On Friday, May 3, 2019, the Taft High culinary class held their Polynesian Day. Foods teacher, Carlos Chavira, held the event at the football field. They set up tables, chairs, tents, and food. Chavira and some of our local Polynesians prepared a variety of different Samoan dishes like Sapasui, Pani Popo, Samoan Potato Salad, Steamed Rice, Musubi, and Deep Pit Kalua Pork. The students prepared the musubi in class and everyone helped set up everything. They also had a live performance from our local Polynesians. Chavira said, “The entertainment was absolutely incredible.” The performances were a Siva Samoa, Hula Dance, and Tahitian dance.

We asked Chavira about his goals when doing events like this one for his students, and he said, “My goal is for my students to not only learn about the Polynesian dishes, I want them to learn more about other cultures and their traditions. I want them to learn the importance of stepping out of their comfort zone and learn about the benefits of socializing and interacting with others.” As the day came to an end, Chavira said the event, “went as planned and was a success.”