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[{"type":"text","text":"Stairs can be intimidating..."}]

Smile 26 5 24

<title>Daily Smile: Sunday, May 24, 2026</title>

Stairs can be intimidating...

Daily Smile: Sunday, May 24, 2026

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Kady Pascual

Food & Dining

Aloha Spirit

[{"type":"text","text":"Want to help a local business decide what to put on the menu?"}]

The OnoFest & Fall Expo will be at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18. The event will feature new product debuts, a candy crawl, Kendama competitions, a collector alley for hobbyists and enthusiasts, live entertainment and more.

“A signature highlight of OnoFest is its New Food & Drink Menu, where participating vendors will debut a brand-new dish, flavor, or drink creation priced at $6 or less. Attendees can sample multiple items and provide real-time feedback, helping vendors decide whether their new creations should become permanent additions to their menus,” a recent announcement from Pacific Expos notes.

Food is not the only item in the spotlight. Retail vendors are also encouraged to showcase new and innovative products.

“OnoFest is a great opportunity for vendors to test-market their new product right here at our show and receive real-time feedback,” said Jas Pascua, event coordinator for Pacific Expos. “This showcase of Hawai

i’s most interesting flavors is becoming Hawai

i’s newest food tradition. And with items offered at $6 or less, attendees can try more than one food or drink vendor.”

Aloha State Daily is a stage sponsor, so stop by and say “aloha!” We will have games to play and prizes to win.

Tickets for the event are only sold at the door — general admission is $6.50; kũpuna over the age of 60 and military with I.D. are $4.50; and keiki 12 years old or younger are free.

 Provide us with your information using this 

 by Monday, Oct. 12, and we will send some of you two free tickets for the event.

ASD at Ono Fest 2 26 10 05

<title>Stop by and say ‘aloha’ to Aloha State Daily at OnoFest & Fall Expo</title>

Experience new food, shop with emerging brands and participate in family-friendly activities at the OnoFest & Fall Expo, slated for Oct. 17 to 18 at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. Plus, we are giving away free tickets to our newsletter subscribers ahead of the event.

Stop by and say ‘aloha’ to Aloha State Daily at OnoFest & Fall Expo

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Outrigger Hospitality Group recently unveiled newly reimagined guest rooms at its original flagship location, Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort.

It's the first guest-facing milestone in a larger $100 million refresh that's underway to reimagine the resort as a "

design-led destination at the birthplace of modern surf culture," a recent announcement noted.

The new guest rooms were designed by PowerStrip Studio in collaboration with WCIT Architecture and DTL – a Hawaiian Strategy Studio.

According to the announcement, among other new design features, each room features "

," or "Beloved children are the plants," a custom mural of Queen Emma's lily garden by Native Hawaiian artist Kamea Hadar; room numbers are paired with surf photography by Zak Noyle; and "graphic rivulets inspired by ʻĀpuakēhau Stream" wind throughout the property.

Monica Salter, vice president of global communications and social responsibility at Outrigger, told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions that the resort has 524 rooms across 17 floors, and every room is being redesigned. Room renovations began in April and all 524 rooms are expected to be finished by December, she says.

Outrigger Hospitality Group started the broader $100 million refresh of the resort 

"The guest rooms are just the first phase," Salter says. "We’ll have a grand arrival staircase that traces the path of ʻĀpuakēhau Stream, the freshwater stream that once ran from the Koʻolau Mountains to this shoreline, an open-air lobby framing Waikīkī and Diamond Head, a surfboard exhibit, cultural center and a newly expanded Voyager 47 Club Lounge, more than three times its former size. Work on our public spaces, pool and retail is ongoing. We’re now only offering newly renovated guest rooms and suites with the rest of the transformation to follow."

When asked why the hospitality group wanted to undertake the $100 million transformation now, Salter told ASD, "

This is where our story began — on the grounds of the original Outrigger Canoe Club, where Duke Kahanamoku helped introduce modern surf culture to the world. Sixty years later, we saw an opportunity to reinvest in this important place and honor that legacy while looking ahead. The transformation is grounded in the history and culture of Waikīkī, while creating a resort that reflects where Outrigger is headed."

The goal is to make the experience feel more connected to the place, she says.

"The design draws from the history of the site, from ʻĀpuakēhau Stream and Queen Emma’s garden to Waikīkī’s role in the origins of modern surfing. Those stories are reflected in details throughout the resort, from the arrival staircase and artwork to the guest room and corridor design," Salter say. "At the same time, the things that have made this resort a Waikīkī landmark remain: its beachfront location, cultural connections and longtime partners and experiences, including Faith Surf School, Blue Note Hawaiʻi and Henry Kapono’s Duke’s on Sunday performances. The physical spaces are being thoughtfully refreshed while preserving the character and sense of place that guests have long associated with Outrigger."

