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< Back Love on a Budget Why $0 Might Be the Magic Number. Brielle Em-E-Li Ramelb Student Life February 13, 2026 at 6:05:50 PM As Valentine’s Day approaches, students are looking at a familiar dilemma: is love a matter of how much you spend, or is it the thought that counts? Recently, some students notice a pattern in their classmates’ approach gift-giving and showing affection. “One of my classmates wants someone with money,” said freshman Brenda Cuando, who worries that the true meaning of love is under attack. “They shouldn’t only focus on the money,” she added. According to junior William Alden Palacio, the right gift isn’t necessarily about the price tag. “I don't really care if I spend money on my partner,” he said. “It’s just picking out the right things for her. The only thing that I care about is putting in enough effort.” While some prioritize effort, others struggle with the reality that sometimes they simply can’t afford to spend. In fact, 36 percent of respondents to a recent Ka Lama Hawai’i poll reported feeling direct pressure to spend money on their partners for the holiday. This pressure is significant since many students may not have the financial means. Moreover, according to Lahainaluna’s Title I data for the 2024-25 school year, more than half of the student body qualifies for low-income programs such as free and reduced lunch and Upward Bound. Title I is a federal program that provides funding to schools with high percentages of low-income students to improve their academic performance. “...sometimes I can’t afford it.” While some students earn an income on their own time, not all students are employed. “It is hard for me to spend money since I don’t have a job,” says Cuando. “I am a big gift giver, but sometimes I can’t afford it.” Like many students in February, Cuando admits to feelings of guilt when she finds herself unable to give her partner the "perfect" gift. "I'd be taking them on dates if I worked a job,” said freshman Harana Peralta, who noted she would be “spoiling my partner if I had money.” Despite these regrets, poll data painted a much more confusing picture. Among respondents, the average suggested amount that a “good partner” would spend was approximately $40. This data was distorted, however, by the fact that many said $0, and one respondent suggested $300. "Struggling with someone by your side.” “Building a relationship around money and gifts isn’t going to work out in the long term since people's feelings will get hurt and expectations won't be met,” said social studies teacher Sarah Eubank. She believes that materialistic values shouldn’t dictate relationships, as focusing strictly on money can have negative consequences. In fact, most respondents saw financial struggle as something that produces closer relationships. As one respondent wrote, "Struggling with someone by your side is better than struggling alone." Other students claimed that a "deep feeling of care," "natural connection," and "choosing someone over and over again” are of greater worth to them than financial output. According to 91 percent of poll respondents, money has nothing to do with showing true affection. “It doesn't have to be about money,” said sophomore Hazzylyn Manuel. “It’s just how much love you put into your gift, and how much effort you put in there.” This shows how the connection between partners is often prioritized, proving affection and love aren't confined to monetary displays. Palacio agrees, noting there’s more value in a connection that survives without money. He feels his girlfriend is “the type of person that would stick next to you, even when times get tough.” “...a lot more meaning…” One of the most common responses in the survey pointed to the value of homemade gifts. “I use things that I have at home to make something for my partner when I don’t have money,” says Cuando. “I like seeing my partner happy,” she added. “Money shouldn’t matter; it should be about the love and connection you have with them.” Other respondents echoed this, noting that “handmade gifts have a lot more meaning” and that “commitment and time to the other person is the least you can do.” As one student put it: “Affection can be shown through handmade gifts, which can be free if you're using materials you have at school or at your house.” “...it's the meaning behind it” “High school relationships should be about fun, I don't think that it should be about gifts and materialistic expectations,” says Eubank, emphasizing that the price of a gift shouldn’t determine who you're with. Sophomore Mei-Lin Aipa agrees. “No matter the price, it's the meaning behind it.” According to most students interviewed, employment status isn't a requirement to be a good gift giver, and, as Aipa notes, “Money doesn’t change how I see someone. It doesn't get to decide who I love.” This Valentine’s Day, Lahainaluna students will be celebrating with the knowledge that love costs nothing—or it costs somewhere around $40. “Love will teach you a lot of things,” said Palacio, “financially and in general.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Brielle Ramelb is class of 2029’s stuco treasurer. She loves playing music, playing the guitar, and collecting vinyl records.

