Ho‘okele NewsIsland Pacific Academy’s Newspaper

I Mua Me Ka Ha‘aheoPhone: (808) 674-3523 Fax: (808) 674-3575 Email: newspaper@ipahawaii.org December 2011

The 2012 election is just around the corner. Be informed! Take a look at these candidates and their positions on some of America’s most pressing economic and social issues.

2012: What’s Happening?

President Obama advocates and supports investment in education to create a stronger, more competitive work force. He supports the American Opportunity Tax credit, which is a refundable tax credit that would cover $4,000 of college tuition for most Americans. He wants to establish a minimum tax rate for Americans that make over

one million dollars a year. This tax rate is intended to have Americans pay the same percentage of taxes each year and bring in more revenue to the government. He strongly advocated and pushed forward the Affordable Care Act in 2010 which would move toward providing health-care to previously unin-sured Americans by 2014.

Gingrinch’s education plan requires that each state set a standard of performance that allows all students to become com-petitive in the twenty-first century. He encourages opening the school systems for physicians or scientists to teach part-time to give students real-world ap-plications to what they’re learning.

To boost the economy Gingrich wants to stop raising taxes. He believes this would help promote job growth and improve the economy. Opposed to the Affordable Care Act, Gingrich has proposed his “Patient Power” plan, which would give priority to the sickest who cannot afford to buy healthcare.

Romney’s educa-tion proposal supports standardized tests as well as the No Child Left Behind Act to hold teachers accountable and to measure the academic performance of the student. Romney believes the key to economic prosperity in America is to cut deficit spend-ing. This will force the

government to use only what is allotted to them in an efficient manner. He also advocates the repeal of the Af-fordable Care Act. He believes that health care should become a state issue to ensure that citi-zens are given special-ized and individualized care suitable for their needs.

Be thankful you’re alive, 2012 has yet to arrive! December 21, 2012. It is not only the date of the winter solstice in which the sun will be aligned with the Milky Way galaxy for the first time in 26,000 years; it is also the alleged date on which the world is predicted to come to an end. There are three popular theories that predict an apocalypse will occur in 2012. The Mayan Calendar predicts an unknown event, possibly resulting the end of the world. The Planet X: Ni-biru Theory predicts a hypothesized ninth planet is on a collision course with Earth. Finally, a software program calledWeb Bot predicts the world will end. The similarity between these three theories? All of them point to the date December 21, 2012.

-Staff WriterKetan Patel

Mayan Calendar One of the most well-known theo-ries is the end of the world as predicted by the Mayan calendar. According to it, the date for the end of the last cycle is December 21, 2012. Their calendar dates back thousands of years and has been accurate in predicting lunar cycles. The theory stems from what human-kind should expect when the calendar completes its 5,126-year era and resets to year zero on December 21, 2012. When the reset occurs, an unknown apocalyptic event is predicted to occur. According to NASA scientists, even if the Mayan calender ends in 2012, the world will not end.

Planet X: Nibiru The Planet X: Nibiru Collision is another theory in which a hypothesized ninth planet named Nibiru is on a col-lision course with Earth. The alleged year in which Nibiru will enter earth’s gravitational proximity and cause cata-strophic events on Earth is 2012. According to NASA scientists, Nibiru is a fictional planet fabricated by internet hoaxes and that there is no known record of an actual Planet X. But according to many online conspiracies, the theory is plausible.

Web Bot Predictions Web Bot is computer software program developed in the late 1990’s to assist in making stock market predic-tions. Similar to a search engine, Web Bot uses “spiders” to search the web for keywords and identifies trends which are then used to predict future events. Web Bot’s makers claim that it has accurately predicted various catastroph-ic events, including the space shuttle Columbia disaster, Hurricane Katrina and the crash of American Airlines Flight 587. The system has gained most of its notoriety from its predictions that in 2012 a major cataclysmic event will devastate the world.

the staffof the Ho‘okele News

EST. 2010

Editors-in-ChiefJordan Hanson

Lynn Shin

Finance ManagerKalei Uno

Staff WritersJosh Ayers

Sarah BattenKianna Billman

Alyssa ChuberkoChelsea CobbJordan Dean

Royce IlarJamison Kirk

Noa Terada-PagdilaoKetan Patel

Shayna SavidgeJulie ShellyKalei Uno

Christian Yagi

ContributorsColleen Carrington

Grant JohnsonChristopher Randolph

Yearbook Staff

AdvisorBen Murphy

The Ho‘okele News is a publication of the journalism class/club of Island Pacific Academy’s Upper School. The Ho‘okele News is an open forum for students, faculty, and community.

