COUGAR CONNECTION

Kamehameha Schools and Foodland propose to build new shopping center

May 2013 Volume 42 • Issue #6

Henry J. Kaiser HigH scHool • Honolulu, Hawaii

On Jul. 10, 2011, Foodland Hawaii Kai closed its doors in Koko Marina Shopping Cen-ter after its lease expired. In an effort to return to the commu-nity, Foodland, with the help of Kamehameha Schools, pro-posed to develop a new shop-ping center on the 4.5-acre parcel of land adjacent to the Hawaii Kai Dog Park.

In response, Rep. Gene Ward organized a meeting to obtain a temperature check from members of the com-munity about the proposal at hand. On Mar. 21, over 200 residents filled Kamiloiki El-ementary School’s cafeteria to voice opposition to the pro-posal.

The vision of the project would realize a communal place that could include cul-tural activities, restaurants,

By Kendrick ChangStaff Writer

Illustration by Kevin PhamPhoto by Kendrick Chang

Map Image courtesy of GoogleKamehameha Schools and Foodland are lobbying to rezone the “Great Lawn” next to the Hawaii Kai Dog Park to construct Hawaii Kai’s fifth shopping center.

and a waterfront recreational path, but the planners intend-ed to meet with community members before making any final decisions.

“We believe that an open process that involves commu-nity input is important and necessary,” said Foodland vice president Roger Wall.

Many residents cited over-development, increase of traf-fic, and loss of scenic views as reasons against the proposal.

Moreover, the 4.5-acre parcel is currently zoned as preservation land and must be rezoned as commercial land before any construction can begin.

“This land that is being discussed is zoned preserva-tion and should remain preser-vation in perpetuity,” said Ha-waii Kai Neighborhood Board member Paige Altonn. “We do not need another shopping center, village, or gathering

place in Hawaii Kai.” The Hawaii Kai Neigh-

borhood Board passed a reso-lution last July in a 12-0 vote, urging the city to consider keeping the land for preserva-tion.

In April, Rep. Ward, Sen. Sam Slom, and Sen. Laura Thielen signed a letter to May-or Caldwell and the Honolulu City Council, asking them to honor Hawaii Kai Neighbor-hood Board’s resolution to counter the current lobbying movement to rezone the land for commercial development.

“Hawaii Kai was a planned community by Henry J. Kaiser forty years ago and this community has become unplanned by continuous development and random growth,” said Ward.

Another community group that voiced opposition to the proposal, was Hui ‘lilo Hawaii, which is responsible

for the maintenance of the dog park adjacent to the 4.5 acre parcel. If the mall is built, the dog park’s area will have to be either reduced or moved in or-der to accommodate construc-tion.

Students at Kaiser have mixed opinions on the current proposal.

“I want Foodland back in Hawaii Kai, but they should not build a new shopping center at that site,” said junior Caitlin Murphy.

Other students feel the economic benefits will out-weigh all the other negatives in having a new shopping cen-ter.

“Safeway jacks up their prices and bringing Foodland back will bring competition and ultimately lower prices,” said sophomore Kyla Fox.

According to east Oahu’s lawmakers, there are several steps that must be completed

before construction can begin on the so-called “Great Lawn.”

First, the east Honolulu sustainability community plan needs to be changed by re-moving the Great Lawn from the category of open space and changing the number of shop-ping centers from three to four.

Also, the City Department of Planning and Permitting, which oversees all commer-cial building and planning ac-tivities, must award a building permit to Foodland and Ka-mehameha Schools if they are to proceed with their construc-tion proposal.

So far, there have been no steps taken by Kamehameha Schools and Foodland to move forward in constructing the “Great Lawn.”

A poll done post-meeting by KITV News showed 66% of respondents to be against the mall development out of 1,312 people who voted online.

INSIDE NewsPrincipal Sosa wins the

Principal of the Year Award

Editorials Features Sports

Pg. 2 Photo by Jung Won Choi

PDA is a natural right for students to express intimacy

Pg. 5Illustration by Lydia Kim

I Duo Fratellini serves great Italian Food in Firenze, Italy

Pg. 11 Photo courtesy of Italian Guide Book

Boy’s Vollyball clinches seed in HHSAA States Tournament

Pg. 14 Photo courtesy of Sean Nakamura

• Seven Kaiser students accept UH Chancel-lor’s/Regent’s Scholar-ship (Pg. 3)

• K-pop conveys wrong Korean stereotypes (Pg. 6)

• Honoring Anna and Reid (Pg. 8-9)

May 2013 Page 2News

Cougar ConnectionThe Cougar Connection is the official school newspaper of Henry J. Kaiser High

School, 511 Lunalilo Home Road, Honolulu, HI 96825.The Publications Office is located in room A202. Phone: 394-1200 Ext. 2261.

The Cougar Connection is published eight times during the regular school year. It has an open forum policy and will publish letters to the editor.

Co-Editors in Chief: Jung Won Choi and Dan JuAssociate Editor: Haley Kandler

News Editor: Dylan RamosEditorials Editor: Kingsley Koon

Features Editor: Tianzhen NieSports Editor: Cleston Teixeira

Copy Editor: Riley WellsChief Illustrator: Anela LingPhotographer: Sarah Belbas

Advertising Manager: Lydia KimTechnology Coordinator: Sam Chalekian

Illustrators: Soul Ahn, Alexa Climaldi, Natalie Koon, Kayla Soma Tsutsuse, Haley SuzukiStaff Writers: Aena Bennett, Chloe Chalekian, Kendrick Chang, Tina Craveiro, Spencer Ellis,

Ji Min Joo, Jenise Lam, Cyrus Ma, Sierra Ondo, Kevin Pham, and Austin TasatoAdvisor: Pam Ellis

Member of Hawaii Schools Publications Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education Association, and Quill and Scroll.

John P. Sosa wins 2014 Principal of the Year Award

By Riley WellsStaff Writer

By Haley KandlerAssociate Editor

Every year, the MetLife National Principal of the Year Program (NASSP) recogniz-es one principal at a middle school or high school level from each state. For the 2014 Principal of the Year award, Kaiser Principal John P. Sosa was selected as the Hawaii state winner.

Sosa was nominated as a candidate for the award by Complex Area Superinten-dent, Calvin Nomiyama. In order to receive a nomina-tion, criteria must be met: the candidate must have served as a principal for three or more years, be a member of the NASSP, and complete the National Principal of the Year application. This application includes the applicant and school profile, school demo-graphics, professional prepa-ration, at least four letters

On April 23, Kaiser’s campus was brought to life by a plethora of games, rides, and food vendors for the school’s annual Spring Fest. The theme for this year’s event was “the Global Vil-lage.” The name of the PT-SA-coordinated event was chosen to resonate a sense of community togetherness, as this was the ultimate driving force for the festival’s frui-tion.

“The real purpose of Spring Fest is to bring the Hawaii Kai community onto our campus so they can see what we have to offer,” said vice principal Cody Kiku-ta. The event relied heavily on student and community member involvement to bring Cou-gar Country t o g e t h e r. E a c h c l u b w a s giv-e n t h e o p -p o r t u -nity to host its own activi-ties and was capable of mak-ing revenue. This ensured that a majority of students involved in extra-curricular activities at Kaiser would become a part of the Global Village.

“Many clubs volunteered not only to help out with PTSA fundraising, but also to fundraise and advertise for their own purposes,” said Inter-Club Council president Sally Park. “We all partici-pated in various ways.” Par-ticipation varied from face painting by the Visual Arts Club to performances in the cafeteria by the Drama Club,

of recommendations, and an essay in which the applicant discusses his own leadership skills, personalized learning environment, and the out-comes of his school’s progress.

“Our move to greatness is a continual journey” was one of the ideas presented in Sosa’s application essay. In the essay, Sosa describes the growth Kaiser has gone through since he assumed his position in 2008. This in-cludes enrollment, which has increased by 22 percent from once below 1000 students, more students taking AP classes (81 students in 2009-10 growing to an anticipated 263 students in 2013), and an in-crease of staff in the Fine Arts Department (in 2007 through 2008 there was one music and one art teacher; there are cur-rently two music teachers and six fine arts teachers). There is also the implementation of the IB Middle Years Programme,

Spring Fest drove club participation

Photo by Haley KandlerPrincipal John P. Sosa signa documents at his office.

the IB Diploma Programme, and the AVID program.

When asked about his personal feelings on receiv-ing the award, Sosa took the time to recognize the suc-cesses of the school and com-munity as a whole. “If there is any recognition that comes back, it’s not about me,” said Sosa. “It highlights the great students and staff members that we have. My role is re-ally to work with the parents, the teachers, the students, and the community in such a way to prepare for the fu-ture.”

Sosa will be honored at a recognition luncheon on Sun-day, May 5, 2013 at the Hale Koa Hotel where he will re-ceive a banner of recognition for the school. Sosa was also awarded with a trip to Wash-ington DC in the coming fall to be recognized with the principal winners from the other 49 states .

and it was this diversity that helped to present the event as a coming together. “I think that the significance of the Global Village to the stu-dents was that it went well with the idea of our school trying to be open and con-nected to others,” said Park, and this connection proved itself to be strong through a successful turnout at the fundraiser.

“Through student par-ticipation in coordinating Spring Fest, I could see that leadership students were able to realize that although each student is only one in-dividual, when they pull to-gether, whether it be in run-ning a booth, helping out

with manpower, or buying things to raise money, the success of the

bigger picture falls into

place,” s a i d j u -n i o r class

a d -v i s o r T a n y a Misi. “I

w o u l d say the

event, as a whole, was

successful not only monetarily, but

also in the fact that students were able to give back to their school and to make con-nections with others in their community.”

Although Spring Fest involved hundreds of stu-dent and community mem-ber participants, and lasted throughout the day, students are already looking forward to next year. “I feel that the student volunteers had defi-nitely made this event mem-orable,” said Park. “And I’m sure next year can only be better.”

Photo by Sarah BelbasSenior class leadership students sell shave ice at Spring Fest.

May 2013 Page 3News

By Dan JuCo-Editor in Chief

Over a hundred men, women, and children dove down into icy waters to sup-port Special Olympics Hawaii and its participating athletes. The April 6 fundraising event held on the lawn of the Water-front Plaza featured Oahu’s largest inflatable water slide, the Polar Plunge. As a result of the activity, over $39,000 was raised on the day by Spe-cial Olympics Hawaii.

Starting at 11 am, partici-pants began the plunge down the water slide. The Polar Plunge measures 30 feet high and 80 feet long, ending in a pool of ice water of about 34 degrees Fahrenheit. Every few minutes, individuals or pairs began the plunge down the slide after climbing to the top.

The Vice President of

Sports & Sports Marketing for Special Olympics Hawaii Dan Epstein was one of those indi-viduals. “It’s actually a blast,” said Epstein. “You go super-fast [and there’s] a nice little surprise at the end, but you can’t avoid it.” Kaiser High School Vice Principal Cody Kikuta slid down the Polar Plunge too. “It’s cold. That water is shocking,” said Kiku-ta, “[But] it’s for a good cause so I appreciate everyone com-ing and supporting.”

Those who registered could do so individually or in teams. The minimum dona-tion to slide once down the Polar Plunge was $100 for adults and $50 for students. People who donated over the minimum received Special Olympics Hawaii brand priz-es such as a mug for a $200 donation, a towel for $500, and a bath robe for $1000. About 10 of the donors com-

Polar Plunge raises thousands of dollars for Special Olympics Hawaii

The University of Hawaii awards Kaiser seniors with scholarships of academic excellence

By Haley SuzukiStaff Writer

Every year, the Univer-sity of Hawaii awards ex-ceptional local high school seniors with the Regent’s or Chancellor’s scholarship of academic excellence. A maxi-mum of 20 Regent’s schol-arships are awarded by the University of Hawaii System per year, and 80 Chancellor’s scholarships are awarded through UH Manoa.

In order to qualify for Re-gent’s, a student must main-tain a cumulative GPA of 3.5, score at least 1950 on the SAT or 29 on the ACT, get teacher recommendations, and excel in various extra curricular activities. The Chancellor’s also has the same require-ments, but unlike the Re-gent’s, a student must score at least 1600 on the SAT or 25 on the ACT.

This year, two Kaiser stu-dents were initially granted

posed an elite group of plung-ers who raised over $1000. “The super plungers actually do 12 plunges in the day over 12 hours. Most of our super plungers have done it almost every year,” said Epstein.

In the past four years, the greatest amount of money raised by the Polar Plunge was $40,000. This year’s goal was to raise $50,000.

The money fundraised supports the Special Olym-pics program in Hawaii. “There is zero cost to any Special Olympics athlete who participates in the program so the money goes directly to providing for training and competition opportunities for our athletes,” said Epstein. Specifically, it helps cover major state games, housing, transportation, food, and oth-er costs required to run the competition.

The Special Olympics,

Photo by Haley SuzukiUH Regent’s scholarship recipients: Mayumi Fernandez (left), Mia Porter (center), Kira Fox (right).

founded by intellectual dis-abilities advocate Eunice Kennedy Shriver, aims to provide athletic competition and training in Olympic-type sports for people with intel-lectual disabilities. Special Olympics Hawaii athletes have the opportunity to com-pete in powerlifting, softball, swimming, and other activi-ties.

In addition to offering people with intellectual chal-lenges a chance to compete, the Special Olympics gives the opportunity for others to volunteer. “I have a niece that is special and she loves to do activities and stuff like that,” said Polar Plunge volunteer Allan McNeal, “So I believe that by representing this [Spe-cial Olympics Hawaii], I am also representing her.”

Kaiser has also begun to help in the mission of the Spe-cial Olympics. Project Unify

is a program nationwide that encourages general education students to involve them-selves with special education students.

Kaiser High School’s Proj-ect Unify started this year and aims to organize mixed sports between students in special education and general educa-tion. Shelby Maher, president of Kaiser’s Project Unify, in-vited Kikuta to participate in the Polar Plunge and the two raised about $2000 from Kai-ser staff and friends and fam-ily.

With the donations raised by the plungers, Special Olympics Hawaii can con-tinue to run its program to benefit intellectually disabled athletes. These competitors will have the chance to face off in the upcoming Summer Games at the University of Hawaii and Central Oahu Re-gional Park in May 24.

the Regent’s scholarship: Kira Fox and Dan Ju. “It was a really hard decision [whether to accept or de-cline the scholarship]. I had some really good options on the mainland,” said Fox. “A part of me wanted to go [to a mainland college], but how can you pass up an offer like this?” The Regent’s scholar-ship covers four years of col-lege tuition, in addition to an allowance of $2,000 per semester and a one time trav-

Photo by Haley SuzukiUH Chancellor’s scholarship recipients: Wesley Babcock (top-left), Anela Ling (top-right),Sally Park (bottom-left), and Chelsea Sasaki (bottom-right).

el grant of up to $2,000. Ju, however, chose to decline the offer, giving the scholarship to Mia Porter. “It felt almost surreal as I already thought that I didn’t get the scholar-ship because I was wait list-ed. And as I was told that a spot opened up and I got it, I was jumping up and down smiling uncontrollably while trying to speak to the guy calmly,” said Porter. Mayumi Fernandez, another student initially wait listed, was also

later informed of being a re-cipient for the scholarship.

Ten Kaiser seniors re-ceived the Chancellor’s scholarship of $5,000 towards tuition for every semester. Only four students accepted the offer (Anela Ling, Chelsea Sasaki, Sally Park, and Wes-ley Babcock.) “That’s a very respectable number...more than some private schools according to a UH Manoa representative,” said college counselor Suzanne Nii.

