After being elected by the Class of 2026 early last year, they promised to alter student government for the better — now, they are fulfilling their promises. With help from the deans, the student government has been instituting multiple changes: promoting class events, normalizing financial aid, and instituting new annual traditions are just a few of them.
On February 6th, in Alexander 212, the all-male government consisted of three senators: Riley Mishina, Jordan Takai, and Tyler Wee; treasurer Alex Woo; vice president Kahikina Marumoto; and president Vincent Saito. Dean Kamiya and Dean Ka‘akua joined the meeting as well.
In his election speech last year, the class president, Saito pledged to learn every junior’s name by the end of his term. Ever since he was elected, he and the other student government leaders have been trying to memorize the names of each junior. To start the meeting, Saito opened with a name-learning activity. Saito brought out last year’s Oahuan and flipped it open to a random underclass page. Consequently, he took a picture of nine students and displayed it on the screen. Going around in a circle, the juniors took turns listing three things about the students projected on the screen: their first name, their last name, and what extracurriculars they participated in. When I asked how often they run this activity, Saito clarified that they do this naming game every other meeting. However, with the Punahou Carnival coming up, they have been getting together less often. The deans easily named each student, but other attendees struggled with some last names. Learning the names of 425 students is no easy task, and clearly, the student government has a long way to go. Despite this, it is evident that they attempt to uphold their promises and are making considerable progress in doing so.
Subsequently, the student government leaders openly discussed several projects they are working on this semester. For instance, they will host the last combined-advisory potlucks later in the month. These potlucks combine two different homeroom classes, and students from each class are encouraged to provide small snacks. Saito introduced this concept to a few advisories last semester in an effort to stimulate community building. My advisory was the first one to participate in this event. I thought it was an innovative idea to merge advisories, and the event enabled me to meet other juniors I otherwise would not have spoken with. Students mingled with others, albeit, we mainly stayed with our own classmates during the potluck. In the meeting, the officials particularly outlined where to host the potluck, since there would be too many students to fit into the regular rooms used for advisory. They ultimately settled on using the open lab in Mamiya.
Afterwards, Dean Ka’akua commended them for their leadership and growth. “You guys are killing it,” he beamed. While Dean Kamiya also celebrated their meaningful aims, she reminded them that, due to a plethora of crucial events coming up, “it’s going to be tough.”
Additionally, she advised them to take care of each other and keep tabs on the other students with all the tests, interims, and projects as the quarter ends. “Be a voice and be the ears for your peers, even during Carnival and other busy times,” Dean Kamiya said.
Another project they conversed about was the annual clean-up day. The Class of 2026 had a clean-up day last year, where students used their free lunch period to clean up trash around campus.
Wee emphasized their intent with this event: “Our goal is to instill responsibility in students through group community service.”
Last year’s clean-up was a considerable success, so the deans agreed to conduct one again this year. They announced the clean-up day at the following assembly, and the event ran shortly thereafter.
Class treasurer Alex Woo then led the discussion of financial aid logistics regarding the Junior Function coming up in April. The current fee is $145 per person, and food will be included. Woo explained that many juniors complained about the steep price, and he said he understood their frustration. However, he clarified that $145 was the lowest they could offer, and students could always apply for financial aid.
Dean Ka‘akua even encouraged all juniors to sign up for financial aid: “We are just trying to normalize the financial aid process,” stated Dean Ka’akua. Since the Class of 2026 will apply to colleges next year, the deans want to familiarize the students with the aid application process. Similarly, students may want to apply for financial aid for the following year’s senior prom.
Consequently, Senator Jordan Takai proposed potential possibilities for the student government during Carnival to boost engagement for the fundraising event. He suggested a short Instagram reel-like video showcasing different activities at Carnival.
The student government would take a short video of them eating food, participating in games, or walking around Carnival to rally school spirit. “It would just [be] something fun,” Takai added.
In addition to Marumoto’s responsibilities as Carnival Co-Chair, and Saito’s role as an Administrative Division Head, the other student government members were bombarded with never-ending pre-Carnival meetings and tasks. Despite this, they still found time to organize innovative events and host service activities. Amidst the student government’s hectic schedules, they designate their breaks and government meeting times to further build lasting relations with the Class of 2026.