HAWAII'S SCHOOLS
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Ethnic diversity Cheeseburgers and Spam musubis, slippers and flip-flops, manapua trucks and Hardee's, Hilo Hattie and Robinson's May.
prepares students
for future
Radford High School offers a
cultural blend of military
and local communities» Military aids school renovations
» Grass isn't really greener on the mainland
» About This Page
» You AskedBy Cherielyn Mendoza, Matt Strong and Jerry Kupau
Radford High SchoolThe contrasts never end. They come from as near as the mainland and Hawaii, and as far as Asia, Europe, Pacific Islands, South America, Canada, Africa and Australia. Radford High School is a mini-world within itself.
Thirteen different ethnic groups are represented in the student population.
Based on a 1999 Focus on Learning accreditation report, the school's predominant ethnicities are white at 38 percent, Filipinos at 24 percent and black at 10 percent, followed by all others.
Radford services the communities of Hickam Air Force Base, Pearl Harbor, Crosspointe and parts of Aliamanu, and has its own unique blend of students.
Nearly 80 percent of Radford students are from federally connected families. A network of worldwide military bases provide these students with extensive travels.
As a result, military dependents often bring a global perspective to the classrooms and their local Hawaii peers.
"I see a lot of cultures around Radford," said junior Lorenzo Mariner. "I say 'what's up' to the Filipinos and the Samoans."
"I think our school is unique because there are so many different backgrounds," said senior Jennifer Czumalowski. "I'm so used to being around different people. I get along with every nationality."
Although there are some groups that seem to be made up of one ethnic group, not everyone feels the same way about the divisions among the races.
"I am Filipino and I hang with white people, too. I don't care," said junior Charlene Maximo.
"I don't think race and nationality matter," said Czumalowski. "I hang around with other people (because) it's about who you are."
Although having an ethnically diverse student population helps to foster tolerance, it also has been known to cause racial friction.
"Having a culturally mixed school has its advantages and disadvantages," said senior Felicia Vaifale.
"The advantage is having more cultures to learn from. The disadvantage is there will always be one culture that wants to dominate the rest."
At Radford High School, students share classes with people from around the world. Learning to get along with one another is a daily lesson students here can teach others.
"It's a great cross-section of humanity, and hopefully it represents our future as people who respect each other," said Leonard Wilson, a social studies teacher.
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Military aids Continuing their support of Hawaii schools, the military, along with the Joint Venture Education Forum, is aiding Radford High School in renovating its classrooms, which is expected to be completed in August 2002.
school renovations
Classrooms are being built with
funds from Defense DepartmentBy Ashley Wooldridge
Radford High SchoolIn addition to Aliamanu Intermediate and Red Hill Elementary, Radford's classrooms and technology program will be improved because of increased funding from the Department of Defense.
"We made a commitment to do something (for the schools)," said Allen Awaya, one of the facilitators of the program and a member of the Joint Venture Education Forum.
DOD funding for schools increased when Jane Catton, a parent of former students, wrote Congress saying she disagreed with school spending. With the help of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, funding increased for Hawaii schools with many military dependents.
Because of the renovations, Radford will be closed for summer school in 2002. The classrooms will be getting new lights, whiteboards, tiles, furniture and windows.
"It's about time," said Lance Luning, Safety Resource Officer. "The students deserve it."
But because of the changes, teachers must share classrooms and move all materials out of their old rooms.
"I'm very appreciative. ... I just wish that it would be at a more convenient time," said Arlene Pai, history teacher.
"At least we'll be in a better environment," said freshman Jalynn Pontes.
During the second semester of last school year, the DOD helped renovate Radford's bathrooms. The new improvements being made will cost twice as much as it did to repair the bathrooms.
The military has, and will continue to, support Radford for many years.
"(The military) has done so much for us," said school Principal Robert Stevens.