May 2013 Page 4News

Illustration by Kevin Pham

In the stairs, on the walkways, and even in the classrooms, we find caked on mud, streaks of dirt, litter, and gum that’s been at Kaiser longer than the students.

In truth, the custodial staff does a good job trying to maintain the build-ing--just imagine how exponentially dirtier the campus would be without them.

But the rest of the large job relies on the selfless service of student and community volunteers.

On Apr. 27, the Rotary Club of Hawaii Kai lived up to its motto, “Service Above Self,” revealing the actual white floors and wooden desks as they once looked.

Rotarians are part of a legacy of humanitarian efforts that date back to the Rotary’s founding in 1905. Foster-ing education is a main focus of many clubs across the world.

As Hawaii Kai’s only high school, Kaiser is the alma mater of several Rotarians and a central part of the Rotary’s agenda.

“[We try to do] anything that can inspire people, and I think that work-ing in an unclean environment is not inspiring,” said Rotarian Jerry Bren-nan. “I’m not really a clean freak, but I think that aesthetics are a part of everything, and if we all do a little,

Hawaii becomes ACT stateStudents get a better sense on how to prepare for college entrance exams

we can do a lot.” Brennan is Rotary’s liaison to the Kaiser Interact Club and assistant to the Computer Club.

Student volunteers from Kaiser’s Interact Club worked with the Ro-tary Club and teachers, flipping over desks for gum scraping and floor scrubbing. The window jalousies and desks were wiped down, the outlets dusted, and the gum was scraped off the floors.

“[The room] was terrible,” said volunteer Tristan Nguyen. “With fourteen people, it took nearly three hours to do one classroom.” There was quite a rainbow beneath each desk, along with the occasional candy wrapper. Over an hour was spent just scraping the gum, sometimes old and easily removed, other times fresh, sticky, and difficult.

“We’d love to do it again. Maybe next week we can do this for Mrs. Pu`u-Grubbs.”

For some of the adults, giving back to Kaiser was a personal affair. Among the volunteers was Kaiser teacher Tina Lau.

“I had no idea that the room could even be this clean. When I came to this class in the fall, it was even dirtier,“ said Lau. “It’s setting a precedence for what the room should look like. It should not look like how it did when we began, and now [the students] will see that they have to maintain it this way.”

This year, Hawaii be-came an ACT state by mak-ing it mandatory for every public school to administer the EXPLORE, PLAN, ACT Program.

Every eighth through eleventh grader is required to take part in a respective test relative to their grade level.

“This test [is] to get stu-dents to start thinking and really planning from eighth grade their academic fu-ture,” said college counsel-or Suzanne Nii. “By taking

a test each year, students can see more purpose in wisely choosing their classes.”

The EXPLORE test for eighth and ninth graders was two hours long, with 30 minutes for each of the four sections: english, math, reading, and writing.

The results from the EX-PLORE test show students their strengths and weak-nesses in certain areas and help them plan their high school coursework accord-ingly.

“I thought it was a good chance to see how I’m do-ing and what I need to work on,” said freshman Jaelin So-

Rotary and Interact clubs beautify classrooms

By Kevin PhamStaff Writer

By Dylan RamosNews Editor

noda. “The test helped me get a feel for how important tests are and how to manage time in standardized tests.“

The PLAN, for sopho-mores, is more difficult than the EXPLORE, but easier than the ACT.

“This is something new that I never experienced be-fore, and [I think] it has pre-pared and introduced me to the actual ACT next year,” said sophomore Alisa Tseng.

The PLAN helps stu-dents to re-analyze their as-sets and make sure that they are on track for college prep-aration with their remaining high school courses.

The ACT, like the SAT, is a standardized test used for college admission.

Although it was recom-mended that students take both tests to compare their results, it was only this year that taking the former be-came a requirement for ev-ery junior.

“I think its a good idea to have the ACT be a require-ment [because] the results really can show if you are prepared or not for college,” said junior Yaxin Tao.

The breakdown of the scores gives students an idea of what they need to im-prove on in order to achieve

their desired scores and ultimately their goals for high school or beyond. It can also help individual schools see what classes and areas they may need improvement in based on their students’ score indi-cation.

“For college planning purposes, every senior [should] have a score. You can be a very high achiev-ing student with very good grades but without a score, colleges won’t even take a look at you,” said Nii. “The scores are what qualifies you for a big chunk of mer-it scholarships in college.”

Photos by Dylan RamosTop: Sophomore Tristan Nguyen is scraping off gum from beneath the desk.Bottom: Interact Club members are cleaning the classroom floor.

May 2013 Page 5Editorials

He comes to campus from the front entrance, perhaps from the back on Pakala Street, locked and loaded. He is determined for whatever reason to take out as many as he can. The first shot is fired. Students run to find cover. Kaiser goes into lock down.

In light of the tragedy at Newtown’s Sandy Hook El-ementary School, the debate over school safety has intensi-fied. In particular, the issue of how to protect students from dangerous gunmen is at the forefront. We, Kaiser students, probably cannot even begin to imagine something as horrific as a school shooting, but still, who knows? The unexpected is unexpected. If the adminis-tration of our school has not already done so, it should re-view the safety measures cur-rently in place to see if they are adequate to deal with the event of a gunman on campus.

What would happen if an armed trespasser comes onto campus? First, an alert would be sent across the staff via phone and word of mouth, and the police would be called. The P.A. system would alert students on campus to head for a classroom immediately. Once students and teachers are inside, the door is bolted.

Second, after students and adults enter a classroom, the doors are locked and the windows closed except for the top row. At that point, Kaiser would be in full lockdown. Attendance would then be taken, and basically, every-one would have to wait until the “all clear” signal of the bell and P.A. announcement is given. According to the lock down procedures, “Everyone should get low and take cover under desks or tables away from windows and doors,” as another precaution.

The most apparent prob-

lem for Kaiser and Hawaii public schools in a situation involving a gunman is the open campus structure. An individual can easily roam throughout the campus. He can also hide with ease consid-ering there are multiple build-ings.

Additionally, there are so many potential entry points into Kaiser such as the back entrance near the farm, which is not carefully monitored. Of course this issue cannot be fixed without literally rebuild-ing the school, but it definitely adds to the potential danger.

What can be fixed are the windows. Kaiser has vi-nyl jalousie windows, which the DOE implemented, and

clearly they are far from bul-let proof. While most of these windows are placed in high locations and some of them including the ones in A-build-ing have metal screens over them, the H-building second and third floor windows are an exception. One could eas-ily shoot or even kick through those windows, and they are wide enough for someone to climb through with ease. Per-haps metal screens should also be installed on these win-dows, especially due to their ease of access if broken.

Back to the lockdown pro-cedures themselves, the only potential impracticality is that students are required to hide under the desk. There is

good reason to do so in order to minimize the possibility of someone getting hit if a bul-let enters the room. However, how does the procedure stand up to the unexpected situa-tion that a gunman enters the classroom?

Admittedly, the doors at Kaiser are very secure be-cause they are solid wood, so it would be difficult for an assailant to enter, but there is the possibility of an intruder entering. Do students still hide under their desks in this case? The procedures fail to pragmatically deal with such a situation and should be ex-panded upon to take this situ-ation into consideration.

This editorial is not here to

invoke fear nor panic. The top-ic of school safety is a sensi-tive topic, but it must be thor-oughly discussed. It is almost impossible to prepare for the unexpected, and as such, the administration should contin-ue to protect its students to the fullest extent.

While we hope that dan-ger will not come to our home, we cannot live in a delusion-al bubble. As one parent of a victim of Sandy Hook put bluntly, “It is going to hap-pen again. It is going to hap-pen again, and every time, it is somebody else’s school, it is somebody else’s town, it is somebody else’s community until one day, you wake up. And it’s not.”

