Our Holiday Issue
Volume 4
Issue 2
The Case Middle School
Courier
December
2007
Produced by the Students of Punahou School, 1601 Punahou Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
What Is that Thing
on Middle Field?
“Everyone has been
very supportive,
and most people
understood the need
to look at alternative
sites for fields, and
Middle Field was a
very viable option.”
—Mr. Tom Holden,
Athletic Director
Photo by C. Sameshima
Canteen
Changes
By Colby Sameshima & Kara Tsuzaki
Y
ou may have noticed the
construction work being done
on Rice Field, commonly known as
Middle Field.
Well, it’s actually a new softball
field that’s being created, due to
the change of sports seasons.
Now softball and baseball seasons
are both in
the spring,
whereas softball used to
be in the winter, so now
they have
conflicts with
the fields.
Other
sports that
have also
changed
seasons are
Boys Volleyball, Girls Basketball
and JV/Intermediate Girls Soccer.
The reason for this change was
so that Hawai‘i would be able to
align its sports seasons with the
colleges and high schools on the
Mainland, because they were different before.
According to Mr. Tom Holden,
the Athletic Director in charge of
the Middle Field construction, there
was a Title IX legislation that was
enacted in 1972.
It called for equity in all athletic
By Leilani Riahi
“C
anteen is always something I look forward to,”
says Jackie Thomas, eighth
grader at Punahou School,
“and I’m assuming a lot
of other eighth graders
look forward to it as well.
But some kids, however,
complain a lot about our
dress code, and I think
that what they are saying
should be addressed and discussed.”
The students’ concerns were
raised by student council and
changes were made on Nov. 17
during the second canteen of
the year.
Canteen attire had become an issue among the
eighth grade class.
This is because the extreme heat, increased body
odor, and discomfort during
previous dances had been
blamed for taking away some of
the enjoyment from this event.
But because of establishing this
programs for male and female
athletes. This includes the equality
in the alignment of seasons.
To many Punahou students, the
field fence was known as, “That
big thing on middle field.”
Most people didn’t know what it
was, or what it was for.
But Mr. Tom Holden says, “Everyone has
been very
supportive,
and most
people understood the
need to look
at alternative sites for
fields, and
middle field
was a very viable option.”
He also
explained that
the new field
is going to
have a grass infield with dirt cutouts for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, home and
the pitcher’s mound.
This change shouldn’t really affect the practices for softball and
baseball because the teams will
still share the batting cages and
will continue to look at ways to
efficiently use the fields for Varsity,
JV and Intermediate teams.
The softball season officially
starts on Monday, February 4th,
so look out for some softballers on
Middle Field.
new dress code, there was a decrease of these issues during the
dance, which made the canteen
much more fun.
According to Mrs. Jenni Tyau,
supervisor for the eighth grade,
because of these concerns, the
dress code has been modified for
the well being of the Punahou
students.
This includes allowing girls to
now wear modest tops with thin
straps, including spaghetti straps
which do not show any form of
cleavage.
The canteen committee proposed this reasonable request to
Mrs. Tyau, they met and collaborated on this change.
After agreeing to this request,
Mrs. Tyau took this proposal to
the two other supervisors of Case
Middle School, Mr. Woody and Mr.
Lucas, and asked for their opinions
on this matter.
She explained that she was persuaded to alter the rules because
of the concern about heat in the
gym and the responsible man…continued on page 3
The CMS Courier
December 2007
The New
K-1 Campus
By Jackie Thomas
E
Wilcox Hall.
Photo by J. Thomas
Run for
Your Lives!
veryone who ever went to
Kindergarten at Punahou was
in Wilcox Hall. The beloved Kindergarten building has had some
pretty amazing memories.
“Oh yeah, I loved playing on
the computers in Mr. York’s room,”
said Kalia Medeiros. “My seat was
closest to the computer with the
best game and all the kids would
get in line behind me and complain
because I was always first. And
singing, oh my goodness, singing
with Mr. York was so fun: ‘We All
Live In A Yellow Submarine!’ Ahhh,
those were the good days. I love
you Yorkie-Dorky!”
However the plans are being
made to make a new K-1 campus.
Don’t worry, though, because
Wilcox is not being knocked down.
Wilcox instead will be used as a
house of the arts.
The idea of creating a new K-1
building is part of a 20-year master plan to focus on different grade
levels of the school.
Now that the Case Middle
School is complete, the focus will
turn to the K-1 campus.
Principal Mike Walker stated
that while they were building the
Middle School, they were also
learning more about sustainability.
The Case Middle School was the
first building in the country to
meet LEED standards.
The big idea with the new K-1
By Maile Blume
T
rudging down the blazing
track, sweat runs down the
faces of every student. A ten-minute mile can feel like it took twenty
minutes.
So why run? Well,
for one thing, it’s good
for you! A student can
burn 100 calories by
running a mile.
You can also lower
your blood pressure
by running, which is
a huge benefit in the
long “run.”
Running keeps you
looking fit and keeps
your lungs healthy.
Studies show that half
of an unused lung in
your body becomes
active when taking
deep breaths as you run or jog.
Running can also make you
happy. People who run are less
likely to do drugs or alcohol.
Running can also relax a person
and give them a piece of mind.
People who run tend to sleep
better.
Some doctors recommend running to people who have been
diagnosed with heart disease. And
aside from that, running can cure
many other sicknesses.
How’s it done at Punahou? Well,
Mrs. Diana McKibbin, one of the
girls PE teachers, has her girls run
Page 2
campus is to increase the focus on
the arts and make the campus a
sustainable environment.
Studies have shown that art is
an important tool in the mind of a
child.
Later on, if the child’s mind has
been developed in the arts, it can
do more complex math.
Also, by increasing the ideas of
the arts, it helps the mind with spacial perception.
Heading this project is a steering committee that has been working on this project for about three
years now.
The board of trustees is considering several times, and as soon
as the project is approved and the
timing is right, Punahou would like
to move forward with the plans.
To help with the project,
Punahou has hired Urban Works.
Lorrin Matsunaga and Gordon
Wallace are two major people
involved.
Punahou decide to put the Kindergarten and first grade together
because it would be the ideal
grouping to minimize the transition
from Kindergarten to first grade.
Also the idea has been brought
up to use “loop teachers.” This
means a child might stay with the
same teacher from Kindergarten
through first grade.
Mr. Walker stated that, “A mind
that is rich in language and in arts
prepares the brain for more complex learning in adolescence.”
every day (one or two laps) and
a timed run every cycle. One of
the boys’ PE teachers, Mr. Higgins,
has his boys run a timed run once
every two cycles.
There have been rumors that
the other boy PE
teachers have their
students run more
than once every
two cycles.
Both Mr. Higgins
and Mrs. McKibbin
have their students
do more “fun” type
runs. Mr. Higgins
sometimes incorporates the bleachers
in some runs.
Mrs. McKibbin says she may
do more fun runs
later on in the year,
though she has not
done many so far because of the
girls’ dance unit in PE.
Mrs. McKibbin has been on sabbatical for a year, and has returned
just this year.
She has been learning about
exercise and health and is structuring a PE program. She, like Mr.
Higgins, believes that running is
very important.
So next time you’re muttering under your breath during an
exhausting run, think about what
you’re doing for yourself.
The lingering question is now
answered: “Why run?”
The CMS Courier
December 2007
Page 3
Coastal Riches
T
his past Fall, the art
students of Mrs. Green
and Mr. Mosher took their
inspiration from the vibrant
animal life of Costa Rica and
showed their work in Punahou’s Kirsch Gallery. Here are
a few of the sculptures.
The works featured, clockwise
from top left, are by Tiffani Tejada
(8), Lynn Takeshita (7), Jackie Bersson (8), James Akinaka (8), Sachi
Yoneda (8), Demi Coolen
(8), and Elena Hoffenberg
(8).
Photos courtesy of Mrs. Green
The Maryknoll
Speech Meet
“No matter what
you do in life, it
always helps to be
able to speak clearly,
expressively, and
confidently—have
our voice heard
in the world.”
—Mrs. Kawano-Ching
Photo by A. Winnicki
4Canteen Changes
…continued from page 1
By Anna Winnicki
n November 17th, anxious
students and coaches from
different private and public
schools around
O‘ahu gathered
for the first
Speech Meet of
2007 at Maryknoll School.
