Lu'au Brings Island Feel to Campus

The Cultural Nights continued on March 6 with the eighth annual Lu’au celebration of “Our Island Roots.”  Greeted with leis, students, friends, and families packed into the Soda Center for a night of fellowship and entertainment.

After saying the Lords Prayer in Hawaiian, the celebration began with a big dinner that included traditional foods like chicken long rice and Lomi salmon. But the main focal point was the whole Kalua roasted pig, displayed on palm leaves. 

In addition to the wonderful food, one of the best parts of the evening was the interaction between all the students and the families who came for the event. Many of the student performances even included family members, some of whom came from out of state, and members the audience got up and joined the performers on stage.

Traditional songs and dances were the focus of the entertainment, and the performers helped to bring an island feel to Saint Mary’s with their enthusiastic performances. While many of the dances were lively and definite crowd pleasers, the singing was also entertaining, especially when paired with traditional mellow dances.

One of the most exciting parts of the event for the audience’s younger members were the shell whistles placed on each table. Everyone was invited to use their whistles, with a sound similar to the Conch shell, to open the show. Throughout the event, though, the sound of the whistles substituted sometimes for applause.

Keeping with the family feel of the night, the event ended with everyone holding hands and singing a traditional Hawaiian song, helping to transport the audience from chilly Moraga to a warm island. And even though the Lu’au is over, there are still other cultural nights to look forward to throughout the Spring Term. The next event is Asian Cultural Night on March 20.