Kahuku students showed their school spirit at this year's Cheerfest, an annual event held the night before the homecoming football game. This year, each class created a cheer related to the theme "Olympics: Go for the Gold."
Kahuku prides itself
on spirit and support
The passion from students for
their school keeps them coming
back for more
For the red and the white, we're going to win tonight. The Kahuku spirit is always alive and kickin'."
Whether it is sports, co-curricular activities or helping out in the community, Kahuku High and Intermediate School is full of spirit.
About 'Hawaii's Schools'Each week, Hawaii's teenage reporters and photographers tell us about their high school. Today's school is Kahuku High School.
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Every year, there is a different theme, and each class has to make up a cheer pertaining to it. This year's theme was "Olympics: Go for the Gold." The judges had a hard time picking a winner because all the classes were great. In the end, the junior class placed fourth, the freshmen got bronze, the sophomores got silver and the senior class got the gold.
Although classes compete to win the first-place title and bragging rights that go along with it, in the end it is all about school spirit and supporting our football boys.
The spirit here at Kahuku has lasted generations and is still going strong. Kaniala Kalama, a former student who is now a Spanish teacher at Kahuku, exclaimed, "I always wanted to be a part of Kahuku because the culture and spirit here is incomparable."
School spirit makes for an environment where students can get along with each other and build a connection between generations.
"I always talk about Kahuku with my mom and the spirit they used to have, such as pep rallies," freshman Shanlie Kaululaau said. "This is something we both can relate to."
Said senior Daryn Keahi: "I was at the state championship football game at (Aloha) Stadium this past year. When our team scored a touchdown, I looked at the fans and saw people all around, regardless if they knew each other or not, cheering and hugging. Then someone I didn't know turned to me, hugged me and gave me a high five. I just felt the spirit throughout the Kahuku side of the stadium."
Principal Lisa DeLong concurred. "I truly believe that Kahuku students have more school spirit and pride than any other school on the island," she said. "That is evident by the level of participation in co-curricular activities like May Night, Cheerfest and Songfest."
Kahuku students are spirited throughout the athletics program.
For example, on Nov. 4 at the Oahu Interscholastic Association volleyball championship, five busloads of students and coaches came to cheer on the boys and the girls. Supporters included the JV and varsity football teams, the girls soccer team and their coaches.
"It was much appreciated that everyone came to support us, especially the football boys, because they had a game the next night," Kahuku boys volleyball coach Howard Kaululaau said. "They could have been practicing instead of being there to cheer."
Students also show their spirit in the community through service projects. On Oct. 30 more than 150 volunteers took part in Make a Difference Day at the school. Volunteers helped with about 50 beautification projects, cleaning, painting and landscaping. It helped improve the school's appearance inside and out.
It is through this kind of unconditional spirit that alumni are drawn back. More than a dozen students have returned as teachers after graduation.
Said Cynthia Harvey, a teacher: "I came back because I loved this school. Other schools I visited in the mainland were lacking one thing, and that was school spirit.
"I can remember in 1985 when I was in 10th grade -- it was the first time we had Cheerfest. Our class beat the seniors and we were so proud. Overall, I came back to Kahuku because school spirit is what it's all about."
Lightning on campus led
to day of damage
A dark sky lingered over Kahuku High and Intermediate school on Oct. 26, resulting in the cancellation of school the following day.
On the morning of the 26th, lightning illuminated the sky. By the afternoon, steady rain poured on campus. Some students took shelter, but other students like Tyrell Nihipali enjoyed their time playing football in the rain.
"We just figured we are all wet anyways," Nihipali said, "and playing football in the rain is more refreshing."
By about 4 p.m. the water went over the sidewalks, overflowing drains and entering classrooms.
About an hour later, head security official John Shaw advised students to find a way home before police closed the road. School volunteers raced to place sandbags at the gym, band room and administration office doors before water levels rose.
Around 6 p.m. the entrance to the school was closed. The football team ended practice after an hour in the gym because of flooding on the field.
Starting quarterback Bronson Ponciano-Ahue said, "Practice affects the team mentally and physically, so it is only necessary to continue practice, rain or shine."
Reggie Torres, junior varsity football and wrestling coach, said: "This (storm) does not measure up to the one in 1991. A lot of equipment was damaged because of it."
Faculty and staff started a phone tree to notify students about breaking news.
The school was closed the next day, but while students could sleep in, teachers, administrators, the community and a private firm spent the day cleaning up the school.
The PE locker rooms on the lowest part of campus received the most damage. PE teacher Marcie Mo'o said, "(There's) an estimate of around $10,000 to $15,000 in damages due to the storm, (and) that's just in the PE fitness and locker rooms alone."
"Drainage on both sides of the campus has been helped by two bridge projects that are ongoing," said Principal Lisa DeLong. "Drains are being built or widened to help water better flow through the community.
"Also, U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye is sponsoring a flood-control project with federal funding. Finally, we are seeking to buy land from Campbell Estate that is above the campus, and we plan to move the buildings that sit in low-lying areas of our campus to higher ground."
You Asked...
"flood" day off from school?"
Cherisse Hee
Senior
"I ended up watching the news all day, and I went to dinner with friends."Eric Kaahanui
Senior
"Some of my friends and I played football in BYU's flooded field."Kali Helepololei
Senior
"My cousin and I went to the beach across the street, but the water was super-dirty, so we ended up making benches and chairs out of all the sticks on the beach."Marina Hartman
Freshman
"I went surfing, then shopping with a bunch of friends at Wal-Mart."Teeny Duerden
Senior
"The day it was flooded, I went to the beach with a bunch of my girlfriends to check out the surfers."Misty Ka'ana'ana
Junior
"I stayed home and watched a bunch of scary movies, and then I went to eat with my mom at Subway."
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