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< 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.

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

< Back It’s Getting Hard to Stay On Our Teacher Shortage Keyla Jimenez Education February 6, 2025 at 11:11:03 PM “There are many careers that educators can take that will pay more,” says science teacher Arica Lynn. But “many of us are currently here because we are invested in our students.” The economic risks of becoming a teacher are huge, especially in Hawai’i where the cost of living is 30 points higher than Washington D.C, the second most expensive place to live in the United States. In Hawai’i, teacher pay is the 13th worst out of all other states in the US. This may not seem that bad, but what it means is that it may cost tens of thousands of dollars more to live here than in other places in the US where teachers are paid significantly more (figure 1). NEA Educator Pay Data, "Average Teacher Starting Salary," "Minimum Living Wage." This is even worse in rural areas like Lahaina where costs are higher. Teachers in Lahaina receive small financial incentives to teach, but these don’t do much to draw qualified teachers who are just not willing to live on so little. Principal Carosso explains that these financial incentives come from the fact that Lahaina is considered “a hard-to-staff area.” But these incentives only add five thousand dollars to teacher pay. “Even with that little extra bump, it’s still so hard to find people,” says Carosso. You could argue that this “bump” could make some difference, but with Hawaii's prices, either the price of rent or the price of groceries, these incentives might not be enough to draw in and keep qualified teachers here. Moreover, all teachers begin at a salary that is ten thousand dollars below the cost of living. Aftershock This was all, of course, before the 2023 wildfire that left such a lasting impact on the town, its schools, and its children. The problem gets worse when you consider Lahainaluna’s dwindling student population after the Lahaina fires, which caused many students to move away from West Maui. Between 2023 and 2024, LHS lost nearly four hundred students. Principal Carosso explains that the school’s funding is based on enrollment: “We have what’s called a weighted student formula, which is a certain amount of money per student. Our budget is tied to our enrollment.” The smaller the number of students the lower the funding. From one perspective, we could be okay. We have fewer students, so we should have enough teachers. But after the fire, several teachers also left and continue to leave for better opportunities, and the school is still understaffed. Principal Carosso presents his concerns, but also what he hopes for. He states, “At some point in time, I hope, as the town rebuilds and as families are able to move back, or more people are able to move in, we will have to bring staff back up to the level we were probably at pre-fire, and with housing costs as high as they are, it's going to be hard to re-staff.” This combination of lack of funding and high cost of housing produces our problem: hiring qualified teachers. The school is currently facing the same challenge that it did before the fire. We cannot find teachers to run our classes. Yet, when students finally return, who will teach them? The solution was, is, and will probably be substitute teachers. Substitute for Teaching One anonymous freshman currently has a class that has been run by four different substitutes. She feels that all they do is read off the board only to “write it down and not learn anything.” She added that she once had a great teacher in middle school who focused on “really hands-on learning.” It’s difficult for her “coming over here, without any teachers like that.” Freshman David Cedillo has the same four-substitute class and described his frustrations: “You just have, like, a paper that tells them (students) what to do.” “Frustrated and concerned.” This is how sophomores Julio Gonzalez and Kaliyah Cutty feel about their education after the fires. Cutty is concerned about how this situation will impact her future, stating, “The lack of funding a lot of times comes from the lack of resources or lack of opportunities” and how ultimately this “harms the students' futures.” She explains, “It's a little frustrating as my education is at a disadvantage. It's not being furthered and it's kind of being harmed.” Cutty is concerned, but she also understands the situation at hand. “A lot of teachers want to live next to where they work and most of them won't drive out of their way to go to work,” she said. “So the lack of housing could be why we have a lack of teachers.” Gonzalez points out that sometimes “With these under-qualified teachers, some people are not learning proper things such as proper grammar—how to read.” He told a story about how his fellow English-speaking classmate was unable “to pronounce democracy.” “If you don't have enough materials for the students, it can harm the way these students learn.” He added that “with unqualified teachers on top of not having the adequate supplies, it just harms the learning environment.” Although these issues make Julio feel “frustrated,” he understands there are two sides to every issue. “So like money. Very important. The price of which it costs to live here many cannot afford to live on this side or to just drive to the side every day for school.” Junior Daisy Rain Austin thinks that, without good teachers, students “Won't learn anything, they won't know the right information. They get farther behind and like, like, go college and all