February

HONOLULU Magazine and Paradise of the Pacific, chronicling the Islands since 1888.

Feb. 1946: The University of Hawai'i's freshman class is a credit to the Islands' public-school system. In a national standards test—covering current events, history, literature, sciences, fine arts, philosophy and math—UH freshmen scored an average of 126, just one point below the Mainland average, reports Paradise of the Pacific, predecessor to HONOLULU Magazine. "This is the test that says that UH students are virtually on par with Mainland students ... to whom art museums, theaters and concert halls are commonplace. ... The University is certain that long before it has gray hair and achieves respectable academic age, there will be no need to defend the intelligence of its students." In 2005, Hawai'i students received a combined average math score of 516 on the College Board SAT, compared with the national average of 520. The average verbal score in the state was 490, 18 points below the national verbal average.

Feb. 1971: In a story titled "Rent Scandal," HONOLULU Magazine explores Hawai'i's tight rental housing market, in which landlords frequently dismiss potential renters with children or pets, even refusing to lower rents on homes in need of extensive repairs. "The most shocking thing, however, is the high price all homes are commanding," HONOLULU says. "Of the 83 listings in a recent paper, the average all O'ahu price was $364 [$1,790 in today's dollars] or $4,368 a year [$21,484 today]." More than 30 years later, high rent prices are still cause for concern in the Islands. In 2005, the National Low Income Housing Coalition named Hawai'i the most expensive state for renters, with the average two-bedroom rental costing $1,159 per month.

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