Ke Alaka'i - May 2017

M AY 2 017 · Vo l u m e 117 : I s s u e 3

Pa g e 1 6 M u l t i m e d i a a r t i s ts say clie n t s u n d e r v a l u e t he i r ski l l s

Page 24 A rec ap o f the 2017 Culture Night

THE LEAD ER

Page 5 2 Campus ’ Ro m eo a n d J u l i et ’ play set in S a mo a

MAY 2017 • VOLUME 117 • ISSUE 3

ADVISOR Le e A n n Lam ber t MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS Patrick Campbell Adam Case Gosuke Kawano Colton McLane Alyssa Odom Leslie Owusu

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Josh M ason COPY EDITORS Kev i n Brown Danna Osumo Alex Maldonado PHOTOGRAPHERS O l iv i a Tsan Chant al Hopper

Brooklyn Redd

Al v i n Vi ncent Dy

Malia Diaz

ART & GRAPHICS

Jaime Faoliu

Lex i e Kapel i el a

Antoniette Yee VIDEOGRAPHERS Kelsy Simmons

Dorot hy Chi u ART DIRECTOR Kyungj i Ki m

Khoon An

SOCIAL MEDIA

A rman d o Ja red Leon

Kel sy Si m m ons

AD MANAGER Go su ke Kawano

NEW S CE N T ER BOX 1920 BYUH LAIE, HI 96762 PUBLISHER P r int Ser vi ces Editorial, photo submissions & distribution inquiries: ke a l a k a i @ by u h . e d u .

To s u b s c r i b e t o t h e R S S F E E D o r t o v i e w a d d i t i o n a l a r t i c l e s , go t o ke a l a k a i . by u h . e d u

CONTACT

Email: keal akai @by u h. edu Ad Information: keal akai ads@gmai l . com Phone: (80 8 ) 6 7 5 -3 6 9 4 Fax: (8 0 8 ) 6 7 5 -3 4 9 1 Office: BYU -Hawai i Al oha Cent er 13 4 ON THE COVER: Members of the BYU-Hawaii Student Associations participate in the annual two-day Culture Night celebration in the Cannon Activities Center on April 28-29. Photos by Ke Alaka‘i staff members.

ABO UT US The Ke Alaka‘i began publishing the same year the university, then called Church College of Hawaii, opened. It has continued printing for more than 60 years. The name means “the leader” in Hawaiian. It began as a monthly newsletter, evolved into a weekly newspaper, then a weekly magazine, and is now a monthly news magazine with a website and a social media presence. Today a staff of about 25 students works to provide information for BYU-Hawaii’s campus ohana and Laie’s community.

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PH OTO SUBMISSIO N “Music is what feelings sounds like.“ Photo by Nathaniel Karl Gapol

Share your photo with us and we may feature it in our next issue. E-mail us your high-resolution photo with a caption at kealakai@byuh.edu

F O L LO W U S AR O U ND THE WE B

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MAY 2017 • VOLUME 117 • ISSUE 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS CAMPUS LIFE

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A day in the life of Kawika Wise Hawaiian Studies major wants to use degree to educate Native Hawaiians of their identity

10 Anton Kruglyak

Russian student one of the first converts in his country, mocked for standards

14 Pioneer in the Pacific

First convert in Marquesas Islands paves way for first branch in the country

16 Undervalued Artists Multimedia creators say clients underestimate creative skills financially

CULTURE NIGHT

22 Earlier Culture Night Date BYUHSA sets event in April so students can focus on finals and grades

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Culture Night Recap Summary and photos of both nights of the 2017 Culture Night at BYUH 4

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Costume Madness Associations discuss why they selected their costumes for Culture Night

40 Dancing to Disney 24

Ballroom Dance Association returns to Culture Night with Disney medley

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Dancing with four islands Local student dances with Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, and Samoa at Culture Night

44 Campus Comment Students answer: Which association did you dance for and why?

LOCAL NEWS

50 Mass killings remembered Armenian student raises country’s flag in memory of Armenian Genocide

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May 5-6

FRIDAY-SATURDAY Opera and Musical Theatre Workshop performance at 7:30 p.m. in the McKay Auditorium

11 THURSDAY Undergraduate Research Conference throughout the day. No classes

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THURSDAY Empower Your Dreams at 8:30 a.m. at Hawaii Journey Theater

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THURSDAY Kahuku High School graduation at 6 p.m. CAC

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TUESDAY Ultimi (Visiting Tenor Trio) Concert at 7:30 p.m. in the McKay Auditorium

Shakespeare in Samoa BYUH production puts ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in Samoan setting

CES administrators are teachers too Principals from church schools in Pacific and Central America gather at BYUH

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MONDAY Memorial Day - No classes

Local Support for Gabbard Party calls for Hawaii voters to oust Rep. Gabbard, but students still back her

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2017 Undergraduate Research Conference Thursday, May 11, 2017 College of Math & Sciences, BYU-Hawaii

 All students who wish to present at the conference should submit an abstract to naomiks@byuh.edu by Thursday, May 4, 2017.  All students whose abstracts have been accepted will be required to present a poster in the general poster session. All presenters should also plan to prepare a 10-15 minute oral presentation.  Selected students will present their oral presentation in the afternoon Award session.  Monetary awards will be granted to the followings: Best overall poster ($150) Best oral presentation from each program ($100) Best overall oral presentation ($250) Awards Session runners-up ($50) Schedule 8:00 a.m. (Aloha Center 155/165) 8:30 a.m. (Ballroom) 9:30 a.m. (Aloha Center 155/165) 12:00 p.m. (Ballroom) 2:00 p.m. (Ballroom) 6

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Registration and poster set up Welcome General Poster session Luncheon for all presenters Keynote speaker: Dr. Roger Goodwill Oral presentation/Awards Session

campus life

in this section A day in the life of a Hawaiian Studies major Kawika Wise Russian student shares family’s conversion story and trials growing up

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Tahitian woman is first member of LDS Church in Marquesas Islands; daughter works at BYUH

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Local multimedia and traditional artists say clients undervalue their skills

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Kawika Wise

Hawaiian Studies Major B Y B RO O K LYN RE D D Kawika Wise said being part of the Hawaiian Studies program will help him to spread aloha in the future. Photo by Chantal Hopper

Kawika Wise, a junior from Kapolei, said he wants to use his education to spread more aloha to the world around him and help others live up to their identities.

He said, “Aloha is kind of similar to how we describe the pure love of Christ to be charity. It is something you see people do and how they treat others.�

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What made you decide to study this major?

“I decided to pursue this major because… I am Hawaiian. My education is based off the Hawaiian culture and everything we do. It’s been a big part of my life, and I want to continue to learn more about who I am and where I come from. I want to help other Hawaiian people know their identity and be able to know their culture and language.”

What makes your major unique?

“It’s important to help other people who come here to know where they are and what [Hawaii] is all about. The Hawaiian Studies program is a good way to educate everyone about this place.”

What do you want to do with it?

“I really want to get into natural resource management that deals with conservation and stability in our islands. I think having a better understanding with how my ancestors worked in the land [is best]… because they were the best at taking care of the land. They were servants and stewards, so the land took care of them because of that. They knew how to manage their resources with expertise. I want to be able to do that, so we can properly use the resources we have.”

Favorite Class “Malama ‘Aina (HWST 312), which is caring for the land, and Malama Kai (HWST 380), which is caring for the ocean, are my favorite classes. We had an opportunity to not only learn academically, but also apply the things we have learned [through] hands-on work.”

Wise said in HWST 312 students learn ancestral skills like tiling a garden and harvesting the fruits of their labors in the Hawaiian Studies Garden.

Describe a typical day “I wake up at 6 a.m., take a deep breath, thank Heavenly Father for the many blessings, and go to the gym at 6:30 a.m. until my first class. My classes are all in the morning.Then I get ready for work.”

Wise works at the Hawaiian Studies Garden.

Number of people in the major Wise said most of those who major in the program are Hawaiian, and Academic Advisor Joselyn Akana said there are 15 people majoring in Hawaiian Studies.

Time spent in a day Wise said he spends four to five hours a day studying, mostly on the Hawaiian language.

Pros “I think this is a good program that will benefit my community and people… by helping them to have a better sense of identity. Some of the things we can do to live up to that identity is to know we have a responsibility to live up to our culture.”

Cons “There is this stigma about the program that you can only go and teach the Hawaiian language, but you can do anything with Hawaiian studies.”

Wise said the program may not yield a high-paying job, but part of the salary will be happiness and satisfaction in doing what he loves.

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Campus Life

ANTON АНТОН KRUGLYAK К РУГЛЯК New Russian student is among first LDS converts after missionaries were allowed in his country B Y LES LIE O WU S U

After a life of constant pressure to drink and smoke, Anton Kruglyak, a freshman from Russia studying computer science, said he has led a life filled with hard decisions, some of which led him to study at BYU-Hawaii.

Kruglyak said he believes coding is intertwined with how the world works.

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Anton Kruglyak said he was often mocked for his standards, but he looked to his father for an example of keeping the commandments.

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Anton Kruglyak, right, is pictured with his parents at the Kyiv Ukraine LDS Temple.

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CONV ERS IO N STORY

Kruglyak is from Ufa, Bashkortostan Republic, Russia. He said his family consists of his parents and himself. He said, “They are good parents.

They have taught me a lot during my life, and they were really good examples to me. At the age of 8 in 1995, we met the missionaries and they started teaching us.

“We had a lot of lessons because my parents had a lot of questions. It’s funny; after one of the initial missionaries who met and taught us was transferred, a new missionary came and took his place. They were still teaching us for a long time and the new missionary told his companion, ‘This family is not going to get baptized. They have a lot of questions and it takes too much effort to teach them.’ But our first missionary disagreed and told him, ‘They are going to continue seeing us.’ So finally my parents made a decision to be baptized.”

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Kruglyak said when he first joined the church, there were a lot of members but then a lot of them quickly became inactive. “One of the reasons I think that happened is during the Soviet Union time, not many people were coming to Russia,” he explained. “ Then when Russia was open to preaching the gospel, a lot of missionaries from the LDS Church came. It was something new and many people wanted to try it, and many joined the church. I believe the same thing happened to many other churches that came to Russia at that time.”

He said there are a lot of different churches now that Russia has been open to missionaries for the past three decades.