The opinions and views expressed in this newspaper belong solely to the respec-tive staff writers and do not reflect the views of the Island Pacific Academy faculty and administration.

I Mua Me Ka Ha‘aheo

Opinion 2

Pumped Up Controversy

Where is Occupy Going?Editor-in-Chief

Lynn Shin

It has been 86 days, over 4,000 arrests and more than 300 offshoot movements in 50 states since the Occupy Move-ment began on September 17. As winter begins and protesters settle in for the long haul, it is anyone’s guess how long Oc-cupy will last. The movement’s stark re-fusal to designate leaders or to specify demands may make or break them. For the protesters, the lack of conventional power plays is an essential aspect of their message. But for the pub-lic, it adds to Occupy’s reputa-tion for disorganization. What exactly is the mes-sage? The responses vary, but the larger themes behind the demonstrations are the same: frustration with unemploy-ment and the growing wealth disparity. Facts don’t lie. The top 1% of income earners in America controls 42% of the wealth and monopolizes most major politi-cal and corporate positions. Essentially, the protesters want the top 1% to be ac-countable for the economic recession and rising class inequality. For the Occupy Movement, Wall Street is both a metaphor for and a fundamental compo-nent of corporate America. Given that no demands have been made it can be as-

sumed that their focus contin-ues to stay on drawing atten-tion and supporters to their cause. But their message is getting lost in their methods. Most of the media coverage has shifted from the movement itself to the violence surrounding the protests and the oxymoronic statement of spending taxpayer dollars to clean up a protest

about wasting taxpayer dollars on the 2008 bank bailouts. All these faults could be overlooked if Occupy was organizing itself into a political force. But clamoring for change is not as effective as making the change. Even as the media criticized the Tea Party- a group with similarly dispersed and wide-ranging demographics- it devel-oped into a political move-ment, finding financial backing

in the billionaire Koch brothers and successfully endorsing several candidates in the 2010 midterm elections. The problem here is that Occupy is waiting for a revolu-tion. The movement’s strength in numbers is being wasted in streets, and it will only be a vi-able threat once it is organized into a force for change. What’s next?

Occupy badly needs to gar-ner financial support if it is to move forward. The movement has taken baby steps towards this goal by forming coalitions with labor unions. Organized labor has poured in donations, food, tents and supplies to the protesters. National Nurses United and Service Employees Internation-al Union have provided meals, flu shots, and first-aid tables to Occupiers.

In return, organized labor has adopted some of the marketing methods of Oc-cupy, turning to social media like Twitter to post instanta-neous photos and videos of the marches. This rapport is helpful but not concrete. Protesters and laborers need to focus their support on a single goal or cause or back candidates. For example, both groups share a common message against the growing income inequality. They could lobby for a law that better regulates the financial industry or a tax bill that takes the strain off the working class. In order to face the chal-lenges of our generation: unemployment and paying for college, Occupy needs to go beyond bringing attention to economical inequality. The next step is to move on to spe-cific demands. Support bills like the Amer-ican Jobs Act, which benefit the unemployed or create a bill that regulates unfair tax codes that place too much emphasis on the middle class. Back candidates that cham-pion similar interests and use Occupy’s strength in numbers to elect them. Or protesters can stay in the streets. But they will find that public interest doesn’t hold for long unless they develop a coherent political doctrine that offers solutions, not sulking.

Protesters at Occupy Portland. Photo image courtesy of Wikimedia.

Staff WriterChelsea Cobb

“All the other kids with their pumped up kicks better run, better run, outrun my gun.” The chorus from Foster the People’s hit single “Pumped up Kicks” shocked countless listeners with its cheery beat paired with lyrics that talk about something as grim as a public shooting. Taking the music scene by storm, indie rock group Foster the People hit the ground running with its new single “Pumped up Kicks.” The group is currently rid-ing the hype of its first single, but while the song has brought them incredible success, it has also swarmed them with controversy. Offensive in more ways than one, “Pumped up Kicks” managed to claim the top ten spots on the Billboard Hot 100 six weeks in a row, leaving

many who were alarmed by the song’s message to question the role of the media in shooting sprees nationwide. The insensitivity shown by the band in the lyrics of the song is not only disrespectful to the families of the victims of such shootings, but they are also inappropriate for students who sometimes don’t even know the message behind the words they’re singing. However, lead singer Mark Foster has on multiple occa-sions said that the song does not relate to any specific shoot-ing, but the evidence suggests otherwise and makes many skeptical. The lyrics follow a storyline in which an angry student named Robert finds a gun in his father’s closet and plans to go to his school and shoot the “elitist” students with the “Pumped up Kicks”. We then follow Robert as he returns to his home to await his

father, and the storyline takes another frightening turn as Robert refers to bodies “packed in ice.” The events in the lyrics share similarities with a Omaha mall shooting in 2007. For ex-ample, the name of the Omaha shooter was Robert as well. “It’s kind of messed up that they would use the name Robert after the Nebraska shootings. If they want to combat rumors that their song promotes violence that’s not the way to do it,” said senior Eric Acierto. Yet, the biggest question still remains. Does “Pumped up Kicks” promote violence and glorify public shootings? “The song is good but it’s insensitive to people who were victims” said freshman Ka-leiipolani Roig. “They make it sound like it’s a cool thing, and it’s really not.” Looking back on events like the 1999 Columbine school

shooting for which “shock rocker” Marylin Manson was blamed, the debate over the role that media plays in public shootings is not new. Groups with that large of an influence should speak out about this type of violence, not promote it. Many people who support the song often state that the top-ten hit has a very catchy beat and raises awareness about shooting sprees. But it seems to glorify, them, rather than bring awareness to the issue. “It’s not something that people should see as funny. It’s almost like they are mocking those who have lost their lives in a really grotesque way,” said junior Brittney Stevers. While the debate rages on over what the true message and intent of the song is, Foster the People takes off. It’s sad to say that the moral standard for music artists in America may be headed for a new low.

Student Life 3

It’s a Common FeelingCollege applications create stress among the senior class

Staff WriterNoa Terada-Pagdilao

It is that time of year again. The holidays are approach-ing, the year is coming to an end and while most people are hanging up decorations, high school seniors are complet-ing college essays. Along with schoolwork and other personal activi-ties, students applying for colleges face the struggle of finishing their applica-tions by early January or February, and this can be a problem for many. “I’d always thought that I would have enough time,” said senior Kaila Onaga, one of the many college applicants dealing with the pressure of the upcoming due dates. “I would have started months earlier because it’s a long process that you cannot slack off on.” Dean of College Counsel-ing Krishna Rampersaud has seen many cases where time has played an insidious role in the application procedure. Although there are many challenges when completing a college application, Ramper-saud believes that time man-agement is the biggest. “When filling out applica-

tions, stress come from two ways,” said Rampersaud. “You can have stress from a lack of knowledge about what is needed to complete an applica-tion, and you can have stress from poor time management

skills, and for most cases, time management is the biggest problem.” For senior Le Nguyen, it is the application process that creates anxiety. Since there are many parts to an application, all of which have recommend-ed deadlines, it can sometimes get confusing and hectic. “The hardest part is stay-ing on top of papers, such as

brag sheets and cover sheets and making sure I remember deadlines,” said Nguyen. As a way to ease this confu-sion, many colleges utilize the Common Application; a single application shared among the

colleges who use the system. This way a student would have to complete essays and basic information only once. “It is a life and time saver,” said Onaga. “It takes a little stress off of the crazy process.” However, not all colleges are under the Common Applica-tion. Senior Colt Wallace, who has already been admitted to Colorado Mesa University, did

not use the common app (the abbreviated term) because most state colleges do not use the common app. However, Wallace agrees that there is an upside to the Common Application.

“If you have an exten-sive list of colleges that you’re shooting for, the common app can really help cut down the time and stress that comes when applying,” said Wallace. The one thing that seniors should remem-ber is that they are not alone in this process. There are other students who are going through the same troubles and could be a substantial help. In addition, IPA’s college counselors and

faculty are always there to answer any questions and

to make applying as painless as possible. “A big mistake that I made was trying to do this all on my own,” said Onaga. “Then I had my friends and teachers edit my supplements and essay, and with their help, they made it a hundred times better.”

Senior Micah Witty-Oakland conferencing with Krishna Rampersaud. Photo courtesy of Noa Terada-Pagdilao.

