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Bailey Thompson<\/strong> | News Editor<\/span><\/p>\n While many students may be consumed with the stress of midterms and other exams, a number of Western\u2019s 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\u2019i Club\u2019s 12<\/span>th <\/span>Annual <\/span>L\u016b\u02bbau<\/span>, the club\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n For the first portion of the event, guests were free to settle in, mingle, visit the Hawai\u2019i Club store \u2014 a table which sold t-shirts, stickers, Hawaiian foods and more \u2014 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.<\/span><\/p>\n The program began when a Pu shell was blown and a group of dancers walked onto the stage, performing a Hawaiian chant. The Hawai\u2019i Club President, Sophia Grace Kalei Ho\u2019omaikai Kala\u2019i Igarta, started it off, and a number of girls followed along after her.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cStorytelling and oral traditions are an important aspect of Polynesian culture, and we aim to share our stories here tonight,\u201d said Igarta, a junior at Western.<\/span><\/p>\n 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. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAre 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 \u02bb\u0101ina, the land? How are we living our lives?\u201d said Igarta. \u201cIt\u2019s an important question with what we see going on in the world right now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 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 \u2014 the waves, the mountain tops and even seaweed \u2014 there were others that were more specific to one person\u2019s experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n For one of the dancers, Tatiana-Marie Whitlow, her solo dance \u2018Ka Wailele o Nu\u2019uanu<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLook at the waterfall on the left and know that it will always be there\u201d said Krall, translating part of the song\u2019s melody. Krall also emphasized that \u201cIt\u2019s really important that we remember our traditions and acknowledge the people who came before us.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the blog Hawaii Chee, \u201c\u2019Cheehoo!\u2019 is exclaimed when you are celebrating or if something is exciting.\u201d 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.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n To rouse the crowd in a final number, Hawai\u2019i Club had arranged for a traditional dance that brought everyone together.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs our program comes to a close, we\u2019d like to welcome Tava\u2019e Sina Sofa to the stage\u2026 and share with us the Taualuga. It\u2019s a very special dance in Samoan culture which is often given to the chief\u2019s daughter,\u201d said Krall. \u201cShe 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2019s feet as she danced.<\/span><\/p>\n Finally, the club ended their celebration by singing Hawai\u2019i Aloha \u2014 a Hawaiian anthem \u2014 as a group, standing, holding hands and swaying to the music they created with only their voices.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/files\/2019\/05\/HawaiiClub-850x1024.jpg\")
The theme for the 2019 L<\/span>\u016b\u02bbau<\/span> was \u2018Stories of the Pacific.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n