B R E AK IN G TRAD I TI O N S

Kruglyak said, “It’s part of our Russian tradition that a lot of men drink alcohol, especially when we have celebrations like birthdays or New Year’s.” He said his father used to drink alcohol before joining the church. Even though

smoking was easy for his father to quit, alcohol was very difficult. “He couldn’t stop. Even when he wanted to, he couldn’t. It was like his addiction in some way,” Kruglyak recalled.

When the missionaries taught his family about the Word of Wisdom, Kruglyak said his father decided to pray about it, but he did not feel anything special afterwards. However, upon heading home the next day after work, his coworkers invited him to go drinking, as they often did. But that day Kruglyak said his father felt something different.

“He didn’t feel anything could force him to go drinking. Instead, he felt freedom. It was really easy to choose to go or not to go. So he used the moment and said, ‘No, I’ll just go home. I don’t want to drink today.’ And then after that, it was really simple for him. Because he made his first decision that day, it was easier for him to make good decisions after that,” said Kruglyak.

The tradition and peer pressure to drink and smoke was no different for Kruglyak. He said friends and others first started to offer him alcohol and cigarettes at age 10. “When I was a kid and I was studying at school, I had some guys in my class who were saying, ‘Oh you want to go smoking with us?’ And every time I said no they would make fun of me and tease me. They would say, ‘Oh are you a mommy’s son? What’s wrong with you? You want to be a man? You have to smoke.’”

Kruglyak said he looked to his father as an example. He said, “Every time they’d say, ‘So you want to come smoking with us? If you want to be a man you have to smoke,’ I’d say, ‘If my father doesn’t smoke, does that mean he’s not a man? No one tells him that he’s not a man.’

That was a really good argument because after that they just stopped asking me.”

He said he was the only LDS child his age in his school, town, and area. “For this reason, sometimes it was hard to make decisions because other guys were always pressuring me to smoke, drink, or do anything.You’re just 10 years old and you already have to make decisions to try alcohol or try smoking. But I believe it helped me become stronger, so now I don’t even ask myself if I want to try it because I was asked so many times during my childhood and when I was a teenager. Now it’s not just easy, but it’s not even a question.”

IN TER EST S

Kruglyak went on to serve in the Russia Moscow West Mission from 2009 to 2011. “After I came back from my mission, I wouldn’t say that I had some kind of hobby. I like stuff that makes me think about something, like something that’s philosophical or teaches you about how to live a good life or eternal equations.”

However, when he was a child he said he filled his time with music or martial arts. He said, “My mom is a musician. She wanted me to study music. So I had music classes and had to play the accordion for seven years… I tried to learn different styles and different martial arts, but mainly I do Aikido. It’s one of the Japanese martial arts. So I’d say those two were my biggest hobbies I had.”

While at BYUH, Kruglyak said he is studying computer science for two main reasons. He said one reason is people live in a modern world that is highly dependent on computers, coding and programming. “It’s everywhere, in every field, every industry.

Anywhere you go, it’s run by computers. I wouldn’t say I’m really good at computers, but it’s something I want to learn and know much better than I do,” he said.

The second reason he said is anything people learn on earth is a part of their eternal knowledge. “If you learn chemistry, for example, it’s the knowledge God used to create this earth and our bodies and everything. Physics is

the same. He used the principles of physics to create everything in the world. And if you study geography, astronomy, or anatomy, it’s all the same. It is the knowledge God used to create everything in the world and outside the world as well.”

Kruglyak said he believes coding and programming can be applied to more than computers. He said, “Coding is everywhere.

For example: genes. Why do some people have dark skin and some people have white skin?

It’s coding. It’s a part of programming. Why do some people have curled hair and others have straight hair? It’s the same: coding.”

He said with coding people can create something, like how God created his children.

“We’re different because we have different types of codes, and it is the same with programming and computers.You can create something. It’s hard to answer what I want to do with computer science, because I don’t know this field very well. So I don’t yet know everything I can do with computer science, but I believe that after I graduate I will see more perspectives in the future.”

J O U R N E Y TO L AI E

This is Kruglyak’s first semester at BYUH. However, before he was here, he was in Provo studying at the BYU English Language Center (ELC). He said, “Sometimes you do something, and after you do it, you realize it was a good idea. It happens to everyone. When I was

at ELC, I knew I had to apply to universities to study something. Honestly, I wasn’t really thinking about going to BYUH, but then one day I was looking on the BESmart website for some information, and I saw that I had a high enough score to apply for BYUH. So I thought maybe BYUH could be an option for me.”

He said after he pondered about it, his thoughts and feelings told him it would be a good idea and he sent in his application.

Kruglyak was accepted and said when he got to Laie, it was during an NSO meeting where he received a feeling of confirmation that he was in the right place.

“In Russia we have many people from different countries, so we have a mix of cultures.

If you study our culture, you can see some things that came from Europe and some that came from Asia. We have a bunch of stuff that comes from different places. It’s interesting to me to learn about different cultures and histories from different countries.”

Kruglyak said he does not feel his life has been different or special in any big way. “Sometimes people say, ‘Oh you have a lot of experiences that never happened in my life.’ But it’s normal to me. It’s just my life and it happens in the opposite way. I talk to others and something they say might be interesting to me, but it’s normal to them.”

Kruglyak, second from left, with his missionary friends from the Russia Moscow West mission.

Photos from Anton Kruglyak

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Pioneer in the Pacific LDS Church was established in the Marquesas Islands through one mother’s faith B Y B RO O K LYN RE D D

From top left clockwise: Sheeba O’Connor, Shirley O’Connor Tovey, Robert O’Connor and Ziella O’Connor. The matriarch of the family said she was the only member of the LDS Church in Marquesas Islands moving there with her then non-member husband. Photo by Chantal Hopper

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Ziella O’Connor moved from Tahiti to the Marquesas Islands, which now has 124 LDS members. Graphic by Lexie Kapeliela

Ziella Kahiti Vivish O’Connor, born and raised in the LDS Church in Tahiti, said the journey of being the first and only member when she moved to the French Polynesian island of Marquesas was not always easy.

She said she moved away from Tahiti when she met her husband, Robert Peirre Haaiiau O’Connor. She then had to move into his house in the Marquesas. Because he was not a member of the church at the time, Ziella O’Connor became the only member in the entire country, a situation she said made her feel alone.

Even though there weren’t any other members around, she said she kept her principles and continued to carry her scriptures and a hymn book with her. She said she stayed faithful to the Lord. “I prayed all the time to overcome [my trials] and stay active,” she said.

Ziella O’Connor said throughout the years she always talked to her husband, who was Catholic at the time, about the gospel and how it was not right for their children to be baptized at such a young age.

He told her if the church came to their island one day, then he would join. Holding him to his commitment, Ziella O’Connor kept her hopes high and dreamed someday she would be able to attend church again, but this time with her family.

According to her, it took 10 years until her husband accepted the gospel and allowed their children to be baptized. After their baptisms, they became the first LDS family of the Marquesas.

About his conversion story, Robert O’Connor said, “Seeing the kids growing up, I asked Heavenly Father, ‘How am I going to teach those kids?’ He said seven years later a missionary couple came to the island and answered his question.

Acting on his promise, he said he began investigating the church with the senior couple in 1989 and then decided to get baptized. He said when missionaries from other churches visited him before, he did not have a good feeling. “But something was different about the LDS senior couple,” he said.

Ziella O’Connor said, “We first started a little group as a family and little by little people began to join the church.” She said they started with their family of 10 and today there are now 124 members in the Marquesas Islands. She said it’s a blessing being the first member and being able to witness the growth of the church.

Her daughter, Shirley Tekura O’Connor Tovey, a coordinator of Student Leadership Activities and Service and an instructor of French and EIL, said her father was the bishop for over 20 years and is now the district president while his son is his first counselor.

Tovey said because her mother did not give up and kept her faith, there is now a branch, members, and a church building on the island.

“Because of my mother’s faith, endurance, and since bringing my dad into the church, it is a testimony to me and to my family that the church is true.”

Sheeba O’ Connor, a freshman majoring in TESOL, gave another example of her mother’s character. She said one day when she was 12 years old, her mother brought home a homeless person to stay with them. “She went to the store to buy some clothes, soap, and food for him. My parents paid for his ticket to go back to France and a ticket to France is so expensive. He stayed with us for about six months.

“Every morning at 5:30 we would read the scriptures and he saw how our family is, which seemed to impress him. After 10 years, he returned to visit our family again and was baptized into the church. He said, ‘I remember what you told me and I wanted to learn more.’”

Sheeba O’Connor continued, “My mom is my hero. She loves Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ so much. She does everything to help, love, and serve people around her. I love her so much and it is a blessing and a privilege to be her daughter.”

Robert O’Connor said his wife’s faith is like metal. It’s strong and cannot be broken. He said he hopes all six islands will eventually have a chapel since there is only one chapel in the entire country.

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CCaam mppuuss LLiiffee

Valuing creativity Multimedia and traditional artists say clients don’t understand their skill sets

BY MA LIA D I AZ

BYU-Hawaii senior and artist Rocky Woo says every painting tells a unique story. Students say professors tell artists to never work for free. Photo by Olivia Tsan

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YU-Hawaii students and alumni said they feel undervalued in their hard-earned artistic fields and gave advice and insight on what their job requires them to do.

V I D E O GRAP H Y

James Astle, BYUH alumnus from California, said he takes time to get creative before starting on a video project. “I usually go outside and look around. Then, if I see something I like, I’ll start thinking how I can make it better. I’ll ask myself, ‘What if?’ What if the road was made of water? What if paper can become eliminated?

What if this or that was a different color? And usually ideas just come,” said Astle. He said his average 30-second to 1-minute videos usually take about 10 hours to edit.

When questioned if he is asked to do discounted or free projects, Astle said, “Yes, all the time. It makes me feel like they don’t understand what goes into the process. It takes a lot of experience just like any other trade or occupation does. Do you want me to go to your dental operation and say, ‘Can you do a root canal for free?’ Do you want me to walk into a store and demand to get some stuff for free? Value is value. It just doesn’t disappear for a favor. I am okay with doing favors depending on what it’s for. But we [videographers] need to survive too.”

Another videographer, John Diaz, a BYUH alumnus from the Philippines, said, “Oftentimes I will send my pricing to the client, and they’ll tell me it’s not in their budget. They always talk me down and ask, ‘What could I get for just $100?’ It’s hard because I have invested a lot of money on my equipment, gaining experience, and on my education in this field. I like to spend a week to make a good video so I can think and perfect it little by little,” he said.