We all have seen it be-fore. Some of us may even have tried it. While you may smile at the sight of two cud-dling lovers, some find it disconcerting. Public display of affection (PDA) is defined as “the physical demonstra-tion of affection for another person while in the view of others.” It is classified as a Class B offense in Chapter 19, which can result in referral

Dan JuCo-Editor in Chief

By Kingsley Koon and Sierra OndoEditorials Editor and Staff Writer

and suspension.However, this definition

is vague and ambiguous, as according to it, PDA can range from touching hands to making out in the corridor. It is necessary, then, to reexam-ine the purpose and rationale behind PDA.

“When I see kids around school making out or touch-ing inappropriately, it is kind of disgusting in a way,” said junior Jasmine Dorman. “It makes you feel uncomfort-able, especially if they’re close by.” This is perhaps the most

popular argument against PDA: it is so disconcerting and disturbing to others that students should refrain from any offensive intimacy (an oxymoron?) in public.

What is considered of-fensive though? Some people are offended by the mere presence of another person. Should he or she “refrain from” going to school, then?

Each person has a differ-ent standard for “appropri-ate behavior;” therefore it is futile to argue that since PDA disgusted someone (perhaps

just out of sheer jealousy), it needs to be banned. You sim-ply cannot please everyone.

Another point for out-lawing PDA is best said by history teacher Adam Yeatts. “I find it hard to believe that students who participate in these sorts of childish be-havior would be considered mature. School is a place to learn and make friends, not a match.com.”

Although obscene touch-ing and making out is unnec-essary and childish, it is by no means offensive to a level

that the school system must prohibit it. As Voltaire elo-quently put, “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” Every-one is free to express their loathing of public displays of affection, but no one can de-prive couples of their desire to express affection.

Not only is the definition of PDA defunct, but it is also an infringement of freedom. While it may not be the polite thing to do, we certainly have the right to do it.

PDA undermines rights to express intimacy

Dangers lurking under the surfaceKaiser’s security against school shooting needs review

May 2013 Page 6EditorialsRising popularity of K-pop and

K-dramas leads to Korean stereotypesAs a sensitive teenage girl, it is

frustrating to be branded as the ste-reotypical ill-tempered and materi-alistic Korean: a misrepresentation stemming from the recent popularity of Korean pop music and dramas.

Despite being the fifteenth larg-est economy in the world, few peo-ple pay much attention to the small country of South Korea. It is not sur-

By Ji Min JooStaff Writer

prising that the few things people seem to know about South Korea are limited to PSY’s Gangnam Style, the feminine male K-pop singers, and the many Korean soap dramas. Perhaps, it’s people’s small interest in South Korea as a country that causes these outsiders to assume such a percep-tion.

No matter what the popular show, “Boys over Flowers” may sug-gest, being a Korean does not mean betraying one’s best friends for a

guy or living with a rude mother-in-law. Along these lines, the ideal Ko-rean male is not born with a pretty face and always clad in the tight red skinny jeans as seen in most music videos. Moreover, music video plot lines that have gangsters kidnapping a girl and using her as bait to get to her pretty-looking boyfriend do not make sense even to Koreans.

Although it may seem like com-mon sense, I am often surprised to find that those around me think that

the portrayals produced for pop cul-ture is synonymous with a typical Korean.

Pop culture has undoubtedly caused South Korea to receive much more attention than ever before. The world’s opinion of Korea’s inhabit-ants, as a result, has shifted its focus to girly boy bands and money-hun-gry entrepreneurs. However, with the shift in focus, one must keep in mind that ideas portrayed through pop culture do not define all Koreans.

The well-rounded or the well-angled student? Which ones do colleges prefer?“Be exceptional among the masses and especially proficient in one field.”

Illustration by Lydia Kim

We’re all told from a young age to be well-rounded. Exclusive scholarships and awards are grant-ed to those who excel in the follow-ing areas: academics, athletics, arts, leadership, and service. Excelling in a multitude of areas equates to a heightened chance of receiving re-wards. The more the merrier. Even the structure of school promotes well-roundedness, as specific cred-its in core subjects and elective sub-jects are mandatory.

As a public school under the DOE, Kaiser helps to maintain the status quo of glorifying well-round-edness. In terms of athletics, Kaiser students can choose from a selec-tion of 20 different sports. In terms of the arts, Kaiser students can be-come involved in dance, band, or-chestra, video production, theatre, drawing and painting, and year-book amongst other choices.

Along with the mandatory credits, Kaiser is also an IB certified school and offers a total of 10 AP courses. This allows for students to exceed requirements, if desired. To qualify for the IBDP Diploma, one must fulfill the mandatory CAS

By Jenise LamStaff Writer

(creativity, action, service) hours. The IBDP program maps out a spe-cific plan to be well-rounded with students expected to complete at least three hours of CAS activity per week. However, desire to meet the expectation of being well-rounded should not blind a student from the sense of self.

Typically, it is an accepted opin-ion that being well-rounded will boost an individual’s chance of get-ting accepted into college. However, upon deeper analysis, one must ques-tion the extent to which it will really benefit a student’s future.

As well-roundedness continues to be emphasized, eventually it will be the norm. When the vast majority has the versatility of being “good” at everything, what would make you stand out in the eyes of a college admissions officer? When numer-ous applicants have a 4.0 GPA, play a sport, and are in the band, what pushes one over the edge in the fight for a post high school education? The only way to really stand out is to be uniquely talented in one area. Exper-tise overrides variety.

In 2013, of the 31,056 individu-als who applied to Vanderbilt, 3,717 were accepted; of the 67,691 who applied to Berkeley, 14,101 were ac-

cepted; of the 35,023 who applied to Harvard, 2,029 were accepted; of the 12,599 who applied to Lehigh, 3,840 were accepted; only a small percent-age of college applicants are accepted into their college of choice, so compe-tition is fierce. If college admissions are the cause of worry, consider that minimal well-roundedness accompa-nied by expertise could potentially leave a more outstanding impression on the college admissions office than would average well-roundedness be-cause expertise is a quality of distinc-tion.

More importantly, you should not give up your dreams to fit the mold society has created. Not ev-eryone can be the ideal Renaissance man (athlete, scholar, and poet). It is crucial to find what you like, then to pursue this interest. For exam-ple, personally, one of the reasons I did not join the IBDP program was because although the program de-mands well-roundedness, there is a limited selection of electives. From past experience, I know that I enjoy video production, but the DP pro-gram at Kaiser cut the media class from its offerings. I opted out, and yes, I gave up the well-roundedness of the DP program to continue what I like doing. The pressure to do ev-

erything should not override one’s happiness.

Looking beyond the college years, a honed natural talent will ease the burden of the job hunt. It is good to be involved in various activities, but it is even better to find, pursue, and nurture a natural talent. Be exceptional among the masses, but especially proficient in one field.

To a certain extent, being well-rounded may prove to be an advan-tage. For some students, it may open doors to new passions and opportu-nities. Once an inkling of passion is found, though, a pursuit of these passions may result in the develop-ment of a natural talent. The preoc-cupation with being well-rounded could hinder one’s ability to greatly advance in a natural talent.

Passion is priority. It can lead to joy and fulfillment in future ca-reer opportunities. Everybody has a natural talent. It may differ from person to person, but everyone does have a calling. As an individual, it is our job to find and nurture this talent. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, “The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in us-ing it.”

May 2013 Page 7 Features

If there’s one thing to be said about Kaiser’s newest play, it’s that it is as satisfying as past Kaiser mu-sicals. An unexpected original, Com-fortable Cages is a futuristic, modern hip-hop tale about a woman named Delilah and her fight for freedom in a totalitarian world filled with an-droids, Big Brother-esque govern-ments, and oddly, a king. The writing is surprisingly deep and even hu-morous at times, and the production, while not flawless, definitely shows a good amount of effort from the cast. Overall, Comfortable Cages is an in-triguing, audacious new musical, but it suffers from a lack of refinement.