About a quarter of the way into my sophomore year at Radford, I began to grow tired of Hawaii. I had lived here three years already, and it was time to move on. So I was thrilled when my dad announced that we were moving to San Diego in a few weeks. Sure, I'd miss my friends, but I would finally be getting back to the real world, back to civilization. Finally I would be around sophisticated people, shopping in real stores, experiencing relatively normal weather, having loads of opportunities waiting for me. EDITORIAL
Grass isn’t really greener
on the mainlandSoon enough, I got what I thought I wanted, but to excess. Almost every student at my new school had their own BMWs, and they dressed like models out of Nordstrom's ads. The weather in San Diego was cold enough to require that I wear pants and close-toed shoes almost every day. There were classes offered at my new school that I didn't even know were necessary, such as Principles of Law. San Diego was everything that Hawaii wasn't, not only on the surface, but on the inside as well.
Right from the beginning, I started to notice some disturbing things about the people in "civilization." Nobody acknowledged me on my first day of school. (Or the second, third, and so on.) Getting a facial or massage took precedence over volunteering for suicide prevention week, and students made fun of the way a woman looked during a video, even though she was dying from ebola.
The majority of the population was completely consumed with themselves. People would let doors slam in others' faces when their hands were full, and block a one-lane road with their Mercedes while they talked on their cell phone. Such things occurred so often that eventually I stopped reacting to them. They were minor compared to the racially ignorant comments and derogatory remarks about "lesser individuals" that peppered routine conversations.
By the end of the school year, I had had enough.
Just a year later, my parents decided to move back to Hawaii. They had had enough of the Gucci-sunglasses wearing, rude-comment-making, self-obsessed adults in our community.
I did not shed any tears upon my departure. A few weeks earlier, on Sept. 11, I heard a girl complaining to her friend that her mother woke her up to tell her that a plane crashed into the World Trade Center. "Who cares?" she said, "I wanted to sleep!" The friend laughed and said "I know! Really!" By then I was already scratching at the walls to get out of that place, and when I heard that, I started kicking and pounding at the door to get out faster.
This type of behavior, I suspect, is not unique to San Diego. It is probably common wherever people have too much money and time, and where they never realize that there is something outside their tiny bubble.
I have now traded my Tommy Hilfiger shoes for $5 flip-flops and given up the opportunity of taking Racquetball PE at school. I consider it a small sacrifice. Hopefully I am starting to get rid of some of the habits I picked up while on my trip to the "other side."
I took Hawaii for granted while I was here, but I now recognize the beauty of what was in front of me for three years before. I'm glad to be back, back where people are kind to each other at the least . . . and where it's 70 degrees at the coldest.
By Ashley Wooldridge
Each week, Hawaii's teenage reporters and photographers tell us about their high school. This week's page is by Radford High School students. Next Monday's scheduled school is Hawaiian Mission Academy. ABOUT THIS PAGE
Adm. Arthur Radford High School
Established: 1957
Address: 4361 Salt Lake Blvd., Honolulu, Hawaii 96818
Principal: Robert Stevens
Vice principals: Etuale Suafoa and Pua'ala McElhaney
Colors: Black and white with red trim
Mascot: Ram (Pappy)
Yearbook: Ka Po'e Ae'a (Wanderer)
Number of classrooms: 86
Faculty members: 93
Enrollment: 1,358
Students pursuing post-secondary school: 80 percent
Mission: To educate all students in an integrated setting to become responsible, literate, thinking and contributing members of a multicultural society through excellence in teaching and learning.
SCHOOL NEWSPAPER
Name: The RamPage
Editor in chief: Katie Hughes
Managing editor: Sinan Franklin
Adviser: Mary Ann Bautista
Number of journalists: 23
Where do you see yourself in five years? -- Compiled and photographed by Jessica Schmidt YOU ASKED
"I'll be an FBI agent in Virginia."
Jessica James
Junior"On a farm with a bunch of animals."
Casey Bynes
Sophomore"Graduating from Arizona, then being a nurse."
Nicole Massey
Senior"In college at MIT."
Chris Fisher
Freshman"Graduating from UH, then joining the military to work in intelligence."
Timothy Veal
Sophomore"Beginning my career as a kindergarten teacher."
Christina Webber
Senior"In my second year in the Air Force as an officer, then venture into my music video production career. "
Oliver Smith
Senior"I'm going to be a dancer in music videos."
Jennifer Czumalowski
Senior"Hopefully, in college on the mainland."
Myron Roces
Junior"Pursuing a career in physical therapy and graphic design."
Justin Cariaga
Senior
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