On the week of February 24, HBA hosted its first Intramural Basketball Tournament and Entrepreneurship Day at the high school.

The tournament was organized by history teacher Robert Weismantel. Entrepreneurship Day was an opportunity for students to sell goods such as t-shirts, beanies, desserts and other handmade items to benefit a charity.

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“If you want to be the best, you have to work the hardest, look the best, and be the best.”

Senior Brent Vargas

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Weismantel says he participated in something similar when he was in high school. “It was just a fun time at lunch to get active,” he says, “I was really happy with the amount of people that got involved.” The tournament consisted of seventeen teams, separated into two divisions, the Hardcore Division—for more competitive players—and the Relaxed Division. Hammah Dang Dang, consisting of seniors Bryson Hirokawa and Brent Vargas, and juniors Danton Tominaga and Michael Dang, won the Hardcore division.

“I have three rules,” says Vargas about how they got to the top. “If you want to be the best, you have to work the hardest, look the best, and be the best.”

All four boys are on HBA’s boys varsity basketball team. “It felt pretty good to win,” said Dang. “It was a really fun way to spend lunch.” He also added that the victory didn’t come as a surprise, and that their whole team expected to win.

In the Relaxed Division, Da Destroyahs, consisting of seniors Mark Shiroma and Chase Perry, and juniors Domonique Hart and Christopher Caballes, was the team to take first. “It feels awesome [to win],” says Perry. “All of our hard work really paid off in the end.” Perry also adds that his team played cleanly throughout the whole tournament, winning “fair and square.” Shiroma says that he enjoyed every part, and that their team won when it mattered most.

Weismantel is thinking of organizing a volleyball intramural in the fourth quarter. “I enjoyed seeing all the grades come together and just have fun,” he says. He hopes to have a larger group of volunteers to help referee and organize games.

Entrepeneurship Day took place on the Tuesday of Intramural week. All the profits from that day were donated to ZOE International, a charity that aims to end child sex trafficking. “It was very exciting and fast-paced, and we made over one hundred and seventy dollars,” says student council secretary junior Aaron Wilford, who organized the event. He hopes to hold the event regularly in the future.