HONOLULU — Leaving paradise for the first time can be tough.
Ari Wong said he was miserable after moving from Hawaii to Washington, D.C., several years ago for college. "I was very homesick and it was very hard adjusting," said Wong, now a federal law enforcement officer. "I couldn't get used to the food, so I lost a lot of weight. I kept getting sick. I missed my family, Hawaii's climate and the people."
It could have been worse. Wong said one reason he chose George Washington University was because it had a Hawaii club to help ease the transition.
Hawaii clubs are fixtures at more than 50 colleges nationwide. Membership ranges from fewer than 20 at some schools to 200 at the University of Washington and Stanford.
Many clubs receive lists of incoming Hawaiians and plan gatherings. They host annual luaus with island food and hula dancing. Members say clubs can be havens from what many Hawaii students see as a more fast-paced lifestyle and sometimes unfriendly encounters, especially in large East Coast cities.
"For a Hawaii person on the mainland, the culture here is different. Sometimes people around here can be a little less, uh, warmhearted," said Chris Farm, a junior at MIT in Boston.
Matt Tsai, a University of Pennsylvania senior, said support from club members helped him adapt. "We tell the freshmen, 'It's going to be cold, a little bit more high-paced, and people generally are going to be a little more in-your-face.' You have to learn to become more 'East Coast' and deal with it."
Even in a more laid-back region such as Oregon, Hawaii clubs can help students share a common culture. "We all miss the food and the beach," said Jennifer Slaton, a senior at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore. "And the sun, because Portland is so rainy."
In frigid climes, upperclassmen at some clubs organize shopping expeditions, helping island freshmen shop for coats, sweaters and long underwear.
For almost all Hawaii clubs, the annual spring luau is the premier event. And these wouldn't be mistaken for some tacky frat-party luau with plastic flower leis and umbrella-shaded drinks.
Generally held in April, the luaus attract hundreds of guests, who are treated to authentic hula performances and spreads of traditional Hawaiian food.
Parents and friends in the islands often donate colorful flowers and tropical plants that are used as centerpieces, strewn on tables or affixed to walls.
