March 2014

Volume 12 Issue 4

CMSCourier

CASE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Maninoa Tufono 19, delivers his winning

speech about Punahou Prejudice.

Photo by Sterling

Damon Speech Gives Middle School Students A Voice

By Tyler Sakamoto 20
The Damon Speech enables me
to say whats on my mind. It allows to
express what I am passionate about,
stated Matt Fairfax 19, a finalist for
the 8th grade Damon speeches.
Damon Speeches is one of the
biggest events of the Case Middle
School. Students prepare for the
speeches in February and March. The
Damon Speeches is a Punahou
Middle School tradition since 1884. It
is a big part of the Case Middle
School students seventh and eighth
grade experience. Each student in the
seventh and eighth grade classes
participate in the speeches.
The Damon Speech is a 3-4
minute persuasive speech that all
students in their English classes.
Students take a stance on an issue,
and present it to their class. The top
two students in each class go on to
Team Finals, where two finalists from
each team space is chosen. The top
two from each team space go to
Finals in Dillingham. The seventh

grade finals are on March 10 and

eighth grade on March 11, 2015.
Each teacher prepares their
students in different ways. Many
teachers like to put emphasis on
finding a topic that is important to the
person delivering the speech, as it
makes it a overall better speech.
According to seventh and eighth
grade teachers, popular topics this
year include abortion, gay rights,
peer pressure, and sports. Teachers
also like to focus on the presentation
aspect of the Damon Speech. Some
have their students videotape
themselves giving their speeches so
that peers can give tips on how to
improve the presentation of their
speech.
It was a great experience, for
essays and other things in the future,
Meg Hoshino 20.
I felt that the speech was a very
good experience that taught us basics
on oral speaking and communicating
through speech. It was fun, and
thankfully, we learned skills that can
help us with many things in the future,

such as work presentations, Ray

Sakamoto 20.
I liked it, and I think it was a
good learning experience, Emily
Bender 20.
Although the Damon Speech may
seem like a lot of hard work and
effort, in the end, its worth it.
Presenting something like the Damon
Speech builds up many skills, such as
writing and public speaking.
It was stressful preparing for the
Damon speech if you werent
prepared. The idea of such a big
speech is intimidating however, I think
the experience really important so
that we are confident public
speakers, said Mari Nakamura 20.

In this issue:
White T-Shirt Cost
Welcome Dr. Priore-Kim
Chewing Gum

2
6
10

Comparing The Prices Of A

White T-Shirt
By Jaime Tamashiro 19
and Emme Weisenfeld 19

How much do you think a

white shirt should cost at the mall?
I ask Alisa Masamitsu 19. Im not
sure, but I would say somewhere
around $5.
Unfortunately, for most brands
its not as cheap as you think. At
Abercrombie + Fitch, youre lucky if
you can get a shirt under $20.
While at Forever 21, you can easily
get a variation of the shirt for less
than $5. What makes an
Abercrombie shirt so much more
expensive? In this article we will
compare the shirt prices from few
different stores.
If you go online and look for a
basic t-shirt from one of your
favorite brands, chances are you
wont think twice about the price as
you click the button to check out.
Before you even add an item to
your cart, make sure you look at
different websites to get the most
bang for your buck. For example,
on forever21.com, a Classic VNeck Tee is $3.90.
The Nike T-shirt is Dri-Fit
material, while the Forever 21 T-shirt
is cotton. Also, Nike shirts are
softer, a bit more comfortable for
activity and sports. Nike shirts might
not shrink or wear down as easily
as a Forever 21 shirt. However,
shirts at Nike cost about 10 times
the amount that the same looking
shirt at Forever 21 costs.
Whatever shirt you usually buy,
or what store you normally go to to
buy your clothes is up to you. If you
are looking for something cheap
and fashionable, we recommend
going to Forever 21 and buying a
shirt. If you are willing to spend
more money, and are looking for
something more comfortable that
2

you can wear while being

active, we recommend the
Nike shirt. Overall, both Tshirts have their pros and
cons. What you choose to
buy depends on what you
are looking for, or what
occasion the clothing

The average white cotton t-shirt cost under $3

at Forever 21.

article is needed for.

