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< 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.

Want to Advertise on Ka Lama Hawai'i? PRICING COPY: YOUR $50 ADVERTISEMENT TEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXTTEXT TEXT TEXT TEXT. Shop Now In 1834, only three years after the creation of Lahainaluna, its principal, Lorrin Andrews, started a student-run newspaper called Ka Lama Hawaiʻi , or “The Hawaiian Luminary.” The paper’s first issue explained the importance of knowledge. “In enlightened lands,” wrote its editorial staff, “it is believed that the spreading of knowledge is a good thing. When wise people ponder and come upon good new thoughts not known before […] they then desire to disseminate it abroad, and not hide it, so that all men may know” (61). Andrews described Ka Lama’s purpose in three goals. The first was to “give the scholars of the High School the idea of a newspaper [and] to show them how information of various kinds was circulated through the medium of a periodical.” The second goal was, generally, “to communicate to them [students] ideas on many objects.” Thirdly, it was designed as a “channel through which the scholars might communicate their own opinions freely on any subject they chose" (Qtd in Silva 109). Almost two centuries later, Lahainaluna’s current principal, Richard Carosso, sees Ka Lama as a space where students are “discussing among yourselves,” or where student voice is amplified. “It’s one of our only resources for students to voice their opinions and to get the input from, you know, their classmates about what's going on at school,” said Carosso, adding that the paper also brings student voices to the school’s administration so the school’s leadership “can tell what matters to you guys.” Historians remark that the original Ka Lama was mostly a way to send messages from missionary leaders to students; in 2025, it does the opposite. Both then and now, though, Ka Lama Hawai’i has encouraged discussion and literacy on campus while letting students engage with unfamiliar topics. Our History When the missionaries first arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1820 during King Kauikeaouli’s reign, they intended to use literacy or a knowledge of reading and writing to introduce Christian ideals. When they did that, though, they turned literacy all around the islands into a form of power. Ka Lama Hawaiʻi began under the control of missionaries at Lahainaluna Seminary with questionable intentions. Nevertheless, it created an important tool for promoting literacy: Hawaiʻi’s first newspaper. It was run by students of the seminary out of the printing house in the admin parking lot, Hale Pa’i, right here on our campus. On the 14th of February, 1834 Ka Lama published its first issue. It was only four pages written in Hawaiian, and, like every issue after, it contained an illustration by Alonzo and Mary Anne Chapin. The “Elefani,” or elephant, was the picture featured in issue one. Below it, Andrews and his students provided facts about elephants, their diet, habitat, and lifespan. The descriptions depict the characteristics of an elephant in an interesting matter, but they could only compare it to things people back then were familiar with. The elephant's nose is described as “being as long as a tree branch” (15) and its height is described as “if a man should stand upon the head of another, then their height would be that of the Elephant’s” (13). Presenting this content, historian Helen Geracimos Chapin writes that all the paper’s issues “delivered new and exciting information” to the students of Lahainaluna who had never known animals like that. The pictures, carved by Chapin, a physician at the seminary, brought “an air of immediacy about the world thousands of miles away” (16). As Chapin describes, Ka Lama , and all early Hawaiian papers, helped to colonize Hawaiian people with non-Hawaiian values by presenting such new and attractive information and images. Sometimes the captions and notes to Ka Lama’s pictures “spoke to the "superiority" of American culture, the Christian religion, and the Protestant work ethic.” “By such ʻtruth in an attractive formʻ,” writes Chapin, “were Hawaiian readers indoctrinated into the new culture” (16). Students printed the original Ka Lama and contributed to it. For instance, among them was the famous Lahainaluna graduate and royal advisor, Davida Malo, who published a song titled “He Kanikau No Kaahumanu,” in Ka Lama ʻs August issue (Silva 110). It was written in honor of the ali‘i wahine Ka‘ahumanu. While students were allowed to contribute to Ka Lama , missionaries controlled the paper and used it to spread their values. Most of the content discussed religious topics. An article not written by a student in the paper’s first issue was titled “The Reason For Ignorance.” It connected knowledge to religion and argued that “Sin is the reason for ignorance.” The authors of the article were “not identified” but they concluded that “returning to God with a new heart is what is needed” (Antonio 66). Articles like these were written by the missionaries, says Chapin, “to bring enlightenment to those they considered benighted,” or ignorant and unenlightened. Despite this, according to people living at the time, “upon receiving their copies, students would immediately sit down to read them through” (Chapin 16). In a recent documentary on literacy in Hawaiʻi, University of Hawaiʻi Professor, Puakea Nogelmeier describes the coming of the