At about 8:00,
the Speech Meet
began. There
were four divisions: Impromptu speaking, poet/
program reading, storytelling, and
duo/group interpretation. Speeches
were given in the classrooms at
Maryknoll Grade School.
There were about five students
per classroom and three judges,
including the timer. Twenty-nine
people from Punahou attended
the meet. About eight different
schools participated. There are
four different meets this year in
which Punahou plans to participate:
Maryknoll, ‘Iolani, Sacred Hearts,
and Punahou.
Mrs. Kawano-Ching was most
impressed with the participation,
high energy, and positive spirits of
the Punahou team. She also said,
“Our speech club is so lucky to be
built on the strong foundation created by Mrs. Kai Nelson, who ran
the Speech Club for over 10 years.”
As for what Mrs. “K-C” thinks
of speech, she added, “No matter
what you do in life, it always helps
to be able to speak clearly, expressively, and confidently—have our
voice heard in the world.”
The topics for impromptu
speaking are usually words or
quotes. Students have five minutes
to prepare and five minutes to give
their speech. It is designed to test
the student’s ability to speak effectively on a general topic.
For poetry/program reading, students are asked to create
a script for, and present a program
of, several prose or poetry selections linked by a theme.
For duo/group interpretation,
students present a cutting from a
published novel, short story or play,
with the goal of interpreting the
author’s work effectively.
For storytelling, students must
re-tell a well-known story that the
student is interested in.
Students are judged in categories such as the introduction, the
selection, insight and understanding, characterization and delivery of
their speeches.
ner in which the student council
handled the request.
“The modified dress code is
not only about heat, but it is also
about trust,” says Mrs. Tyau.
In the past, a more lax dress
code was used, but changed to
regular school dress when, according to Mrs. Tyau, the rules started
to erode.
During the second canteen,
there were no issues regarding
inappropriate dress.
However, Mrs. Tyau has made it
clear that if girls disregard the new
guidelines in the future they may
only stay at the canteen if they
change into an oversized T-shirt
or to adjust their clothes to fit the
rules
According to Mrs. Tyau, these
new rules should make future canteens enjoyable, energetic, and full
of eighth graders having a great
time, just like the last one.
“It is not that we thought inappropriate dress would lead to
inappropriate behavior. Inappropriate dress is inappropriate dress,
period,” Mrs. Tyau said.
O
The CMS Courier
December 2007
Do You Have Spirit?
Britney Lau, Punahou Girls
Intermediate Gold Soccer
Team, shows her spirit.
Photo by L. Stollar
Shelby Baron
on a Roll
She’s got her eyes on the prize:
8th grader Shelby Baron during a
tennis match this fall.
Photo courtesy B. Fergerstrom
By Lauren Stollar
S
trawberry Shortcake, Huckleberry Pie, V-I-C-T-O-R-Y... Are
we in it? Well I guess, Punahou,
Punahou yes, yes, yes!
It’s soccer season!
7th and 8th grade girls and
guys work up a sweat from strenuous drills, to the intense fitness,
as they are striving to do the best
they can do.
Competing in games after
school against other private
schools, some of them more skilled
than others, but Punahou never
gives up and always is showing
their pride.
Even if they lose, they know
that they have represented their
school well and have shown that
they have heart and a passion for
the game.
A fun soccer tradition that has
been passed down from many
years ago is for the team to do
Spirit Day. Spirit Day is where the
whole soccer team gets dressed up
in a funky and weird way the day
of the game.
By Shanni Yamaki
W
heeling back and forth every
day, Shelby Baron, an 8th
grader, goes by wheel chair.
Shelby came to Punahou in the
sixth grade walking on crutches.
During that time, when she needed help to get around campus, she
got rides from Aunty Barbara, the
security lady.
Then, in the seventh grade,
she became part of the 7th grade
beginning band. She really needed
rides in the golf cart. Unfortunately, Aunty Barbra
couldn’t get her rides to the
Junior School Band Room
at the times she had band.
The solution to this
problem was to bring her
wheel chair to school. But
the new problem is about
the amount of time it takes
to get there. Shelby has to
wheel up the P.E ramps to
get to band. Shelby also
hadn’t gone to P.E until
this year. Mrs. Shoji had
suggested that Shelby
should start going because
they are doing weight
training.
The cause of Shelby’s
disability is Spina Bifida.
“When I was still in my
mother, there was something wrong with my spine.
That something is called
Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida
is a condition that causes
both ends of the spine to
not connect while being
born.” Shelby explained.
People born with this
problem usually have difficulties with the spine, hips,
feet, and legs.
As you may know, the spine
protects the spinal cord, which is
Page 4
This helps the posse get into the
spirit and get into the mindset of
the upcoming game.
Spirit Day outfits range from
wacky hairstyles, ties, long socks,
boxers, inside-out t-shirts, and
writing on the face, all within dress
code guidelines.
Erin Nishijima, one of the tricaptains of the Girls Gold Intermediate team gave us her ideas on
her team this year.
“I really enjoy being able to
benefit in soccer by playing for my
school. I get to meet new people,
and I learn new skills, and maintain my old ones.” she said.
She also says, “I feel that ,yes,
Spirit Day does get our team
pumped because they know that it
is game day and it shows our team
pride. I think
that the most
important
part before
a game is
confidence,
being serious
and ready for
the game.”
connected to the central nervous
system; in other words, the brain.
Since the brain is the main source
of a body’s function, if it is damaged, parts of your body may not
work.
The part where Shelby’s spine
didn’t connect was near the bottom. So, as a result, most of the
lower half of Shelby’s body can not
work as well as most people.
Spina Bifida doesn’t stop Shelby
from doing things that we can do.
In the third grade, Shelby was first
introduced to the wheelchair.
A woman and a man came by
her school and donated a “sports”
wheelchair to her. After that, she
started playing wheelchair tennis,
and wheelchair basketball.
Next year Shelby will be in the
academy. Currently there is only
one elevator there. The older
buildings have stairs and no elevators. How will Shelby get around?
“We can schedule all of her
classes in ground floor rooms if
that would be easier.” said Dean
Art Bowen. “There have been students in the past who have needed
the same accommodations, so we
are used to the adjustments. The
bottom line is that we want Shelby
to have as much access as we can
provide, so we will work with her
to do the best that we can.”
The Courier Interviewed two of
Shelby’s teacher in team (8W). We
asked them for their thoughts on
Shelby. “Shelby is amazing! She is
an inspiration to all! She does not
let her condition get in the way of
accomplishing anything she wants
to.” said Mrs. Hosoda (Math).
“However, Shelby doesn’t let
anything stop her. She perseveres
and finds a way to accomplish
what she wants. I admire her
positive attitude and her strength.”
said Mrs. Nelson (English).
The CMS Courier
December 2007
‘Wild Life’ is Wild
with Mrs. Yap
“I can do all things
through Christ who
strengthens me.”
—Philippians 4:13
At right, Mrs. Yap in her “Garden
of Eatin’”; above, one of the Bible
verses for Wild Life.
Photo by J. Ching & E. Ito
A Teacher Who
Loves to Travel:
Mr. Burniske
Mr. Burniske at work.
Photo R. Reyes & C. Marchant
By Jessica Chang & Ella Ito
I
f you were to wander into
Bishop Room 116, you would
find Mrs. Yap, long time veteran
teacher of Punahou School.
But did you know she’s also the
teacher of Wild Life lunch club?
In an interview with Mrs. Yap,
she said, “I have been teaching
here since 1986. When I started
teaching at Punahou, I taught art.
I never wanted to teach middle
school students, but I find you
guys really inspiring.”
Mrs. Yap started her lunch club
in 1989. Wild Life is every E-day in
Bishop 116. Mrs. Yap says, “Wild
Life was started because I wanted
to bring Chapel
into the hallways
of Bishop. I wanted
students to find a
place where there is
comfort and friendship and laughter
and food. Wild Life is
a Christian outreach
of bringing students
together and sharing bread and one
scripture to encourage them.”
It is open to all
religions and no
religions; anyone can
come at any time.
“We have pizza
parties. We give
candies at Valentine’s. We have a
Thanksgiving luncheon. We play
games and sing songs. It’s a place
to hang,” Mrs. Yap said.
If you are wondering where the
name Wild Life comes from, it’s
By Ryan Reyes & Caldwell Marchant
E
ach year at Punahou, we add
a new member to our family. This year we have a new 8th
grade math teacher, Mr. Burniske
fresh off the college press from the
University of Texas.
