Search Results

< Back "Smart and Capable" Raising the Academic Bar at Lahainaluna Keyla Jimenez Education December 3, 2025 at 6:39:19 PM Academically, Lahainaluna has its opportunities. From our dual credit classes, associates degree program, and AP courses, our students have access to greater academic challenges. Yet, like many schools, the majority is caught between catching up while others are falling behind. Some students feel like they are not being challenged. “I have an A in most of my classes, but sometimes I feel like I still don't understand what is being taught to me,” states one anonymous junior. Others feel differently, as one anonymous sophomore says “I’m failing second quarter because I don’t know what I’m doing in this class.” Summing up her frustrations, she states “If you don’t get it, good luck.” It's not a new problem, but it's taking a toll on Lahainaluna students. How do we maintain an environment for those already ahead to keep learning, while supporting those who need to catch up? The problem here lies in underestimating students. "Soft bigotry..." When we underestimate what students can achieve we prevent potential learning. As chemistry teacher Kaitlyn Scheib explains, we should “think more highly of students, because I think they are smart and capable.” The principal, she says, “has been telling all the teachers that we need to have more rigorous expectations of students this year.” This has proven benefits. As author as A.J. Hill and D.B. Jones found in a 2021 study, higher expectations in instruction were linked to higher test scores. The discussion is often connected to something George W. Bush said in a 2000 speech to the NAACP in which he criticized those who say “it is unfair to hold disadvantaged children to rigorous standards.” Against this, he argued, “it is discrimination to require anything less—the soft bigotry of low expectations.” We can accommodate those having a difficult time, but it must be considered how students, in the long run, will benefit from it. As Scheib and others suggest, these expectations have shown to affect student attitudes towards their education. Junior Corbin Sales says that “when it comes to standards, I feel like at this point, teachers care more about whether or not they actually do it, instead of actually taking the time and looking at each person's work.” One anonymous Junior admits that “when I don't understand topics that I feel are easy, I do feel behind or that I'm not learning enough.” She reflects on how, as high school students, “we're almost adults, and we're almost getting to college.” “I feel like we should be held to higher expectations,” she said. Students have come to seek higher expectations themselves. They’ve found signing up for courses that ask more from them beneficial. Eli Hegrenes explains how it benefitted him, stating that “the only classes that give me a real challenge are my AP and college courses.” He adds how “compared to my normal high school classes they are much more challenging and make me think in ways I haven’t before.” When asked what low expectations do, he noted how “the standard should be higher” and how he supports “the idea of giving credit for effort, but if someone didn’t even try but still did it and is getting the same grade as an academically motivated student, then I think that's unfair.” “I think my classes are challenging,” said another student, but she says she “knew what I signed up for.” It’s easy to explain how a student can benefit from higher expectations, but there are more factors to consider that hit closer to home. “The riddle for any teacher…”: Social studies teacher John Borge believes that “there are flaws within any educational school,” but that “the riddle for any teacher is, how do I support my low students while preventing my high students from getting bored.” While some gain more from a challenge, academics are not always on the top of a student's mind. Coming back to our anonymous sophomore, deciding if you should take challenging classes “depends on like you and your life outside of school.” “They assign a lot of things. And I feel like that shouldn't be a standard,” one anonymous sophomore said. “A lot of us, do have other things to do outside of school.” She emphasizes that “it's good for the teachers to, like, have empathy for their students.” English teacher Brendan Smith feels that "high school students that are really behind, maybe academically, but also mostly like discipline wise” explaining how “If elementary school didn't have homework, you can't expect the high schoolers to want to do homework.” He adds how “it's also a rural area that's low income, so there were a lot of home issues as well.” “If we can better support families, those families will better support their kids,” Borge offered. “Their kids will show up to school knowing its values.” “Can the system of teachers do better? Absolutely,” Borge concluded. “But everything starts in the home.” Students have found it difficult to catch up, but accommodating to them still leaves them behind. Students are struggling now, so increasing expectations will prove to be difficult, although one student found just giving it a try was enough. “I've been in the associates degree program, for almost about four years… it definitely pushes me” describes senior Cailee Marie Cuaresma who reflected on how she “didn't think I'd excel,” at first. But after some effort in her classes, she did “and I passed them with pretty good grades.” Cuaresma recognizes how even though she’s been able to learn a lot at Lahainaluna, “the teachers, and like the staff in general, should be more strict about receiving F's or receiving even D's” She sums up our issue neatly, stating how “It's also kind of a teacher's job to motivate students, but it's also the students’ job to motivate themselves.” 