Hollisters Bay Street Slim VNeck T-Shirt is originally priced at
$17.95 but now priced at $7.18
while on sale. Hollister shirts are
made of cotton, and are super soft.
At its sale price, wed say it is a
pretty good deal.
Charlotte Russe has a reputation
for being a cheaper store, but when
it comes to their plain white t-shirts,
they can be up to $22, around the
same price as one from a more
expensive store such as
Abercrombie.
Abercrombie + Fitch is a rather
expensive store, but they sometimes
have good deals and their shirts
can cost less than $16. For
example, on sale, this shirt is $15.
The average price of a t-shirt is
around $18.
Even though there may be a
slight difference in the quality of the
material used, the shirts are almost
identical. Unless you want to invest
your money in a special outfit for an

occasion, we suggest buying the

cheapest available option.
It is important to go over the
prices of all stores who might have
an identical shirt for a cheaper
price, and not just buy the first thing
you see. If you are buying a shirt
just for the brand, you should think
twice about purchasing it. If another
store is selling a shirt made with the
same material which looks the same
as the brand shirt, for a cheaper
price, why spend more money? We
think you should go with the
cheaper option.

Nike Dir-fit shirts are softer and wont shrink like

Forever 21 cotton t-shirt, but they also cost 10
times more.

Photo by
www.huffingtonpost.com

Step by Step
One way that you could organize
your closet is
1. Take out all of your clothes in
your closet so its empty
2. Go through each and everyone
one of your shirts, dresses, coats,
and pants to see if you fit it
3. Separate the clothes you want to
keep and the clothes that you
dont want or dont fit
4. Put all the unwanted clothes in a
trash bag to donate to your local
organization

Organizing Made Easy

By Chanel Ng 19

Walk into any teenagers room

and what do you usually see? A big
mess: clothes just thrown on the floor,
bed or sticking out of the closet, bed
not made, and a bunch of papers
laying or falling off their desk.
Organizing your room isnt hard, here
are easy steps to fix it.
When you have a desk, you can
keep it organized by putting things into
drawers or boxes to clear space.
Smaller items can be put into
containers labeled. It shouldnt be a
place where you throw all your papers
and work on instead of sitting there
working. Have important documents or
a calendar? Get a pegboard and
mount it on there so you dont need to
look down but up.
If your closet is a mess, dont
worry because mostly everyones
closet is.
The biggest problem for a
teenager, is making sure you divide
your dirty clothes with clean clothes.
Usually our clothes are just in one large
pile. Getting a clean t-shirt is a gamble
in this heap of clothes.

After youve divided the clothes to

clean and dirty, its time to organize
the clean clothes.
There are many ways you can
keep your closet organized. Take out
clothes that you know youre not going
to wear anymore and donate them.
Move all long clothes (dresses,
coats) to one side and short clothes
(regular t-shirts, pants) to the other side.
You can put a laundry basket on the
bottom.
TJ Johnson 19 says, Ive cleaned
my room recently, putting all the clothes
that was on the floor into a laundry
basket that my family shares. Cleaning
your room might take time but its
worth it for having no clothes on the
floor and piles of paper on your desk.
You can organize your room however
you want but make sure you know
where things are.
I rotate wearing my clothes. I
keep track of what I wear by reversing
the hanger hook in the closet if Ive
worn the outfit. That way I know that if
I havent worn it in a year or so, its
time to donate it, say Mrs. Mazzullo,
Middle School Electives teacher.

5. Looking at the rest of your

clothes, put all the long clothes
(dresses and coats) to one side
and short clothes (shirts and
pants) to the other side
6. If you still have room under your
short clothes side, put a laundry
basket there so you dont throw
dirty clothes on the floor

Donation Organizations
Salvation Army
Home of Grace
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Goodwill
Kidney Clothes
Savers
The American Family Foundation,
Christian Missions
The Shoulder
You can also donate toys and household
items.

Source: www.hgtv.com

History of the Rubiks Cube

By Jeremy Lee 20
Photo by Jeremy Lee 20

The Rubiks Cube is the best selling toy in the

world.

Since the 1980s over 350

million of Rubiks cube have been
sold making it the worlds best
selling toy, according to USA Today.
It is seems so simple, but boggles the
mind of most who try it.
The Rubiks cube was created in
1974, it was never meant to be a toy.
Hungarian Professor Erno Rubik
created it as a way to teach his
students about spacial geometry. It is
hard to believe that this math project
has become the single best selling
toy since 1980. It started out as a
wooden cube, which did something
no one thought possible. It twisted
and turned without breaking. When
colors were added to the faces, it
became a puzzle.
After Erno Rubik showed his cube
to his friends and students, he saw
the marketing potential of such new
and different toy. However, living in
the communist Hungary, he himself
could not export his toy to the world.
His problem was solved when a
group of mathematicians took it to a
world toy fair, and there it got
worldwide recognition.
A normal Rubiks cube functions
like this: There are 26 total pieces in
the cube, the edge pieces (ones with
two colors), the corner pieces (ones
with three colors), and the center
4

pieces (ones with only one color).