Instead of moving away for college, like most people,
his parents moved
away from him. He
wished to become a
math teacher because
he felt that there was
need for more math
teachers.
Another influence
on him to become
a math teacher was
because his parents
were also teachers.
The majority of
his family lives here
on the islands; which
is why he wished to
teach at Punahou.
His brother is also a
senior here at Punahou School.
Besides being a teacher here at
Punahou Mr. Burniske is also a JV
cross-country coach.
Sometime in his life, Mr. Burniske wishes to return to school or
work in higher education.
Page 5
from another high school who had
a club called Young Life Wyld Life.
Wild Life has a special helper,
Mrs. Moe, who coordinates the
lunchtime plans.
The garden outside Mrs. Yap’s
classroom was started last year.
It yields vegetables like spinach,
lettuce, eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. and many herbs and
flowers. Rosemary and basil from
the garden are used for making
focaccia.
The brightly painted, colorful
signs displayed in the garden may
catch your attention. “I always
wanted a garden. We incorporate
the things we plant in Home Economics class and in our Wild Life,”
said Mrs. Yap
Her future plans for Wild Life
included having a Christmas Party.
Mrs. Yap exclaimed, “The more
people that show up, the more we
can do!”
His favorite subject in schools
were math, physics, and film.
Mr. Burniske, as a teacher believes that mistakes can be a good
thing. When we asked him, if he
could tell anything to his students,
he replied, “It’s good to make mistakes, as long as you take the time
to learn from them.”
One of his greatest passions is
traveling. Mr. Burniske has traveled to at least 20 different countries, as well as moving a couple
of times during his life. His favorite
parts about traveling are the sights
and safaris.
We asked Mr. Burniske, if he
could take anything back from
anywhere he lived before, what
would it be. He replied, “the
foods.” He said that he could find
the same foods here, but they
just weren’t the same. The foods
just didn’t have the special things
about them, the little taste of
home.
With Mr. Burniske ‘s experienced
skills in traveling, moving here, to
our island home, shouldn’t be a
challenge for Mr. Burniske.
He is already involved in so
much here at Punahou, coaching, teaching, and a lot more, Mr.
Burniske has no problem making
himself feel at home.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
Camp Mokule‘ia:
An Unforgettable
Experience
Abracadabra:
The Chupacabra
Icee
Frenzy!
By Bret Armstrong
O
ne of the best things in 8th
grade is going to the beautiful Camp Mokule‘ia. Almost all 8th
graders heard of it within the first
weeks of school.
By October the hype had begun
and the entire 8th grade just
couldn’t wait until their date for
departure for a wonderful threeday vacation at Camp Mokule‘ia.
Camp Mokule‘ia is located on
the north shore and owned by
the Episcopal church. The camp
runs interactive learning programs
for children 7 to 17 years old like
oceanfront to mountain exploration. The camp staff consists of 25
qualified counselors, area direc-
By Kenneth Li
O
kay, so it isn’t in the festive
season. Who cares, it’s not
even Christmas/Hanukkah yet!
Let’s just start the story.
The Chupacabra has been
sighted for many years, but
it is hard to place an exact
year. This animal had first
been reported in the Mexico
area and the sightings
have spread to the United States—even Maine.
Reports of Chupacabra
have been reported
even in Russia.
There are different
theories surrounding the
Chupacabra. Some
believe it is an extraterrestrial. Another
group of people believe
that
the Chupacabra is from another
dimension. There are many more
By Damon Clark
H
ow many people like strawberry Icee?
Do people like root beer Icee
better?
All the answers are here!
The CMS Courier asked 60 6th
graders on campus the following
questions:
What do you like better—strawberry, root beer, mix or cola Icee?
And this is what the numbers
came out to be: Strawberry - 19,
Root Beer - 2, Mix - 9, Cola - 17,
and Other - 13.
And that is final ... the strawberry Icee wins!
How many Icees does the Snack
Bar sell a day?
The Courier contacted someone
at the Snack Bar via e-mail and
that person wrote back that the
snack bar sells around 250 Icees a
day! 250 Icees!
Amazing!
The Snack Bar gets the Icee mix
from the Hawaii Icee company.
One web site showed that a
cherry-flavored Icee has 80 calo-
Page 6
tors and a camp nurse. The camp
is a little over three acres and has
been around since 1947.
Almost all 8th graders have
already had their great experience with camp Mokule‘ia, however Team 8X had their date to go
to camp Mokue‘ia postponed to
December 11th. One scary thought
was that, because of the horrible
weather, it might be postponed
even later after the Christmas
break.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get to go to
camp Mokule‘ia before your senior
year,” said the 8th grade supervisor, Mrs.Tyau. Everyone in Team
8X found out she was right because they got to go to camp right
before Winter Break.
theories as the one that says the
Chupacabra is a C.I.A. or other spy
agency experiment gone wrong.
The Chupacabra is known to
suck blood out of a dead victim
with puncture wounds in their
neck. Some say the Chupacabra
has wings while others say it
can jump high to reach its victim. Some say that the Chupacabra is like a dog/wolf
while others think it stands
on two legs like a hominid,
which is a name for creatures
related to human/ape.
For those people who are
scared, there is one proved
way for known animals to be
found without blood. Bloat
flies lay eggs that turn
into maggots that are like
vampires and feed on the
insides of a dead animal.
Later, the carcass looks like
a typical Chupacabra victim.
ries, 20g carbohydrates and 10mg
sodium.
The flavoring is made out of
high fructose corn syrup which is
another version of sugar.
Water, of course, is part of the
mix, as is citric acid, which makes
the flavor last longer.
Yucca and quillaia extracts form
the foamy substance on top of the
icee.
Artificial flavoring is there, naturally, as well as
sodium benzoate, which is
a preservative but which
could make
any drink with
high amounts
of it deadly.
(So be carefull!) And, red
dye for color.
So as you
see Icees are
not very good
for you and are
mostly artificial
ingredients.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
DVD Review:
Spider-Man 3
America’s Pastime
Predictions for
Next Year
Review by Byeong Yun Kim
O
ne of the greatest movies this year, Spider-Man 3,
hit the theatres in May 2007 and
came out on DVD in October 2007.
Well, have you been wondering
why it made it so great? If you
don’t, take a look at the
information below.
One of the reasons that
made this movie a great
one is because it had a lot
of action. Usually, everything seems to happen
all of a sudden in action
movies to me.
For example, Flint
Marko was suddenly
changed to Sandman
when he accidentally fell
into an experimenting
ground when the police
chased him.
Also, the venom fell
onto the ground and later
got stuck on Spider-Man
all of a sudden when
Spider-Man was sleeping.
The New Goblin appeared suddenly when
he snatched Peter Parker,
who was riding his motorcycle. He tried to kill
Peter Parker because he
thought Spider-Man had
killed his father (Green
Goblin) in the first movie.
All of these had happened so quickly that
By Michael Dearden & Brian Kim
A
s you may already know, the
Boston Red Sox won the 2007
World Series.
Next year may be different or
it may be the same. We’re here to
tell you our thoughts on how the
2008 season will turn out. If you
have anything against our predictions and you want to send us an
angry e-mail well... too bad.
We also have evidence for each
team in first place. Our selections
have been carefully decided so
listen up, here’s the standings for
the year to come....
AL East
1. Boston Red Sox
2. New York Yankees
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. Baltimore Orioles
AL Central
1. Cleveland Indians
2. Detroit Tigers
3. Minnesota Twins
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Kansas City Royals
AL West
1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Seattle Mariners
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Texas Rangers
NL East
1. Philadelphia Phillies
Page 7
Spider-Man might have a hard
time saving New York City!
Another reason that made this
movie an excellent one is that
it had great computer graphics.
Computer graphics were a big part
of the movie because this had
created Sandman and all the sand
that he had used to crush people
and make him so big.
If Sandman weren’t in the
movie, the movie wouldn’t be as
fun because Sandman is one of the
important villains on the story.
The graphics also created Venom and if it weren’t for the graphics, one of the strongest villains in
the story would be missing. The
graphics created the glider and the
weapons of the New Goblin, too.
Had it not been for the graphics, the New Goblin wouldn’t be as
strong. So the computer graphics
were a big part of the movie. I
think that using a lot of graphics
cost a lot of money.
The last reason that made
this movie a magnificent one is
because it had awesome sound
effects.
