For 37 Years, Hawai`ian Students Attending Puget Sound Have Shared 'Island Life'
March 15, 2007

TACOMA, Wash. — Hui O Hawai`i at the University of Puget Sound is one of the oldest social clubs for Hawai`ian students attending a university in our nation. Operating for more than 37 years at Puget Sound, it was founded by students and alumni looking to help incoming Hawaiian students adjust to college life on the mainland.

For the past 37 years, the students involved with the Hui O Hawai`i club have held a luau each spring, as a way of celebrating their culture and sharing it with friends and neighbors in Tacoma.  — the place they now call home. This year’s luau, "Journey through the Islands," will take place on Saturday, April 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. The luau is open to both the campus community and the general public. Admission is $20 for the dinner and show, with discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets will be sold in advance at luau@ups.edu or at the door.

The luau will feature a delicious meal of traditional island cuisine: kalua pig, lomi lomi salmon, poi, haupia, long rice, and more. After dinner, guests will enjoy a visual spectacle as more than 100 student dancers perform 10 dances, including the traditional Kahiko dance, and more modern Auana dances, as well as the dances of Tahiti and the Maori people of New Zealand.   

While the event takes nearly a year to plan, it’s well worth the effort, according to event organizers. “We love sharing our culture, our food, and our traditions with our Puget Sound classmates, neighbors, and friends,” said Melissa Char, a junior at Puget Sound and one of the event organizers. She went on to add, “The luau is so much fun. For many of us, it’s one of the biggest highlights of the year!”

One of the most popular events held at Puget Sound, last year more than 1,200 people attended the luau. For more information or to purchase tickets in advance, send an e-mail message to luau@ups.edu. Directions to campus and information on parking are available on our Web site at www.ups.edu/events/fieldhouse.htm. 

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

When: Saturday, April 21, 2007
Where: Luau Dinner: 4p.m. and 6p.m. in Wheelock Student Center at University of Puget Sound
                Luau Show: 8p.m. in Memorial Fieldhouse at University of Puget Sound
 
Ticket: General Admission
               Combo show and dinner: $20
               Show only: $10
               Dinner only: $12

Company/Organization Group Rate (groups of 10 or more)
               Combo show and dinner: $15
               Show only: $7
               Dinner only: $10

-0-

CONTACT
mediarelations@ups.edu
253.879.2611
Subscribe to Puget Sound RSS Feeds