The center pieces are screwed on to
the sphere to provide an anchor,
however, the actual piece itself
rotates freely around the screw.
The rest of the pieces interlock with
the center ones, which holds the
whole cube together.
Solving it isnt as easy as it
looks. There are over a trillion
possible combinations, making
tinkering with it until you get it very
difficult and time wasting. The best
ways are the situational
algorithms. These tell you what
sequence of moves to do when the
cube is in a certain position. You
can find this on the Rubiks official
website. This toy is a great puzzle
for young children, and for older
ones. Instead of picking up your
phone or videogame, try solving a
Rubiks cube.
Source: www.inventorsabout.com

The Sandwich that Started

World War One
By Leila Loose 20

On June 28, 1914 a man

named Gavrilo Princip stood among
about 20 assassins and a crowd of
people at a parade in Sarajevo,
Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungarys
ruler, Franz Joseph, is dying, and
with no ruler of the country,
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is going
to take over.
The Archduke features in a
parade celebrating the
anniversary of the Battle of
Kosovo. The Austria-Hungarians
think of this as a great insult, so
Gavrilo Princip and the other 20
or so assassins show up to kill the
Archduke for his offense. So they
line up scattered through the
crowd, trying to get a good shot
at the Archduke.
The first couple guys dont
get a shot, but one of the guys
throw a hand grenade into the

Archdukes car, and the Archduke

catches it, and throws it under the
car behind him. The hand grenade
explodes, and immediately there is
chaos. People are injured and the
parade is over.
Gavrilo Princips day is ruined.
His chance is blown, the Archduke is
still alive.
So Gavrilo Princip travels over
to his favorite restaurant to get a
sandwich. The Archduke decides
that, instead of getting protection
and shielding himself from his
attackers, he decides to journey to
the hospital to visit the people who
were injured in the incident.
The chauffeur who was driving
the Archduke, took a wrong turn.
Then, the driver tried to put the car
in reverse. In 1914, cars were not
made as well as they are in 2015, so
the car stalled, and died.
When Gavrilo Princip walked
out of the restaurant, he saw the
Archduke, and his wife, stranded,
right outside the door. So Princip
grabs his gun, and shoots the
Archduke and his wife. This fused
several wars which then resulted in
World War I, but if we trace it back
far enough, it all comes down to
A sandwich.
Source: Hardcore History podcast
by Dan Carlin

The Benefits of Home Cooked

Meals
By Ally Kwong 20

50 million Americans are served

daily at fast food places, according to
Statistic Brain. Start to eat less take
out food and more home cooked
meals. Eating home cooked meals has
many health benefits.
We consume less than half of the
recommended fiber and fruit to eat,
according to TIME magazine. Home
cooked meals can help you maintain
a better diet and weight, states
Washington Post. Eating a home
cooked meal can not only be
healthier, but it can be more
affordable, and fun. When you eat a
home cooked meal, you can bond
with your family. Join in with the fun
and help prepare the meal.You will

surprise yourself about what you are

capable of in the kitchen. You may
even find a great new hobby that you
can experiment with.
79% of Americans enjoy cooking,
30% love it, 14% do not enjoy it, and
7% doesnt go near a stove, states
TIME magazine.Learning how to cook
can benefit you by helping you in the
future.Economically, it can help you
as well.Here is a recipe that is
healthy and delicious. This
recipe is quick,easy, and
Spaghetti Carbonara: 20 minute recipe
something that the whole
family will enjoy.
Ingredients:
Time can be a factor when
Make for 4:
making a meal. The Courier
Bacon (4 strips)
tried this delicious Spaghetti
Carbonara and it only took
Garlic (4 cloves)
less than 30 minutes to
Parsley, fresh leaves (2 tbsp)
prepare.
Eggs, large (2)

Spaghetti (8 oz)
salt and pepper (amount will vary)
Parmesan, grated, optional ( cup)

Instructions:
1. Boil the pasta as directed in
box. Reserve cup of water.
Drain the pasta well.
2. In a small bowl, whip eggs and
parmesan together. Set aside.
3. Chop bacon. Cook bacon, at
medium heat, until brown and
crispy.
4. Stir the bacon in garlic for
about 1 minute.
5. Reduce heat to low.
6. working quickly, stir in pasta,
and egg mixture. Gently toss to
combine.
7. Season with pepper and salt
8. Add 1 tbsp of pasta water until
desired consistency.
9. Enjoy!

