Aloha Kauhale Kākou,
The use of kīhei in the formal protocol functions of our Kauhale has become a standard. Hawaiʻi Community College is the first college in the UH-system whose entire graduating class wore the kīhei. What is the function of Kīhei? 
Kīhei is a traditional Hawaiian torso wrap. Kīhei is used in Hawaiʻi Community Collegeʻs Kīpaepae (Protocols Activity) to remind ourselves that we are in Hawaiʻi and that Hawaiʻi has a unique mana (energy) that connects us all to each other and to the environment we live in. 
Kīhei may be plain or printed. The prints are either specific to the individual or to the program the individual represents. For many, personal genealogy or family historical records are encoded in particular stamp designs and applied to Kīhei. The meaning behind this is to insure that in Hawaiian protocols we remind ourselves of our commitment to family, to community and to the environment- locally and globally.
Dr. Taupōuri Tangarō
Kauhale Academic Village- Acting Director
