Ka Pu’uhonua is a club at Concordia that seeks to provide a community for Pacific Islander students and more by holding events that share different aspects of Hawaiian culture.

Ka Pu’uhonua means “a place of peace, safety and sanctuary” and their mission statement is E Ulu A Paʻa which means “to grow, to flourish and to thrive." Club Vice President and junior, Sheri Tegan said the goal for the club “is to educate about Hawaiian culture and create a safe, inclusive space for students and faculty, including, but not limited to, people from Hawaiʻi and/or people of Hawaiian and Polynesian descent.” 

Throughout the year so far they have had many different events that showcased their culture and provided students with the opportunity to get involved. The kickoff event this year was the Culture Club Kickback, where they collaborated with the other cultural clubs on campus. Tegan said, “It gave students a chance to talk and mingle with people that they’ve never met, especially due to coronavirus, and have fun.”

Senior and club President Huali McCollough said, “In the pas,t Ka Pu’uhonua hasn’t had consistent leadership and events to solidify their presence on campus.” Last year she and their previous club president, Emily Estaban decided to team up and find a way to deepen Ka Pu’uhonua’s presence on campus. McCollough said, their goal was to “expand it to create a family-oriented atmosphere on campus for the students who are so far from home and their culture.” This year the club is also focusing on “educating the surrounding student body about the Hawaiian culture through food, activities and events.”

Tegan said, the next upcoming event that they have been planning throughout the year is “a campus wide lūʻau which will take place in April where they hope to have as much campus involvement and attendance as possible.” At the Concordia Christmas event they had a table where students got the opportunity to win leis and free tickets to the lū’au.

One of Ka Pu’uhonua’s main goals is to create a community for Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Polynesian students, and each member has said they have found that within the club. Sophomore and club secretary Isabella Johnson said that one of her favorite memories of being in the club was a meeting where she learned where all of the club members are from. She said, “Surprisingly, not everyone is from Hawai’i, which is still great!” She added, “It’s so great to know people are interested in our state.” 

Tegan agreed and said, “My favorite memory thus far is actually from our board meetings.” Tegan added, “We have very tight-knit conversations and each one of my board members feels like family.” 

McCollough added, “It's in these moments that I watch everyone and see the connections being made. It's an amazing feeling to see members making new friends and relating to each other, even on the smallest details.”

If you have questions about Ka Pu’uhonua or want to get involved in the community email huali.mccollough@eagles.cui.edu.

Tags: clubs, community, Heritage Garden

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