boarders field. But none of them are believed to be the queen’s royal palm. Around 2007, the queen’s royal palm, it is suspected, was knocked down. Yet, no one is certain about that. Tara Nakata, the librarian and member of the Archive committee, says “because the royal palm was never properly documented, we could only theorize what might have happened to it”--or where it even was. “...it would be an honor to replace it.” To restore the palm and connect to this important legacy, the Lahainaluna Boarders Alumni Association, Lahainaluna Boarding Department, Kanaeokana, and Kamehameha Schools Kaiāulu are working together to hold the Lahainaluna Boarders Ho’ike. This event will take place on November 22, at our very own Hale Pā’ina from 2 to 8 pm. The Boarding Department will plant a few royal palms to honor our history with Queen Liliʻuokalani. A new tree will be planted and the history will be covered in depth. According to Holly Chandler, Vice President of Boarding Operations, the event has a deep purpose. We can’t preserve what is lost, or even really confirm that the tree was removed, she suggested, but “it would be an honor to replace it.” “Aunty Jane” Casco, a cafeteria staff member, agrees. The revival of the royal palm story and its ties to the Hawaiian kingdom will do us good, she said, because we are able to better acknowledge the rich history of the school. Casco added that “The royal palm is a way for us to mālama, y'know take care, the land. It is a way for us to teach the younger generation to care for each other. Technology doesn’t do that for us.” “There is a saying”, said Agriculture Teacher, Nathan Pallett: ”the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago so you may bask in its shade today.” Pallett admitted “I do not know of any significance royal palms have to Lahainaluna,” but if he were to “guess,” he added, “they have become a symbol of our school due to their regal appearance and age. So many have seen the palms over the many years that it seems everyone may recognize them as a symbol of our school similar to the torch in our school seal.” Some other students think that the history of the royal palm makes is really why it's worth planting them. Annette Kohlepp, a freshman student thinks that planting could become a “tradition to bring back the history,” a reminder of Queen Liliʻuokalani’s legacy. Jaiden Rante, another freshman student, says “I come to Lahainaluna, I see these royal palms the most.” After being informed of the history, Rante exclaims “it’s really cool that Queen Liliʻuokalani planted one of these before and that makes it even better that these are called ‘ royal palms.’” “...most of it is all just either dirt or dead.” Senior border Kden Pu, thinks that there are more obvious reasons for an event like this. He mentioned how the area where the planting will take place “is all just either dirt or dead.” For this reason, he sees replanting “all the natural plants back and everything” as an act of “trying to give it back.” The campus, although filled with an abundance of plants, can be brighter. Pu believes that they are “doing it to try to revive what is mostly there. And try to make it green again.” Kaimana Borges, a sophomore, also agrees with Pu. Borges says replanting the royal palms can “add some color, as long as you guys water, keep on check.” Pallet, who again, knew very little about the event, notes that there are real benefits to this kind of thing. “Planting trees, or any plant, in a space with intention and for a reason allows others to later benefit in many ways,” he said. “Productive landscapes can feed, heal, and create a source of income. Forest rehabilitation with native plants on a macro scale can fight the impacts of climate change, reduce soil erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife.” “...I hope that they will grow also, strong and noble…” On the original Arbor Day event, the queen, after the planting ceremony, allegedly turned to the principal, then C. A. McDonald, and said, “Tell the boys that as that tree grows up in strength and beauty, so I hope that they will grow also, strong and noble, and that they will be a pride to their parents, to the school, and to the country.” This November we stand as proof of those feelings and as the school who has inherited this important legacy. Previous Article Next Article Copy link Kristina Meguro is a sophomore and a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawaiʻi. Keiko is a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawaiʻi. She is currently a junior at Lahainaluna High School.