Outrigger got its start in 1947, when American architect Roy Kelley and his wife Estelle opened the 33-room Islander Hotel in Waikīkī, according to a 

, you'll find the Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort, Waikīkī Beach Resort, Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel and Waikīkī Paradise Hotel; on 

 there's Outrigger Kā‘anapali Beach Resort and Honua Kai Resort & Spa; the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa is located on 

; and the Outrigger Kaua‘i Beach Resort & Spa is on the 

 across the Islands, and owns and operates resorts in Fiji, Thailand, Maldives and Mauritius. Find its portfolio of properties 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Enter to win"}]

To celebrate the new guest rooms, the resort has launched "

. The campaign asks people to share what they love about 

Share a photo or video and a short story online or by scanning QR codes on the property for a chance to win a grand prize that includes a three-night stay in a club ocean view room at Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort; round-trip airfare for two, provided by Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines; dinner for two at Duke's Waikīkī; and a canoe surf session for two with Faith Surf School. Entries are open through Nov. 16, with winners announced on Nov. 17.

OUTRIGGER Waikiki Oceanfront King

<title>Room renovations unveiled at Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort</title>

The updates are part of Outrigger Hospitality Group's $100 million refresh of the resort, which started earlier this year.

Room renovations unveiled at Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort

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Sterling Higa

Crime & Courts

Columnists

A young woman is suing Cornell and seven men. She says they raped her in a fraternity house two years ago, when she was 20. Much about the night is disputed, and every version of the story is grievous.

By her own account, she got drunk on vodka at her sorority house and drank more at a bar though she was underage. Her complaint puts it at about 10 drinks in three hours. She walked to a fraternity house around 11 p.m. She arrived drunk, took ketamine, and had sex with two men she knew. She told police she was willing at first. Her lawsuit says she was too drunk to consent to any of it, and that the men who came in afterward raped her.

She did not call it rape at first. Within three weeks she did, and went to campus police. The district attorney read her sworn statement as describing consensual sex and declined to bring charges. Cornell expelled two of the men and suspended two. Now she is suing the university, the fraternity, her sorority, a bar, and the seven men.

Her story has been conscripted to serve political narratives, leading up to the midterm elections. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told a town hall, as settled fact, that seven men “took turns gang raping her for seven hours.” Pundits have made Jane Doe an avatar of #MeToo.

Others online have tried to unmask her. Her lawyer says she has been threatened with harm unless she drops the suit, and that women mistaken for her have been threatened too.

In the coverage of the story, Jane Doe has been treated more as an object than a person. And the seven accused men have been condemned on social media as guilty without trial.

If her allegations are true, they would not be surprising. Sexual assault is common in American universities. It’s especially common during the first months of each school year, and many assaults are related to the culture of wild partying that’s grown up around fraternities and sororities.

This party culture is nothing new. Fraternities and sororities took Greek names and built themselves on the pattern of Greco-Roman mystery cults. Think: Bacchanalia and the cult of Dionysus. Hence the vows of secrecy, initiation rites, and symbols. “Greek life” is not a misnomer.

It’s not surprising that wild, drunken parties take place in fraternity and sorority houses. That is the highest expression of their culture.

The problem with this culture is that it’s degenerate. And Christians, at least, used to know this.

There was a time when a story like this would have led to the round condemnation of the whole system of “Greek life.” But it is now taken for granted that such a system must exist, that it can be reformed. A few more mandatory trainings about sexual consent, and all will be well.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"This is foolish."}]

Mystery religions will not be reformed. They must be abandoned. And it is a sad commentary on the church today that few Christians are willing to say so.

Such cults start with false worship and end with the ritual abuse of men and women. Solving the problems they cause means getting to the root.

God created man and woman in His image. This is where our dignity comes from. But the woman was deceived by the serpent and ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The man, who was with her, sinned with his eyes open, and in him we all fell. This is where our sin comes from.

Woman is the glory of man, and he was made to guard her, as Adam did not. In a godly and loving marriage, their sexual union is a beautiful and often fruitful thing.

But we are fallen, and our desires are sinful. They run quickly toward worship of false gods like Dionysus.

Dionysus promises freedom. He claims to liberate. His followers drink wine and dance to escape from their limits. And while intoxicated, they are indeed freed from inhibition and restraint. But this freedom is license only to sin.

The Christian account is otherwise. We are born in bondage to sin. True freedom comes when God breaks that bondage and grants a sinner repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. By His blood, we are spared the punishment we deserve for our sin. And His Spirit enables us to live in freedom.

This freedom is no license. Sinful desires remain in us after we are saved. Christ frees us 

 something: to love God and neighbor and to keep His commands.

If it sounds strange to speak of Christ in response to an alleged gang rape, it is only because the church has retreated from its prophetic task.

A silent and hypocritical church cannot witness to the world. The church must first root out its own tolerance of sexual sin.