that, and they won't be set up.” Giana Elaine Bayudan worries that with the loss of teachers who have the right background, too much of the responsibility for learning is given to the students. She recalls some teachers where “They were given the job, but that wasn't what their major was. They give us the work to learn on our own, but the thing is some kids aren't self-directed they need the teacher’s guidance.” Consistency Students' concerns are not only shared among their peers but by teachers. Lynn states that “Without consistency in our staff, students cannot plan to take specialized classes because they may fear that a staff member won't be on campus to offer the class.” Using a recently canceled automotive class that many students were upset about, she felt for the students who “are not being offered the full array of classes that we were once able to offer.” Math teacher Cornelio Ancheta adds to that idea stating, “To attain high academic achievement, a school should have Highly Qualified (HQ) teachers in their specific content areas to teach, and at the same time have enough financial resources to provide the students with proper technology tools to help them improve student engagement.” Fewer teachers mean larger classrooms and, as Ancheta notes, “It is a known fact that in overcrowded classrooms, teachers are challenged to provide effective small-group or individual attention leading to decreased student engagement.” Solutions? The former Biden cabinet member and Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, visited Lahaina campuses in December to discuss a range of problems the community is facing. I took the opportunity to attend the press meeting and ask him what options rural schools have. Presented with the problem of funding and staffing for rural schools, he talked about “the ABC’s of teaching,” which meant “Providing agency for teachers, better working conditions, [and a] competitive salary.” He then explained the problem this way: “How do we get people interested in the profession?” Cardona’s larger recommendation was to recruit student teachers (“get people interested”) and offer them fair pay to work in schools while they earned their credentials. This is a good long-term plan, but the problem presented is occurring right now. “As a former teacher myself,” said Cardona, “I felt like we didn't have a teacher shortage issue in the country, we had a teacher respect issue in the country.” Sadly, I think we’ve discovered both problems to be true. With a high cost of living comes a huge sacrifice for teachers who want to live in Lahaina. The cost of housing and basic amenities leaves teachers with a hard decision. Either they can accept this low-paying job and high cost of living because it’s their passion, or they can leave this amazing community in order to seek financial stability. Previous Article Next Article Copy link Keyla Jimenez is a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawai'i.

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

< Back Between School and Extra Curriculars Finding a Balance Jersea Borneman Education January 13, 2025 at 5:55:44 PM Every year, students sign up for extracurricular activities including band, color guard, water polo, swimming, wrestling, football and more. Lahainaluna’s school website lists 23 clubs and 21 sports. Many of them take up time after school and even during weekends. For instance, water polo. This can fill up a student’s schedule as long hours are spent practicing five days a week. Games are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays. The hours students spend on sports and extracurriculars could be spent with family and friends, doing homework, or sleeping. But for some reason, students commit to their extracurriculars. “I forget all about it” Researcher Erin Massoni finds that extracurricular activities have a positive impact on mood , behavior, grades, and school and assignment completion. For Massoni, extracurriculars encourage the development of skills that help teenagers take more initiative and socialize. Yet, what happens when extracurriculars take more than they give? What happens when extracurricular activities negatively impact school performance and home life? Students are outspoken on the benefits of extracurriculars to their mental health. “Wrestling helps me relieve my stress because, like, after school, I'll be all anxious,” says sophomore Safirah Ladore who gets stress from school. She describes feeling “like, oh, I need to go home, I need to do this, I need to do that. But then when I go to wrestling, I forget all about it.” Similarly, dancing after school helps freshman Eli Hegrenes “release emotions in a positive way.” Hengrenes uses his dance time to “express how I feel [...]. I can use different shapes to express my feelings.” Being a part of a team or club can also give students a safe place and sense of belonging. At a new school this year, sophomore Isabella Higgins reflects on how being part of a team helped her fit in. “The team was very kind, and they welcomed me.” Striking a Balance Junior Cora Gruber agrees with this idea, and said “I love the girls, and the team is like another family to me.” Yet, Gruber worries about finding a balance between school and extracurriculars. “I get stressed out about performing physically and mentally, like in my sport and in my school,” she admits. “Academics and grade checks make it more stressful.” According to Lahainaluna’s grade check policy, students cannot participate in games or meets with an F or a GPA below 2.0. Students who do not meet these requirements will be in Academic Review Status (ARS) and will have to