January 2015

Volume 12 Issue 3

CMSCourier

CASE MIDDLE SCHOOL

PUNAHOU CARNIVAL 2015

ISLAND
STYLE
CARNIVAL NO KA 'OI

February 1 2, 11 a.m. 11 p.m.

Free Admission

When all of the suggestions are in, a

to one of the juniors, its about

Stefani Sakamoto 19 & Edlin Davis 19

small committee of students narrow

elderly people in an old people

Everyone is getting hyped up for the

down the large list to 8-10 different

themes. After there are only 8-10

house.

Carnival N Ka Oi

Carnival of 2015, and it seems like

this Carnival is going to be the best
one yet. In fact, its even in this
years carnival theme -- Island Style
Carnival: Carnival N Ka Oi (the
best carnival ever).
Each year, the junior class comes up
with different themes for Carnival,

themes, the junior class votes on the

themes in an assembly, and the most
popular is the final theme for
carnival.
At this years Island Style
Carnival, expect to see the Zipper,
the Fireball, Pharaohs Fury, the

Be prepared for a thrill at Island

Style Carnival: N Ka Oi! on
February 6 and 7.
The Deans of the Class of 2016
suggests that everyone should plan
on going to Carnival on both days
and staying there for eleven hours
per day.

Rides

and according to Maya Hiraki 16,

Themes cannot be anything that is

mouthwatering malasadas, the E.K.

copyrighted, or something that has

Kiddie Land. However, there is a

to do with water, because it is said

that it always rains during carnival.

rumor going around saying that

Art Gallery
In thisFood
Issue:

there is going to be a new ride. But

POPS 2015

Fernandez games, and our Punahou

Although
comingdolor
up withmet
a theme
you have to wait until Carnival to
lorem ipsum
set
may
seem
like itparum
doesnt take muchwww.facebook.com/PunahouCarnival2015
find out.
quam
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Find us on

work, think again. Coming up with

an original Carnival theme is an
arduous process. Students in the
11th grade can give suggestions.

Get ready for the Variety Show!

The theme this year is Over the Hill
and Picking Up Speed. According

White Elephant
2
Games

Super Bowl

Relationships
Dating in Middle School

6
14
20

Art from Maya Hiraki 16 &

Photo by Stefani Sakamoto 19

Carnival Through
the Years
By Jeremy Lee 20
For the many
years in succession, a
vibrant, colorful
Punahou tradition has
come each year in
the first weekend of
February. Carnival is
one of the most
anticipated and
cherished event that
marks the calendar of
almost everyone in
this school, the city
Photo courtesy of Cooke Library Archives
and the world. Alumni
come from different
parts of the country and the world to volunteer and attend
the Carnival. For students, its a time of fun and
relaxation. For teachers, its gives them a break from
grading papers to enjoy malasadas and gyros.
If you go back all the way to 1914, you will see that
there was something called Carnival Week, which was
essentially a giant sleepover. Parents could rent rooms on
campus so their children could hang out with their friends.
Punahou was called Oahu College and it was a way for
parents to spend time with their children who boarded on
campus. There were no rides, or food. The Carnival that
was the most similar to the one we have now happened in
1932.
What was that first Carnival like in 1932?
The Carnival in 1932 was not called Carnival. It
was called Campus Day. The event started was held on
a Friday afternoon after a morning of community service.
The first Carnival raised $240 in nickels (which was
the most amount of money charged for anything), the
current value now would be about $4,090, according to
MeasureingWorth.com.
The Oahuan, the senior yearbook lacked funding
because of the Great Depression. The was not enough
money to produce the yearbook.Campus Day was held
to supplement the cost. During the Depression, when the
economy was at its worst in American History, the money
raised was an incredible accomplishment. The money
from Campus Day, as well as a private donation was
enough to cover the price of the Oahuan, thus enabling
them to produce the 1932 yearbook. Thus, a yearly
Punahou tradition was also born.
There were no malasadas at the first Carnival, but
there were drinks such as milk, water and food like
sandwiches, hot dogs and ice cream. Now, we have

things from world famous gyros, saimin,

taco salad to Hawaiian plates.
There were no rides at Campus Day;
they only came in 1936. There were 8
booths at the first Carnival. The games
consisted of things like bowling,
sharpshooting and pie eating (apparently,
some world champions were there). A
Punahou student from 1932 recalled
investing 15 cents to throw 3 baseballs at
her biology teacher. There was also a
photography booth, where students could
save their memories for a nickel.
Even with the exponential expansion of
Carnival, it is important to know that there
is still one thing thats similar. The money
raised still goes to a great causescholarships for Punahou students.

Pops Assembly 2015

By Siya Kumar 20 and Brynn Matter-Ramos 20
Fifty-two middle schoolers performed a variety of
musical acts in the 29th annual POPS Assembly on
January 27-30th in Twigg-Smith Auditorium. This
event was organized by Ms. Patton and Ms. Scanlan,
CMS music teachers. There were also four student techies
that have devoted a great bit of time to make sure the
performances ran smoothly. In addition to the school
shows, on the evening of Thursday, the 29th, there was a
7:00 p.m. public performance.
The students performed in the POPS assembly have
worked really hard to put on an entertaining show for all
of the middle school kids, family and friends. All have put
in a lot of time practicing at lunch, after school
and on the weekends. Our 7th grade very talented
twins, Madison and Jenny Yim, 7th graders, performed
Arms originally by Christina Perri.
I'm most proud of the student's growth and maturity
through the audition and rehearsal process. They took
ownership of their number and rehearsals, and grew as
performers and team players through their collaborative
efforts, commented Ms. Marlene Patton.
The performers are very supportive of each other.
It's a really special group this year. They prepared
greatly for the initial audition and then met two times a
week (or more in some cases) to get ready for their
performance. added Ms. Alicia Scanlan.

POPS 2K15

Kenny Aune 20 preparing to tap in

CUPS at the Pops 2015.

Keely Thompson 19 & Emma Ng Pack 20 dancing

their hearts out to Your Lips Are Movin.

Duke Kenney 20 & Dylan Cole

20 performing The Girl.

Kai Durkin 19 & Mei Lee 19 singing

a duet to Lucky.