missionaries and their impact on Hawaiian society. He describes how literacy was encouraged because "High-level government positions often went to English-speaking foreigners because this interaction was critical for national continuity.” English literacy was recognized as important not just because of the opportunities that arose from being fluent but because of the opportunities that were being taken away by not being literate in the English language. As Nogelmeier describes “When Hawaiians questioned why there were so many foreigners in government, the King wrote back, saying they needed that interface until they could improve the pool of Hawaiians they could draw from” (Lihlihi). This is exactly why Kamehameha III “announced a mobilization of literacy ," Nogelmeier adds. "He was already literate, so he wasn't just aspiring; he was sharing. Everyone took pride in learning to read and write, and it became a national project.” English was a form of power that Kamehameha wanted everyone in the islands to have (Lihilhi). Ka Lama only lasted one year, but the papers that followed still give historians insight on public perspectives during Hawaiʻi's history. While missionaries did abuse their influence and power, according to Noenoe Silva, the newspapers served a further purpose for Hawaiʻi’s people. “While the common denominator of the early newspapers discussed here is the desire that their editors had to convert Hawaiians to a radically different system of beliefs and practices,” she states, “the opening up of spaces for written expression, coupled with the Hawaiian embrace of reading and writing, made the newspapers a vital arena in which crucial questions about culture, knowledge, and politics could begin to be publicly debated” (3). Ka Lama Hawaiʻi built the foundation for all other newspapers in Hawaiʻi. One of them, Ke Kumu , was published out of mission headquarters in Honolulu right after Ka Lama ʻs first run. It lasted from 1834 until 1839 and was edited by missionary Reuben Tinker. The name of the paper, Ke Kumu , or “The Teacher,” signaled its focus on educating through missionary voices rather than having the focus be on student thoughts. The content of Ke Kumu “was mainly evangelizing by missionaries, with some letters from students and community members” (Silva 18). In this way, Ke Kumu was not so different from its predecessor, Ka Lama . According to Silva, Ke Kumu Hawai’i was used to represent “the broad aim of the Mission to create a nation that was not only Christian in name and spirit but also intelligent and industrious” (112). Most of its articles were written by Tinker’s fellow missionaries, writes Silva, but “it did not take long […] before both ali‘i and maka‘äinana began to use the publication space for their own purposes” (112). During its run, Ke Kumu featured approximately 146 writers, including Davida Malo (112). In his contribution, he wrote about his relationship with religion, combining Christian and Hawaiian terms. “Jesus, have mercy, Or I, your servant, will die. [I am but] the dust on your shoe. The grass upon your path. If you leave us forever, That will be our death forever, Death in the pö, Under continual darkness” (10). Ka Nonanona soon followed in 1841. It was run by missionary Richard Armstrong who had been a part of the printing staff of Ke Kumu . Its first issue declared that it would focus on “news; support for school children, teachers, school directors, and parents; a bit of assistance for the pono of the ali‘i, in publishing new laws and new positions in the government, as well as… point out the things that will be pono and the things that will harm the government.” The paper had a larger audience and covered larger topics than Ke Kumu . As Silva states, “Its primary intent was to be a newspaper that carried news from the capital, Honolulu, to all the other islands.” She adds, however, that it was “still in the hands of missionaries and still evangelical in some ways” even though it had “greatly expanded its scope in content as well as in intended readership.” Ka Nonanona , for Silva, marked the shift of newspapers from tools of missionaries to sites “for public debate and discourse” (118). Ka Elele Hawaiʻi started the same year. It was less focused on religion and more on government. It helped inform the public on Hawaii’s rapidly changing society and “served as a site of public debate over the role of foreigners in the government and the sale of lands to foreigners” (Silva 21). Ka Eleleʻs focus allowed citizens to express their opinions on the changing laws surrounding owning land and kept them informed. Ka Elele was a new kind of newspaper. Its format was “opening up of spaces for written expression,” argues Silva. “Coupled with the Hawaiian embrace of reading and writing, [ Ka Elele ] made the newspapers a vital arena in which crucial questions about culture, knowledge, and politics could begin to be publicly debated” (3). This is the purpose Ka Elele Hawaiʻi had up until 1855, when the paper stopped publishing. Hawaiʻi’s first four newspapers all served their individual purposes and proved important to how society interacted with each other. Early newspapers led to a burst in literacy in Hawaiʻi. Katherine H. Au and Julie Kaomea report that “by the late 1800s, the literacy rate in Hawai‘i compared favorably to that of any nation in the world, an accomplishment much to the credit of the Native Hawaiian teachers in the common schools” (6). They Learned by Their Mistakes For over a century