WAIMEA — “You should have been here yesterday,” exclaimed Bobby Pahulehua, a Waimea High School student who was helping with the distribution of schoolwear to Menehune students. Waimea High School started their fee collection and schoolwear distribution earlier this week
WAIMEA — “You should have been here yesterday,” exclaimed Bobby Pahulehua, a Waimea High School student who was helping with the distribution of schoolwear to Menehune students.
Waimea High School started their fee collection and schoolwear distribution earlier this week and, according to student helpers working with coordinator Joyce Evens, business was brisk.
Evens said there was a steady flow of “customers” for the new schoolwear that won’t be required wear until Friday, Oct. 1, thereby giving students additional time to order their clothes before the dress code becomes effective.
This will be the first year that Waimea High School students will be obligated to follow a uniform dress code, but most students and Evens felt that it would go smoothly, as Waimea Canyon School has had a dress code in force for the past several years.
When the code goes into effect, Kaua‘i High School will be the only public high school on the island that will not have a uniform dress code in place, as Kapa‘a adopted a program last year.
Students at Waimea have until Wednesday, Sept. 1 to place their orders if they haven’t yet done so.
Marissa Uyehara was slightly frustrated when she stopped by Tuesday to collect her order. “What we ordered (size-wise) was not what we got.” Evens agreed that there were some problems with sizing, but otherwise everything went pretty smoothly.
One of the adult helpers suggested Uyehara sell off the wrong-sized apparel.
Evens said the core of student volunteers were doing an excellent job with the distribution process, as they processed each student’s orders quietly and efficiently in Evens’ classroom that resembled a garment factory with T-shirts of all sizes and colors lining the student desktops.
“They were here Monday afternoon until 3:30 folding and preparing for today,” Evens said.
The core of student volunteers included Pahulehua, Heather Ragragola, Rebecca Niheu-Young, Kyle Pigao, Leslyn Ibara, Kale Nakata, and Kristine Sison, although other students who had finished they payment process stepped forward to help out.
“They (the apparel) aren’t that expensive,” Pahulehua and Ibara noted. “Some are $5 and others are $10. They even have some $12.”
Ibara noted that most students were picking up between seven and 10 shirts from a choice that included 10 student-created designs.
Evens noted that almost the entire process was student-driven. The students voted, with the majority opting for the uniform school dress code.
There was a design contest which resulted in the 10 designs students could select their wardrobe from, and Evens noted that most of the styles were available in several different colors.
She added that through the steady stream of students, there have been very little, if any, negative comments. Most of the students were happy with their choices.
Waimea High School’s first day of school is Wednesday, Aug. 25, when freshmen will report. All other students report starting Thursday, Aug. 26.
Students that are not in “uniform” as of Friday, Oct. 1 will face a three-step consequence program.
On the first offense, students will be warned, and a generic “property of” shirt will be issued to them.
They will have to pay for the shirt.
The second offense will have the student serve detention, and if caught for the third time, the student will be suspended.
“This is definitely a new experience,” Evens said. “It’s been hectic, but we have excellent students.”
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
