Super Students
Saturday, July 11, 1998
Name: David Ahuna
Age: 15
School: Kamehameha Schools
Favorite subject: Math
Pastimes: Piano
Future: Engineering or law
David Ahuna and his family are in Japan this month to perform in their first Samoan fire-knife dancing and hula show outside of Hawaii. Excellent student, and dancer
"It's good fun performing for people," said Ahuna, who will be a sophomore this fall at Kamehameha Schools.
For the show, he said, he'll be doing the Navajo hoop dance, an Indian dance that requires much practice. Ahuna can take as many as 35 rings shaped like hula hoops and form them into eagles, balls and other different formations.
Besides the Navajo dance, Ahuna does a little bit of Samoan fire-knife dancing, which he's still learning from his father and older brother. His sisters dance the hula. Together, the family frequently performs on the Big Island and at luaus and parties.
Ahuna does well in school. He has a GPA of 3.83 and got the 1998 Principal's Award two months ago. The award is given to a male and female student who rank in the top 10 percent of their class and demonstrate qualities of leadership, citizenship and service to the community.
Math teacher Margaret Scafuri describes Ahuna as a team-player. Ahuna, who took her honors geometry class this past year, does his share in group projects and works well with other people, Scafuri said.
The projects are "always well-researched and presented in a clear manner. Whether he's working alone or with a group, he's done excellent work."
Shirley Iida, Star-Bulletin