“I do mostly promotional and music videos, and it’s so upsetting because I can’t even pay my rent because people don’t understand the value of my work. I often end up working odd jobs. I’m literally working as a fry cook because I can’t make ends meet. And I spent all this time getting a degree, and I can’t rely on it right now. I think it’s hard though because it’s a small town.”

Lauren Beeston, a BYUH alumna from Utah, said, “Most of the time when people are Continues on Page 18

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on the cheaper side, obviously they don’t have a ton of money but want the most. I’ve had experiences where I will give someone a deal and they don’t understand how much effort goes into re-editing and editing in general. I’ve never had issues with people who pay the full price.

“Everything that I’ve learned has been 100 percent by doing. If I wanted to learn something specific, I would use YouTube.”

She continued, “Obviously practicing is key, but never do something for free.You’re hurting what others are trying to build and you’re hurting yourself and your value. Only work for free if it’s for your mom,” she said.

Beeston said she used to worry about burning bridges. She said, “I have realized I don’t want them as clients if they are devaluing me. I just tell them that I edit everything as they see fit, and if it doesn’t fit their style, I’ll recommend other videographers. Why do it if they’re not going to value your style?”

Beeston said Instagram has helped her become successful. “A lot of my jobs I got were from Instagram and word of mouth. Instagram is a huge part of my career. People can laugh all they want about how I use Instagram for work, but it’s how we live and how I make money. I used to be worried about what people would think. But I’m not trying to be cool. It’s my job and I’m embracing it.”

Beeston explained the work involved in her videos depends on the package ordered.

“The average 30-second to 1-minute product video typically includes two locations, two models, and shooting for one to two days. The time it takes me to grab my friends, find locations, travel, and film for three to four hours, makes about eight hours total. Then, when I get back, it usually takes me another eight hours to edit.”

F I N E ARTS

The final product of a painting involves hours, days, and even months of work, according to Rocky Woo, a BYUH senior in fine arts from Hong Kong. He described the current painting he was working on for the Easter Art Show on campus. “The thing is, there’s no model. It’s just from my imagination. It’s challenging,” said Woo.

When asked if Woo has ever sold his art before, he said it’s scary because it’s a judgement of himself and others. “People will value your art by how much they pay for your painting. Artists write novels.You tell people what you want to say from your art. There is a message behind it. They can have a spiritual experience looking at paintings,” he explained.

Woo’s frustration with the devaluation of his talents echoes what other student artists said. “It makes me think that the focus is money.

What is the meaning of art? It contains history, culture, and knowledge. If you’re not willing to pay what it is worth, you’re not willing to ac-

cept the culture. I do art because I know art can change people. It can change human minds,” he said.

Woo said a good painting used to take him over a month to complete. He has since improved his skills, and large paintings typically take him a few weeks.

GRAPH I C D E SI GN

Judy Park, a Korean senior in graphic design, said, “I want to go to work because I enjoy it and I’m good at it. Before I came here, I already knew how to use graphics programs, but now in my time at BYUH, it’s about finding myself as a designer,” she said.

“Math or other subjects have answers given to them. Art doesn’t have an answer. We have to find it. I think all of our work is from our effort. How much time we put in is valuable. It takes weeks to perfect my spreads. I’m making a series of posters. A magazine takes a few months. It’s flexible because it takes a lot of time and thinking to finish it,” said Park.

Now about to enter the workforce, Park said her professors “keep telling me never to work for free.

“They tell me that unpaid internships aren’t okay especially for the arts. It ruins the design industry by letting them take advantage,” she stated.

“People know I’m studying graphic design. Even if they never say ‘Hi’ to me, when

Videographers John Diaz and James Astle spend hours perfecting their projects . Photos by Alvin Vincent Dy

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Artist Rocky Woo and graphic designer Judy Park cringe thinking about doing work for free. Photos by Olivia Tsan

they need graphics, they talk to me. They think we are friends when they ask me to do a project for them. They don’t think it’s a valuable skill.

They think it will only take an hour or two. It takes longer than you think. Be aware of the design process. We don’t just throw something together. There is a thinking process, sketching–it’s more complex, and they don’t even give me credit.”

PH OTO G RA P HY

Svetlana Sauer, a senior in graphic design from Russia, is a lifestyle and wedding photographer and she said the devaluing of artistic abilities is common among students in a college town.

“What I come across sometimes is students like my work, but they don’t want to pay what I’m asking. They will try to negotiate with me....But I have to take time out of my day to make it happen. It has to be worth my time. People talking my prices down shows me that they think all that work and time I put in doesn’t matter. I think people don’t realize how much work it takes to be successful in the arts.”

Sauer said, “It’s not a job you go clock in for and then you’re done. It’s a lifestyle. It’s something you’re constantly thinking about. It doesn’t just happen, and I had to work to get to this level. It’s a profession, not a hobby.”

Mark Holladay Lee, a 2003 BYUH graduate from Hauula, said he got his start in photography while being surrounded by it. “Growing up, my mom had a dark room in our house.

I had never realized it was something I could make a career of. After graduation, I moved to New York and met John Moe, a famous photographer who let me be his apprentice. That’s when I decided to go professional.

“I graduated college not knowing what I wanted to do with [an arts degree]. I love water. I put the two loves together. I wanted to [take photos of] people and the energy that it creates with people in the ocean and the contrasts.”

Lee is a freelance lifestyle and underwater photographer. He previously flew to Japan to do photo shoots for Clinique and has done several jobs in Fiji and Australia. Lee is also subcontracted with Polynesian Culture Center events and for One Ocean Diving to shoot shark dives.

“My philosophy on pricing is that I won’t charge something I wouldn’t pay. I want to reach clients to appreciate my work and build trust,” he said.

Lee also offered advice to up-and-coming photographers. “Be consistent. Just-do-it people are the ones who make a living out of it, even if they’re crappy. They never stop shooting and pushing themselves.” Although there is a lot of competition, Lee said people have had cameras for years. “People can take pictures themselves and buy a camera. Being a photographer is more than taking a picture. It’s creating an environment to get a natural image with lots of problem solving.”

Natalie Norton, a BYU Provo alumna from Sunset Beach, has been shooting photos for almost 11 years. Norton shoots by referral only and intentionally keeps her photography to a minimum because she is now a photography and business consultant.

“Of course I’ve had clients or potential clients devalue my work,” said Norton, “but thankfully those circumstances have been few.

That being said, I intentionally set my pricing structure in anticipation of that very possibility.”

Norton said she stood her ground on her value in the photography world. “I know how hard it is to walk this line. When I was getting started, I had the luxury of being able to turn clients away if our artistic vision wasn’t aligned or they felt my pricing was outside of their budget, etc. Later in my career, when I was the primary breadwinner in our home, I already had those business and artistic practices firmly in place, so it was much easier for me than it is for many artists I consult,” she said.

Norton’s advice to new photographers is to remember they are part of an artistic industry that requires hard work, education, and quality. “It makes me sad that with the increase in pro-grade gear available to everyday consumers and easy sharing of our best work to large audiences through social networks, we’re seeing a decrease in quality. Work hard, learn as much as you can, and then don’t be afraid to unapologetically charge what you’re worth.”

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C ampus L i fe

What’s in your bag L AUR E N B E E STO N’ S VIDE O GR APHY EQUIP MENT:

6

7

1 3 11 10 9 8 4 5 2 Photo by Olivia Tsan

1. DJI Phantom 4 Drone with remote & accessories: $1,500-$1,800 / 2. GoPro: $400 / 3. Glidecam stabilizer: $800 / 4. Underwater Hardware: $1,500-$3,000 / 5. Sony Camera: $2,500 / 6. Sony Lenses: 24-70mm $2,100 18-105mm $760 50mm $300 / 7. Charger: $30-$50 / 8. Audio Cables: $30-$50 / 9.

Microphone & Accessories: $200-$300 / 10. Oben Tripod: $120 / 11. LED Panel Flash: $30-$50

EXTRA INF ORMAT IO N :

According to an article by Christina Bonnington on Wired.com, the use of smartphones for camera and video has increased from 17 percent last year to 27 percent so far this year. “An independent U.S. filmographer even shot a full-length movie with a Nokia N8 smartphone. The film, ‘Olive,’ stars 81-year-old Oscar nominated actress Gena Rowlands, and it is regarded to be the first feature film ever shot completely with a smartphone,” Bonnington states. This rise of artistic media technology raises concern for BYUH students seeking degrees in art and those soon graduating and entering a saturated field.

Students can support these local artists by following their Instagrams: Lauren Beeston: @laurbeeston John Osel Diaz: @johnnyd.productions James Astle: @junglebookcrew Mark Holladay Lee: @holladayphoto Sveta Sauer: @svetlanasauerphoto Natalie Norton: @natalienorton 20

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culture night

in this section Culture Night gets earlier date so students can focus on school

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Ballroom Dance Association makes Culture Night comeback Disney-themed

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A recap of Culture Night, both Friday and Saturday nights

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Laie student participates in four performances, less than the original amount she signed up for

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All 21 student associations share meaning and cost of costumes

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Earlier Culture Night held to benefit students’ grades BYUHSA president says earlier performance reduces practice time for associations and hours away from studies B Y M AL I A D I AZ

BYUHSA officers explained BYU-Hawaii’s 2017 Culture Night was scheduled midsemester rather than right before finals to help students balance school and Culture Night practices. Committee members and students said the earlier date shows how education is a priority and can prevent students’ GPAs from falling.

BYUHSA President Tyler Pisciotta, a biomedical major from Nevada, said, “I helped plan Culture Night last year. When it was oneto-two weeks before finals, it affected the entire school’s GPA and brought it down. It was going to be the beginning of May, but the CAC was booked. So we had to put it in for this last week of April. It was just the best [weekend] we could get.”

BYUHSA made the decision last year.

“We meet biannually to book spaces. The date was decided after Culture Night last year and officially confirmed in October. Clubs were informed again in February,” said Pisciotta.

Alison Whiting, director of Student Leadership Activities and Service, said, “This is just a pilot to try to help students find a good place between midterms and finals. Some of the planning did happen last semester.” Whiting said it was intended that the previous association 22

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would be able to plan during Winter Semester and then begin practicing this semester to preserve balance.

“The problem is that association presidents are constantly changing and didn’t have all the information. Within their infrastructure, they didn’t know about the change because of communication. It’s always an adjustment,” said Whiting.

