“Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.”

These wise words from Lilo & Stitch have resonated in young minds since the movie’s release in 2002. But this isn’t about that classic film, this is about one of the newest traditions for some senior boys: Hawaiian Fridays.

Hawaiian Fridays started at Williston during the spring of 2017, when junior Kyle Caddo and senior Nick Schofield decided they needed to stretch the bounds of dress code to better express themselves during the final third of the school year.

“God I hated dress code, especially in the spring, and Hawaiians are dope so I decided to toss one on every Friday,” Nick told The Willistonian.

Since then, most of the hockey team has joined in on the action, but in truth those who participate are not satisfied. Hawaiian Fridays should not be restricted to members of the boys hockey team. Like our school, this event should be all inclusive, the team believes.

“If the goal of Hawaiian Friday is to generate a happy and loving community, how could I not be all in?” said Ms. Davey.

That is the real goal of Hawaiian Fridays. It isn’t just a way for the boys hockey team to gain attention for themselves, it’s a way to bring us closer as a Williston community.

“Hawaiian Friday is all about unity and expression,” frequent participant Brendan Hansen ’18 stated. “We come together to try and look as relaxed as possible.” But could this relaxed appearance bring the wrath of dress code units on those who participate?

“Well the shirts have collars and we tuck them in so there’s no way they can be flagged as a dress code violation,” Brendan said.

As this is true, newcomers don’t have to worry about getting units from the deans if they choose to join in this tradition. But with winter approaching, is it too late to join in? Will this custom continue during the colder months?

“Oh for sure,” Brendan proclaimed. “Hawaiian Friday is the biggest tradition east of the Mississippi, and I don’t see us stopping ever.”

Junior Tim Rego also chimed in: “Are you kidding? Why would we stop? We have nowhere to go but up.”