Bailey Thompson | News Editor

While many students may be consumed with the stress of midterms and other exams, a number of Western’s Hawaiian students took time on May 4 to come together and focus their attention on other important things like home, family and unity. As Hawai’i Club’s 12th Annual Lūʻau, the club’s biggest event of the year, members of the Hawaiian community pulled out all the stops to make sure that everyone had a fun and relaxing evening.

For the first portion of the event, guests were free to settle in, mingle, visit the Hawai’i Club store — a table which sold t-shirts, stickers, Hawaiian foods and more — and go eat a catered meal. For dinner, attendees could choose any variety of kalua pork, chicken, tofu, rice, macaroni salad and pineapple. They could also choose from a couple of different coconut-flavored dessert options.

The program began when a Pu shell was blown and a group of dancers walked onto the stage, performing a Hawaiian chant. The Hawai’i Club President, Sophia Grace Kalei Ho’omaikai Kala’i Igarta, started it off, and a number of girls followed along after her.

The theme for the 2019 Lūʻau was ‘Stories of the Pacific.’

“Storytelling and oral traditions are an important aspect of Polynesian culture, and we aim to share our stories here tonight,” said Igarta, a junior at Western.

While each of the numbers highlighted beautiful hula choreography, music, dancers and costumes, they also carried a myriad of underlying meanings that made them more personal and significant for those dancing them. For the show as a whole, though, Igarta shared the inspiration behind the theme.

“Are we honoring and embracing the knowledge of our ancestors? Are we being respectful to ourselves, to our kuhana and to others? Are we taking care of the ʻāina, the land? How are we living our lives?” said Igarta. “It’s an important question with what we see going on in the world right now.”

In between each number, the emcees for the event, Anthony Pablo and Susie Krall, shared the meaning behind each of the choreographed pieces. While some honored various elements of nature — the waves, the mountain tops and even seaweed — there were others that were more specific to one person’s experiences.

For one of the dancers, Tatiana-Marie Whitlow, her solo dance ‘Ka Wailele o Nu’uanu

was dedicated to the memory of a mentor who had passed away. And, to honor that person, she danced to a song that was written by a man who had recently lost his father.

“Look at the waterfall on the left and know that it will always be there” said Krall, translating part of the song’s melody. Krall also emphasized that “It’s really important that we remember our traditions and acknowledge the people who came before us.

On top of the many meaningful dances, Pablo also helped to ensure that the event was engaging for the audience through the use of a couple of games that pull on Hawaiian culture: a cheehoo contest and a pidgin contest.

According to the blog Hawaii Chee, “’Cheehoo!’ is exclaimed when you are celebrating or if something is exciting.” So, while this was something that audience members did on their own throughout the performances to mark their enthusiasm, it was also something that a couple of audience members volunteered to compete in.

Later in the evening, Pablo also led participants in a contest where volunteers read a statement of Hawaiian pidgin to the best of their ability. In both of these games, participants were able to celebrate Hawaiian culture while simultaneously letting loose and having fun with loved ones.

To rouse the crowd in a final number, Hawai’i Club had arranged for a traditional dance that brought everyone together.

“As our program comes to a close, we’d like to welcome Tava’e Sina Sofa to the stage… and share with us the Taualuga. It’s a very special dance in Samoan culture which is often given to the chief’s daughter,” said Krall. “She is given the honor to represent the village through dance. She represents the dignity and honor of her village, and it is often performed as the grand finale of celebrations or other social functions.”

During this performance, a young woman danced alone, brought to the floor by a chaperone, as members of the crowd cheered and brought money forward to throw at the girl’s feet as she danced.

Finally, the club ended their celebration by singing Hawai’i Aloha — a Hawaiian anthem — as a group, standing, holding hands and swaying to the music they created with only their voices.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos by Ashlynn Norton