This past Monday, Nov. 21, Chaminade and the Office of Student Activities and Leadership (OSAL) hosted its annual Maui Madness trip. Students had the opportunity to spend the day touring Maui and supporting the men’s basketball team as it faced off against the University of North Carolina in the first round of the tournament. Fortunately I had the opportunity to attend this year’s Maui Madness trip along with 42 other students and a handful of faulty it was an experience I will not forget.

The day started off with meeting at around 5:30 a.m. here on campus. We flew out on the first flight to Maui, which was scheduled to depart Honolulu at around 7:12 a.m. The duration of the flight was about 30 minutes and we arrived in Maui (OGG) at around 7:52 a.m.

Next Stop: Krispy Kreme. Needless to say all of us were a bit tired from the early meetup time so naturally the first stop on our Maui adventure was Krispy Kreme for a quick pick-me-up — talk about doughnuts galore and a mean sugar rush. My personal favorite was its “cookies and crème” filled doughnut. It had the perfect amount of sugar to kick-start the day.

After a scenic bus ride from Krispy Kreme to Lahaina we continued on to a walking tour of town. During the tour we got to learn more about the history of Lahaina. It started with a traditional Hawaiian protocol chant to ask the spirits permission to enter the scared land, which was our first stop of the tour. After a walk through the town, the tour ended in Lahaina’s historic Banyan Court Park.

After a short beach side lunch we were back on the bus and on our way to the Maui Ocean Center. Here we were able to come face to face with one of the ocean’s most beautiful and terrifying creatures, the shark. While passing through the other exhibits, the jellyfish exhibit presented an amazing photo opportunity as the jellyfish swam in the tank illuminated with dark lighting from every angle.

After our approximately 2-hour visit we were back on the bus headed toward Lahaina Civic Center. It was about a 45-minute drive; however, it provided a chance for a much needed power nap before the game. When we got there the atmosphere was electric. The highlight of the night was when the group got a chance to show some school pride on ESPN.

Even though the UNC fans outnumbered us, the Chaminade University student body was still able to make it known that we were there — screaming and cheering every second of every play. The basketball team made a good run in the first half only trailing by a few points; however, the second half didn’t go in the team’s favor, which resulted in a blowout lost to UNC.

After the game finished we were back on the bus headed toward the airport. The last flight out was at about 10 p.m.. After a short plane ride back to Oahu we arrived back on campus at around 11 p.m.. It was a long but eventful day and one that I will not soon forget.

 Overall Maui Monday is one of those events that is a must do while at Chaminade. While you learn to network and bond with others, going with friends can and will only enhance the experience. To be immersed in what Maui has to offer, cheering on our basketball team and spectating from the stands—priceless. Even though Chaminade didn’t get the huge win and upset we all hoped for, Maui Monday was a great experience and I highly recommend going on this trip if you get the chance.