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 Downfall of Human Competence Ari Abut Philosophy The Work Seventeenth-century philosopher, René Descartes, famously wrote the words “Cogito ergo sum,” "I think, therefore I am” in his 1637 Discourse on the Method. By this, he meant that thinking is the only thing that is guaranteed to be true in this world and that maybe a person’s worldview shapes the identity of the person themselves. Unfortunately, AI demotes thinking to something optional, something that isn’t necessary when AI is doing the thinking for them. In this way, AI may stunt the development of the people using it, countering the development of self. Researcher Helms Potter claims that “individuals who have been exposed to high cognitive demand tasks throughout their lives tend to exhibit higher intellectual abilities." This means that people who have been assigned hard tasks that require a large amount of thinking are more likely to be intelligent individuals and can solve problems more efficiently. Yet, AI creates a situation in which intellectual tasks do not need to be solved by people. As researcher Umberto León-Domínguez argues , the use of AI deteriorates how humans process information, as AI can easily contextualize it in a more digestible way, making people use fewer of their intellectual resources. He describes a concept, “cognitive offloading,” through which the action of relying on an external resource (in this case, AI) to complete a cognitive task, such as memorizing dates or creating lists, makes individuals less reliant on their own brain to organize these tasks. As he states, “a risk remains that for a certain segment of the population, the pervasive use of AI chatbots may diminish specific cognitive skills—particularly if individuals do not utilize the freed cognitive resources for other tasks that pose cognitive challenges.” In short, individuals who don’t overuse AI to offload tasks will likely be intellectually inclined. As technology advances and becomes more competent, human abilities will decline in response. In the modern world, this process is already happening. Humans often use AI for assignments and tasks. And as humans realize tasks can be done effortlessly and quickly with AI, they will eventually start relying on it entirely. Anything that is considered difficult is dumped onto it, leaving users with all the easy tasks. As humans grow more incompetent and find out the AI can take care of such tasks, they will put those minor tasks on the AI as well. The cycle repeats and spirals until humans are unable to do anything at all. Most people view AI as a revolutionary program. It learns by itself, can mimic human behavior, and even create art and literature on its own. Many companies use AI to edit their work, generate ideas and business pitches. It molds itself to fit the preferences of customers, and even increases productivity in the workplace. This, it is thought, will result in the human employees needing to do less work. Yet, it is more likely that company revenue will increase while employee pay decreases. As AI gets exponentially better and better, it will become more competent and efficient than most humans, resulting in higher unemployment rates. The rich (who own companies and the new technology running them) will become richer, and the poor (out of work) will become poorer. It becomes a cycle in which fewer people are able to hold their jobs, and could result in exponential recession and unemployment. While AI has its merits, it still has the potential to hurt the way we function as of now. Perhaps in the future, when we as humans (our brains specifically), evolve to coexist with modern technology without hindrances on both ends, we can incorporate AI more effectively into our lives without the cost of our own humanity. Since 1995, it seems, Albert Einstein has been associated with the quote "It’s become appallingly clear that our technology has surpassed our humanity." Yet, there is no evidence that he actually said this. In fact, it comes from a 1995 movie called Powder . Despite being associated with Einstein, they are actually words spoken by Donald Ripley, played by Jeff Goldblum. The film builds itself on the premise of embracing what is not perfect and how human bias and bigotry (mental laziness) can get in the way of that. Einstein’s actual quote goes like this: Our world faces a crisis as yet unperceived by those possessing power to make great decisions for good or evil. The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe. It comes from a New York Times article published in 1945 where Einstein described humans as ignorant and sadistic individuals with the power to enact that cruelty onto others. He asks: why would we trust anything with that capability to humans? Similarly, AI represents a scary combination of voluntary ignorance and danger. For those who ignore information, technology takes on that burden for them. However, this can result in the distortion of information in the world, reducing authenticity to something a computer came up with. The misattribution of the Einstein-Goldblum quote is an allegory for how humans are easily misled, and how false information can be spread disturbingly quickly. This, some people warn us, is what AI will do. Without recognizing the importance of using our own intelligence to create our own conclusions, that ability will eventually diminish until AI replaces it entirely. About the Creator Communication is not my strong suit. I would like to interact with you, but I must admit that first meetings are almost guaranteed to be awkward. I enjoy philosophical and psychological discussions and finding out more about how people work. I also enjoy analyzing media such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Madoka Magica . If you’re interested in either of these masterpieces, contact me immediately. I look forward to hearing your insights. Previous Next Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Send Email

< Back Brandiann Tartios Custodial Staff “The People.” That’s what Brandiann Tartios, a custodian here at Lahainaluna, said when asked what she likes about working here. Confidently but with a serious tone, she added that without the people, Lahainaluna would be “Just another place to work.” Tartios thinks that “The people here make Lahainaluna.” Tartios has worked here for over 10 years. She jokingly emphasized the amount of time by mentioning that she’s worked under 7 principals. Originally from Oahu and a town somewhere between rural and urban, Tartios prefers being at Lahainaluna, an “Isolated from town." She enjoys the fact that it’s “kind of laid back.” Community is important to her and that’s why she likes Lahaina and Lahainaluna so much. “Community makes Lahaina. Period.” Tartios spends most of her free time with her family. She explained that she is passionate about “appreciating who I have in my life.” Like others at Lahainaluna, she lost a great deal in the recent fire. Like many in Lahaina, she’s also “passionate about trying to get back home and try to rebuild.” I asked her again what she is grateful for and she said that she’s “Grateful for waking up.” Even though she now drives from Kihei to come to work, she uses this time to reflect and “concentrate and think about the past, you know, and what I'd like to accomplish in the future.” “Lahainaluna is like a second home,” said Tartios. 