Photos by Ally Kwong

Photo Courtesy of Communications Department

A New Jr. School Principal

By Davan Sagara 19
Dr. Walker will be leaving
Punahou at the end of this school
year. Dr. Priore-Kim will be taking
over as the New Junior School
Principal. As of January 22, 2015,
the Punahou Committee was
searching for a new Dean to replace
Dr. P-K. I liked Dr. Walker, and I am
sad to see him leave Punahou, says
Nicholas Laa 19.
Dr. Walker has been working
with Punahou for 16 years. During his
time here, he initiated many
programs such as the 1:1 technology
program, the K-8 inquiry based
program, the Brain Symposium
which helped educate how the brain
works, and many components that
the Punahou students use. He hired
most of the Jr. School staff, which
includes Mr. Jackson of team 7W. Dr.
Walker led the design process of the
new buildings such as the Omidyar
K-1 Neighborhood, All of Case, and
the new 2-5th grade facilities which
includes the Music and Art facilities.
Dr. Walker will be working at San
Francisco Day School next year.
Recently, Dr. P-K has her
doctorates degree in Professional
6

Education. Dr. PrioreKim is a Punahou alumni

from the graduating
class of 1976. She was a
substitute and summer
school teacher for a
while, and has worked
with Punahou full time
for about nine years.
She worked in Case
Middle School, where
she taught social studies,
and later moved to the
Luke Center to run
community service
activities. For the past 8
years, she was the
Academy dean for the
high school classes of
2011 and 2015.
When she transitions back into the
Junior School, she plans on
learning the foundations of
education and interacting with the
teachers, students, and faculty
members.
Dr. P-K is grateful for all that
Dr. Walker has done, and wants
to rejoin her old colleagues and
meet the new students. Dr. Scott
says that she will do well in the
position. Dr. Priore-Kim will
succeed strong, stable, visionary,
and accomplished leadership,
said Dr. Scott to the Jr. School
Faculty.
The class of 2015, who had
the opportunity to have her as
their dean say that they love her..
Shes a great dean. She is very
interested in seeing our grade
succeed, says Hisao Simon 15.
She's supportive of your
decisions while also making sure
you don't make the wrong ones.
Shes a great resource and she is
also very understanding, Simon
adds.

An Interview with
Dr. Priore-Kim
1. Why did you decide to come
back to Punahou to work?
I actually never left Punahou. I
began my career at Punahou in
the middle school. About nine
years ago, I left Case Middle
School (where I taught Social
Studies) and worked for one year
in the Luke Center for Public
Service, where I supported K-12
service learning projects. After
that, I moved to the Academy,
where I've been a dean for the
last 7 1/2 years.
2. What do you plan to do when
you start working in the Junior
School?
Once I start working again in the
Junior School I'd like to spend
some time rediscovering the work
(and play) that teachers and
students are involved in together.
I'd like to hear about the things
that they care about, the things
they dream of doing, and the
things that they need help with. I'd
also like to generate some ways in
which teachers across different
grade levels can get to know one
another and converse with one
another in meaningful and helpful
ways.
3. Is there anything else you
would like the middle school to
know?
Dr. Walker was working very hard
to get Case Middle School
designed and built when he hired
me. I'm grateful for his vision and
commitment which has resulted in
wonderful spaces to teach and
learn. I look forward to returning
to those spaces, to rejoining old
friends, to meeting new colleagues
and the middle school students,
and to continuing to serve the
mission of the school from that
part of the campus.

Hawaii: The Healthiest State in the

Nation

Photo courtesy of Jesse Brodkin 19

By Mia Gaughan 20
United Health Foundation, American Public
Health Association, and Partnership of Prevention
all declared that Hawaii has the healthiest residents
in the United States in December 2014.
Hawaii has been the healthiest state for three
years in a row. A private-sector rating declares that
we are the healthiest due to our low rates of
smoking, obesity, child poverty, and our low
hospitalization rates. Behind Hawaii in the ratings,
Vermont was 2nd place, and Massachusetts was
3rd place.
The southeast states in the U.S. tend to be
unhealthy, with the most unhealthy state being
Mississippi. Mississippi has been the most
unhealthy state for the third year in a row. Behind
Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana are the second
and third least healthy states.
Jesse Brodkin 19 stays active and healthy by participating in team
We are blessed with perfect outdoor weather in sports. He also exercises at the beach.
Hawaii and it is no surprise how we are the
limes does contain flavonoids, It can help boost the
healthiest state. So go out and exercise to make Hawaii
immune system. It is also great for recovery.
the healthiest state again for 2015.

