Kamehameha Maui high school showed huliāmahi at Friday’s final Spirit Week assembly in Ka’ulaheanuiokamoku before the homecoming football game Saturday, Nov. 5. The day’s class competitions were step and class cheer.
Every class’s section was heavily decorated with signs and streamers as they prepared for what most students consider the biggest competitions of the week.
The assembly began with the “ʻEleu Mākou” cheer with the student body eventually gathering in the middle of the gym in what looked like a cheer battle between the two sides of the gym. This was the first time the entire high school had come together in this week’s festivities.
The freshmen began the step competition with a well-choreographed routine, perhaps in their best showing of spirit this week.
The sophomores hit the floor in orange jumpsuits and incorporated a customized haka.
The juniors donned their usual purple and white bandanas and t-shirts, and the seniors were hot on the floor dressed as firefighters and finishing their step routine with bursts of spray from prop fire extinguishers to cool everyone off after their sizziling performance.
All step teams got their classes involved somehow, either by having them clap or stomp along or respond, and they showed they could rowdy up the crowd with their rhythmic stylings.
The long-awaited class cheer competition was not a disappointment.
The freshmen incorporated both whole-class movements and boy/girl parts, a rare occurrence for a freshman class. They also had a surprise in store at the end the cheer when they shouted “boom!” and an accomplice simultaneously switched off the gym lights for a few moments.
The sophomores had the longest cheer, which they began with their winning 2011 ‘Aha Mele song, Kealaiki, and they kept their class motivated by waving their trophy, ka maka o ka ihe, as they cheered.
The juniors had the most original cheer, led by three boy leaders dressed in blank full-body purple tights, shorts and malo. One of the leaders, Pololu Nakanelua, appeared to portray the legendary Maui, lassoing the class to “pull” them up out of their seats with his invisible rope. At the end, when Maui appeared to try to get the juniors all the way out of the bleachers with his rope again, the “rope” broke. Maui fell flat and the juniors were returned to their seats in one unified flop.
The senior class stayed together and raised the energy level. Showing their maturity, their cheer was classy, unified and creative — something only seasoned Spirit Week competitors can pull off.
At the end, the classes circled the gym to sing the school song, rushing together to meet in the middle at the end of it, and students filed out, some to go back to work on the last remaining elements of Spirit Week.
Only two more Spirit Week competitions remain before the 1st-4th place winners are announced: banner and float. These will be displayed during halftime at Saturday’s varsity football game, followed by the announcements of the individual event winners from throughout the week and the overall combined winner for the week.
The Warriors face Maui High at Kanaʻiaupuni Stadium; JV at 12:30, varsity at 3:00.