Pisciotta also said there were some associations practicing before the official date was released.

“I would like to say sorry on our behalf,” he said. “We are learning and are discovering what works best for students and are pushing to have it at the right time next year.”

Officials said each association was given two hours a week for practice. It could be in increments or all at once. If needed, associations were allowed an extra hour each week.

“There is a process to Culture Night,” Pisciotta added. “Associations have to fill out an application proposal that includes all the people who will be dancing to validate the amount of money they will pull from their accounts to purchase costumes. Some clubs submitted names late and will be getting their costumes late.”

“

...it affected the entire school’s GPA and brought it down

”

BYU-Hawaii Student Associations scheduled weekly practices in preparation for the big day. Photos by Olivia Tsan

At the BYUHSA meeting, there was an initial upset about how soon it was. However, students and BSA leadership said they have adjusted to the time. “There was a lot of pressure on us to simplify. We couldn’t have it so soon after the beginning of a semester or so soon after Foodfest, things that take a lot of work. The BSA has adjusted and the Culture Night practices look great. Everyone should be excited to see them, it’s going to be great,” said Pisciotta.

Another member of BYUHSA, Emma Hunt, a psychology senior from California, said, “For me, it’s a simple answer. Previous years it has been really hard for students to balance Culture Night and finals and their grades suffered dramatically. They want to do their very best perfecting their Culture Night performance, and school sometimes takes a lesser priority. We wanted to push it forward so even if people did put Culture Night before, there would still be time in the school year to not have their grades suffer right at the end of the semester.”

Hunt said she is part of the Singapore/ Malaysian Association. “It’s been difficult due to the restricted time, but I’m amazed at how well they are doing. They’re going full throttle and

doing their best.Yes, it has been hard on some of them, especially those presidencies who have not done Culture Night before, but for the most part, people understand when we tell them why it’s early.”

“It’s too tempting to put the fun thing over school,” Hunt added. “Since we made sure that we only sanction two hours of practice a week, we have gotten a lot of good, positive feedback from students. They’re not so exhausted. I heard some girls say they were so happy practice was actually over at 10:30 p.m. when their leaders said it would be over.”

Hunt said in years previous, practices were notorious for going overtime by hours during multiple weekly practices. “I think it’s really good. It’s hard with the current school semesters. It started at the beginning of March and this month, but next year they will have so much more time to practice.”

Pisciotta said he joined the Tongan Association. “It’s been awesome because the leadership of the association has all stepped up to the challenge. They have organized themselves in a way that makes it easy on students and we can still have fun without being stressed about learning the dances because the leaders are doing so well.”

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Design by Lexie Kapeliela. Photos by Ke Alaka’i staff

Cu ltu re Ni g ht

FRIDAY NIG HT

The 2017 Culture Night started with the emcees Dylan-Sage Wilcox and Lehi Faleoapalangi welcoming everyone to the show. They made a special note reminding everyone to stay off the stage and refrain from throwing money and/or dancing with the dancers on stage.

Beginning the show was the Hawaii Student Association. Wearing black pants with white shirts adorned with purple and leaves and accompanied by a live band, the members danced tribute to Queen Lili’uokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaii. The performance started with only the men with the woman entering after through the aisles through the crowd. There was a part of the performance that was a solo dance representing the queen. It was a more peaceful, relaxing dance that showcased Queen Lili’uokalani and the Hawaiian spirit.

Next up was Taiwan. Running in with faces painted and fighting sticks, they attacked the crowd with each dancer one by one swinging their sticks at people seated on the front row. They then performed individual fights accompanied by rock music and moved on to 26

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perform different tricks with a Taiwanese yoyotype prop. They then finished with a hip-hop dance with people dressed in all black.

For intermission, the emcees called down six groups of three people each to play a game called photo-mime in which the contestants had to act out pictures and have their teammates guess what the picture was. The winning team received $20 gift cards to Seven Brothers.

Intermission was followed by New Zealand, also known as Aotearoa. They featured nearly twice the number of performers than some of the other chapters during the night. All of the music was live; most of it was acapella singing from the whole group. They opened the performance with chanting and then sang “Taga Tagalo” from “Moana” in Maori. They then created a diagonal line design composed of four individual lines, with women on the outside and men in the middle. They closed with the men performing the “haka.”

The emcees introduced another break and highlighted the sponsors for the event, which included So’Da Bomb, Guadalajara Grill, the BYUH Bookstore, Wet ‘n’ Wild Hawaii, and

Ono Yo. They then showed three videos. The first was an ad for Brooklyn’s Quiz Time, a new quiz show to test students knowledge on international trivia. The next was a video about the Hawaii Blood Bank, promoting their need for people to donate. The final was a trailer for “The Mormon Connection,” a documentary of three LDS young single adults who travel Europe relying on members of the LDS Church.

Hip-Hip Club followed the videos with participants wearing red flannel shirts and black. They performed to different hip-hop songs including “Michael Jackson” by Cash Cash, “I’m Better” by Missy Elliot, “Outta Your Mind” by Lil Jon, and “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran. The group also performed the iCarlton challenge, a viral dance challenge with the iconic move from the character Carlton in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

Indonesia then took the stage with student Fiona Sprout’s singing and chanting. She was accompanied by student Ninoy Kusuma on the tambourine. The group came on wearing red, blue, and gold shimming wraps and headbands.

The majority of their performance was group

Some of the performances from Friday night. From left to right: New Zealand, Kiribati, China, Taiwan, and Tonga. Photos by Olivia Tsan and Chantal Hopper

members forming a straight line on their knees.

They finished by performing the traditional Indonesian dance called saman, a culmination of movements with three different lines of people within the one line holding hands and weaving while staying in the same linear kneeing position. The crowd shouted and cheered for the synchronized performance.

Kiribati performed next. Their costumes were vibrant, sporting woven wraps for the men and black grass skirts for the woman. Their performance started out calmly but progressively got more intense.

South Korea started off its performance with a slideshow featuring different Korean influences including K-pop stars. Khoon An acted as a deejay for the performance, stationed in the back with a deejay controller. The group started a hip-hop style dance to K-pop wearing black and white with long-sleeved shirts tied around their waists. Six members performed to a hip-hop couple’s song, featuring two of the leads from the Hip-Hop Association performance. After, performers in all black danced to another K-pop song, the group slowed down

into a robotic dance move,put on sunglasses and performed to the song “Gangnam Style.”

Next came Hong Kong, beginning with a traditional dragon dance with two men on the inside of a dragon costume. They then showed a short video clip of a fight scene from a movie reenacting it live on stage. They used a black background and performers dressed in all black to hold the fighter in the air in order to appear as if he was flying across the stage or jumping very high. The villain in the fight scene played an instrument that shot knifes across the stage, carried by the performers in all black.

The dragon costume then came back on stage, followed by association members performing to another more upbeat song.

Latin America entered the floor starting its performance with a traditional folk dance from Mexico called “La Bamba.” The women wore white dresses and the men were dressed in white shirts and pants with hats. The dance ended with three couples making a bow out of a large ribbon only using their feet. Then performers entered in all black and danced to more upbeat music. The dance ended with

everyone dancing with flags and soccer jerseys from different Latin American countries.

Next up was China. The men wore all white and the women wore red with sleeves longer than their arms, which they twisted around like ribbons. They performed to upbeat music that had traditional Chinese wind instruments. The performance ended with a back flip by one of the male performers as the crowd cheered.

To finish Friday night, Tonga performed.

The crowd was ecstatic when the emcees announced the associations. The emcees reminded the crowd to not get on stage or throw money.

An entire ensemble of guitarists, vocalists, and drummers accompanied the performance. It began with all the men performing to the live and vibrant music. The women later entered and performed a slower dance, and then the men entered again and performed a warlike dance with sticks, including chanting “We will, we will rock you!” The performance lasted for 15 minutes, longer than any other performance.

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Continued from Page 27

SATURDAY NIG HT

Saturday started off with a recap video of last year’s Culture Night featuring audio from the university’s groundbreaking by President David O. McKay. Faleoapalangi told the crowd the video reminded him that the whole event is about emulating love for culture.

The opening performance of the night was given by a rugby team who was visiting from the Cook Islands for the High School Pacific Rugby Cup. The members performed the haka, to which the audience shouted and applauded.

Following that performance, the Ballroom Dance Association graced the stage with women in sparkled skirts and the men in white shirts and wearing bow ties. The performance was Disney themed, and began with Alpha Harper acting as the Fairy Godmother. She tapped the different couples with her wand, and the dancers began to move. The music included Disney hits like “Under the Sea,” “Hakuna Matata,” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

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The performance ended with all the dancers performing to the theme music from “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

For the first time in eight years, the Cambodian Association entered and performed two traditional dances. The first dance, the coconut dance, is a traditional couples dance and was performed in pairs. The next dance used the traditional Cambodian krama scarf as a prop. Only eight of the association members performed, making it the smallest group. The CAC roared with applause as the dancers held the Cambodian flag high to finish off their performance.

The Mongolian Association followed and started off its performance with the Shaman dance. The dancers wore traditional robes and accessories and held colorful sheepskin drums.

The screen above them contained descriptions of the dance, such as: “Shaman dance represents our relationship with the sky.” The women then performed a traditional bowl dance holding

bowls of milk on their heads that symbolize their generosity and warmth. The audience cheered and applauded as the dancers poured milk from one bowl to another; none of them had spilled any milk. The rest of the association members then joined the stage and performed a modern, hip-hop dance to a compilation of songs including “Uptown Funk” and “Gangnam Style.”

Japan introduced its performance with a video showcasing popular anime shows.

Students entered the stage dressed as famous Japanese characters from “Pokémon,” “Naruto,” and “Dragonball Z,”and Fukutaro Sagayama performed Kosaka Daimaou’s “Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen.” Then the rest of the dancers came out on the Cannon Activities Center floor dressed in traditional kimonos. A choreographed samurai sword fight followed. They finished off their performance with three human pyramid formations and waving a giant Japanese flag.

During a break, Faleoapalangi played

Some of the performances from Saturday Night. Left to right: Ballroom, Mongolia, Tahiti, Philippines, and Samoa. Photos by Olivia Tsan, Chantal Hopper

guitar and sang a parody of Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero,” singing the second verse in Tongan and referencing the different women from the Pacific in the chorus.

