Kanikapila at the 2022 Senior Lu’au

Nainoa Narciso, Staff Writer

The senior men of Kalaepōhaku were treated to an annual Senior Lu’au, one of the final celebrations on the road to graduation. The annual gathering of the Class of 2022 and their families featured ono Hawaiian cuisine and a fantastic kanikapila, making this a night to remember for all.

Seniors celebrate as a class and with family at the 2022 Senior Lu’au.

Religion instructor, Soane Uiagalelei enjoyed the food at the Senior Lu’au. “The Hawaiian food was excellent and the entertainment was first class,” says Uiagalelei.  “At one point, I was just watching everyone at their tables smiling, laughing, and really enjoying each otherʻs company,” recalls Uiagalelei.  “It is extremely amazing that these seniors will be able to experience [this event] jointly and feel the enthusiasm in the gym.”  This was truly an opportunity to witness memorable moments at an event like this. 

Senior Division Coordinator, Kate Sowards explained, “I felt blessed to be able to experience the Senior Luau. Being able to gather and celebrate with everyone as a class is never a dull moment,” said Sowards. For this reason, “It was nice to see the online students physically at the Lu’au having a good time and reconnecting with classmates.”  There’s no better way to say goodbye than to enjoy some local delicacies and live music before graduating.

The Senior Lu’au was nothing short of spectacular! “The key takeaways were being able to meet parents of the senior class and another was watching the camaraderie among the seniors,” recalls Sowards. “I will cherish the moment that the senior class chanted their class chant,” says Sowards. Now, that’s a momentous Lu’au, which included a class chant!

To include, a senior participant at St. Louis, Cyrus Bucsit offered his perspective, “The Senior Lu’au exceeded my expectations, never would I have thought an event like that was so entertaining,” states Bucsit. Now that you know, the Saint Louis senior Lu’au must have been a blast!

Throughout the evening, the Senior Lu’au was a whirlwind of joy, but also an emotional one. “To be honest with you, I teared up a little when we all had to go up and sing our class chant,” recalls senior, Cyrus Bucsit. “I looked directly at my parents and couldn’t hold back my tears.” explained Bucsit. 

As one of the last celebrations at Saint Louis School, the annual Senior Lu’au has become a long-standing tradition at Saint Louis. The annual gathering of the graduating class, their families with members of the Saint Louis ohana remains an important rite of passage for the graduating class as they move closer to their graduation ceremony.