since Ka Lama , Lahainaluna seems to have had no school newspaper. Then, in 1928, Ka Nani ‘O Hawaiʻi (“The beauty of Hawaiʻi”) appeared under the guidance of Miss Maurine Watson and Miss Margaret Chapman. Miss Watson also ran a journalism club in 1950 that seems to have had no direct connection with Ka Nani . The early issues of Ka Nani are lost. Yet, the issues we have show us small pieces of life on campus in the 20s. An issue published in July of 1928 contains an article where an anonymous alumnus reflects on her days at Lahainaluna. “It was customary to have people carry away bags full of mangoes on every commencement day,” she says, unaware that a century later the only thing people would do with the mangos is step over them. In the June issue of 1929, students of the glee club found it important to talk about the success of their musical performance, Pickles . It was, they claimed, “a great dramatic and financial success.” The paper’s establishment was purposeful and was announced by Principal Alton Rogers who wrote in a December 1928 issue about “School Publications” and their importance above all other school publications. “School publications, and especially the newspaper, are among the most worthwhile school activities,” he wrote. “Because of their function of carrying news, encouraging enterprises, and representing the entire school and its activities, they are of inestimable value in unifying the school.” Rogers was sad to say, however, that problems often blocked the creation of a high school newspaper. Instead of a regular newspaper, “[f]rom lack of skill,” or literacy, students “are prone to make the annual (yearbook) like all others.” By this time, Ka Lama , had become the name of Lahainaluna’s yearbook. The solution, Rogers thought, required students and advisors to be consistent and constant with their work, to “impress all with their uniformity rather than individuality.” Ka Nani was short-lived. It started and ended between 1926-1929. In 1929 it was taken over by Mrs. Margaret Tompkins who also wrote that year about newspapers, and described the passion needed for good journalism. “Journalism in the Islands is a bit of a crusade,” she says. “Those who rally to its banners must of necessity have stout hearts, imagination, patience and a goal.” For Thomkins, the school newspaper was mostly useful for the language training it gave students: “Any medium which will help us to use Better English consistently has much in it’s favor.” She complained about the challenges faced by the faculty advisor. At the end of the day, “before an issue comes out, the poor instructor with the large glasses and the red pencil rewrites paragraphs." This was one of the last things Ka Nani would publish. Ka Nani finished a year later, starting another 30 years before another school paper was published at Lahainaluna. Yet, in its last year, the paper’s staff coined a motto, “Hitch your wagon to a star.” The first issue of Lahainaluna’s third newspaper, Ka Leo Luna (Ka Leo means “The Voice”) ran in 1952 under the direction of English and “publications” teacher Alma Kaiama. Like other the other papers, Ka Leo announced its simple mission: “To inform the students and teachers of the activities of our school.” An issue printed in its first year reported on the activities of the “Future Homemakers, Leaders Today and Tomorrow,” Hawaiʻi chapter. They were set to hold their “annual territorial convention at Camp Erdman, Oahu, from April 5-8.” Staff included a list of delegates who would be representing our school. On the same page “Morikawa, Kozaki To Reign Over Junior Prom” titled a plan for the “Orchids in the Moonlight” prom. “Strands of vanda orchids streaming down on kahilis,” are imagined by the student writer alongside “colored balloons giving the room a gay, festive air; soft lights and a centerpiece of a vanda-filled pond.” All this, the writer said, would “transform the gym into a moonlit paradise.” Two years after starting Ka Leo , Kaiama left the school to educate others on Maui and eventually got hired at Maui’s community college. In 1980, she became the provost there. Ka Leo ran for 64 years, under the direction of fifteen advisors until 2017 (see figure below). Kaiama influenced advisors after her to keep student journalism going. She was born in Hana in 1930 and picked up a wide range of talents during her life. She taught at nearly every grade level, from elementary school to college (Rupenthal). After leaving Lahainaluna, she worked from her position at the college to get the school funding and joined a push for its transition from a technical school to a “community school” in 1967. Probably because of Kaiamaʻs early influence, Ka Leo Luna gradually became associated with a unique motto that appeared regularly in the English Department’s section of Ka Lama , again, the school’s yearbook: “They learned by their mistakes and tried very hard to make the next issue a better one.” The Voices According to the school’s registrar and the paper’s second-to-last advisor, Shanda Sasai, Ka Leo Luna was “all about wanting to know what people thought and then sharing that out and getting that out to people." To accomplish this, Ka Leo Luna covered school news, features, and sports. The feature that stood out to her the most in all her years of being an advisor for Ka Leo was titled “You know you’re from Lahaina if…” that featured student commentary on living here. She recalls how she loved the concept of it as it allowed for positive discussions