The Cook Islands then performed dancing to live music complete with performers who played traditional drums throughout their presentation. The dancers wore bright green skirts and headpieces made of leaves. At the end, members of the rugby team from the Cook Islands ran on stage to dance with them.

The Singapore/Malaysia performers started off their act with a solo spotlight dance

by Jackson Saga from Malaysia. More dancers then joined the stage and performed a couple’s dance. Following that, the rest of the dancers flooded the stage and performed a dance in unison to “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Each costume was unique in color and apparel.

Prior to the next act coming on, Andrea Scalese introduced her new fashion line “Modest Sam.” Students modeled several dresses

from her business on stage. The audience was then offered a special coupon code exclusive to Culture Night.

The Philippines entered the stage as a promotional video of the country played on the screen. They began with the Ingorot tribal dance, dressed in traditional black and brown clothing. Another group then came on dressed in bright colors and performed a couples tinikling dance. They finished off with another group of dancers performing a hip-hop dance.

Tahiti then took the floor in traditional costumes and headpieces. All the women were dressed in white and the men shirtless in red.

The dancers were accompanied by live percussion and guitarists. The dancers took on the formation of the boat and raised a sail to make their formation come to life.

Fiji began its performance with the sound of a conch shell and the women slowly approached the stage as “We Know the Way” from “Moana” played. Shortly after, sounds of

a thunderstorm raged and the men stormed onto the stage. Front and center, the dance was led by a little Fijian boy; the audience laughed and several females said, “Awwww,” as the boy danced in sync with the men.

Samoa took on the grand finale. Before its performance was even announced, the crowd was ecstatic and the loudest they had been all night. The stage began to fill with the dancers of Samoa coming from all different angles of the CAC. The performers were all unified in a bright green costume and flawlessly fell into an intricate formation on the stage. Live percussionists and vocalists accompanied the dancers and added to the energy of the performance.

The performance was well received by the audience and people said they finished feeling excited and proud.

Audience members and performers added they left Culture Night 2017 feeling uplifted and fulfilled.

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Cu ltu Fe ature re Ni g ht

Culture Night Costume MADNESS! B Y B ROO KLY N RED D H AWAI I

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“The costumes we will be wearing reflect the time era of Queen Liliuokalani’s reign in the Hawaiian Kingdom. The men are dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt with black pants. Girls are similar with a white long-sleeved top and a long maxi skirt. All dancers will be adorned in ti leafs and purple crown flowers. The purple crown flower was the queen’s flower and purple was the queen’s color. The men and four attendants will be wearing purple sashes. Our student soloists, who represented the queen, wore butterfly hairpieces because the queen loved butterflies.

• How many members participated? 87 Information provided by student association presidency members

• How much did each member contribute? $10

Photos by Olivia Tsan, Chantal Hopper, Alvin Vincent Dy, Dorothy Chiu and Kyungji Kim

• How much did each member contribute?

N/A

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TON G A

P H I L I P PI N E S

CH I N A

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“We came up with this costume because at the moment our mother queen of Tonga had passed away. We wanted to show her respect by dressing in black. The costume itself represents [our] love and deep respect for the culture in which we grew up in.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“It is for one of the most popular dances in the Philippines and shows more of the culture. We wear them for special occasions and ‘fiestas’...

It is more of what our culture is in terms of being more conservative. The tribal one shows more of the rural and tropical area, not having as much fabric.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“They are simple and represent [China well].

[They represent] a weapon in the dance theme, but also represent welcome, love, and blessings towards others. It shows the gracefulness of the dance movements and helps us to indicate unity and our country’s lucky color, red.”

• How many members participated? 132

• How many members participated? 28 • How many members participated? 60-70

• How much did each member contribute? $10 • How much did it cost overall? $1,000

• How much did each member contribute? $10 • How much did each member contribute?

“No one had to pay an extra fee.”

• How much did it cost overall? $300

• How much did it cost overall? Around $650

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KI RIB AT I

M AL AY S I A/ SI N GAP O RE

H O N G KO N G

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“We did not decide on these costumes. These are what every Kiribati wears when they perform almost every traditional dance. Even though we have different types of dances, the same costume is used.

“My best guess would be that that’s what people used to wear for clothing in the olden days before western clothes were introduced.

They are important because they are cultural and remind us of our main roots.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“We wanted to do something different, because Malaysia is not just Malay, but it has three main cultures: Malaysian, Chinese, and Indian. It is a very multiracial southeast country in Asia.

“The costumes are known as ‘jippa’ for the boys and ‘sari’ for the girls. Those outfits are used during times of special occasions; celebrations for wedding and other things.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“We don’t have a standard costume, so we are keeping it casual. However, the costume for the lion dance is traditional in Hong Kong. We wish to represent and imply the success and power of Hong Kong. The color red on the lion represent how it is a lucky consistent color in Hong Kong.

“The costume is not the biggest focus for us. We just want to show the Kung Fu culture, and the lion is the biggest focus, which represents Hong Kong the most.”

• How many members participated?

“We have 45 participants; 12 boys and the rest are girls.”

• How many members participated?

“This year I think the people tripled. No we have about 60-70 people.”

• How many members participated? 20 • How much did each member contribute? $28 • How much did each member contribute? $0

• How much did each member contribute? $0 • How much did it cost overall? $20

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• How much did it cost overall?

About over $1000

• How much did it cost overall? $450

MON G OLIA

B AL L R OO M

TAI WAN

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“Our stake president brought all the costumes back from Mongolia this year, [making it more convenient]. Last year we took so much time making them.

Mongolians have a nomadic way of life, so we are always moving around traditionally. The costumes represent our convenient, conservative lifestyle and they are very comfortable to move around in.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“We tried to find something to match our theme, which is Disney. We wanted something flashy and fun, because ballroom costumes tend to have lots of sparkles and glitter… We were trying to figure out how to replicate that feel without being too complicated or expensive.

The costumes may not have the deep spiritual and cultural meaning other association’s costumes have, but an outfit that makes me feel confident and beautiful makes all the difference in the quality of my performance.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“They’re simple and representable. The meaning behind the performance is to represent traditional Chinese martial arts. Historically, people learned to defend themselves, then it became one of the religious events among the people where it would be displayed before Gods.

“It is not just about martial arts, but more like a worshiping activity. It is important to try our best to follow what the people did. That is how we show the respect to them.”

• How many members participated? 24

• How many members participated? 30

• How much did each member contribute?

“We didn’t charge our members anything.”

• How much did each member contribute? $0

• How many members participated? 30 • How much did each member contribute?

“We only used the money from World Fest.”

• How much did it cost overall? $500

• How much did it cost overall? $300 • How much did it cost overall? $300

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CA M BODIA

FIJI

TAH I TI

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“This costume is not an authentic Cambodian costume. The silk worm used in creating the costumes eventually becomes the most beautiful creature. [Like the silk worm], when we are born, we have nothing. We are born to become a learner. When we are older, we become educated. This works well with the meaning of students, because we come here to learn and become brighter and brighter until we eventually become the light of the world.

“[The costumes] are very sacred to us, representing the chastity, morality, and purity of the people. There is beauty in people if they are modest.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“We chose these costumes because it reflected the designs, respect we have for each other, our different villages, and regions in Fiji.

“In Fiji we take great pride in modesty in dress for women, and for men it was to represent their great strength but yet to always remain humble when you’re out in the world.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“Our theme is about the voyagers and canoes, so our main color is brown. We based our costume out of coconut and did different tones of brown. The coconuts inspired us the most and we did it from there.

“The costume shows the hard work everyone put into it and represent the beauty and natural resources of Tahiti.”

• How many members participated? 8 • How much did each member contribute? $0 • How much did it cost overall? $98

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• How many members participated? 80 • How many members participated? 75 • How much did each member contribute? $10 • How much did each member contribute? $10 • How much did it cost overall?

Around $700

• How much did it cost overall? $1,000

SA M OA

N E W Z EAL AN D

H I P-H O P

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“The reason we chose this costume was it shows the history of Samoa and how our ancestors discovered the natural features [of Samoa].”

“The costume is traditional, not only representing the history of Samoa, but also the features and aspects of the island.

“Costumes always depend on the theme.

Our theme is ‘We are voyagers.’ I hope the audience will understand the message we portray about our culture and how our people used to live.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“Costumes are decided based on availability of materials, cost of materials, and effort realistically achievable in time frame.

“The costumes are merely a modern take on Maori costumes. Red is the predominant color and is referenced to sacredness because of one of the chants we will be singing.

“The costumes are important because they are a part of cultural song and dance. We hope to portray Maori culture with integrity as best as we can in the short time frame we have been given.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“They are actually a throwback to the 90’s hip-hop style. [The costumes represent] the basic hip-hop community, an expression of art through dance, and the costumes add the street element. They coordinate everyone and make us look really cool on stage.”

• How many members participated? 156 • How much did each member contribute? $10

• How many members participated?

More than 100 dancers

• How much did it cost overall? $3,500

• How much did each member contribute? $15

• How many members participated? 15-23 • How much did each member contribute?

“Nothing, we saved a lot of money.”

• How much did it cost overall?

“We were not able to figure that out.”

• How much did it cost overall? $1,350

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COOK IS LA NDS

I N D O N ESI A

L ATI N AM E RI CA

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“We decided on these costumes to show how authentic it is to the Cook Island culture and it is tied to our theme: [sea voyaging].

“The headpiece (‘ei katu’) - crown or wisdom of our ancestors to direct the people.

The neckpiece (‘ei kaki’) - symbols of love, friendship and respect. The ‘titi’ or hip band for the women is used to emphasize the swaying of the hips and likewise for the males. The color green on the sarongs or ‘pareu’ represents the renewal of life, nature, growth, harmony, fertility and safety.

“Costumes are all natural resources except for the ‘pareu’ (sarong). The rest of the costumes are fresh leaves that we would generally braid 1-2 nights before the performance.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“It was inspired by Indonesian traditional costumes. The dance we did was called ‘saman’ and is generally performed in an area that has a lot of Muslim influence. Muslims cover their entire bodies and perform this dance to welcome others and worship God.

“I hope people can appreciate the culture more. Even though we are different, [the costumes] can reunite us.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“The customs represent Veracruz, Mexico. The people are characterized by humility, service, and friendliness, but the most important is respect and purity. We are wearing white to represent the purity and love to our creator.

