Monday, May 11, 1998
14th-annual luau celebrates Pacific Islander culture at UCLA
Traditional food, dancing focus of Hawaii Club festivities
By Marisa Yamane
Daily Bruin Contributor
Since many UCLA students are unable to visit Hawai’i, UCLA’s
Hawaii Club brought it to them.
On Friday evening, UCLA’s Hu’i O Imiloa, Seekers of Knowledge,
held their 14th-annual luau, titled "E Kanikapila Kakou, A
Celebration of Song and Dance."
It was "a night dedicated to showcasing the splendor and
enchantment of the Pacific Islands," said Monica Lee, a first-year
student, and one of the mistresses of ceremony.
Mouth-watering aromas from the authentic Hawaiian food permeated
throughout Westwood Plaza
"The food was ono (delicious). I especially liked the kalua
pork," said William Li, a third-year English student.
In addition to kalua pork, the attendees feasted on lau lau
(meat wrapped in tea leaves), chicken long rice, teri beef, lomi
lomi salmon (tomatoes and salmon), sweet potato and poi (pounded
taro roots).
While the 350-plus attendees were eating, the Hu’i O Imiloa band
entertained them with Hawaiian music.
"Not very many people are familiar with Hawaiian music, so we
picked songs that we thought everyone would enjoy," said Noah King,
a first-year student and one of the luau’s coordinators.
The Carson High School Pacific Islanders Club opened the dancing
part of the show with several hula numbers and a Samoan slap dance.
Audience members were offered the chance to join them in their
Tahitian number.
The kanes and wahines, or males and females, of Hu’i O Imiloa
followed with traditional and modern hula dances.
"When you’re dancing, you’re telling a story, and it’s a
demonstration of the Hawaiian culture," said hula dancer Maureen
Lamorena, a first-year anthropology student.
The kanes also performed an intimidating Maori war chant, and
the wahines performed a seductive Tahitian dance.
"I was really anxious at first, but once I got up on stage, I
had a sudden adrenaline rush and had a great time," said hula
dancer Auraleen Rubio, a third-year psychology and anthropology
student.
The mistresses of ceremony taught the audience a few Hawaiian
words.
"Mahalo: a thank you given when you mean it from the bottom of
your heart. Aloha: besides a warm welcome, aloha is used to bid a
fond farewell and say ‘I love you,’" said Joy Au, a first-year
student from Hawai’i.
This year, Hu’i O Imiloa held their luau outdoors in Westwood
Plaza, rather than indoors in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom, where it
was held in previous years.
"Having it outside made it less of a performance and more of a
gathering. We were much more relaxed because of the atmosphere, and
we weren’t worried about the lighting and the sound," said Marielle
Francisco, a third-year student and president of Hu’i O Imiloa.
All in all, the coordinators and members of Hu’i O Imiloa deemed
the luau a success.
"This year’s luau was a lot more festive and informal, and I
think it ran more smoothly than previous years," Francisco
added.
LYNN NISHIMURA
Dancers participate in the Hawaii Club’s Luau in Westwood
Plaza.