Who Run the World? RobotsStaff WriterJordan Dean

Robots are foretold to one day take over the world, but IPA has created robots that work for good. Technology director Melissa Handy and Science Department Chairperson Michelle Bradley have been working with students to create robots that serve differ-ent purposes. Not only do Handy and Bradley want to build robots, they want to inspire and spark students’ interest by showing how robotics can be beneficial to IPA. “To IPA students it’s beneficial because it’s one class that brings science, technolo-gy, engineering, and math all together in to one class,” said Handy. “Not only are these the STEM [Science, Technology, Engineer-ing and Math] classes you take throughout the school years, but they provide the op-portunity to also receive scholarships.” Robotics opens up multiple opportuni-ties when it comes to earning scholarships with big companies such as NASA because it teaches essential science and technology skills. Robotics inspires students to become a part of something bigger by taking on leadership roles such as setting up fund-

raising and leading a class of fellow stu-dents. These are a few fundamentals that a leader must perform. “My responsibilities mainly consist of making sure I know what’s going on with all the individual groups and making sure everyone is moving towards the same goal,” said Robotics captain Alec Kimura. Not only do student build robots, but they also construct them to compete in competitions known as VEX. Students must design a robot that serves different purposes such as lifting different objects or knocking things over. Before each compe-tition, students’ robots must pass inspec-tion. “Your robot can only be 18’ x 18’ and it must pass inspection before each round, and in the actual competition your robot has to pick up balls and cylinders,” said Robotics fundraising assistant Crystelle Baclig. After each competition, students ob-serve the robot and see what it performed right and what it performed wrong. If the robot failed to do its purpose, then it must be rebuilt or modified. Buying new parts does get costly so students organize fundraisers to buy parts. “Our biggest and main fundraiser is our freshly squeezed lemonade,” said Kimura.

“We sell each Wednesday after school and we also sell Hex Bugs as toys for kids, but the lemonade is clearly more popular with people.” IPA’s upper school is making this world a better place by using the robots for good, not evil. The only evil thing these robots do is beat other robots by scoring more points in competitions.

Freshman John Black working on a robot during the VEX competition. Photo courtesy of Michelle Bradley

Caution: Students at Work

Staff WriterShayna Savidge

To work or not to work, that is the question for high school students. For some students at IPA, the answer is yes. “For me, it’s not that hard to get to work because it is within walking distance. I can get there within 10 minutes right after school,” said senior Taylor-Marie Rivera. Most students that have a job feel they are taking on a new and different respon-sibility. “I wanted to do some-thing more on my weekends and take on a new respon-sibility,” said senior Alexis Perez. “So I applied to Wet n’ Wild and got hired on the spot to be a lifeguard.” Looking at the overall statistics in America, Perez is one of the rare teenagers with a job. With the eco-nomic downturn, the em-ployment rate for 16-24 year olds has dropped significant-ly. Since the recession, the unemployment rate for this group has gone up to 18%, according to Department of Labor statistics. Students with jobs feel that working helps them stay aware of the importance of keeping a balance be-tween school and work. “I normally try and finish all my work assigned that day so I am not behind, and also I try and finish as much as possible during my study halls,” said Perez. Eventually, all students are going to have to take on a full-time job after college. Students currently with jobs feel that their work experi-ence prepares them for this inevitable development. “When I am in college, I might need a job,” said senior Kaila Onaga. “It also teaches me how to manage my money, and I learn a lot of life skills that I will need eventually.” For some students, work-ing is the answer. While other students might answer no to this question, IPA’s working students believe that their jobs play an im-portant role in helping them grow up and teaching them important skills for their futures.

4

The taste of the strawberry syrup was delicious. It was a little more sour than the rest of the other places, but it was a good taste, and the ice cream offered a contrasting taste which was nice. I love sweet stuff but not a whole lot of it. This was a good combination of sweet with a hint of sour. The ice was very soft which made it easy to eat. The shop is located in Waikele shop-ping center between Sports Authority and Old Navy. It is a little kiosk that usually has a small line in front of it. Because of its location, it is a perfect treat for the shoppers or people who just live in the area. The customer service is always good, and the price is not bad at all. The portions are fairly large, and they also serve the shave ice with the place holder cup, which other places charge money for. The place holder cup helps to eat the shave ice while staying clean and not spilling it. It may not be the fanciest spot for shave ice, but it is well worth it.

Mountain Magic

Who’s theCoolest?

Taste: 4 of 5

Price: 3.5 of 5

Texture: 3.5 of 5

Value: 4 of 5

Location: 4.5 of 5

We assessed each shave ice store in five catago-

ries:Taste: Flavor of the

syrupPrice: Cost based on

same sizes at each placeTexture: consistency

and fineness of the iceValue: how much ice

for the price Location: based on

the distance from IPA to each place

Key:

Design by Kalei Uno. Photos courtesy of Noa Terada-Pagdilao, Ketan Patel and Christian Yagi

5

The syrup was slightly overpowering and was a little sweet for my taste. Once you taste the ice cream it became even sweeter. It probably would have gone better with a mix of another flavor to add some complementary taste. The ice texture was really light, and it had a good amount of syrup. The portions were average, and they charge extra for the place holder cups which we decided not to get. There was a long line coming out of the store, and it took roughly ten minutes from the time we got there until we got our shave ice. A plus is that there are a lot of other items for sale in the store, and the environment is very friendly. If it is your first time eating shave ice, it is recommended that you buy a place holder cup because the shave ice can easily fall off its cone. It is 25 cents extra to purchase a place holder.