on student life. This was a reference to Jeff Foxworthy’s famous saying “You might be a redneck if...” Sasai went on to describe the process Ka Leo students went through. “Every student wrote,” said Sasai. “They had to get interviews, they had to get pictures. We ran through drafts like crazy. --the highest drafts was like… twenty-eight.” Sasai was Vice Principal Debralyn Arellano’s advisor when Arellano worked on the paper. Arellano managed the ads that went through Ka Leo in order to pay for printing. In her role, she had to “cold call” businesses downtown in order to sell ads. ”The paper did not have a budget,” she said. Ka Leo was exclusively a paper newspaper and Arellano noted how they had to print out issues on the mainland since it was more cost efficient. “We would stay up till like 10 at night in there. Just we knew it was deadline day, so we'd go run down and get our frappuccinos snacks and head back up and we'd just work on drafts and drafts and drafts,” said Arellano who looked fondly on her late nights in J-201. According to Arellano, Ka Leo journalists “were given that creative freedom to just pursue and talk about the columns that existed. And it was just fun. It was a lot of fun.” She added that, “in terms of creativity, that was nurtured and encouraged, and so it was just a great space.” Ka Leo Luna published its last issue in October of 2016. For 8 years, Lahainaluna students were silent. Then, in August of 2024, Ka Lama Hawaiʻi , now an online publication, published its first issue. Its first story, a feature on the endangered Kāhuli (snails), was written by Trinity Guiza. Ka Lama Hawaiʻi (Again) Ka Lama Hawaiʻi was named in honor of the first newspaper in Hawaiʻi by a small group of students, The News Writing Club, under the direction of its current advisor in Spring of 2023. The News Writing Club did not produce much content, though over the course of several meetings, they determined the paper’s layout, its sections, and that the name should point to the school’s history as the birthplace of the news in Hawaiʻi. They also planned the paper’s purpose, which included the amplification of student voices as well as the voices of people at Lahainaluna that students rarely meet–such as the custodial staff and office workers–a “We <3 LHS Staff” for student-generated profiles. Much more writing for Ka Lama was produced after it became a class. In the Fall of 2024, the school offered Journalistic Writing and enrolled a small team of student reporters who spent their year learning interview techniques and practicing an objective reporting methodologies. They covered school policies, student wellness, sports, and student life. Since its first issue, many have recognized Ka Lama’s significance to not only our school but to the state. Jean Martin Alternado, currently a junior, thinks that the paper points to the fact that “we are the most historic school in the state.” He thinks that the paper may help to spread awareness about Lahainalunaʻs legacy since “there's only a few students who really care about it.” Alternado published a story about students being held in the cafeteria and the issue of teacher shortages in Ka Lama’s first year. “[ Ka Lama Hawaiʻi ] is for people to share stories, to keep people updated, to see different perspectives of things that people didn’t really have resources to know,” said Alternado. Freshman Grayson Guzman, also a contributor to the paper, thought that Ka Lama was “important back then and now as we hold this legacy of having the first newspaper in Hawaiʻi published here by students.” Students recognize Ka Lama not just for its historical important on campus but for its impact on students' engagement with difficult topics, which is something that Ka Lama continues to do to this day. As Guzman notes, “today we still have this with students publishing articles giving voice to important topics.” “Our school newspaper is important so students can shed light on topics within our school and enlighten others.” Alternado has seen what the newspaper can accomplish, referring to recent coverage of sensitive student issues. “It spoke a few words that some people were too scared to say,” he said. “If we don’t have a voice, then what are we really going to change?” Student Stephanie Rubio Aguirre agrees: “Student voice is important because we want to hear the opinions on what students think about certain opinions.” She continued, saying “I feel like [ Ka Lama ] is something that students can look forward to whenever someone wants to read something about our school.” Current sophomore class president, Brianne Lagazo, comments on how when articles come out she “usually skim(s)” because as she states, “I enjoy reading what’s being presented and I am impressed by how these students are so good with writing and journalism itself.” Lagazo recently published a story about a controversy at private high school in the Lahaina community. Nicole Heinlein notices the usefulness of Ka Lama as “we don't necessarily have like, a comment box where students can voice their concerns.” The Future of Journalism at Lahainaluna Ka Lama brings attention to the fact that our campus has problems, and that we must acknowledge them to fix them. The newspaper's legacy, and the legacy of literacy in Hawaiʻi that it created, is carried by this new Ka Lama . There’s no way to measure if we’re doing it justice, but we do know that with it, students are being heard. Or, to leave with something that Aguirre said: “I feel represented.”