< Back From the Classroom to the Polls On the Issues, Misinformation, and Parental Influence Keyla Jimenez Lucia Mejia Politics November 2, 2024 at 7:02:04 AM Most students do not meet the age requirement to vote, but this election still greatly affects us. It still “affects the whole United States,” says senior “Mary,” and “as long as you're a citizen of the United States, no matter what, you're affected by who's president.” Students will be impacted greatly in various ways depending on who wins this election. It's important for us to understand what’s going on with the people who have our future in their hands. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. The following statements from students are their own opinions that they freely offered. That’s the whole point of this article, and frankly of Ka Lama Hawai’i . Giving a voice to those who typically don’t have one is important. It gives us and others a different perspective on the topic. In the following, we were sure to respect students’ privacy by asking them if they preferred to speak anonymously or whether they wanted to be publicly associated with their opinions. Instead of using their real names, students were given names inspired by famous Americans, including US presidents. “...what are we doing at this point people?” “I love Kamala and I hate Trump,” states one anonymous freshman. We can call him “Jefferson.” “Literally, just watch the debate,” he said. “He's like a convicted felon on multiple accounts, like, how is he allowed to be our president?” “What the heck? Like, what are we doing at this point people?” For Jefferson, Supreme Court appointments are crucial. The Supreme Court, is “a lifetime position, so since Donald Trump, he appointed a bunch of Republican Supreme Court judges, they're gonna be there for a lifetime and determine the outcome for the next 50 years.“ “Donald Trump is too egotistical and a felon,” said another anonymous student, “Tyler,” who added that Trump has been “proven to be a sexual abuser and made many racial remarks against minorities. He’s just a bad person.” Tyler suspects that Trump’s policies favor the rich and, like many democratic voters, sees abortion as a crucial issue. “A bunch of old men shouldn’t have the right to control what women do with their bodies.” “If you include abortion with all that, with healthcare, it's really restrictive and only certain people can get it. I feel like everyone should be able to,” said “Martha,” a sophomore. While Martha wants Kamala to win, she thinks that “both of them have some qualities that can benefit us, but in different areas.” “Ida,” a sophomore, also thinks Harris and Trump “have their strengths and weaknesses, but because of what Kamala’s offering then I would vote for her.” The deciding issue for Ida was climate change. Describing the importance of the environment, Ida was emphatic. “Moral of the story is that we're not gonna have immigration, we're not gonna have violent crime, not gonna have anyone on this earth if we're not taking care of it.” The “OG” “Warren” also thinks that “climate change is the biggest factoring issue in today's world because of how much it affects our world right now.” Yet, when asked about his candidate, he stated, “They both suck genuinely as people,” but “Donald Trump would be the lesser evil. I feel like Kamala isn't really fit to be president.” “Donald Trump is the OG. Donald Trump is the best!” said one freshman who was “against abortion.” “That’s like killing the baby,” he said. “It’s messed up.” “I want Trump to win,” said “Caroline.” “I think he just has his facts straight. And I don't think he's trying to pretend for anyone.” “I think Kamala is just a likable idiot,” said “George,” a sophomore. “People aren’t voting for her, they're voting against Trump.” “The way the Biden and Kamala administration runs the border is very poor as thousands of people illegally come into the country every day. America has legal ways to enter the US.” While George agrees that “Immigrants don’t harm the economy,” he still thinks that “they shouldn’t be able to just walk into the country.” While George admits that Kamala and Trump are “both idiots honestly,” he nevertheless favors Trump. “We have seen Trump run already and he honestly did not do that horrible of a job.” In his opinion “Kamala just doesn’t seem to really know what she is doing and she fumbles more and more every day and it is depressing to watch.” Unlike the other students interviewed, Mary is less certain. However, she did say she was concerned about violent crime. “Everyone deserves the right to go outside safely, knowing that they're gonna come home.” Neither candidate seemed to be right for her concern and she thinks that Trump and Kamala are “both good candidates. They both have their issues. They both deserve the equal amount of respect.” Overall, she added, “This election is a very tough one.” Misinformation A freshman, “Madison,” stated “I wish there would have been, like, a little bit more [media coverage] so that more people can, like, understand what's going on, because otherwise they don't really know who to vote for, and or they just won't vote at all.” Madison added, “We should know what is going on with our country.” “As far as students are concerned, whoever has the loudest voice on social media may be able to affect the thinking process of the