Laura-Lyn Tan 19 & Jaime Tamashiro 19 end

there Dance Mix together

Zach Urabe 19 & Lauren Peiler 19 singing Please Dont Say

You Love Me to each other

Layout by Stefani Sakamoto 10 Photos by TJ Johnson 19 and Ethan Lung 19

Ingredients

1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter at room

temperature
shape in the center of each cookie.
cup confectioners sugar
cup all purpose flour
cup potato starch / potato flour
cup almond flour
tsp vanilla extract
Your favorite jam
1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
2. Cream the butter, confectioners
sugar and vanilla extract until
smooth.
3. Sift the flour, potato starch and
almond flour together. Add the
butter mixture. Combine them with a
rubber spatula.
4. Sprinkle counter, board, or other
flat surface with flour, then roll out
dough to inch thickness.
5. Using a heart-shaped cookie
cutter, cut dough into heart shapes.
Use your finger make a hollow
shape in the center of each cookie.
6. Fill each hole with about
teaspoon of jam. Fill the hollow to
the top with jam but dont heap it.
7. Bake for 18 minutes

Photos by Hana Murphy 21

Valentines Day Hallongrotters

By Hana Murphy 21

When it comes to Valentines day, I love cookies and sweets. My favorite

kind of cookie is a jam cookie. I like both sweet and sour jam in the buttery
cookie dough. The jam cookie I make is heart-shaped for Valentines Day. It is a
very simple cookie that doesnt take much time to make. It takes about 45
minutes from beginning to end.
Hallongrotter is a Swedish cookie. In America, they are known as
thumbprint cookies. Hallongrotters made in Sweden usually have a raspberry
jam inside. Hallon means raspberry and grotter means cave. The name is fitting
because it is a cookie with an indent in the top, where the jam goes.
I modified the recipe a little bit to get the taste I like. I used different kinds
of jams for the inside of the cookie. My favorite kinds of jams are: apple,
lingonberry, apricot, blueberry, strawberry, guava-strawberry, and lilikoi. I like
the lingonberry jam because the taste is close to raspberry jam. Avoid using
runny jam, because it might run over the top of the cookie in the oven.
The recipe for Hallongrotter makes about three dozen 1.5 inch cookies.

10 Questions with Mr. Aldrich

By Dylen Fujimoto 20
Mr. Andrew Aldrich is the Supervisor
for the Class of 2020. He helps
teachers and students in many ways.
The Courier sat down with this very
busy person to get to know him better.
1. Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Northfield, Minnesota
and grew up there until I was 18 years
old. I went to college in Minnesota.
Then I lived all over since then.
2. What made you want to be a
teacher/supervisor?
At first I wasnt a very good student up until 10th grade,
but I had a few teachers that really made that subject
click and I really liked those teachers. When it came time
to go to college I had to pick a major. I really respected
what teachers do in order to let a student succeed. Then I
said to myself I could see myself as a teacher. That
changed a little bit later. When teachers teach, it's not
because they love social studies or English, it's because
they love their students. My instinct naturally changed
from oh school is fun to the calling in my life is to help
student at what they do and who they are.
3. What took your teaching career around the world?
My first teaching job was at a smaller public school in
Minnesota. The school went through a change and
began to shrink and that meant the school had to layoff
a teacher. Since I was the newest and youngest I was the
teacher the school would layoff. Instead of looking for a
job back in Minnesota, my wife and I decided that we
wanted to check out other parts of the world and
potentially travel in Asia. First I took a job in Thailand for
a few months, then South Korea, back to the US, then
back overseas to the Philippines for four years. Then this
job opened up at Punahou and I respected the school
and the people, so I applied and somehow got the job.
4. What is your favorite thing about coming to school
each day?
The people and the energy and personality they bring to
each day. Everyday and person is different in their own
ways and I enjoy that variety. You dont know what is
going to happen each day.

5. If you could travel anywhere in the world where would

you go?
India, because it seems like a whole new world and I
love their cuisine.
6. Do you speak any other languages?
Actually I can read Korean but sometimes I dont know
the meaning. I speak some Thai.
7. What do you do in your free time?
I like going to the beach with my family, or for a hike,
and Im a runner so I go for a jog to Ala Moana or
around Manoa Valley. Since Im trying for my Doctors
degree, I spend a lot of time reading and studying. I also
really love to cook and I pretty much cook 90% of the
meals my family eats.
8. What is a fun fact about you?
Before getting the job here, I have never been to Hawaii.
9. What is your favorite food/cuisine?
Asian or Mexican food.
10. Do you have any pets?
No because we live in a smaller space and I think they
would need a bigger area. But if we had a bigger area I
would get a dog because I used to have one until I was
15. But my wife doesnt care for them because their fur
would get all over the furniture.

St. Louis Rams Players

Protest Michael Brown
Killing
By Jason Olaru 21

Professional sports player, are not

usually associated with politics.
However throughout history,
professional sports players have
publicly shown their political views in
public venues as a sign of protest.
Many professional athletes believe
their popularity gives them a unique
advantage to express their feelings on
social issues. One such issue is the
Michael Brown case.
Michael Brown was an 18 year
old African American who was shot
and killed by police officer Darren
Wilson in the town of Ferguson,
Missouri. There are many different
conflicting accounts of the case. Some
witnesses say he was running away
when shot, and some say he was
charging the police officer when shot.
A video also shows a man that looks
like Michael Brown robbing a store. It
is hard to say with certainty what
really happened.
On November 24, the Grand Jury
decided in favor of police officer
Darren Wilson.
On November 30, five players
from the St. Louis Rams football team
walked out on the field with their
hands up in a surrender pose. This
pose becamethe symbol to protest the
shooting of Michael Brown.
Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Jared
Cook, Chris Givens, and Stedman
Bailey held their hands up in this
controversial pose.
This is not the first time sports
players have protested.
In 2012, Michael Jordan and the
Miami Heat wore donned hoodies to
protest the death of Trayvon
Martin.
In the 1968 Olympics held in
Mexico City, two African American
men, Tommie Smith and John Carlos,
won the 200 meter dash. Afterwards,
they threw their fists in the air, showing
a humans rights salute. They were
protesting discrimination against
African Americans. Soon after, Smith

and Carlos were expelled from the

Olympics.
Professional players players are
great at dunking hoops and scoring
touchdowns, but they also play a big
part in political protest.

Super Bowl Sunday!

By Nicholas Laa 19

February 1st, 2015 marks the 49th

Super Bowl. The first Super Bowl
began in 1967, although it wasnt
actually called Super Bowl. It was
called The NFL-AFL World
Championship Game. Kansas City
Chiefs owner, Lamar Hunt, thought of
a new championship game after the
regular season. The name Super
Bowl came from his daughters
bouncy ball called Super Ball. In
1970, the NFL changed the game into
the Super Bowl.
In 1920, there were two different
leagues: the AFL and the NFL. The
two American football leagues
combined in and turned into the
National Football League (NFL),
which is what we have today. The
official merge began in 1970 and
started becoming one league, but two
conferences. So today, we have the
National Football League (NFL)
containing two conferences, the
American Football Conference (AFC)
and the National Football Conference
(NFC).
The winner of the Super Bowl wins a
trophy called the Vince Lombardi
Trophy named after the famous coach
of the Green Bay Packers who led the
victory of the Super Bowl twice in a
row for the Green Bay Packers. After
he passed away in September 3rd
1970, they named the trophy the
Vince Lombardi Trophy and each
player on the winning team gets a
Super Bowl ring which costs $5000.
There are 53 players on a team, so
the NFL would have to pay $265,000
for each team.

