“USO
truly embodies and epitomizes the quality of students here
at HPU. Time and time again I see them practicing for hours
on end, being the last ones to leave campus on a daily basis,” said
Hubbard.
In fact, the Samoan organization’s rehearsals are familiar
to many HPU students on the downtown campus who, on their way
home after night classes, and even on the weekends, have enjoyed
watching club members practice their performances.
This may be one reason for the group’s success, according to Hubbard, who
mentioned that USO regularly receives HPU’s annual “Most Spirited
Club” award. USO has also won numerous banner challenges, and it regularly
performs at pep rallies and other school events. Many HPU students used the USO’s “singing
telegram performances” to send special Valentine’s Day greetings
their loved ones.
All of these events to plan, practice for, and perform at
can become expensive, and USO’s “family nite” fundraiser is just one of many the
group uses to help them cover their annual costs.
The evening offered a variety of music, including, traditional
Samoan island music, Hip-Hop, and even oldies. With kids
dancing, family and friends
visiting, and everyone eating, it was like a big family reunion.
USO’s secretary, Shirlene Faaola, says this was the goal of the night. “The
main purpose of this event is socializing and getting to know each other. There’s
a very mixed and diverse crowd, so we just want everyone to have a good time,” said
Faaola.
According to the club‘s president, Laurao, USO means “Brother and
Sisters at Heart,” and that’s exactly what the environment was that
night. “Everyone is always talking about how fun [USO] events are and how
welcoming they are,” said Isis Hartnett, an accounting major at HPU. “Even
if you’re not Samoan, they encourage you to come and participate, so I
have to check them out.”
The group performed a variety of dances, and door prizes
were given away during the intermissions. Overall, the
group raised more than
$500 for
the night.
This year, all proceeds of the event will go towards funding
the 2nd annual Samoan Cultural Arts Competition at the
Polynesian Cultural
Center on May
15. USO will
compete with Samoan organizations from other schools, including
Chaminade, and with American Samoa Community College.