“The custom symbolizes glamour and beauty where both, men, and women show a mix of the old, new Spain, and Mexico. The flowers represent a crown where the left side [represents] singleness and the right side marriage. The jewelry is a gift from the grandmothers. The ascot tie, full of bright colors, is as a sign of festivity, and joyfulness. The hat is only worn in gala events, such as weddings, and parades for important festivities.”

• How many members are participating? 33 • How much did each member contribute? $0 • How much did it cost overall? $480

• How many members participated? 25 • How many members participated? 40 • How much did each member contribute? $13 • How much did each member contribute? $10 • How much did it cost overall? About $940 • How much did it cost overall? $400 38

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JA PA N

KO RE A

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“As representatives of Japanese culture, we would like to introduce both modern and traditional clothing by showing all kinds of Anime Characters and ‘yukatas’ (kimono). The meaning depends on the pattern of ‘yukata,’ but usually seasonal flowers, plants, or birds are printed, which show the spirit of loving Japanese beautiful four seasons and nature.”

“‘Yukata’ is traditional clothing that has more than 1,000 years of history. That was what all of the people wore before hundreds of years ago. Nowadays, people wear the during the festival season.”

• Why did you decide on these costumes?

“Black represents power, which goes with our dance. Also in most athletic world-wide events, such as the World Cup or the Olympics, the symbol ‘Chi-Woo-Chun-Wang,’ or ‘The God of War and Victory,’ is printed onto Korean athlete’s shirts. He was a king in BC 2706-2598. He unified Korea.

“The word in front of the costume is ‘KOㄹEA.’ This is a combination of both Korean and English. The reason why this costume is important is because they are representing ‘unity’ and ‘strength’. We are performing a powerful dance so it matches with our performance.”

• How many members participated? 75 • How many members participated? 46-47 • How much money did each member contribute? $0 • How much did each member contribute? $3 • How much did it cost overall? $400 • How much did it cost overall? $587.77

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Dancing to Disney Ballroom Dance Association returns to Culture Night with multifaceted performance B Y L E SL I E O W U SU

After at least five years of absence, the Ballroom Dance Association performed to a medley of Disney songs at Culture Night on April 29 in the Cannon Activities Center.

Members of the association said it helped bring students together, see their commonalities, and celebrate, share, and preserve their diverse heritages.

The association started up again in Fall 2016, said Vice President of Activities Esther Candari, a senior in fine arts from Kaneohe.

“We’ve reached beyond our initial goals and aspirations for BDA. Honestly, our hope was we could get 10-to-20 people who could just get together casually once a week and dance ballroom. The club has attracted very different people, and it’s cool to see that.”

Tiffany Nielson, a junior from Virginia majoring in elementary education and the previous president and re-founder of BDA, said she was excited for the association to perform.

She said, “As soon as I started the club, Culture Night was already in mind and I thought of a Disney theme, inspired by ‘Disney Night on Dancing with the Stars.’ I thought it would be so much fun and familiar to people.”

The association performed various dance styles such as the Cha-Cha, Paso Doble, and the Lindy Hop. Candari said, “We took all Disney movie soundtrack songs and choreographed dances to them. We took the idea of being fun and innocent but stepped it up a notch and so we did tule skirts in jewel tones. We made all of our skirts from scratch and we did an ombré dip. There are accessories to go with the skirts so all the guys have a matching bowtie to go with their partner’s skirts and all the girls have a matching bow to go in their hair.”

Candari said, “The really funny thing is we have not had enough girls for Culture Night.

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ing the club - it would only be girls who are interested and the guys wouldn’t be interested.

We’ve been consistently short three or four girls during the last semester. That blind-sighted us.” Candari said with couple choreography, they perform with a lot of dips and drops. “The girls really have to be confident their partner is not going to drop them. We coach people and do a lot of trust-building activities.”

Jonathan Jessop, vice president of service and careers for BDA, said he has been a member of BDA since it started in Fall Semester.

“I joined the presidency in Winter Semester. I helped choreograph and plan the dance nights. I mainly teach the guy members because I’m the only guy on the presidency,” said Jessop.

“Going into it, we knew we wanted to perform in Culture Night,” said Jessop, a senior in hotel and tourism management from Oregon. “We knew [Tiffany] would be gone.

So while she was still here, we choreographed and recorded each dance. This whole dance is dedicated and possible because of her.”

Ballroom dancing has a lot of technicalities because even basic steps are more complex, said Jessop. “Since Culture Night was moved up, we’ve had less time to practice so we put the dances on YouTube and instructed the members to practice on their own.”

Kalina Gilson, a freshman in music from Texas, said the instructors were very skilled.

“The more difficult dances are a challenge, but it’s amazing to see how the dance changes from unknown steps and comes together.”

Lynne Hardy, a sophomore in graphic design from Arizona, has been a member of BDA for two and a half semesters. She said, “It took a while for me to get comfortable. I was robotic at first. I had to learn how to move and how to get out of my comfort zone and have fun. It really is learning an art with someone and it is so rewarding.

“It took time and a lot of practice to get where I am now. I feel that it helps us become better friends. I always feel welcome here and the teachers are so great,” said Hardy.

Jessop said his favorite part was participating with the other BDA members. He said, “I’ve done 14 different chapters my whole time here at BYU-Hawaii. Ballroom is the most accepting. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, and it doesn’t matter your skill of dancing.”

Nielson said she wanted to do some ballroom dancing since she first came to BYUH. She said, “Ballroom dance changed my life and really helped me to get out of my comfort zone. I wanted those who did not feel like they had a place to have one and to be able to come and just dance and enjoy the music and rhythm.”

Candari said, “It’s cool to see how far people have come. I feel like our club gives a space for those people who don’t really know what culture they fit into. Regardless of how much dance experience you have, regardless of what cultural background you come from, we want to make sure you feel comfortable club.”

Nielson said BDA had a great turnout for their weekly meetings because no one was put on the spot. “You could do your own thing and not worry about other people. There was no pressure, just to learn how to dance and to relax. I saw people in the club change and become a lot more confident and social than when they started. They were so comfortable doing what they were doing.

Candari said, “I hope this is a club that sticks around. One thing I’m most proud about our club accomplishing is a shift I’ve noticed in campus culture when it comes to dances. I feel like people are much more comfortable dancing ballroom at campus dances than just a year ago before the club was started.”

Top: Nic and Alyx Gough perform to “Beauty and the Beast.” Bottom Left: Alpha Harper portrays the Fairy Godmother from “Cinderella.” Bottom Right: Braylee Gabel, BDA president, portrays Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Photos by Adam Case and Olivia Tsan

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Culture Night

Inspired by differences Local student dances with Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Tahiti at Culture Night B Y A DA M CA S E

Student Celina Hontanosas works at the Polynesian Cultural Center in the Hawaiian Village. She danced with the Tahiti, Tonga, Samoa, and Fijian associations for this semester’s Culture Night performances on April 28 and 29. Photo by Chantal Hopper

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Cu ltu re Ni g ht WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM? “My name is Celina Kahealani Hontanosas.

I’m from Kahuku. Lived in Laie, raise up in Kahuku. I went to Kahuku High School and I served a mission in Phoenix, Arizona. I grew up dancing.

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH CULTURE NIGHT GROWING UP? “We have a thing called May Night or May Day (also known as Lei Day) in high school and in elementary school. In elementary, each grade is assigned a culture, and we did a performance, and in high school [where] you get to choose a culture to participate in.

I remember being in high school and we would come to watch Culture Night, and to me it was May Day on steroids. It was really cool. I remember as a kid watching Culture Night and wanting to do it.

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HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN A DAN CER? “I grew up dancing. I work at the PCC. I dance at the Hawaiian village, the Night Show, and the Canoe Show. Before my mission, I used to dance at the luau. I danced halau hula as a kid... Halau is the dance everybody does as a kid. I thought I didn’t really like dancing that much. I thought I didn’t want to do it because I didn’t think I was that good at it and my sisters were way better at it than me. But then in high school I had a Tahitian instructor, and I started dancing with her again. That is when I started doing more of the other cultures other than hula. High school is when I started doing Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, Cook Island, and stuff like that.

HAVE YOU DONE CULTURE NIGHT BEFORE? “This is my second year doing Culture Night.

My first year I chose not to do it. I don’t remember why I didn’t end up doing it, but I

do remember feeling regretful. It is a good opportunity to learn new cultures because at the PCC I don’t usually get to learn new cultures.

However, my second Culture Night I left on my mission about a week before… So last year was my first year doing it. This semester is supposed to be my second to last semester, so it might be my last Culture Night. I guess that is why I am doing so many different sections.

HOW DID YOU END UP IN SO MANY PERFORMANCES? “At first, I said that I was only going to do Hawaii and Tonga. I was going to put a cap on two. We don’t have very much practice time this year and putting together a decent performance is difficult in such little time. So I was like, ‘Okay. I’m only going to do two because I’m taking 17 credits, I work about 35 hours a week at the PCC, and I have family obligations at home.’ But then I decided that I was going to do Tonga and Tahiti [and drop Hawaii].

After I had decided on those two, I walked by Samoa’s practice and all my friends were like, ‘Why don’t you check out Samoa?’ So I went and checked it out and when they did the sasa I was like, ‘Aw man, it looks tight. I want to be a part of that.’ So, I picked up Samoa. I dance Fiji sometimes in the canoe show. That was one that I went in on my own and learned just for fun.

I have a lot of friends who are Fijian as well so they wanted me to join. I was like, ‘I’m already doing two and Hawaii is mad at me for not doing their’s.’ I went to Fiji’s practice and their motions were easy to follow, which was nice so I picked up Fiji too. When I had told my mom originally that I was going to do two cultures, she said I was crazy. I don’t think I have actually told her that I am doing four yet…

IS IT HARD TO REMEMBER ALL THE DIFFERENT DANCES? “They are all really different. I know people would like to say Tonga and Samoa are similar.

Honestly though, when you have experience in dancing or have that dancing filter on your eyes and can pay attention to the details, it’s really easy to see the differences. However, when I go to practices I have to try and not mix up motions because even though they are different, they can be similar at the same time. I try really hard to make them look good when I do them because I want to do it right.

I have to keep track of all the motions, and then I have to be learning on my own time. The nice thing though is that most of the chapters post the videos of the dances online. I actually deactivated my Facebook and then had to activate it again to watch the videos. I am taking it down again after though.

WHICH DANCE IS THE HARDEST? “Tahiti is not an easy cultural dance to perform.

