HAWAII'S SCHOOLS
COURTESY OF HILO HIGH SCHOOL
In honor of Hilo High's centennial celebration, this mural in downtown Hilo was painted by the Hilo High Art Club, advised by Gale Wallace, in late 2005. Commemoration events later this year will include campus tours, class reunions and the 100th Happy Birthday Party on Sept. 24.
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Party of the century
The Hilo community will celebrate its high school's centennial anniversary in September
By Jenna Mangiboyat
Hilo High School
How often do you find something -- anything -- that's been around for 100 years? For example, a house? A family heirloom? A lifetime?
How about a school?
Hilo High School
Name
The Viking
Faculty adviser
Diane Li
Editors
Ian Kow, Jordan Maldonado, Jenna Mangiboyat and Farida Padamada
Address
556 Waianuenue Ave.,
Hilo 96720
Principal
Robert Dircks
Mascot
Viking
Colors
Blue and gold
Enrollment
1,521
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It's rare for a centennial anniversary to roll around, so when it does, it's definitely worth celebrating. This year, we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Hilo High School from Sept. 24 through Sept. 30. This will be a time for students, faculty, and alumni to reunite and honor the one thing that links them all together: dear old Hilo High School.
In 1905, 25 ninth-grade students attended high school at Hilo Union School. One year later, Hilo High School was officially established at Riverside School, now known as the DOE annex.
From then on, Hilo High progressed and built a strong foundation as a high school from improvements like dropping sixth, seventh and eighth grades from the high school level in 1914-1916. It moved to 556 Waianuenue Ave. as a permanent location in 1922, and as years passed the campus flourished with more buildings, students and educational experience.
The first graduating class consisted of seven students in 1909: Richard Kekoa, Amy Williams, Eliza Desha, Frank Arakawa, John Kennedy, Annie Napier and Herbert Westerbelt.
Hilo High Vice Principal Chad Farias said Hilo High is "a group of students of mixed, diversified ethnic backgrounds," and that is what makes it so special. Farias also said Hilo High is not very different from how he remembered it when he was a student. The only major difference to him is the increase in technology.
"Hilo High (has always been) a caring, nurturing, compassionate place ... and remains that way today," Farias said.
The jam-packed exciting week of events and activities for students and alumni begins with the 100th Happy Birthday party on Sept. 24. There will be entertainment, an athletic steak fry, and many craft and food booths. All proceeds will go to the school's clubs and organizations.
Each day has something new to offer along with daily campus tours. On Sept. 25, a Hilo High School Band and Ambassadors concert will be held in the evening. A Variety Show on Sept. 27 will be hosted by Hilo High alumni.
Sept. 28 will feature a Performing Arts Learning Center performance, an alumni municipal golf tournament and a centennial reunion. The reunion of the decades will take place Sept. 29 at the Afook Chinen Civic Auditorium.
To wrap it all up on Sept. 30, a good old-fashioned school lunch will be served at a car and motorcycle show, featuring entertainment. All of the cars will proceed in a motorcade to the stadium to watch our football boys represent Hilo High for our homecoming game.
On top of all of this, homecoming events will be held for the students at school throughout the week.
Special thanks to the chair of the centennial events, Rene Shindo, and the committee: Robert Dircks, Joelle Kerr, Erin Williams, Rena Kawailima, Miles Nakanishi, Leroy Simms, Charlene Masuhara, Jennifer Perry and Carol Takamura. There are many more people contributing and helping with this event, which is a collaboration between the school and the Hilo High Foundation.
"Everyone on Hilo High's payroll will be assisting somehow or some way with Centennial; we're all getting involved," Shindo said.
Everyone is invited to celebrate Hilo High's centennial anniversary in September. Show your Viking spirit!
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Alumni want site to meet on campus
By Jordan Maldonado
Hilo High School
For years, Hilo High School alumni have searched for a place to visit and relive their memories of high school. With scores of alumni returning to witness the school's centennial celebration, the need and desire for an on-campus alumni center is increasing.
The proposal for an alumni center was first brought up during a centennial celebration meeting in late 2005. Hilo High counselor Charlene Masuhara told the Viking News: "The community and alumni talked about a mini-museum, a place where alumni can visit. All we need is one room to house memorabilia."
There are many alumni who miss or do not attend reunions. A new center would give alumni and current students a chance to see how far Hilo High has come.
Alumni currently visit the Hawaii Plantation Museum in downtown Hilo. The museum not only hosts an enormous amount of memorabilia relating to the sugar plantation days, it also has a large section dedicated to Hilo High. The museum is maintained by Wayne Subica, who worked on a book, "The Firsts Of Hilo High," which is being published.
A center could be funded by the alumni themselves. The school's historic B-building, which houses classrooms and an auditorium that is home to the Big Island's renowned Performing Arts Learning Center program, was built in 1927 with the help of alumni funds.
The center would most likely be well received among alumni, as many return to the school every year for their reunions. The addition of an in-school museum could make the experience even more fulfilling. It would house class lists, yearbooks, awards and would also become a definitive meeting place.
The thought of an alumni center intrigues 1974 Hilo High graduate Sandrea Shigenaga. "I think it's a good idea to have a place on campus that would allow alumni a place to go and have access to yearbooks, old newsletters and even archived videos to look back at their past," Shigenaga said.
While the idea seems to have support among alumni and supporters, school administration remains pragmatic.
Vice Principal Chad Farias calls an alumni center a "great idea." However, Farias, a 1989 Viking graduate, also noted, "Hilo High could use an upgrade in facilities that would allow for an alumni center."
First-year Principal Robert Dircks says that he "doesn't have a problem with it," but space issues have become an increasing concern.
"Populations are growing, and we need to revisit and rebuild the structure," Dircks said. "It would be of benefit to all alumni, but it's a question of space.
"If there is a will ... there is a way," Dircks said.
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YOU ASKED
Teachers who graduated from Hilo High were asked: What changes has Hilo High gone through over the years?
Gale Wallace
Class of 1968
"When I went to school, there was no patio, so the walkway in front of the auditorium was called the Ms. America Walkway and no one wanted to walk alone down it during recess."
Amy Okuyama
Class of 1979
"The dress code was very strict and enforced. Girls were not permitted to wear pants. Boys were not allowed to have beards or mustaches."
Heidi Pana
Class of 1990
"Spirit was abundant. Homecoming games would be packed. The band was there. Everybody was there."
Claire Camero
Class of 1969
"I remember there was a big fire in 1970-something. It was in the mauka building and they said it was arson. We never did rebuild it."
Anne Chung
Class of 1987
"Some of my former teachers are still here. We had black chalkboards instead of white dry-erase boards."
Melvin Kaetsu
Class of 1969
"One observation I can make is that students in my days were much more eager to learn. School is much more casual today in the way students dress and behave."