Some images from the parade and entrance courtesy of Brian Lynch and Jonathan Gourlay. All other images by Dana Lee Ling. Picture descriptions precede the image as one scrolls down the page. In other words, descriptions are above the image.
Founding day 2007 began with a parade from Spanish Wall to the state track. Although most floats were culturally based, Amanda and Wevonne represented Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society that serves two-year colleges. Although parade start had been hoped for 8:30, a night of heavy rain and wind had slowed down preparations and delayed the gathering of floats and personnel until after 9:00.
Members of the Chuuk team at the parade start. The one way sign indicates the direction the parade will go.
Faculty were welcome to join in as well.
Pohnpei national campus women on their float.
About this point an intensely heavy tropical downpour engulfed the parade, not unlike founding day 2005. Pohnpei's rain is our blessing, and we were well blessed.
Pohnpei state campus pounded sakau en route to the field of marching and dancing.
Kosrae marches onto the field.
The tail end of the Yap group.
Mr. and Miss NuKap were carried onto the field in a palaquin. The march in line stalled as each group did their introductory dance. The men of NuKap held their princess and prince aloft for a solid twenty minutes or more.
The PingMwok team, combining the forces of Pingalap and Mwokilloa, march onto the field after a thoroughly drenching downpour.
Pohnpei national marches onto the field of dancing battle even as the rain still falls.
Chuuk's greeting of the traditional leadership, college leadership, and judges at 10:29 in the morning was the second group to greet the judges.
Yap greets the leadership.
Pohnpei national team at the greeting.
A next generation looks on. The youngster on the left flew in from Kosrae for the week, he'll have some stories to tell from this day when he gets back to school in Kosrae next week!
Pohnpei state led off the dancing with two dances. The first dance included use of the dokia sticks by the women, small sticks often made from ketieu (Ixora casei). The morning start, slated for 8:30, was delayed by rain. By the time of this first image it was 11:29 in the morning.
After dancing, Pohnpei state campus pounded sakau and served sakau to the traditional leadership of Pohnpei throughout the afternoon.
Next up was Chuuk state at 11:50.
Following the Chuuk presentation, a brief lunch break was taken in order to distribute food.
Kosrae went on at 12:56 with the women performing The green hills of Kosrae. Princess Evelyn led the group on stage.
Tosie led the men in a double stick dance at 1:06.
At 1:15 Yap took to the stage. The Yapese led with a traditional stick dance.
The men of Woleai and the neighboring outer islands then took to the stage at 1:34.
Nukuoro-Kapingamarangi next graced the stage with their Polynesian heritage dances.
Princess Yvonne then performed a solo covering the legend of Soho island.
The Mortlockese team was up at 2:19, leading with a women's dance. While the teams performed dances of their islands, in the spirit of unity of the national campus, students from other islands could join a group to learn and perform that group's dances.
The men came on stage by 2:30.
Pingalap-Mwoakilloa was up at 2:42.
At 2:59 the final group took the stage, Pohnpei national campus at Palikir. The group performed two dances using different members in each of the dances.
The layout of the field and the team tents.
The princes and princesses were next called to the stage at 3:50 in the afternoon.
