The Hilo High Academic Decathlon (ACADEC) team is Kaniel Yano, Clay O'Neill, Thomas Matthews, Alan Nishimura, Jin Izawa, Kyle Evans, Chris Todd, Brian Cama, Theon Weber and coach Dane Nelson. The team placed second among all medium-size schools at the nationals April 17-18 in Boise, Idaho.
Academic decathletes
are golden
Let's face it: What normal high school student would put in more than 20 voluntary hours of practice each week for eight mind-numbing months just so he or she could excel in things such as the reproductive systems of nonvascular plants and the effects of British mercantilist policies on early America? It sounds pretty extreme, but for Academic Decathlon (ACADEC) competitors, all that studying was just what they were up for.
With a rigorous schedule of practicing until 6 in the evening after every day of school, the sole purpose of the dedicated nine-member ACADEC team from Hilo was to master every one of the competition's 10 subject areas: Art, Economics, Language and Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, Essay, Interview, Speech, and Super Quiz.
Comprised of seniors Brian Cama, Kyle Evans, Thomas Matthews, Alan Nishimura, Clay O'Neill, Theon Weber, Kaniel Yano, sophomores Jin Izawa and Chris Todd, and legendary coach Dane Nelson, the Hilo High Academic Decathlon team represented Hawaii at the national competition April 17-18 in Boise, Idaho.
Their hard work paid off as they managed to place a highly impressive second among all medium-size schools and sixth overall in the nation.
Students in ACADEC compete on three levels: the Varsity category for C-average students, the Scholastic category for B-average students and the Honors category for A-average students. With 42 teams from 41 states and British Columbia, schools are also divided into three divisions by size. In all, roughly 30,000 students compete each year.
The Hilo High team's total score of 47,313 points (out of a possible 60,000) was the highest showing ever by any team from Hawaii.
Senior Theon Weber won a total of five medals at the national competition, including gold medals in Super Quiz and Language and Literature, a silver medal in Art and bronze medals in Speech and Music. Weber also won a $1,000 scholarship as the top Division II Varsity scorer and was also the highest-scoring Varsity player in the nation -- something no one from Hawaii has ever accomplished.
Brian Cama was this year's fourth-highest scoring Varsity in the nation and won a gold medal in Interview and silver medals in Art and Math. Cama also took home a $500 scholarship for being the third-highest Varsity in Division II.
Clay O'Neill won gold medals in both Essay and Music and a bronze medal in Art, and was the fifth highest-scoring Varsity in the nation. As a team, Hilo High without question had the elite status of having the most formidable Varsity combination among any team.
Jin Izawa won a bronze medal in Mathematics, and Chris Todd won a bronze medal in Speech -- both equally remarkable considering they are sophomores.
Senior Kyle Evans won a $750 scholarship for being the second-highest scoring Scholastic player in Division II and was also the 13th-highest Scholastic in the nation.
Other notable moments included Alan Nishimura's speech being selected for the prestigious Speech Showcase, and the strong individual showings of Thomas Matthews and Kaniel Yano.
U.S. Academic Decathlon director Les Martisko called Hilo High's accomplishments in Idaho "amazing," especially considering the rapidly diminishing support for the program in Hawaii.
The winning performance is a good reminder that Hawaii schools can and do foster greatness with a hard-working attitude.
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Campus gets year-long
face lift for centennial
Originally founded in 1906, and moved to its current location in 1922, Hilo High has undergone constant change in its nearly 100-year history. Every autumn, students returned to find policies rewritten, bell schedules changed and teachers' rooms reassigned. This school year incorporated all of these confusing new elements, but it had one more, far from the norm: the constant presence of construction workers.
Having noticed signs of disrepair in most of the buildings, and taking note that the school's centennial was rapidly approaching, the administration applied several years ago for much-needed funds to renovate and modernize the entire school. It also received funding to renovate the swimming pool, which was drained immediately after the traditional "Senior Splash" Farewell Rally for the Class of 2003.