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

< Back Do I Have Your Attention? Why students can't put down their phones. Keyla Jimenez Student Life September 5, 2024 at 3:39:11 AM A teacher is talking and the students are zoning out. Most of them are on their phones. Some might argue that as long as they are getting their work done, there’s really no problem with this scenario. You at least wouldn’t expect students to disagree with the idea. Yet, many of them do. Senior Zhi Clark admits that easy access to social media leads to procrastination. “I feel like once I get on my phone,” she said, “I could scroll for like hours.” Sophomore Jaelyn Galasinao also regrets the effect of phone use on her studies, saying that, without the distraction, “I could have done my homework this weekend…so much earlier.” Senior Kamaile Kulukulualani thinks that phones prevent kids from “getting a full education.” Confidence and Multi-tasking According to a 2022 survey, 41 percent of Lahainaluna students felt that they had no problem staying “quite focused,” despite sometimes being in situations with lots of distractions. Yet, 47 percent said that sometimes they were unable to “pay attention and resist distractions,” and 30 percent admitted to “frequently” or “always” “waiting until the last minute” to complete their assignments. Something is distracting LHS students from their work, though somehow they feel good about their ability to tune out those distractions. Danial Felisoni and Alexandra Godoi argue that students may be too confident about their ability to simultaneously scroll and stay on task as they “often overestimate their ability to multitask, which could eventually lead to academic underperformance.” As a result, when “cellphones are commonly used in class for purposes unrelated to the discipline, it is likely that students may be distracted during lectures or activities.” Addiction While students are generally aware of the problem, they nevertheless find it difficult to put their phones down. As Venice Gallegos describes it, “I think social media is just, like, a really easy way to get stimulated quickly, so when you’re not on it, you can kind of miss that…and have like, withdrawals.” Similarly, sophomore Ariana Lara Rodriguez stated, “When I’m in class, all I think about is watching Netflix and finishing my series or playing dress to impress.” Jack Pope, a new English Language Arts teacher at LHS, says that grabbing a student’s attention is “a problem that teachers have been dealing with since the beginning of time.” Part of what makes this problem difficult now, says Pope, is “the accessibility of having it (the distraction) right in your pocket.” “You do get a lot of that dopamine rush from getting on your phone,” Pope said. “The attachment is something that’s very difficult for kids, for teenagers, to pull themselves away from.” English Language Arts Teacher, Ryan Granillo, has taught at Lahainaluna for 22 years and says that he has noticed a change. “I would really say that once cell phones became prevalent in the classroom, it became really difficult for the students to manage both classroom instruction and discussions and like the desire to be on their phone,” he said. “How many TikTok videos can you go through in like, five minutes?” he added. “They might not think it’s a big deal because it’s only five minutes, but then they just, it’s that addictive quality that makes it really bad.” He added, “It doesn’t help that there’s no real policy, school-wide policy regarding use of phones in the classroom.” Granillo states, “Everywhere you go, adults, kids, everybody in between has them (phones) out all the time, and even to the point where students do their classwork on the cell phone. And so in that regard, you have to, kind of, as a teacher, you just kind of deal with it, but it’s never going to go away. Cell phones are part of our lives.” Annika Yucua thinks that social media can affect you somewhat but that it “is honestly not that bad of a problem.” Taking that idea further, Kimberly Hernandez says that social media is actually of help in a school environment and claims that “you can use social media for, like, many things. You make projects about posts and you just look at the post like to see, to give you an idea.” It’s Me, Hi, I’m the Problem Jack Pope notes that the problem doesn’t just lie with phones since “there are some students that are completely capable of pulling themselves away from that device and holding attention.” Zhi Clark also thinks that “It’s honestly like your own self-reflection on how well you can stay off your phone, how interested you are in what’s going on.” On the other hand, Pope again pointed out, “grabbing a student’s attention” is a teacher’s job. “I need to make this interesting enough to where they want to pay attention to what I have to say and the content that we’re learning, rather than, you know, going straight to their device.” Jaelyn Galasinao says it another way, “If they (teachers) don’t care, I don’t care.” 