The music that was played when
Spider-Man was fighting the villain was great. It made my heart
beat faster every time Spider-Man
fought and the music was played.
Also, music was played every
time a villain appeared in New York
City. For example, when Sandman
was flying in front of Spider-Man,
music came out.
2.
3.
4.
5.
New York Mets
Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins
Washington Nationals
NL Central
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Houston Astros
4. St. Louis Cardinals
5. Cincinnati Reds
6. Pittsburg Pirates
NL West
1. San Diego Padres
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Francisco Giants
Okay, now we say the Bosox
for first because of their pitching
game, especially Josh Beckett.
For the Central, the Indians because... well... C.C. Sabathia.
West is the Angels because of
Vlad.
NL, the East is Philly. Have you
seen Ryan Howard, Chase Utley,
and Hawai‘i’s own Shane Victorino?
Central is the Brewers, because
of Prince Fielder and the mascot
(the world biggest sausage).
West is the Pads for... hello,
Jake Peavy.
Since we are not experts, we
might be wrong in our predictions... so if you have any complaints about our choices, don’t
take them out on us.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
Page 8
Editor’s Note: Punahou is a school that recognizes and celebrates tradition, as well as innovation.​Traditionally, our winter break is a time for traveling or for spending Christmas with family and
friends. But the season is also a time for many other religious and secular celebrations. It is, above all,
a time for giving. So here, to begin the holiday section of this special CMS Courier issue, we ask you to
think about those in need and also about the giving of one’s self to others.
For that, too, is a Punahou tradition....
Putting an end
to Homelessness
Other Ways that
You Can Help
By Jordan McCreary
H
omelessness is a serious
problem in Hawai‘i. At this
moment there are over
11,000 known homeless
families on O‘ahu and
thousands more at risk
of becoming homeless.
Hawai‘i has one of the
highest homeless rates in
the country, and the problem is getting worse.
Every year, hundreds
of people become homeless for various reasons.
Lack of affordable housing, domestic violence,
mental problems, natural disasters, and drug and
By Claire Feeley
W
hen you read this holiday issue of the Courier, it’s easy
to forget that there are others
less fortunate than ourselves. The
many men, women, and children
on the streets today, homeless or
suffering from poverty, don’t show
up in fancy photos on our pages.
We know that Punahou gives us
many opportunities for a wonderful
education; as educated citizens,
we need to step in and help the
less fortunate.
Some teachers ask you not
to give gifts to your friends on
campus—that’s just being polite
to others. But teachers also
say give to the needy instead of to your teacher—
that’s being kind. In fact,
there are many ways that
we can help the needy.
The web site thehungersite.com is where
you can send e-cards
to other friends and
every time you click on
that site more people
in the world promise
to feed the hunger.
You can receive
newsletters about
hunger around the
world.
Alternative gift
giving each year
is also a choice to
help the needy.
When you donate
$2 or more at the
Luke Center, a charity of
your choice will receive
that money and you will
alcohol abuse all contribute to the
growing problem.
Even though this problem may
seem hopeless, right now there
are thousands of organizations
that are helping to stop the
homelessness problem.
A.U.W., S.T.O.P., and the
National Homeless Organization are three major organizations that are attempting to
stop homeless ness right
now. But even with these
three big organizations all
helping out, they still can’t
do it alone. Anyone can
help by a small donation
of money or food. These,
and other ways to help are
listed in the story below.
receive a certificate saying that
you are a proud donor, but not
saying the amount you donated.
There are also twelve charities
that you can donate to:
• Next Step Shelter—a homeless shelter on the island of O‘ahu.
• Habitat for Humanity—this
charity builds homes for needy
families. You can volunteer to help
build these houses.
• Hugs—donates to kids that
are part of families when their
family members have a terminal
illness.
• Life Foundation—this organization helps prevent the spread of
HIV and Aids in Hawai‘i by taking
care of people that already have
this disease.
• Nature Conservancy—this
group helps preserve the nature of
Hawai‘i.
• Meals on Wheels—a foundation that helps bring meals to the
homes or families where they can’t
get out because of illnesses or
other situations.
• Humane Society—a shelter
for animals ready to be adopted.
• Big Brothers & Sisters—
helps children have a chance to
feel what it’s like to have a big
sister or big brother.
• Children’s Alliance—young
victims of physical/sexual abuse
are taken out of home and put in
foster homes where they can be
safe.
• Hawaii Literacy—helps increase the reading in Hawai‘i.
You can also go to the Luke
Center and read a wish list of several wish lists of needy families.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
The Christmas
Story Begins
Christmas
Traditions
By Joylen Nakagawa
W
hen you think ‘Christmas,’
what comes to mind? Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,
holly wreaths, decorated trees,
snowmen, and Santa Claus are all
connected with Christmas. Many
people consider this holiday to
be one of the best times of the
year. It is supposed to be a time
of giving. But is that really what it
began as?
Christmas started out as a
Roman holiday called Saturnalia. It was a week-long
period of chaos that lasted
from December 17th till
December 25th. Saturnalia was a harvest festival that marked winter
solstice and the return of
the sun. It honored the god
of sowing, Saturn.
During this time, no one would
be punished for any crimes they
committed. The festival began
when the authorities chose a
scapegoat (a person who is
blamed for the mistakes and
By Casey Matsumoto & Maddie Wilson
W
e all love Christmas, but do
we really know where the
treats and traditions came from?
Candy cane:
A candy maker in Indianapolis
started with a pure white
stick of hard candy,
white to symbolize he
virgin Mary, and
the purity of
Jesus.
The
stick was
bent into
the form
of a “J”
for the
precious
name of
Jesus.
It could
also represent a
shepherds staff with
which God reached
down into the world
to lift up fallen lambs,
like sheep, which have gone
astray.
Thinking that the candy was
plain, the candy maker painted it
with red stripes.
Three small stripes for the
whipping of Jesus by which we are
healed.
The large red stripe was for the
blood that Jesus shed on the cross
so that we could have eternal life.
In time, the candy cane lost its
meaning and became a meaningless decoration at Christmas.
Christmas stockings:
In an ancient time, a nobleman
had three daughters.
The wife of the nobleman
passed away and the man and his
daughters were left to grieve after
her death.
Page 9
faults of others) to represent the
“Lord of Misrule.” At the festival’s
end, the Romans believed they
were destroying the forces of darkness by murdering the innocent
person. Another custom evidently
included consuming humanshaped biscuits (see gingerbread
story on pg. 14.
In the 4th century, many Romans were converted to Christianity because they were promised
that they could continue to celebrate Saturnalia as Christians. The
Christian leaders named the last
day Christ’s birthday.
However, the Christians had
little success in changing the
practices of Saturnalia. In fact, the
earliest Christmas holidays were
celebrated the same way it always
had been for many years. As a
result, the Puritans banned Christmas and it was outlawed in Massachusetts.
As you can see, Christmas was
celebrated a lot differently back
then.
Mele Kalikimaka
e Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou!
The nobleman soon lost all his
riches, and could not afford to give
gifts to his daughters.
On Christmas Eve, the daughters hung their newly washed
stockings out by the fire place to
dry. Santa Claus, being distressed
by the state of the daughters, came in and put a
bag of gold in each of
the stockings.
Ever since
then, adults
and children
alike have
hung out
stockings
in the
hope
that
Santa
will
come
and leave
them a
gift.
Christmas
wreaths:
The Christmas
wreath is circular, and therefore a symbol of eternity,
(similar to wedding rings.)
Since wreaths are made of
plants that remain green even
through out this frosty season, a
wreath represents life, even in the
dead of winter.
Some people even preferred the
Christmas wreath to the Advent
Wreath because there was no danger of accidental fires or the hot
wax of the burning candles.
The Christmas wreath could also
be hung virtually anywhere, (in
doors, windows, etc.)
Some people choose to leave
their wreath up all winter, and
when they do take it down, it is a
sign of Winter’s end and the anticipation of Spring.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
Christmas Break at
Punahou School
To Buy or Not to
Buy? Christmas
‘Populars’ this Year
The new iPod Nano, on sale now.
By Jacquelyn Ho
E
ver wonder what happens at
school when all the students
are gone?
Does Punahou shut down?
Probably not, but they do have
at least one little nifty thing during
winter break.
Every year in the chapel,
Punahou has a Christmas
service just for the teachers
or whoever is on campus at
the time.