One of the unique aspects of the play is its heavy reliance on rapping. As many amateur rappers know, rap-ping is no easy feat. Between pacing, pronunciation, and playing the part

with “swag,” executing the rap was the hardest part for the cast members. Fortunately, the cast had its lyrics down the majority of the time, barely stuttering and letting the words out with confidence. There are melodic songs too which contrast with the rhythm heavy rapping. Even if the ac-tors didn’t manage to hit all the right notes, the moments in which they did were breathtaking.

On the other hand, the music hurt the clarity of the plot. Many essential details and information were rapped in the first act of the play. Because the rapping was too difficult to under-stand, the audience was left confused as to what was going on. Additionally, the different scenes of the play came one after another with no clear indica-tion as to what was happening, creat-ing a disorienting effect. However, Act II was fairly straightforward—pos-sibly to the point of being predict-able—but the confusion caused by

Act I prevented many from seeing the complete picture.

The characters in general are not likeable, not that they have to be: they serve the deeper themes of self-expression, freedom, and justice. An android named Number 11 (Haley Kandler/Leah Smith) introduces the setting of the play: a dystopian world controlled by a Big Brother-like gov-ernment named “the Brotherhood.” In the first act, the main characters, Delilah (Kayla Heiss/Mandy Chun) a young idealistic woman who seeks to bring back freedom to the people, and Davis (Tim Trimble), the captain of the royal guard who is in love with Delilah, each make their way into the spotlight. Other characters, such as the deadpan snarker Arthur (Alec Lara), the lovable comedic Squiggle (Kai Queener), the soft-hearted King Chris-toph (Rahnsen Mars), and his treach-erous advisor Simone (Anuhea Cam-eron/Natalie Kwon) are introduced

in the beginning of the play. While the variety of characters is good, the character development is lacking, preventing the audience from empa-thizing or forming emotional attach-ment to anyone.

Admittedly, as William Ogilvie, the advisor of Drama Club, explicitly said, the play is still in the “work-shop” phase in which parts are still being refined. Though the music may sometimes drown out the dialogue, the major events are vivid and event-ful. It is hard to sleep through the many exciting scenes. There is even a dramatic battle scene with choreo-graphed fighting.

In the end, Comfortable Cages is an unconventional yet satisfying play that manages to incorporate its urban futuristic setting in a way to reach its audience. It is entertaining to the ex-treme thanks to the electric energy of the cast; however, the presentation of the story ultimately holds it back.

Photo by Jung Won ChoiDelilah (Mandy Chun) overhears a conversation between King Christoph (Rahnsen Mars) and Simone (Natalie Kwon).

By Dan Ju and Austin TasatoCo-Editor in Chief and Staff Writer

Dance teacher Sypert premieres Comfortable Cages

“We have failed to support the underachievers”

This Best Editorial in the State Division for 2013 HPA High School Journalism Awards may perhaps re-flect our mission: to “connect” the Cougar Connection with the entire population at Kaiser. Throughout the past year, we have tried to pres-ent our paper’s perspectives on more “down-to-earth” issues happening on our campus such as the financial crisis of the air riflery team, eat-ing chicken for lunch in numerous ways, Naviance, recycling program, dating, KAP, and many more.

Hearing not only from the fac-ulty, but also from our peers and parents that the newspaper has “more stuff to read,” we feel “mis-sion accomplished.” Our staff this year was truly diverse: an arrogant sports writer, an apathetic yet ex-tremely emotional illustrator, an ob-stinate self-proclaimed essayist, a cantankerous advisor, a timid inter-viewer, a gourmet critic, a procras-tinating features editor, and a quirky computer genius. Facilitating such an unusual group of remarkable indi-viduals was a tough challenge, but at the same time, it was an unforget-

Editor’s Note tably enjoyable experience for both Dan Ju and me.

As we are about to leave our responsibilities as the overlords to next year’s co-editors, Tianzhen Nie and Jenise Lam, we would like to express our deepest thanks to our staff for willingly enduring the thir-ty hours of daunting weekend layout sessions in A202.

We are also grateful to the readers who have supported us and helped us provide stories for our February 2013 issue, which won the State Award for Best Single Issue, and for winning the award for having the best public school journalism program in the State.

Photo by Kevin PhamThe Cougar Connection’s senior members from left to right: (top) Cleston Teixeira, Jung Won Choi, Dan Ju, Spencer Ellis; (bottom) Haley Kandler, Riley Wells, Anela Ling, Sarah Belbas

May 2013

RememberingAnna and Reid

Since the passing away of Anna and Reid, we’ve been constantly reminded of life’s fleeting nature. Yet as we mourn over the loss of our classmates and our friends, their deaths have paradoxically shone a light on us. The lives of Anna and Reid, the lives that are so precious to us, have become a source of illumination upon our lives. We now can see the beauty

and value of their regrettably short time on this earth and in turn, appreciate them for the time they spent with us.

“She had a beautiful home on the marina front with a pool and a kayak. Anna, her dad and I would always go out and catch jelly fish in buckets and take them back to the house. We’d play dress up and sing and dance, go to art class together and make up stories about living up in the trees or becoming super heroes. Sometimes while we were playing with her pet mice, we’d talk about how she was going to be a vet when she grew up. She’s not just a martyr, not just another Amanda Todd. She was a real person--a really, really awesome person. Please remember that.”

~ Stephanie Spear

“I wish time could be turned back so we could talk like we used to in elemen-tary school. You were so warm and funny. I hope you can rest in peace now.”

~ Kylie Akutagawa

“She was wildly concerned about the environment---not wanting anything to be wasted. All of her work was turned in on recycled paper. Sometimes the paper had been used for more than one class and so you could see the multiple assignments. She worried about all we use and all we waste. She made me feel like I was less crazy for worrying about how many shampoo bottles I throw away every year. I knew that there was some-one else out there worrying about the same things… Sometimes I think of her and [am reminded of] a line from Romeo and Juliet, “…for earth too dear.”

~ Amy Conners

“Anna was one of the first people I spoke to upon transferring to Kaiser, and I was one of the first people who spoke to her as she was an incoming freshmen. And after a year of saying hello whenever we ran into each other, I wish we didn’t have to say goodbye like this.”

~ Riley Wells

“Near the beginning of the school year, Anna started coming to the library after school. Much to my delight, I discovered that this cute, but extremely quiet girl loved to read. She would peruse the fiction books, looking for that special book, and when she found one, she would go to a secluded place in the library to read it. Before she left for the day, she would return the book to its exact spot on the shelf. I once told her she could check out the book so she could read it at home as well. She thanked me and said she didn’t need to because she could always come to the library to read it. It made sense to me, so I didn’t bring it up again.”

~ Lois Nagamine

Features Page 8

Page 9

“I had Reid last year as a freshman and this year as well. He was a rascal, but in a good way. A rascal is someone who’s kind of playful, but Reid knew when to get serious in my class. I guess you could say he had a twinkle in his eye. He didn’t like me in the beginning: we used to butt heads, but somehow I won him over and we had a very good relationship. I saw Reid the Monday before he passed away. He was late to school and I told him to hurry and get to class, but not in a scolding way, but because I cared about him. It gives me comfort that I was able to talk to him then, that I wasn’t too busy to say hi. His passing reinforces why I feel health is so important because it is the only class that really addresses topics such as decision-making and risky behaviors, to help stu-dents in their daily lives.”

~ Jamie Psak

“He was definitely a great friend. Reid was always positive and motivated me in P.E. when we would compete to see who was faster, stronger, or better in any sport. He always smiled and kept me smiling with his bright spirit and upbeat personality. He taught me that I should never stress over anything and just take it step-by-step. I really wish I could have spent more time with him.”