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 Valentine's Day High Hopes, Low Expectations Bryson Aquino Student Life February 7, 2025 at 7:37:48 PM “Valentine's day is absolutely horrible,” said sophomore Marcus John Palacio on the upcoming holiday. Explaining his feelings, he admitted that his dislike is entirely personal: “I am very jealous and very envious of all the people that get to experience love in this young, innocent, and youthful way.” As Valentine's day approaches, students at LHS have mixed feelings about the holiday and the dating culture on campus. We wanted to talk to them about dating on campus and the expectations they (and their fellow students) have for their relationships. Here’s what we found. “...a great day to bake cookies…” While some students may envy the happiness of others, some students still appreciate the 14th of February. Senior Dylan Paul Lat said, “I love Valentine's day! It's a great day to bake cookies and show love to everyone, not just in romantic relationships.” Similarly, Junior Brandon Gonzales said “I feel like it’s good that love is in the air.” Yet, other students may doubt whether anyone really cares about the holiday or takes it as seriously as they should. Freshman Mele Fita Feleta, believes that Valentine’s day has lost its significance and that “not many people really care about the day anymore–no one really does anything.” Similarly, sophomore Lucia Mejia noted that “it doesn't seem like a big deal to guys. I don't really see guys going up to girls and asking them to be their valentine anymore.” Expectations in relationships Despite their feelings about the holiday itself, LHS students are still looking for romance, though many of them have different ideas about what that looks like. “I imagine the perfect guy,” says an anonymous sophomore. “Then when I talk to an actual guy. He’s not what I pictured and it disappoints me.” According to Dr. Lina Guzman, teens tend to begin with high standards for relationships. Nevertheless, she finds, “they don’t always expect to find those qualities in a partner” because they have a pessimistic outlook when it comes to relationships. The teenagers interviewed for Guzman’s study knew few adults “whose romantic relationships were worthy of emulation.” The absence of healthy relationship models creates a cycle, she suggests, in which young people feel resigned to unhealthy patterns. For Guzman, “relationship habits formed in adolescence shape future adult relationships.” In contrast to these findings, students like sophomore Annika Yu-Cua have pretty practical expectations for a teenager. She wants a partner who has “actual goals in life and a plan to succeed.” Freshman Avery English is also just looking for “the minimum effort.” Though, she added: “I don't want you to be mean.” Some students feel that finding a relationship in a small community like Maui can be challenging. Faleta put it simply: “it’s hard to find someone here–especially if your standards are really high.” Sophomore Mia Lee admits to having fairly unrealistic expectations about her future person, though she claims that her ideas are learned. “I'm just way too delusional,” she joked. “My expectations are way too high because of the books I read and the movies I watch.” Sophomore Lucia Mejia also observes a common trend in student preferences: “Everyone here looks for a tall guy.” Gonzales suggested that some student relationships seem temporary or insincere. Among students, especially freshmen, “I see a lot of them dating for a week and then breaking up.” Social Media and Dating It is possible that our dating patterns and expectations may be influenced by the technology that has become such a big part of our reality. Dr. K. R. Subramanian argues that the decrease in face-to-face interactions due to social media use has led younger people to prefer isolation and spending time in their own “imaginary world.” Stuck to their phones, young people sacrifice time with their family, neighbors, and “real friends.” Cameron Leslie agrees, saying, “I judge more because social media makes things look different from reality.” Social media has played a significant role in dating. It has “changed people’s perceptions of what a relationship should be. They see a nice couple on Instagram reels, now they're looking for the perfect person, and think they're entitled to it,” says Senior Tyzo Kaska. Leslie agrees: “I feel like people just start to slip away from, like, the respect part of it because they just fantasize more of the idea of having a relationship.” “People need to be reminded that relationships take work. Some only focus on the good and ignore the hardships,” says Aunty Cass. Senior Jericho Yagin also notices that social media “makes it easier to start conversations with people rather than talking to them in person,” which creates virtual relationships that don’t work in reality. Student Activities Coordinator (SAC), Aunty Cassie Jacinto thinks so too. She warns that “since the internet makes it so easy to connect, it also makes it easy to jump from one person to another, which can create trust issues in relationships.” Mejia points out that a lot of what we see online is not even appropriate or relevant for younger people in relationships. “Everyone online talks about ‘red flags,’ but we’re literally teenagers—were still growing and developing.” V-Day Event Despite these challenges, some students remain hopeful, while others are content with celebrating love in all its forms, not just romantic relationships. Aunty Cass as SAC plans events based on student council input. But, she adds, it is also important to “make the events for the date inclusive,” for those looking for romance as well as those who simply like baking cookies. Previous Article Next Article Copy link Bryson Aquino is a senior at Lahainaluna. He’s a student reporter interested in shedding light on and writing about problematic issues on campus. He likes to interact with school institutions. A movie that he really resonates with him is called Not Without My Daughter because its main idea is how one person will go so far just for someone they love. A funny fact about him is that high blood pressure is hereditary in his family, so don’t make him mad!

< Back 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.

