Classroom in culture

Five Rough Riders travel to Japan as part of a summer study group

In the past two years, five Roosevelt students were fortunate recipients of scholarships for the PAAC Summer Study Tour program.

David Togami, a Roosevelt senior and member of the PAAC 2006 Tour to Japan, said, "This experience allowed me to broaden my horizons, experience a different culture and gain an appreciation for things out in the world."

Roosevelt High School Name Rough Rider Faculty adviser Dorimalia Waiau Editor Corey Amano Address 1120 Nehoa St. Honolulu 96822 Principal Dennis Hokama Nickname Rough Riders Enrollment 1,625 Study Tour Applications Applications for PAAC's Summer Study Tour to Vietnam in June 2007 are now available on PAAC's Web site: www.paachawaii.org. For inquiries about this and other PAAC programs, please contact Natasha Chappel, PAAC High School Program Director, at 944-7759 or e-mail hs@paachawaii.org.

The Pacific and Asian Affairs Council (PAAC) is a nonprofit organization that features an annual scholarship program for 20 public high school students to learn and experience an Asian country and its culture. Funded by the Freeman Foundation, the PAAC Summer Study Tour is currently in its fourth year; this year's destination is Vietnam.

The participants of the 2006 Tour to Japan last summer were confronted with the ongoing issues and struggles of Japan's traditional and contemporary culture: World War II and the effects still being felt, an aging society, the education system, the economy and the two major religions.

The 17-day study tour started in Tokyo, where students witnessed firsthand city life in the fast-paced society of Japan, and concluded in Okinawa, the tiny group of islands off of mainland Japan that is strikingly similar to Hawaii's scenery.

Tokyo, representing the contemporary aspect of Japan, is also the home of the Imperial Palace, which is located in the middle of this bustling city. The harmony created between contemporary and traditional Japan is apparent, as everyday citizens are allowed to bask in the magnificence of the palace's aura of high majesty.

The stay in Kyoto included a series of shrine and temple visitations that exemplified the beauty and awe of the aesthetics of Japanese culture. The experience at Miyajima, an island renowned for its onsen (hot spring inns), included many firsts for the participants, such as eating a water snail during dinner, sleeping on a futon and trying the hot springs.

In Kitakyushu, a city in Fukuoka, on the smaller island of Kyushu, the students participated in the Kokura Gion Matsuri, a Japanese taiko drumming festival.

Following Kitakyushu was their visit to Okinawa, where they were reacquainted with Hawaii's familiar weather in a setting of non-English-speaking citizens.

The visit to the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park was the most emotional portion of the tour for the students. Hiroshima, one of two cities devastated by an atomic bomb, was a peaceful city, now rebuilt and active, showing everyone the resilient nature of the Japanese society that turned itself around following World War II. As the participants walked through the exhibits, the singed clothes, melted appliances and especially the ash-covered locks of hair vividly portrayed to them the extent of the destructive and catastrophic nature of war and the atomic bomb.

Togami said, "Hiroshima was a place full of awe because it was a place where we've read about, seen in pictures, and heard in stories, and we stood in a spot where over 60 years ago was completely devastated. All it took was one decision, that bomb, to decimate that entire area. It was unbelievable."

Overall, the trip covered a lot of distance while introducing the students to many new people, cultures, traditions and systems that they would have most likely not experienced had they not participated in the PAAC program.

To be involved in PAAC's Summer Study Tour, each applicant was required to fill out an application and go through a screening process, which included two essays and an interview, after which the final 20 were chosen. Academic requirements of this study tour included reading material relevant to Japan's history, culture and society, including the novel "The Girl With the White Flag" by Tomiko Higa, attending a one-week orientation and conducting a presentation regarding one of Japan's major issues.

Naohito Miura, a Roosevelt senior and participant in the 2005 Tour to South Korea, said, "The PAAC program encouraged me to see more of the world and be more aware of what's happening in the world."

Togami said, "We all have to brave the unknown and reach out to get something like (the PAAC scholarship), because it's sitting there for us to explore and experience the world by leaving our comfort zones."

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Boys and girls take volleyball OIA titles

This season has been an exciting one at Roosevelt, as the boys' and girls' volleyball teams exceeded all expectations by winning the Oahu Interscholastic Association titles. Both Rough Rider teams did very well, ending the season strong records: 13-5 for the girls and 16-2 for the boys.

Hundreds of fans filled the McKinley Student Council Gym on Nov. 2 to watch the Roosevelt teams play their hearts out for the OIA championships. Among the crowd were proud family members, alumni, teachers and students. The boys played first, working harder than ever to defeat the Kalaheo Mustangs in a close, two-game victory. The game could have gone either way, but in the end the Riders pulled it off and won their first OIA title in 26 years.

Pumped up from watching the Roosevelt boys win and ready to make history, the Rider girls were more than ready to take on their own challengers. The Moanalua Menehunes, who had defeated Roosevelt twice in the regular season, were ranked fourth in the state, with the Riders one beneath that. Determined not to lose again, the Roosevelt girls picked up their first OIA championship title since 1979 by beating Moanalua, two games to one. The red and gold crowd ended the night's events by singing the Roosevelt alma mater.

In the state playoffs at the Stan Sheriff Center, the Roosevelt teams did well, even if they didn't reach the championship game. The girls pushed past Maui on Nov. 7 but lost to the Punahou Buffanblu a day later to drop into the semifinals on Nov. 9. That game unfortunately entailed a rematch with Moanalua, which they lost. Still, they ended the season in the state's final four, a great accomplishment.

The Rider boys also made it to the state semifinals by beating Kamehameha Schools-Maui on Nov. 4, but lost to KS-Hawaii the next day. In the boys' semifinal on Nov. 16, Roosevelt faced off with their OIA rival, Kalaheo, for the fourth time of the season. The boys rallied together, and in three games grabbed the third spot in the state, ending the season with a bang!

Many Roosevelt coaches, players and fans had confidence in their school, but others hadn't expected the Riders to make it so far into the playoffs. Through the support of their fans, they did it anyway, and Roosevelt became the only school in the OIA to get both their volleyball teams into the state's final four this year.

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"What is your favorite holiday, and why?"

Alex Hartley
Senior
"I like Valentine's Day because everyone loves me."

Kiani McBean
Senior
"I love Halloween because it's a crazy night of anonymous fun."

Jenna Lo
Senior
"Christmas because it's fun to know if I've been naughty or nice."

Kristi Yamamoto
Senior
"Fourth of July because I have a reason to use my lighter (and) because I like to burn ... fireworks!"

Kaimi Kamauoha
Sophomore
"Thanksgiving begins at 5 a.m. standing in line in front of a department store."

Sean Matsumoto
Sophomore
"Christmas is my favorite holiday because i always stand under the mistletoe."

Vincent Ngyuien
Freshman
"I like Valentine's Day because I get free expensive chocolates."