This year, several Mid-Pacific students and alumni, who are current or former members of Pūpūkahi I Ke Alo O Nā Pua (Mid-Pacific’s hula hālau), represented Hālau I Ka Wēkiu and Nā Kumu Hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Lanakila Casupang in the Merrie Monarch Festival. Join us in celebrating their dedication to hula, culture, and the traditions that they found here at Mid-Pacific and have carried with them out into the community and around the world.

As a 2026 Miss Aloha Hula contestant, Samantha Makanani Aguon Newman ’20 brought grace, strength, and meaning to the Merrie Monarch stage. Her ‘auana performance paid a special tribute to the late Aunty Dottie Crowell ’55, honoring a legacy that continues to uplift the Mid-Pacific ‘ohana.

These films were directed and produced by Ethan Chang ’23, who is a current film student at Loyola Marymount University. Ethan found his passion for film and hula while at Mid-Pacific and is an aspiring documentarian. Ethan was also a member of Pūpūkahi while at Mid-Pacific and followed Hālau I Ka Wēkiu for the weeks leading up to and during the 2026 Merrie Monarch Festival for intimate behind-the-scenes documentaries.