< Back Under a Cloud at Lahainaluna Vaping on Campus Trinity Guiza Student Life May 29, 2024 at 10:33:32 PM “I don’t feel pressured at all, I’m a good person, not a delinquent like them,” said a Lahainaluna sophomore when asked whether they felt pressured to vape by others. To the same question, a senior offered an anecdote: “I would get asked if I wanted to hit it but when I said no they weirdly congratulated me and said how good of a student I was while they still went on to continue vaping their flavored air.” The vaping situation on our campus has been on everyone’s minds. But students who do and don't vape have opinions on the issue that you aren't likely to find on a poster. Most students are concerned, but they aren't sure how concerned to be or whether school leaders care. NOTE: given the sensitivity of the subject, many of the students interviewed preferred to remain anonymous. I refer to students by their favorite colors rather than their given names. Lahainaluna has rules against vaping on campus. These rules are based on Hawaii’s administrative rules found in Chapter 19 of the Hawai’i Department of Education Administrative Rules Manual. Rules from Chapter 19 have been included in every LHS student planner and on the school website. Under “Chapter 19,” vapes and e-cigarettes fall under the class C offense sections of contraband and controlled substance use in this chapter. It reads that students may receive penalties such as suspension for 92 days for possession or being under the influence of controlled substances. See the whole text here . Perspectives Students who don’t vape also don't seem to care too much about vaping since, as one sophomore student, Baby Blue, said, “it’s just a normal occurrence now.” Another student, a sophomore I’ll call Rose Gold, added that they “really don’t like how it’s normalized, we even have presentations or lessons against vaping, I mean you're even writing an article on it too.” A significant portion of students shared this weariness about the prevalence of the issue. Things started looking different when students were asked how they felt personally about vaping. A sophomore named Emerald stated, “I care but not really–not enough to report anything.” They added not a minute later, however, that “it doesn’t give the school a nice environment.” Other students like Crimson, a sophomore, reported feeling “threatened” by vaping students. Simply something upon groups of students hanging out in the bathrooms seemed to be the primary cause of “awkward situations” as Rose Gold said, “so I try to run out of there as fast as possible, I don't like their flavored air.” Asked if a younger sibling or family member were to start vaping like him, Gray, a junior, replied a bit defensively, insisting that “that wouldn’t happen, they are too young for that.” “You know what, never mind, I don’t care, I’m done” they finally said before walking away. When asked why they vaped and why specifically on campus, sophomore Yellow said, “I just feel good, it’s not that complicated” and “I do it anywhere so why not.” “Most people think vaping helps with the stress,” said Purple, a sophomore. “But the reason why they vape in school is because they have a feeling, the need to do it, feening.” Yellow and Purple said that people vape in the bathrooms for the obvious reason that “teachers are in class, so they aren’t in the bathrooms, and there are no cameras either. It's the one place you have the privacy to do what you want,” Purple said. Forest Green, a senior, said that in their opinion, vaping happens more often during breaks. Who Cares? Many students are sure that there is no solution to the problem. They complained that staff don’t care or that they don’t even know what’s going on. Purple claims that she vapes, but knows “it’s a problem.” But, she continued, “they,” that is, the administration, “just simply don’t care.” Dubious stories about students getting away with vaping circulate among students, but few of them seem credible. Black, a freshman, is sure that admin doesn’t care simply because of how many students he sees vaping—8 in the bathroom daily. Nicole Heinlein, the freshman vice principal at Lahainaluna, confirmed that it is a problem they are working on. “We often get reports of students vaping in the bathrooms and students saying they don’t feel comfortable going into the bathroom because they are worried about being around people who are vaping,” she said. “I think this is affecting how other students feel about being on campus. And that’s a problem.” Sophomore vice principal, Debralyn Arellano added that she thinks “there should be no vaping on campus, if there’s even one student vaping then that’s a problem.” “It makes me wonder if they are fully informed about what they are doing,” Ms. Arellano continued, “because from what I know nobody knows the long-term effects of vaping.” “It makes me nervous,” said Ms. Heinlein, because students shouldn’t be “doing unhealthy and illegal things on campus.” “If students are breaking the law now as teenagers,” she said, “it makes me worry that they may continue to break the law later in life.” Every Cloud… On the topic of solutions, Ms. Heinlein reported that the administration had made informative posters “that we are gonna be putting up around campus and in bathrooms this summer, to educate students about vaping and options for quitting vaping. Ultimately, we are hoping that educating students on the dangers of vaping will cause them to think twice about it.” She said that vape smoke detectors had been “discussed,” but other vice principals from other schools doubted their effectiveness as well as their high cost: “if they don’t work well then it doesn’t seem like a good solution.” Solutions volunteered by students revealed a wide variation in perspectives. A sophomore student, Pink, proposed a “scared straight program” but instead of prisoners “we do a face-to-face confrontation with people who have suffered from vaping.” Their friend Emerald questioned the idea, suggesting that “helping someone who doesn’t want help is just cruel.” To this, Baby Blue said “we could just smack’em in the head.” Purple suggested taking away their phones and vapes, so they sit in class with nothing, the torture of boredom.” She also suggested “more officers or have the staff be more strict.” Multiple students suggested sensitive smoke detectors in the bathrooms, but one student was opposed to this idea. Green mentioned that “in my old school there were smoke detectors in the bathrooms but all that did was set an alarm off every week and drove students to find another way.” Another student suggested a compromise solution: a “green room” so that they can do what they want while also staying out of other people’s business. Presented with Pink’s scared straight program, Arellano and Heinlein were on board. “Educating students