Crackers: When youre sick, You may not feel
like eating. However, if your parents insist that you eat,
you may want to try eating some crackers, because they
Sick Snacks
quell nausea because of their high starch content. Other
By Charles Yung 20 and Kauai Paule 20
kinds of bland carbs, such as such as rice, bananas, and
apples help a person cope with nausea.
The flu has affected many students and teachers

Bananas: Bananas are another good food to eat
alike this season. Being sick can be painful and can
when feeling nauseous. They are full of fruit sugars,
involve vomiting, stomach pains, coughing, and runny
which give a person a energy boost when that person is
nose. But there are ways for you to alleviate the pain.
sick. Bananas also are part of the diet recommended to
The foods you eat while you are sick can either make
cope with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Furthermore,
you feel better or worse. Here are foods that you should
they contain a coating which prevents heartburn and
eat.
ulcers.

Ginger: This was first found in Asia, and was

Bananas, crackers, citrus fruit, ginger, and
exported to China via India in the first century AD. Now,
popsicles are a good way to maintain your nutrition
India still remains to be the largest producer of ginger.
when you are sick. Staying hydrated and getting
The question is how is ginger good for you? Ginger
enough sleep are also great ways to prevent an illness.
improves the absorption and assimilation of essential
nutrients in the body. One tip when you have throat and
Sources: www.activebeat.com
nose congestion; Stir up some ginger tea to get rid of it.
www. paleoleap.com

Popsicles: Staying hydrated when you are sick
with a chest cold or a sore throat is very important. One
tip I have is to be sure to buy popsicles that are 100%
made of fruit to be more healthy.

Citrus: There is a myth that Vitamin C can cure
common cold, but there isnt enough scientific evidence
that it can reduce the length of severe colds. However,
While citrus fruits might not cure all colds, the soft white
layer of skin found on oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and
7

Android M
By Jason Tay 20
The iPhone 6 has
been out for more than
3 months, and it can be
easy to see why the
Android is totally
Photo from www.starkinsider.com
overshadowed.
However, Android fans
can rest assured, because A leaked photo of the Android M
stirs up some excitement from
the new android, the
techies.
Android M is coming out
next year with guarantees to feature cool new features.
According to techradar.com, there is expected to be
new features such as the Google wallet, Google Health,
Google Now, and home and car support. The design
and interface havent been officially released, it is
expected that the Android M wont be much different
than the current Android. According to techradar.com
history says we can probably expect to see it either at
Google I/O next summer or towards the end of
September.
One of the most anticipated features of
Android M is the new and improved Google
Wallet. After the iPhone 6 came out with
Apple Pay, Google attempted to make
something similar, the Google Wallet.
However, it wasnt really much of a success,
but with the recent Android handsets that
offered fingerprint scanners, the security for
Google Wallet is already set in place, all
Google needs to do is make some deals with
credit card companies.
Google Health, another anticipated
feature is a feature that can track your steps
taken and much more. It can also make sure
that you get the exercise that your body
needs. Also, because of Google Now, you
can get all your health info in a quick swipe.
This makes setting fitness goals much easier.
Android M will have new home and car support.
According to techradar.com, Google has already
pioneered the Open Automotive Alliance and signed up
the likes of Audi, Ford, Honda and Volvo. That means
that Google probably has some tricks up their sleeves in
making home and car support for the Android. Soon, we
might even make a GPS route on the Android M before
even stepping a foot into the car.

Android M promised to fix annoying notifications
and tweets. This notification problem starts when you
have a device such as an Android that is connected to
other devices. When you turn on that device, and check
your notifications, and then use another device that is
8

connected, the same notifications will pop up on the

device that you are using, even if you already checked
it. This also applies with tweets and can be problematic if
you have many connected devices. Luckily, the new
Android M plans to sync the device more efficiently
making checked tweets and notifications stay checked,
even on other devices.

After looking at all these cool new features that
are in store for us in the new Android M, the excitement
is starting to stir. Also, now with the new features and
more, the new Android M is shaping up to be a decent
smartphone. So, Apple better watch out, because the
new Android M might be its new competition.