< 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 Lake Tavernese 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: My main idea to promote student led activities would be to start a volunteer program where students can use their time during lunch and/or after school to assist in a campus cleanup to make our campus cleaner and safer. EVENTS PLANNING: If you were elected to student council what school events do you deem important and why? If I was elected into the student council the main school events I would deem most important would be graduation, senior ball, and senior luau. These are the most impactful events the senior stuco hosts almost every year and I find it very important to plan these events to make our final year of high school as memorable as possible. 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 do believe that the parking situation is very out of hand, my plan would be to talk to admin about regularly enforcing the parking pass policy in which the punishment for parking in the main student lot would be a detention hour. Students pay for the parking pass and they should be secure in the fact that if they arrive at school on time, there will be a spot for them to park. 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? If I was elected as class president I would start organizing student led clean-up crews during lunch periods or after school. If possible, I could also communicate with admin and see if these campus clean-ups can also be used to get rid of detention hours as a way to incentivise students. PHONE POLICY: If you were elected to the position you are running for, how would you change our phone policy? I wouldn't change the policy much, I believe that if the student is being productive or has all work done they should be allowed to have downtime on their phone; as many teachers allow. SCHOOL LUNCH: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what would you do to improve the quality of student lunches? For school lunches I would improve them by seeing if we could lead a school wide fundraiser to allow for more funding towards school lunches specifically. If our school had a large budget set aside with the sole intention being to improve the food quality the produce and meat used could go up in quality and encourage more students to eat lunch daily. 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.

Friends and Donors In 1834, the students of Lahainaluna made history by publishing Ka Lama Hawaiʻi, the first newspaper in the islands. Today, we carry that torch forward. As a student-led publication, we are dedicated to providing a voice for our school and the Lahaina community, but we cannot do it alone. Your support as a Friend (advertising) or donor (direct support) ensures that our student journalists have the tools, technology, and opportunities they need to tell the stories of today while honoring the traditions of yesterday. Mahalo for being part of our story. Ka Lama Hawaiʻi is more than just a school newspaper. Itʻs is a learning laboratory for the next generation of writers, photographers, and civic leaders. When you become a Friend or Donor, your contribution directly supports: Production Costs : Keeping our digital platform live and accessible. Equipment : Providing cameras, tablets, and recorders for student field reporting. Education : Funding workshops and journalism conferences for our student writing staff. Join us in empowering the voices of Lahainaluna. Every gift, large or small, helps keep the torch of excellence burning bright. Donors to Ka Lama Hawaiʻi Friends of Ka Lama Hawaiʻi

< All Candidates Eli Hegrenes Treasurer 🟢 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 plan to raise a lot of money for our student council in order to offer a plethora of opportunities to students. I want to benefit everyone in the best way possible and be able to provide the money to fund activities, clubs, and experiences that they will never forget. EVENTS PLANNING: If you were elected to student council what school events do you deem important and why? Events that I deem important are offering college information and fairs, but I also value having fun and giving the student mind a break. If elected I would try and provide enough funds for both educational and social events. 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 would try and provide grants and donations in order to make adjustments to our current parking system. I hope to be able to raise money not only from our community, but also outsourcing to people to ask for donations. This can help fix the current parking situation we have. 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 would primarily focus on the bathrooms and water fountains throughout the campus. I would like to ask for funding in order to provide these upgrades to students. I believe that a clean happy campus provides a hardworking happy student. In summary if the campus looks nice, then the student body will benefit because of it. PHONE POLICY: If you were elected to the position you are running for, how would you change our phone policy? I think that our current phone policy is fine, and I believe that it is a combination of the teacher and students choice of what they do with their phone. I believe that if we can offer proper education and resources to students about what the phone does to the brain, then they will make a better choice about when and how they use it. 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 would try and provide grants and money to offer better lunches as well as compensation for people with eating dietary restrictions. The meals would also be of higher quality and quantity. Previous Next

< 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 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 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 former staff writer for Ka Lama Hawai'i. She is ajunior and currently the president of the Lahainaluna Newswriting Club.