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 Haunted Halls The Haunted History of Lahainaluna Kristina Meguro Student Life September 30, 2025 at 8:20:21 PM Stories of the supernatural are unsurprisingly common among students and staff at Lahainaluna, which is nestled at the base of Puʻu Paʻupaʻu (Hill of Struggle). Founded in 1831, Lahainaluna High School has been around for nearly two centuries, a span of time in which the campus has shifted and expanded. Nevertheless, something has stayed the same, unaffected by the construction of new buildings that occur from time to time. Spooky stories are a legacy as strong as the traditions we pass down from generation to generation. But are they more than stories, or are we just superstitious? According to various accounts from students, staff, and alumni, several areas of our old campus are rumored to be “haunted” or “spiritually active,” as Librarian Tara Nakata corrected me. “The campus is a little bit up in the mountains, right?” she said. “It’s not odd to believe there is paranormal activity.” When asked, staff and students had lots to share. At the top of their lists were the Hoapili & David Malo dorms, Samuel Moʻokini Music Building (band/choir room), the Hale I Luna (aka J-Building), and the MacDonald Building. There have also been spiritual sightings from the cafe. “...something was watching.” Ag teacher, Nathan Pallett, tells a story about a felt presence outside the MacDonald building. As he describes, it was late at night, around 10PM sometime during the 2018-2019 school year. Pallett was in the MacDonald building, thinking about working for another hour when suddenly a feeling of dread came over him. As he describes it, the feeling was telling him “it’s time to go home.” Listening to the feeling, he decided to leave. After cleaning up, he headed over to the box on the side of the building in order to set the alarm. “As I was walking back,” said Pallett, “I felt like something was watching.” Trying to disregard the feeling, Pallett continued to walk back to the front. Still, he continued looking over his shoulder, not turning all the way, and trying to fight an almost eerie feeling coming over him. “It felt like something was gonna, like, rush from behind. I walked much faster, almost to a jog.” He kept the fast pace as he continued to feel the pressure of the entity. The closer he got to the truck, he felt the presence strengthen. He hastily squeezed through the narrow space between the building and the red gate and finally a hint of salvation occurred. The presence disappeared after passing the red gate. He describes the situation as something that you experience in films. “It felt like in the movies where the bad things are about to get the person… and all of a sudden the ghost or whatever disappears when the people turn around.” “...G-Building wasn’t blessed…” After Pallett’s scare by the MacDonald building alarm box, the presence, he said, never came back. But he did tell me about another odd incident where he stayed late on campus. At the MacDonald building again, Pallett was doing his usual routine of going down to feed the animals, when he heard a TV blaring loudly from one of the classrooms in G-Building. “I knock on the door,” he said. But “no one answers, the door is locked. I can see that the lights are flashing.” He decided to call Principal Carosso to unlock the door. Carosso arrived at the scene shortly after to shut the TV off. Thinking the problem was resolved, Pallett went back to his room to grab his things. Unknown to him, Carosso decided to check the classroom again and found the TV still on. He walked around the room, checking the backrooms to confirm there was no one in the room. A little later, the two were talking when the fire alarm suddenly went off in the cafeteria. “They (the people at the cafe) thought they could smell smoke and it looked kind of hazy… you could smell stuff.” The fire department arrived at the school and examined the building, but couldn’t find a trace of fire anywhere. “They checked every outlet, all the heat sources,” Pallett reports, “and nothing was abnormal.” Pallett spoke to “Uncle John” Alexander, our cafeteria manager, later that evening who suggested that G-Building had not yet been blessed and this was the source of the abnormal occurrences. G-Building was eventually blessed, which had been already planned, and “everything just stopped,” Pallett says. “I haven’t heard any stories since.” The Unsettling Melodies of the Band Room Students and staff often stay late at the band room playing music. But some unusual rhythms, they claim, cannot be explained. According to the Director of the Band & Choir, Jalen Baraoidan, “Mr. B,” there have been multiple paranormal encounters at the Samuel Moʻokini Music building (aka band/choir room), many of which he has experienced himself. During his four years of teaching, one of the most significant spooky events he experienced was when he heard drums, specifically Hawaiian drums. “I heard these very loud drums just playing,” he said. “I thought to myself ‘huh, Hawaiiana club practices on Sundays?” Baraoidan had been working on choir tracks and got up from his desk to check it out. Moving toward the sound of drums, Baraoidan approached the choir room. “When I walked in,” he said, “the room was pitch dark, no one was there.” He quickly thought, “maybe someone snuck into my side of the room” and circled around Kumu’s room for a bit longer before going back to his side. But again, no indication of anyone else that was there except himself. Baffled, and a bit alarmed, he thought to himself, “Okay, maybe it’s time to leave.” So he did. The drum sounds could have come from anywhere, but what about an unsettling melody from a piano? According to Isikeli Tafea (Assistant to the Director of BAC), a former student, Carlito Justin Luben, “CJ” (Class of 2015 Alumni), and Baraoidan, they once heard the band room piano playing when no one was around. Years ago, said Baraoidan, he decided to give the school’s grand piano to Maui High School choir, replacing it with a smaller piano. Though the piano was gone for a short duration, students often reported hearing it play in the area it was once located, and he also heard it from time to time. Isikeli heard the story from boarding students who cleaned areas of the campus after school. A group of them were assigned to the band room as their area to clean. According to them, they could often hear the piano being played, but when “they would look, there’s no one inside. The band room’s pitch dark…” According to Luben , multiple people have reported hearing “like a trickling on the piano… It would usually be at night with all the lights off.” Until the new piano was installed, the melody continued. All three interviewees claim that there is a little girl spirit attached to the piano. Baraoidan said “...a girl spirit, a ghost spirit LIVES in the piano and when I got rid of it, she got agitated.” These encounters with ghosts at the band room are odd as it is more modern compared to other buildings. The band room finished construction in 1977 and has only been around 48 years since Lahainaluna has been here. Nevertheless, many say the band room is one of the most haunted spots on campus and, one reason, apparently, is the water. Lahainaluna Campus map drawn by Robert Andrews, son of Rev. Lorrin Andrews, the first school headmaster, circa 1840. There were multiple waterways. While many were demolished alongside the sugar cane fields, some water canals remained, such as the one by the band room. According to an anonymous staff member, “water attracts spirits” and many cultures have entities associated with water. Perhaps this was a reference to Japanese culture in which mischievous water demons/spirits called “Kappa” harass people. The kappa are also sometimes saviors who save people from drowning. The staff member is not too sure, though. 