Listening to Mozart Can Make You Smarter

By Ally Kwong 20

There is a controversy about the benefits of listening

to music while you study. Studies by scientist Dr.
Rauscher of Stanford University, claims that listening to
the right type of music can help you in different ways.
The Mozart Effect happens
when you listen to specific
Mozart sonatas when
youre doing work. Mozart
music will activate your left
and right brain according to
HowtoLearn.com.
When you listen to Mozart
sonatas, your left and right
brain gives you maximum
learning or retention, which
helps with many things like
better test scores and stress.
The Mozart Effect not only
can help with school work,
but it can also help with
people who have learning
disabilities. It can calm them
down, so they can get their
work done. This effect can change people with learning
disabilities lives forever.
The Mozart Effect mainly helps with spatial temporal
reasoning, according to the Journal of the Royal Society
of Medicine (JRSM). Spatial temporal reasoning is
letting you see patterns and puzzles easily.
However, some accounts claim that listening to
Mozart music dont result in improvement and on
general intelligence.
Listening to classical music helps with school work.
Music is a powerful concept that can do wonders for
many student. So the next time you are studying, listen
to Mozarts Sonata in D.

Is Perfection Ruining Our

Lives?
By Emma Zheng 20

What is perfection? Perfection is

the state or condition being free of
all flaws, according to Google
Dictionary. Many strive for
perfection. They do everything as
perfectly as possible to reach this
stage. Most teenagers are
programed to look at the
imperfections and focus on the part.
What is perfection for teenagers?
Perfection for teenagers could vary
from the type of phone you have to
the type of grades you get in school.
Teens have plenty of stress from
teachers, parent their peers and most
importantly themselves.
Striving for perfection
overwhelms many teenagers and
cause stress. It may be true that in
order to get into a "top college," (as
narrowly defined by US News and
World Report) students need to
present themselves as superhuman.
However, this presentation is
rarely established in reality and
therefore forces many students to
compromise their integrity in order to
enhance their resumes. Every kid
needs to feel that they can make a
major contribution to society. When
our heroes are only sports stars and
performers, most teens learn that
they'll never be a hero.
If we help them understand that
teachers, firefighters, and social
workers are also heroes, they
understand how much each of them
can make a difference. When we
build up this generation as filled with
"super people", we bring down those
striving for perfection to self-doubt
and fear of failure.
People who seek perfection are
extremely sensitive to judgments of
others. In fact, these judgments are
usually imagined. After all, someone
else can't really judge you unless
you ask or confirm with him or her.

But what if we were

programmed to look for growth and
effort instead of achievement? Our
lives would be extremely different.
There would be nothing called
perfection. Changing from fixed
mindset to growth mindset could take
some time and persistence, according
to research by Carol Dweck,
psychologist, professor and author.
In a fixed mindset, people believe
their basic qualities, like their
intelligence or talent, are simply fixed
traits. They spend their time
documenting their intelligence or
talent instead of developing them.
They also believe that talent alone
creates success, without effort.
Theyre wrong. In growth mindset,
people believe that their most basic
abilities can be developed through
dedication and hard work. Having
brains and talent are just the starting
point. This view creates a love of
learning and an energy that is
essential for great accomplishment.
We have learn over periods of time
that perfection is a harmful to a
humans mind and body. It can cause
extreme stress, which is bad for
humans.
Achieving perfection is
unnecessary. We were not made to
be perfect; it's in our nature to make
mistakes. If we never made any
mistakes, we wouldn't have anything
to learn from. We would still be using
candles for lighting and horse drawn
carts for transportation.
Don't strive for perfection. Strive
for the best work you can do, don't
compare it to some else's and put
yourself down because they are
better at it.

Braxdon Simmons 19 was

interviewed by the courier about
perfection:
What do you think perfection is?
I think perfection as a A+.
Why do you think people seek
perfection?
People seek perfection because
they either want something, or
they are influenced by their
parents.
I believe that the purpose of
perfection is to have bragging
rights, or that it is a goal set for
them, like it is for me. My
purpose for perfection starts
with the goal my parents set for
me. They told me that if I got
A-s in ALL my classes, then I
could travel to Sweden with my
class in the spring time. I worked
as hard as I can so I could
attend the trip, and I still am!

Photo by Charles Yung 20

9
Photo by Kauai Paule 20

Chewing gum might help students think better

in class.

