COURTESY OF TIGER FANG
Christina Stidman, Associated Students of the University of Hawaii president, and Tiger Fang, Pi Sigma Epsilon president, promoted a May 18 graduation dinner cruise and after-party at Pipeline Cafe yesterday.
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Graduation celebration
University of Hawaii at Manoa graduates will be treated to what could be called the parties of the century next weekend.
Time to party
Friday
A Celebration for the Graduates of 2008
» Andrews Amphitheatre
» 5 to 8:30 p.m.
» Cost: $5 per person, up to four guests per graduate
» Food provided. Entertainment by master of ceremonies Augie T and music by Kamuela Kahoano and Green Light Go.
» For more information: call Mary Lewis 956-5526.
May 18
Graduation Trilogy
» 9 a.m. Undergraduate ceremony
» 3 p.m. Graduate ceremony
» 9 p.m.-midnight Cruise on the Ali'i Kai Catamaran
» 10 p.m.-4 a.m. After-party at Pipeline Cafe
» Cost $25 for cruise and after party, including bus transportation from campus to boat to Pipeline and back to campus
» Cost for Pipeline Cafe party only is $10 pre-sale and $15 at the door.
» For more information: www.psehawaii.org
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The graduates will be celebrating not only their degrees, but also the UH centennial.
The university is spending about $20,000 to throw a party with food and entertainment -- but no beer -- for graduates on Friday, the last day of finals.
The undergraduate student government is spending $8,000 on what it calls a "Graduation Trilogy" on May 18, graduation day. The events, co-sponsored by Pi Sigma Epsilon, the UH marketing fraternity, start with the ceremony during the day, followed by a dinner cruise -- with a cash bar -- at 9 p.m. and an after-party at the Pipeline Cafe until 4 a.m.
It is the first time that the university has put on graduation parties, organizers said.
"It gives students one last time to get together and celebrate the accomplishment of finally graduating," said Christina Stidman, Associated Students of the University of Hawaii president, a junior.
"Graduating from college is a big milestone," said Tiger Fang, president of Pi Sigma Epsilon and a graduating senior. "It's really a culmination of all my life so far."
Both events grew out of an unsuccessful attempt to close down Date Street in front of campus to throw a big block party on graduation day, Stidman said.
Tim Slaughter of the UH Outreach College, who is planning the Friday event, said getting permits to close down the street was problematic.
Slaughter said the university began planning an alternate event in January. Beer originally was going to be served, but, he said, the university's caterer told the university it could not use its liquor license to serve alcohol at an event where there would be a mixture of people under and over 21.
"It's not supposed to be about alcohol anyway," Slaughter said.
Stidman said students who go on the cruise must be 21, but the Pipeline Cafe party will be 18 and over.
About 200 people have signed up for the Andrews Amphitheatre event, Slaughter said. Fang said they have more than 100 people signed up for the graduation cruise.
If the events are successful, organizers said they might be held again next year.
"Maybe it becomes a tradition," Slaughter said. "We'll see."
