On a blustery, cool afternoon, Gov. David Ige was sworn into office in a Capitol atrium ceremony that several people in attendance said they hoped reflected a dramatic change from the administration of former Gov. Neil Abercrombie who took office during a hot and dry outdoor ceremony at ‘Iolani Palace four years ago.

“I’m optimistic because of his approach,” said Lila Gardner, 75, who volunteered for Ige’s campaign and attended her first inaugural ceremony Monday. “He listens to people, in opposition to Abercrombie, who was an in-your-face type of person.”

The nearly 90 minute-long, wind-blown ceremony offered several touches designed to reflect Ige’s roots, including performances by students from Ige’s alma mater Pearl City High School and from Moanalua High School, where First Lady Dawn Ige served as a vice principal. The colors were presented by a contingent from the 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team to honor Ige’s father, who served with the 442nd during World War II.

While red-white-and-blue bunting hung along the Capitol’s second-floor railing, Ige’s inauguration included plenty of only-in-Hawaii flourishes, such as entertainer Raiatea Helm’s rendition of the National Anthem that she sang while playing ukulele. 

Helm was followed by Pomaika’ Lyman singing Hawai’i Pono’i, backed by the Kahaluu Elementary School Ukulele Choir.

Helm was then pressed into extra singing duties when the program ran ahead of schedule and Helm was asked to spontaneously perform three songs to kill time before Abercrombie’s term as a fellow Democratic governor officially expired at noon, as mandated by the Hawaii constitution.

Jessica and Troysen Garcia of Kahaluu also attended their first inauguration, with newborn son Jayten, to watch their oldest of four boys — 10-year-old Jayden — play ukulele with his Kahaluu Elementary classmates.

While Troysen said he hopes Ige does more to help Hawaii’s homeless, Jessica said she wants Ige and his administration to “stand for righteousness — for our kids’ sake.”

As usual, the Capitol crowd included plenty of political veterans, former governors, mayors, judges and others accustomed to regime change.

But something in the blustery air seemed “more positive” to Democratic Party district representative Veronica Duzon of Ewa Beach — especially compared to four years ago when Abercrombie’s inauguration was held outdoors on a day that “was summer-ey and hot.”

Duzon said she hopes Ige “can get a grip on the economy and make us more tech friendly and green friendly.”

“We want to keep moving forward in the right direction,” Duzon said.

Her husband, Edward Arias, is a former software engineer and Duzon said she hopes that Ige, as an engineer, will “roll his sleeves up. I hope the fact that he’s an engineer means that he’s going to get right on top of anything technical.” 

From her seat in the back of the Capitol atrium, Rebecca Ryan of Waikiki said Ige’s inauguration had a different air of optimism than others she has attended before.

“It does feel different,” Ryan said. “I hope he starts helping people around here, so we can all be pulling together.”