Chewing Gum
Can Help You Focus Better
By Mia Gaughan 20

Chewing gum has been around

since the early 1900s, yet people
have recently began to figure out
the positive side about it, besides
tasting good. It turns out that gum
helps you focus better, and also
helps your memory.
In 2011, Serge Onyper of NBC
News, and three undergraduates
from St. Lawrence University did a
study trying to find out if chewing
gum helps to improve your test
scores. They found out that those
who chewed gum showed strength
in their memory during the tests. But
the improvement only lasted about
15-20 minutes after the gum had
been fully chewed.
In 2012, the British Journal of
Psychology recorded an experiment
similar to the previous one. Each
group consisted of 20 people, and
both groups were asked to listen to
a 30 minute recording of numbers.
One of the groups chewed gum,
while the other group didnt. After
the groups finished listening to the
recording, they were asked to try
repeat the sequence. The group
who had chewed gum performed
better when asked to repeat the
sequence than the group that did
not chew gum.
So why does chewing gum help
you perform better? According to
NBC News, chewing gum increases
your heart rate, blood pressure,
and cerebral blood flow. In other
words, it helps wake you up.
10

But chewing gum is not always

a positive as there is a bad side to
it, too. For example, when chewing
gum, you use up saliva, which
takes up energy and resources to
help you with more important
things needed to be done. Most
gums are sweetened with either
sugar or aspartame, and both are
not good for you. Aspartame can
be connected to things such as
cancer and diabetes, and sugar can
damage your heart and can cause
atherosclerosis.
Heres what some 7th Graders
thought about this subject. I don't
think teachers should allow this,
because gum can make you feel
bloated and hungry. Plus, many
students will stick the gum anywhere
they want to, says Cassidy Farm
20. I think that teachers should
definitely let their students chew
gum before their quizzes/tests
because their quiz/test result might
be better than if the students didn't
chew gum before/during their
exams, as long as there is no
bubble blowing/popping (it may be
distracting for the other students),
says Kylah Lau 20. I think
teachers should let kids chew gum,
but only during tests. My 4th grade
teacher let us eat candy during
tests, and I feel like it helped me
concentrate more and not get
distracted. Since experiments show
that it actually does, I think it would
benefit students to let them chew
gum during tests, states Malia
Ariyoshi 20.

Tetherballs in
Case Middle School
By David Melzack 20 and
Tyler Sakamoto 20

On December 5th, 2014 Mrs.

Kaulukukui and Mr. Aldrich had
four tetherballs installed in the
space between the two seventh
grade buildings.

Since then, you can frequently

see people playing tetherball
together during lunch and in the
morning.
It adds variety to activities
you can do in the morning, instead
of just football,noted Mr Aldrich.
It will be a good way to meet
new friends while having fun,
exclaimed Mrs. Kaulukukui, 7Z
team leader.
Tetherball has many benefits. It
gets people off their phones,
computers and other gaming
devices. Tetherball helps people
socialize, exercise and have fun.
I think that the Tether Balls
themselves are a little hard.
However, i believe it is good as it
gives people a chance to play
something besides football said
Sala Young 20.
Tetherball is really exciting and fun
to play, but I feel like it is a little bit
dangerous, commented John
Egami 20.
Tetherballs are a fun way to
meet new friends said Chloe
Balisacan 20.
Tetherball is fun and I really like
to play it, Kauai Paule 20.
If you want to meet new friends
and play tetherball, come by 7Z in
Case Middle School.

Food Facts That Will Blow

Your Mind

Copyright free photos from Internet

Countdown to
Worlds Most Bizzarre
Foods

By Edlin Davis 19
and Jaime Tamashiro 19

Fast food burgers are irresistible.

But did you know that one fast food
burger contain meat from 100
different cows? Despite this,
McDonalds still sells 75 hamburgers
every second every day.
Most people enjoy dairy: milk,
ice cream,butter, yogurt and cheese.
Did you know that consuming these
products could possibly cause acne?
Dairy products contain growth
hormones or inflammatory
substances that can clog pores that
cause acne. Although dairy, or milk
is beneficial to your health, just
always be aware of what can
happen to your beautiful skin Try
not to consume too much dairy.
Ice cream often comes up to
mind first when thinking of dairy.
Gabe El-Haji 19 said, When I think
of ice cream, vanilla comes to mind.
TJ Johnson 19 said, Cookies n
Cream is my favorite ice cream
flavor. Everyone seems to think
about only the mouthwatering ice
cream flavors, but did you know
that at a Tokyo amusement park,
they offer a raw horse-flesh ice
cream flavor? Thats one flavor
thats probably hard to swallow!
Eggs -- scrambled eggs, eggs
over easy, sunny side up eggs, and
boiled eggs. These are the more
mainstream things that you could do
with eggs, but have you ever
thought about the other things that
could be done with eggs? In
southeast Asia, mostly in the
Philippines, they eat something
called balut; its a delicacy. Balut is
pretty much a boiled egg, however,
in the inside, you will find a boiled
developing duck embryo, which is
boiled alive, and a yellow yolk that
looks like a brain.

