Spirit of the Island
Ty Pennington may not be there, but you can count on the Pauni family showing up.
Not only will the Paunis be cooking the food for the Polynesian Student Union’s Luau, but Johnny Lopez said they will be performing Tongan dances for the audience.
With more than 700 people showing up for last year’s luau, Lopez said students are urged to buy their tickets in advance for this year’s performance, before they sell out. Tickets have been sold at the door in the past, but last year’s turnout almost passed capacity so Lopez, PSU’s leadership and activities coordinator, said there may not be tickets left to sell at the door this year.
“Everybody is welcome,” Lopez said. “With a lot of our programs, everyone thinks you have to be Latino, or Polynesian, or (a member) of the clubs that we have to partake in (activities), and you don’t. We are very accepting to everybody.
“One thing I’ve tried to spread the word about is multicultural means multicultural, not just these five cultures that we represent,” Lopez said.
The annual luau, taking place Saturday, Feb. 24, consists of Polynesian food as well as an evening of what Lopez said is a cultural showcase on stage. Tabitha Perkins, a senior in social work, said there will be two to three dances performed from each Polynesian country by various members from the club or community. These islands include Hawaii, Aoteroa (known to many as New Zealand), Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Tahiti. Perkins, who attends some of the practices held six days a week, said the dancers have been practicing heavily for the past few months.
“(Dancing) is definitely a skill I don’t have,” she said. “I always try to dance with them, and they’re like, ‘You should probably just watch.'”
Perkins said the amount of people who show up to help create an “automatic energy” throughout the crowd.
“Students get a better price (than the community), so they should try to represent,” Perkins said.
Lopez said people as far as Idaho, Wyoming and Salt Lake City come to attend the luau and that number attendance has been more than 1,000 people before.
“Different colleges have come up to watch so they get a pretty big turnout,” he said. “I think it’s definitely a way to add some culture to your life. The $10 price seems expensive for students, but it is worth it.”
Moises Diaz, director of Multicultural Student Services, said it is encouraged for students to attend this event, which has been taking place more than 10 years.
“It’s a great way to spend a Saturday night,” he said. “Go to redbox next weekend; come to the luau.”
A cultural tradition that allows audience members to interact with the performers will take place during the performance. Diaz said if people like the way someone is dancing, they can approach them and offer them money.
For female dancers, Diaz said the money is traditionally put onto their clothing. For male dancers, the money is put onto their skin since it can stick to them due to oil applied before the performance. Audience members will know when to get up by “following the flow of the show” and watching for other members to initiate.
Every year, Diaz said the committee has tried hard to “refine elements” of organization, such as serving dinner quicker and more efficiently. Last year, serving dinner for 700 people only took about 45 minutes, and Diaz said organization will improve even more on Saturday.
“It is wonderful to see students pull off an event of that size, where 1,000 people can attend,” he said.
For more information concerning the luau or to volunteer, please contact Johnny Lopez by calling 797-1733. Ticket prices for the dinner and show are $10 for students and $15 for general admission. Tickets for the show only cost $5 for students and $7 for general admission. To buy tickets, go to the Taggart Student Center Ticket Office, Room 212, or the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
-britg@cc.usu.edu