People sing in the choir,
listen to chaplains talk about
this merry holiday, and pray
to have a wonderful and jolly
Christmas.
So you see, while
students are gone and
doing their own things,
the people who actually stay at Punahou
during winter break do
have some fun as well.
Not all of the things happening
around the campus are exuberant
festivities.
While students are gone, there
By Loren Dowd
T
rying to buy a good Christmas
gift? Or do you want to pick
the perfect presents to put on your
Christmas List? How would you
know what’s popular? This year,
so many new toys, gadgets, and
electronics have come out. Many
resources, such as magazines or
news companies have put out
“Top Ten Hot Christmas Gifts” lists.
The most popular gifts to give
this holiday season
are going to be in
high demand and
toy stores might
have shortages.
If you are planning to buy one
of these “populars,” you might
want to consider
heading out sooner
than later to buy your
gifts. According to an
article on CNN Money, an
industry expert, Jim Silver, said,
“I think there’ll be a shortage of
the top 10 toys in December.”
The Toy Wishes magazine’s
top ten list states that the top ten
toys of 2007 are The American
Idol Talent Challenge Unit
by Tech2Go, Aqua Dots Super
Studio by Spin Master, The
Barbie Girls MP3 Player by
Mattel, The Eye Clops by Jakks
Pacific, Guitar Hero III by
Red Octane, Hannah Montana
Singing Doll and Pop Star
Stage by Play Along, Nerf
N-Strike Disc Shot by Hasbro,
Rubik’s Revolution by Techno
Source, Smart Cycle by FisherPrice, Spotz by Zizzle, Swypeout
Online Battle Racing by Spin
Master and Transformers
Page 10
needs to be some cleaning up during the holidays.
Mr. Randy Overton, Director of
the Physical Plant, spoke about
how, while students were gone,
workers still had to stay for their
regular hours to clean up.
Although there are workers on
campus when there is no holiday,
only about six come every day,
and that makes it hard to schedule any major cleaning up during
school hours.
But you don’t have to worry
about cleaning up—have some fun
with your break, and be grateful
for everything that is being done
for you. On the day that your
teacher lets you out for a wonderful Christmas vacation, try to abide
by these rules.
1. Don’t be too rowdy during
class. Everyone knows it’s going
to be a long weekend but, always
listen to your teachers and maybe
you’ll be let out early.
2. Try and contain your excitement before dismissal.
3. Have fun. Having a wonderful
break is the way to go.
Arm Blasters Movie Ultimate
Bumblebee by Hasbro.
Unfortunately, there have been
problems with one of those top
ten toys. Spin Master and the
Consumer Product Safety Comission (CPSC) recalled millions of the
Aqua Dots Super Studio, because
a chemical in them could cause a
child who swallows it to become
unconscious, drowsy, have seizures, go into a coma
and even die.
All stores carrying this product
pulled them off
the shelves and
recall posters
were put up.
Only three
children were
diagnosed with
symptoms, and
are being treated.
Among the list
that Amazon put out
this year of top gifts
for teens are, Super
Mario Galaxy for Wii, Petz
Catz 2 for Nintendo DS, the Ripstick Caster Board, Blokus: The
Strategy Board Game, Brain
Age 2, the LeapFrog FLY Fusion
Pentop Computer, MySims for
Nintendo DS and many more.
These two lists have many things
in common, too.
The Courier talked to some
eighth graders about the kinds of
presents they wish for this Christmas. Among their answers were,
a new cell phone, the new iPod
Nano, the new iPod Touch, a digital camera, a PS2 and many other
fun electronics.
I know we’re all stressing over
gifts, but really, we can’t forget
that real Christmas spirit isn’t
about the presents, but caring and
giving from the heart.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
The Other Side
of Santa
7th Grade Choir
Holiday Concert
By Claire Feeley, Lena Kettering, &
Gracie Kimura
M
any of you know Saint Nick
as Santa Claus, someone
who was ingrained in your brain
since birth.
And also the someone who
brings presents on Christmas and
leaves them under
your Christmas
tree.
After much
research we have
found that there
is another side to
this jolly old fellow.
Due to the story
of St. Nicholas,
Washington Irving,
Clement Moore,
Thomas Nast,
Duncan Emrich
and the Coca-Cola
company we now
have our modern
day “Santa Claus.”
The image of
Santa Claus, according to folklorist Duncan Emrich,
first appeared in
the 1820’s in the
following verse:
“Old Santeclaus
with much delight,/His reindeer
drives this frosty night./O’er chimney tops, and tracks of snow,/To
bring his yearly gifts to you...”
Later other tales were made up
about Saint Nick or “Santa Claus”
like “A Visit from St. Nicholas”:
“‘Twas The Night Before Christmas, when all through the house/
Not a creature was stirring, not
even a mouse;/The stockings were
hung by the chimney with care,/In
hopes that St. Nicholas soon would
be there....”
And the author, Dr. Clement
Moore, added this description:
“His eyes — how they twinkled!
his dimples how merry!/His cheeks
were like roses, his nose like a
By Alison Nichols
T
he 7th grade choir gave two
performances on December
5th at Thurston Chapel. They sang
a
number of songs with a
balance of mellow and
lively music and also
some Christmas carols such as Carol of
the Bells, We Need
a
Little Christmas,
and Winter Wonderland to get the
audience in the
Christmas spirit.
The choir director,
Ms. Marlene Patton
who has been
teaching at
Punahou for
22 years,
said that she tries
to balance out the concert with
lively and mellow music. And also
Page 11
cherry!/His droll little mouth was
drawn up like a bow,/And the
beard of his chin was as white as
the snow...
The true story of Saint Nicholas—who lived long ago in Turkey
when it was a part of Greece—
shows him as a loving and caring
man, giving all of his wealth to
the needy and less fortunate. One
of the more well known stories of
Saint Nick was of his giving bags
of gold to a poor father. Back then,
the bigger dowry you had the better husband you would have. If
you had no dowry you would be
sold as a slave.
Three sisters were about to
be sold as slaves but Saint Nick
dropped a bag of gold down each
of their chimney. The family had
placed their shoes and socks by
the fire to dry and the bags of gold
fell into their shoes.That formed
the tale of shoes and stockings being filled with gifts.
The Coca-Cola Company decided to take all of this information
to create our modern day view
of “Santa Claus” as an advertisement, selling Coca-Cola to children
and adults across the nation.
With all this, we now know that
Duncan Emrich was probably the
main reason Santa Claus has a
sleigh with reindeer.
Clement Moore was the reason
why he was a jolly old elf who carried a bundle of toys on his back.
And had such a round belly.
St. Nicholas is the ideal version of Santa Claus, giving gifts
and helping the needy. CocaCola popularized Santa Claus as a
human-sized jolly old elf.
However, could Santa really be
the Devil in disguise? Santa dresses in red, has a beard, lives in a
far away place, and has strange
little helpers.
So does the other guy. Furthermore, the word “Satan” is just
“Santa” rearranged. Hmmm.
Or is Santa really a Christian...
like the original St. Nicholas?
religious music to introduce different languages, such as Hawaiian,
Hebrew, Latin, and African.
The songs are arranged by Ms.
Patton in order to get a good balance throughout the concert. The
mellow songs are mixed in with
the lively and religious songs so
they are not all right after each
other.
The audience’s interest is also
a big factor for how the songs are
arranged in the concert.
Every year Ms. Patton has to
find new music for the choirs to
sing for the concerts, “I regularly
purchase tons of music to review,
[I also] go to workshops and read
other teachers’ recommendations.”
she says.
Most importantly, she tries to
find music that fits the age group
of the choir and music that will
sound good with the people in
choir.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
When Santa Fell
To Earth
By Cornelia Funke
Food, Family...
and Feuds?
Review by Megan Lau
D
uring winter break, instead
of watching television, read
a book. You may want to read a
book about Christmas. I read a
book called When Santa Fell to
Earth by Cornelia Funke.
When Santa Fell to Earth first
starts when Niklas
Goodfellow, one of
the last good Santas
in the world, is riding in a caravan that
crashes. He lands in
a town called Misty
Close.
The first boy he
meets is named
Ben. Ben is not a
very good student
and had one friend
named Will.
Niklas tells him
a story about a
Santa named Georld
Geronimus Goblynch
killing all the Santas
and changing Christmas forever.
