The UW-Madison Hawaii Club will host its first annual luau Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. Open to everyone, members hope the luau will get the word out about their club and debunk stereotypes about luaus and Hawaiian culture.
Traditional luaus are quite different than the Mai Tai-soaked party you may have attended on a Club Med vacation.
\A lot of tourist people will market Hawaiian culture that way-it's kind of sad. We're trying to make our luau as authentic as possible,"" said Hawaii Club President and UW-Madison senior Christine Kashiwabara, stressing that the event is a cultural celebration. ""There's usually something to celebrate. In our case, we're celebrating Hawaiian culture in Madison.""
Traditional luaus are all about the food. The club decided to serve modern Hawaiian food at Saturday's event.
""I think we'll go with safe food people won't be scared to eat,"" Kashiwabara said.
They'll also serve a vegan dish ""which isn't traditional, but we think it's important to include,"" said club secretary and UW-Madison freshman Kate Millen. The menu includes sticky rice, kalua pig, chicken long rice, Hawaiian yam bake, vegetable salad, haupia bars and fruit punch. The luau will also feature games and performances.
When the Hawaii Club started about 10 years ago, it was basically just a group of friends getting together. They also provided hula lessons. Since then, the club has tried to open the group up to more people and have more events. ""You don't have to be from Hawaii to be in the club. It's largely an interest group,"" Millen said.
The club has about 20 active members. They hope to educate people about Hawaiian culture and dispel common misconceptions.
""Some people don't know it's a state. They think we're international students,"" Millen said.
""We don't surf to school, and we don't walk around in grass skirts and coconuts,"" Kashiwabara added.
The club also serves as a support system for Hawaiian students. ""I didn't know there was a Hawaii Club when I first came here and I felt kind of alone. I don't want other freshmen to feel the same way. I want them to know that they have someone to go to if they are homesick or just need someone to talk to,"" Kashiwabara said.
The group has traveled to other universities to check out their luaus. ""Basically all of the West Coast schools have active Hawaii clubs and big luaus that a lot of students go to,"" Kashiwabara said.
The club hopes Saturday's luau will kick off a long and popular tradition at UW-Madison. Tickets are already selling fast.
""If you're not going home for Easter, this is where you should be,"" Kashiwabara said with a laugh. For more information or tickets, e-mail her at
ckashiwabara@wisc.edu.