attend study hall on Wednesdays until they bring their grades up. “There's only a few that don't pass grade checks,” says Sabine Armstrong, the school's Athletic Department Assistant. “It's not because they're not smart students. It's because they don't manage their time well.” Students may have a lot of things they need to balance, Armstrong says: “They want to practice, and they have maybe a job, and they have school, and then they don't hand in their assignments.” Time management gets easier, said Armstrong. She pointed out that “Those people that are on ARS, most of them, a good percentage of them, are freshmen.” She added that this may be because they are new to high school and “don't know, and they–it's overwhelming.” In contrast to Freshmen, Armstrong said, “seniors take us more seriously, because they know it's time for college or time for trade school, and they need, you know, everything. So they have their time more managed than the freshman for sure.” “When I get off of school I feel very stressed out because I just have a lot of homework, and when I have to go to wrestling after, it just makes it very hard to do my work and get it done,” says freshman Reef Harris. Despite the stress, Harris is confident that “I can get my grades up in time whenever there's a grade check. But sometimes it stressing me out.” Junior Ozzy Serle says that “The hard thing is just balancing it, honestly.” Serle, a basketball player, explains that “Our day starts from 7:45. We don't get home to, what, like eight? Seven? Then you have to eat, shower—then you have to find time to do your homework.” Serle finds that when it comes to homework “you usually do it all [on] the weekends or during school. It's mainly about just managing your time.” Losing Sleep Over It Sophomore Jenna Basto commits two to three days a week to her color guard practice, which lasts 4-5 hours. Despite this commitment, she still manages to find “like an hour or two” for her homework. Hegrenes finds that he spends “more time dancing than doing homework.” He spends three hours doing his homework, which he compared to the two to six hours he spends at dance. Dance can be very stressful, he admitted, since “It takes up so much time.” “I usually go to bed late because of my homework. I usually go to bed around 12 or 1am.” Gruber finds that she gets less sleep during water polo season because she often won’t get home until 8:00 - 8:30, “and I still have to eat dinner, get ready for bed, do homework, and get ready for bed the next day.” Importantly, the CDC recommends that teenagers aged 13–18 years sleep 8–10 hours per 24 every hour period. Yet, the students interviewed reported an average of 6 hours per night. Figure 1 When the average day is calculated, (figure 1), students without extracurricular activities have 4.3 hrs of unused time. Yet, when practice time is added (figure 2) students only have 1.5 hrs of unused time. We might image unused time as open time that students could spend doing things like eating, talking to others, or taking care of an unexpected event or an emergency. Students in extracurriculars may not have this time or may need to lose time for eating, resting, or, again, sleep. Figure 2 Despite the time crunch, sophomore Safirah Ladore tries to stick to her sleep schedule. Safirah is a wrestler. “I try to just cut my line and go to sleep at nine or ten.” But for her, she added, “honestly, that's late for me, because I go to sleep at like eight o'clock.” One reason she is able to go to bed early the way she manages her time. She says she does homework for “like an hour to two hours like a night.” This depends on how much she is able to finish before her practice begins. “If I'm more productive after school,” she added, “I'll get, like, another hour or 30 minutes.” “...that’s every other kid…” While students like Safirah are able to balance work and play, many other LHS students struggle. During the 2024 fall season, for instance, JV football was affected by player injuries but also time management issues when critical players were unable to pass their grade checks. “It got so bad,” said sophomore Corbin Sales, “that some people just gave up completely and just accepted the fact that they won't be able to play.” JV had to forfeit their game because of “grades and injuries” Sales says. “We didn’t have a lot of people in the first place. It really just messed everything up.” “There was injuries,” says Armstrong. “A lot of people had injuries, and a lot of people that didn't make the grades. So the combination between both of it, I think, was then we didn't have enough players for a JV team.” She was sure to clarify that “it wasn't just the grades, or it wasn't just the injuries, I think it was a combination of both things that then resulted into the team that having enough players to safely play.” Freshman Cruz Dagupion played JV football this fall. “I couldn't really manage it,” he said. “It was just too hard.” Dagupion found “there's no time for anything because, like, once you're out of school, it's like, either weightlifting or you're just in the locker room waiting.” It was also hard because “when you get home, it's around like nine o'clock.” During the season, “I couldn't get my grade up in time,” Dagupion said, who thinks that the homework load is “Kind of too much for me. But I think that's good, because it kind of helps you learn what you can perform.” Junior Daniel Bandayrel doesn’t play any sports but still struggles with time management. “I just space out bruh,” said Bandayrel, who believes “The damn truth is that’s every other kid.” “I ain’t gonna lie,” he emphasized, “like have you ever noticed