Palm Tree Blow Ups and Australian Flags at Baum Stadium: What does this mean?

Southern Hospitality & my thoughts on adopting the culture of specific Razorback Baseball players. 
By Randi Mendolia

FAYETTEVILLE, Ar. – Walking into Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas is an experience no one can expect. Many fans walk in with palm tree blow ups and Hawaiian leis. 

If a normal person, not a fan, walked into Baum, I think they would be confused, maybe even offended, because they do not know the reasoning behind the costume accessories. 

Nolan Souza (second baseman), Wehiwa Aloy (shortstop), and Kuhio Aloy (brother to Wehiwa and DH) are all from Hawaii. From my perspective, this is the fans’ way of welcoming the kids into the ‘hog land.’ These boys travel thousands of miles to play at one of the greatest college baseball programs in America, and make Fayetteville their new home. 

Fans welcome their culture by showcasing palm trees and dancing with leis around their necks whenever Kuhio, Nolan, or Wehiwa gets up to the plate. And the boys are akin to this because their walkup songs are filled with ukuleles, guitar, and harmonies, aka— reggae based. Sounds of Baum on the Razorback website lists every song each player walks up to, including pitchers’ warm up songs.   

 Even when Kuhio or Wehiwa hits a bomb into the hog pen, they round second, and throw up the shaka hand signal to the pen. From watching this, I believe they enjoy the adaptation of their culture.

Brent Iredale, a new transfer from New South Wales, Australia, has had such a warm welcome at Arkansas. When he goes up to bat, you can hear the crowd in the stand yell “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!” And the hog pen yells back, “Oi, Oi, Oi.” And Australian flags fly around the stadium when his walk up song sounds.  

But what does Brent Iredale think about thi? I asked him.

“It brings me joy to see that the fans show an interest in me and my country,” Iredale said. 

When talking about what he signs after games, he said it is nice to see them accepting him “whether it is a ball or hat to some unique things related to me like a stuffed kangaroo or a boomerang.” 

I asked him about the chant the fans do, and Iredale said that it is cool to hear that when he is at bat. 

In a world where many people seem to look at this as ‘cultural appropriation,’ I say no. This is baseball, America’s team. It originates from the question of: what are the jobs of fans? What are the fans’ purposes? Fans can adopt the culture of the players, in order for them to feel closer to the players, but also for the player to feel at home in a new facility, far from home. 

Now, the turmoil we enter today, is how long the players will be at the college, in regards to the transfer portal; however, that is another can of worms. 

REPORTER’S BIO | Randi Mendolia is a sophomore majoring in multimedia storytelling in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.