Each participant enjoyed a feast prepared by the Polynesian Cultural Club that included Kalua pig, rice, haupia, stir fry and other authentic Hawaiian food.

Come back next year to join in the festivities and witness Hawaiian traditions on the Oregon State University campus!

Photo Credit: Eric Feigner

Oregon State University’s Hui O Hawaii

-AH

The lu‘au is a popular tradition here at OSU. It is a family fun event and allows people to experience the Polynesian culture. I definitely recommend coming down and experiencing the lu‘au for yourself!

kg

A lot can happen when you give current OSU student Kourtney Goya a video camera and tell her “go shoot some stuff.” The Office of Admissions did just that, allowing her to ask some people around campus about their favorite thing about OSU. Take a look at Kourtney’s blog posting and watch her video to see some current students, faculty and staff members letting us know the things they love about OSU. Thanks for the report, Kourtney! –mko

Hi! My name is Kourtney Goya and I am one of the TOUR Coordinators in the Office of Admissions. I am currently a senior majoring in History and also working on a French minor. You may remember me from a previous blog post last year about the annual Hui O Hawaii Lu’au (which is on April 25th this year so mark your calendars!).

Last Friday I walked around campus asking students, faculty, and staff about their favorite thing at Oregon State University. There was a variety of answers and I hope you enjoy watching the video!

-kg

From the Honolulu Advertiser:

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The 2008 graduating class from Oregon State University is one of the largest in the school’s history and includes dozens of students from Hawaii, according to a news release from the school.

OSU’s 139th commencement ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 15, in Reser Stadium beginning at 1 p.m. and broadcast live on Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Congrats to our soon to be alumni from Hawaii and to all of our graduates!

-jm

The following is a blog entry from special guest writer Kourtney Goya! Thanks for submitting this, Kourtney! –mko

Aloha blog buddies!! My name is Kourtney Goya and I am one of the TOUR Coordinators in the Office of Admissions. I am currently a junior majoring in History and also working on a French minor. I am from Mililani, Hawai’i and serve as the co-fundraising coordinator for the Hui-O-Hawaii Club.

Last Saturday, April 26th, the club held its 53rd Annual Lu’au. The Lu’au is the main event we put on every year, entertaining 800-1000 guests from across the nation. A traditional Hawaiian dinner is served along with a student organized show consisting of the various types of hula and other culturally specific dances, followed by a concert performed by a well known band the club flies in from Hawai’i.

Planning for this event began about five months ago. The officers held weekly meetings, which soon turned into biweekly meetings once Luau began to draw near. This year’s lu’au was a great success! I felt like we were definitely more organized than last year, which could only result in positive effects; there were more than enough volunteers in every committee, the food was great and the show and concert were even better! Check out the photos below.

We try our best to bring the love, warmth, and spirit of Aloha of the islands to Oregon, and I encourage you all to attend at least one Hui-O-Hawaii Club Lu’au. If you are interested in finding out more about the club, our events, or have any questions, please feel free post a comment below.

Also, our organization is not a student fee funded group so donations are more than welcome and appreciated! Please email hawaiiclub@oregonstate.edu if you are interested in donating.

Me (left) and Charity in our Tahitian costumes

Women’s Kahiko (traditional hula) waiting to go on stage

Part of the finale dance

Hui-O-Hawaii Officers

Lahaina Olsen-Kuroda before the intro

Children’s dance

Also, check out this great video created by Leslie Shirai who asks OSU students what the lu’au means to them!