your classmates spacing the &@#% out?” “I manage my time by putting school first, before anything else,” said junior Timote Lino. Timote has become one of the student musicians that leads the alma mater at practice and assemblies. Despite this commitment to practices and performances, he believes that “education is most important.” Lino says managing his time becomes difficult when “I’m starting to run gigs with my band.” To fit everything in, Lino has to “time crunch everything to finish school work and then get to the gig right after.” Commitment or Excuse? History teacher Sarah Eubank thinks that “most of the time, the kids are using sports as an excuse to not do things that they don't want to do.” Eubank notices “When the sports over, they just continue to not do it, but now they don't have an excuse.” She feels that “they could get work turned in,” but “most of the time it’s a kid who doesn't really want to do a thing because it's hard to choose to do the thing that's that not that fun.” Eubank sometimes notices that students “might be tired, and maybe sometimes quality drops a little bit because they don't have as much time to put towards the thing.” Eubank notices a trend when the sports end. “The emphasis is to make sure you're passing so that you can play the sport, and then when the sport is done, a lot of the times boys grades do drop off a little bit.” After the season, “They struggle because they no longer care.” Differently, sophomore Basto insists that when students prioritize sports they are standing on business. “I do it because I was like, committed to like doing it.” “And, like, I don’t think I could like, back out.” Jenna is also committed because “I think the experience is really nice.” “I feel very stressed by dance,” Hegrenes said. “It takes up so much time, but since I’m so passionate about about it, I don’t want to let it go.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Jersea Borneman is a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< Back Ariel Pakela Cabrera Custodial Staff Ariel Pakela Cabrera is part of the custodial family at Lahainaluna. Soft-spoken and caring, Pakela, as he’s called, is a former Lahainaluna student who ensures the school grounds and classrooms are clean and that the environment is conducive to learning. One of his favorite memories from Lahainaluna is the lip sync battles. “Our class was pretty good, but we still lost to the seniors,” he laughed, adding that the seniors always seem to win due to their experience. Pakela has fond memories of the teachers at Lahainaluna. “The teachers made it fun. They were lenient but also made sure you got your work done and earned good grades,” he said. He recalled having good grades, with his highest GPA being around 3.6. “I was a naughty boy, but I did my work,” he admitted. Despite being a handful, he managed to complete his assignments and graduate. He reminisced about his freshman year, describing how large the school felt compared to the intermediate school. “I got lost all day. At one point, I sat in a class for about 10 minutes and wasn’t even supposed to be there,” he laughed, noting that the teacher didn’t notice his mistake. The most challenging part of Pakela’s job is dealing with “naughty kids” who create messes or graffiti. Additionally, he finds cutting and maintaining the grass to be a tedious task. Cleaning the cafeteria is also important to him, as he believes “kids need a clean environment to eat in.” Before the birth of his one-year-old daughter, Pakela enjoyed fishing for octopus and riding his dirt bike on weekends. Now, he prefers to spend time with her, saying, “I like to spend time with her the most.” He noted that, like him, his daughter is a handful. Pakela’s goal in life is to provide for his family. Pakela's message to Lahainaluna students is to “enjoy your high school years. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. There is no going back, only forward. So make the most of your high school years.” He explained that in high school, students don’t have to worry about adult responsibilities. “With school, you can miss a day or two, but with work, you gotta go to work.” His hope for Lahainaluna is to see “all the kids enjoying life and finishing off strong.” “This is mainly why we do it,” he said, referring to himself and the other staff on campus. “We do it for the kids here.” Trinity Guiza is a staff writer at Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< All Candidates Xeila Santiago Vice 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 do have ideas regarding how to provide development opportunities for students. I would try to invite more colleges and universities to our school to talk to students about their options. I also think creating a list of available scholarships and sharing them with students will also help introduce them to new opportunities. For our clubs and organizations, I would love to help them find advisors and give them more space to meet and plan events. EVENTS PLANNING: If you were elected to student council what school events do you deem important and why? Some school events that I deem important are spirit weeks, cultural events, guest speakers, community service events, and dances. These events matter to me because they help unite us, celebrate diversity, inspire growth, give back, and ultimately, create memories. 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? I am aware that the traffic can get pretty backed up both before and after school, so a few changes I would want to make on the parking and car policy is finding ways to add more parking, maybe by using empty spaces or looking for parking spots off campus and going over this with administration. I would also work to keep parking lots safe, making sure the lots are clean and maintained. 