and empowering them to make informed decisions is the most impactful thing we can do,” said Heinlein. “It would be wonderful to welcome guest speakers from the community to come in and have some sort of public service announcement.” Both reacted predictably to the “green room” proposal. Heinlein laughed and said “no way, nope. Plus, you have to be 21 years old to legally vape and no one on campus is 21 so absolutely not, nice try.” Nobody knows when vaping on campus became a problem. Most speculate that it simply just transitioned from smoking to vaping when vapes became available. Arellano said “I started working at Lahainaluna in 2019, that’s when I learned what a vape was.” One thing is for certain, be it a student or an admin, everyone has opinions and everyone feels a responsibility to promote and maintain a safe and secure educational environment here at Lahainaluna High school. Previous Article Next Article Copy link Trinity Guiza is a staff writer at Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< Back A Step into the Mind of Peace Cath Apilado Painting The Work When I was painting it, I wanted to paint a fountain, I guess. I was looking through Pintarest to find inspiration--to see how people painted fountains. I found one. There was grass, like in my fountain picture, but the Pintarest fountain was nothing like what I painted--it was a different kind of fountain. I used watercolor because I like painting with watercolors. I painted a butterfly because I like butterflies. And I guess I just like painting nature stuff. About the Creator Cath Apilado is a sophomore at Lahainaluna High School. She has been painting for 8 years, but she sees painting only as a hobby right now. Cath's favorite kind of media is watercolor and her favorite color is purple. Previous Next Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Send Email

< Back Is Procrastination A Good Thing? On the benefits and drawbacks of doing your work on time. Christopher Apilado Student Life January 13, 2025 at 5:44:59 PM Most students procrastinate, which causes them to stress about their work and academic performance. “You have multiple classes,” said Catherine Apilado, a junior student at Lahainaluna High School, “so the longer you leave out that assignment, the more you’re gonna get more work from different classes.” While this seems like common sense, students are divided. Freshman Hanan Oleiwan says, “get the stuff over with” because putting it off will just cause you more stress than relief. Oleiwan thinks that procrastination causes students to worry about a task that they will still end up having to complete. Finishing the task will at least provide a feeling of accomplishment. She added that there is no upside to procrastination. “If you are gonna, like, push stuff away last minute, I don’t think that is usually, like, a good thing.” Apilado, quoted above, thinks that finishing an assignment can give you the feeling of accomplishment. Everything “is just gonna pile up all your work and it's gonna make you even more stressed out about it.” Finishing the work can make you “feel more accomplished and you feel relieved that it is finally over with.” Some students already feel stressed when they get an assignment. For some students, this stress interferes with completing it. “The stress just causes me to not wanna do it anymore,” said Ka’iulani Balinbin, “so I hold it off till the last minute.” Yet, this creates a cycle for Balinbin because after putting off her assignment, she ends up “stressing even more.” Students who procrastinate in school sometimes also procrastinate at home. Freshman Salvador Chiang offers an example: “I say, ‘I will do the dishes later’ and then I forget about it and then I get in trouble.” He adds that there is rarely a way that procrastination could be positive and that “The only way it is positive is if it’s, again, if you’re doing multiple things and then you do the easy things first and then do the hard ones.” “more ideas to do your assignment” Although some students say that procrastination is bad, some also say that there could be a chance that procrastination could be used in a good way. They argue that in some situations, procrastination can make students more productive. For instance, Jaiden James Versola, a senior, states that procrastinating may help students “drive more for last-minute work.” Some people do better under pressure, Versola thinks, and that procrastination helps students push themselves in completing their work. It even helps them focus and “lock-in” on the task. Differently, freshman Grayson Guzman thinks that putting off an assignment gives students time to reflect as “it could let you have the idea sit in your brain and it’s something you can think about constantly.” Taking the extra time, “is gonna help you in your creativity,” says Guzman. He thinks that it gives you “more ideas to do your assignment or whatever work you have to do.” Sophomore Micah Ganis thinks that there are certain people who should use procrastination. Ganis says “I would probably encourage it [procrastination] for somebody who is like a workaholic.” He feels as though they would use it more wisely than “somebody who's not good at keeping their time well,” because they would most likely just “waste all their time.” “To a certain extent, I agree that procrastination can be used in a positive way,” says Mr. Ancheta, a math teacher. “Allowing your brain to think through the problem and process the information thoughtfully prior to taking action on it” can be helpful. However, he adds that it may have “a significant negative effect on their [students’] academic performance.” Science teacher Judd Levy has a stronger opinion. “...I don’t agree at all,” he said. He thinks that students who say procrastination could have benefits are “just being silly,” and “looking for an excuse to be lazy.” There needs to be a balance” “Giving ourselves some time away from a task allows us to think more deeply on a topic or get information that may not have come right away,” Librarian Tara Nakata says. But she also thinks that “there needs to be a balance between putting something off, and still allowing enough time to complete it satisfactorily.” Nakata added that “There might be something that I need to finish - like cleaning the house because guests are coming over, but I decide to work on a crochet project instead. We all make decisions like this that work against us.” Students are still learning. They all agree that procrastination has a bad side, though some students thought that it could be a positive thing. Freshman Eli Hegrenes sums it up by saying that “It depends,” and that “You can do it sometimes but try not to make it a habit.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Christoper Apilado is a contributor to Ka Lama Hawai'i and is in his first year at Ka Lama Hawai'i.