Matsumoto’s

Aoki’s was great. I did not realize how close it was to Matsumoto’s. Not much was expected from Aoki’s because of the lack of customers compared to their next-door com-petitor Matsumoto’s. There was hardly anyone in line for Aoki’s while Matsumoto’s had a line going out of its store. After taking just one bite out of Aoki’s shave ice, ex-pectations were exceeded. The amount of syrup carefully walked the line between too much and too little. It was just enough to complement- not overpower- the ice. The tex-ture of the ice was like eating strawberry snowflakes falling from heaven. Overall, Aoki’s is not as well known as Matsumoto’s, but the quality of the shave ice stay mo bettaz than their next-door competitor.

Aoki’s

Waiola Waiola Shave Ice was by far one of the favor-ites out of the four shave ice places. What made Waiola stand out from its competitors was the perfect balance between the texture of the ice and amount of syrup that was given. The line was not very long, and it took around two minutes to get my shave ice. The last bite out of the shave ice was just as good as the first bite. Waiola Shave Ice is located all the way in town, but it is worth the journey over there. As a whole, Waiola Shave Ice is the real deal!

Taste: 4.5 of 5

Price: 5 of 5

Texture: 4.5 of 5

Value: 4 of 5

Location: 1.5 of 5

Taste: 4 of 5

Price: 3.5 of 5

Texture: 4 of 5

Value: 4.5 of 5

Location: 2 of 5

Taste: 3.5 of 5

Price: 4.5 of 5

Texture: 4 of 5

Value: 4.5 of 5

Location: 2 of 5

Sports 6

It’s the (not) Real Deal: Fantasy Football at IPAStaff Writer

Kianna Billman

Fantasy football has forever changed the fan base of the National Football League (NFL) by allowing ordinary people to become competitive coaches of teams comprised of their favorite players. “One of our friends decided that we should try it this year, and it’s super fun,” said junior fantasy owner, Jason Brenner. “The motivation for us to win is because each of us put in five dollars, so the winner gets five dollars from each person” (under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, fantasy sports are legal because they involve skill rather than chance). The league members each take turns choosing players until every roster is filled, and rosters generally consist of two or three players for each position. The starting lineup is determined prior to each game, and each team’s success is determined by the players’ stats in the week’s corresponding NFL games. For example, if a running back scores a touchdown in an NFL game, fantasy football owners with that run-ning back in their lineup receive six points for their fantasy team. Points can also be lost for fumbles and interceptions, and defensive units can earn points for forcing turnovers, making sacks, scoring defensive touch-downs and preventing the opposing team from scoring. Many fans have taken a new ap-

proach to watching the NFL season because their fantasy team relies on the success of individual players. “Sometimes I cheer for teams that I wouldn’t really cheer for because I want my fantasy player to do well, “ said junior fantasy owner, Eric Longanecker. “I’ll cheer for the Steelers even though I hate the Steelers, just because I want to see my player do well.” Such competition has made fan-tasy football a hobby of an estimated 30 million people. Winning bragging rights and socializing with friends are just some of the many benefits that are enjoyed. “It’s more of a competition because we all want to win, and it’s pretty even,” said Longanecker. “We talk about it a lot and it’s really a big rivalry, but it’s friendly.” For some, their fantasy team bond is stronger than their original NFL team loyalties. Many fantasy owners will put aside their NFL rivalries to root for their fantasy players, and some will even favor the success of their fantasy players rather than the success of their NFL teams. Similarly, many owners favored a win for their fantasy team rather than a victory for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 2007 game. This shows how participat-ing in fantasy football can change the way many owners watch NFL games. Many fantasy owners started Eagles running back, Brian Westbrook, in their lineup in 2007 and watched the