student,” says Math teacher, William Tatro. Like many voters, Tatro has noticed the increased importance of social media in elections. Yet, this information is not always trustworthy. Science teacher, Kevin Tennison said that “If students choose to be informed, there's plenty of information, and they can access that." Yet, he also thinks that “they're [students] more so influenced by social media.” “Politics is so extremely complicated,” says Social Studies teacher, John Borge. “If I do not spend hours and hours researching the things that I see on Instagram or TikTok or the things that I hear my community saying, then the misinformation has won.” Mike Landes teaches AP Government at LHS and says that “most people, not just students, but most people in general, are not highly informed.” Tackling this lack of information, he continued, is “part of why we have classes to teach it in school, because they know that educating people about it makes people more likely to be informed voters. We tend to get most of our information from social media and from ads, and neither of those is a good source of information or reliable.” Tennison agrees, “Schools should inform students, teach students both sides” so that they are able “to make up their own minds.” Landes argues that civic education is important because “How are we supposed to continue to have a functioning democracy if we don't know how it works?” He continued, “It's been shown statistically that the number one thing determining what your political beliefs will be is your parents’ political groups.” Rather, as Tennison notes, students mostly learn from their parents about politics when they (politics) are “discussed at the dinner table.” Sophomore George thinks that “kids honestly just believe what they see on social media” and that “kids probably age 1-10 who can’t formulate an original opinion will just agree with what their parents agree with. But as we grow we generally distance ourselves from our parents and what they agree with.” “This is the most important election of our time” “People think that their vote doesn't matter, but if everyone thinks that then we're gonna have no one to vote,” states Caroline. “A lot of impacts will eventually affect our rights when we're older.” To secure our future, she said, “It's important for everyone to know what's going on in the election.” Warren thinks that “this is the most important election of our time” because it “would affect the many generations of today and even the ones ahead of us. It could set off a really big change in the country.” “It's just good to know as a citizen, to be well informed about these topics,” says Madison, since being informed “will make your life easier.” Ida warns that “if you were to ask someone our age or 18, they wouldn't have, let's say, enough knowledge to be able to make a good decision.” “One of the greatest failures of politics is that it does not bring in that group, that 18 to 25,” says Borge. “If you do not vote, you are allowing someone else to care for you, and those people that are making those decisions are expecting you to sit down, shut up and do what you're told.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Keyla Jimenez is a former staff writer for Ka Lama Hawai'i. She is ajunior and currently the president of the Lahainaluna Newswriting Club. Lucia Mejia is currently a junior and Treasurer of the class of 2027.

< Back Growing Up on Campus Maturity and the Road to Graduation Ashlee Hufalar Student Life November 7, 2025 at 7:44:18 PM Students have dreams for their future–aspirations of what they want to become and where they want to go in life. Some are still exploring, while others hold dreams that guide their choices each day. For Freshman Isabella Cabanillaokano, it’s all about “a good job and steady career” that will allow her to provide for her family “without relying on anyone else.” Sophomore Christopher Mallari is a bit more ambitious and wants to be a “professional athlete in golf, or at a good college.” To reach their goals, students need more than talent. They need a change in mindset, how they approach their goals, and the responsibilities that come with all of this. It means having growth in the sense you no longer think like little children, but learn to take action and make choices with a clearer understanding of what matters. “It kind of hits you how serious things are gonna get,” said an anonymous junior. “I actually have to start, you know, doing college work.” Reflecting on middle school and how popularity was more of a priority, they explained how the focus has shifted in high school. The weight of academics and the future has everyone looking at “more pressing matters.” Austin Jacob, a junior, who seemed shaken by the fact that to “get most jobs, you need to graduate high school,” realized that “This is actually where grades matter.” He admitted that the reality of the situation has made him focus on his academics more. Jacob and other students are starting to realize the importance of acting with purpose, as the decisions they make now can influence their future. They’re beginning to gain a stronger sense of maturity. “…We Tend to Do a Whole Lot More Dumb Things.” The definition of maturity is slippery. One anonymous senior struggled to describe it, saying “Your maturity is like..I don't know.” Despite failing to define it, they admitted that “I could definitely be more mature, but I feel like sometimes I don't act like it.” Librarian Tara Nakata sees maturity as something that moves and shifts. Maturity, she says, is “acting appropriately for the stage of life that you're in or like beyond, right?” A toddler might be, in some sense mature for their age, but “you wouldn't expect a toddler to have the social and emotional and academic intelligence of a high schooler.” For some, maturity is self-reliance. The famous philosopher, Emmanuel Kant, once described immaturity (as a metaphor for the period before the historical enlightenment) as “the inability to use one’s understanding without the guidance of another.” A mature person thinks for themselves, he explained, by using their own knowledge and reasoning to form judgments. Differently, Jade Cabanilla, a sophomore, describes a mature person as “someone who's aware of the actions that they're doing … and how it kind of impacts others.” French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau agrees. He explained that maturity isn’t just independent reasoning, but also the feeling you get from real-world experiences. He argued that feeling and experience are how we grow and how children begin to “foresee their needs before they feel them.” When they learn to think, feel, and respond mindfully–they develop an awareness of causes, effects, and their place in the world. Students and staff at Lahainaluna seem to understand some of this, noting that maturity involves having a consciousness and control of one’s emotions and actions, even though they may not always apply it. According to recent survey data, many of our students see themselves as able to be mature in this way. The social and emotional learning (SEL) survey is a yearly questionnaire that asks about students' emotions and behaviors in an academic setting. According to this year’s report, 70 percent of lahainaluna students responded favorably regarding self management questions. This is an increase of 60 percent last year. In this data, 73 percent of students agreed to being attentive and prepared for class while 79 percent reported working to follow class instruction. However, the percentages drop slightly when it comes to working independently. 68 percent responded favorably to staying focused when working on their own and only 51 percent to not procrastinating College and career counselor, Ginny Yasutake, echoes Rousseau’s idea. “Exposure to real-world experiences is key” to maturity, or to “how we handle the issues we face and how we learn from them,” she said. Yasutake is a Lahainaluna alumni who sees her experiences at the school as instrumental to her personal growth and maturity. Her very first job, she said, was with the Japanese Summer Seminar at Lahainaluna, a two-week program where students from Japan stayed in the boarding department. As a student worker, Yasutake helped with daily tasks like cleaning the dorms and preparing meals. She thinks that the experience “taught me about responsibility and teamwork.” Importantly, it also gave her her first paycheck. Yet, maturity levels are not all about decisions, says Kristy Arakawa, early college coordinator. “When you're in high school, [your brain is] not fully formed yet. So, I mean, we tend to do a whole lot more dumb things. Once you become an adult, we realize how dumb we really were.” “Everyone has time to do something.” Arakawa observes that she has “definitely seen some mature freshmen.” Yet, she has always noticed a shift in students’ senior year. “It's amazing to see some of these freshmen that I knew,” she said. “And come senior year, they're like a whole new person.” Yasutake added that, in her experience, students during their junior year typically “start asking questions about life after high school.” For Yasutake, a huge part of the maturing process is time management, which she found during her high school years to be “the most challenging.” Transitions teacher, Mark Watasaki, feels his “maturity levels were definitely under developed” in high school. “It's still pretty low, but I think it’s because in high school, I really focused a lot on the whole, you know, social interactions.” “I didn't really have a lot of different experiences, so I didn't really get to learn about that whole social and emotional side of growing,” he explained. “I mean, we'd hear about it in class, but I didn't actually practice it.” “Last year, I had a lot of bad grades because I just procrastinated,” admitted Sophomore William Webb “I thought I could get D’s because I was still passing.” A year older, he now tries to complete most work during class so he has less to do at home, acknowledging that “after school, I kind of get distracted more easily … I want to sleep or watch YouTube.” An anonymous junior makes sure to set a certain amount of time aside for work. “Everyone has time to do something,” they said. “Sometimes we don’t think so because you might get in your head about stress, but remember you are responsible for yourself. So do what you know you can do.” Similarly, Jacob says that “it’s how your brain kind works, it’s the way you think.” Maturity involves “being able to get stuff done when you're supposed to. Knowing when to say and when to not say certain things–when to do, when to not do certain things.” Nakata thinks that high school can accomplish some