By: Jacob Balatico

[email protected]

Senior Jared Banaga and Junior Hina Kimura placed back to back in this year’s Nengajoo contest, taking first and second place in the islandwide postcard competition.  Both were entered in the annual New Year contest, in which students had to decorate a New Years postcard depicting this year’s Chinese Zodiac, the snake.

“I was proud of them.  I’d like to congratulate them on a great job.  Obviously they are very talented and they are both deserving of their awards,” said Japanese Language teacher Corey Zukeran.  Zukeran feels that Kimura’s Nengajoo was colorful and had a nice effect and Banaga’s Nengajoo was very artistic. “Personally, if I was a judge, I would have had a hard time choosing between the two,” he said.

This wasn’t Kimura’s first time entering.  Kimura said, “I entered last year in 2012 for the Year of the Dragon.”  Sadly, Kimura didn’t place.  When Kimura found out she had placed second she was happy.  “All my hard work paid off,” she said.  Kimura felt that the contest was a way to exercise her drawing skills.

Like Kimura, this wasn’t Banaga’s first time entering.  “I entered last year for Japanese class, and placed third in the same category.” On winning again this year Banaga said, “I was pretty surprised that I actually placed and even more so that I got in first place. It felt pretty good to know that people liked my art.”

Both students know that the competition can get tough because of the enormous amount of entries.  Banaga said, “I do know that a lot of schools in Hawaii had submissions and numerous students from (MHS) entered their cards for class.”  Kimura said that her whole Japanese class entered. “It is hard to place in the contest because there are so many entries,” Banaga said.

Only Kimura will be reentering next year’s competition as  Banaga is graduating this year and only students in grades K-12 are eligible.