Eagles games specifically to root for him. He was one of the top running backs in the NFL, and his game-chang-ing play against the Cowboys in Week 15 affected many fantasy owners. The Cowboys had zero timeouts left with just over two minutes left in the game. Westbrook broke through the Cowboys defensive line, ran twenty-four yards and kneeled at the one-yard line to keep the clock running. He could have scored and added an-other touchdown to his stats (giving his fantasy owners six additional points), but he decided to run out the clock and shut down any chance of the Cowboys coming back to win. It was a playoff week in many fanta-sy football leagues, and it turned likely victories into losses – and vice versa.The resulting outrage showed that many fans favored their own success in fantasy leagues over what was best for an NFL team. Even Eagles fans were upset that Westbrook deprived them of six fantasy points, despite the Eagles’ victory. Fantasy football changes the way people watch NFL football, and team loyalties can both weaken and differ depending on the strength of fantasy team bonds in relation to the strength of NFL team bonds. “I would prefer my fantasy team to win because it’s more bragging rights,” said Brenner.

League Rules:Money: Every owner chooses play-ers (can be from different teams) and can switch them out during the sea-son. League Champion wins a certain amount of money (previously decided upon).Free: Same rules as Money League, but no money is involved. Survivor: Every week league members choose an NFL team to win its game (and they cannot choose that NFL team again for the rest of the season), but if their NFL team loses, they are out for good; last member standing wins.Points League: Same as Survivor League, but no one gets eliminated. Members receive the amount of points their chosen NFL team won by or the amount of points it lost by (can go into the negatives). The member with the most points at the end of the season wins.

Top Players Week 14:Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay PackersRunning Back: Ray Rice, Baltimore RavensWide Receiver: Calvin Johnson, Detroit LionsTight End: Rob Gronkowski, New England PatriotsKicker: David Akers, San Francisco 49ersDefense: Baltimore Ravens

Swimming Towards States

Staff WriterRoyce Ilar

Island Pacific Academy’s swim team had its most successful season last year, with the most swimmers ever qualifying for individual and relay events at the 2011 state championships. As time ticks down to the beginning of the swimming season, the team is committed to reach-ing its ultimate goal of making it to the 2012 state championships in Maui. Junior Austin Hirstein qualified for the 200 Individual Medley and 100

Backstroke events, placing second in both events at last year’s state finals. Hirstein has been swimming for Island Pacific Academy since seventh grade. Last year, he ranked fourth in the state, set-ting high standards for other swimmers at the school. “My goal for this season is to get a state championship,” said Hirstein. “That would be nice and just training hard, do-ing stuff that other people aren’t doing.” Hirstein is not the only swimmer mak-ing goals and working hard to achieve them. Senior Christian Burgos is looking

forward to his second year of swimming with the school. Last year, he did not qualify for any individual events at the state championships, and that is one of his goals he is working on. “My goal is to make it past the first round at states, hopefully get into finals, because last year we only qualified,” said Burgos. During the offseason, the team practiced at Central Oahu Regional Park (CORP) and Barbers Point swimming facilities everyday after school. Preparing for the upcoming season was crucial to reaching the swim team’s goals. “We have some new swimmers, and I think that we’re going to do really good this year because everyone knows that states is coming up, and it’s more of a big deal this year,” said junior Liz Becherer. “I think everyone’s going to work extra hard.” Even though the team swimmers has plenty of self-motivation, support from fellow peers and fans can serve as a greater drive to do better in their events. “Coming out to the swim meets means a lot to the swimmers, and it helps us swim faster,” said Becherer. “It just encourages us to go out there and kind of prove that our school can do really good in sports and that we’re a really good team.”

IPA Sports Briefs

Here’s an update on some sporting events that occured after the

October editionSenior Jaymie-Rae Martin became IPA’s first student athlete to win a state championship, as she finished with a total of 1769 pins at the HHSAA State Bowling Champion-ships.

Also competing at the bowling state championships was junior Ian Shanks. Coming off of his second-place finish at the ILH champion-ships, Shanks finished 5th with 1731 pins.

In her second consecutive appear-ance at the HHSAA state cross country championships, junior Kelsi Teramae placed 18th with a time of 20:53 for three miles.

Joining Teramae at the champi-onships was sophomore Jennifer Borizilleri. In her first appearance at the HHSAA state cross country championships, she placed 43rd with a time of 22:24.

Varsity swimmer, Austin Hirstein (‘13) practices his butterfly. Photo courtesy of Colleen Carrington.

Local 7

The Price of Health

Sink Your Teeth InStaff WriterJulie Shelly

Ten years ago, if someone mentioned vampires, were-wolves, and sparkles in the same sentence, people would have given them an odd look. Now if the same items are mentioned people, well to be honest, girls, will go crazy. “Twilight” started as a book series, became a movie and took off. Going from a book to a movie is often hard to do, especially with “Twilight.” Most people who have read the books have created their own idea of the characters, like junior Mari Arakawa. “I liked the books; I didn’t like the movies. Each person has their own thought on what and who their perfect vampire is, and Robert Pattinson was not it,” said Arakawa.