But then it must call a spade a spade. Greek life is a good place to start. It’s a knockoff mystery religion. It celebrates drunkenness, riotous living, and freedom from restraint. It is not Christian.

But Greek life appeals in part because Christians offer nothing better on most college campuses.

Many churches live next door to universities. They send missionaries abroad while ignoring the opportunity to evangelize next door.

Mystery cults are a pale substitute for true religion. They offer brotherhood for four years and a drunken feast on Friday night. Christ gives His people a family that does not end and table fellowship every Sunday.

, “If we continue to send our children to Caesar for their education, we need to stop being surprised when they come home as Romans.”

And if we send them to the Greeks for their brotherhood, they’ll come home as Greeks.

Cornell i Stock 157198854 16x9

<title>Cornell fraternity rape lawsuit: What Greek life worships</title>

A 20-year-old walks from a bar to a fraternity house at 11 p.m. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on why Greek life can’t be reformed and what the church owes the campus next door.

Cornell fraternity rape lawsuit: What Greek life worships

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

’s “Dead Letter Office” Halloween pop-up will run from Oct. 8 to 31. The cocktail bar at the 

 is featuring specialty Halloween cocktails and themed dishes for the first time in its speakeasy space.

To enter the speakeasy — which can fit 16 to 20 individuals — look for the mailboxes within Yours Truly.

The themed drinks include phantom ink ($18), moonlit martini ($18) — which features a shimmering presentation — autumn after dark ($20), and blood transfusion ($18). Individuals can get the cocktails “delivered” using the speakeasy’s signature mailbox system (with the exception of the blood transfusion drink, which is too tall to fit in the mailbox).

Customers can also get “shots” ($16) like specimen B-6006 and specimen B-1111; the shots feature bourbon and gin, respectively.

Specialty Halloween dishes feature sweet and savory options, according to executive chef Chris Murakami.

“We’re still doing what we’re doing, but just trying to have fun and make it very festive,” he says.

Halloween-themed dishes include hurricane fries, which are presented in a coffin ($16); charcoal-infused deviled eggs with truffle oil and salmon roe ($14); smoked ‘ahi dip served in a cauldron ($16); and desserts like pumpkin basque cheesecake ($14) and chocolate skulls ($14), which are chocolate truffles, according to Murakami.

While these dishes are popular options at AC Hotel’s The Dotted Line, the Halloween versions are only available at Yours Truly. Hurricane fries are topped with spicy mayo, unagi sauce, green onions and furikake, while the smoked ‘ahi dip is served with housemade sweet potato chips.

The Halloween speakeasy will be open Wednesdays to Sundays; reservations are now accepted via 

1111 Bishop St., Honolulu (AC Hotel by Marriott Honolulu in the cocktail bar)

Opens Oct. 8 from 5 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 5 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays

Yours Truly Halloween cocktail 093026

<title>Yours Truly to launch a limited-time Halloween speakeasy</title>

The downtown Honolulu’s “Dead Letter Office” Halloween speakeasy will run starting this week from Oct. 8 to 31. The speakeasy features specialty Halloween cocktails and themed dishes for the first time.

Yours Truly to launch a limited-time Halloween speakeasy

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Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Less than 24 hours after the Lotte Championship 

wrapped up its 2026 tournament at Hoakalei Golf Course

, the LPGA announced the event is leaving O‘ahu on Monday morning. 

As part of its 2027 schedule, the Lotte Championship will take place at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui from March 18-21. It will follow the debut of a brand new tournament, the 

, which will run from March 11-14 on the Big Island. 

The Plantation Course was home to the PGA Tour's Sentry Tournament of Champions, which most recently took place in January 2025. The 2026 tournament was canceled due to 

drought conditions that deemed the course unplayable

"We are thrilled to welcome the LPGA back to Kapalua and professional golf back to Maui," Kapalua golf general manager Alex Nakajima said in a press release. "The Plantation Course offers a unique challenge that will showcase the talents of the world's best female golfers. Fans can look forward to four days of high-level competition set against the stunning backdrop of the Pacific Ocean.”

The shaky conditions at Kapalua was the catalyst for the 

, with the Sony Open at Waialae being converted into a PGA Tour Champions event reserved for golfers 50 and over. 

The Lotte championship debuted in 2012, with each edition taking place on an O‘ahu golf course. The LPGA Tour's announcement came after the completion of the 2026 tournament at Hoakalei Country Club and not during. 

Lotte 100526

<title>Lotte Championship relocates to Maui</title>

The Plantation Course at Kapalua, which hasn't hosted a professional tournament since January 2025 due to water issues, will be the new host of the Lotte when it comes to Maui in March 2027.