Tom Brady quarterback of the New

England Patriots has won 3 Superbowl
Titles.

Will
Your Favorite Team Win
Superbowl XLIV?
Alex Grossman 20
and Sky Shimabukuro 20

On February 1st, The 49th Super

Bowl will begin at the University of
Phoenix Stadium in Arizona. An
estimated 100 million people will
watch the Superbowl which is one
third of the American population.
That number is not counting the
people in Canada and Australia.
There have been 48 Super
Bowls, and 13 out of the 32 teams
have never won a championship. The
Pittsburgh Steelers hold the record
for six Super Bowl titles.
The Halftime Show attracts
millions of viewers. Many people
look forward to the halftime show
and commercials more than the
actual game. Katy Perry will be
performing two of her hit songs,
Roar and Firework.
Sports Illustrated Experts Don
Banks, and Austin Murphy predict
that the New England Patriots will
win the title. Terry Blount of ESPN
predicts Seattle Seahawks
will win 24, Patriots 20. He states that
Teams that have returned to the
Super Bowl the year after winning it
have an 8-3 chance of winning.
CMS Courier predicts that the
New England Patriots will win the
National Champions. The star
quarterback Tom Brady has good
receivers and tight ends at the end of
his passes.

Black History Month In

America
By Brad Zukeran 20
Black History Month celebrates
African Americans achievements in
February and is also known as
National African American History
Month. Since 1976, every U.S.
president recognized February as
Black History Month. Other
countries around the world like
Canada and the United Kingdom
also recognize it as Black History
Month.
In 1915 a Harvard historian
named Carter G. Woodson and a
minister named Jesse E. Moorland
founded the Association for the
Study of Negro Life and History also
known as ASNLH. ASNLH was an
organization that researched and
promoted achievements by African
Americans.
Currently the organization is
known as the Association for the
Study of African American Life and
History or ASALH. In 1926 the
association promoted a national
Negro History Week. The Negro
History Week was placed during the
second week of February so it would
occur during the birthdays of
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick
Douglass. Communities celebrate
with speeches and performances to
commemorate the week.
As a result of the Civil Rights
Movement, Negro History Week
grew to Black History Month on
college campuses around the nation
in the 1960s. Then in 1976
president Gerald R. Ford recognized
Black History Month and said to the
nation I urge my fellow citizens to
join me in tribute to Black History
Month and the message of courage
and perseverance it brings to all of
us.
Mrs Saito, social studies teacher
of team 7Y says, Every year I do
something different. Last year we
celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr..
This year I'm thinking about a

Research Quilt. We will go through

the research process and construct a
quilt square highlighting
achievements of a famous Black
American. The team will work
together in constructing the quilt
which we will display in our team
space.
Ever since 1976 all U.S.
presidents recognize February as
Black History Month and gave each
one a unique theme. Some of the
themes included America for All
Americans in 1976, Black
Women in 1996, and At the
Crossroads of Freedom and
Equality: The Emancipation
Proclamation and the March on
Washington in 2013. This years
theme is A Century of Black Life,
History, and Culture.
All around the nation during
February people celebrate all of the
achievements made by African
Americans from the past to the
present.
Sources: www. history.com,
www.aslh.org

The 57th Annual Grammys

By Alisa Masamitsu 19
& Emme Weisenfeld 19
On February 8, 2015, music
fans across the country will turn on
their TVs to CBS. Or, if theyre
really lucky, they can go to the
Staples Center in Los Angeles to see
the performers live. You do need a
big wallet to afford tickets though;
ticket prices range from $600 to
over $50,000.
The Grammys are one of the
biggest music awards around, and in
2013 more than 28 million people
tuned in to see some of their favorite
musicians perform and win awards .
One of the biggest awards is the
Record of the Year Award. The
nominees are Fancy by Iggy Azalea,
Chandelier by Sia, Stay With Me by
Sam Smith, Shake It Off by Taylor

Swift, and All About That Bass by

Meghan Trainor.
Album of the Year award
nominees are Morning Phase by
Beck, Beyonce by Beyonce, X by Ed
Sheeran, In the Lonely Hour by Sam
Smith, and GIRL by Pharrell
Williams.
According to
www.popsugar.com, Pharrell
Williams has a three out of five
chance of winning the album of the
year award because he produced
Beyonce, X, and his own album,
GIRL.
According to a video by ET
Online, Beyonce is now the most
nominated female in Grammy
history. Before the December 5th
nominations were announced,
Queen Bey and Dolly Parton were
tied with 46 nominations each. Since
the 57th Grammy nominees were
announced, Beyonce now has 51
nominations.
Everyone loves listening to
music, no matter what kind it is.
Music has a big impact on all of our
lives, and it gets us through some of
the hardest times in our lives. If
youre interested in knowing about
all of the popular music from the
past year tune into CBS on February
8 and watch some of the best
musical artists perform.

Beyonce is nominated for Album of

the Year Award for her album
Beyonce.

Photo by TJ Johnson 19

Instant Ramen
By Davan Sagara 19

Everyone loves instant ramen.

Its cheap, convenient to make, and
tastes good. But have you ever
closely at the ingredients?
Lets say that you eat instant
ramen in every meal for an entire
year. By doing so, you will be taking
180% of the sodium intake per day.
Eating more than two packs a
week will increase your risk of
having cardiometabolic syndrome
dramatically regardless of what else
they did to stay healthy, especially
for women. Studies show that
women who eat 2 packs per week
have a 68% greater chance of
getting that syndrome. 91.6 billion
packs of ramen noodles are made
and consumed each year.
One main problem with ramen
noodles is the sodium inside of the
soup packet. There are over 900
milligrams of sodium in your packet
of flavoring. Thats over 40% of
what is considered healthy per day.
The beef and chicken flavoring of
Nissin Ramen is made out of animal
fat and different powder to help
flavor the noodles. There is almost
no nutrition in the ramen noodles.
Its mainly starch. There are only a
few little pieces of vegetables that
are soaked in fat and the protein is
drained out. There are less than 4
grams of protein for your meal.
According to webmd.com,
teenagers should be having 46-52
grams of protein per day and four
grams is just a very small part of
that value.
There are also chemicals such as
bisphenol-A in ramen which affects
your hormones and prevents vital
messages from going through your
body. Many people think it is
healthy because it is just a clump of
starch that you put in water. It
doesnt taste salty so it should be
okay to consume right? It isnt ok.
I bet you dont want to give up
your noodles but after reading this,
you want to remain a bit more