~ Daniel Yuen-Schat

“I first met Reid when he was a sixth grader. He had a quiet confidence about him, and he could light up a room with his charisma. Reid had a zest and love for life like no other. He cared a lot about his family and his friends and he had a huge heart. He had all sorts of things he wanted to be, loving ani-mals, the outdoors, adventure, and life itself. He never had a bad day because he lived each one to the fullest, traveling around the world and being a bright light to others. The world was a better place because of him, and I’m just so grateful to have the honor of knowing him, as both a student and close member of the family. He was like a second son to me.”

~ Shannon McMackin

“A lot of people loved him, especially because he was always energetic and could make everyone smile. He never let anyone bother him or let their negative vibes af-fect him. I miss you.”

~ Anna-Kaelle Ramos

“Reid’s personality had kind of a calming effect on me, because he was so laid-back and mellow. My proudest moment of Reid was in Mrs. Ling’s room at the FCA meeting, when he volunteered to pray for the group and open up the meeting in front of about 50-60 students. It was a courageous thing for him to stand in front of all those people and demonstrate his faith, because Jesus said, ‘I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.’ “

~ Ben Lane

“He had so many skills that he could have been successful at anything in life, and I mean ANY-THING. It’s sad to see your brother leave you...like his dad said on Monday at the burial, “It’s like a plane ride; it’s sad to see someone go, but when he lands he will be in the hands of God.” I know I’m going to miss Reid, but I also know he will still be with me until we meet again. Love you bro!”

~ Taylor McMackin

“When I first met Reid he was always next to his bro Taylor. They went to FCA and hung out all the time. They were really pals, almost like Jonathan and David in the Bible. True friends. Reid was always happy, always encouraging. He never looked for conflict and always got along with everyone. I am truly blessed to have known this man of God.”

~ Joshua Hester

FeaturesMay 2013

May 2013 Page 10Features

Kaiser students hear stories from WWII veterans in China

On March 15, 2013, Kai-ser students Lily Tran, Ay-ami Sato, Chloe Ma, Sean Tadekawa, Andrew Wong, Yaxin Tao, Anna Cho, Alisa Tseng, Tess Griffin, and I boarded China Eastern Air-line’s flight MU572. Joining us as our chaperones were Kaiser’s broadcast media teacher, Tanya Misi, Principal John P. Sosa, and the director of the Pacific Aviation Muse-um, Shauna Tonkin. Thirteen hours and 25 minutes later, we arrived at Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan prov-ince in Southwest China.

At Chengdu, we were taken to a variety of local hotspots. One was the Jian-chuan Cluster of Museums, a string of interrelated mu-seums dedicated to preserve Chinese history. Another was the Chengdu Panda Base, a center designed for the pro-tection, research, and breed-ing of the endangered giant and red panda species. Out of all of the places that we had visited in Chengdu, one of the most memorable experi-ences was at an outdoor cafe where stray dogs roamed freely and locals chat-tered loudly while munch-

ing on soy sauce braised fish, sweet sticky rice, and spiced, stir-fried vegetables.

After the meal, we were introduced to eight Chinese veterans who had served during World War II. “I thought it was the most memorable because a lot of the veterans still had fire in them,” said Griffin. A few still had strong negative feelings towards the Japa-nese. The veterans seemed very old and frail, but many stood up and practically yelled what they had to say.

As a part of our project, we had to collect oral his-tories for our documentary. Through connections with the director of the Jianchuan Cluster of Museums, our chaperone, Tonkin, was able to get these men to come and speak to us. Situated on a 30 feet by 10 feet hard-wood table along with the eight veterans, their trans-lators, and several report-ers from local news stations, we were offered cups of hot tea and a small plate of or-anges and dragon’s eyes. The men introduced them-selves, stating their names and ages with the help of a translator. Each veteran was over the age of 80, with one man in particular who was

101. The men took turns giv-ing us some background of their lives and experiences in the Second World War.

What may have made this the most memorable experience of the trip is the heartbreak and raw emotions that these men were able to make us feel. “Despite the language barriers, I felt like the veterans still made a connection with all of us,” said Chloe Ma, “The sto-ries that they shared really had an impact on all of us.”

One of the saddest sto-ries was prompted by the question “what kinds of war stories did you share with your kids?” After the translator relayed our ques-tion to one veteran, we saw his face turn dark and his smile change into a frown. He spewed a string of words which we couldn’t under-stand and spoke quickly for several minutes. The trans-lator nodded, then turned to us. She apologized and retold us everything he had just said. “The man, while away for war, was re-ported as dead to his wife back home. She didn’t want to live by herself, so she moved off and became a film star and ended up mar-rying another man. When

Photo by Cyrus MaKaiser’s Flying Tigers research group observes archeological artifacts at the Jinsha Museum.

By Cyrus MaStaff Writer

Cougar Band performs in Italy

he returned home from war and found out about what had happened, he decided that he didn’t want to love again and lived a single life, without any children.”

Although these men shared their tragic stories, they also had told us stories of heroism. These stories included how they had got-ten into the military, rose

to the top, and saved lives. These experiences helped us bridge not only gen-erations, but cultural gaps.

“Build bridges, not walls,” said Tran, “We will be able to therefore pro-vide a better quality of life towards our individual na-tions and eventually to come together in order to achieve some sense of world peace.”

By Kayla Soma Tsutsuse and Alexa ClimaldiIllustrators

Kaiser Cougar Band and Orchestra endured a 19-hour plane ride to ar-rive in the boot of Europe, Italy, in April to perform with Italian schools and experience the Italian cul-ture. The nine day trip cost each student nearly $4,000.

The trip began with

walking tours of Rome that included the Spanish steps, Pantheon, Colosseum, and Roman Forum. Students tossed coins into the Trevi Fountain, hoping to return someday. The ensemble also got the opportunity to de-scend into Italy’s catacombs.

Going beyond Rome, the music department trav-eled to the heart of the Re-naissance arts, Florence, where students were able

to view architecture such as the Florence Cathedral known for Brunelleschi’s Dome, Renaissance-age in-struments, and Michelan-gelo’s masterpiece: David.

Another key attrac-tion was the ruins of Pom-peii, the town that has been buried since C.E. 79 beneath volcanic ash.

Aside from the tour, Kaiser ’s music depart-ment worked with Viscon-

ti High’s choir for a joint concert, in which the two parties collaborated on the piece “We are the World.”

Kaiser also performed American jazz pieces and Hawaiian-style mu-sic, including two that featured ukulele play-er Mitchell Rumbaoa.

The Visconti’s choir ex-perienced Hawaiian culture with a hula lesson led by stu-dents Zoey Fox, Stephanie

Spear, Marissa Watanade, and Jordan Cresanto.

In addition to their performance at Viscon-ti, Kaiser performed at Marymount Internation-al, an IB World school.

The Kaiser music de-partment was able to ex-plore a culture different from that of the Hawaiian islands, making the nine-day trip an enriching, once in a lifetime experience.

Photo by Alexa ClimaldiThe Basillica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo of Florence) still shows off its magnificence after six-hundred years since its construction.

May 2013 Page 11Features Italy’s I Due Fratelini attracts clientele with simple, yet delectable sandwiches

By Alexa ClimadiIllustrator

Photo by Alexa ClimadiCustomers lining up to get lunch at I Due Fratellini.

Just off the busiest tourist road-way in the Italian city of Florence lies I Due Fratellini (in English: Two Brothers). Opened in 1875, it is one of the last “Fiaschetteria” (a type of Italian bar that sells quick food and wine) in the area. Best known for of-fering a quick yet fantastic lunch, I Due Fratellini offers the perfect meal or snack for both locals and tourists alike.

With a window barely five feet wide and only two extraordinarily busy workers, the place is the epit-ome of a hole in the wall. The two “brothers” fix people sandwiches and pour glasses of red and white wine up to the brim. A small toaster oven and a rack of sandwich ingredients sits on the side, with barely four feet to move back and forth behind the counter.