Lotte Championship relocates to Maui

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Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Ready to plan your weekend? Aloha State Daily can help! Here are 10 events happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, Sept. 25"}]

This four-day convention, PhotoCon Hawaiʻi, returns for its seventh year and will take place from Thursday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 27 at Capitol Modern. The event features a tech expo where global manufacturing giants debut the latest hardware, lenses, lighting and workflow innovations for the photography industry. The event also includes more than 50 expert speakers leading about 65 workshops, as well as state-of-the-art gear that can be tested in real-world settings. General admission is $150, or $50 for military. 

Watch screenings at this Korean indie film showcase. 

Called Intimate Korea, this showcase of independent films features stories about family, distance between generations, and a rapidly changing world. There will be four feature films and five award-winning shorts showing at Doris Duke Theatre, which is part of the Honolulu Museum of Art. Screenings run from Friday, Sept. 25, through Sunday, Sept. Sunday, Sept. 27. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday, Sept. 26"}]

Catch the Aloha Festivals’ 78th Annual Floral Parade. 

Attracting kamaʻāina and tourists, this event features men and women on horseback, showcasing the traditional art of pāʻū riding, while wearing the colors of the different Islands. 

The parade takes place from 9 a.m. until noon. The route starts at Ala Moana Regional Park and travels along Kalākaua Avenue, ending at Kapiʻolani Regional Park. Free. 

 The American Institute of Architects’ quarterly book club will explore “What If We Get it Right?” by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, which takes a hopeful look at climate action. The discussion of the book will be led by  Dr. Kirsten Oleson, professor of ecological economics in the department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs for the discussion, which will take place from 3 p.m to 5 p.m. at Hawaiʻi Nature Center’s Rain Shelter, and register 

Listen to “From Samoa to Sinatra” with Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra. 

Catch this one-night-only performance featuring music from Matt Catingub’s latest album “From Samoa to Sinatra.” The concert celebrates Catingub’s 50 years in the industry and pays homage to his late mother and vocalist, Mavis Rivers, whose voice will be featured as part of the concert. Catingub previously conducted a pops series for the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, which preceded Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra. He will take the stage at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, where he once recorded a live album with Rosemary Clooney. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sunday, Sept. 27"}]

Participate in the Honolulu Century Ride. 

Grab your bicycle and head to the Honolulu Century Ride. There are 25-mile, 50-mile, 75-mile and 100-mile routes featuring Oʻahu’s South Shore and the Windward Coast. Kalaniana‘ole Hwy will be closed from Hanauma Bay to the entrance of Sandy Beach Park to provide a car-free space for cyclists traveling along the Kaiwi Coast. There will also be aid stations, mechanical help, and members of the Honolulu Police Department to support cyclists along the way. Funds raised will support the Hawaiʻi Bicycling League’s advocacy and education work to make the roads safer. Registration for the full course is $100 for adults, with discounts for youth.  

Looking for an excuse to brunch? Check out Roy’s Hawaiʻi Kai, which recently launched its Sunday brunch, which it previously offered only for special occasions, such as Mother’s Day. 

Head to the Bishop Museum and join nonprofit 

 in celebrating Kāhuli, or endangered Hawaiian land snails. 

“Carnival of the Nearly Extinct Animals,”

 which wrapped up its world premiere last weekend, included a final movement called “The Kāhuli.” Catch that musical performance brought to life by

Iggy Jang on violin, Megan Conley on harp, and Shawn Conley on bass at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 1 p.m. on the first floor of Hawaiian Hall. There will also be Kāhuli puppet-making opportunities and other activities, plus chances to meet live native snails from the Pūpū Ola: Kāhuli Captive Rearing Research Center. General admission to Bishop Museum is $24.95 for kamaʻāina, with discounts for kūpuna and keiki. Check 

Ocean Music Action’s calendar for other volunteer projects

Catch a book signing and writing workshop. 

Author Tori Eldridge, who graduated from Punahou School in the same class as President Barack Obama, is back on Oʻahu. The Portland-based Kanaka Maoli author will be promoting her recent books “Kauaʻi Storm” and “Hawaiʻi Rage,” which are part of the Ranger Makalani Pahukula Mysteries,

 from 2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. at Native Books as part of an event sponsored by Lōʻihi Arts Foundation. The event includes a discussion of “Kauaʻi Storm” and “Hawaiʻi Rage” as well as a 90-minute interactive writing workshop. Free. 

 market takes place from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu. There will be more than 40 vendors. Free. 

092725 035

<title>Catch Aloha Festivals’ floral parade, films and snails: what to do on Oʻahu</title>

Ready to plan the weekend? From a floral parade featuring the traditional art of pāʻū riding in Waikīkī to a showcase of Korean independent films at the Honolulu Museum of Art, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this Friday, Sept. 25, through Sunday, Sept. 27.

Daily Smile: Sunday, May 24, 2026

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Daily Smile: Sunday, May 24, 2026

Authors

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