The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo invites the public to view its new season of storytelling program, Wailau. The spring episode will premiere online on Saturday, May 7, at 2 p.m. and will feature four storytellers focusing on Tales of Misunderstanding.
Wailau means where water from diverse sources comes together to commingle and become a more powerful, unified whole. The UH Hilo program was launched in spring 2021 to provide a space for students, faculty, alumni and community members to build connections across the Hawaiʻi Island campus.
Spring 2022 storytellers
- Apollo Harris, “The Cursed Goods of Robert H. Babe”
- Kalei Rapoza, “Hana No????”
- Kurt D. Dela Cruz, “Two Men”
- Vijaya Singh, “No Room to Be Me”
Singh graduated from UH Hilo in 2015 and returned to the Hawaiʻi Island campus from her home in Long Island, New York, to film her story.
“I feel lucky and blessed and happy, because it has helped me see my full journey. I can get caught up in the minutiae of everything, everyday life, especially with my career; I always feel like I’m not moving fast enough. Being here, telling my story, even walking around town, put a lot of things in perspective. And now, getting to see things and sitting in restaurants, things I couldn’t do as a student, has brought everything full circle for me. It’s great to see how far I’ve come and allow myself a happy nostalgia. It will be my prevailing thought as I move forward in Long Island.”
Kuʻuhiapo Jeong (UH Hilo student), Dayva Escobar (UH Hilo alumna) and Julie Mitchell (Kuʻikahi Mediation Center) will host the event. UH Hilo students play a major role in staging the event, from selecting the theme and stories, to operating lights, sound and cameras. Students from the English Club determine Wailau themes, review applications and select storytellers.