Niklas wants Ben to help because he knows he couldn’t do it
on his own. He also asks a lonely
girl named Charlotte to come and
help. Ben is not very thrilled about
sharing Niklas.
By Nina Oishi & Mahina Husain
I
s your family going to have a
“get-together dinner” this holiday... or a “get-together war”?
If this happens to you every
family dinner, then we can help!
Read the following tips on how
to prevent family feuds, and how
to deal
with all those annoying
relatives.
Before those
unavoidable relatives come to
the dinner, review their
names
with a
photo
album.
Explore
your family tree so
you know for
sure how these
people are related
to you!
Here are some “toxic-type” relatives that you
may need to be prepared
for. (Note—the following
information has been taken and
adapted from the magazine Real
Simple from Nov. 2005):
The Gossip: You can recognize
them because they are always
“dishing the dirt” on other family
members’ secrets. Just ignore this
person or change the subject to
something less personal, like the
food.
The Toiler: It’s easy to tell who
these people are because they
are continuously telling everybody
about how much they’ve slaved
Page 12
Then an unexpected visitor
comes to the caravan and Ben forgets about his jealousy and helps
save the day. In the end Ben and
Charlotte become great friends
and have a great Christmas.
But sadly, some stories have a
little bit of a sad ending.
Niklas has to go find more
Santa recruits. Ben
and Charlotte are
sad but they know
he will return next
Christmas.
If that book
sounds good then
you should think
about reading these
books. The InkTrilogy, Ghosthunter
Trilogy, Dragon
Rider, The Thief
Lord, and Igraine
the Brave are a few
of the other books
Cornelia Funke.
Cornelia Funke has
written 40 books and
these three are being turned into
movies: The Thief Lord, Inkheart,
and Dragon Rider.
I hope you take my advice and
instead of only watching television
you read this book When Santa
Fell To Earth by Cornelia Funke.
away over the meal. So when they
start listing their sacrifices, comment on their work: “Aunt/Uncle,
you’ve done a really great job!”
That should get them the satisfaction they need.
The Bully: This relative is the
one who always hurts feelings—
even if it’s behind the adults’
backs. Simply stand up for yourself
and don’t stoop to their level.
The Spotlight-Stealer: You can
recognize this family member by
the fact that they always talk and
never let anyone else put a word in
the conversation. You should steer
the topic of conversation toward
something that they will not have
much connection to so that they
won’t have much to say.
The Ceaseless Complainer:
“Help! There’s a dab of mashed
potatoes in my stuffing!” This relative is super-whiny, complaining
about every single tiny thing. What
you can do is to just be your regular friendly self, and don’t let their
grumpiness get to you.
The Extreme Embarrasser:
You can recognize this family
member by the fact that you always wish they would stop talking!
By asking personal or even notso-personal questions, they can
be the most annoying relative at
the gathering. You should simply
change the subject: “Isn’t this
ham delicious?”
So if any one of these spoilsports is going to be present at
your family dinner, you’ll know
what to do.
No matter who or what, you will
be able to make you family dinner
tolerable... or maybe even fun.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
The History of
the Mistletoe
Christmas
Recipes
he mistletoe is thought to
be an ornament that is only
brought out during Christmas.
When two people meet under it
they are obliged to kiss.
When people kiss under the
mistletoe it brings romance to
Christmas. Without romance
Christmas would not be
as exciting.
This tradition has
been going on for
many years. But
what people don’t
know about this
mysterious shrub is
how it came to be a
part of Christmas and
what it really meant to
other people.
The Mistletoe or Viscum
album was collected by the
Druids and were collected during
the winter.
The Mistletoe was thought to
have magical healing powers, a
sign of peace, and everlasting life.
Since it was known to be a symbol of peace the Christians used it
during Christmas. They used it in
church for a decoration.
In the middle ages in York Minster the mistletoe was placed on
the altar and as long as this mistletoe was on it peace remained.
In medieval times families hung
a wooded sculpture of the holy
family in a wooden hoop, which
was decorated with greenery, and
they would kiss.
After the holy family disappeared the kissing bunch that held
winter greenery including the
mistletoe took its place.
The servants only had
the tradition of kissing under mistletoe
until the 19th century
when more people
adopted this tradition.
These mistletoes
grow on other trees.
These shrubs that depend on a host tree to
survive are called parasitic plants.
Birds mostly spread the
mistletoe seeds. The bird droppings can stick to a tree branch.
But the most common way the
seed is spread is the bird grips
the fruit in its beak, squeezes the
mistletoe seed out of the side, and
then wipes its beak on a branch.
The berries that grow on the
mistletoe can be poisonous, if you
eat a significant amount of the
berries you can die.
By Damon Clark
2. Chewy Noels
By Ryan Reyes
T
M
ost of you are wondering,
what are you going to do
for Christmas? What will you do?
What will you buy as presents?
Well, my article is about recipes you can make for all to enjoy.
Cookies, pies, and amazing meals
to make your Christmas and special one.
1. Peanut Brittle
Recipe from: www.christmasjoy.com/recipes/peabrit.htm
Above, delicious Peanut
Brittle; at right, Chewy
Noel bars.
Page 13
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups of granulated sugar
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
2/3 cup of water
1-1/2 cups lightly salted peanuts
Step 1: Grease and line a 9 x
13-inch pan with foil.
Step 2: In a large, heavy
saucepan over moderate heat,
cook the sugar, butter, and water,
stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes golden-brown syrup,
about 25 minutes. Remove to a
cool surface.
Step 3: Stir in the peanuts and
pour mixture into the pan, spreading the nuts evenly.
Step 4: Cool peanut brittle before breaking.
Put in an airtight container and
a cool dry place when not eating.
The brittle can keep for a month if
you do this.
These are “bar” cookies, like
brownies, which you cut from a
pan. They make great gifts.
Recipe from: allrecipes.com/
Recipe/Chewy-Noels/Detail.aspx
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs beaten
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (Pecans
as substitute)
1/4 c. confectioner’s sugar for
dusting
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350
degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt
the butter in a 7x11 inch-baking
dish, and tilt the pan to coat all of
the sides; set aside.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, stir
together the brown sugar, flour,
and baking soda. Mix in the eggs
and vanilla until smooth, and then
stir in the walnuts. Pour over the
melted butter.
Step 3: Bake in the preheated
oven for 20 minutes, or until the
edges begin
to brown.
Set the pan
to cool,
then cut the
squares and
dust their
tops with the
confectioner’s sugar.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
Life & Times of the
Gingerbread Man
Holiday Fun for
Everyone!
By Julia Lau & Chloe Nobuhara
T
was the whole Christmas
break and all through the
house, not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse.
Does this sound like your holiday season? Luckily for you, the
CMS Courier now provides you
with activities and scrumptious
treat ideas to entertain you
during the happiest time of the
year.
The first recipe idea is a
traditional holiday recipe that’s
been around since the 1300s.
Can you guess what it is?
Here’s another hint, it has
supposedly ran away from the
little old lady and the little old
man.
Yes, it is the Gingerbread
Man.
(However, Gingy from
Shrek—pictured at the left—is
not your “traditional” Gingerbread Person, to say the least!)
Gingerbread started off as
solid block of honey baked with
flour. Later, in the 1300s, ginger, bread crumbs and spices
were added.
Even later, these blocks were
decorated extravagantly with
saffron or cinnamon (see story
below).
As cookie cutters were invented,
the solid block was formed into
shapes such as men and pigs.
The recipes became lighter
By Summer Hamilton & Megan Ching
D
uring this holiday season,
spend some time with
your family making Gingerbread
Houses and Gingerbread Men.
It’s a festive activity that’s
sure to bring joy to your house.
You’ll need many different
candies to decorate your house
with, so make sure you buy a big
assortment.
Gumdrops work well to decorate.
If you want your house to stick
together well, you can make very
sticky frosting with confectioner’s
sugar, honey, and water.
Use less water when mixing
the frosting so your frosting is
stickier.
M&M’s work well for covering
roofs, so do Skittles.
When making this house make
sure you include everyone,
take lots of pictures (to send to
Grandma) and most importantly—have fun!
Gingerbread men are
a fun, festive treat
that you can make
yourself.
This is a project
that the whole
family can do.
All you need
to do would be
to either buy the
gingerbread in the
shape of little men,
Page 14
when the flour and the honey was
replaced with molasses.
Now that you know the history
and origin of the Gingerbread Man,
here is the long-awaited recipe.
