‘Stuck in a rut’
When is Hawaii going to recognize that fully vaccinated citizens are not a threat to COVID-19 transmission?
On May 12, I had to cancel a week’s vacation for two in Kona because a mainland lab took too long to produce the test results for my wife. We gambled that the results would come while we were flying — no luck.
We knew the results would come, but we were told it would not matter — we were committed to a 10-day quarantine, regardless. Obviously, a quarantine is not an option for a vacation traveler, so we returned home.
The test results came as we boarded the return flight.
All of that nonsense of scheduling a test and getting it uploaded is completely unnecessary. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is saying you don’t even need a mask if you are fully vaccinated.
Hawaii is stuck in a rut with its outdated procedures and needs to recognize (and welcome) fully vaccinated travelers.
Gregory Stowe
Los Gatos, Calif.
College applications
As my high school career ends, I hope to have one last significant impact on my school and its future students.
During this year of asynchronous and distance learning, I was able to experience and observe the struggles many students, including myself, had with navigating the complexities of applying to colleges and for financial aid.
When recently talking with two of my classmates, I found they had no knowledge of the application process and what it entailed. For this reason, both of them missed the great majority of the college deadlines and were unable to gain acceptance to any university.
I likely would have been in the same circumstance if not for my privileged upbringing by two medical professionals, their heavy focus on academics and their aid in the process.
Therefore, it has come to my attention that there is a significant hole within the education system on college preparedness, as many students (often the most underprivileged) do not receive aid or help with their applications to colleges.
I acknowledge that the counselors at our high schools exist for this purpose. However, I know most individuals in my class and school would not seek their counselor for assistance (which was further exaggerated in this online setting). For this reason, a mandatory class (possibly like advisory) should be implemented to help direct those engaging in the college application process.
This class could possibly take the place of advisory, but be more specific to the desired pathway of the student (direct to workforce, post-secondary education, etc.). This form of knowledge dispersal and aid would help the most vulnerable groups have, at the least, the opportunity to apply and attend a college.
Ethan Okahara-Olsen
Hilo