The books made most people love the series, but the way the characters were represented through the movies disappointed some people. But appreciating a cheesy romance between a girl and a vampire takes some acceptance that the movie is not going to be a “greatest-of-all-time” film. Which is why girls com-pared to the guys tend to enjoy the movies more. However, senior Jackson Durrett, thinks guys might like them more if not for the unnecessary clichés. “It’s probably a good idea; vampires and werewolves can be cool, but it’s really girly. No love story, take out all the actors, and get good ones, and then it’d be good,” said Dur-rett. Jacob Black (Taylor Laut-ner), Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen

(Robert Pattinson) are not only known for being the three stars of “Twilight.” Each character has a different quirk that spans throughout all four films. Jacob Black is known for taking off his shirt throughout the movies. Bella will comb her hand through her hair at different times. Edward has this intense look of being uncom-fortable at various parts of the movies. These signature moves have even reached a level that rivals the actor’s popularity them-selves. The chart below shows how many times in each movie the character does their signature move. Decide for yourself whether you are a “Twilight” fan, either way enjoy some statistics on a worldwide phe-nomenon.

Jacob Takes Off His Shirt

Bella Runs Her Hand Through

Her Hair

Edward Looks Uncomfortable

Twilight

New Moon

Eclipse

BreakingDawn Pt. 1

Is eating healthy worth it?Staff Writer

Sarah Batten

Multi-grain Cheerios or Fruit Loops? Subway or Burger King? Nature Valley bar or Snickers? People are faced with such dilemmas each day. Every bite is a choice that will have an impact on an individual’s health and wallet. “I’ll choose the cheaper portion of food, but if my dad is buying, then I will get the expensive healthy food,” said senior Kaila Onaga. Many people are discour-aged from purchasing healthy items of food, such as whole wheat bread or Veggie Straws, because of the rising costs. Resorting to the unhealthy

sections of the grocery store is common, with its enticing salty and sugary treats, including oily chips and frosted cakes. According to the New York Times, as of 2009, only 26 per-cent of adults had the recom-mended three or more servings a day of vegetables despite the increasingly widespread availability of healthy greens and organic foods throughout stores and restaurants. Members of the Kapolei community have greater op-portunities to make healthier choices at mealtime with the recent expansion of Down to Earth in July of this year. As an all-vegetarian store, Down to Earth is known for advocating a healthy lifestyle

by selling organic and natural foods to the public. “I don’t mind paying it but I would appreciate lower prices [at Down to Earth],” said junior Maxine Rongcal. Even without consider-ing the cost, many would still prefer the unhealthy option. “I don’t maintain a healthy diet because I’m a kid,” said senior Nicole Harris. “The healthy stuff doesn’t taste good so it’s not worth the cost.” Affordability and enticing taste are both factors in the public’s inclination towards fast food places and the resistance towards healthy food. However, regularly submit-ting to these hunger cravings may cause individuals to make

sacrifices regarding their physi-cal well-being as they attempt to save a few extra dollars. In the long run, these decisions may not produce the same positive effects a healthy diet has on an individual’s health. According to the Ameri-can Diabetes Association, it is projected that as many as one in three Americans will have diabetes by 2050. Diabetes is a lifelong condi-tion of high levels of sugar in the blood and a lack of insulin, resulting in the body’s inability to store sugar in muscle, fat, and liver cells. Health foods can neither cure nor assure the prevention of future health problems, such

as diabetes. According to stud-ies by the Mayo Clinic, making healthy choices will make a dif-ference in the severity of health conditions. Studies and research on the effects food has on the human body frequently promote the advantages of a healthy diet and increasing the availability of these foods to the public. Consumers are responsible for weighing out the options and deciding what is more important to them. Short-term taste over long-term health benefits? Ulti-mately, the choice lies with the individual.