Gingerbread recipe
Ingredients:
2/3 cups shortening
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 cup molasses
1 egg
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Cream shortening, brown sugar,
cinnamon, ground cloves, ground
ginger and a pinch of salt.
Add the egg and mix everything
again. Then add flour, baking powder and baking soda in another
bowl.
Add the sifted ingredients and
blend well with other ingredients
until well mixed. Let it chill for 1
hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Flatten the dough 1/4 at a time
so it’s about 1/8.” Lay on slightly
floured board.
Cut with a cookie cutter and lay
on greased cookie sheet. Repeat
with the rest of the dough.
Bake for 8-10 minutes and then
let cool. Decorate as you wish.
or to make them yourself.
Other things that you might
need would be frosting so the
decorations stick it and the best
part...the candy!
After you have made your
gingerbread men you can either
wrap them up and save themfor
later, or you can eat them.
Make sure you don’t keep
them out in the open overnight
(or for a long period of time) or
little creatures might come and
eat them for you.
Making gingerbread men is a
fun thing to do and will give you
memories that
will last a
lifetime.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
Gobble, Gobble
Here Comes
the Turkey
Did You Say
‘Tofurkey’?
Flame Retardant
Makes Trees Safer
By Justin Lee
G
obble, Gobble. That popular holiday dish, the turkey,
has an unknown origin for many
people.
The origin of this flightless,
fat, bird is not from the country Turkey. The original name
of the African guinea fowl is
the “turkey-cock” or the “turkeyhen.”
The turkey actually was domesticated by the Aztecs, long before
being discovered by Europeans in
1518.
Some people believe the turkey
got its name because the Native
Americans called them “firkee”
which sounds a lot like turkey.
By Ella Ito
I
t all begins with a simple equation. A holiday comes—maybe
Thanksgiving, maybe Christmas—
and vegetarians are forced to
survive solely on mashed potatoes
and pumpkin pie.
What to do? What to do? Watch
other people stuff themselves and
gain weight on one big dead bird?
There has to be a better way.
Thus came tofurkey, the answer
to an empty belly during the big
holiday meal.
Tofurkey was created in 1955 in
a small village called Forest Grove,
Oregon.
Its creator, Seth Tibbott had,
for years, dreamed of finding the
perfect recipe and texture for his
ultimate vegetarian turkey.
While most of his experiments
turned out to be extremely interesting, they were somehow not
quite digestible.
Finally he struck gold, figuratively speaking. Now his product is
made by popular company, Turtle
Islands Food.
By Bethany Higa
T
he next time you’re stringing lights on your Christmas
tree at home you might be making
Christmas a little HOT.
Mr. Daryl Almeida, the Assistant
Director of the Physical Plant gave
some advice on how to keep Christmas “cool.”
According to Mr. Almeida, one
way to make your Christmas flamefree is to use flame retardant,
which contains chemicals that slow
or stop fires. He said that Punahou
School uses flame retardant to be
safe. He also said Punahou has
never had a fire from Christmas
trees and this is the third year that
the school is using flame retardant.
Mr. Almeida explained that it
wouldn’t be a bad idea to use flame
retardant at home but if you don’t
then just make sure that all lights
and extension chords are turned off
Page 15
Other people say that when turkeys are afraid they say something
like “Turk, turk, turk.”
These days turkeys can live up
to ten years. The main difference
from the male and the female is
that the male is more colorful.
Wild turkeys are also the largest
bird in the open forests, which is
where they live
Over the past years, the amount
of turkeys eaten has increased a
lot. In 1975, Americans ate 8.3
pounds of turkey per year and
in 1995, Americans ate over 18
pounds of turkey per year.
Now if you ever think how your
turkey became a Thanksgiving or
Christmas delicacy, you know it
originally came from old Mexico.
Turtle Foods, resides in the
heart of the Cascade Mountains in
Oregon. The name “turtle island”
comes from the Native American
legend of a turtle who sacrificed
his shell to be a continent so the
other animals wouldn’t drown
because there was no other land
form to rest.
Turtle Island is also the name
several Native American tribes
gave to North America.
Tofurkey ingredients consist
mainly of tofu and wheat gluten.
It comes in many flavors like
organic soy, spicy veggie, Italian
sausage and many others.
Each year at Thanksgiving, for
instance, more than 1,000 turkeys
can be saved by this simple solution of vegetarian turkey. Tofurkey
is also healthier than regular turkey, with almost 100 calories less.
As for taste? According to our
sources, it seems that it depends
on the particular flavor of tofurkey
what the quality of the tofurkey is.
Perhaps if you were thinking
of trying tofurkey you might just
want to stick to the regular kind.
when you aren’t home.
He also said that if you want to
buy a flame retardant you’d have
to order one on-line or get it from
as company who sells it.
He said using flame retardant
makes the tree safer and prevents
it from catching fire.
Flame retardant costs Punahou
about $10 a tree and doesn’t smell
or change the scent of thee Christmas tree in any way.
Mr. Almeida
is sure that
flame retardant
is non-aerosol
and doesn’t
harm the ozone
layer.
Last of all he
said that flame
retardant is
applied with
a hand spray
bottle.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
Teachers’ Favorite
Presents from
Small Kid Time
By Sarah Hasselman
E
veryone has a favorite when it
comes to the best Christmas
present they’ve ever found under
the tree when they’re were a kid.
Favorites tend to stick in one’s
memory—even long enough for
teachers to remember theirs.
Everybody knows who Mrs. Linda Green is. She’s the art teacher.
She says that the best Christmas
present that she ever got was a
bike. Mrs. Green says, “I rode it
right in the middle of
the road, and I held
up all the traffic. No
one had told me
that
I should
stay to the right
and let the
cars pass.”
Ms. Pam Edwards,
a teacher for the
sixth grade, says that
her father had made
her a doll house.
Ms. Edwards
describes it: “[It
was] three stories
tall and this beautiful dark blue
color. He put all these neat details
in it, like shingles on the roof and
window panes [on the] windows.
He even decorated the inside with
carpet and wall paper.”
Mrs. Angie Church was a “girly
girl.” Her favorite was a Midge doll,
one of Barbie’s friends. “[Midge]
was unique because I could put
three different wigs on her to
change her hair from a blonde,
to a brunette, to a red head. She
came in a big red case with a
complete wardrobe consisting of
a wedding dress, several sun
dresses, pants and shirts, and
a swimsuit,” says the fifth
grade teacher.
“This might come as a
surprise, but I’ll never forget
my EASY BAKE OVEN and
my SNOW CONE MACHINE!”
says Mrs. McKibbin, the
seventh grade PE teacher.
Page 16
Ms. Jeanne Lindgren, seventh
grade science teacher, says, “For
me it was a pair of white go-go
boots, and a cowgirl skirt. I [had]
wanted those go-go boots so
bad!” See how much the style has
changed since then!
Mrs. Demetra Kaulukukui,
seventh grade English teacher,
explains her favorite: “I grew up
in California, about an hour away
from many great ski resorts. My
father was an avid skier so my sister and I learned at a young age.
Because ski equipment was so
expensive, I always got my sister’s
hand-me-downs. My best Christmas present as a kid was the time
I got a brand new pair of Head skis
that had never been used before.”
“My favorite gift as a child was a
Honda four wheeler (quad runner,
ATV),” Mr. Adam Reid, fourth grade
teacher, says. “I also enjoyed
when our family got a boat, but I
was a teenager at that time!”
Mr. Bob Tam, sixth grade
teacher, s a real eco-hero.
He loves nature, and is
great fan of hikes. He
also doesn’t have a TV,
but enjoys the other
joys of life instead. “My
best present as a kid
was a rope! There are
so many things to do with it:
climb trees, learn knots, tie up
other kids, lasso things (like parking meters).”
Mr. Steve Wagenseller, teacher
of many things (including News
Journalism), has his favorite as
well. “My grandfather gave me a
chemistry set when I was 7 or 8.
It was fantastic!” Mr. W. says. “I
could grow blue crystals with copper sulfate and make ‘disappearing
pink’ with phenolphthalein. I had
test tubes, an alcohol burner, and
matches—so I was not only a real
scientist, but a dangerous one.
With sulphur, I could make rotten
egg gas, which was great for stinking up the whole house. I didn’t
ever manage to blow up anything,
but I had several wonderful years
trying—until the chemicals ran
out.”
Every one of these people had a
favorite present.
