By: Paige Scofield Campus Life Editor
This year, Hawaii Club hosted their 11th annual Luau on Western’s campus. A night of culture, food, music and dance, the Luau is one of the most popular events on campus. This year was special, according to the Hawaii Club President Nolan Arasato: “This is the first time in history that the Luau has sold out all of its tickets.”
On April 15, the Luau began in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center. Event goers were piling up waiting for the doors to open so they could get some Hawaiian food. While participants were eating, Western’s female a cappella group, Suspended, performed a few songs and members from the Hawaii Club had a jam session for people to enjoy while they ate their dinners.
When asked why the Luau is an important event to have on campus, Arasato replied, “I
think it’s important to learn about other cultures. I think that we can benefit from each other, and being that WOU is big on diversity, the Luau is a great cultural program for people to watch.”
Once dinner was finished, the crowd moved to the New P.E. building to grab seats for the Polynesian performances, such as Hula, Fijian, Tahitian and Samoan dances.
“I love watching my peers dance onstage,” said Cassidy Bek, senior exercise science major and Luau helper. “All of my friends, you know, they’re so pretty and I just love watching it. It’s a beau
tiful art.”
“They’re telling a story in their dances, and I think that’s something that we often look past, they’re telling a story, it’s not just a dance,” Bek added, “They’re speaking through their motions.”
All performances were performed by students in the Hawaii Club and the Nesian Club. The crowd was constantly filled with cheers and applause throughout the performances. Some members of the audience even threw money on the stage, in a show of support, while the students were performing. There were several different dances, including a performance by the graduating seniors of Hawaii Club.
At the end of the night, Arasato asked everyone to stand up and hold hands while the Hawaii Club performed a song to thank everyone for participating in the Luau.
“The Luau can never be successful without everyone’s support,” stated Arasato, “Mahalo nui loa! [Thank you very much!]”
Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu
