Students and community members will get a chance to shake their hips, dig into some authentic island cuisine and groove to live music at the 31st annual Hawaii Club Luau on Saturday.
“We spread the culture by doing various things to make it seem like you are a part of our ‘Ohana’ or family,” Sierra Nakea, the coordinator for the event, said.
The luau features a live hula, a reggae concert and an authentic Hawaiian feast with kaoua pig, shoyu chicken, lomi salmon, poi, macaroni salad, rice, fruit punch and guava cake for dessert.
For this year’s theme, “The History of Hula,” the Club will teach the audience the art of hula dancing and hula’s background – a past that goes beyond the stereotypical female hula dancer with voluptuous hips.
“It has so much history that no one knows about,” Hawaii Club spokeswoman Jillian Kononen said.
A junior journalism major at the University, Kononen said the luau also gives Hawaiian students the chance to make their heritage a part of the University.
“I have never even been to Hawaii, and I love it,” Kononen said.
Club members have all spent the last week prepping and promoting for their major festival by handing out shell necklaces during the daytime while holding nightly dress rehearsals.
It’s a production that dwarfs other University cultural nights, Nakea said.
“This event is the biggest student-run event,” she said.
Freshman Rachel Quinajon, who will be dancing at the event, said she had been practicing for the event since winter term.
“For me it’s a pretty big deal – coming up from Hawaii the culture’s all around you. When you come to the mainland it’s hard to find people who understand where you’re coming from.”
Besides the Club’s own music performance, Hawaii’s popular reggae band, Ekolu, most famous for its hits “Down in the Valley” and “Just One Night,” will also play.
The cost of admission varies depending on age and tickets for University students cost $15. All proceeds will benefit the Hawaii Club, but Nakea said the Club usually just breaks even. Tickets are available at the EMU Ticket Office and will also be available at McArthur Court on Saturday. Doors open at McArthur Court at 4:30 p.m. and dinner begins at 5:30 p.m.
Considering that dinner and entertainment are included, Kononen said students would be “missing out” if they pass up the event, which transforms the basketball venue into a lush paradise.
This year, Nakea said, the group expects about 1,000 people to attend.
“I feel that the event will be outstanding,” she said. “We have so many great ideas.”
Quinajon said although she wasn’t nervous about performing she expected her nerves to get a little worse before she stepped onto the stage in front of a 1,000 member audience.
Nakea said the club hopes to continue offering support and fun events for students.
“It is like a second home for us freshmen. We just want to make sure that no one goes back home,” she said.
Hawaii Club is a haven for Hawaiian students seeking support and friendship when they may feel homesick, and the group, created in 1976, provides an extensive support system. The Club gathers for dinners, chats and community service projects throughout the year.