of the same things. It “gives you a place to practice and learn.” Students learn responsibility, emotional growth, and decision making (traits of maturity) when they are “given a set of expectations that you need to rise to.” “...I Can’t Go Around Just Doing Whatever Anymore…” Nakata said that the most challenging part of high school for her was “finding the balance” or managing all her responsibilities. This has become much harder for our generation since we are so heavily involved and influenced by social media. We must now navigate a complex digital world, said Yasutake. “The new pressures and anxieties can significantly impact their emotional and social maturity.” One way to navigate these challenges, Cabanillaokano thinks, is “having a couple of good friends you know have your back.” Yasutake agrees. In her personal experience, “having great friends who were good role models pushed me to better myself and so be a good role model for others, it can make a difference for someone.” Jacob says that friends are an important and valuable part of life, but emphasizes the importance of staying on top of priorities. “I only have a good year left until things get more serious. I can't go around just doing whatever anymore. I can actually get in trouble for doing all kinds of dumb stuff.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Ashlee Hufalar is a sophomore and a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< All Candidates Edgar Ortiz President 🟢 PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES: Do you have ideas regarding how to provide development opportunities to students (i.e. college fairs, scholarships, and campus policies to promote clubs and student involvement)? If so, explain: I believe in creating a brighter future for all students. One way to do this is by organizing college fairs on campus where everyone can meet representatives and learn about exiting opportunities for their education. I also want to help make known scholarships for those who need a little extra help, so that every students can chase their dreams with having to worry about finance. Finally, I will support clubs and activities by looking for spaces they can gather and share their passions, I will make sure every club has someone to talk about any inquires. EVENTS PLANNING: If you were elected to student council what school events do you deem important and why? If I were elected to the student council, I think hosting honor ship assemblies would be super important. These events would celebrate students achievements and recognize their hard work, which can inspire others to strive for greatness. I'd also like to add a fun twist by allowing everyone to nominate their peers for categories like "most likely to Strat they own business" or "most likely to be a plastic surgeon." This was, everyone gets to feel included and appreciated for their unique qualities. It would create a fun and positive atmosphere where we can all come together. PARKING: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what changes would you want to make on the parking and car policy? Since I'm not a student who drives or parks at school, I don't really have a strong opinion on the parking and car policy. I think it's important to listen to those who do use the parking areas, though! They would have better insides on changes that might be needed. Am here to listen and help work on these problems that need to be heard tho. ENVIRONMENT: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what changes would you want to make to the appearance, cleanliness, or safety on campus? I think our campus is really nice overall, and it has a great atmosphere! However, something I would maybe want to work on is improving the bathrooms. Making sure they are clean and well-stocked would enhance everyone's experience in how comfortable we feel on campus. Even just walking in real quick and just checking. It's those little things that can make a big difference in how comfortable we feel on campus. I believe that everyone deserves a clean and welcoming space. Finally I want to thank our hard-working and loving workers who try their best to make sure we have a nice clean school. PHONE POLICY: If you were elected to the position you are running for, how would you change our phone policy? I personally believe our phone policy is actually great! it helps keep us focused during class, which is so important. However, I think it would be nice if we could let the students who have no work to catch up on, use their phones while still in class. This way, we can take a moment to relax without disrupting the learning environment. balancing focus with a little downtime could really make our school experience smooth. SCHOOL LUNCH: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what would you do to improve the quality of student lunches? If I were elected, I'd like to make school lunches better by having more local dishes or maybe even diverse. Also maybe we could have a student feedback system to suggest new meals or overall opinions! Previous Next

< 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 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

Want to Advertise on Ka Lama Hawai'i? PRICING COPY: YOUR $50 ADVERTISEMENT TEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXT. Shop Now 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.”