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

< All Candidates Jaelyn Galasinao Secretary 🟢 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: Ideas I have for development opportunities are inviting college recruiters to our school to provide opportunities for all who wish to pursue an education after college. If not, surveys could be sent out that would give students the chance to speak up about what type of guest speakers they would like to speak out to. As for student involvement, clubs and students could collaborate to work on policies the campus has. If I were to be elected secretary, I would help plan the dates for these opportunities. EVENTS PLANNING: If you were elected to student council what school events do you deem important and why? Events I think anyone would deem important are cultural related events that tie into the schools history. Other important events would include club fairs and spirit week. I believe these are important for student engagement and the most effortless to comply with. Student engagement is important because it shows the school spirit which allows a sense of belonging to the community. 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 would want to emphasize a more organized parking situation in the dirt area parking as we all know traffic gets annoying especially after school. This would improve the spacing situation and the safety of the students. 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? As stated before, an organized parking area in the dirt lot would make the entrance of the school appear cleaner. This would also provide more safety for students that walk before and after school. If I were elected to be secretary, I would collaborate with the president to help make this happen. PHONE POLICY: If you were elected to the position you are running for, how would you change our phone policy? If I am elected secretary, I would not make major changes to phone policy. Allowing students to utilize their devices during breaks is freeing after coming out of a classroom. However, if it becomes a problem in the classroom during learning hours, there would be adjustments to this policy depending on each teacher's class. SCHOOL LUNCH: If you were elected to the position you are running for, what would you do to improve the quality of student lunches? Because school lunches are relatively the same for all schools in Lahaina, I would work with the president and other necessary student council or ASB members to speak up about this with Maui County officials. Funding, communication and collaboration make up a large portion if this issue were to be addressed. Nevertheless, improving the quality of school lunches would benefit every student by giving them healthier options and nourishing them with the needed food components. Previous Next