2006 campus map of Lahainaluna. *Highlighted in yellow are the water ways, highlighted in blue is the band room area. “…the student she thought she saw was outside.” Many of the borders have attended Lahainaluna for generations. They have inherited a love for their school as well as stories about their predecessors’ experiences: the good, the bad, and the haunted. Hearing about ghostly experiences may sound ridiculous to some people, but generations of borders on campus claim that our ghosts are real. Hilinaʻi Sodetani, is a freshman border who talked about a haunting experience by her auntie, 2016 alumni. Sodetani’s auntie claims to have heard chains dragging in the halls of the Hoapili Dorm. “They say,” said Sodetani, “it’s like a legend that it’s David Malo’s dog walking down the hallways.” It is also a tradition that if you ever see a lady in white in the hallway, you must go back into your room. Although Sodetani has not encountered the spirits that her family members told her about, she says that she recently had some chilling experiences at the Hoapili Dorm when her roommate and herself were on their phones heard a knock coming from the door. Sodetani describes the situation as odd because she thought “Was I the only one hearing the knock?” Her roommate had not reacted at the time. Sodetani decided to ignore it and laid back down when the knock came again, “like three knocks. And then I opened the door, but nobody was in the hallway.” Her roommate told her to ignore the knocking, but later, Sodetani went to discuss the situation with a friend, a fellow freshman border, who also heard knocking and coincidentally her roommate had told her to ignore it too. Sodetani mentions, her father, a 2001 alumni of Lahainaluna, who claims to have heard the toilets in the David Malo dorm flushing while he was in the bathroom, but there was no one else there. LeiAloha Amram, a sophomore border, has many little occurrences to share that happened here and there. One encounter happened to her dorm attendant who saw someone walking into a dorm room. The dorm attendant thought it was one of her students but soon after leaving the dorm “the student she thought she saw was outside.” Amram also mentions that “someone’s lights were flickering and turning on at night, and there’s doors shaking, opening by itself.” She added that her friends had seen a tall, long figure in one of the dorm rooms but once they turned the lights on, it disappeared. “...things would break or the lights would fall down.” In 1990, the original Hale I Luna burnt down. Five years later, a two-story and ten classroom-building was established in order to replace it. The new building kept the name “Hale I Luna” aka J Building. Anne Cook, the English Department Head and 10th Grade English teacher thinks the fire was “kind of strange” since “they never ever found out the reason for it.” Once the new building was built, it opened up strange encounters in the classroom, claims Cook. “I was downstairs before--I was in J104. There were times where things would break or the lights would fall down.” It made her get shivers like chicken skin. Cook describes how she heard the bushes and trees rustling, "but, there was no wind. Why were they rustling?" Importantly, perhaps, Hale I Luna connects on its north side of the campus where the night marchers start their path. Yellow: Night Marchers path The stories of paranormal activity were apparently frequent enough that school leaders asked custodian “Uncle Nalu” Naleieha to perform a blessing on the building. Naleieha told Cook that the location was a hot spot for spiritual activity as it is where the night marchers would walk down the mountain. Their path apparently takes them along the old stream after they reach the front office. Sodetani adds, “They say that the night marchers' pathway goes into boarders field but one thing that they always tell us is to try to ignore them, and verbally say out loud sometimes to tell that we’re here… they only come and go…” Cook said “I felt like they weren’t harmful spirits, but there were spirits here.” Many on campus believe similarly. While there are wandering old souls and scary entities, there are also guardians that keep the place safe. According to the ELL Coordinator/Spanish teacher, Ashley Olson, two ghosts appeared to her in her first year of teaching. Working during the school day in K14 of the Hale Puke building, Olson was sure that a couple of students had walked past her door wearing rugby uniforms. She remembers wondering to herself: “Why are there students out during class?” Rushing outside to remind them to head to class, she was met with an empty field and no students. “I walked around to the back of the building,” she explained, “and there’s nobody. That happened a couple of times…” Discussing her situation with Naleieha, he told her “Those are warriors that are just keeping the campus safe.” Olson added that because of what he said to her, she made sure to appreciate them, and said thank you. “After that,” she claims, “it didn’t happen anymore.” Alexander claims that every morning, whenever he opens the gate and drives past Sue D. Cooley Stadium, he sees shadows at the fence. “I would call them like a guardian of the campus… I don’t think most of the things that I’ve seen here are evil or wicked…” Breakfast is Served!