I feel that even though I have experience in it, it can still be difficult for me to learn the motions.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST PART OF CULTURE NIGHT SO FAR? “Honestly, if there is anything that I feel blessed for this semester and throughout the Culture Night preparation, it’s the leadership displayed by my peers. A lot of the people who are leading the sections are people I am friends with. It’s funny because I feel like you really know somebody, but when you get to see them use their strengths to lead and direct, that is when you can really see outstanding character in someone. I feel really proud to have these people as friends because it makes me feel like I have chosen good friends. For example, the people teaching Samoa do it so efficiently, and it looks so clean. Also, for Tonga they are very passionate about it, and even though they know that everyone isn’t professional, they still care. I really appreciate how passionate they are about the culture.”

Celina Hontanosas dances in Tonga, left, and Tahiti, above, groups during Culture Night.

She also danced in the Samoan and Fijian sections too. Photos by Olivia Tsan

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Campus Comment “Which association did you dance for and why?”

B Y CH AN TAL H O PPE R

Sione Tuitalili From: Tonga Major: Political Science Year in school: Senior Chapter: Tonga “I’m proud of my culture.”

Courtney Schwendiman From: Washington Major: Exercise Science Year in school: Freshman Chapters: Samoa, Fiji “Fiji because I can pass as part Fijian, and Samoa because it sounded fun.”

Scott Muhlestein From: Utah Major: English Year in school: Junior Chapter: Cambodia “I have friends in the club and they didn’t have many people. I wanted to help them show the culture to the school.”

Keina Ichimi From: Japan Major: Undecided Year in school: Freshman Chapter: Japan “I thought it was fun. I watched a YouTube video of [the chapter] before I came and I thought it was cool.”

Venus Chang From: Taiwan Major: Political Science Year in school: Senior Chapters: China, Korea “Because I’m in the presidency for the China chapter and they always perform the most traditionally. I danced with Korea because my friend invited me.”

Roger Zavala From: Honduras Major: Interdisciplinary Studies Year in school: Junior Chapters: Latin America, Mongolia “I did Latin America because it represents where I come from and I love every single piece of it. I chose Mongolia because my friend, Landin Hayter, was doing it and it’s his last semester. Plus, Mongolian people are the best.”

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local news

in this section Armenian student raises flag in Little Circle in memory of Armenian Genocide

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BYUH theatre production sets “Romeo & Juliet� in Samoan culture

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CES principals from Pacific and Central America meet at BYUH for conference

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Hawaiian students support Tulsi Gabbard after she receives backlash for questioning Trump bombing Syria

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Mass killings remembered Student raises her country’s flag in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide

BY A LY S S A O D O M

Zara Manukyan dressed in a traditional Armenian dancing gown to raise with her country’s flag on April 24 in memory of those killed in a genocide during World War I. Photo by Olivia Tsan

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tudents gathered on April 24 in the Little Circle by raising the Armenian flag to honor those who lost their lives in a covered-up Armenian Genocide.

On that day in 1915, hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and distinguished people gathered in Istanbul and were later deported and murdered by the Turkish government during World War I.

Zara Manukyan, a senior from Armenia studying social work, had the opportunity to raise the Armenian flag in honor of those who lost their lives. A group of students and friends of Manukyan gathered together at sunrise on the 24th to support her and show their respect for the victims.

Each person in attendance was given a blue paper flower to attach to their shirt. The flower, a forget-me-not, is symbolic of those lives and is a reminder to never forget those victims and the importance of the event.

Juliette Powell, a freshman from Texas studying piano performance, came to support her friend in the flag raising. She said she was touched by the love Manukyan exhibited for her country and for those who had passed.

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Students gathered at the flags in the Little Circle and each person attached a blue paper flower to their shirts to pay tribute to the Armenian genocide victims. Photos by Olivia Tsan Continued from Page 49

“Waking up at the crack of dawn was worth it to experience an event as solemn and genuine as this,” said Powell. “I am so thankful to have Zara as a friend and to have been able to learn more about her culture through her. Her efforts have unified not only the Armenians at this school, but also students from around the world as well.”

Alanna Norwood, a BYUH alumna from California who is half Armenian, said, “As soon as I got a glimpse of Zara and overheard her talking, I knew she was Armenian. We all have a special bond and we stick together. She looks just like all of my extended family and I was so excited. I ran right up to her and we’ve been friends ever since.”

According to Norwood, there are only four students, including herself, with Armenian heritage on BYUH’s campus. Although Manukyan is the only student who grew up in Armenia, she said all of them connect through similar family traditions.

Manukyan said she felt honored and privileged to have had the opportunity to raise her flag and share her culture with her fellow students. She was dressed in a traditional Armenian dancing gown and passed out homemade Armenian bread to those in attendance. “April 24 is always such an important day back home, and I am happy that I am able to join together with the few Armenians here at BYUH and share that day with people from so many places,” said Manukyan.

“Because Armenia is small and many people have not heard about our history, I love to share our history and culture. I have found that the more people learn about our country and the genocide that occurred, the more they care about us and our culture.”

A new film, “The Promise,” was also released on April 21 to commemorate the event and bring worldwide attention to the tragedy of the genocide.

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The film is based in the time of the Ottoman Empire and follows a love triangle of an Armenian medical student, an American journalist, and a beautiful Armenian woman, states IMDb. com. The genocide has remained largely unrecognized for over a century as the Turkish government denies any role in the deaths of the Armenians, says The New York Times.

According to the article, a couple of years ago “Pope Francis referred to the killings as a genocide and faced a storm of criticism from within Turkey. Many countries, including France, Germany and Greece, have recognized the genocide, each time provoking diplomatic showdowns with Turkey.”

Now, more than 100 years later, the weight this topic carries on international relations between Turkey is still heavy. “The United States has not referred to the episode as genocide, out of concerns for alienating Turkey, a NATO ally and a partner in fighting terrorism in the Middle East,” reported The New York Times.

The film was also extremely controversial prior to it being released to the public. IMDb’s website said negative ratings flowed in after the first premier in 2016. “Before the first audience even left the theater, reviewers, suspected by many to be Turkish government-sponsored trolls, had submitted 4,000 negative ratings. That number reached tens of thousands before the movie was released.” The ratings page on IMDb.com has also received more than 86,000 user votes, which is more than “Finding Dory,” the highest grossing film of 2016.

Manukyan and Norwood said they were excited to see the release of the movie, both calling it “incredible.” Norwood said, “Armenians have a connection, and this movie has brought us even closer.”

The blue forget-me-not flower acts as a reminder to never forget the victims.

From left to right are Jacob McGee, Audrey Acomb, Sam Brieden and Megan Carter holding a piece of Armenian bread.

Homemade Armenian bread, prepared by Zara Manukyan.

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Shakespeare in Samoa BYUH theatre production gives “Romeo and Juliet” a Samoan setting B Y G O S U K E KAWAN O AN D JO SH M ASO N

Juliet, Rachel Chambers, lies dead next to Romeo, Jacob Titus. Photos by Alvin Vinvent Dy

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Lady Capulet, Emily Bradshaw, finds out Tybalt has been killed by Romeo. Photo by Alvin Vincent Dy

Theatre Director Kristl Densley set Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” in Samoan culture and history to produce a BYU-Hawaii show audiences said provided comedy and a lesson on empathy between cultures.

“‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a kind of story that allows any time or place to settle in just as long as you can justify it in the text,” said Densley, a professor of theater in the English Department. “My purpose doing this is to have plays that reach all of the cultures of campus… I’m not happy doing a Japanese play if there [aren’t] Japanese students in it. In this play, we could not do it without half of the cast being either Samoan or Polynesian.”

Held in the McKay Auditorium on April 20-22, the set design featured a turnable Samoan fale constructed by Kap Tafiti, dancer at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Cast mates helped build the set with Tafiti by climbing coconut trees for leaves, using machetes to cut branches, and sharing stories about growing up in Samoa, said the play’s program.

The actors were all dressed in island attire common in Samoa. With the Montague family and other Polynesian characters, males dressed in either cargo or sports shorts and either tank tops or button up shirts with Polynesian designs. The females wore traditional dresses and pants or lava lavas with plain shirts. With the Capulet family and other Caucasian characters, males wore cargo shorts with unbuttoned plaid shirts with a white shirt underneath, while the females wore pants and plain T-shirts.

Densley said she was inspired to integrate Samoan culture when she read “A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa,” by Robert Stevenson. “I knew before I started [directing] that I wanted to set up the play in Polynesia, and as I [read], I knew that would be a backdrop.

It worked perfectly on this campus because we have so many Samoan students here.”

Despite the Early Modern English dialogue, Densley said the context made the story relatable. “The Samoan people were very welcoming

of the Germans and even the Americans who came in before they knew their country was [being] taken over. So native people were trying to get their land back.”

Referencing the history of Samoa, she said, “They are fighting because of misunderstandings over land. In the end, it’s about them coming together and respecting each other again. So, it really worked… to set this play in Samoa even though we set it in the modern time.”

Densley said the messages she wanted to portray from the performance was unity and respect between cultures in order to avoid “dangerous situations when there can be misunderstandings and hatred.”

Tupua Ainu‘u, a BYUH alumnus from American Samoa, said he felt very blessed and proud to be in the play as Friar Laurence. He said, “It went really well because people got the jokes and intentions of the scenes, even with Shakespearian and Samoan language. [It’s] really hard to understand both languages. If the audience reacts to them, it means as an actor you are doing a good job.”

As a Samoan actor, Ainu‘u said he felt like he had to be part of the play. “I would’ve regretted not being a part of it.”

During the closing show on Saturday night, the crowd packed the auditorium. Throughout the play, Polynesian actors spoke Samoan lines in addition to the original text, usually to make jokes. Samoan audience members howled with laughter whenever Honey So’oialo Salima, the Nurse, spoke in Samoan after conversing with the different characters.

When the Nurse scolded Romeo for wanting to see Juliet again, she said, “If you dare touch her, ia ga ole faalavalava ole seevae lea i lou guku.

Eke vaavaai iai pe a maua mai kala e fai sesi au keige, e vave ai ga puupuu lou ola ua e iloa,” which Ainu‘u said translates to: “I’m gonna beat you up with my slipper! If I hear another girl, your life will be shortened, you better know!”

