Performances
Above: Senior Service Project
Charity Bike Ride
A Paideia project is a project put together with some kind of beneficial goal for one’s community, whether it is beneficial for just the school, or the entire world. My project does this on two levels. The knowledge quest I will present will be beneficial for the school community because I will educate them about bicycle fitness and how it can help them. The charity ride I did (80 for Haiti) helps on a global level, since the money donated went to Haiti. --Muir student
Luau/Knowledge Quest
Hawaii is the main, if not the only, island that comes to mind when Polynesian is brought up in discussion. This got me thinkin about how I might inform my community that Hawaii is not the only Polynesian island in existence. It finally dawned on me that I could hold a luau displaying Polynesian cultures and customs.
Most of the Polynesian islands were discovered between the years of 1767 and 1881. 'aha 'aina was the more popular name for the festival but about 150 years ago the term luau gradually replaced 'aha 'aina. Luau, in Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages, is actually the name of the taro leaf, which when young and small is cooked like spinach and is often mixed with other foods, creating Hawaiian favorites such as luau squid or luau chicken; but today, luau is the commonly accepted name of a Polynesian feast.
Luaus often times are thrown to celebrate the launch of a canoe, the coming of age for a young man, or something equally as important. The luau also has an abundance of food anything from of khalua pig to poi. There are also extravagant floor shows where the native dress in traditional ofus (outfits) and do traditional dances such as the slap dance, fire, or the most popular of them all the hula.
One of the most famous people to inform the public by organizing events was Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King helped raise awareness to African American civil rights by organizing peaceful events such as marches, boycotts, etc.
This brings me to my luau and my knowledge quest. My movement might not be as big as Dr. Kings, but it is just as important to me, and as Dr. King proved, organized events can really make a difference. This is where the Luau and knowledge quest come in. The luau gives my audience a chance to actually experience and learn a little about the culture first hand, and the knowledge quest gives me a chance to explain the different cultures and customs more in depth. --Muir student