Kahuku High graduation video goes viral

A spirited and soulful performance by Kahuku High School’s seniors at graduation has grabbed about 2 million views on the Internet.

The video shows the 215 red-and-white robed graduates swaying, singing and dancing in synch to a medley of songs at the Thursday ceremony, culminating in their version of a Maori haka.

“It’s been pretty magical for our seniors and also for our community,”  said Vice Principal Walter Santiago. “What everybody’s seeing right now on the Internet is really the heartbeat of our community, of all our communities here in Kahuku.”

The Class of 2015 put the 9-minute show together in three days, led by alumni families who come back every year to choreograph the effort. They personalized the songs with their own words, tracing their time from kindergarten through their launch into society as graduates.

It was featured on the Today show and Good Morning America on Tuesday. The medley includes Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” featuring Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off.” 

Kahuku High, on Oahu’s North Shore, has a diverse student body encompassing the whole of Polynesia, including Hawaiians, Samoans and Tongans, as well as many other ethnicities.

“Our graduation has always been very festive,” Santiago said. “It’s an opportunity for students to show their pride and their unique emotions and feelings about their years at Kahuku High and Intermediate.”