… to Nobody? Alexander has encountered many ghosts or spirits. They come around when he arrives at school to set up around four-thirty to five, and around the time he leaves campus, which is sometimes as late as 11:30 or midnight. Though the majority of his encounters weren't horrifying, he claims, there are times where he gets chicken-skin. “There are two types of encounters you can experience on campus,” says Alexander. “I would call it a presence type where you can sense and feel their presence. Then there's another one that you can feel a form of fear or borderline terror like something's not right here.” Alexander has only experienced one spirit that gave him a “I shouldn’t be here” feeling. That was when he first started working here, and at the time, there was random equipment that hadn’t been transferred from the old cafeteria (currently ʻEpekema aka H-building) to the newer cafe (Hale Pā’ina). One morning, he went down to grab some of the equipment that they needed for the day. As he attempted to unlock the door, all of the hair on his body stood up. “It was not friendly at all… my skin started tingling.” That is the only feeling of terror he has gotten from ghosts in his decade of working here, he said. His chicken-skin experience may have ended there but, at the Hale P ā ’ina, the “wandering” ghosts of the cafe continue to appear before his eyes. “I have seen shadow figures walk across the dining room and I hear chairs moving from time to time… Usually I say good morning, aloha.” Alexander explains that he does not feel the same terror with the ghosts that just wander. They are “friends of his”: “I feel that they are all very old souls… It’s not scary. At least not for me.” Again, not all ghosts are scary, Alexander insists. He explained one encounter he had experienced with “Auntie Jane” Casco, the cook for the cafe, as proof. It was a normal morning and their usual routine. Turn the computers on to check if they were available to scan for ID’s, clicked through the them and to see if the search bar was working–in case they need to find a student’s name. After this, they turned away from the computers when they heard a beep. It was the sound that was only heard when an ID had been scanned. They hastily turned back towards the screen to see the search bar popped up on the screen. And in the search bar, the initials “DM” appeared. In this brief second, they looked at each other and said “David Malo.” Alexander laughs as he explains the encounter, “It’s like ‘Oh! David’s here’... Not to make joke or any disrespect, but it’s just a thing that we’ve accepted. There are, and I truly believe there are, past spirits on campus.” “Some would say you’re never really seeing what you’re seeing, and like that’s okay,” Alexander concluded. “You don’t have to agree with me.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Kristina Meguro is a sophomore and a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawaiʻi.

< Back Monique Blando Custodian For Monique “Mo” Blando, a custodian at Lahainaluna High School, her job is more than a way to earn a living—it's a way to connect with her roots. A proud graduate who was born and raised in Lahaina, Blando followed in the footsteps of her mother, who was also a Lahainaluna alumna, and her uncle, who previously held a custodial position. "I'm proud to be from here," she says. "I look forward to making him proud." Her passion for family is clear. The seventh of many siblings, Blando has embraced her role as a doting aunt. “I have all older brothers and sisters, and I don't have any kids, thank goodness, so I just take care of theirs,” she shares with a laugh. Her day begins with a clear routine: “take the doggy for a walk, make sure my mom's got her meds and eats a little bit,” and then it's off to work. Once on campus, her goal is to “make sure that everything’s around is clean, looks good and safe for you guys.” This sense of responsibility extends beyond her official duties, as she also tries to “make sure the students are in the right areas.” While she likes her job, she finds that “communication between the generations is probably the most difficult.” She's learning that kids on campus today are different from when she was in school. "We got to learn how to talk to you guys differently," she says thoughtfully, "because you guys don’t always respond the way we were taught to.” Blando's deep community ties are meaningful, but there are some drawbacks to being so connected. A self-described "big talker," she says she's always trying to "make sure I don't embarrass any of my nieces and nephews while I'm working.” Jersea Borneman is a staff writer for Ka Lama Hawai'i.

< Back How We Believe The World Sees Us Samantha Monnett Painting The Work In today's society with the growth of social media also comes higher beauty standards. For this sustained investigation, I wanted to show how I could use art to interpret how I think the world perceives me as a person through hallucinations that we all make up in our minds, how we tend to feel all these eyes on us from people judging our looks and every physical change that we make. With all of the artworks, I am investigating how we all tend to be self-critical and create illusions to match what we think others are thinking of their experience of us. During the beginning of the sustained investigation, I wanted to focus on the idea of reflecting our self-perceptions as seen in mirrors, highlighting how we are often our harshest critics. However, while experimenting with various paints and materials to depict these reflections, my investigation shifted towards portraying hallucinations of distorted images that reflect how we believe the world sees us. As I came towards the end of my sustained investigation, the hyper-realism didn't really matter within the projects but rather the message that was portrayed behind it that everyone experiences. About the Creator Samantha Monnett graduated from Lahainaluna in 2024. Previous Next Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Send Email

< Back Forward > Lunas’ Fighting Spirit Overcoming COVID Challenges Samantha Shibao Previous Next “I think it affected us big, because knowing that the younger people haven’t had big boys–and our big boys is like the foundation of our team,” said Michael Rayray sitting in the AD’s office. The AC was blasting, and the other captains waited silently for Rayray to finish. They seemed only a little anxious, searching for something to say about their time during COVID. “Without big boys, they don’t really know everything,” Rayray finished, “They don’t come up ready.” Picture of Lahainaluna’s Offensive line (David Kauvaka 50, Tua Olakauatu 63, Kawika Kaili 53, Simione Olakautua 51, Maaulina Montgomery 46) during quarter four of the Lahaina vs. Baldwin game. PC: Samantha Shibao. In 2020, these five players, like everyone else in the world, were isolated from their friends and stuck at home behind a computer screen all day. They sat in Zoom meetings for 6 hours at-a-time, silent, their only interactions with parents and siblings in other rooms. In this environment, our communication skills began to deteriorate, and anxiety levels soared. Big Boys According to Collins et al. in Medicine , COVID-19-related disruptions created “heightened states of anxiety, isolation, and depression.” College-level athletes after COVID disruptions, for instance, experienced reductions