Taking longer than anticipated to review the bids, the work was fated to begin later than planned. Finally, at the beginning of this school year, students and teachers were told upon returning to pack up everything in their classrooms and be prepared to move out for three weeks at a time as each building's floor came up for its makeover on the year-long renovation schedule.
Brigades of construction workers proceeded to bang, rip, tear, nail, spray, wash and paint their way across the campus, leaving an array of displaced teachers and students in their wake. Even the Admin and counselors had to move out of their offices. PE was moved out of the gym, classes like swimming were moved to the track, and others were held in the cafeteria. Patio tables became desks for classes that met outside. A lucky few went to the library, but many teachers roamed the campus with huge bundles like bag ladies, dodging handicap ramps being jackhammered for regrading.
The 2004 May Day Court shares its stage with brand-new diving boards.
A-Building, the oldest on campus and of dubious Name Me Nobody fame, was refitted with bright, new, dry-erase white boards -- definite proof that Hilo High's classrooms have entered the modern era, i.e., no more chalk, only fast dry-out markers. In addition, new flooring, ceiling tiles, light fixtures and jalousies (which won't lose their nuts or washers) were installed. Outside walls with a new coat of pale yolk-yellow paint were topped off with a brilliant Kelly green roof.
B-Building and its auditorium, officially on the Historical Buildings list, received a touchup coat of exterior paint, a power spray wash of its corrugated tin roof, then Kelly green; inside, classrooms and halls got more paint and modern white boards. Built originally with donations from alumni, the auditorium itself, by contrast dilapidated, waits patiently to be remembered.
The gym, which was built in 1937, lost its chance for major renovation as one of the first line-items vetoed many years ago. Modern building codes for new school gyms, unfortunately, require more space than currently exists.
Rather than demolish R-Building, C-Building, K-Building and the library to make way for a new gym, each got its fair share of pale yolk-yellow and green paint, jalousies and white boards.
As the Senior Splash Rally approaches once again to baptize another graduating class, one hopes that the cool water will wash away painful memories of the buzzing, hammering, whining and rumbling that marked its final year.
As for Hilo High's accreditation review, which happens next year, the school will surely pass on good looks. Preparations are beginning to celebrate the Viking centennial, and no doubt the paint will still look new when alumni arrive.
The construction workers used two coats, and the rain should keep it clean. Surrounding it all is a recently constructed fence like a mesh veil protecting a newly varnished but well-worn and well-loved treasure.
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About ‘Hawaii’s Schools’
Each week, Hawaii's teenage reporters and photographers tell us about their high school. This week's school is Hilo High School.
Newspaper: The Viking Editors: Nick McDaniel and Brittany Petersen Faculty advisor: Diane Li Address: 556 Waianuenue Ave., Hilo, HI 96720 Phone: 808-974-4021 Fax: 808-974-4036 Principal: Katherine Webster Faculty: About 110 Enrollment: 1469 Mascot: Viking Colors: Blue and gold
Centennial
Hilo High will celebrate its centennial in 2006.
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You asked
How does society treat teens?
Jody Yamada
Senior
"Society stereotypes! Society makes assumptions that teenagers are all spoiled punks."Nick McDaniel
Senior
"In general, teens are perceived by society as more of a menace than anything else. With a chance the teen population could greatly contribute to the betterment of Hilo as a whole."Jenna Mangiboyat
Freshman
"I think society overprotects us teens and creates a barrier around teens, desperately trying to protect us from the true world, the outside world, the real world."Clay O'Neill
Senior
"Society spoils them."Kuulei Thomas
Senior
"Society is very flexible toward teens. They don't expect much from teens, but when teens step up and show potential, people feel happy."Alex Reed
Junior
"Because we are ineligible to vote, we lose many of the traits that define the adults of this period, but we are also expected to maintain behavior acceptable in the adult world."Sara Ebesugawa
Freshman
"I think society classifies the majority of teens as irresponsible kids who are going to mess up the world. They either treat us as big mistakes or ignore us and our opinions completely."
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