glass, maggots, Band-Aids,

bones and even an eyeball in
hot dogs!
3. Microwave Popcorn Microwave popcorn is simply
packed with chemicals that can
seriously harm you. The
popcorn itself is usually coated
in preservatives and salt.
Additionally, they contain trans
fats which can lead to various
health conditions. The liquid
butter is actually artificially
The most popular instant ramen is 380 calories,
flavored oil.
14 grams of fat and 1,820 mg of sodium.
4. Chips - Most chips are deep
fried with trans fats that can
increase cholesterol levels and
increase the risk of coronary heart
healthy. A suggestion would be to
disease. Using trans fats in the
limit yourself. I try not to eat instant
manufacturing of foods helps foods stay
ramen when i feel tempted, but do
fresh longer, have a longer shelf life and
every so often. I eat it sometimes,
have a less greasy feel.
but very rarely, replied Gabe El
5. Popsicles - Popsicles are just water,
sugar or high fructose corn syrup,
Hajji 19.
artificial flavors, and dyes, but besides
water each of these ingredients is
Source: www.thestreet.com/
unhealthy, especially in large amounts.
story www.post-gazette.com
Although you may think that popsicles
www.huffingtonpost.com
are made with real fruit, they are not
the least bit healthy! The fruit is
Five Worst Foods For Your
processed and all the nutrients and

Body That Most

Teenagers Eat
By Emma Zheng 20

1. Energy Bars - When

you see the word
energy you might
assume that these bars
are good for your health.
But, energy bars are
often highly processed
products. Many energy
bars are filled with high
fructose corn syrup,
artificial flavor, added
sugar, and arteryclogging saturated fat.
Additionally, some bars
contain more than 350
calories each and youll just be getting
fat if you consume them without any
exercise.
2. Hot Dogs - The consumption of hot
dogs can increase childrens risk for
leukemia. They contain unhealthy
additives which may cause headaches
or allergic reactions. If this isnt shocking
enough, people have reported finding

vitamins disappeared during the

process. The flavors and colors have to
be added so the popsicles would be
pleasant to taste.

Sources:
www.mensfitness.com
www.eonline.com
www.science.howstuffworks.com

radio or on your mobile phone.

When the app is activated, the
app automatically identifies the
song and the artist. Then the app
asks if you want to download the
song to iTunes, but this is
optional.

Copyright free photo from the internet

Interesting Apps
By Stefan Yim 19 and Brandon Hong 19

Roses Are Red,

Chocolates Are
Yummy, What Will You Get
From Your Honey?

Photos by Ivan Ruan 20

made from cacao

beans that the Aztecs and the
Mayans believed were mythical.
Cacao was used in birth, marriage
and death rituals.
Red roses are a symbol of love.
It is believed that, Venus, the Roman
goddess of love, favored red roses
thus making it a symbol of romantic
love.
So what do Case Middle School
students and teachers prefer on
Valentines Day?
According to the Cable News
Network, chocolate farming will

By Ivan Ruan 20
There are quite a few interesting
Valentine's Day is a day
apps on the app store, so The Courier
where
many give chocolates,
staff decided to review some of the
and
roses
to each other.
most helpful apps for a middle
Chocolates and Flowers are sent
schooler. Included in this article are
to a person express that you
reviews of: Cam Dictionary, Fleksy,
admire them. What are some gifts
and Shazam.
you have received on Valentines
Fleksy:
Are you ever
tried of using your
thumbs to type on
the inefficient
Apple Keyboard?
With Fleksy, you
can swipe to type
(just like Android
users). It requires
iOS 8 costs $1.
Cam Dictionary
translates words
that are foreign
languages to
Chocolates are a good gift for Valentine's day if you have a
sweet tooth.
English. The
languages that
can be translated
Day? What do you like to give your
to English in this app are: Chinese,
loved ones on this special day?
Korean, French, German, Japanese
According to Your tangle and
how stuff works, chocolate contains
as well as 31 other languages. All
endorphin. This endorphin is called
you need to do is point your phone
phenylethylamine and has been
at the text you want to translates the
linked to falling in love. When
text to English. The paid version of
someone is in love, their brain
this app is $2.
releases phenylethylamine.
Shazam is a service that allows
According to statehornet.com,
you to download a song that you
the Aztecs used chocolate in
hear somewhere. You can use it to
Wedding Ceremonies. Chocolate is
identify songs that you hear on the

Roses makes the most unforgettable Valentines.

soon be inadequate to people's

demands. This will result in higher
prices and chocolate that doesn't
taste like chocolate. Brandon Yee
20 stated.
Flowers are more meaningful
when they are given simply because
someone wants to make your day a
little bit better, not because it's a
day on the calendar that says you
should go out and buy someone
flowers and chocolates, Ms.Allison
Rodden-Lee Science teacher from
Team 7X stated.
I don't have a preference, they
both show appreciation, but if I had
to make a choice, I would choose a
rose, because I can keep it and look
back and say "I remember that,
Ethan Nagamine 20 commented.
Any thoughtful gift is
appreciated on Valentine's day, but
I prefer chocolate! You cant eat
roses, Ms. Bross, English Teacher
from team 7X exclaimed.

CMS Happenings & Events

Duke Clemens 19 and his Kindergarten
buddy during 8X Christmas activity.

Zoe Uyeda 19 reading to her kindergarten buddies

Team 7Y Class of 2020 pose for their holiday picture.

TJ Johnson 19 and his buddy read

Eliots Christmas Surprise.

Zachary Urabe '19 picking up the pin at Punahou Gym

Aaron Kakazu 19 reads a beautiful Christmas
story to his kindergarten buddy

10

LeNora Suguturaga
19 taking a picture
with her acid wash
pants that she made
in wearable art

Uly Borek 20, Ty Okazaki 20, and Leon Yoshida 20 are working on
their sustainable Project Green assignment.

Maninoa Tufono 19, Ryan Pardini

19, and Connor Skorge 19
Punahou Intermediate Gold set up
on defense.

The Girls Intermediate Basketball team

is getting ready for their game

The Punahou Intermediate Gold Girls Soccer team at the IHS center
doing community service. Mary Soxpollard '19, Izzy Horio '19, Jamie
Shimamoto '19, KK Trifonovitch '19, Paris Sellers '20, Jillyan Harada
'20, Taryn Kaneko '20, Melia Waring '19, Jacie Shimamoto '20,
Emma Lalau '20, Anna Fujisaki '20, and Kaila Ronquilio '20.

Edlin Davis '19 and Kela Pavao '19 pumped up

for ILH swimming championships!