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? One idea that has already been discussed with the current council to enhance the appearance, cleanliness, and safety is to plant more native plants around school, especially in the drier areas. I'd team up with teachers and clubs during Po'okela to make this happen. Another idea I would love to do is organize regular clean up events, something like beach cleanups or campus cleanups, to keep our school and community beautiful. PHONE POLICY: If you were elected to the position you are running for, how would you change our phone policy? With changing our phone policy, I think just working with teachers to establish clear guidelines for phone use in class, like keeping phones on silent or using them only for educational purposes. Another idea would be having specific hours or periods as "phone-free" to encourage students to focus on their work but still be able to go on their phones afterwards. SCHOOL LUNCH: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what would you do to improve the quality of student lunches? To improve the quality of student lunches, I would start off by working with staff to provide larger portions or specialized meal plans for student-athletes who need extra nourishment for their activities. As an athlete myself, I know that food is of the utmost importance when it comes to providing fuel for sports. Another idea is to create a system for students to vote on menu options or provide feedback on the food. This would help ensure that the meals we serve are ones that students actually enjoy. I also think meeting with students, cafeteria staff, and/or administrators to discuss concerns and ideas for improving our school lunches may be beneficial as well. Previous Next

< Back The Boardersʻ Clock Marking a Change in Time Chantei Dela Cruz Lahainaluna freshman boarder, Haro Akiyama, woke up to a loud commotion and someone asking “Eh, who get watch – what time now – I think we late.” He and other boarders ran down to the gym floor to look for a clock which read 6:10 before all of them rushed down the hill to clock in for work. They noticed no one else standing around the large time clock and assumed that everyone was at work already. Work usually started at 6AM. At 6 every day, the boarders would stand in line to put their narrow punch cards into the clock. As they were about to punch in, they read the time clock’s time: 2:30. They were not late and were relieved to relax an extra couple of hours. Akiyama was a freshman in 1944. He graduated in 1948 having been a boarder for four years. The time clock had only existed for three years when Akiyama had his scare. It's housing was constructed in 1941 by Mr. Herbert Wright, the school's carpentry teacher, and his students. The time clock is located near Hale Pa’i (house of printing) and is below the bus stop at Lahainaluna. In order to get there, take the side road that branches out from the main road and near the staircase, there will be a shed that contains the time clock along with a plaque. It became a way to keep track of the amount of hours worked by boarders on campus. In the early 20th century, boarders had to work for their room and board daily. The purpose was to teach them responsibility, self-discipline, and good work habits. Boarders would punch in at the clock every morning and every night until the clock broke in 1976. Life as Boarder Former boarder, Richard “Noosh” Nishihara, noted that boarders’ lives revolved around the time clock. According to previous Lahainaluna Boarders’ Handbooks, boarders had to punch in their assigned number slot at the time clock by 6AM and punch out at 7AM before school started on weekdays. After school, boarders had to punch in again after the 2PM bell indicated school was done. They had to work another two more hours until they could go back to their dormitories or attend athletic activities. Weekends were slightly less rigorous. Boarders were allowed to “sleep in” until 7:30 AM before punching in. Weekend morning shifts were three hours instead of two. Morning work earned them free time afterward. If an individual boarder was late to punch in, they had to work overtime. All hours of work done were recorded on the narrow timesheets or punch cards. “Chief” Earl Kukahiko who was the farm foreman at the time described the effect that time clock had on some boarders. The clock, he suggested, had the biggest effect on those who were late and had to work overtime. “The fear of the punishments (added work hours) for being late,” he said, “struck the fear of God into all of us.” In 1976, the time clock was deemed unserviceable. The only repairman who was familiar with the clock passed away sometime before 1976. At some point between 1976 and 2009, the Lahainaluna Classes of 1949 and 1950 began looking for ways to fund the clock's restoration. They would eventually find help from the Maui Carpenters Union and Maui International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 1186. The clock was restored and a large wooden shed housed it. The effort was headed by George Kawamoto (Class of 1952) and other Lahainaluna boarders. New Era, New System Nowadays, boarders just go to the time clock for headcount and don’t need to punch in. Senior Alana Hernandez, a current boarder at Lahainaluna, briefly explains the boarders’ daily schedules and how “We don’t use the time clock, we just go there.” As soon as the work is done, the boarders just return their tools to the shed and