Simplicity is key. With 30 sand-wich combinations, consisting of pro-sciutto, cheeses, wild lettuce, dried tomatoes, various cured hams, and even wild boar salami, customers have much to choose from, all with-out exceeding €250 (roughly $3.25.) For Kaiser students on the Italy trip, the low price and high quality ap-pealed to one’s stomach and wallet. I opted for the prosciutto, goat cheese, and wild lettuce. A simple combina-

For most people, the word “Waikiki” brings images of crowded bus stops, touristy shops, and sky-high hotels. Amidst all this hustle and bustle lies the tranquil oasis called Little India Restaurant and Bar, located in the Land-mark building along Ala Wai

Little India offers traditional Indian food for a priceBy Tianzhen NieFeatures Editor

Photo by Tianzhen NieLamb Vindaloo ($22.95) has more carrot than lamb.

Boulevard. I went to Little India on

a quiet Friday night with my family. We began our dinner with two appetizers: samosas (vegetable or meat) and koftas. Four pieces of the triangular and dumpling-like vegetable samosa and the shrimp kofta soon arrived on pencil-case sized plates.

The samosas were deli-

cious, but definitely not worth $6.95 considering their teeny size. On the other hand, the kofta accompanied with its spicy curry sauce was well worth its price of $7.95. My only minor complaint was the imbalanced sauce to kofta ra-tio. It would have been better if less sauce was served with the kofta because after the koftas were gone, there was

tion, the saltiness of the ham was toned down by the goat cheese; the lettuce provided that little bit fresh-ness to clean everything up. It was a harmonious combination, and had I not eaten earlier, I would have had two.

There is a bit of a line, but be-

cause of the simple design of the sandwiches, it moves relatively fast. Around the restaurant, florentines and tourists alike stand on the cob-blestones of the narrow front street, eating sandwiches and sipping wine, resting their glasses on the Roman numeraled wine glass shelves flank-

ing the sides of the doorway. If stand-ing and eating isn’t your thing, you can always sit on the curb or take a short walk to a bench.

For the frugal and hungry, I Due Fratellini satisfies both the stomach and the palate. It is a bit hard to find, but the search is worth the struggle.

still about half of the sauce left in the platter. Otherwise, the koftas were excellent.

After the appetizers came the main course. I had the op-tion to mix-and-match my preferred sauce to go with a variety of available meats. My table ended up ordering the vindaloo lamb (spicy), tikka masala salmon (medium hot), butter tilapia (mild), and coco-nut curry shrimp (mild), each priced at $22.95.

The best of the four was easily the butter tilapia. The sauce was creamy yet not overwhelmingly rich. The tila-pia itself was fresh and tender to a degree that I could peel it into strips. Another excellent entrée was the coconut curry shrimp, which had a haupia sauce that wasn’t overbear-ingly coconut-flavored.

However, the lamb and salmon were a far cry from de-licious. The lamb vindaloo, as spicy as its description claims, consisted of more carrot than lamb. Basically, it was like eat-ing Kaiser cafeteria beef stew. Even worse was the tikka ma-sala salmon. The sharp tomato flavor of the sauce and the over-broiled texture of the fish was not what I expected it to be.

All these different entrées were served separately on tha-lis. The thali is a traditional In-

dian metal plate with several compartments, one of which holds the main dish. The style of the plate was a problem for me to be honest.

The main courses them-selves were not very large, as various sides and starches had taken up most of the thali. At the same time, the lentil soup, gram beans, green beans, and green salad, along with the generous portion of basmati rice and two slices of naan, an oven-baked flatbread, made up for the pint-sized main course. The naan was baked to crispy perfection on the out-side and fluffy in the middle, while the basmati rice was an off-yellow color and lacked the typical stickiness of rice.

As a final touch to my meal, I ordered a coconut souffle for $3.50. Expecting the fluffy breaded dessert I loved, I was sorely disappointed. The soufflé consisted of a cup of coconut pudding filled half with whipped cream and glazed with chocolate syrup.

As far as taste goes, Little India can be ranked relatively high. The portion sizes are large, with the exception of entrees and desserts. But for high school students on a bud-get, it is definitely not the best choice. Our dinner for four, plus tip, came out to about $130.

May 2013 Page 12CartoonsHOROSCOPES

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You must try your best to be an optimistic, giving per-son. You will soon have the chance to prove to someone that you are reliable, as long as you stick to your values.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You may have fallen off track in a certain aspect of your life but now is a good time to get back. Improve on something that you have recently stopped working on.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A change in attitude may be just the thing that you need right now. It will allow you to get along with those around you, and it and will make you feel good about yourself.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Recently you have felt like you have been alone. It may feel like it’s just you against the rest of the world, but try to take a look around you. There are more people who care than you think.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) You have a strong sense of values and you aren’t afraid to fight for what you believe in. However, you may soon come to face someone who is extremely stubborn. It may be a good idea to let this person go along with his own ways rather than clash with him.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions right now. Al-though it may seem as if someone is one way on the surface, you should give him or her the benefit of the doubt. He or she may actually get along with you better than you’d think.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Now is a good time to strengthen your bonds with someone. Whether it be a romantic interest, a long-lost friend, or a new acquaintance, you should try your best to deepen your relationship.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Although the school year is almost over and you are confident in your life as it is, don’t let yourself become too laid back. You may miss out on a rare opportunity that will come at you out of nowhere.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21)You have been holding onto something that has both-

ered you for a long time. Although you think you are trying your best to stay happy and positive, you haven’t completely let it go. Doing so now will help lead you to happiness and satisfaction with your life.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You have been avoiding a problem for a long time. Al-though it may take a lot of hard work and effort to get it out of the way, you will need to do so or else it will always be in the back of your mind.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You will soon face a problem between two people who are close to you. A clash of interests will get you caught in between. You must try your best to remain neutral and try to act as the mediator.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Although you are a fun, creative person by heart, you have to learn to be more straightforward. It’s okay to enjoy yourself but right now is the time to focus, be serious, and pull through with what you have to do.

By Lydia KimTest-Taking: Feeling the Nerves

By Natalie KoonMr. Iguana: Cross-Fit

By Haley SuzukiMichiko’s Moments: Kaiser’s Reception

By Kayla Soma TsutsuseWhat Day Is It?

By Kayla Soma TsutsuseSoda Wars

By Soul AhnLet’s Be Productive

By Anela LingMeanwhile in Newswriting

May 2013 Page 13Sports

By Haley SuzukiIllustrator

Having only won four games in the last two seasons as a part of the Red Division (Division I), the Kaiser Var-sity Softball team has come a long way this past year.

With the decision of moving down to the White Division (Division II), the Lady Cougars went unde-feated with a 12-0 record to win the OIA White regular season.

On Apr. 19, entering the OIA semi final game against the Aiea Warriors, the Lady Cougars, down by a run in the last inning, tied the game with a hit by freshman Elyse Tsutsui, bringing home ju-nior Bailey Gongob to go into extra innings.

In the ninth inning, with the score still tied, sopho-more Kai Hasegawa won the game with a hit to right field that brought in freshman Seli Aholelei to claim a 7-6 victory.

The following day, the Cougars faced the hot-hitting Nanakuli Golden Hawks for the OIA Champi-onship title. Down by three in the first inning, sopho-more Rainelle Matsuoka and freshman Marissa Oda both hit home runs in the fifth in-ning to help rally the Lady Cougars.

The game, which was televised on OC16, ended in

a 8-5 loss, their only loss of the season thus far.

“I felt that we weren‘t in it that game. Everyone seemed nervous [because it was on TV],” said Matsuoka.

Despite the loss, Kaiser is one of the twelve teams that will advance to the White di-vision State Championship

bracket. The tournament will be held on the first week of May in Maui.