What’s yours?
The CMS Courier
December 2007
Umm…Who’s
Kwanzaa?
A Jewish
Holiday
By Caldwell Marchant
Y
ou mean, “What’s Kwanzaa?”
Well, Kwanzaa is actually an
African American holiday, and a
celebration of family, community
and culture.
Not many people even know
what Kwanzaa is.
This holiday occurs from
December 26, to January
1st. Kwanzaa has around
7 symbols, and each
represents values on
concepts of the African
American culture.
• The Mazao, or, the
crops, represent the
harvest celebrations and
rewards of their work.
By Harrison Oshiro & Nathan Higa
T
his Jewish holiday is celebrated on the 25th of the Hebrew Calender also known as the
“Kislev” for eight nights.
They light the menorah also
known as “Hanukiya” with the
tallest candle in the middle or
“Shamash” in Hebrew. The 8 candles
represent the 8
miracles during a
specific time in Jewish history.
Why do the Jewish people celebrate
this holiday and what
significance does this
impact on the Jewish
culture? The Courier has interviewed
Chaplain Scott and
searched the internet
for answers on this
question.
The history of Hanukkah dates
back 2,000 years ago when a
Syrian tyrant name Antiochus the
fourth took the throne and enslaved all the Jews of Jerusalem.
Antiochus forced the Greek culture
on the Jews and forbid to study
the Torah.
He also changed the Solomon’s
temple to the Great temple of
Zeus. Food was scarce during
those days and the Jews were
persecuted by the Syrian by being
treated like slaves.
Matthias, a religious Jew, rebelled a Jewish army called the
Maccabees and fought in a war
against the Syrian Army which
raged for 3 years. In the year
165 B.C.E, the Maccabees reclaim
Jerusalem.
The army found oil in the holy
temple that was enough to light
the Menorah for a single night
only. A child brought the oil to the
menorah to be lit the 8 candles.
A miracle happened in which the
menorah continued to lit for 8
nights.
It was this miracle that Hanukkah was made in honor of
this event.
The 8 miracles was between
the Syrians and the Maccabees.
Page 17
• The Mkeka, or, the mat, represents the African tradition and
history.
• The Kinara, or, candleholder,
represents The African American’s
ancestors.
• The Muhindi, or, the corn, is
the symbol of the African American
children.
• The Mishumaa Saba, or, seven
candles, represents the seven
principle of the African American
culture.
• Kikombe cha Umoja, or, The
Unity cup, represents Unity. Zawadi, or, the gifts, are the gifts.
So now you know who…I mean
what Kwanzaa is, and maybe this
winter break, you could try something new after Christmas.
The first miracle was to able to
defeat the Syrian army with only
bows and arrows, The third miracle
was able reclaim Solomon’s temple
and a child bringing oil to the menorah to be lit.
Jewish people keep certain
traditions and also traditional food
that reminds them of the history
of Hanukkah. The Dreidel is a
Jewish toy that was thought to be
played by the Jewish people during
Antiochus’s reign and has a special
which makes the toy so important.
Since the Syrian Army forbid
the Jews to study the Torah, the
Jews used this toy to secretly
study the Torah without the Syrian
soldiers noticing. With the Jews
using a top and coins with words
on them, they thought the Jews
were gambling and playing.
The Dreidel still continues to be
played by the Jews to this day.
Traditional food was also eaten
before Hanukkah to remind them
of the persecution. The flat bread
was a type of bread that has no
yeast which made the bread flat.
This was a traditional food because
during the persecution food was
scarce for the Jew and all the food
that they could eat was flat bread.
Foods were cooked in oil which
was also another traditional. In the
United States, the most common
food that the Jews eat was latkes
or “potato pancakes”.
In Israel, the most common
food is sufganiya which is a jelly
donut cooked in oil. These foods
were eaten more than a month
before Hanukkah.
Dairy products such as cheese
were also
consumed to
remind
them of a
Jewish
heroine
named
Judith
who killed
the Syrian
general by
feeding him
wine and
cheese, which
made him
drunk.
This gave her
time kill him with
his own sword.
The CMS Courier
December 2007
Rosh Hashanah:
The Jewish
New Year
Bringing in
the New Year…
Japanese Style
By Mia Masuda
W
hether you say Happy New
Year, Akemashite Omedetou
Gozaimasu, Feliz año Nuevo, or
Shana Tova, you are welcoming
the New Year.
All around the world people celebrate the coming of a New Year
and time with traditions from their
country. Although the celebrations
are not always held on the same
day, they often include traditions
of religious celebrations, costume
parties, parades and with customs
said to bring good luck and fortune
in the New Year.
The Jewish New Year Festival is
called Rosh Hashanah. The date
varies each year, as they have
their own calendar,
which is lunisolar
in nature.
The New Year
is on the first
two days of
the seventh
month; this
was done so
that the farm-
By Kathy Lau & Leigh Omizo
M
m, what’s better than a bowl
of soba to bring in the New
Year’s? Japanese people have
special traditions to celebrate New
Year’s or shogatsu. You may recognize some of the traditions that
you do right at home.
Japanese families come together to celebrate shogatsu, which
is considered the most important
holiday of the year. Each year is
separate, a fresh start. Work is
supposed to be completed at this
time. Most businesses in Japan
close down from January 1st-3rd.
Bonenkai parties or year-behind
parties are to forget the worries of
the old year.
Houses are often cleaned and
there is always a lot of work to
do. This is called susuharai (sootsweeping in English). There are
many special foods to make. Families scour away the stains of the
old year and make the house clean
and fresh for the coming one.
On New Year’s Eve, Japanese
people eat toshikoshi soba, or
buckwheat noodles. They are long
and symbolize long life. Food such
as osechi, ryori, otoso (sweetened
rice wine), and ozoni (mochi soup)
are served as well.
Games such as hanetsuki (Japanese badminton), takoage (kite
flying) and karuta (a card game)
used to be played but its popularity has decreased. Japanese people
also send out cards to be received
precisely on January 1st. It is not
uncommon for people to send out
cards to their friends, coworkers
and relatives.
That’s what people do in Japan.
But as we all know, Hawai‘i is a
state of many different cultures.
We asked some sixth-graders
what they do for New Year:
Page 18
ers could visit Jerusalem before
the winter rains came.
The first ten days of this month
are the holiest. Tradition speaks of
a symbolic book in heaven which
was said to have records of those
who did good and bad deeds and
on Rosh Hashanah all people must
account to God for their behavior
during the past year.
However, all people are given
ten days before the New Year and
the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur to show they are sorry for any
wrong doings they may have done.
They undo all wrong doings by
performing good deeds and by
thinking about how to live a better
life in the future.
If they are sincere, God was
supposed to forgive them and
on Yom Kippur he sets down and
foretells each person’s fate for the
next year in the book. He will write
them down for a good year.
New Years is an event celebrated all over the world, with different
customs, traditions and beliefs.
Have a happy holiday and a wonderful New Year!
Meagan Lau said, “I visit my
relatives and we eat yokan, mochi,
tempura, and soba. We clean the
house too.”
Some students that are not
pure Japanese have a combination
of cultural traditions. Jackie Todani
watches fireworks, but she also
goes to parties to celebrate the
New Year with friends and family.
Some students’ traditions are
based more on the traditions we
learned about above. Kori-Lynn
Kunioka visits her relatives, blows
up fireworks, cleans her house and
eats sushi.
Many people visit relatives. Mrs.
Yamamoto, the sixth grade teacher
replacing Mrs. Teske, goes with her
husband to the graveyard to honor
their ancestors.
Japanese aren’t the only ones
who can enjoy New Year’s. Wyatt Hulick goes to surf at Sunset
Beach with family.
Griffin Saunders enjoys blowing
up fireworks and visiting his relatives in New Hampshire.
Ryan Twigg-Smith goes to
Waikiki or the Lookout to watch
the fireworks.
Clare-Marie Anderson has a
party with friends and relatives
with fireworks and tons of snacks.
Sophie Johnson drinks Martinellis and cocoa while watching the
Times Square ball drop at New
York City.
Lauren Taylor and Gabi Soderholm do the traditional fireworks.
Makana Williams watches TV,
eats junk food and plays with
sparklers while her older brothers
blow up fireworks.
You can be of any age to enjoy
New Year’s and of any ethnicity.
We have already seen that many
students of different cultures have
their own ways of bringing in the
New Year!