11

Layout by Stefani Sakamoto 19

Sweet Tooth Sorrows

Photo by Alexa Wong 19

By Alexa Wong 19

Valentines Day is just

around the corner and
what better way to
celebrate it then with some
red roses, chocolate
truffles, and hearts.
But what happens when
there isnt enough
chocolate to go around?
According to Mars, Inc.
and Swiss company Barry
Callebaut, demand for
These iconic red boxes could be the key to why everybody is a
chocolate is expected to
fan of chocolate during Valentine's Day.
rise faster than production
rates by one million metric
As demand for chocolate rises, so
tons by 2020. In other ways, were
will the prices. Prices are predicted to
eating chocolate faster than they can
rise as much as 14% by next year,
grow it.
TIME magazine states.
CNN reports say, in 2013, out of
the $18.6 billion spent on
Photo from
Valentines day, $1.6 billion healthnewsng.com
came from candy revenue.
It is a tradition to give or
receive chocolates on
Valentines day. Perhaps its
the iconic red, heart-shaped
boxes that they come in. Or
the sensation you get when
you bite into a piece of
smooth chocolate.
Whatever the reason,
chocolate is popular in
February 14th.
Making chocolate is
labor intensive. Each pod is
hand-picked carefully so not
to disturb the beans inside.
West Africa produces 70% of words cocoa beans.
The pods are split so that the
farmers can scrape the pulp
Consumption rates have gone up.
out from the pods to obtain cocoa
NBC news says, in Asia, Chinas
beans. They have to be very cautious
demands for chocolate have gone up,
so to not destroy the beans.
consuming double since the last
70% of the worlds cocoa is
decade.
produced in Ghana and the Ivory
Weve got to stop eating this
Coast, Africa. West Africas growing
sugary
confection before we run out.
conditions havent been ideal, drought
So,
dont
be overwhelmed by the
being one of the main problems. A
higher
prices
of chocolate, this
fungus disease called frosty pod has
Valentines Day. In order to avert a
destroyed 30-40% of the cocoa bean
world shortage, maybe consider
crops so farmers are losing hope.
giving roses instead for Valentines
They are looking into more probable
Day.
crops, like corn which are likely to

Interesting Chocolate Facts

By Leila Loose 20
Source: www.corsi.net
The Mayans Used Cacao
Beans as Currency
Americans Consume Almost
Half the Worlds Chocolate
M&Ms were invented during
World War Two as a way for
soldiers to enjoy chocolate
without it melting
The word chocolate comes
from Xcolatl, an Aztec word
that means bitter water
German Chocolate Cake did
not originate in Germany its
named after American Sam
German
Americans eat 1.4 billion
pounds of chocolate every year
Every single American and
Russian space voyage has had
chocolate bars on board
The man who invented
chocolate chip cookies sold the
idea to Nestle Toll House in
exchange for a lifetime supply
of chocolate
Hershey produces more than
80 million chocolate kisses
every day
White chocolate technically
isnt chocolate

help them earn a living.

12

Love Under Construction

By Edlin Davis 19 and Chanel Ng 19

Its that time of the year again; the

time of love, and cmon, its middle
school -- you have to admit, everyone
eventually ends up having a crush
sometime.
Have you ever obsessed and
talked to your friends non-stop about
that special person? Have you ever
had butterflies in your stomach
when you see that person? Here are
some tips that we have for you to
impress them.
Of course, your gut would
automatically tell you that you should
try to be cool, and that you should be
someone that you are not, to impress
them, but thats exactly the opposite of
what you should do. You need to talk
to your crush like how you would talk
to your friends. Developing a strong
friendship is important in relationships.
Be confident when you are hanging
out with this person. Dont act like its
awkward being with them.
Try to find things that you have in
common. In addition to that, look at
them from time to time when you are
granted the opportunity; try to see if
they glance back at you. If they do, that
might be a sign they may have a crush
on you, too.
Above all, you should be nice to
this person. Being mean teasing them is
getting too old and that doesnt
necessary mean that they like you.
We all have different ways to
impress our crushes. Everyone has a
unique way of approaching that
special someone. Max Nichols 19
said, Try to be funny when they are
around to make a good impression on
them.
Jamie Tamashiro 19 and Stefani
Sakamoto 19 both said, We think its
best if you become friends with them
and get to know them better. Lastly,

13

PhotoYim
by Chanel
Ng 19
Stefan
19 said,
Just be yourself;
that should be enough.

might help you to get your mind off of

your problems.
One of the best things you can do
is go to your best friend and talk it out.
Most of the time, its better if you let
your anger out instead of keeping it all
to yourself.
You can try venting to a best
friend and give them a chance to help
you out. Friends can be source of
comfort for sad situations.
Being rejected can be painful, but
you can reduce its effect on you if you
know how to cope with it. Whether its
doing something that you like or you
finding someone to talk to that you
trust, you can find ways to help deal
with rejection.

The Other Side of Love

By Hana Ogihara 19, Colin Yeo 19
and Aaron Kakazu 19

February 14th is a day where we

get showered with love and candies
from our loved ones. Valentines day
brings out the most sweet and adoring
side of everyone. However, everyone
knows that with love, may come
rejection. Being rejected by someone
that you care about can hurt a lot, but
here are some ways to help you deal
with it.
Rejection can come from anyone,
close friends, school classmates or even
your own family. This can make you
feel really upset or worthless, leading
to stress, disappointment, and anger.
But remember, you have the control
over how you react to rejection.
Doing something you enjoy can
minimize your sorrow, like playing a
sport. I went to swim practice and
swam it out, says Chanel Ng 19,
after getting hurt by someone.
If you play an instrument that you
love, you can take that and play a
piece that you enjoy. Perhaps going out
to somewhere special with your family

Photo by TJ Johnson 19

How to say I love you in

different languages:
Mandarin - Wo ai ni
French - Je taime, Je tadore
Latin - Te amo
Japanese - Aishiteru or Anata ga
daisuki desu
Spanish - Te quiero / Te amo
Hawaiian - Aloha Au Ia`oe
Portuguese - Eu te amo
Russian - Ya tebya liubliu
Italian - Ti amo
Filipino - Mahal kita

Relationships
By Clarise Huang 19

There are many kinds of relationships. Love for your

teammates is important.

Valentines Day is known as the Holiday of Love, and

most people relate it to a girlfriend, boyfriend, or
significant other. I like to think of it in a different way. A
partner isnt the only person we love. Friends, and
especially family, are also relationships that mean a lot to

Friends can be like our second siblings.

us. Relationships are part of so much of our lives that the

purpose of Valentines Day should be more for the people
in our lives that we love.
We should nurture our
relationships with our family. Parents
shape us into the people we are.
They spend most of their time
dedicated to us. We may not
appreciate some things they do for
us now, we will later realize how
much they did for us and sacrificed
to get us where we are.
Our siblings, for those who are
lucky to have one, will always
support us. We may bicker with
them a lot, and they may annoy us
at times, but in reality, our siblings
accept us for who we are. They try
to understand our problems and

listen to us. Siblings are like our best friends that we get to
see everyday.
Friends also play a big role in our lives, no matter how
few or how many. Without them, our lives would be pretty
boring. For those who dont have siblings, friends are like
the siblings that they dont have. We can choose who our
friends are, and they can become people that we trust a
lot and are very close to us.
Relationships mean pretty much everything to
us. All of these relationships have
something in common. How we treat,
act, and talk around them will make a
difference in the kind of relationships
we have with people. The way we
interact, builds our relationships, and
whether its a good or bad one, is up
to us. So the next time you are tempted
to say mean things to your siblings,
friends or family take a deep breath.
Your relationship with them is
important and you should always treat
it with care.

