40 year law school tradition kicks off on December 1

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Beverly A. Creamer, 808-389-5736
Media Consultant, William S. Richardson School of Law
Posted: Nov 26, 2019

'Été Bowl' action on the field in 2017.
'Été Bowl' action on the field in 2017.

A unique tradition at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law will unfold again Sunday, December 1, as women law students face off against women law graduates in the 41st annual Ete Bowl.

Kick-off for the good-natured but hard-fought flag football game is at 1 p.m. on the UH Soccer Field. It is free and open to the public. Spectators are asked to bring their own chairs.

The game was launched in 1978 as Law School classmates Diane Ho and Ricki Amano brain-stormed a way to spark up the dreary days of November.The second year law students challenged the third year law students to a game of flag football, and the tradition stuck, becoming not just an athletic break but a bonding and networking activity that has brought the school – and its alumnae - together, year after year.

As the event evolved, the game has become the ‘Etes’ (students) against the ‘Bruzers’ (graduates) who are already established attorneys, legislators, judges or serving in other demanding jobs. Male law students step up as coaches for the Ete team—many of whom have never played football before.

The game has become so renowned that in 2013 it earned the coveted President’s Award from the Hawai‘i Women Lawyers Association – honoring its promotion of camaraderie, support, and networking among women attorneys in Hawai‘i. 

Dean Avi Soifer noted, “The women bring a remarkable mix of enthusiasm and intensity to the game, and the family and friends who turn out to cheer for them add to the afternoon’s festive atmosphere.”

Soifer added that the Ete Bowl also shows how powerful sisterhood can be when the intense competition during the game immediately turns to mutual support that often leads to assistance over many decades.

Ronette Kawakami ’85, the law school’s associate dean for student services, has played in the game many times and calls the game one of the premier experiences of the year:

“It brings everyone together to have fun and to enjoy friendly competition outside the classroom. It speaks to the support for each other, and the strong sense of ‘ohana, that is so much a part of this school.”

A reception will follow the game in the William S. Richardson School of Law courtyard.