During spring break, the Silver Stars took a team trip to Hawaii, primarily for dance classes, performing and sightseeing. The weather had different plans, however.
Hawaii experienced a Kona storm, which are low pressure weather systems that usually form in the winter months and bring heavy rain and strong winds. These don’t happen often in Hawaii, but this one lasted about three weeks.
The Kona storm affected mostly north of Oʻahu’s and east/south of Maui with flooding and power outages. Over 230 people were rescued in floods and the storms caused more than $1 billion in damage.
“I don’t think our kids recognized the magnitude of the storm because we experience power outages and massive flooding all of the time,” Silver Stars director Cyndi Vaughn said. “Activities were closed down. So we had to be flexible and adjust things and make do.”
The team felt disappointed at first when they found out about the weather, yet they made the best of their time there. The original purpose of the trip was for the team to perform at Pearl Harbor and to take two master dance classes. Sadly, the team was not able to perform at Pearl Harbor but they were able to take both dance classes. Senior and Silver Stars Colonel Olivia Horton realized as soon as they got there that things were going to get cancelled and that the team just had to work around them. The first night, the team had to change to an indoor luau since the outdoor ones were shut down.
“After we moved to the indoor luau we did a little movie night with snacks and stuff to try and keep the spirit up,” Horton said.
Even with all the changes, the team still found ways to enjoy their trip. Each morning, some of the dancers woke up early to watch the sunrise. Despite the strong winds, it became one of the most peaceful and memorable parts of the trip. It gave the team a chance to slow down and spend time together away from their busy schedule.
As plans continued to shift, the team was still able to attend both of their dance classes. They participated in a hip hop class taught by a college professor and a hula class led by a master hula dancer.
“We took a hip hop class with this guy from Hawaii and he was a very good hip hopper,” Horton said. “He was very inspirational.”
Although the group was unable to snorkel due to unsafe water conditions, the team still got to go on a catamaran ride once the weather began to clear. It was one of the few times they were able to enjoy the sun during the trip. For senior Bethany Bailey, that was one of the most memorable moments of the trip.
“We did get to see whales on the boat ride so I thought that was pretty cool,” Bailey said.
The weather was not the only inconvenience during the trip. On the last day, the team had the opportunity to hike Diamond Head. However, while leaving the hotel, a taxi cab driver hit their bus.
“We had to wait for the police and a new charter to transfer us, which made us miss our window for Diamond Head and had to head straight to the airport,” Vaughn said.
Despite everything not going according to plan, the Silver Stars remained positive throughout the trip. Although they missed out on performing at Pearl Harbor and hiking at Diamond Head, the trip still allowed the team to grow closer, adjust to changes and make lasting memories.
“The entire team was great,” Vaughn said. “They never once complained to me personally, and I am sure they had their moments of being disappointed. Marisa Stone was extra sweet and made sure to come over to me to tell me thank you for trying on my end to reschedule activities and gave me a hug.”