“I hope we play Nanaku-li again in States. We‘ll have to come out strong early and hold them down defensive-ly,” said Matsuoka.

Head coach Mitch Mat-sumoto, his coaches, and the

Five of Kaiser’s swimmers, Kira Fox, Corrine Shigeta, Lara Yasu-mi, Victor Alumbaugh, and Joshua Yuen-Schat, made their way to Fed-eral Way, Washington from Mar. 13-17 for the 2013 Speedo Western Region Short Course Section Cham-pionship.

There, they were matched against top-notch competitors in their various events and relays, as the meet drew top swimmers from across the western United States.

Out of the 170 participating clubs, the Kamehameha Swim Club ranked eighth.

For senior swim veterans Fox and Alumbaugh, this meet would not only be marked as one of their most challenging, but also one of their last.

“I’m excited to graduate, but I’m definitely going to miss my team mates,” said Fox. “We’re just a really big, fun family. Swimming for Kai-ser was such an amazing experience,

being able to break all those records, including the OIA Champs 200 yard medley relay record, which we’ve been trying to break since our fresh-man year.”

Fox will be starting on the Uni-versity of Hawaii Women’s swim team next year.

As for Alumbaugh, sectionals served as a wrap-up for his 10 years of competitive swimming.

“These past four years have been so memorable; it’s really great, hav-ing watched Kaiser’s swim and dive crowd go from a couple kids to what it is now with so many great ath-letes,” said Alumbaugh. “We had an excellent school season, and a few of us that had the chance to go to sec-tionals brought back some pretty nice hardware.”

Although Kaiser’s many senior swimmers have approached their fi-nal goodbyes, the team will continue to pursue their high ambitions with fresh faces and determination. The team has confidence that the high standards and the positive mindset displayed throughout the season

By Tina CraveiroStaff Writer

Kaiser swim team goes to Washingtonwill now make them push harder than ever.

“Although sectionals were super competitive, it’s not just about swim-ming. It’s so great to just bond with your teammates, and then you’re all

there supporting each other,” said freshman Yasumi.

The team hopes that this sup-port will again carry them to success in the future seasons and teams to come.

Photo by Kira FoxCorrine Shigeta smiles after a successful race.

Photo by Alan BelsheSophomore Rainelle Matsuoka getting a hit.

Lady Cougars softball team advances to White Division State ChampionshipA nearly undefeated season motivates players to take the top spot in Maui

diligent players have prac-ticed since January in the far corner of campus with one goal in mind: win States.

“This team made the plays and had the confidence to go undefeated in the regu-lar season,” said Matsumoto. “I’m super proud of the girls and excited about the up-

coming state tournament.”Kaiser softball is hoping

to move up to the Red divi-sion next year, facing more challenging competition like Kailua and Moanalua. There are eight freshmen and no seniors on the squad, keep-ing all of the starters for next season.

May 2013 Page 14Sports

Photo Courtesy of Casey BoldaKaiser senior outside hitter Casey Bolda spikes the ball past Moanalua’s middle blocker, Hadrian Paulino.

Boys volleyball team makes OIA championship game appearance

By Cleston TeixeiraSports Editor

With a near perfect regular season record of 10-1, the Kai-ser Cougar boys varsity volley-ball team clinched an Oahu In-terscholastic Association (OIA) red-division championship game appearance on May 2.

“It was a rough season,” said senior outside hitter Casey Bolda. “Our team experienced a lot of injuries and had in-eligible players throughout the season, but in the end, we

managed to pull through and obtain the top seed in the OIA red [division] playoff bracket.”

On Mar. 19, Kaiser went on to challenge the Kalaheo Mus-tangs in a neutral setting at McKinley High School. Within the first set of the game, the lead was turned over 14 times before the nerve wracking match point came.

“The match point is always so strenuous. Anything can happen,” said Bolda. “This is the make or break moment in volleyball where the final point

scored determines the winner of the set.”

After exchanging pos-session of the ball, Kalaheo’s senior opposite hitter Sam Or-cutt’s kill put the Mustang’s over the Cougars, 25-23. With the loss of momentum in the flow of the second set, along with the large number of ineli-gible Kaiser players, Kalaheo swept the Cougars in a 2-set match up, 25-23, 25-18. Kaiser senior opposite hitter Daniel Frasier led the cougars with 4 kills on the night, along with

senior setter Riker Kasamoto who led the team with 16 as-sists.

On Apr. 23, Kaiser went on to challenge the Na Mene-hune of Moanalua, in a second round OIA playoff matchup after sweeping Roosevelt, 3-0 in a playoff bracket opener on Apr. 18.

“After the first two sets, we were tied 1-1. We just had to pick up our game and execute our plays on the court,” said Bolda. With 23 kills, 4 digs, and a single block, Bolda led Kaiser

to a Cougar victory, three sets to one.

“We really needed this win in the playoffs because at this point, we’re playing in an execution bracket where los-ing a single game defeats our chances of making a champi-onship game appearance,” said senior middle blocker Billy Mc-Givern.

For the second time this season, the Kaiser Cougars were matched up to challenge the Kalaheo Mustangs on Apr. 25, who gave the Kaiser Cou-gars their one and only loss earlier in the regular season.

“We felt more confident about this game. We lost the first time with a lot of our play-ers injured or ineligible,” said Bolda. “We had the majority of our players eligible to play in the playoffs, where we can constantly rotate fresh legs on the court.”

Battling through a 5-set match, the Cougars went on to defeat Kalaheo, 3-2. Bolda set his post-season high of 25 blocks on the night. Junior middle blockers Christian Sele and Makena Kaneaiakala both contributed 11 kills, and to-taled 5 blocks. Kasamoto led both sides of the courts with 55 assists.

The Cougars will go on to challenge the winner of the op-posing semi-final OIA playoff bracket, against the Moanalua Na Menehune and the Kalaheo Mustangs, on May 2 at McKin-ley High School. The Cougars have also clinched a seed in the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) States Tournament in May.

On April 6, Kaiser hosted the Oahu Inter-scholastic Association (OIA) Track and Field Eastern Division Cham-pionships. Kaiser Varsity Girls team received first place.

The track and field team qualified and com-peted in all 13 events, ranging from field events (discus, high jump, triple jump, shot put, and pole vaulting) to track events (hurdles, distance run-ning, sprints and relays).

Lady Cougars ex-celled in the high jump,

distance running, 300 meter hurdles, and pole vault. With a promising start, the Boys JV team hope to build on the fun-damentals.

To qualify for the OIA, competitors need to meet the OIA criteria. For example, for the 100-me-ter dash, a competitor’s record must be under 12 seconds. Only then can they compete in the qualifying meet. How-ever, for most competi-tors, the challenge isn’t meeting the 12-second time limit; it is the mental aspect of competing.

“It’s not physical. It’s all mental, once you see

the fast people in front of you it’s like why try,” said one of the Kalaheo competitors.

There are few chal-lenges that the track pro-gram encounters annu-ally, which include issues with schedule conflicts with outside events like prom.

“Most kids would rather go to prom than a track meet which causes some meets to have low attendance,” said coach Kevin Kruszona.

To solve this prob-lem, coaches will meet to discuss schedule changes for the upcoming year. But the biggest hurdle

they currently have to clear is to persuade more students to try out for track.

The run down facili-ties are also making prac-tice difficult, and Kaiser is becoming a less favor-able choice to host com-petitions.

Despite the chal-lenges they face, the track coaches are optimistic for upcoming seasons.

“We have a young team which gives us a good base to work off of next year because every season, technique im-proves and they become more comfortable with competing,” said coach

Kruszona. Between having a

young team and top-ranked athletes, the Kai-

Photo by Chloe ChalekianA Kaiser track runner practices her sprints.

By Chloe ChalekianStaff Writer

Lady Cougar track qualifies for state championship events

ser Track and Field team is poised to become state champions for seasons to come.