go back to the dorms. “We don't have to like ‘clock out’ or anything,” Hernandez said. Being an upperclassman gives boarders an advantage. Upperclassmen do “less labor intensive jobs or ‘opala truck,” said Nanea N. Sproat-Armitage who was interviewed by Doctor Ty Kawika Tengan and others for the Lahainaluna Native Hawaiian Boarding Students Oral History Project. In addition, Hernandez adds, “sometimes us uppers [juniors & seniors] give our tools to the unders [sophomores & freshmen] to take back.” Alumni boarders mentioned that a similar job an upperclassman boarder could have was working at the time clock or helping kids check in to work. Working at time clock was a simple job so most boarders wanted to have it. “I worked at time clock,” said former boarder Monica Kalikimaka Akamu who was also interviewed for the oral history project. “Working at time clock was super easy and all it meant was that I got to cruise in the truck with Coach Watson.” Former boarder Sherman Kealoha Maka was envied by his fellow boarders because he was given the job. “I had bad allergies. . . they had me in the orchard. So he [Kukahiko] took me out of orchard, and he put me in a time clock with him.” Symbol of Responsibility Using the time clock was an efficient way to keep track of over a hundred boarders’ work hours. During Eddie Espritiu’s time as a boarder, the clock was crowded each morning with over one hundred boarders. “—I mean. . . you can imagine 122 guys rushing back to their dorm, everybody going shower and get ready for school. . .,” said Espiritu. This sight is currently unimaginable. In 2025, about 30 students are boarding at Lahainaluna. “There used to be a lot more boarders back then, so using the time clock was an efficient system to keep track of who showed up to work,” said Hernandez. The size of the program has made it much easier to count and keep track of boarders who did not check in to work. The clock is now preserved as a historical structure and is no longer used by current boarding students. It holds a lot of meaning to boarders from classes of 1941-1976. The Lahainaluna time clock is a small structure, but was a big part of boarders’ daily routines. Their lives revolved around the clock. To many, the clock is now only a symbol of good time management, responsibility, and discipline. To others, like Eddie Espiritu, it was a symbol of “punctuality, responsibility, and respect for ourselves. . . it helped mold us and prepare us for our future.” (NOT?) Boarder's Clock.jpg Library of Congress. Pioneer Mill, Time Clock, Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, Maui County, HI. HABS HI-38. Historic American Buildings Survey. Library of Congress, n.d. (NOT?) Boarder's Clock.jpg Library of Congress. Pioneer Mill, Time Clock, Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, Maui County, HI. HABS HI-38. Historic American Buildings Survey. Library of Congress, n.d. 1/1 Bibliography Young, Peter. “Student Farmers.” Images of Old Hawaii . 23 September 2015. https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/student-farmers/#:~:text=Between%201941%20and%201976%2C%20Lahainaluna,with%20the%20clock%20passed%20away .) “LHS Weather Vane finds new home.” Lahaina News . 11 March 2022. https://www.lahainanews.com/news/community-news/2022/03/11/lhs-weather-vane-finds-new-home/ Tengan, Kawika et al. “Lahainaluna Native Hawaiian Boarding Students Oral History Project.” ScholarSpace . https://hdl.handle.net/10125/110110 Library of Congress. Pioneer Mill, Time Clock, Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, Maui County, HI . HABS HI-38. Historic American Buildings Survey . Library of Congress, n.d. Miyahira, Stan. Na Leo (Voices) From The Past: Boarders of Lahainaluna High School . Chihara, Walter. “Many hands fix historic symbol of Luna boarders.” Lahaina News . 10 April 2009. Previous Next

< Back Forward > Wrestling At King Kekaulike Samantha Shibao Previous Next The wrestling season is coming to a close, and the Lunas are locking in. In their 6th tournament of the season, the Lunas will soon face off against other MIL teams including Baldwin, King K, Maui High, Kulanihako’i, Hana, Maui Preparatory Academy, Seabury, Moloka’i, Lana’i, Kamehameha. This will be a tournament that determines who will advance and secure a spot at State. The last couple of tournaments were rough. The Lunas lost multiple practice days, and some wrestlers were sick or injured. Nevertheless, the Lunas toughed it out this past weekend, scoring multiple wins and getting them pins. Kden Pu, in his 7th year of wrestling, competes in the 215 weight class. Pu said that his personal goal for these upcoming tournaments is to beat Baldwin High and earn more team points. He added that these tournaments will show "everyone that our team has something to prove." "The girls are good. I think they’re gonna get some wins hopefully," said Izaac Pacheco, who is in his 3rd year of wrestling and wrestles in the 165 weight class. Pacheco claims that the biggest challenge he and the team are facing is psychological. "There’s the challenge of regret—regretting not giving it your all." Pu also said, "It’s a mindset game, you have to push yourself and do every conditioning but can’t quit." Jackson Hussey offered some general advice for other athletes: "If you have a bad mindset coming into any sport or anything in life, it’s gonna go down, but if you have a good mindset you’ll do good." Jackson Hussey has been a wrestler longer than any other on the team. He offered some insight on how his own season has been and what the team has prepared for these tournaments. "I don’t want to sound cocky but I know my