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The Nurse, played by Honey Salima, speaks Samoan to Romeo. Photo by Alvin Vincent Dy Continued from Page 53

After the Friar saves Romeo, the Nurse said, “E se, leikio foi a koakele fafige ma keigeiki o legei auloku, oga e fai ole magaia male suamalie o au upu ae ole kauga foi o Lou au lelei. Se maimau pe aga e leo oe ose pakele.” This means, “You are such a good pastor. No wonder why there are so many women in your congregation.You are so good looking and attractive. So sad you are a Father. Too bad…”

Rachel Chambers, a sophomore from Utah majoring in music, starred as Juliet. She said, “I’ve never really connected to Shakespeare in a way that I did in this production.” She said the Samoan jokes started to make her laugh even though she didn’t know the language before. She said she became more connected with the culture by performing in the play, which she attributed to interacting with the Samoan actors.

Joseph Loi-On, a sophomore business major from Wahiawa, starred as Romeo. “It was awesome to be a part of Professor Densley’s vision, which was to [have] the stage reflect what the hallway [on campus] looks like,” he said. Audience members said the Samoan setting was believable.

Malrita Fuiava, a freshman political science major from Samoa, said, “Having it in a Samoan setting is a new thing and different, but it was actually showing people how it is to be a Samoan at the same time...I like how everyone was active and they didn’t forget the script.”

Makela Conte, a freshman social work major from Mililani, said, “I thought [the play] was super hilarious.You can tell the passion for what the [actors and actresses] were doing, and [they] were very convincing in all the roles they had.”

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Percy Sa’u, a junior graphic design major from Samoa, said, “I like how they involved the different cultures. It made it more interesting because I can relate to how Samoans treat their family and how another culture treats their’s.”

Cast members said there were applicable messages throughout the play. Ainu’u said the message to the audience from Friar Laurence was to “love your children. Really pay attention to them and be a good listener. If you won’t give your children the love and attention they need, they [will] seek it elsewhere. As we can see in the end of this story, the parents’ neglect turned into disaster.”

Chambers said the message of the play conveys a sense of cultural understanding. “I think the characters were very prideful to begin with.

They think they know everything. At some point, you understand the wrong you did, and you come to understand how you make it right.

“I think a little bit of change has to start with understanding. Obviously, they know they have been killing each other and their kids are dead, but they’ve come to understand that it’s because of them. [They understand] there is this beautiful culture that they’ve been neglecting and dominating.”

Loi-On said although the play connects to people in different ways, as an actor he learned the significance of “reciprocating love.”

Densley said she is hoping to host multicultural productions every semester. In the Fall, the department will be doing a Japanese play called “The Honorable Rush Mataru.”

Top: Paris, Lehi Faleoapalangi, mourns after hearing of Juliet’s death.

Bottom: Romeo drinks the poison after thinking Juliet is dead.

Photos by Alvin Vincent Dy

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Local

Administrators are teachers too Church school principals from the Pacific and Central America gather for CES Conference B Y GO SU K E KAWAN O

Under the theme “Feeding the Multitude,” the Church Educational System (CES) conference for 27 principals from Pacific and Central American areas was held at BYU-Hawaii from April 24 to 27.

The conference was held to accomplish the three-core missions for the principals to take and implement in their schools: 1. Improve vision and performance in the classroom 2. Engage in school education 3. Meet the standards of the country

BYUH President John S. Tanner welcomed the principals with his vision and sentiments from his educational experiences.

He started by saying how presidents or principals should be ser-

vants and teachers of those whom they serve, calling himself a teacher rather than an administrator.

Steve Mauigoa, a principal of a primary school in Samoa, said an efficient educational system is where “instructional leaders… go and teach our teachers to teach our students.”

To those principals who have responsibilities in the church schools, President Tanner addressed the importance of focusing on spiritual aspects such as prayer in their own lives, especially when they must make decisions on their own.

Thomas Forsgren, the principal of Academia Juarez Middle and High School in Mexico, said, “Most of the schools for the church are out

The principals of church schools in the Pacific and Central America gather for a photo in front of BYUH. Photos by Kyungji Kim

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in the Pacific islands, and we are the only school in Mexico. The [conference] benefits me because I’m able to meet with other principals from other schools to see what they are doing.”

Forsgren said sometimes it can be a “lonely job,” but talking with other principals allows him to understand how they handle certain situations. “It’s a huge benefit talking to other people who are going through similar experiences.”

Having learned from the meeting, Forsgren said he’d like to “improve teaching strategies… to motivate students. Trying to teach in a way [where] students are motivated to do their best is one of my bigger struggles right now.”

Banririe Nenebwati, the principal of Moroni High School in Kiribati, said the meeting was a great opportunity to get ideas on how to “match the level of [academics] at [BYUH].”

Nenebwati said, “I want to let the Kiribati students [know] that they should be consistent in their studies and strive to be their best.”

Etta Taumatolo, the principal of Saineha High School in Tonga, mentioned she felt the duty to “raise the level of performance as a leader” through attending the conference.

“I definitely believe that what I learned from this meeting would help me as an instructional leader to inspire my teachers in their roles and ensure that quality learning [should] take place,” she said.

“Our students are the focus of everything we do. We are here to help them achieve goals they might set for themselves. I definitely believe that education takes a great role in accomplishing the mission and also hastening the work of the Lord.”

Concerning educational goals in Tonga, Taumatolo said, “Our goal is to ensure that English is spoken throughout the campus because that would help the [students] improve English proficiency.”

Harvalence Sekona, the principal of Liahona Middle School in Tonga, also said the language barrier is an obstacle for many of her students. “We feel we are preparing our students even though they are in the middle school. We are preparing them to come to BYUH, to serve missions and to receive temple blessings,” she said.

Taumatolo also said a desire to further education is required for students to learn and grow, and that desire starts within the walls of their homes. “Education is the means to find better lives in the future. We have to get the parents educated to get the same passion.”

Sekona said the meeting was able to give her comfort in knowing other administrators around her are confronted similar situations.

“I feel very fortunate to have other educators with me. They opened my eyes. I learned from their experiences and what they shared. I’d like to take [those experiences] back with me to my school,” she said.

BYUH President John Tanner gives the opening address at the conference.

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Local College students Hawaii Rep Tulsi Gabbard is surf on inthe webwinning office. sworn after while Photo waiting

by AP in line.

Photo by AP.

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Local support for Gabbard Hawaiian students back Gabbard after she opposed Syria bombing, despite nay saying politicians B Y PATRI CK CAM P B E L L

After Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard challenged both the Republican and Democratic parties’ support of U.S. President Donald Trump bombing Syrian warplanes in retaliation to the government’s apparent chemical attack on its own civilians, leaders of the national Democratic Party told constituents in Gabbard’s district they should not vote for her, according to the Honolulu Star Advertiser. However, Hawaiian students at BYU-Hawaii said they would still support her.

“For native Hawaiians, if they are being told to do things, especially by people who are not native Hawaiian, it would definitely affect them and push them towards the opposite viewpoint,” said Kelia Nesmith, a junior from Maui majoring in Hawaiian Studies.

Gabbard’s most recent disagreement was over President Donald Trump’s executive order of a United States missile strike on April 6 against a Syrian airfield in response to the death of 70 Syrians, including children, caused when a chemical bomb was dropped on their village, according to the Star Advertiser. Gabbard ruffled feathers amongst Democratic Party leadership when she traveled to Syria to meet with President Bashar al-Assad in January 2017 on a sanctioned investigative, fact-finding trip.

Political Science Professor Troy Smith said, “This will have very little influence—the next election is 18 months away, and most people will have forgotten about it by then unless one of two things happen: first, the U.S. goes to war in Syria; second, the Bernie Sanders’ faction wins control of the Democratic Party.”

In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Gabbard drew the ire of former Democratic National Committee Chair and presidential nominee Howard Dean and others when in response to a Blitzer question. She said, “There’s

responsibility that goes around. Standing here pointing fingers does not accomplish peace for the Syrian people. It will not bring about an end to this war.”

In response to Gabbard’s interview, Dean tweeted, “This is a disgrace. Gabbard should not be in Congress.” Additionally, the Center for American Progress President Neera Tanden tweeted, “People of Hawaii’s 2nd district - was it not enough for you that your rep met with a murderous dictator? Will this move you?”

Nesmith was not surprised by the requests of Dean and Tanden. “In Hawaii there are reoccurring themes where there is one person who does not agree with what everyone else wants. Therefore, they are put on the spot and asked, ‘Why aren’t you doing what we want you to do?’ which in my opinion is an imperialist viewpoint—imposing your viewpoint onto other people.”

Rainn Hurlbut, a senior from Kahuku majoring in human resources, said, “The comments of these national political leaders don’t really have any effect on my decision to vote for her because I feel like everything they say is just their own opinion. I like to read the facts and develop my own opinion because ultimately my vote should be based on my own thoughts and perception of that person.”

Kali Fermantez, associate professor of Hawaiian Studies, said, “I don’t think it’s fair to say that Hawaiian voters don’t care about what national leaders think, but we might consider how Hawaii is often marginalized in the overall national discourse.”

Gabbard added to her maverick resume when she stepped down from the DNC to join the Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2016, according to NBC.

Smith said he believes Gabbard may be trying to capitalize on disgruntled members

of the Democratic Party. “Because the Democratic Party is very divided; different politicians are trying to find a voice that resonates with Democrats. It appears as if she is trying to be one of those voices. Her comments position her on the Bernie Sanders’ side of the party, and her comments will help her if the Sanders’ supporters win control of the Democratic Party.”

Nesmith said, “There are so many influential leaders in Hawaiian society and Hawaiian history who had the same viewpoints as Tulsi.”

Nesmith compared Gabbard to Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement leader Mililani Trask because “both are very strong and firm in what they believe, and they will try their very hardest to get their message out there even if they come across as extreme.”

Nesmith went further back in time noting similarities in the personalities of Gabbard to Hawaii’s last monarch, Queen Liliʻuokalani. “[She] gave up her kingdom even when people were telling her they should fight. The last thing she wanted was war and to see her people killed. I could see how Tulsi might look to her as an example.

“Growing up on Maui surrounded by Hawaiians, it was hard to put yourself into a political party, especially when it’s not our own government that we decided upon,” said Nesmith, referring to the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. “So sometimes I feel Hawaiians don’t even delegate themselves to be in a specific party.”

Gabbard won Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes the Kahuku-Laie area, in a landslide victory with 81 percent of the vote in the 2016 elections, defeating challenger Angela Kaaihue, according to the New York Times.

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Highlight from the Samoa Student Association’s Culture Night performance. Photo by Alvin Vincent Dy