By Risa Askerooth
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Friendships have grown within the yearbook staff to such an extent that they spend time together outside of school as well.
The new yearbook, with the theme “That was then, this is now”, celebrates the 40 years that MHS has been in operation. The time and dedication the Na Manao Poina Ole staff has given has made the yearbook a reflection of MHS’ progress, with a minimalistic design and a sharper focus on alumni and the past.
ìItís also pretty cool to think about, “‘Wow, that wasn’t there before.’ And it’s just interesting to learn about the past of the school. We come here every day and itís just a different view of it,” stated Senior Jeanine Higa, editor-in-chief of Na Manao Poina Ole.
The theme was only a small part of the process, as colors, fonts, stories, designs and pictures were other factors that needed to be included. To highlight the past, sports photographs of the first MHS sports teams were ghosted over current ones and old traditions such as the bonfire before homecoming were written about.
Due to the pieces of the past, the yearbook will be more enjoyable for staff as well. “For the yearbook I feel like it’s a lot more heartfelt, like the theme is something that everybody can relate to. It’s not just the students; it’s the parents, it’s the teachers and it’s the staff,” stated Photography and Video Editor Junior Alissa Kelly.
The emphasis on the progress over the years also provides an appreciation for how far MHS has come. “We didn’t have a lot of these buildings and just like education in general, it’s really excelled and we have all these great classes and I donít think any of us really realize how lucky we are to be at such a great school,” said Kelly.
Although the staff will be rewarded when the final product arrives, the real accomplishment is the effort and pieces of themselves they put into the yearbook. “It’s a relief to be finished with the work but it’ll be even better to see people, you know, actually looking at it and appreciating all our hard work,” stated Reporter Junior Nathaniel Jaramillo.
With the completion of the year and the time spent on the yearbook, the bonds that have formed within the yearbook staff are irreplaceable. “There’s always like a small family that develops,” stated Journalism adviser Christopher Sato, “I think they have their memories. They’ll cherish the ones they want to cherish and, you know, move on with the rest.” Higa added, “Becoming closer to each other, it made us know that we could rely on each other. Like you know, if you’re friends with someone, you donít want to let them down.”
Na Manao Poina Ole is always looking to pursue new ideas for the yearbook and is awaiting a new theme to continue documenting the memories of next year.
