Raise Your Hand

Respecting this constitutional structure is especially critical in matters of war and foreign policy. Our nation cannot call itself a democracy when Congress, the “people’s branch,” is abdicating its war-making authority to the president while lives are at stake and economies are faltering.

If you are like most people, you probably think animal testing has already been outlawed. With so many companies marketing their products as “cruelty-free,” it’s easy to assume the practice is a relic of the past. But the reality is that animal testing remains incredibly common.

The mainstream climate movement has become too broad, too corporate, and too driven by greed.

If you ask a high school senior in Hawaii where they are headed for college, their likely answer is somewhere on the mainland. Hawaii is a beautiful place with fresh local food, strong community ties, and a deep sense of ohana found nowhere else. Why, then, would anyone want to leave such a close-knit and peaceful community for somewhere they have never lived before? Simply put, the answer is the lack of good job opportunities.

Today marks the 10th anniversary of RAISE YOUR HAND, a student column we built

around that very idea. Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders, the nonprofit that facilitates this

column, has worked tirelessly to bring diverse, young voices into the editorial pages of

the Star Advertiser. We’ve welcomed writers from every island and 32 high schools.

The American Dream — the idea that anyone can achieve success through hard work — has drawn millions throughout the nation’s 250-year history. While immigration is central to our national identity, it is also important to examine illegal immigration, a key focus of the Trump administration. Although previous presidents have carried out mass deportations, the Trump administration’s immigration policies have gone too far, as shown by the inhumanity of arrests, human rights concerns, and the violence tied to enforcement.

Across the globe, countries have acted to address the crisis of cellphone use in schools. From school districts in California to nations such as South Korea, many school systems recognize the harm that unchecked screen use poses to student engagement and learning. In contrast, Hawaiʻi doesn't have a consistent statewide phone policy.

When people talk about the dangers of artificial intelligence, many imagine their jobs and decisions taken fromthem by machines. But the more immediate danger looks very different — that we are instead willingly surrendering to AI. The danger of artificial intelligence is not that machines may become conscious, but that people may gradually surrender skills that require independence, patience, soul and critical thinking.

For decades, the concept of patriarchy has defined our social and political discourse, framing the

world as one where men inherently hold the advantage and women are systemically disadvantaged. This narrative, which has played a powerful role in achieving gender equity, remains deeply entrenched in public consciousness.

Amid the relative quietness of Hawaii’s political landscape, the most consequential election of this year is one over 5,000 miles away: the New York City mayoral race. It’s a three-man race among Democrat Zohran Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo who is running as an independent.