Leilehua High School - Ka Leilehua Yearbook (Wahiawa, HI)

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THE BLOCKHEAD lWith apologies to Mr. Longfellow? On a mid-Pacific Island, ln the vast and mighty ocean, Backed up by the Koolau mountains And the Waianae Range before it, Stands the school called Leilehua, Wreath of heaven, Leilehua, Close to it is Schofield Barracks, Guardian of the nation's outposts, Largest fortress on this planet. Near to it is Honolulu, Capital of all the islands, City of four hundred thousand. Nearer still are the plantations, Where pineapple fields now flourish To this school came many children, But of all, the one most noted Was a Haole called The Blockhead.' Even back upon the mainland Had the news of explorations And the acts unique of Blockhead Traveled far throughout the nation. P or his queerness won him laurels. Once upon a summer morning Blockhead, seeking an adventure, Chanced to wander to the Pali Up atop the mighty Pali. Took he with him a small spyglass Focused it upon the forest At the bottom of the Pali, Saw he there a tiny pondlet. Straightway there a thought did hi him- He would leap from off the Pali- Dive into the pool of water, Like a carnival high diver. Loud he told of his intentions Of his daring bold intentions. Soon a crowd he gathered 'round him Come to look on him and marvel. To the very edge stepped Blockhead. One more step and down he started Bouncing, thumping toward the bot- lO1'l'1 t While the crowd gasped in their Hor- ror! 1 i Ye who fear a tragic ending- Wait! The story is not ended! Far above the tiny pondlet Soon they spied our hero hanging, Hanging by his pink suspenders, By his giddy pink suspenders. When they reached him, soft he mut tered I shall try again tomorrow. After reaching home, our hero I-lied him back to Leilehua, Where a contest was in progress: Have you had a queer adventure? Win a prize: just tell us of it. This, said Block, Now I will enter l have had a great adventure. And he did proceed to do so. When the teachers read his entry Of his leap from off the Pali They all said, lt is preposterous, Such a thing could never happen! But, said Blockhead, I can prove it By my little pink Suspenders, F or l left them there behind me At the bottom of the Pali, Left them hanging there behind me On the limb of a kukuif' n u Well, they said, then that is differ- ent. We will look for your suspenders, And, if we can find them, surely We will then believe your story. Sure enough, the teachers, searching u 1 Found the Blockhead's pink suspend- ers - And believed they then his story, Saying To you, our dear Blockhead First prize let us now award you! Betty leanne Alfonte, junior 1 1

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THE CONSTITUTION AND NATIONAL DEFENSE CContinuedJ There are two differences between that World War situation and todcxy's dark clouds over the world, as far as America is concerned. First: Roosevelt is now at the head of the government with the incalculable experience and infor- mation he gained from the World War at his command: thus Roosevelt with a plan quite contrary to Wilson's, may be able to keep the U. S. out of the Next War: second: with modern airplanes, warships, submarines and other machines of war, the possibility of an attack upon the American shores, eastern or western, or simultaneously, with cities destroyed and millions killed, is not remote or far-fetched. The nation must be so defended, so prepared that an aggressor or combination of aggressors will find it unwise to meddle with anything under the American flag-in view of the grave consequences into which it is likely to fall. Perhaps no country in the world has been more reluctant to prepare for war than the United States. What course should we pursue in an active search for peace, in the preservation of the immortal Constitution? Will fascism or communism, stripped of its false idealistic front, revealed in its true color, dicta- torship, sweep democracy off the earth? Whether or not President Roosevelt's national defense 'plan works out, whether or not international lawlessness stops, whether or not the United States is drawn into another inevitable World struggle, whether or not the American forces will fight abroad or at home, whether or not democracy triumphs, whether or not peace is achieved, remains to be seen-but the fact is obvious that the national defense will play a big part in the life or death of that great, outstand- ing document of democracywthe CONSTITUTION. THE WATERFRONT IN HONOLULU RICHARD FERNANDEZ, Sophomore ANXIOUS CROWDS waiting, hula girls, lei sellers showing their beautiful flower lets, await ships which come in from distant ports. That is what one sees when he enters the beautiful harbor of the Paradise of the Pacific. When the ship begins to dock, the beautiful song, Aloha Oe, can be heard welcoming people to the beautiful isle of Oahu. Some stay a day, some a week, but what- ever the time, they will always remember the days when they used to lie on the beach at Waikiki, under beautiful palm trees swaying in the breeze. The day of departure approaches with incredible swiftness. As they board the luxurious liner with its streaming banners, they promise themselves that they will return as soon as possible, to this tropical isle. The ship begins to move, the strains of Aloha Oe can be heard, tears begin to stream down their cheeks and with a whisper they say Aloha to you, the Paradise of the Pacific-Aloha to Hawaii Nei.

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YE OLD SWIMMING HOLE NoRvAL CAMPBELL, Freshman IN THE HEART of the city of Honolulu hidden by fapanese stores, Chinese temples, and small cottages, lies a large pool fed by the tumbling waters of a waterfall from a hidden spring. Here Hawaiian royalty once sought refresh- ment and sometimes escaped from the tiring affairs of state and the western civilization. Today children who live nearby frequent this pool to seek refreshment and sometimes to escape labor in nearby classrooms. On a sunny day this pool below the falls looks like a page from Tom Sawyer, or Huckleberry Finn. One sunny afternoon four brown-skinned boys were very busy in a con- versation on the banks of the pool. If one had listened in on the talk, he would have found that the main subject was the pool itself. It seemed that the park board was planning a general park development and city beautification program and these boys were wondering what would happen if these falls, which so far were well hidden, were turned into a public park. If such a park was made, there would be no privacy at all, for after all most of the boys swam as man was apparently intended to. David, the older of the four, was a tall, slender, Hawaiian boy about fifteen years old. He was well liked by his friends, because he never took anything seriously and was always of a jolly nature. He was saying, Fellows, we have to do something to keep the park board from changing this place into a park or we won't have any place to swim. But what can we do? asked a fat Chinese boy who was called Sairnin because of his love for that particular oriental food. I was hoping that I could get some suggestions from you fellows, said David. A How about sending one of us to the board of supervisors' office and ask them if there is any way we can make them leave this place alone, sug- gested a small Filipino boy by the name of Roberto. That probably wouldn't work, said David. They are too busy in the office to bother with any kid that comes in. Well, I would try anything once, said Roberto, but I don't think all of us should go. I think it would be best to send you. Yes, chorused the other boys, that's it. Let him go. He is the oldest and wisest of us. So it was agreed that David, being the oldest, was to go to the board of supervisors' office and see if he could speak to Mr. Iackson, who was the head of the board of supervisors. He was to ask Mr. Iackson if he could help the situation in any way. The next day David dressed in his best suit which was two years old, combed his hair with a comb with half the teeth missing, put on his battered hat and set out on his mission. He walked down to King Street and from there to the city hall. He then went inside. Inside he asked the telephone operator if he could see Mr. lackson, CContinued on page 923