At Punahou School, the Ke Kilohana Engineering V-A and Engineering V-B courses challenge students to combine innovation, service and sustainability through meaningful, community-centered projects. Rooted in Hawaiian cultural competencies such as kuleana (responsibility), mo‘okū‘auhau (genealogy), kuana‘ike (perspective), lawelawe (spirit of service) and mo‘olelo (stories), students use the Kū Hala design process to create solutions that positively impact their communities. Inspired by the hala tree, Kū Hala – meaning “Be the hala” – encourages students to stand tall, be useful and create solutions that support both present and future generations.
As part of their final Ke Kilohana Engineering V project, seniors Dante Zuniga ’26, Pierce Davis ’26, Vijay Trivedi ’26 and Trevor Hirano ’26 designed and built new kahili stands for their commencement ceremony. The project reflects the students’ desire to connect their work back to Punahou’s campus, culture and community.
Inspired by the hala tree and the flowing waters of the Kapunahou Spring, the stands feature curved wooden pieces that rise upward toward the feather kahili, symbolizing roots growing and moving forward. The students intentionally incorporated these natural elements to honor Punahou’s sense of place and tradition.
Using CAD software, the team first developed the design digitally before fabricating the components in the D. Kenneth Richardson ’48 Learning Lab in the Mamiya Science Center. The design and fabrication lab gives students of all ages access to high-tech equipment that allows them to rapidly prototype their ideas as part of the design thinking process. The students used a waterjet cutter to shape the curved wooden legs and other wooden components of the stand, then stained and finished the pieces using tools such as a belt sander and oscillating spindle sander.
The project highlights how Engineering V students combine technical engineering skills with cultural storytelling, sustainability and service – creating work that will continue to serve the Punahou community for years to come.