Tyler Sakamoto 20

10. Frog Legs

Starting at number ten, frog legs
are exactly what it is seems. They
are fried or grilled then eaten.

Balut is a boiled duck embryo that is eaten in the

Philippines. People compare the taste to chicken
soup.

9. Kangaroo
Eaten by indigenous Australians, is
actually pretty healthy. It is cooked
like steak, then eaten.
8.Crocodiles
Tasting like a cross between
chicken and crab, crocodile meat
is a delicacy in many locations.
7. Damamian
A Taiwanese delicacy, it is pork
that has been left to rot for 30
days.

Surstrmming from Sweden, Surstrmming is the

stinkiest canned fish in the world.

6. Sannakji
Sannakji is Korean for octopus.
Apparently, they cut off the
tentacles of a baby octopus, and
serve it to you while it's still
wriggling
5. Surstrmming
From Sweden, Surstrmming is the
stinkiest canned fish in the world.
4. Cow Blood
People in Tanzania drink cow
blood mixed with fermented milk
every morning as a ritual.
3. Dung Beetles
Dung beetles, which feed on feces,
are eaten in certain places in
India.

Dung beetles are eaten in some parts of India. The

beetles are fed feces.

Mrs. Mazzullo, News Journalism

teacher said, I used to always eat it
as a child, and it tasted like chicken
soup to me. But I dont eat it
anymore. Even though it tastes good,
its pretty disgusting to think about.

2. Casu Marzu
Casu Marzu, a.k.a maggot
cheese, is a cheese made from
sheep's milk, known for
containing insect larvae.
1. Cobra Heart
In Vietnam, people slit open the
snake., take out it's heart, put it
with it's blood, and you drink
while the heart is still pumping.

11

10 Questions with Dr. Walker

Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Geelong, Australia, but I grew up in
Mexico City.
What made you want to become an educator/principal?
I have wanted to be an educator my entire life. Even in
the 5th grade I wanted to be a teacher - at that time I
thought it was going to be PE. I worked with kids in
summer camps in high school, then did an independent
study my senior year teaching academics, and I knew
then that is what I wanted to do. I have gravitated to
positions of leadership my entire life. When I was 27
years old I had just finished my Master degree and I was
teaching in a high school when I was called into the
Heads office and was much surprised when he offered
me the Head of Middle School position. I felt ready,
learned a lot, and have been in administrative roles ever
since.
What is your favorite thing about coming to school each
day?
When I come to school each day, I walk across Barwick
playground. So it begins with kids at play, and I think
about that, so I do a lot of technical work in my job, I
help plan new facilities and big projects. I'm surrounded
by kids all day long and I that is a special treat. I work in
an office but surrounded by kids and just think that it's a
good balance.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would
you go?
You know where I would go, but I was going to do this
summer but since we're moving, Camino de Compostela
in Spain and it's a 500-mile walk that retraces
presumably the pilgrimage of St. John. So I've been
reading about it, studying it, so it's on my bucket list.
What took you to Hawaii?
I crossed many oceans. So I was born in Australia moved
to the mainland as a kid and moved down to Mexico and
grew up there. Then I went to boarding school and
college on the mainland. But then my wife and I went
back and started my teaching career in Mexico City. So I
went back and moved around so Punahou is my 4th
school.

12

Mike and his family and their dog. From left to right: Chris,
Wendy, Mike and Matt. Hoku, their "puppy" is front and
center.

What do you do in your free time?

I just finished my doctorate degree so the last three
years, most of my free time has been spent studying or
what you guys call homework. I also for years I've been
doing marathons, triathlons, and open water distances.
Since I recently got surgery I've recovering, and since we
got a new puppy I've been taking her on walks.
What is a fun fact about you?
I speak Spanish and at home I probably speak as much
Spanish as I do English.
What is your favorite food/cuisine?
I'm partial to good Mexican food and my wife can also
cook Mexican food. She can cook chicken mole and
enchiladas.
Do you have any pets?
I always had a dog, and I've always grown up with one
and she's our 3rd dog. Every puppy we've got I've been
getting better at training, but this puppy she learns stuff
so quickly she teaches me. This is the most mischievous
puppy and also trains the best too.
What will you miss most about Punahou?
I've lived in Hawaii for 17 years, and it's the longest I've
lived in any place in my entire life. So what I'm saying to
people is I'm moving but I'm not leaving. I love Hawaii,
and I will be back, because this is where I'll come
vacation and be around. I'd much rather live Hawaii, but
my career takes me elsewhere.