wrestling ability, and over here on Maui the competition isn’t too bad." Pu added, "I predict Jackson is gonna win all of it," and emphasized the importance of their longtime coach, Terry Shibao, for the team's success. To prepare, many of the wrestlers are sticking to a conventional training regimen. "I just run, but also wake up in the morning to lift then see trainer Mike," said Pacheco. Hussey remarked on how the Lunas "condition hard, practice hard, and practice the moves that work the best for us." The stakes for these upcoming tournaments are huge. This will be the tournament right before The State Championship. In order for any of the wrestlers to qualify, they will need to pass through this weekend's tournament. So come to King K’s home gym this Saturday at 10 am to support the Lunas wrestling team as they face off against all MIL teams. Go Big Red! Heading 6

< All Candidates Ashlee Hufalar Secretrary ⭐ 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 personally believe that more chances for experimental education would provide students with development opportunities by allowing them to engage in hands on, real world learning experiences. Through experimental education, students are able to learn beyond the traditional classroom lecturing style. This is implemented through lab experiments, school trips, building projects, and even clubs like Robotics. I think that more opportunities like this would enhance the engagement and understanding of certain subjects, and it could also make learning the material more enjoyable because individuals would be actively involved instead of just sitting down and taking notes. Of course, experimental education varies and there are many different ways to integrate it, but in a lot of situations it does help to both practice and improve skills. EVENTS PLANNING: If you were elected to student council what school events do you deem important and why? The school events I consider important are club fairs, spirit week, and social events such as prom and sport tournaments. Starting off, club fairs are typically in the beginning of the year and it is used to promote clubs and provide students with an idea of what each club has to offer. I think that this event is really important, especially for new students who want to get involved in clubs but are unsure on how to get started or which clubs would interest them. There are so many opportunities clubs have to offer, and club fairs allow students to get more informed on those opportunities. Spirit week is another event I deem as important because it brings everyone together and it encourages students to express themselves. Dressing up for spirit week allows individuals to showcase who they are and it also builds bonds through things like similar outfits, dress up idea exchanges, etc. Lastly, sport tournaments and prom are also great events that connect students. With social events such as those, everyone is able to gather, socialize, and connect through shared experiences. 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? I am aware that our current parking lot experiences a lot of traffic due to people getting dropped off and picked up while students are simultaneously parking or trying to get out. In order to handle this, I would try to talk with administration to get security that can help manage the flow of traffic and ensure the overall safety of students. Also, if possible, I would like to pave the dirt lot into parking stalls in order to make things more organized, however I do know that project would be pricey. 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 believe that the cleanliness, appearance, and safety of our campus is essential and something to be maintained and monitored. One specific area that needs improvement is the overall sanitation of our school bathrooms. While we are provided with the essentials such as toilet paper and soap, a lot of the bathrooms are generally just not clean. I would like to advocate for some remodels to be done as well as regular cleaning of the bathrooms so that students feel comfortable in a well maintained area. PHONE POLICY: If you were elected to the position you are running for, how would you change our phone policy? Our current phone policy is mainly up to the teachers and staff; some teachers allow you to have your phone during class, while others do not. During class when there is work to be done, I believe that phones should not be used. While some students are able to avoid their phone and complete their work, in most cases phones can become a big distraction. However, there are some special cases where I do think a student should be able to use their phone in class. For example, if there is an emergency and they need to contact someone or if the class is more of a make up day and the student has completed all of their work. Of course though, it really depends on the teacher and the class, and the expectations the teachers have for their students. I for sure do believe though that students should have the freedom to use their phones outside of class, as it is important for communication purposes. SCHOOL LUNCH: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what would you do to improve the quality of student lunches? I know there are a lot of mixed opinions regarding the school lunches. I feel that students should be able to express their thoughts on the servings and food provided. I know that several other council candidates have mentioned a feedback system, and I think that would be great! However, I do think that it is important we all work together--students and staff--to figure out what works best for the benefit of everyone. The school has to ensure there are servings for everyone, and it is important that whatever changes are made are practical for the entire school community. Previous Next