in the “motivation to train and level of satisfaction from training.” Examining high-school athletes found that COVID had given them “increased anxiety, more dejection, and more anger.” These negative feelings and frustrations, associated with a long period of isolation, might have been “magnified in high school student-athletes seeking collegiate-level athletic scholarships,” they add, as older students would have also become anxious about missing out on recruiting opportunities. While this last point is about older players, younger players and our current players, as Rayray noted, came into the sport unprepared, without mentors, guides, or examples to follow. Chemistry and Music “The goal is to improve every day—together and individually,” said Luna’s Team Captain Joe-boy Archangel before Saturday’s Homecoming game. He was referring to the team’s emotional growth over the past three years. “Having discipline was important to getting through [the effects of COVID], but obviously we can always work on it. I already know that, throughout the season, we’re already gonna pick it up, slowly but surely.” Chaser Boaz said simply that success is a matter of “chemistry and teamwork.” Rayray added, however, that success is something more personal: “Honestly, just music. Gotta lock in and be in that zone. Staying disciplined, that’s all you need.” Kawaika Kaili notes that preparation is key. “It’s like a steppingstone into our entire MIL season. We’re just learning, seeing our mistakes in the preseason so we can fix it overall and practice. Then, once we have our MIL season, we’ll be prepared for anything.” On the future and preparation, Rayray said that “lifting helps us with everything and puts us all together.” “I feel like the trainers too,” Archangel added. “Going in their room, making sure that we’re staying healthy, and if we have any injuries we need to take care of, they make sure we get that 200 percent." Training Separately and Together After a recent defeat by Kamehameha, Hoken Hironaka suggested, “Honestly, team chemistry wasn’t really our problem. I would say that we just have to practice harder and smarter.” Picture of Lahainaluna defense (Hoken Hironaka 17, Maaulina Montgomery 46, Kupono Tihada 10, Ezekial Opunui 27, Kahi Magno 5, Kua Balcalso 8) stop on the 50-yard line. PC: Samantha Shibao To train, the Lunas do drills and conditioning on the field, but they also watch videos that the team makes available to all the players. According to Boaz, they do much of this viewing on their own. “Everyone watches films on their own time, and nobody really relies on anyone else to give information.” Athletic Director John Conrad suggests that reviewing game footage is helpful, but something that only the best players do. Comparing it to academic preparation, Conrad notes, “Would you rather be an A student or B student?” Despite the time commitment, some of our players regularly do their (football) homework, which, as Conrad notes, helps our players anticipate the plays of the other team: “If you watch a play of another team before the upcoming game against them, and you can practice on how to go against it, then when you see that play get set up by the opponent’s team, you’ll be ready and know what to do.” Teamwork Teamwork is crucial for the Lunas’ success. According to sport science writer Luke Nielsen , reviewing videos, like anything else, is most effective with guidance. This guidance often comes from coaches and senior players who help younger teammates understand and analyze game footage. A study conducted by Desmond McEwan and Mark R. Beauchamp concluded that effective tams use “multiple teamwork behaviors.” Effective communication, mutual support, and shared goals are essential for the Lunas to perform well on the field. Looking Ahead As the season progresses, the Lunas are focused on continuous improvement. “We always reach a certain point towards the end of the season, but we kind of let the physical part do the talking,” Boaz stated about the team as a whole. When asked about how their preparation had set them up for homecoming, Jackson Hussey, Simione Olakauatu, Enoka Balinbin, and Jeremiah Baybayan all dismissed the question before Simione spoke for the group: “We aren’t going to say nothing like that. We’re Lahainaluna, we don’t talk, we just do.” Heading 6

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

< Back Endangered Kāhuli The Chain of Events Trinity Guiza Science & Technology April 17, 2024 at 12:09:42 AM Last year 2023 was officially dubbed as “The Year of the Kāhuli” in Hawaii. Kāhuli is the name of the Hawaiian land snail in ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, the Hawaiian language. Tiny creatures that have many different shapes, sizes and colors. When asked, a handful of Lahainaluna students offered the following associations with the word “snail”: “slow,” “slimy,” "gross,” “annoying,” “cute,” ect. Though they may be slimy and annoying, they are also responsible for maintaining the lush environment of these islands. That is, Hawai‘i’s ecological health rests on the tiny “shoulders” of snails, more specifically the land snails endemic to the Hawaiian islands. Kāhuli have always been prominent in Hawaiian culture. They feature in their own stories wherein they sing beautifully in the trees. Their shells were used in lei and jewelry that was of great importance to Hawaiian people of status. Queen Lili‘uokalani once owned lei pūpū kuahiwi ("Land Snail Shell Lei") made of the shell of many different land snails, including the Achatinella land snails. This lei is currently held at the Bishop Museum in Kalihi, O‘ahu. Achatinella along with the Partulina genus are kāhuli belonging to the Achatinellidae family. Many know them as O‘ahu tree snails or pūpū kani oe. They have many different names and come in many different sizes, patterns, and colors. Both generally have smooth and glossy shells, which are conical (like an ice cream cone) shaped, and both play critical roles in Maui's ecosystem. Kāhuli are nocturnal and known to live on land in the trees, bushes, and the forest floor of the mountains and valleys on our island. They live on one tree their whole life, not once leaving their trees unless they are blown away. All 40 or so species of the genus Achatinella are listed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered. Despite this fact, little can be done to regulate the tide of their main predators in the islands, namely, rats, Jackson's chameleons, and Rosy wolf snails. These predators were all introduced to the Hawaiian islands with the arrival of foreign trade and biocontrol against other invasive species. Kainoa Pestana, conservation manager at Pu‘u Kukui Watershed preserve (PKW) said that he tries to help people understand the ecological