I am convinced that
material things can
contribute a lot to making
ones life pleasant, but,
basically, if you do not
have ver y good friends
and relatives who matter
to you, life will be really
empty and sad and
material things cease to
be impor tant.
-David Rockefeller
Photos by Clarise Huang 19

14

Valentines Crafts
By Ashley Broderick 20
& Leila Mukaigawa 20
Valentines Day is here.
Love is in the air and everyone loves
to give gifts to friends and loved
ones. What kind of things do you
give? Most of us love to make
homemade crafts and give them as
gifts. It is the perfect way to show
how much we love them on
Valentines Day, and it shows that we
put a lot of thought in the gift. It is a
gift from the heart. A homemade
present is the best way to show your
appreciation of someone. It is a
sweet way to show your love to
anyone and you dont have to spend
money on buying anything. The
person will be able to see how much
effort you put into your gift and
appreciate it more than a storebought gift.
Whatever you do for Valentines
day, make sure you are grateful for
your loved ones and give them lots
of love on Valentine's day!
Everyone appreciates receiving
food. A heart shaped peanut butter
jelly sandwich is one way express
the sentiment.
Heart Shaped Peanut Butter
Sandwich:
Ingredients:

2 pieces of bread

a heart shaped-cookie cutter

peanut butter

any flavor of jelly

a knife

napkins

Steps:
1.
Lay your bread down on the
napkins to not make a mess
after you get your

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Use your knife to spread

your jelly on one piece of
bread
Wipe your knife with a
napkin and spread the

peanut butter on it also

Place the bread on top of
each other to make a typical
peanut butter jelly sandwich
Press all the edges of your
heart-shaped cookie cutter

into the sandwich

Make sure the cookie cutter
has gone all the way
through the sandwich
Take the cookie cutter out
and now its ready to eat!

Our last craft is a cute little art

piece that we found on
funhandprintartblog.com/. It is a
handprint craft that absolutely
anyone can easily make.

15

Fish in Love Art:

Materials:

paper

sharpie

crayons
Steps:
1.
Place the hand that will not
be tracing on the left side of
the paper with your fingers
facing outwards toward the
edge of the paper (Try to
spread your fingers a little)
2.
Trace your hand in sharpie
3.
Do the same thing to the
other side of the paper
(Now you should have two
handprints with fingers
facing the edge of the

4.

5.

6.
7.

paper)
Draw eyes towards the end
of your hand, away from the
fingers
Put a smile below the eye to

make it look happy

Do this to both hands, and
now you have two fish
Decorate it however you

Lauren Seu 19: My most used

emoji would be the angry face, or
the derp face.
Alexis Sanehisa 19: Hmmm I
dont know. But my most used emoji
is the chocolate bar.

Weird Valentines Traditions

By Edlin Davis 19
& Stefani Sakamoto 19
Valentines Day is considered
one of the most romantic days of
the year. Its a time where couples,
friends, and family members all
around the world spend millions of
dollars, euros, and other types of
currency every year, just for a
perfect Valentines Day gift. People
who live in the United States are
used to giving gifts to our love ones
to express our affectionBut in other
parts of the world, it is celebrated
differently.
In Korea, the women give
candy to their valentine on
February 14th, while the men
confess their love to them a month
later, on March 14th. March 14th is
known as White Day. If you are
single in Korea, you have the
opportunity to celebrate something
called Black Day on April 14th,
which is an unofficial holiday
specifically for single people. On
this day, people who didnt receive
gifts on February 14th or March
14th, gather together and eat
jajangmyeon, a noodle dish.
France is known as one of the
most romantic countries in the
world, surprisingly has strange
traditions for Valentines Day. Their
most popular tradition is called une
loterie damour, which translates
to drawing for love.
On Valentines day, single men
and women of all ages call out to
each other until they find a match.
If a man didnt like their match,
they would send the woman to call
for a different man.
In the end, if women didnt get
matched up, they gathered together
in a big ceremonial bonfire. This is
the place where the women would
toss pictures and objects of the men
who rejected them. This event
however, soon this event got too
uncontrollable, and the government
then banned it. traditions.

Photo by Edlin Davis 19

Emojis vs. Emoticons

By Jaime Tamashiro 19
& Stefani Sakamoto 19
Emojis are used when texting
to express a feeling, or abbreviate
their messages.
The main difference between
emojis and emoticons, is that
emojis are pictures, and emoticons
are symbols. A cake, or lots of
faces with different emotions are
emojis, and emoticons are faces/
items made out of numbers, letters,
and symbols included in keyboards.

The idea of emojis were
inspired by emoticons. The
dictionary definition of an emoji is,
A digital image or icon to express
an idea, feeling or emotion through
electronic communication.
Emojis were created in 1999 when
the use of sending pictures through
texting increased. This inspired
Shigetaka Kurita to create the first
emojis. Today, everyone with
iPhones, Androids, and a variety of
different tech devices all use
emojis. The most frequently used
emoji is the red heart. Emojis are
useful in many different ways and
many people have thought of many
creative ways to use them when
texting.
The Courier asked CMS
students about emojis and
emoticons.
Alexa Wong 19: I like emoticons
better, because pictures are better
than symbols.
Kami Wong 19: My most
frequently used emoji is the pizza.
Maya Ricardo 19: I like emojis,
but I like emoticons. My most used
emoji would be the winking face
with tongue sticking out.

Gathering from our informal poll,

many people preferred emojis over
emoticons. Emojis have a lot of
very different uses, and have
become very popular over the
years as a means of communication.

Two Punahou Eighth

Graders are Finalists
Inspired in Hawaii Contest
By Hana Ogihara 19
& Colin Yeo 19
The Clarence T.C. Ching
Foundation had their fifth annual
Inspired in Hawaii contest. This
contest encourages children to
dream big and make Hawaii a
better place. Students from grades
K-12 may enter into any of the three
divisions; they can choose to write
an essay, make a poster, or create a
video. This year, two students from
the 8th grade became finalists,
Logan Laveti 19 and Ethan Lung 19
Logan and Ethans inspirational
public service announcement is titled,
Grow It Here. It is about
sustainability and growing our own
food, since 90% of Hawaiis food is
imported from the mainland and
other countries. Without the ships
that bring produce to Hawaii, we
would only be able to sustain
ourselves for two weeks.
This video inspires us to support
local farmers and to grow local
produce, even in your own
backyard.
Congratulations to Logan and
Ethan who are finalists in this years
Inspired Hawaii Contest. Although
they are currently in 8th grade, they
competed against 9-12 graders in
Hawaii. Winners will be announced
on February 18 in Kahala Mall
Center Court from 5-6 pm.