< Back What Can Student Council Do? Between Aspirations and Impact Jersea Borneman Student Government May 1, 2025 at 1:00:05 AM Lucia Mejia is the current Treasurer for the sophomore class. She can often be seen firing up students and stoking their school spirit. She gives motivational speeches to her classmates and encourages student participation at assemblies by throwing candy to students. Earlier in the year, Mejia and sophomore president Brianne Lazago decided to take on the task of getting better school lunches. They did this by creating a petition to be presented in a meeting with Maui County. While the ultimate impact of the petition is unknown, Mejia is hopeful. She says that she hopes “to make more strides forward with this movement considering this does affect our student’s tremendously.” Mejia was elected in April to a second term as Treasurer next year. Lucia and others are trying their best in Student Council, though some students may not know what they are doing or how they are doing it. Emma Batson says “They’re saying they're gonna communicate with us.” Yet, she adds, “I've never heard any of them coming around, talking to any of us, getting our opinions on things, asking us.” When asked what students do for our school freshman, Lyric Austin says “I don’t know, like, put together assemblies?” Austin feels “they are kind of important,” but “not really cause there are no fun events.” Mejia has faith that “Student council plays a key role in enhancing the school experience and promoting a positive environment.” One way they do this, she said, is by planning events for students like assemblies. Assemblies, Mejia pointed out, cost money. “As Treasurer,” she said, “I have access to our funds, what we do with our money, writing receipts for payments and keeping records of where our money goes.” These funds are used for events like spirit week: “as Treasurer my council and I have full power to purchase necessary supplies.” Freshman Kalea Markulis says she ran for historian this year to “help out the council and contribute to making the school better.” The role of Historian is to take pictures and run the Council’s social media accounts. In her role, Markulis plans to “make sure that all class and school events are advertised” so that everyone feels “like they want to participate because it will be fun.” “...they can't really pass laws and regulations…” “A lot of students don’t realize how much their student council can do,” says senior Bryson Aquino. “Most of the class councils have a lot of funds and money from the fire so they basically can afford to do whatever they propose. They can do anything,” he added, “as long as it is approved by Carosso.” Here is where things get complicated. “Student Council is like the Congress” said Principal Richard Carosso. “They're like the senators and congressmen.” However, he added that the Student Council is “not necessarily the legislative branch, because they can't really pass laws and regulations, but they are the representative branch of school governance.” This means that if the Student Council chose to change the school’s phone policy they would have to bring their ideas to either the students activities coordinator or Principal Richard Carosso. They could be turned down in both cases. Nicole Heinlein points to the legal system outside of the school as an explanation for the limits of students creating new rules. “We do have state laws that we need to uphold,” she said, “and so those (school) rules would need to fall within the state and federal laws.” Within the school, new rules “would need to be agreed upon by administration and maybe a democratic process.” “I have no problem with the Student Council coming and saying, ‘Hey, what about this idea?’ Or ‘what about this idea?’ Because we're adults, and we've been used to running schools a certain way,” said Carosso, who admitted that sometimes students may only have the power to make suggestions. When asked about Mejia and Lagazo’s recent petition for better school lunch he said “I can't do a lot to change lunch. And if I can't do a lot, then, you know, kids can't.” We were not able to do anything about this because “we are currently sort of restricted by the federal programs that help make lunch affordable for kids.” “...what our students are saying…” The role of the Students Council seems to be making sure that student voices and concerns are heard. The power to do something about those concerns, however, belongs to the adults. “Our focus going into next year is to look to the students more and to kind of get that input from for students.” Says Carosso. Getting more student voice will help “better solicit student voice and to better organize our campus around what our students are saying.” Heinlein agrees and recommends that Council members “gather ideas from other students and come up with some solutions and bring those ideas to administration. Then we could work together to come up with some solutions to create policies for the school.” There could be a problem with hearing student voices though because sometimes students don’t speak. As an anonymous junior noticed, “the junior class isn’t as involved as we could be.” This is an issue because “If there was more involvement we could make big changes for our school.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Jersea Borneman is a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawai'i.

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