importance of the snail with the catchy slogan “No snail, no whale.” He explained the whole chain of events that will damage the Hawaiian ecosystem if these snails were to go extinct. First the kāhuli eat and clear the leaves while their feces acts as nutrient rich fertilizer for the plants. Without the obstruction on the leaves the plants can photosynthesize better and produce more plants effectively. If the snails do not do their job, the plants will soon die off. If that were to happen there would be no roots to hold the dirt together in the valleys and mountains. When it rains, dirt would runoff into the rivers and oceans. The debris from the run-off would prevent new limu growth, leading to the small fish having no food. Without the small fish, there is no food for the bigger fish. Long story short: “no snail, no whale.” Pu‘u Kukui Watershed preserve’s job is to protect and maintain a steady supply of fresh water “so that there is enough water in 500 years from now for us to drink and use” Kainoa stated. The threat to snails, again, is a threat to native Hawaiian plants. Kainoa mentioned an important Hawaiian proverb “Hāhai nō ka ua i ka ulu lā‘au,” which he translated “the rain follows the forest. No forest then no rain.” Without rain the island will become just like any other rock in the middle of the ocean. When people think of extinction they imagine it happening over a long period of time. But all of this could happen in a single lifetime, and after the loss of a single organism: the kāhuli. To stop this from happening the Pu‘u Kukui Watershed preserve on Maui protects the fragile native Hawaiian rainforests by protecting native fauna and flora, endangered or not. They are the largest preserve on the Hawaiian islands with more than 9,000 acres of regulated and protected land. The division of forestry and wildlife in the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) in the State of Hawaii has authorized $2,080,000 in funding for Pu‘u Kukui Watersheds 2024-2030 long range land management plan. This is part of the Natural Area Partnership Program (NAPP) which encourages the management of private lands that contain some of Hawai‘i’s most intact ecosystems and endangered species. The PKW has built a snail enclosure to protect the rare native tree snails from predators and habitat destruction. One of PKW’s management plans is on Pu‘u Keka‘alā‘au at an elevation of 2,358. This is one of many special ecological areas for the land snails. PKW continues to give these kāhuli a fighting chance by joining with SEPP (Snail Extinction Prevention Program) to save these endangered snails and record the emergence of new species. SEPP encourages the reproduction of hawai‘i's rare land snails by providing predator-free living conditions with optimal laboratory controlled enclosures. Kalena Lee-Agcaoili said, “Part of our work is to make sure that these kāhuli get to do what it does, to give them the space they need to live.” During the 2022 Lahaina wildfire that went above the L at Pu‘u Pa‘upa‘u, some snails went extinct . Most people believe nothing lives up there, that fires don’t reach the rainforests, but the kāhuli does.Because these snail species are on the endangered species list, every snail could cost upwards of 20,000 dollars for their loss. The way the PKW and SEPP calculate the worth of these snails is by going up there and walking through the forests to survey and collect data on how many there are and where they are. The fewer there are, the higher their worth. To help save the kāhuli, you people can make a small donation to the Pu‘u Kukui Watershed preserve. It’s also helpful to simply just recognize their presence and to talk about them with others. Like the kāhuli, impact has little to do with visibility. If creatures as small as these Kāhuli can make such a difference, then think of how big of a difference you can make. If we don’t acknowledge the importance of the kāhuli, the next generation may not grow up to see or hear them singing again among the trees. Previous Article Next Article Copy link Trinity Guiza is a staff writer at Ka Lama Hawai'i.

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

< Back Panliligaw Lyndsay Sultan Sculpture The Work My theme is about Filipino courtship, called panliligaw . Panliligaw is the process where a man tries to woo a woman into dating, eventually leading to marriage. There are many different customs and disciplines that are part of Filipino tradition. Usually, the man tries to show his commitment by giving gifts, writing letters, and even performing harana. The woman remains disciplined, showing no emotion until the man demonstrates an act of true love. In my theme, I often showcase harana because it is very common, where the man sings to the woman outside her balcony or window. I chose this theme to highlight more of my culture. During an art comic project I created in my sophomore year, I watched a documentary about harana. I learned how older generations still remember the songs they sang to their significant others. However, they mentioned how panliligaw has largely faded because our generation is more reliant on technology. I wanted to illustrate the contrast between the past and present in Filipino courtship. The Harana The Harana project is made out of cardboard, modeling clay, ribbon, colored paper, and acrylic paint pen. I was trying to interpret how harana is shown as (without the balcony). I wanted to interpret how harana is shown. Fun fact, there is an option to have either one or two friends to play an instrument while the man can sing to the girl who he is courting. The harana project is made out of cardboard, modeling clay, ribbon, colored paper, and acrylic paint pen. I was trying to interpret how harana is shown as (without the balcony). I wanted to interpret how harana is shown. Fun fact, there is an option to have either one or two friends to play an instrument while the man can sing to the girl who he is courting. The Bulaklak Shop The Bulaklak shop is made out of cardboard, acrylic paint, air-dry clay, ribbons, and marker. I wanted to make this project to create a small replica of the flower shops in the Philippines. I traveled to the Philippines this summer and saw multiple bouquet shops stuffed with flowers. I decided to look more into the costs and the translation to have it put onto the display. The Bulaklak shop represents a good place to get flowers for the person you are going to court. The Aroma The Aroma is a project I made out of modeling clay, cardboard, ribbon, colored paper, paint, and an acrylic paint pen. I wanted to show a girl receiving a bouquet, which is one of the acts of Filipino courtship. I learned that it is one of the ways, and I wanted to show it in a little showcase box. She is leaning