16

These are common side effects of diabetes

which people should look out for. When
you start feeling this way, you should
contact your doctor and test yourself for
diabetes.

There are ways you can prevent or

manage your diabetes.
Eat foods that are low in saturated
fats. People can obtain diabetes by
eating foods with too much salt and
glucose, or sugar. Eat fruits, veggies,
lean meats and fish that give you a
lot of protein in your system.

A Spoonful Of Insulin Makes

The Sugar Go Down
By Kiarra Young 19

Diabetes damages blood

circulation, so those people have
memory problems because of the harm
to small vessels in the brain. A senior
author at John Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health said, Factors
like diabetes are modifiable. If we can
better control diabetes, we can prevent
future dementia.
In some very rare and unusual

There are several complications that

you may have as a result of diabetes.
Heart disease is one of the most
common complications of diabetes, it
will cause you to have a higher risk of
having a stroke or a heart attack. When
Photos from Internet
your blood sugar is
constantly high, you can
have eye problems too.
People with diabetes are at
risk of going blind or
having vision drawbacks.
Over time diabetes will
affect your nerves and
causes damage throughout
your whole body. Another
consequence of diabetes is
skin damage.
If people accumulate
diabetes in their midlife this
will likely lead to their
Exercise and good nutrition is key in preventing diabetes.
memory problems later.
People with diabetes in
their 50s are likely to have dementia in
cases, people are born with diabetes
their 70s. Scientists examined 13,351
and cant help it because it is just a
African American and Caucasian adults
genetic possibility.
between the ages of 48 to 67 years old.
However, I lost my Aunty a few
They were all tested for diabetes and
years ago because of diabetes. She
pre diabetes. 13% of them started out
developed diabetes, at a pretty young
with diabetes. The scientists studied their
age. I want to warn people of how it
memory, reasoning, problem solving
can complicate their body now and in
and planning.
the future
In the end, John Hopkins Bloomberg
It is never too early to prevent
School of Public Health found that
diabetes. So the next time you have a
people with diabetes had a 30% larger
choice between eating a chocolate bar
decline in mental sharpness than people
and eating an apple, I hope you choose
who werent diabetic.
wisely.

17

Limit portion sizes. A plate trick is to

fill half of your plate with fruits and
veggies, quarter of lean meats and
the other quarter of whole grain
foods.
Exercise daily. Start off by taking
small steps like walking for a half an
hour each day. Then you can start
building up by running or even
weight lifting to keep your body in
shape.
Dont smoke. Smoking affects your
health negatively in many ways.
According to Times magazine,
smoking raises your blood sugar
levels and makes it harder for
diabetics to control their disease.

5 Ways to Cut Down on Sugar

By Ally Kwong 20
Source: time.com
1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

Dont try to block out all of

the sugar at once. Try to
satisfy your sweet cravings
with unrefined sugar.
Read the nutrition labels on
food products. You would be
surprised of many savory
foods have sugar in it.
Make sure to read the labels
carefully. Look at the
ingredients that refer to
sugar. (High-fructose corn
syrup, corn sweeteners, etc.
Make guidelines of which
sugars you are willing to eat.
(Artificial, refined, etc.)
Make a time span. A
suggested time is 72 hours. It
is said to be long enough for
your taste buds to adjust to
sugar.

History of Groundhog Day

By Elton Orbito 21
According to legend, if a
groundhog sees his shadow then
winter will last for six more weeks. If
the day is cloudy, and the
groundhog doesnt see his shadow
then it means winter is over.
Groundhog Day is always
celebrated on the second day of
February, but why do we celebrate
this day? How did this day become
a tradition?
This tradition started a long time
ago in a country far, far away, as
something different. It was originally
a day called Candlemas Day, a
Christian tradition in Europe. On this
day, people of the church would
bless and give people a candle to
put by their window. The candles
represented how long and cold
winter would be. If that day was
sunny, winter would last another six
weeks. If the day was cloudy, it
meant that there was an early
spring.
Copyright free photo from Internet

Punxatawney Phil comes out of his hole on February 2

in Pennsylvania.

The Germans expanded on this.

Instead of using candles, they used
an animal. They chose the hedgehog
to determine how long winter would
last. When German settlers came to
America, they brought this tradition
with them.

Hence we have
this tradition today,
after many
generations, and we
still celebrate it today.
The only difference is
that we use a
groundhog, because
hedgehogs dont
inhabit America while
groundhogs do.
Therefore we use a
groundhog to predict
the weather.
Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil
predicts how long winter will last
when he comes of his hole on each
year on February 2nd right before
sunrise, in Punxsutawney,
Pennsylvania.
Sources: www.history.com
www.huffingtonpost.com

Bangladeshs Floating
Schools
By Eve Thompson 21

Twenty one third graders sit in

front of a dusty blackboard.
Ready to learn, these attentive
students wait for a new day at
Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha. The
fast rush of water echoes from
beyond school walls. This
classroom may look average, but
it is actually very different.
During the rainy season in
Bangladesh, rivers can rise up
to 12 feet which makes some
land schools inaccessible.
The limited amount of
schools and educated
teachers created a large
population of dropouts. Shocked
by the amount of undereducated
children and adults, Bangladeshi
Architect Mohammed Rezwan
decided to create Shidhulai
Swanirvar Sangstha- non-profit

floating schools. These schools were

not very well funded until the world
started to catch on. In 2003 Rezwan
received $5,000 USD (United States
dollars) from the Global fund for
Children, $10,000 USD from Levi
Foundation, and in 2005 $1 million
USD from Bill and Melinda Gates
foundation. These huge donations
allowed the organization to expand
far beyond its original state. Not
only did Rezwan create a
weatherproof school, but the boats
are also solar powered.
The growth of the school has
not only been with funding, but in
population too. There are currently
70,000 students for a fleet of 111
boats are filled with children and
adults. Only twenty two of the boats
are schools, while the other boats
are used for adult education centers,
health clinics, and libraries.
Source: dogonews.com

18

Get Ready for The Oscars!