Staff WriterJosh Ayers

Walmart has nine stores in Hawaii, six of them on Oahu, and the newest being built in Kapolei following five years of deliberation over community concerns. A 25-acre piece of com-mercially zoned land situated between the intersection of Far-rington Highway & Makakilo Drive and the neighborhood Kapolei Knolls was first con-sidered as a potential store loca-tion in 2004 and was eventu-ally purchased for about $17 million with serious intentions to build in 2006. The plans to build the new Walmart immediately raised concerns over potential traffic problems, delaying the beginning of construction until spring 2011. The store is expected to open sometime in early 2012. The opening of Walmart is expected to generate around 300 jobs, and for people living in the area, the store could be a close alternative for work. With unemployment in Hawaii at 6.4%, there are many candi-dates to fill the openings. In response to community concerns about traffic, Walmart waited for the completion of the North-South road and con-

tinue to strategize on making further traffic improvements to relieve any potential conges-tion. Planned traffic improve-ments include adding two westbound right-turn lanes, further lengthening two east-bound right-turn lanes and changing traffic signals at the major intersection of Far-rington and Makakilo Drive. However, senior Ashely Wayfield, who lives near the new development, fears the potential drawbacks of the new superstore. “I know firsthand that the traffic will be backed up even with the new turning lane, because I live right by the new Walmart,” said Wayfield. In addition to traffic and jobs, residents are concerned about how property values will be affected. Homes immedi-ately beside commercial build-ings can potentially experience an increase in noise and light-ing in the area. “I don’t think Walmart will have any major effect on the neighborhood as a good place to live, because it is not directly affecting anyone in a nega-tive way,” said Kapolei Knolls resident John Alton. Only time will tell how Walmart will effect the com-munity.

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Every week a new shirt is designed and sold to raise money for a different charity. At the end of each seven-day campaign, Sevenly.org sends the charity $7 from each shirt purchased. These limited edition, unique shirts will be a great gift that also goes to a great cause.

Everyone has heard of the TOMS One-for-One shoe program, but recently they have released a sunglass line with the same goal. For each pair of sunglasses purchased, TOMS will provide medical treatment, prescription glasses or sight-saving surgery.

Many people in developing countries do not have access to safe drinking water. 100% of the purchase price helps fund wells for schools and developing com-munities. The 20 oz. double-walled stainless steel design keeps drinks colder longer.

Charity T-Shirts, Sevenly.org The Water Project Water Bottle, $20 TOMS Eyewear, $135.00

“Under the Mistletoe”Justin Bieber$9.99 iTunesNew

Sounds of the Season

“A Very She&Him Christmas”She&Him

$9.99 iTunes

“This Warm December” Various Artists$9.99 iTunes

3 of 5 snowflakes 4 of 5 snowflakes 5 of 5 snowflakes 3 of 5 snowflakes

“Christmas” Michael Buble$13.99 iTunes

Section EditorKalei Uno

1. GoPro HD Hero 960. $149.99, gopro.com. With 5 mega pixels and 960 HD video, this waterproof, portable and durable camera is perfect for capturing the

moment whether it be a day at the beach or skateboarding with friends.2. “Harry Potter” Complete 8-Film Collection. $71.27, Barnes and Noble. The

“Harry Potter” film set is the perfect collector’s item for fans of both the movies and the book series that started it all.3. Forza Motorsport 4. $59.99, Target. Better graphics, more cars and

better physics. It is an upgrade from the older version of this game. 4. RVCA Trucker II Hat. $21.00, Pacsun. You do not need to guess hat sizes with RVCA’s flat brimmed trucker hat and its one-size-fits-all

adjustable snapback band.5. Roxy Heat Wave Hat. $26.00, Roxy.com. A stylish, straw

fedora with floral trim detail is a great and functional accessory for a day at the beach.6. Hunger Games Trilogy Boxed Set. $31.57, Amazon.com.

The popular young adult series written by Suzanne Collins is now available in one set.7. Skullcandy Tital Earbuds. $27.99, Best Buy. These

earbuds have comfortable, moldable earbuds and a thick, durable wire.8. Modern Family: Season 1. $12.99, Amazon.com.

Catch up and relive the Emmy award-winning series.9. Floral Flannel PJ Short. $5.80, Forever21.

These PJ shorts are comfy and casual for those lazy winter days.10. On the Byas Tank Top. $12.99, Pacsun.

This reasonably priced striped tank will make a perfect gift for any guy.11. Japanese Cherry Blossom Gift Set.

$15.00, Bath & Body Works. The perfume, body lotion, shower gel and

lip gloss set is perfect for any girl in your life.12. Old Spice Red Zone Swagger

Gift Set. $9.99, Target. This set is perfect for both at home or on the go with full-size and travel-

size products.13. Neff Flava Men’s Digital

Watch. $19.99, Zumiez. This watch provides

simplicity and style with its clean design

and basic functions.

HolidayGift Guide 2011

Gifts That Give Back