closer to the bouquet to smell the aroma. Maniligaw For this project, I decided to go back to using traditional clay. I used the pinch technique on most of the parts and blended them together. I added more clay to sculpt more of the head. I wanted to show the top part of the man wearing traditional clothing. I also wanted to use traditional clay to emphasize the “traditional” aspect. I aimed to create a head sculpture with the top part featuring the man’s traditional clothing. Online Ligaw I decided to make a present project showcasing how dating is now in the present. I used air-dry clay, watercolor paper, ribbon, cardboard, and acrylic paint. Online ligaw means online dating. I wanted to showcase the connection between two phones connecting across the earth, especially with the two points of view where the girl is talking during the day and the guy is talking at night. I was also trying to interpret what long-distance relationships are like. About the Creator I am a Lahainaluna student who strives to think outside the box. As an artist, I experiment with new mediums such as ceramics, drawing, painting, and more. I enjoy exploring different techniques to create art pieces with meaning, often showcasing that meaning indirectly through my work. My goal is to become an animator and share my culture with the world. Previous Next Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Send Email

< Back The Fine Line Between Support and Pressure Parental Roles in Student Success Oliana Schur Student Life March 14, 2025 at 7:59:21 PM “They’re really involved in my academic life, and I probably wouldn’t be taking all these classes if it wasn’t for my mom,” said one sophomore student, who we’ll refer to as “Flax.” Like many students on campus, Flax admits that he owes some of his academic success to parental influence. However, this raises the question: can parental pressure sometimes have the opposite effect? The expectations of parents can give students more stress than the homework they receive from teachers. Yet, according to a 2010 study by David R. Topor, children are more likely to succeed if they have an important role model like a parent in their life. However, the study also mentions that once students establish a good relationship with their teachers, they become less dependent on parental involvement for their academic success. Because they feared repercussions from speaking out about their parents, some students in the article, like Flax above, will be given different names. “…makes me try harder” The connection between academic success and parental involvement varies from person to person. Some students feel like their parents offer them the right amount of support, while others think of their parents as controlling stressors. Junior Victoria Valdez lives in a larger family, where everyone needs to pitch in. She sees her parents as a helpful influence. “They are active with my schoolwork,” she said. “It helps out sometimes because I have younger siblings. They [her parents] help out whenever they can.” Sophomore Dahlia was unclear, saying only that her parents “heavily impact my mental well-being as well as the way I act and behave.” She appeared positive about their involvement, adding that “They reinforce my academic life.” Students like freshman Hoku could go either way on the issue. “I don’t think it would affect me too much,” they said. “At most, I would fall a little behind on English.” Sophomore Sunny Galarita, for instance, thinks parental expectations and involvement need to be balanced. She says that her mother’s influence “makes me try harder,” but if her mother was more involved, “I’d be stressed out,” she admitted. College career counselor Virginia “Ginny” Yasutake helps college-bound students succeed in high school. She spoke as a parent who has two children enrolled at Lahainaluna. “In my experience,” she said, “many students do not share their achievements or academic life with their parents. I think it is always nice when you hear about your child’s accomplishments.” Yasutake thinks that parents can improve their support by communicating better with their children: “I believe families should try to communicate better with their students as well. I am definitely guilty of not telling my children on a regular basis how proud I am of them. I think students need to hear from us too!” “…I lie to them about certain things…” While some students think parental guidance can be helpful in doses, others are less upbeat, pitting their mental health against academic striving. Senior Petunia thinks that parental involvement is “helpful in some ways,” but it comes at a price: “it also makes me feel very pressured and tends to just cause more stress.” Sophomore Lily said that if she “were to be truthful about my academic life,” getting her parents more involved “would have a negative effect on my mental health.” She described feeling strained and burdened: it would “put strain on me to push myself to my limits and die,” she said. Lily added that she fears their disapproval and their “being disappointed in me, so I lie to them about certain things in my academic career.” “As long as I don’t fail, they usually leave me alone,” said Jade, a junior. “I think it’s because they learned that I shut down when there’s extra pressure put on me. I feel like if they were any more involved than they are, I would feel a larger sense of responsibility in my work but also begin to burn out under the pressure.” Agriculture teacher Nathan Pallett emphasizes the student’s role in all of this. He explains that overbearing parents can be both helpful and harmful: “It depends on the student, though. So like if the student isn’t trying to meet their maximum potential, sometimes having a parent that’s a bit overbearing can push them to do better.” Who Is Responsible? Pallett continues, pointing to the fact that, despite student opinions, it often falls on the teacher to get parents more involved. “We could probably do a better job communicating with the parents […] but that just takes so much time. We could probably have more positive parent involvement if we put in more time to engage with them. But that’s just time, and time is hard to come by.” It all comes down to the attitude and motivation of students themselves, said Galarita. “Parents definitely help, but the student makes the choice to do homework or classwork. There are some parents that don’t really care about how their kids do in school, but that’s why it’s important for kids to be more invested in school. There’s definitely a lot of work, and it’s pretty hard sometimes, but how you approach it definitely helps you get through it easier.” Previous Article Next Article Copy link Oliana Schur is a sophomore at LHS. She enjoys surfing and environmentalism.