By Tyler Murakami 21

more of a critical and artistic

audience, instead of a general
audience. Festival films premiere at
film festivals (Hawaii has one,
Hawaii International Film Festival,
HIFF for short), but they can also be
intended for a general audience.
For Your Consideration. These
are three words that are very
popular with awards season

The Academy Awards are a

yearly tradition that honors the
greatest in films, from best overall
film, to best animated film, to
original songs. Neil Patrick Harris
will host the Oscarson ABC on
February 22, at 6:30 Hawaii Time.
The Academy Awards were first
Boyhood was filmed over the course of
introduced in 1929, with the Best
12 years.
Picture award called Outstanding
Picture, and the winner in 1929 was
Wings, a silent movie about World
War I. The most recent Best Picture
winner is 12 Years A Slave.
The award, nicknamed Oscar,
after the designers Uncle Oscar, is
made of solid gold and weighs 8
pounds.
The top contenders for winning
Best Picture for 2015 are Boyhood,
Birdman, and The Imitation Game.
One of the newest categories is Best
Animated Feature. The hot
contenders for winning that are The
Lego Movie, How to Train Your
Dragon 2, Big Hero 6, The Boxtrolls,
and The Tale of Princess Kaguya.
Best Visual Effects is
always a cool
category to explore.
Interstellar is favored
to win with its
amazing visual
effects of space,
black holes, and the
5th dimension
sequence.
Art House/
Festival films are
always popular. In
fact, almost of the top
contenders for Best
Picture are all Art
Interstellar is Nolans best
since Inception.
House/Festival films.
Into The Woods has been in
What is Art
production for nearly 25 years.
House/Festival? You
know how Kahala Mall Theatre
always plays films youve never
approaching. They are
heard of? Thats art house. It
advertisements for films (or TV shows
generally refers to independent
around the time of The Emmys) that
(indie) films that are intended for

19

The Oscar Award was named

after the designersUncle
Oscar and was first introduced
in 1929.

also feature those three words,

along with a category they want to
be nominated for. Some will even
say All Categories including Best
Picture, meaning they want to be
nominated for all categories they
are eligible for. Some films this year
containing the All Categories
banner are Into the Woods and
Interstellar. This does not mean they
will be nominated, but they want the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Science to consider them to be
nominated for that award. Some
websites that predict nominees are
paid by companies to include them
in their predictions so they will have
a larger shot at being nominated.
If you are a festive type, many
people hold Oscar Parties, where
you dress up, and view the Oscars.
Some have elaborate costumes, and
some will dress casually. Some even
have dishes cooked, or cocktails
made that represent Best Picture
nominees, or other award nominees.
Oscar menus and Oscar Bingo
cards can be found on
www.epicurious.com.
Sources: www.indiewire.com,
www.epicurious.com,
www.oscars.go
www.imdb.com

Should I Be Dating in Middle

School?
Anonymous

Many of my classmates at Punahou

have had special feelings for another
person. Some may want to date their
crush. Some may get asked out.
What should you do when the
person you have feelings for asks you
out? How can you ask your parents for
permission? What if your parents
disapprove?

It is always better to be open and
honest with your parents. Express your
feelings about that special someone with
your parents. Letting your parents know
from early on how you feel about
someone will help them trust you.
Establishing trust is really important.
Discuss with your parents the pros/
cons of dating. Listen carefully to their
perspective. After all, they have been in
your shoes before, even though you may
not think so. They might tell you things
you do not enjoy listening to, but it is
important. If you are to develop a
trusting and open relationship with your
parents, they need to know you value
what they are telling you.
If you want to be a part of a
relationship, tell your parents exactly
what you would get out of having a
boyfriend/girlfriend, because every
parent wants their child to be happy and
get something out of anything they do,
including being in a relationship with
someone.

My parents and I had a discussion
about having a boyfriend recently. My
mom had a very lengthy response,
Boyfriends are a distraction.
Friendships need to be developed and
understood before devoting ones
attention to a singular person. Studies
have shown the kids who date too early
have more relationship problems in the
future. It distracts the child from
exploring all thats out there to learn
and experience. A relationship of a
couple is for the two people and not just
to say I like you and you like me. It can
lead to rushing to more mature
relationship issues such as body image
issues. It promotes peer pressure to pick
someone even if ones heart isnt fully
into having a relationship. Heartbreaks
and misunderstandings as a child in
relationships misleads to reactions and

problem solving in the future. It may

lead to thinking that if you dont have
someone, you mean less or have less
self worth than others that have
someone. There are no pros to having
a boyfriend, except for popular clicks
to establish hierarchy in maturity.
Even kids want to feel older so they
feel more mature and think they are
in more control. Kids that dont have
close friends or close siblings feel
they have at least someone who puts
them as priority. One feels that they
will always have someone by their
side no matter what or when. Kids
feel they will always have someone to
talk about.
After hearing my moms reply, I
felt a little disappointed, because her
argument was so convincing. It was
hard to counter. I know she wants the
best for me, but it is hard to stop
feeling something for someone you
care about.
Someone that can help you with
strengthening your opinions is Roni
Cohen-Sandler, PhD (Psychologist,
Author & Speaker), who wrote an
article about teen romance. She said,
According to research, parent-teen
conversations about romance actually
help young people to develop
healthier relationships later on. How
can you decide if your teen/tween is
ready to date? Heres what I
recommend assessing: if they are
trustworthy, responsible, reliable,
capable of sizing up social situations,
respectful of themselves and others,
able to be assertive, ask for what
they need, and set limits, if they are
unlikely to use substances, capable of
resisting pressure, and if they are
able to communicate their need for
help. According to a study of middle
school students, students who over
time keep choosing healthier
boyfriends and girlfriends become
mentally healthier and better socially
adjusted.
After reading this article and
listening to my parents opinions, I
still want a boyfriend, but I see where
they are coming from. I know what a
healthy relationship should look like,
and I know that if I live up to my
parents expectations, I most likely
will get what I want.
Another thing to discuss is what
a healthy relationship looks like and

what it looks like to date your crush,

because your parents are probably
worried about what images you have
in your head.
At this age, in an unhealthy
relationship, you would be staying up
late to spend time talking or hanging
out with them, disrespecting each
other, not accepting responsibility,
invading each others privacy, and
disrespecting each others families
and friends.
Comparatively, in a healthy
relationship, you could hang out with
your boyfriend/girlfriend on
weekends and they would respect
your limits. (You would both talk
about what you want and come to an
agreement; if not, your crush should
respect your choices.) You would
have fun together, have patience and
listen to each other, and apologize
when you are wrong.
Both of you would respect each
others friends and you would text,
but not be staying up too late. If you
explain this to your parents, they
would probably be proud of your
maturity and understanding.
Since you know your limits and
their expectations, they would most
likely allow you to have a boyfriend/
girlfriend, since you know what it
would look like. They could keep a
close eye on you, to make sure your
grades are not going down and you
are not acting differently, to make
sure you are happy and healthy.
It may be difficult to discuss such
matters with your parents, but if it is
important to you, Im sure your
parents will listen if you take into
consideration of what they say while
giving your own opinion in a
fashionable manner.
Remember, if you are open, you
gain their trust. If you gain their trust,
you get what you ask for. And with
that, my dearest classmates, you
decide what happens next.

Photo by TJ Johnson 19

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