< Back 54.1 Percent Say "No" Lahainaluna on the Santa Kristina Meguro Arts and Entertainment December 3, 2025 at 6:00:53 PM Do you believe in Santa Claus? Damon Nieves, a senior at Lahainaluna, does. He allegedly “received a personal letter from Saint Nick himself, along with presents containing the things I asked for, all saying ‘From Santa Claus.’”. That, claimed Nieves, is “proof that Santa is real, because why would anybody else give me presents and not take the credit?” Other students were asked the same question, and I was met with a variety of answers. There were answers such as “Yes, I believe in Santa Claus, he gives me presents” to “No, I don’t believe in Santa Claus…whoever believes in him is childish.” But what does the majority of Lahainaluna think? Do they or do they not believe in Santa? This month 74 members of Lahainaluna, 9 staff members (12.2 percent) and 65 students across grade levels (87.8 percent), responded to a survey asking a series of questions about why they do or do not believe in Santa. After 6-7 days, results revealed that 54.1 percent of respondents does not believe in Santa, while 45.9 percent do. The largest group of respondents were freshman with 27 percent of total responses and juniors second with 23 percent of total responses. Several voices from the non-believers accept the fact that “Santa is not real.” Yet, their responses suggest that they still choose to feed the belief for younger kids. Santa is either a legend or just a symbol. For this reason, some students believe that Santa is a representation of Saint Nicholas who seasonally “gave” his wealth to the poor. Aukai Dean-Kobatake, a freshman, says “Santa Claus, the character himself, does not exist, along with his sleigh or reindeer. However the origins, representations, and tradition of him are real…” 52 percent of believers in Santa Claus say they experienced Santa coming to their home. Their evidence: prepared cookies disappeared by morning, carrots eaten by reindeers, and sleigh bells jingling, etc. Some students argued that what is most important is the meaning of Santa to Christmas and, connected to that, the meaning of Christmas generally. “Christmas isn’t about Santa and presents but instead about the birth of Jesus Christ!” says anonymous junior, Vixen. Comet, a freshman, thinks itʻs the other way around. “Without Santa Claus,” they said, “there would be no staple mascot of Christmas–other than Jesus Christ.” Other student’s revealed that they got their beliefs from their parents/guardians. Prancer, a freshman, explained that they don’t believe in Santa because their parents “always told me it (Santa Claus) was fake and to stop believing in fairytales…they wrapped presents in front of me so I knew he was fake.” Similarly, Coleman Riddell, another senior at Lahainaluna, recalls when his parents broke the news to him when he was younger. “Betrayal” said Riddell, though he followed up with the wish that he had known that it was his mother who had put in the effort, selflessly buying gifts and working to make the holidays special. “At least I can thank her now,” he added. “Ignorance is bliss, I wish I still believed.” It’s not a surprise that people wouldn’t believe in Santa due to how their family might have not celebrated the holiday. “I stopped believing due to never really sincerely celebrating the holiday,” said Donner, a junior, whose family never celebrated the holiday. Jean-Martin Alternado, a senior, says, “it was always common to address the gift from who it came from rather than addressing it from Santa.” The non-believers, based on the survey, tend to be more logical. They have solid evidence as to why they don’t believe. Believers tend to be more thoughtful. They refer often to the need to keep the Christmas spirit alive or for their younger siblings. “I don’t believe in Santa because I truly never heard of a real sighting or a realistic story that associates with him…” says Crissa-ann Bumagat, a freshman. The majority of the non-believers at Lahainaluna said that Santa is not real. Dean-Kobatake agrees. “Santa Claus is a myth in the Christmas holiday that parents use,” he said, “as an alibi on where their children's presents are from.” “Think of it as the Easter Bunny” he added. “They are both the mascot of their respective holidays but everyone knows they don’t really exist. There are multiple accounts, (including myself) of children finding out that their parents are responsible for making their presents.” Cupid, a senior, supports Dean-Kobatake’s argument. “I once saw my parents put the presents under the tree. Then I knew that the belief, Santa, was just to keep me good.” Some other non-believers, such as Dancer, a senior, says “I grew up receiving Christmas presents from ‘Santa’ with my parents’ handwriting and wrapping paper.” Other non-believers say their peers are the reason why they no longer believe in Santa Claus. Eli Hegrenes, a sophomore, explains how he used to believe in Santa when he “was in school in like 5th grade.” Hegrenes recalls admitting to his classmates that he believed: “I looked schizophrenic. I was laughed at and just chose to stop believing.” “His body couldn’t possibly process so many calories at once (cookies and milk) and delivering presents to billions of children around the world in one night is pretty much impossible,” said senior, Ari Abut. Santa is just an illogical part of the holiday entertainment she argued. Ceramics teacher, Daniel Schultz, thinks Santa has a specific and useful purpose. “Santa Claus is an American version of an idea that supports generosity and giving.” Trevor Giligan, a history teacher and AP world professor, describes the tragic story of finding his Christmas present. As a child, he snooped around before Christmas. On one occasion he found the “Creepy Crawlers Workshop” in the attic where he was not allowed to go to. And on Christmas day, he found that present under the tree labeled “from Santa Claus.” Giligan’s childhood innocence disappeared that day. “Ignorance is bliss,” he concluded. “I wish I still believed.” "Because Iʻm a kid" “I left cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve, and the next day…there was a bite in the cookie!” says sophomore Gisele Miller. Similarly, Jeremy Langaman, a junior, swears that he “heard the bells” one Christmas. Heading out to the living room, he found missing cookies and presents under the tree. Senior Alicia Saia left carrots out that had been “scattered on the floor” or eaten by reindeer the next morning. She also found presents from Santa under the tree. Mari Finn, the school’s technology coordinator, shared her story about her belief in Santa Claus, “...me and my brother would stay up…we'd have family parties, so, we tried to stay up, and we would fall asleep on these couches to wait for Santa. And we would never catch Santa, ever. We'd wake up like, ‘Oh, my God, Santa came already!’ And we literally was right next to the Christmas tree. It was a fun memory of being a kid.” Like many students, the holiday season in my household was a time to set up cookies and milk for Santa. I guess this means we were believers. In the past, whenever my brother and I wouldn’t cooperate with our parents, we were told that “Santa Claus wouldn’t give presents to naughty kids who don’t go to bed.” There was also, “You’ll only get a lump of coal if he catches you awake!” Now that I’m older, my parents have told me that Santa isn’t real. But I donʻt feel betrayed. I, personally, like to believe in Santa because it’s a fun part of the holidays. In fact, Christmas would be kind of boring without Santa Claus. There would be no jolly old man you’d be preparing cookies for. Am I the only one who enjoyed baking cookies with my family? There would be no mall santa you would go to ask for a present. Without Santa Claus, you wouldn’t be entertained by the number of kids being scared by the mall santa that’s supposed to impersonate a jolly old man with a hearty laugh. John Borge, a history teacher, got a little more philosophical. “If something real is something we can prove based on physiological response,” he said, “then yes he (Santa Claus) is real. If you define what is real by what is tangible, then love does not exist and can't possible be real” (sic). “It’s important to believe in Santa because it keeps the holiday feeling fun and meaningful,” said Caselyn Ribac, a junior. “The belief brings people together, encourages kindness, and protects the happiness and imagination that make childhood special. It adds joy and keeps the magic of Christmas alive.” Freshman Alexa Perminova was a little more straightforward. She believes “Because I am a kid.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Kristina Meguro is a sophomore and a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawaiʻi.