Ke Alaka'i- October 2018

Page 1

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 8 · Vo l u m e 1 2 1 : I s s u e 2

Pa g e 18 H e l p g ro w a n d gl ean f ood a t t h e Te m p l e Vi e w garde n

Page 36 Student Em a Kaka talks about pregnanc y and lo ss

THE LEADER

Page 50 H allo w een sec tio n fea t u res sc ary sto ries, fo o d, cu l t u re


OCTOBER 2018 • VOLUME 121 • ISSUE 2

ADVISOR Le e A n n Lam ber t MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS Mackenzie Beaver Tomson Cheang Mason Cole Shannon Crowley Geena De Maio Elijah Hadley

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Antoniette Yee COPY EDITORS Anuhea Chen Dani Castro Brooklyn Redd VIDEOGRAPHERS Viv i an Ai dukai t i s Kel sy Si m m ons

Esther Insigne

ART & GRAPHICS

Bruno Maynez

Lynne Hardy

Noah Shoaf Jemesa Snuka Haeley van der Werf PHOTOGRAPHERS C ame ro n G ardner

M cKenna Locken ART DIRECTOR Wesl ey Ng MANAGING EDITOR Em i ly Hal l s

C had Hsi eh Ho Yi n Li

NEW S CE N T ER BOX 1920 BYUH LAIE, HI 96762 PRINTER 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

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: For a fun twist on the classic jack-o’-lantern, try carving some common vegetables for Halloween. A how-to guide is found on page 57. Photo & graphic by Anuhea Chen

ke a l a k a i . by u h . e d u

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.

2

KE ALAK A ‘I


PH OTO SUBMISSIO N The sunset breaks through the clouds near the Hale Pavilion. Photo by Jaryl Balanon Miguel

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

KEA LA KA I.B YUH .EDU Instagram: @KEALAKAINEWS Snapchat: @KEALAKAINEWS Facebook: KE ALAKA‘I YouTube: KE ALAKA‘I NEWS

OCTOB ER 2018

3


OCTOBER 2018 • VOLUME 121 • ISSUE 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

6

Campus Comment: What is your favorite scary/Halloween movie?

CAMPUS LIFE

8

Day in the life of math education major Danna Usevitch

10

Devotional with President John S. Tanner

12

Convocation with Dr. Neil Anderson

14

Plans for Fall Semester with Seasider Sports and Activities

16

School pool undergoes needed renovation

18

10

Serve and get food at the Temple View Learning Garden

20

School security makes adjustments to fit needs of community

22

Auditions held for BYUH play and musicals

23

Mental health more important than ever to students

24

How languages affect our relationships

26

Breast Cancer awareness month 4

KE ALAK A ‘I

18


28

Title IX, Security, and Counseling join forces to raise awareness about student safety

COMMUNITY

30

12

FRIDAY Intramurals Dodgeball Tournament at 5 p.m. in the Old Gym

32

16

34

Honolulu has some of the cleanest air in the country

TUESDAY Devotional with Jennifer Kajiyama Tinkham at 11 a.m. in the CAC

19

36

FRIDAY Student Music Scholarship Winners Recital at 7:30 p.m. in the McKay Auditorium

40

23

FEATURE Ema Kaka talks about pregnancy and loss

Fidelish Metta shares her experience on Vocal Fusion, a PNG singing contest

42

Monica Rubalcava and her journey in photography

46 36

OCTOBER

The Ke Alaka’i visits the Honolulu Star Advertiser

Pedestrian death rate increases on Oahu

32

C A L E N D A R

New BYUH communications professor Dr. Mason Allred

HALLOWEEN

50

Students share spooky stories from around the world

52

Halloween recipes

54

Día de los Muertos

56

TUESDAY Devotional with Jared Anderson at 11 a.m. in the CAC

23-27

TUESDAY - SATURDAY The New Musical Theatre Project at 7:30 p.m. in the McKay Little Theater

26

SATURDAY Ho’omana Service Day from 8 a.m. to noon

30

TUESDAY Black Light Night from 8 - 11 p.m. at the HUB

31

WEDNESDAY Halloween

Halloween around the world

57

Affordable jack-o’-lanterns

52

58

Quiz: last minute Halloween costumes OCTOB ER 2018

5


CA M P US LIF E

Campus Comment:

What’s your favorite scary/Halloween movie? by Shannon Crowley / Photos by Anuhea Chen and Ho Yin Li

While one movie may or may not be as terrifying to one student or the other, BYU–Hawaii students shared their favorite scary/Halloween movies.

CARTER MOORE, a freshman from Nevada studying exercise science:

“‘Halloween,’ because it’s actually scary. A lot of other movies aren’t scary. I feel like movies from the ‘80s did really good with scary movies.”

MAPUANA TAUALA, a sophomore from Aiea, Hawaii, studying political science: “I watched ‘The Ring’

KELSEY NAY, a freshman from Utah studying vocal performance: “I like having

‘Insidious’ marathons. They’re not really scary, and they have an actual storyline. They’re not just straight up scares. I also like the movie ‘The Boy’ because it has a twist ending.”

a movie where some scientists mistakenly leak a dangerous virus, and a lot of people are infected and become zombies. It’s a cool movie because it’s an action movie, but it’s also scary because the zombies will pop up.”

SUSAN NIELSEN, a sophomore from Colorado studying music: “I love

KAOHI CONRADT, a senior from Kona, Hawaii, studying business management operation and supply chain:

HANNAH BROADWELL, a freshman from North Carolina studying vocal performance: “I like watching

and I watched ‘The Grudge’ when I was 12 or 10, but [when] I watched it, I was tripping out. It took me a long, long time to get over it.”

SUZUKI MAMORU, a junior from Japan studying accounting: ‘“Biohazard.’ It’s

a JESSICA SMITH, a junior from California studying peacebuilding: “I really like

the movie ‘A Quiet Place.’ I feel like it is an experience to watch it. Every emotion is involved. I watched it for the first time in the theatre here in Laie right when it came out, and I feel like everyone in the theatre bonded because it was so intense and it was freaky. It was a fun movie to watch.”

‘Jurassic Park.’ I love dinosaurs to be honest.”

“‘The Conjuring,’ and we also watched ‘The Haunted House.’ We watched a little bit of it, and then we didn’t feel good about it, so we changed it. We started watching another scary movie, but we still felt off. So, we went ahead and started watching funny Youtube videos instead.”

‘Stranger Things’ because everything else creeps me out too much.”

Graphic by McKenna Locken 6

KE ALAK A ‘I


campus life

in this section Mental health more important than ever to students

23

School pool undergoes needed renovation

16

Day in the life of math education major Danna Usevitch

8

How languages affect our relationships

24

Serve and get food at the Temple View Learning Garden

18

President Tanner encourages students to be dedicated disciples not squiggles

10

Learn the symptoms of the disease durin Breast Cancer awareness month encourages

26

School security makes adjustments to fit needs of community

20

Convocation with Dr. Neil Anderson focuses on how people learn

12

Title IX, Security, and Counseling join forces to raise awareness about student safety

28

Auditions held for BYUH play and musicals

22

Plans for Fall Semester with Seasider Sports and Activities

14

OCTOB ER 2018

7


CA M P US LIFE

Danna Usevitch Math education major B Y J EMES A S NUKA

Photo by Li Ho Yin

Danna Usevitch, a junior from Arizona majoring in math education, said, “Math can actually be really fun. A lot of people have a preconceived notion that math is really bad and not fun, but I think people should just give math a chance.” Usevitch said she hopes more people will know that math can both be enjoyable and exciting when you realize what math can be in your life.

8

KE ALAK A ‘I


How did you decide being a math major was for you?

What advice would you give someone who wants to get into math?

“Math has always been the subject I was best at. My math teacher for the last two years of high school was a really good teacher, and he made me appreciate the subject. He taught me both precalc and calculus and it just changed my whole life. “He talked to me about teaching math. He pointed out the qualities he felt would make me good as a math teacher. And that was the start of me wanting to have math education as my major… Once I got to school, I started taking all these different math classes, and it just become more and more interesting. Finally, I realized I wanted that to be my major.”

“Be really patient with yourself. Math, when understood, can be really fun. Take the time to actually learn the concepts, and you will be more capable. There’s this cool website called Khan Academy that explains hard math concepts in a very simple way. It can help a lot. And honestly, if you just take the time to better understand the principle you’re learning, you’re more likely to be successful and enjoy doing math.”

What are your goals with being a math major?

Pros

“I want to teach high school level math because that is when the math starts getting fun for me. It is a cool age to teach, and I feel that it is a very important time in deciding things. As cheesy as it sounds, I would like to make an impact to [high school students’] lives with more than just math, by helping them figure out their own characters and what they want to do.”

Pros: “For those who really love math, you get to … explore and find new ways to really love math.You are able to study math more in-depth because math has so many different branches and you get to learn about all of them. Also with math education, you are able to find ways to understand math on your own and then teach someone else. Knowing how to do math and trying to explain it to someone else is a whole other level.”

Describe what kind of things you are studying/doing.

Cons

“For math education, some [classes] teach you math concepts and new formulas, while some classes teach you formulas you already know about. Then you use them to prove how a formula actually works.”

Cons: “Well for one thing, everyone hates math. Math education is a very interesting major because it is both a major of learning math and teaching others math. So, it is essentially having two majors in itself. Math is really terrible when you do not understand it.” *

OCTOB ER 2018

9


CA M P US LIF E

Don’t be a squiggle BYUH President John S. Tanner explains the importance of being a disciplined disciple B Y H A ELEY VA N DE R W E R F

M

y message to you today could be rephrased this way: Don’t be a squiggle. Be a spectacularly disciplined line,” said university President John S. Tanner in a devotional on Sept. 18 at the Cannon Activities Center. President Tanner explained the origins of the words discipline and disciple. He said each word comes from Latin origins meaning to learn and be instructed. “When I use the term disciplined disciple, I do so with these original meanings in mind. A disciplined disciple follows the master with exactness and honor, like Helaman’s Stripling Warriors.” “What matters most in this life, brothers and sisters, is not who we are, but whose we are. What matters most is whose we are. What ultimately matters is: are we faithful disciples of Jesus Christ? Have we taken his name upon us? Do we follow him? Are we trying to become like him? President Nelson has reminded us that we are not Mormons, we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” In showing students how discipline will increase their freedom, President Tanner read a picture book entitled “The Dot and The Line.”

10

KE ALAK A ‘I

President Tanner used the story of “The Dot and The Line,” to teach the value of discipline and how it leads to greater freedom. Photo by Monique Saenz

The story describes a line who is hopelessly in love with a dot. The dot finds the line boring and goes off with a wild squiggle. Willing to do whatever it takes to win the dot’s affection, the line learns to bend himself into various angles. He begins forming shapes so complex that he needed to number his sides to keep track of them. At this point, the line goes to the dot and squiggle and shows what he has disciplined himself to do. The dot, realizing that the freedom she thought she saw in the squiggle was actually chaos, leaves with the line. Jess Harris, a freshman from Utah majoring in English, said she felt particularly inspired by the idea that the line had a goal and stopped at nothing to achieve his goal. “I liked the feeling of inspiration that came from the idea that if you try your hardest to reach a goal, if it’s the right goal, God will make it possible.” President Tanner expanded on the words spoken by David O. McKay at the dedication of BYUH concerning the preparation of disciple leaders. President McKay singled out the three disciplines in which these leaders would be prepared: testimony, character, and intellect.

Beginning with testimony and character, President Tanner explained how at the core of becoming a disciple leader is a testimony. He expressed how it is not enough to just know the gospel, but one must also live it. He emphasized the words of the apostle Paul, saying, “Fallen angels understand and believe. Only disciples follow the Savior.” He then described the importance of education by using Doctrine and Covenants Section 88, which talks about the importance of gaining an education. He followed this by quoting part of President McKay’s dedicatory prayer, which highlighted the importance of being able to share the gospel in an intelligent manner. This allowed those who hear it to be led onto the path of righteousness. He finished this thought by saying, “The purpose of education is to train the intellect so we may be better able to fulfill our mission to serve and to save the world.” President Tanner urged students to take advantage of the opportunity they have to learn. “This will expand the scope of your service and allow God to use you in ways He otherwise could not. It will enable you to make


Left: President John Tanner says since he only had one piano lesson, he has limited his ability to play the piano. But since Special Instructor Jennifer Duerden, seated, has put in the time and discipline to practice the piano, she has the freedom to play even difficult pieces. Photo by Cameron Gardner

greater contributions to the kingdom and to the world, to enjoy a more abundant life, and to experience greater freedom than you otherwise would had you not acquired self-discipline and academic discipline.” He also stressed the importance of daily scripture study, an area that especially touched Elise Miller, an exercise science freshman from Oregon. “I loved how he emphasized the importance of daily scripture study and spiritual moments... Before the devotional, I knew I should’ve been reading my scriptures but I wasn’t. Ever since that devotional, I was inspired to read them, and I have kept up on it every day so far. I plan on continuing this routine.” President Tanner went on to describe a higher order of freedom that can be obtained from true discipline. He explained how there is a distinction between license and liberty. He said, “Liberty refers to morally-grounded freedom... license by contrast refers to irresponsible freedom.” To illustrate the difference between the negative freedom “from” and the positive freedom “to,” President Tanner made his

way to the piano with Jennifer Duerden, a special instructor in the Music and Theater Department. He showed how he was unable to perform the Rachmaninoff piece sitting at the piano because he said he had never had the discipline to take more than one piano lesson. He then invited Duerden to play the piece, which she did with ease. “With respect to the piano, I am a squiggle and she is a line,” he explained. “I am an undisciplined disciple. She is a disciplined disciple. I haven’t paid the price to enjoy the positive freedom of playing the piano.” President Tanner then listed areas in which students may want to increase their discipleship. They included prayer, fasting, language, and music. In reference to study habits, he quoted President Dallin H. Oaks’ wwadvice to students at BYU in Provo saying, “Work first, then play.” He urged students to use play as a reward for completing their work. He followed with asking students to remember their commitment to the Honor Code. He explained how the Honor Code is more than just a list of rules. It is about being true to one’s word. He showed how the

higher standard at BYUH is similar to that of the Missionary Training Center and how both groups are representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “I’m less concerned about the failure to be neat and modest than I am about failure to keep your word… The purpose of that is to help us develop disciplined disciples.” President Tanner concluded by giving the example of President Russell M. Nelson. He described how President Nelson not only had the discipline to become a surgeon, but he also chose to discipline himself to have neat handwriting that could easily be read by his patients. During his time as a surgeon, President Nelson also felt he should learn to play the organ, as well as learning multiple languages. He managed his time so well that he was able to serve as a stake president while he was a physician. President Tanner challenged students to write down promptings they may have felt during the devotional. He said he wants students to create a “to become” list because “true discipleship is not just about acting like a disciple, it is about becoming a disciple.” •

OCTOB ER 2018

11


CA M P US LIF E

Dr. Neil Anderson gave the annual academic Convocation address urging people to think about how they think and learn. Photo by Chad Hsieh

Preparing, engaging, and improving

in the classroom Dr. Neil Anderson shares his three, two, one method to promote better learning and teaching by thinking about how people think B Y B RU N O M AYN E Z

12

KE ALAK A ‘I


Left: Associate Professor Amanda Wallace stops outside the McKay Auditorium on Sept. 27. Top: Faculty members wear their academic robes for the annual Convocation address. Middle: Associate Professors Georgi Lukov and, right, J. Brian Watkins were part of the processional. Photos by Chad Hsieh

I

n this year’s Convocation, Dr. Neil J. Anderson, TESOL professor, articulated increasing metacognitive engagement through the BYU-Hawaii Framework for Learning and Teaching, or in his own words, “thinking about thinking.” The Convocation was held in the McKay Auditorium on Sept. 27 and enjoyed a full house. Convocation, as explained by Dr. John Bell, vice president of Academics, is an annual tradition to celebrate scholarship, life, and mind. Bell conducted the presentation, and the program began with a musical number from Dr. Scott McCarrey and Stacy McCarrey. They performed “Fêtes from Nocturnes” by Claude Debussy, and then Bell introduced Anderson. Anderson stated each academic discipline has so much knowledge that each student needs to learn to become professional. His approach was to change students’ and teachers’ perspective about learning and teaching. He encouraged instructors to have students identify what’s working and what they are doing outside class for increased engagement during class. From the BYUH Learning Framework, Anderson presented his strategy of preparing,

engaging, and improving. This helps his students’ effectiveness in school, he said. Anderson also urged professors to teach in a way for students to be engaged rather than sit obediently in a lecture. He also pressed professors to set clearly articulated purposes of what they want students to do when they leave class. Another approach Anderson presented, was how he shows students his three, two, one method. He tells his students to think of three things they learned in class, have them think of two questions, and to remember one thing from each class session. Learning from Anderson, Dianne Lucillo, a junior from the Philippines studying TESOL, said, “I liked what Dr. Anderson said about the framework. It’s really interesting because in my education classes, we talk about what teachers do to help their students. Brother Anderson just said exactly what teachers should do. They should prepare to help students be more engaged. Sometimes teaching the content is not learning the content. This was really an eye opener for everyone.” Connecting the gospel with studies, Lucillo said, “The three things he showed us: prepare, engage, and improve were

elaborated on more. He was able to connect it to the gospel, and I really enjoyed that. This convocation was a boost for me.” Having an uplifting experience, Sister Farnsworth, a senior missionary from Utah, said, “It’s just amazing. I think it’s a tremendous idea to have a discussion of ideas about the mind. I think it was an interesting and scholarly talk. Obviously, he practices what he teaches.” Sister Farnsworth said she learned a more engaging approach to teaching. She said, “I think it’s an interesting idea to think about what you’re thinking about. I’ll try to look at my thoughts more–try to encourage more participation and not lecturing. “ Feeling the spirit tell him to be grateful for his education, Sho Sasaki, a senior from Japan studying human resources, said, “It was good. I didn’t know what to expect, but I just went there. I loved the talk from Brother Anderson. It reminded me of the importance of BYU-Hawaii’s mission and framework. One thing I learned from this event is gratitude to be able to study at BYUH. I’m grateful to receive the education I get from Hawaii. That’s what I felt from listening to the talk.” •

OCTOB ER 2018

13


CA M P US LIF E

New sports and activities, such as a pool side movie night and foam run, say organizers, are planned for the Fall 2018 Semester B Y M ACK E N ZI E B E AV E R

FA L L 2 0 1 8

SEASIDER

SPORTS

CALENDAR

SATURDAY ACTIVITIES

CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF PLAY

INTRAMURALS

Competitive team sport with referees. Sign up for teams in advance. Weekly game schedules updated every Friday.

FOAM RUN OCT 20

10AM-1PM

FLAG CIRCLE

FREE PLAY

Open sport activities. Equipment and teams facilitated by game managers.

INTRAMURALS F R E E P L AY

SATURDAY ACTIVITIES

S AT U R D AY A C T I V I T I E S SIGN UP INFO

Fun one day activities. Sign up at the door.

MAKAHIKI GAMES NOV 17

9-11AM

FLAG CIRCLE

SIGN UP

intramurals.byuh.edu

FOLLOW US seasider_sports

GLOW IN THE DARK CAPTURE THE FLAG NOV 24

14

KE ALAK A ‘I

8-11PM

BACK SOCCER FIELD

Seasider Sports Download the Corq app for our updates!


Graphic by Wesley Ng

A

s students returned from summer and got settled into Fall Semester, Seasider Sports and Activities employees said they have planned a fun-filled semester of events that all students are welcome and encouraged to attend. Since intercollegiate sports at BYUHawaii were discontinued in June 2017, students and staff said they have been trying to figure out ways to make up for the Athletics program ending. Seasider Sports and Activities is a program that allows students to be involved in sports and activities happening around campus. Mason Baird, the Seasider Sports and Activities student manager, said, “Our goal is to meet the needs of every student through our wide variety of sports and activities.” With the BYUH pool remodeled and opened up again, Seasider Sports and Activities employees said they have been planning since summer a “Dive-in Movie” night. The Dive-In Movie is a pool side movie on Friday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. Pizza and hot chocolate will be provided, and students are invited to float on inflatable couches, swim, or sit in the bleachers and watch the double feature: “Shark Tale” and “Adrift.”

Jake Bateman, the Seasider Sports and Activities student supervisor, said, “The Dive-in Movie night is something fairly new for us. We did it last year and enjoyed it, so we are hoping to make it a regular thing here at BYU-Hawaii. We are going to set up a screen and projector next to the BYUH pool.” Bateman also described how BYUH Student Activities and Title IX are actually teaming up together for this event. He said, “This year, we are teaming up with Title IX to help educate students about domestic abuse. There’ll be a short presentation and a giveaway they’re putting on.” Seasider Sports and Activities employees said they have scheduled several Saturday activities throughout the semester for students. On Saturday, Oct. 20, Seasider Sports has scheduled a foam run. Students will be meeting at the Flag Circle, and this event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Then on Oct. 26, Seasider Sports and Activities had planned a Halloween-themed Hub night with a costume party at 9 p.m. The Makahiki Games, or Hawaiian Games, are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 17

from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. also starting at the Flag Circle. A final activity planned for Saturday, Nov. 24 will be a glow-in-the-dark, capture the flag event from 8 to 11 p.m. Intramural sports are a fun way to get involved, make new friends, and participate in friendly competition, said organizers. According to the Seasider Sports website, there are several intramural sporting activities. Three-on-three basketball, volleyball, soccer and flag football are all offered for students. Students can go onto seasidersports.byuh.edu to create a team. If competitive sports do not spark one’s interest, Seasider Sports also offers free play for anyone interested in the CAC, old gym, old gym field, sand volleyball pit, and the tennis courts. Going to a school with students from more than 70 countries means every student has their own idea of what fun is to them, and each student has different interests. However, Seasider Sports staff said it offers a variety of games and activities so it can meet the needs of all students and they invite everyone to come and have some fun during Fall Semester. •

OCTOB ER 2018

15


CA M P US LIF E

School pool reopens

to the public BYU-Hawaii offers extended schedule and new programs at the aquatic facility B Y M ASO N CO L E

Graphic by Mckenna Locken

16

KE ALAK A ‘I


T

he BYUH swimming pool recently reopened, welcoming the student body, faculty, and members of the community, after it was closed during the 2018 Winter Semester. The pool was originally out of service due to a water leak that had to be fixed, according to the BYUH lifeguard lead, Andrew Alonzo, a senior from New Jersey majoring in marine biology. After draining the pool, the option to patch the leak was disregarded in favor of a total renovation. This choice greatly improved the quality of the facility and patrons said they are enjoying the improvement. Missy Lund, a freshman from Maryland majoring in marine biology, said, "I can’t wait to go more… the tiling makes a difference.” The facility is now fully operational and offering a variety of services. The decision to improve the pool has allowed greater accessibility for all, shared Alonzo. He said university administrators decided they want to open more hours for everyone. The new and extended schedule includes hours from Monday through Saturday, with delegated times for lap swim, open swim, community times, and ohana swim, as stated on a scheduling sheet from the aquatic staff. According to an information pamphlet from the aquatic center, out of the categories, ohana swim is specifically geared towards BYUH staff and married students with their families. Community members interested in using the facility during the community swim times should come equipped with a blue pool pass. Open swim times are meant for BYUH students only, and lap swim is available to both students and faculty. For BYUH students and faculty, a current BYUH ID or PCC-selected ID are required for entry. While the area is often open from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, checking the schedule either online or by phone is suggested to patrons, as it is subject to change. The Honor Code is enforced at the swimming pool, says pool information, and it is expected to be utilized by those in standards. This extends to those who wear Speedos and bikinis, it says.

This schedule allows students and community members to the opportunity to swim at the pool. There are also several courses through the school that are offered for credit and held throughout the semester. For those looking to develop their swimming skills, swimming classes 160 and 161 are offered depending on skill level. Life Saving 164 is another option and is popular, according to students. The course certifies students as lifeguards and builds proficiency in skills such as CPR and AED usage. The course listing can be found on the BYUH school website. Additionally, for those interested in becoming Red Cross certified instructors for personal development, BYUH offers Life Guarding and Waterfront for Training Instructor 266. Though the pool typically closes at 9 p.m., there is an option to rent out a time slot for group parties and get togethers outside of regular business hours. Within the first week of use, there had already been a Young Single Adult activity as well as two more scheduled for the coming weeks, said Alonzo. For rates and scheduling, please contact BYUH Educational Outreach. The reopening has also allowed the creation of more job opportunities for the student body. Red Cross certified lifeguards are on duty during all hours of operation, which many employees said they are grateful for the opportunity to work. Averaging roughly 19 hours a week, with a schedule that is considerate of schoolwork, is indeed a luxury for pool employees, according to Alonzo. Jamie Hatch, a freshman from New Mexico studying psychology and a recent BYUH lifeguard hire, said, “The scheduling is great, and I love it here… I am comfortable with life guarding by now.” Alonzo said employees have a wide range of responsibility, from vacuuming the pool and checking adequate chemical levels daily, to cleaning around the pool deck and regular training. Unfortunately, he stated all the aquatic staff positions are filled. •

TO LEARN

MORE

about updates on the weekly schedule, please call

(808)-675-3391

OCTOB ER 2018

17


CA M P US LIF E

Top right, Les Harper, director of S.W.A.T.T., hopes the TV Learning Garden will help students learn to grow their own food. Photos by Chad Hsieh

Temple View Learning Garden S.W.A.T.T. staff says students can get free food and gain self-reliance by working in the garden B Y TO MS ON CHEAN G

18

KE ALAK A ‘I

T

he Temple View Learning Garden is now opened to all students, according to the Sustainable World Action and Technology Team staff. Similar to the Give & Take, students can volunteer to work for 30 minutes in the garden and then get products from the farm for free. WH Y IS T H ER E A G A RDE N?

Les Harper, the director of S.W.A.T.T., shared the purpose of building the garden. “We want people to understand the process of how the food they eat is grown, what it takes to grow it, and receive the reward of growing their own products.” Harper said they want students to eventually learn to be self-reliant. “Our perspective is not just campus-based. We want all students to be able to go back to their home countries and at least sustain themselves for life.”


The TV Learning Garden offers service opportunities for students teaching self-reliance and getting healthy food in return. Photos by Chad Hsieh

Harper said there is a special feeling about being in the soil next to the temple. “Some of the rocks we found were pieces from the original foundation when they built the temple. We’ve got a very sacred place here.” WHAT CA N I D O TO S E RV E ?

Students can also participate in various gardening activities, including hydroponics, and simple tasks such as moving and cleaning, said Emmalee Smith, a senior from Virginia majoring in biology. This gives students the opportunity to learn about biology and agriculture. The learning experience students can have is not only limited to plants, but also there are chickens in the garden. Smith shared, “We feed them chicken feed, and we also feed them food waste from PCC. If students come in and want to do work with chickens, they can feed the chickens too.”

Smith gave advice to students who want to come to the garden. “It’s a garden.You have to be prepared to get a little dirty and to work outside, and bring water. If you bring a water bottle, you can refill water here.” The garden is opened from 7 to 9:30 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays. On Saturday, it’s opened from 7 to 10 a.m., according to Smith. T H E F R UIT S A ND BL ESSING S O F L A BO R

Gabriella Mora, a sophomore from Texas majoring in biology, said she appreciated the reward of fruit for the service she gave. “We had really nice fruits that we can’t afford. I really want to eat healthy. This is giving me the opportunity to do that.” Zach Toner, a sophomore from New York studying biomedical science, said even though his mother owns a flower garden, he never

helped her with gardening. He said he discovered the joy of doing gardening in the Temple View Learning Garden. “This is my first time to do actual gardening. I’m definitely coming back. It’s fun. Time flies by fast,” said Toner. Nikita Shchankin, a sophomore studying biomedical science from Texas, described the Temple View Learning Garden as a place that nourishes his body and soul. He said the garden “is really genuine. They’re growing genuine fruit. It’s something that feeds my soul, not only my physical body. ” When asked about what he had learned from his experience of working in the garden, Shchankin answered, “I’ve learned that in life sometimes, it’s not all about working for money or working for somebody. Sometimes it’s working for yourself – to feed yourself.” The garden is between the TVA married student housing and the Laie Hawaii Temple. •

OCTOB ER 2018

19


CA M P US LIF E

The Department of Public Safety services the BYUH campus and PCC. Photos by Cameron Gardner

BYUH school security

connects with community Public Safety Dept. officials take steps to improve accessibility by creating a new app and bringing more awareness to the public B Y M A S O N CO LE

20

KE ALAK A ‘I


T

he BYU-Hawaii Department of Public Safety employees said it is constantly working to improve communication with the campus ohana and increase safety measures at the university through technology, training employees and educating the community. Students on campus may feel like Gavin Baker, a sophomore majoring in mathematics education from Colorado. When asked what DPS does, he said he was “not sure of what they really did.” To educate students and staff, the department held an open house on Sept. 19 to increase awareness on ways to stay safe on campus using its slogan if people “see something, say something.” With more than 80 employees, according to Director of Security Earl “Torch” Morris, the department has its work cut out for them, especially because it is open 24/7. David Birati, a senior majoring in information technology, who works as a Security officer, pointed out, “We handle everything here. Other schools are split up by departments.” For example, according to full-time Sergeant Iona Teriipai, BYUH handles parking, car registration, patrol, Polynesian Cultural Center security, BYUH security, theft and altercation investigations, shuttle operations, dispatch services, monitoring for possible dangers, and other responsibilities remain unlisted. While the BYUH campus may be small, its security is as relevant and effective as any larger university, according to Morris. With more than 600 cameras in service between campus and the PCC property, according to

Teriipai, not much goes unnoticed on these grounds, with more than 85 percent of investigations ending successfully. For officers whose primary duty is investigation, like Birati, this statistic is an illustration of the effectiveness their hard work and efficient training combined with technology, can produce, said Morris. Teriipai added, “This focus is a pretty recent update.” With a change of management in recent years, according to Morris, the campus has been outfitted with a multitude of cameras, sirens, and alarms for virtually any circumstance imaginable. Morris said due to ample planning, the pamphlets that line the walls of the lobby, or the “disaster guides,” are found in rooms throughout campus. BYUH alumnus and DPS employee Lyndon Liebregts from Samoa said, “Our job is primarily prevention.” According to DPS employees, the department’s staff is constantly trained, both at set intervals and on the job. For instance, every employee is trained every two weeks, though many of the skills required are developed on the job, said DPS employees. This keeps the department in a growth mindset and acting with the same purpose, they said. According to Morris, understanding the student body and becoming a better servant to them means adapting to challenges and using emerging communication tools. He said BYUH is also learning from what other universities are doing, such as the University of Utah. Public Safety management, working with the BYUH administration, are

developing a new application for smart phones, he said. Regarding this new project, Morris highlighted the up-and-coming features that are not only innovative but also extremely relevant to student needs. The app is meant to “capitalize on what is really the communication in the world that we live today, and that means quick, slick and easy,” according to Morris. He said they are seriously working on this progressive and proactive approach to potential threats. BYUH currently has an app named Rave Guardian that possesses basic functions no BYUH student should go without, according to Morris. Liebregts highlighted what he considered to be one of the most notable options as the “safety timer.” Essentially, students may request a dispatch officer to watch over them via GPS while they travel to a specific location for whatever time they allocate. According to Liebregts, this is very practical for those walking alone late at night or for those who simply feel uncomfortable in any situation. Another noteworthy perk, according to Morris, is the “panic button,” which once clicked shares a person’s location with dispatch and gets the caller in contact with emergency services to get help. Some of the features on the new app will include step-by-step directions on how to deal with a variety of dangers, ranging from a bomb threat to suspicious activity. • For more information on DPS services or how to download the Rave Guardian app, visit publicsafety.byuh.edu.•

OCTOB ER 2018

21


CA M P US LIF E

Fall Playbills

Campus to host student-written musical ‘Familiar Strangers’ plus ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ and ‘Broadway Cabaret’ B Y N OAH S H OAF

Graphic by Mckenna Locken

T

wo members of the BYU-Hawaii ohana teamed up to write a musical to be performed this semester by students and directed by Special Instructor Aaron Densley. Called “Familiar Strangers,” BYUH alumnus Spencer Grubbe and senior Carly Stone said they were able to write the show despite living miles apart. Grubbe, a music major who studied voice and composition but now lives in Florida, and Stone, an English major from Arizona, explained how they overcame obstacles in creating the show. Stone explained, “It wasn’t easy all the time because he lived in Florida and I was in Arizona when we started the process. But we communicated ideas and how we wanted things to feel. There is always a give and a take. But as creative people, we both understand criticism and that made it easier for us.” Grubbe said the opportunity to write a musical was something he always wanted to do. “It has always been a dream of mine to write a musical. I’ve had several ideas for shows, and I had talked to a lot of my teachers about them while I was in school.” Grubbe said he was approached by Aaron Densley, a special instructor at BYUH, and was asked to write the music for a small show occurring in the Fall. “Of course I said, ‘Yes!’ I

22

KE ALAK A ‘I

knew I would need help, so I asked Carly Stone, a fellow student at BYUH, to help write the dialogue for the show.” Grubbe said teaming up with Stone was a great pairing, and she agreed.“The great thing about working with Spencer is we have two very different skill sets. He wrote the music and lyrics while I wrote the dialogue. Fortunately, our creative processes are very similar and we work very well together.” The pair even offered insight into the plot of the play. Grubbe said, “[Familiar Strangers] is about six people who begin fairly unrelated, but through random connections, find they are more a part of each others lives.” Stone added, “The story is rooted in our interest of people’s lives and how they intersect. At first we were talking about doing a musical about three completely separate couples in different stages of dating and different locations. As we worked on more songs and fleshed out the story, we decided that we wanted all of the characters to connect with each other. It was a much more succinct way to get the same message across.” Students filled the McKay Auditorium on Sept. 10 to audition for three Fall Semester productions. The auditions included “Broadway Cabaret,” one of the ensemble groups on

campus, “The Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare, and “Familiar Strangers.” Those auditioning had to prepare 16 bars of a contemporary song if they were auditioning for “Broadway Cabaret” or the new musical. For “The Taming of the Shrew,” auditionees were given a Shakespeare sonnet to read. Abrianne Jones, a freshman from Texas majoring in elementary education, said she initially attended the event to audition for “The Taming of the Shrew,” but changed her mind when she met with the directors. “After preparing for about an hour to read one Shakespeare monologue, I was called in to audition. I walked in, handed my papers to the judges, then walked on stage. Just as I had reached the stage, [Aaron] Densley [the director of the musical] asked me why I wasn’t auditioning for the musical, because I had musical experience. I told him I hadn’t had enough time to prepare a musical piece.” During her audition the judges asked Jones to sing “I Am a Child of God” to get some idea of her vocal ability and see if she would fit a role in the musical. “I was super nervous and I felt unprepared, but they were so kind and thanked me for my audition. I left with my heart pumping out of my chest. It was a really uplifting experience for me.” •


Mind mending Mental health is key to greater happiness and success, say three freshmen, and needs to be discussed more B Y E LIJA H HA DLE Y

Graphic by Mckenna Locken

M

ental health is important to maintain balance in life, personal happiness, and reach people’s highest potential, said three BYU-Hawaii freshmen. They said their different upbringings and understanding of mental health influenced their perspective and willingness to talk about what was once taboo. “To me, mental health is based around your cognitive well-being,” said Ethan Hopkin, a freshman from Ohio majoring in TESOL. “If it’s not being taken care of, it will have an adverse effect on you both physically and spiritually.” To freshman Sarah Francis, an elementary education major from Illinois, to be mentally healthy is a baseline, or foundation, that helps people to be happy. “If I am not at my mental best during the day, then it’s so hard for me to do the things I want to do and need to do.

It’s important to me because it impacts my happiness, my ability to feel connected to others, and it impacts the ability of me being the best me.” To make campus a more mental healthy environment, Hopkin suggested people could strive to be friendly and empathetic. “You can’t really understand living with a mental illness unless you have actually had one” In September, NBC News ranked Hawaii as one of the five happiest states in the United States. However, students interviewed said mental health is still one of their greatest concerns, especially since they are in college. In different communities, students added, mental health is viewed in different lights. Vikram Raj, a freshman from India studying business management, shared, “My family did not value [mental health] as much

as I would have liked them to. Where I grew up in India, mental health is a big issue. There are many who care about it, but almost as many who do not see it as important. There are varying views on it, but everyone wants it to improve.” Hopkin said, “Mental health is so important, but it’s something we’re only just starting to openly discuss.” Raj shared he values mental well-being more than anything because “It’s so important to be balanced. But letting too much stress or hurt take over is not good. And people should be aware of this and not ignore it.” Raj said, “I was always happiest when I was serving people on my mission in North India. There is always room for us to improve people’s lives and their mental health, especially here.” •

OCTOB ER 2018

23


CA M P US LIF E

Going beyond your English comfort zone Students say pushing past the discomfort of talking to others who don’t speak the same language builds unity, breaks down barriers B Y E L I JAH H AD L E Y

24

KE ALAK A ‘I

Graphic by Mckenna Locken


“Common language often means common background. From studying Japanese, I’ve found that language and culture very much go hand in hand. People tend to stick to what they know, the familiar. People like them.” - BYUH freshman Logan Bitter

L

anguage plays a large part in the friends people make on campus, according to three BYU-Hawaii students. Making friends with someone who does not speak the same language fluently is more difficult because the student is put outside their comfort zone. “As a church, we all should believe in being unified among our diversity,” said Inosi Kinikini, a sophomore from Fiji studying psychology. “That is what the apostles tell us. We all need to branch out and learn to be friendly with one another, regardless if we speak a different language than them. It is how we overcome discrimination and excluding people.” Several students were asked what language meant to them and how important it is in developing friendships. They were also asked if sharing a common language is one of their deciding factors when choosing a friend. IS LANGUAGE A DECIDING FACTOR IN MAKING FRIENDS? “I think language is as beneficial as it is [distancing]…,” said Annette Jisu-Shin, a freshman from New York majoring in psychology. “I think we all have our own inner language, and I think language is [completely] tied to culture. I feel like people are comfortable within the bounds of their own language and culture, especially since language is hard to translate.” Another freshman, Logan Bitter, a biology major from California, said, “Common language often means common background. From studying Japanese, I’ve found that language and culture very much go hand in hand. People tend to stick to what they know, the familiar. People like them.” WHY SAME LANGUAGE SPEAKERS STICK TOGETHER? Shin responded, “If they are coming from non-English speaking countries, discomfort will develop, and they can’t communicate as effectively with English as their second language. It’s like being a fish out of water. They’re naturally going to be drawn to people who understand what they are saying so they can be comfortable in a new environment.”

Bitter agreed by saying how at a school with this many international students, a language barrier is something most students will experience. Whether they come from the United States, Samoa, Fiji, Japan, or any other nation, all students will experience discomfort at first. Bitter said, “Everyone’s the same. Everyone coming here is shy and awkward when they are in an uncomfortable situation. They seek for a way to be comfortable. We can all work together as a student body to build friendships.” Bitter continued by sharing difficulties that come about when people of different backgrounds try to make a connection with one another and don’t fully understand each other. Discomfort comes from trying new things and going outside one’s comfort zone. HOW TO GET PAST THE DISCOMFORT However, not knowing someone’s language does not prevent Kinikini from being friendly. Kinikini just tries “to be friends with everybody. Here, at this school, we have a lot of different ethnic groups. Knowing another person’s language, or parts of it, makes me very happy.” In the June 2018 Ensign, an article,“Creating a Culture of Inclusion,” lists 12 people’s suggestions on how to move beyond comfort zones and include others more. They include: Show up to support others. Simply walk together. Decide there is no reason not to love someone. There are no second-class citizens. Find the good in everyone. Serve the overlooked. Seek to become of one heart and one mind. Sing songs together. Understand all are trying to become better people. Think less “me” and more “we.” Build bridges between people. Learn about other cultures. The article states, “Too often, though, we divide ourselves by education and economics, by culture and color. These divisions are a source of great sorrow to God...So how God’s joy must soar when we do see each other as brothers and sisters—even more when we try to create something resembling the familial unity He wants for His children.” • OCTOB ER 2018

25


CA M P US LIF E

Breast Cancer

Awareness month Regular exams help catch the disease early, cancer experts and students say, plus educating people on the disease’s symptoms B Y M ACKENZ IE BEAV E R & AN U H E A C H E N

26

KE ALAK A ‘I

O

ctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), and following skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer American women battle, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BCAM, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, is “an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease.” NBCF states, “One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of women each year and affecting countries at all levels of modernization.” Zaylie Evans, a freshman from Washington studying biology, said, “My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 13. It was easily the most frightening moment of my


One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Finding cancer early through regular exams is recommended. Graphic by Lynne Hardy

life as well as my family. Luckily, she survived and has been cancer free for over five years now.” Throughout the month people wear pink and pink ribbons to bring awareness to the disease. Additionally, NBCF officials encourages awareness by learning how to detect breast cancer early on through education and support services. They suggest “adult women of all ages… perform breast self-exams at least once a month.” NBCF information also advises to identify abnormalities annual clinical breast exams from a person’s healthcare professional. The CDC states possible symptoms of breast cancer as, “Any change in the size or the shape of the breast, pain in any area of the breast, nipple discharge other than breast milk (including blood), a new lump in the breast or underarm.” When asked what BCAM meant to her,

Evans said, “I like to take some time to think about the lives affected. I am so grateful my mother survived this disease. Every October it reminds me of those trying times.... It reminds me how I want to spread awareness and help those families that might be affected just like mine was.” Nate Heiden, a sophomore from Washington studying biology, said, “Growing up, one of my really close friend’s mom had breast cancer. Obviously, I wasn’t very close with her mom, but it still was emotional for me to watch the affect that this disease had on someone I cared about.” He continued, “Even though my friend didn’t have breast cancer, it still pained her and it was hard for me to watch.” Heiden also said he plans to raise awareness this month by wearing pink a few days in October.

The NBCF states the cause of breast cancer is not exactly known but is always caused by damage to a cell’s DNA. It emphasized caffeine, deodorant, microwaves, cell phones and contact with someone who has cancer do not cause breast cancer. While the NBCF information says breast cancer in males in rare, men can still develop the cancer. The NBCF explains that men have a higher mortality rate than women with breast cancer because they are less aware that a lump could be breast cancer. Through email sign up, the NBCF offers multiple free guides explaining when to get tested, how often, and early detection. More information for breast cancer awareness and education can be found at nationalbreastcancer.org. •

OCTOB ER 2018

27


CA M P US LIF E

Graphic by Mckenna Locken

Resolving Title IX and Security issues on campus Deputy Title IX coordinator advises students to watch out for each other B Y B RU N O M AYN E Z

S

tudents of BYU-Hawaii seeking help in matters concerning domestic abuse, dating violence, or harassment, can find help on campus. The offices of Title IX, Security, and Counseling are resources to help students have a safe experience on campus. The deputy coordinator of Title IX and students voiced their take on Title IX, preventative methods, and overall safety. Offering a solution to Title IX issues, the university’s Deputy Title IX Coordinator Rebekah Strain, said, “People need to respect their dating partners. Set clear boundaries, and back off when told no. Communication is key. Having security is great, but having the communication and respect would solve a lot of Title IX issues.” In the Title IX brochure, offenses are recognized as the following: sexual harassment, stalking, dating or dating violence, sexual violence or assault, and consent. But not enough students are aware of Title IX’s role, said Nikita Ramos, a junior from Alaska studying cultural anthropology. “I’m not sure if students fully understand what Title IX is. Not paying attention could be part of the problem, and the fact that there are so many cultures here could lead to misunderstandings about Title IX.” According to Ramos, cultures have misunderstandings and traditions about dating. 28

KE ALAK A ‘I

She said, “Cultures have different views of what is okay and what is not okay.” All students attending BYUH are required to sign the Honor Code. Ramos said, “It comes down to if you sign the Honor Code, you agree to live by it.” Responding to alleged rape cases from Aug. 30, Strain said, “The Laie Voice reported that two rapes happened on campus on the same day and lots of people got upset and scared. We responded by sending a message to everyone clarifying the situation.” Security reported the rapes were actually sexual assaults off of campus. According to Strain, Title IX is about safety regarding sexual misconduct. She specified, “Domestic violence, stalking, and Facebook stalking are included. Since I’ve been here, I have not had a case where a stranger jumps out and rapes someone. It’s still good to be careful.” The central part of Strain’s position at Title IX is to help victims of sexual abuse. She said, “I do everything I can to help the reporting party. We are here as a resource to help you. In serious cases, we coordinate with Security to help people be safe. We also have a connection with Counseling.” When a victim of abuse come to the Title IX office, Strain said she assess a person’s schedule, housing, and work to see if the person feels unsafe.

Steps are taken to make sure the person is safe. Campus Security offers protection through an app called Rave Guardian. It is working on developing an updated app as well. Security personnel oversee and monitor users. The app has a feature that allows timers to be set up, and upon expiration, Security will be notified about the timer and the location. Users can also send anonymous location-based tips and multimedia messaging to notify Security of potential safety issues. Strain recommended, “If you see something, like friends having trouble or issues start to rise, intervene or report to Title IX. Just watch out for each other.” Ramos said she thinks students would not want to report abusers because they do not want the abusers to get into trouble. “I’ve spoken to other girls about this, and we wouldn’t want them to get deported or get in trouble. If they do get deported, it could cause trouble for reentry. A lot of girls would say, ‘Oh, well maybe he’s trying to get to know me, and I’m taking it the wrong way.’ Girls can be unsure about that.” Seeing the efforts of Title IX and Campus Security, Mark Bulos, a sophomore from the Philippines majoring in supply chain management, said, “The fact is they are trying. I see almost all the TVs on campus promote or give information about Title IX.” •


community

in this section The Ke Alaka’i team visits the Honolulu Star-Advertiser

30

A fatal year for pedestrians on Oahu

32

Students express gratitude for the clean air in Hawaii

34

OCTOB ER 2018

29


CO MMUNITY

Ke Alaka‘i visits the Star-Advertiser The news center staff learns about layout and online tactics from Hawaii’s biggest newspaper B Y DA NI CA ST RO

30

KE ALAK A ‘I

T

he Ke Alaka‘i team took a trip down to Honolulu to visit the biggest daily newspaper distributor on the island, the Honolulu StarAdvertiser, on Aug. 29. The team learned about design and online skills to improve the BYUHawaii magazine and its online presence. During the trip, the team meet with a few of the newspaper’s editing and online teams and had the chance to discussion people’s job responsibilities and the work environment. WHAT IS THE STAR-ADVERTISER?

Taken from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s about us section on its website, the present newspaper is the result of two Hawaii newspaper companies unifying, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and the Honolulu Advertiser. Found on Staradvertiser.com it says, “The Honolulu Star-Advertiser published its first edition June 7, 2010, combining the best of the 128-year-old Honolulu Star-Bulletin and the 154-year-old Honolulu Advertiser.”


The offices of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser are located in downtown Honolulu. Photos by Wesley Ng

“We hope to bring together the best of the people and put out a great newspaper,” said the Star-Advertiser’s majority owner, David Black. “It’s quite important the paper continues to have elements from each of the dailies. We want readers to feel comfortable.” WHAT WE LEARNED

Employee Michael Rovner, the manager editor/designer, worked for the Star-Bulletin before the merger, the smaller of the two newspapers. He said, “We were the underdog, the smaller paper, [but] we try to keep people together… As you can all see, the place is littered with personality.” Originally from Guam, Rovner is also a member of the Church and serves as a counselor in the bishopric of the YSA ward that meets in Kailua. He also came to campus on Sept. 29 as part of the Ke Alaka‘i staff’s Fall orientation.

Around the newspaper’s office, signs on the ceilings designated the different work areas assigned to employees. Areas were designated to sports, editing, design online, current events, politics, business, editorials, and more. “If you want the truth or the facts, the Star-Advertiser is the place you can to go,” said Rovner. “We can entertain, we can make you stop and go, ‘Oh, wow.’ The paper doesn’t have to be the same every day. I want to make you pause and look at whether – a headline or anything. I enjoy that.” To make the layout of the newspaper interesting to read, Rovner said they also “believe the paper should have some consistency.” From the style guide, the designers strive to make the newspaper appealing to look at, while keeping it easy to read and organized in a journalist way. The Ke Alaka‘i team was shown specific fonts and styles that help print to compete against the appeal of online media.

HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE?

“That is the question everyone is trying to answer, said Rovner. “If you can come up with a money-making model, that’s the silver bullet.” Joel Kight, engagement editor, said content found online “is centered on engagement. Part of engagement is making sure the readers feel connected to you.” By using social media, Kight commented on how the Honolulu Star-Advertiser does its best to answer comments, share tweets, update Facebook and post videos on Instagram. By using tools such as Chartbeat, employees are able to track which stories are receiving more attention.This allows them to better cater to their readers. “We try to consistently make upgrades on the site,” said Kight. “Being mobile friendly is important as well. We want to make meaningful and concise push alerts.” To learn more about the Honolulu StarAdvertiser, the Ke Alaka’i invites readers to visit their website or look for their paper copy of the newspaper. • OCTOB ER 2018

31


CO MMUNITY

Rise in pedestrian deaths in Hawaii State statistics show that pedestrian fatalities are up more than 500 percent across Hawaii from last year B Y SH A NNON CRO W L E Y Community members and Kahuku High staff and students hold signs on the morning of Oct. 2 outside the school urging drivers to slow down. The event was organized after a local doctor was hit while walking his dog. Photo by Ho Yin Li

I

t has been a dangerous year on Oahu roads as pedestrian fatalities have risen dramatically from years past, said state officials. Plus the community mourned the loss of Dr. Eugene Chin and put on a “Drive With Aloha” event in front of Kahuku High School in his memory on Oct. 2.

COMM U N I TY GR A P P LI NG WITH T R AGE DY

In late September, Oahu saw two more pedestrian deaths and one serious injury, marking the total number of pedestrian fatalities on the island this year up to 54, said the state Department of Transportation. Two more pedestrians died on Oct. 10, reported the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. This year alone, Oahu has seen an increase of 23 deaths in terms of pedestrian fatalities from 2017’s total, in comparison from 2016 to 2017 that saw only an increase of four, according to Khon2 News. The Hawaii Department of Transportation, as quoted by Island News KITV 4, says as of Sept. 17 of this year, “the number of pedestrian fatalities...is 525 percent higher than last year at this time.” One of the two fatalities over the last weekend in September was the hit-and-run death of beloved Dr. Eugene Chin, a doctor who worked

32

KE ALAK A ‘I

at the Ko’olauloa Community Health Clinic in Kahuku.The accident occurred on Sunday morning, Sept. 30, as he was walking his dog on Farrington Highway in Mokuleia, according to a police statement from Khon2 News. Community members, teachers and students of Kahuku High, and Intermediate schools came together on the morning of Oct. 2 to hold signs in front of the high school with messages of love for Dr. Chin.Their messages also urged drivers to slow down and drive with aloha. One person who came out to promote driving with aloha was Terrence Aratani, chief executive officer at Ko’olauloa health center. “This is in memory of Dr. Chin. It’s very unfortunate what happened to him. It was a shock to our health center. He was such a great doctor....We’re all family at the health center,” shared Aratani. Asked what their main messages to motorists were, Aratani replied, “We’re telling the drivers to slow down, remind them that there are people on the street, bicyclists and that [the drivers] don’t really own the road. It has to be shared with everybody.” Reed Salanoa, an undecided major from Hawaii in his freshman year, said he usually walks around Laie. When asked what he’d say to people who drive on and around campus,

Salanoa said, “Campus is not too big. Drive with aloha. Drive safe. Drive wisely. Don’t speed around when you don’t need to.” WH AT ’ S T H E DA NG ER?

Having been here 14 years, Sergeant Talakai, chief supervisor at BYU-Hawaii’s Public Safety Department, talked about a vehicle pedestrian death that happened a few years before he began working here on the Big Circle in front of Hale 1. “I am surprised, pleasantly surprised, that it hasn’t happened more often here,” said Talakai on the matter. “I think we’re due for a rude awakening because there are times, especially over the weekend, when we have stopped people who try to come onto campus under the influence [of alcohol] from the community and other areas,” cautioned Talakai. “Whether they have friends here or they’re looking for young ladies...some [are] not paying attention and they’re driving a little too fast.” A dangerous sentiment out there is that there’s no danger when crossing the street, according to Talakai. He shared how often he’s witnessed “people with headphones” not looking both ways when crossing the street. “They cross as if they’re in their own


Distracted drivers, skateboarders and people walking are part of the reason accidents happen, said a security supervisor. Graphic by Lynne Hardy

living room, or they skateboard down the roadway as if there is no traffic,” said Talakai. Speaking about an accident he was involved in his junior year, Mamoru Suzuki, an accounting major from Japan, shared an example of he dangers of carelessness. He said, “I had an accident that was caused by my carelessness. I was biking on [campus], and there were many cars parked, which were really blinding my sight. I didn’t pay much attention in that situation because I was hurrying to someplace I was supposed to be. “I turned the corner, and I suddenly encountered a car running really peacefully. We had a collision. The driver might be blamed for that in law, but it was caused because I was too careless. I should’ve paid more attention and alerted myself that I was going to be in an unsafe situation. So, our attention must lower the possibility of an accident…” Talakai shared how in the past, the number of students who owned cars were low, but these days “we have doubled and even tripled the amount of vehicles that are here on campus. There’s no space. “Everybody’s driving and safety’s a big concern. It should be addressed in student life, not just security. “It’s [a] 15 mph speed limit on campus,

but imagine what a half ton of metal moving at 15 mph does to a human body when it hits it? Even if the person is driving perfectly at the allowable speed, it can still do a lot of damage if they hit somebody.” Talakai continued, “The problem is not going to go away. Look at all those cars out there. Progress is what we strive for. We just have to learn to deal with progress as safely as we can.” He warned, “It’s not a matter of if it’s going to happen, but when. Like with the accident that killed that person in front of Hale 1, all it takes is for [someone] to not be looking the right way. An event like that [will] devastate campus and the community for a long time.” A DV I CE

Suzuki said students can avoid getting into accidents on the road and around campus by being alert and by being considerate of others using the road. “The two most important keys to managing our safety are consideration for others and being careful. If we have enough consideration, which includes bikers and skateboarders, both pedestrians and drivers will stop to prevent unnecessary collisions. We should eliminate our pride. Second, we have to be careful. We [may] be in an environment that

doesn’t secure our safety, such as places with no traffic lights or obstacles that block clear sight.” Suzuki finished by saying if people are careless and distracted in unprotected traffic circumstances because they are “busy, excited for something, or just watching other direction, and thinking, ‘Nothing’s gonna happen,’ this kind of attitude frequently results in an accident.” Talakai said, “Students should be concerned about themselves and their fellow students.” Coming from different places, students may not be used to heavy traffic, such as car, bike, board, or foot traffic, according to Talakai. He said for many students, the traffic may be different in their home countries. This leads to “near misses all the time. It’s a formula for disaster.” He added this “is a discussion that’s long overdue. There’s got to be an awareness on the pedestrian traffic and the vehicle traffic... Something [needs to be] done because I see near-misses all of the time. “I feel that not a lot of people complain [about how] ‘I almost got run over,’ or ‘Someone almost hit me because they weren’t paying attention.’ We don’t go and report those things so we don’t have any idea of how to gage that. We need to initiate this type of discussion because it’s needed.” •

OCTOB ER 2018

33


CO MMUNITY

Breath of fresh air Honolulu named among cleanest U.S. cities and students say they support clean air efforts B Y B R U N O M AY N E Z

Graphic by Lynne Hardy

P

olluted air is all over the United States but six major cities have clean records. Honolulu was ranked as being the second cleanest city in America, and BYU-Hawaii students expressed gratitude and solutions to help clean up polluted air. The American Lung Association released a list of the 25 cleanest U.S. cities for yearround particle pollution. The first six are Cheyenne, Wyoming; Urban Honolulu, Hawaii; Casper, Wyoming; Bismarck, North Dakota; Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii, and Pueblo-Canon City, Colorado. According to the American Lung Association, these cities reported having “zero high ozone or high particle pollution days, and were among the 25 cities with the lowest yearround particle levels.” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explained particulate matter (PM) pollution as “a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.” Examples are dust, smoke and smog. Smog is made when gases from tailpipes or smokestacks come in 34

KE ALAK A ‘I

contact with sunlight. These substances are closely related to diseases like asthma, it says. Aside from disease, PMs can affect the environment. According to the EPA, PMs can cause lakes and rivers to be acidic, deplete nutrients from the soil, and disrupt ecosystems. Commenting on the importance of clean air, Emmalee Smith, a senior from Virginia majoring in biology, said, “Clean air is important because that’s what goes into our bodies and we can’t live without it. If it’s not clean, we’re just continually putting bad things into our bodies and practically poisoning ourselves.” Seeing a major difference in air quality between Manila and Hawaii, Ephraim Insigne, a senior from the Philippines studying accounting, said, “I have benefited from the lack of pollution in Laie because I can breathe properly compared to Manila where I was always coughing because of the smog.” Suggesting a way to help improve air quality, Smith said, “Trees are incredibly

important and are essential to fresh air. They are a natural part of our environment that cleans the air. The ocean is also incredibly important as most of our oxygen comes from phytoplankton.” Smith said Virginia does not have the cleanest air, but it does have a lot of forests to help clean up the air. She also said the Clean Air Act and Virginia’s Air Pollution Control Law help keep the air clean. Another solution to the problem, Insigne said, “We can reduce the aerosols that we use. Aerosols add more to our air than we think. My country right now abolished public smoking, so that’s one step to clean air.” Sauliloa Tuipulotu, a junior from Tonga studying accounting, said, “In my home country, we used to just burn our rubbish anywhere but now the government changed that. Instead of burning the rubbish, the rubbish truck would come every week to get our rubbish from our homes, so there is less air pollution in my home country now.” •


feature

in this section Ema Kaka discusses how she overcame the loss of her baby

36

Fidelish Metta shares her experience on Vocal Fusion, a PNG singing contest

40

Photographer Monica Rubalcava shares her journey to photography and BYUH

42

New communications professor and BYUH alumnus studied in Germany

46

OCTOB ER 2018

35


EAT URE CAFM P US LIF E

Finding strength through losing a child Ema Kaka shared how gospel truths and counseling helped her find peace B Y AN U H E A CH E N

Ema Kaka and her husband, Conway, shared their experience losing a child. Photo courtesy of Ema Kaka 36

KE ALAK A ‘I


Their son, Sol, only live five hours but the peace of the gospel helped them, she said. Photo courtesy of Ema Kaka

H

aving to go through preterm labor and knowing she would lose her son, Ema Kaka, a senior from New Zealand majoring in elementary education, recalled the mental and emotional pain of knowing that she had to end her son’s life. She said, “I couldn’t believe I was doing that. But the doctors said, ‘If you keep him in, you’re risking your own life as well as your child’s.’ “My husband [Conway] told me, ‘You have to remember Heavenly Father’s going to be there with open arms, welcoming our son back to heaven.’ I said, ‘I can’t. I can’t feel that right now.’ “And he said, ‘No one else has this knowledge that our son is going to be with Heavenly Father again. He’s going to love him unconditionally until we return again.’ That gave me the strength I needed to push him out.” When Kaka lost her son, Sol, she said she was in the middle of school and stayed in school doing current assignments, passed midterms and finals while working 40-hour weeks and dealing with the loss. She shared, “I always wondered how I even did that. I remembered it was because of the relationship I had with my Heavenly Father and putting my trust and faith in his hands knowing it would all work out.”

F I NDI NG O UT A BO UT BEING P RE G N ANT

“We were married for about a year and a half before the first time I got pregnant. The first time we found out, it was Christmas Eve and I was so excited. I always wanted to have a baby, and it was perfect timing like a Christmas present. “When I first looked at [the pregnancy test], it was negative and I was frustrated because I’d been trying to get pregnant. But when I looked at it again, it was positive. I tried surprising my husband, but he was just so nosey and was like, ‘Let me see. Let me see!’ I kept telling him it was negative, but he insisted so I told him about our Christmas present. We just started crying because we had wanted it so long. It was exciting.” “The second time, it was a little different. I was excited but a little more nervous because of what had happened the first time. I did the pregnancy test by myself because my husband was at work. I just remember praying and thanking Heavenly Father for this pregnancy. It was such a blessing at the time because I really needed it. My husband cried as well, because after my first pregnancy, it was a tender mercy from Heavenly Father.” But the second

pregnancy ended up being ectopic meaning the baby was outside of the uterus and not viable. WH EN T H EY KNEW SOMETHING WA S WR O NG T H E 1ST TIME

“I was just having a nap because I was always tired, and I woke up and I had killer back pains. I just assumed I had pregnancy back pains. Usually when people get contractions, it’s in their stomach, but I got them all in my back. I was confused. Then I thought I was constipated, so I tried to go to the bathroom and I think that aggravated it. I started crying because it was so painful, and my husband finally convinced me to just go to the hospital. “We went to Kahuku [Medical Center], and they told me I had a UTI and inside I kind of knew something was happening because it was coming in waves like contractions. But it was so early, so I was like, ‘Oh no, this isn’t right. It can’t be. I can’t be in labor.’” “They did tests, called my OB, and they were like, ‘You’re not in labor.You’ve probably got kidney stones or something.’ Then they asked me to stand up and walk around and there was blood all over the bed. I immediately panicked and started crying, and my husband grabbed me and told me it was going to be Continued on Page 38 OCTOB ER 2018

37


F EAT URE

Sharing her story, Ema Kaka says, helps comfort her. Photos courtesy of Ema Kaka Continued from Page 37

okay. I was like, ‘It’s not okay!’You know how they tell you not to stress when you’re pregnant, but when those things happen it’s really hard not to panic. “They rushed us to Kapi’olani [Medical Center for Women and Children]. It’s the best hospital ever. I was nervous because they told me not to worry and that I still wasn’t in labor. I was thinking I was fine. We got there and I wasn’t with my original OB/GYN, so I was nervous. But then he did a cervix check, which was really uncomfortable, and he told me, ‘There’s no other way to say it, but you’re in preterm labor and you’re two centimeters dilated.’ “As a young married couple, we were so excited to have our first baby. Our family obviously didn’t know what was happening because it was so sudden, and we didn’t know what to do. We didn’t know how to feel. We were in so much shock. At this point, we were just wishing for a miracle.” F IVE H OU R S W I T H S O L

“I remember when I saw him, he was just so beautiful. I was pleading with the doctors, ‘You really can’t do anything? Please just do something.’ They told me they could, but it would kill him if they tried to resuscitate his lungs. “It was really hard for me to see my son. He was more developed than he was supposed to be, which was good, but he was not developed enough. He was just so little. I could see his heartbeat. I could see him struggling to

38

KE ALAK A ‘I

breathe. As a mother, it was so hard watching my child die in front of me. “I was so lucky to have my husband there, my mom and my dad on Skype, my motherin-law was there. My husband’s whole family ended up coming to be there for us. I’m so glad they all got to meet him and sing him songs. “I just remember we moved to another room, and I was holding him and the nurse said she was going to check. She looked up at me and shook her head, and my son was gone. His body was there, but you could feel that his spirit was gone. I couldn’t believe he was there for maybe five hours, then he was gone. It was really good to be with him, have the skin-toskin, meeting family. But it was definitely hard when she pronounced his death. It was the worst thing in the world. I was only 20 when it happened.” S P I RI T UA L PA IN A ND ST R ENGT H

“When I was going through all of that, I remember having so much resentment toward Heavenly Father. It was such an ugly feeling for me. I was born and raised in the church, and I’d never really felt this way. “For someone who gave me life, who gives me breath every single day, I didn’t know what to do with those feelings. How could he give me such a beautiful blessing and take it away so fast? I was happy that I got to be with my son, but I was really upset this was the way I had to meet him. When they pronounced his

death, my husband said he was going to give him a priesthood blessing. I don’t remember what was said, but I remember how I felt. It was a huge overwhelming feeling of peace and comfort. If I didn’t have the gospel and the knowledge, I wouldn’t be able to go through this challenge. “Experiencing that changed my life, so then going through the ectopic pregnancy I’d really prepared myself. I’m strong enough to understand that this is Heavenly Father’s plan for me. We can’t control what trials we have in our life, but we can control the way we react toward those trials. “Natalie Norton shared the story about her son who passed away from whooping cough. In one of her talks, she was talking about when she was holding her son who passed away. She was like, ‘How am I going to let go of my son?’ It made me think about when I was with my son, not wanting to leave him. She said she said a prayer to herself, and she felt a huge peace from Heavenly Father that helped her let go of her son, knowing she could return to be with him again. “I thought, ‘If a mother is capable of letting go of her child, she’s capable of doing anything.’ I live by that every single day. My son motivates me to do better things and be a better person. He motivates me to be capable every day, take chances, and take risks.”


The support of family and friends, counseling, and the knowledge Heavenly Father has a purpose for them. also helped the couple work through their loss. Photos courtesy of Ema Kaka

F INDI N G PE AC E T H RO U G H M ENTA L & E M OT I O NA L PA I N S

“I am pro-counseling. People grieve differently. I was a cry baby, but my husband was more quiet. He tried to be the stronger one for me because I dealt with it harder than he did. It was really hard to talk about it without crying, and we didn’t really get to talk about things. “Our bishop at the time was Bishop PJ Rogers, and he suggested a counselor for us. It was honestly one of the best things for both of us. Just having someone there who was a third party, helping us facilitate our conversation and deal with what we were going through. “He made us write letters as if it were to our son.We read it out to each other and that helped us. “It was hard for me to go back to church. I didn’t want to face the questions. I was sitting in Relief Society alone, and I remember being a wreck. My sister-in-law was going through chemo at the same time, so we would always Skype and cry about what’s happening in our lives. She literally found out she had cancer the day after my son passed. Emotionally it was tough. “Even now when I see babies or my friends getting pregnant, it’s really hard for me to not be sad. It’s not like I have zero chance of getting pregnant, but it’s just not as simple as I thought it would’ve been. It’s a huge crying life for me right now, but it also made me realize how blessed I am in my life. The pain I have to deal with of not having a child is hard, but then

again just knowing I get to be with him again brings me peace. “When I started my blog, I prayed about it because there are so many women who are going through similar experiences. Sometimes, they think they’re so alone, and their husbands can only do so much. So when I did that, it helped me emotionally knowing that women were going through the same thing as me. We could be there for each other.” A DV I CE FO R WO MEN G O ING T H RO U G H SIMIL A R T H ING S

“You can have a miscarriage and be a mother.You can have an early pregnancy and be a mother.You can be infertile and be an aunty, and still be a mother. I feel like any woman who’s suffering from infertility still can be a mother, even if it’s not the way you wanted. It’s definitely not easy. Remember that you have a purpose. Heavenly Father put us here not just to have fun or make mistakes, but for our divine purpose. We have a life after this. There are so many women who can be mothers in the life after this.You’re beautiful.You’re capable of doing anything if you put your mind to it. Don’t let anyone else define who you are. You’re a mother.You’re a woman. We’re here to be examples and daughters of God.” CO M F ORT

“If I didn’t have the gospel in my life, I think I would be a wreck. Not knowing where

my son would be would drive me insane. Knowing Heavenly Father has a plan for me and my family makes me feel special. He’s not just throwing this at me to punish me. He’s doing something to help me grow and learn. “I might have another purpose here to serve women who are going through these things. Knowing I can help other people brings me comfort. Using the experiences I’ve gone through to serve other women brings me a lot of comfort whether they’re members or not. “Family and friends provide a lot of comfort. When you get into a depressed or unhappy state, it’s really hard to let people in. Not only because you’re upset, but you also don’t want to be a burden to other people.You’re not only restricting blessings for you, but also blessings for people who want to serve you. I can name every single person who made me dinner, bought me ice cream, or came and sat with me when I cried. “My husband has been a huge comfort. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him. He’s my rock and he is always saying the right thing. He’s steadfast in the gospel. When things happen and I doubt myself, he’s always straightening me up. He reminds me Heavenly Father loves me, watches over me, and is blessing us. “You can’t avoid trials and challenges. But knowing that we have Heavenly Father to comfort us when we’re down and to love us unconditionally,” she said, “is such a blessing in our lives.” •

OCTOB ER 2018

39


F EAT URE

Singing her way to BYU-Hawaii Metta shares her experience on PNG singing contest B Y EST HER INS I G N E

40

KE ALAK A ‘I


Returned missionary Fidelish Metta came home to Papua New Guniea where she competed in a national TV singing contest. Photos by Emily Halls

F

idelish Metta, commonly known as Filly, a junior from Papua New Guinea studying Pacific Island Studies and social work, shared her journey to BYU-Hawaii after placing 2nd at a major talent competition back in her home country. Metta said her love for singing started when she was very young. Her earliest memory of her singing was when she was only 7 years old. When asked what the reason was behind her love for singing, Metta recalled, “I used to climb trees. I love climbing trees. I will go right to the top at the highest tree in our yard and I would be singing there, just singing for fun… It felt really nice for me. I love to do that because every time I would go up a tree and just sing. I guess it started from there.” After serving an 18-month mission in Sydney, Australia, Metta competed in Vocal Fusion, a music show that features talented singers all over Papua New Guinea. It was the third season of the show in 2016. She said she saw an advertisement on TV for the competition and thought, ‘Oh, this is PNG’s biggest talent show’ and said, “At the time, I came out of my mission, so I was like, ‘Oh, [it’s] a good opportunity!’ And I was preparing to come here to BYU-Hawaii, so I just tried it out.” Being the only member of the Church in the competition, Metta expressed how challenging it was at first with people who would question her beliefs. “I [would] go perform in a club every Wednesday… and all kinds of people come.You know, I’m not used to [that],” she said since she is a member of the Church.

“We have standards and I struggled a bit. I thought I was sinning or doing something wrong. But you know, I was sharing my talents. I wasn’t partaking of any alcohol and whatnot.” She then thanked her upbringing in the church for giving her strength. “I’m glad the church standards really helped me stay grounded.” After more than 10 weeks of vocal training and mentoring, Metta secured a spot in the grand finale and finished 1st runner-up in the competition. Surrounded by talented peers as well, Metta shared, “It was more of a learning experience that motivated me to keep going.” Princess Yau, from Hong Kong and a fellow colleague of Metta’s talked about how patient Filly is. “[She] can work under pressure and still be smiley. She still laughs and [she’s] still able to talk to people.” Sam Clayton, a junior from Colorado and previous colleague of Metta’s also chimed in and shared, “She likes being in front of people and is happy making people happy. While I can tell that things aren’t always perfect, she doesn’t like letting things affect her negatively.” Other than the vocal lessons and mentoring she received from the competition, Metta said she is thankful for the blessings she has received during and after the competition. “I think one was the opportunity to make and build friendships, to learn from a mentor and a coach who really helped me to learn how to use my vocals. I was just singing, but I never really learned the techniques, breathing techniques and all of that, including warm ups,”

she said. “I value that because now I know how to do warm ups, now I know how to breathe properly.” Metta also talked about the opportunities she received from different companies and people after the competition. “I got an offer to do a cover – [to] model for this cover magazine, of this airline [called] PNG Airlines. But I came here. I got accepted so I had to just put those on hold.” Despite the numerous job offers she had in Papua New Guinea, Metta still pursued her decision of coming to BYUH. Metta said she did not regret her decision to come here and said her family helped her see the importance of studying. She also shared how she still has her business cards for when she’s done with school so she can go back to Papua New Guinea and pursue music once again. Performing for different events on campus such as weddings and social nights, people said they appreciate Metta’s singing and enthusiasm as she takes the stage. “[Singing has] blessed me a lot. One main thing about singing [is], I’m grateful to God every day, that He gave me a gift like this – to sing well. Not only has singing blessed me but also I have seen it bless other people and that’s the joy and blessing that singing brings to my life a lot, is to see other people so happy. “You know, I have lots of friends saying, ‘Filly, one more. Sing! We want to hear you,’ and when they do that, I [think I] must be helping them with the sounds that I’m making and that’s so joyous. I really, really love that.” •

OCTOB ER 2018

41


F EAT URE

Monica Rubalcava:

Film Photographer

Rubalcava said she took charge of her situation and surroundings to discover who she is B Y AN U H E A CH E N

P

hotographer, videographer and graphic designer, Monica Rubalcava said her journey to find herself and her style of shooting took her from Hawaii to New York City and then back to Laie to finish her degree. Now a senior majoring in graphic design, Rubalcava said she has learned who she is, how to better treat people, and is committed to her goals. “In January 2015, I decided it was gonna be my last Winter Semester, and after that I kind of left and was like, ‘Okay I’m never coming back. I don’t care about school. I don’t care about Hawaii anymore. It’s not my scene,’” said Rubalcava,who is from California. Rubalcava shared her journey of leaving BYU-Hawaii to discover herself, be comfortable, and develop her style of film photography. She explained, “I was here for two years and I felt like I didn’t really know who I was. Here wasn’t the place for me to find out, because I didn’t feel like I could be myself. The school is so small. I had the feeling I didn’t have room to grow.” LEAVING BYUH FOR NEW YORK Wanting to move to New York from California but without a solid plan, Rubalcava said she knew she needed to start working so she could leave home. She said she worked as a photographer with Soulection. “I ended up shooting for them every single month, and I got to meet a lot of cool people in a concert setting. It was mostly deejays, and they would also have people come in and sing like Jaden Smith, The Internet, SUR, and GoldLink.” After saving, Rubalcava said she moved to New York and told herself she would figure it out. She started in New York at a photo job but knew it wouldn’t last. “Then I was babysitting for almost a year until I found my job at this production company called Mass Appeal. Through Mass Appeal is where I felt like I grew,” Rubalcava said. She said she was able to work in the video and photo industry, to shoot interviews and special series. Rubalcava explained that at Mass Appeal, she was working with artists, talking to them, shooting them in a studio, and documenting how they make their music.

42

KE ALAK A ‘I

With Mass Appeal she said she got to work with DJ Jazzy Jeff, a producer known for working with Will Smith. “We drove to Delaware from New York to his house, and he has this huge home studio in his garage. I got to work with him and his small group of people that he works with. “We were doing this series called Rhythm Roulette, which is where we would take a producer to a record shop, they would be blindfolded, and pick three records to make a beat from. It was so crazy to watch him make this beat like it was nothing, because he’s done it for so many years.” Being in New York was where Rubalcava said she finally felt she belonged. “I just felt like that was my spot. I felt comfortable, and I’d never felt comfortable anywhere before. New York was the one place that I was like, ‘I feel like I can 100 percent be myself.’ “I made friends who were like me, which was really hard to find in other places I’d lived. They shared interests and had the same way of thinking. New York taught me to kind of know who I am, to be myself, know what I like and don’t like. It kind of gave me direction of who I wanna be and where I wanna go.” EXPLORING FILM PHOTOGRAPHY & DEVELOPING HER STYLE It was also in New York where Rubalcava said she was able to develop her style of photography. “I definitely love shooting street. Street is what got me into photos. I never grew up in the city because I always lived in the suburbs of Orange County. “Being in the city, finding all these cool things, there’s always something to shoot. I was like, ‘I wanna be doing this more. I wanna be photographing the streets because everyday is a different day.’ I could go to the same exact place and photograph something new, and I really like that.” Rubalcava described her style as dark, sad, and moody. “Some of my favorite photos are super dark. I have a photo from the Manhattan Bridge, and I kind of had this idea that within the photo there’d be a lot of light dragging. It was so dark and sad and I was like, ‘Yes! This is what I like’. “I also love neon signs, the look of dark with bright, kind of like Blade Runner. I love cyberpunk movies. I think they’re so cool. Every


time I see stuff like that I think how I wanna do that. I’ve shot some stuff where I’m like, ‘This looks like it’s from Blade Runner’ and I’m stoked. I feel like a lot of that I really have to study to make it look just the way I want it to look.” Rubalcava said she starting to shoot film before she came to BYUH. “I was living in Utah for a couple months going to school at the BYU extension in 2013. I met this girl and she and I got talking one day about photos. She said digital was so much easier and less of a hassle. I loved film because my dad is a photographer and a lot of his work before digital was all on film. “I was telling her about how I loved film but didn’t have a film camera, and she was like, ‘Well, I have a film camera. I never use it.You can just have it.’ I was kind of like, ‘Are you sure?’ And she was like, ‘It was my grandpa’s.You can have it.’ “I told her she didn’t have to give me a family heirloom, but she was like, ‘No seriously, I’d rather have someone who wants to use it than have it just sit in my house and not be used.’” Rubalcava said the next day she saw her classmate and she received a Pentax SP1000, “I was so excited. It had her grandpa’s name engraved on the bottom. I had shot a couple rolls of film, but it was on a camera that looks like a digital body and winds automatically. “I started shooting on the camera she gave me, and there was a girl back home that I kept texting, ‘What am I supposed to do with this? I don’t know if I should be doing this’.” As Rubalcava learned to shoot photos on film, she said she would go to film stores in Salt Lake and ask what she should shoot. She said they suggested she shoot on classic film such as Ektar, T-MAX, and Portra. “I would just kind of shoot what people suggested. As I got more comfortable, I realized I really liked Ektar, the colors and how it looks. “Then I really got into black and white, and I feel that’s my thing. I felt a connection with it. This is how I can express myself. I love super harsh blacks and super bright whites, so I found a film I can work with that allows me to do that. It’s called [Ilford] Pan F 50, and the more I shot with that, the more I thought, ‘This is perfect. This is what I like’.” Pono Cummings, a freshman undeclared major from Hawaii, said he has shot with Rubalcava in the past and liked her simplistic and natural approach to photography. “She doesn’t go out of her way or run at something to get the shot. “She always just sees what she likes and takes a quick photo. And she has the coolest perspective seeing things I would never think to see at first.” Cummings explained how despite Rubalcava’s mysteriousness in all black attire, there is a contrast between her as a person and her photographs. “When you get to know her, she’s just the sweetest person and so funny.” Rubalcava said she has gone on and collected more cameras, shot different subjects, studied different types of film, and learned what she likes. “Without that girl giving me that camera, I probably wouldn’t have cared as much as I do now.”

Monica Rubalcava wears the Pentax film camera a friend gave her. She says she loves the strong blacks and whites in photos she takes using her film camera. Photo by Bruno Maynez

Continued on Page 44 OCTOB ER 2018

43


F EAT URE CO MMUNITY

Graphic by Mckenna Locken Continued from Page 43

MOVING BACK TO HAWAII After a while, Rubalcava said she felt she needed to come back to BYUH. However, she said coming back to Hawaii was difficult. “I don’t shoot as much because we’re not surrounded by city. I love Hawaii. It’s beautiful, but I don’t really feel a connection when it comes to photo.” Rubalcava said her friend, Adam, was able to keep her photos alive. “He and I would shoot together all the time before I left Hawaii the first time.We were both in the stage of learning how to take photos.When I came back two and a half years later, he was still here so we would shoot a lot. It’s fun to have people who have similar interests and want to shoot film too.” Despite her frustrations, she said taking a break allowed her to come back and appreciate Hawaii the way she felt she should have the first time. “I changed a lot. I matured. So coming back I have a different outlook. I can treat people better. I can stick with what I want to do.” Mandy Matthews, a senior from Arizona studying graphic design, said Rubalcava is one of the most genuine people she knows. “She’s not doing it to impress anyone. She does it because she feels it, and you can totally see that in her work.” Matthews explained she gained a lot of respect when she learned Rubalcava returned to BYUH despite the fact that she loved what she was doing in New York. “Everything she does is 100 percent herself.You never feel she’s compensating or trying to outdo anyone, but she’s able to.” Rubalcava said, “Being in a new area, experiencing new things, figuring out what I want kind of allowed me to come back and be like, ‘I can do this.’” INSPIRATION FOUND IN JAPAN “I went to Japan in April and I shot about nine rolls of film. I had never been so inspired.” Rubalcava recounted the rejuvenating feeling of being back in a place that sparked her passion.

44

KE ALAK A ‘I

“While I was there, I felt I had to take pictures of everything. It was weird because I was in a city, and the city was very familiar. I felt I had done this before. “It was maximum inspiration load. I was like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s do this.’ Shooting that was a dream come true. Then I got the photos, and I was like, ‘I took these photos. These are my photos.’ “I usually get stoked when I get film back, but this time I couldn’t believe it. Everything I wanted was right there. Being in my comfort zone again, shooting what I wanted to shoot, and being better at it, felt really good because I was so inspired.” ADVICE To people who want to try film photography, Rubalcava said to just do it. She clarified on how people can start to learn film by buying an inexpensive camera on a website like eBay. “But it’s not about the camera. If you can learn how to set something, you can take the photos. Trial and error is a huge part of film photography. “You’re gonna get a lot of bad photos, but you’re also gonna get a lot of great photos. When it comes to film, you can try so many different things.You can try black and white or different types of colors. They have film that’s purple, so everything that’s green is purple. Just try everything.” For those who may be on a similar journey as Rubalcava, she advised, “It’s hard because everyone’s different. But it’s kind of like, if you’re unhappy here, you don’t have to be here. If you’re unhappy anywhere else, change your situation.” •

Rubalcava said she found her passion for street photography while living in New York but has also taken photos in Japan and in Hawaii. Photos by Monica Rubalcava


OCTOB JUNE ER 2018 2018 4545


F EAT URE

N

Dr. Mason Allred New communications and media professor says he is grateful to be back, wants to help students connect with local culture B Y G EENA DE MA IO

46

KE ALAK A ‘I

ew BYU-Hawaii communications and media professor from Las Vegas, Nevada, Dr. Mason Allred, shared his journey from being a BYUH student to moving to Germany for his dissertation. From his family’s experiences in Germany, he said they were able to grow closer through the language. “The fact that I’m here now, I’m so grateful and happy it worked out this way. I felt and knew back then and even now, that this is where I am supposed to be.” Allred expressed, “When you feel it, you know you just have to go for it.” He emphasized he hopes as a professor, he can help students recognize how special the university is, have a respect for the land, and be a part of the island itself. Allred said, “It’s part of your education to culturally connect with this island and realize why it’s so beautiful even with the troubled history. I hope students do that and enjoy and connect their education in the here and now.” Allred explained his interest in communication. “I was always interested in


Dr. Mason Allred served a mission in Germany, graduated from BYUH, and went on to do graduate work in Germany. Photos by Chad Hsieh

different ways of expressing ideas and messages through what we call meditation, putting it into ways that can be shared.” He also shared his fascination with ways to communicate visually. “I was really drawn to visual culture and ways of putting ideas into films, posters, or comic books. I just really liked the visual rhetoric of making meaning in visual science.” In regard of being part of BYUH, Allred, said, “I’ve always known that I wanted to come here. It’s been a rite of passage. My mom is Hawaiian and she’s originally from this island. She grew up in Honolulu and Kailua. We would always come back to go to school here and get in touch with the land.” Reminiscing about his experiences at BYUH before being hired as a professor, Allred shared, “I remember at one point helping out at the TVA farm. We were harvesting papaya and kalo, and I just had this spiritual experience from getting my hands and knees in the dirt. “I felt through my body that there was a connection here and this was home to me. That

experience was powerful enough that I wanted to be here. “My hope was always that somehow, sometime, in some way, I would come back and teach here. I didn’t know if that would ever work out, but it was my hope.” G RO W I NG UP

“I remember as a kid loving movies and always wanting to go to the theater,” Allred recounted. He said as a child he was inspired by Tim Burton’s “Batman.” “It wasn’t until later that I realized a lot of what was visually going on was from expressions of a German film. “All the architecture was coming from these buildings in Germany from the 1920s. Those kinds of stylistic and media connections came together for me. There was already something about film and media that I loved. And the German language was happening from middle school on. It just kind of came together in my studies here [at BYUH]. “There was something about it visually, about Tim Burton’s touch. It was around the

time that “Edward Scissorhands” came out. It resonated with me.” L IFE A S A BYU-H AWAI I STUDE NT

Looking back to when he was a BYUH student, Allred explained he had started gaining the tools to pick apart and understand how media works. He noted, “On one side you could design things, and on the other, you could see it be kind of critical, push you in certain directions, and make choices.” A lot of his own work focuses on film, how it functions in society, and how it influences certain ways of thinking and being. Allred described, “Those interests brought me to want to teach in that realm too.” On a personal ‘holokai,’ Allred recounted his journey as a BYUH undergraduate with research, history, cultural anthropology and communication. Prior to attendance at BYUH, Allred served a mission in Frankfurt, Germany. Before serving in Germany, Allred had a background with German language and culture. Continued on Page 48 OCTOB ER 2018

47


F EAT URE

Continued from Page 47

Allred explained, “When I was in eighth grade, I had the option to take a foreign language. My choices were French, Spanish, or German. For some reason, I felt the urge to take German. “When I was in David Beus’ class, we watched ‘The Cabinet of Caligari,’ an old German expression film. It blew my mind. “Then, I realized I know German fluently. But there were elements of German history and culture that I just don’t know. By the time I applied for graduate school, my application was a paper of these German films from the 1920s. I wanted to work on them more. “I brought the experience and language from my mission, some of the exposure I had from movies here, and I put them into the application,” explained Allred thoughtfully. From Allred’s experience at BYUH, he said he gained the theoretical port that prepared him for graduate school. Allred completed his master’s degree in one year from the University of California,

48

KE ALAK A ‘I

Allred is pictured in Germany with his family and friends. Photo courtesy of Mason Allred

Berkeley. “I knew when I went to graduate school, I really wanted to look at history and media and how they functioned. I felt like I showed up with a great education from [BYUH].” DO CTO R AT E P UR SUIT S

After receiving a Fulbright Grant, Allred moved to Berlin, Germany to do research related to his dissertation at the Freie Universitat Berlin. “When I got the Fulbright Grant, I was able to take my family. My kids were able to learn German, so they speak it too. Now, it’s kind of more like our fun family language, so we speak German at home for the most part. “It’s a family connection we have. And I realized the girls would watch old German movies with me sometimes.” When his family moved to Berlin, Allred said, “I felt like it allowed me to have this kind of balance of being a scholar, and then being a dad when I come home. Having my family learn the German language was a help because they

can see these things, so I think it was a really great and positive thing for us. “I’ve been very convinced that learning a second, third, or fourth language on a neurological level is great. It shapes your mind in ways because you are forced to see the world from other people’s language. I really wanted that for them. I think German is so good for thinking deep thoughts, philosophy and theory. “We have so many great memories in Germany,” Allred shared. He said his family has returned for visits welcomed by friends in Germany. Allred also knows Hebrew and Yiddish languages. A current project Allred said he is working on is his book, “Spiritual Technologies: An Archaeology of Mormon Media.” He said he had additionally has published “Weimar Cinema, Embodiment, and Historicity: Cultural Memory and the Historical Films of Ernst Lubitsch” (Routledge Focus on Film Studies). A history of Joseph Smith papers, he said, has also been researched and conducted by him.•


Halloween

in this section 56

Students share scary stories from their cultures

50

A twist on the traditional jack-o’-lantern

57

Quick and easy Halloween recipes

52

Quiz: Last-minute ideas for Halloween costumes

58

DĂ­a de los Muertos is a time to celebrate family

54

How Halloween is celebrated all over the world

OCTOB ER 2018

49


H A LLO WEEN

Students retell their cultures’ frightening folklore B Y N OAH S H OAF AN D B RO O K LYN RE D D

ZI M BABWE

MEXI CO

The haunting tale of a murderous mother The Weeping Woman, or La Llorona, is a very popular tale in Mexico and Southwest United States. According to donquijote.org, “the tale of La Llorona begins with a woman named Maria, blessed with natural beauty, who is determined to marry only the most handsome man she meets, shunning any man she sees as unable to match her aesthetically.” The story telling varies from place to place, but in general, the couple gets married and has two children together. Later the husband proves to not be a great husband and this puts Maria in despair, causing her to drown her own children. The tale escalates from when Maria is refused entry to heaven without her children. People can hear her weeping as she attempts to find her children, and parents warn their own children to not go outside or else they could be kidnapped and drowned by her. Tyler Cook, a freshman from California studying marketing, knew about the story of La Llorona because his mother is from Mexico. “My mom was scared of La Llorona. It even affected her so much that sometimes she couldn’t sleep because of that fear.” Cook explained how his grandmother used to tell his mother to stay in bed or else Llorona would come and take her at night.

50

KE ALAK A ‘I

Curses from the “bad” Sangomas Witch doctors are something people may not know about, but not Joana Chibota, a freshman from Zimbabwe majoring in biomedical science. She shared the superstition and story of the Sangoma. “In a lot of African cultures, we believe our ancestors chose witch doctors and we call them Sangomas. Some witch doctors heal you when you are sick but some of them actually curse others.” She explained how some of these “bad” witch doctors will poison money. Chibota said they tell someone to leave money on the ground, then a person you don’t like will pick up the money and get bad luck. “There has been real stories where people picked up money, and they took it home and the next day their kid got sick and died. Then their husband got sick and died. Because of bad witch doctors, someone can lose all their money or their house can burn down.” Perhaps the spookiest part of the whole story is Chibota’s own experience with a Sangoma. She said, “One day I was at school and we were in class. We all hear screaming, like someone is just wailing. Then it keeps quiet for a bit. After the class period finishes, we go outside and see this girl lying on the floor shaking like she is being possessed, but no one could touch her because if you touch her, then the ancestors may transfer their spirit from her to you. Now she is a witch doctor, and I haven’t seen her at school since.” Due to similar experiences, Chibota said she has grown up hearing from her parents “don’t pick up money from the ground” and “don’t accept sweets from strangers.” She said now she is cautious when she gets a bad vibe from someone, because she doesn’t want to be cursed.”


S W ED EN

Christmas church mass filled with spirits Hannah Jansson, a freshman from Sweden majoring in accounting, said she never heard of the story of a Christmas Ghost. “Apparently we have many ghost stories, but that doesn’t mean they are famous nationwide. I think it’s important to remember stories and folklore depends less on where someone is from and more on how someone is raised.” Listverse.com listed 10 tales from Scandinavian Folklore and explained how the tale begins with a woman who was at a Christmas mass. She was supposed to attend the mass with her friend but she did not show up. Then a voice told her she could be killed on the spot. Looking around in fright, she realized all of the people in the church around her were headless. As she tried to run away, ghostly members of the church grabbed her by her veil. Luckily she escaped with her life, but the remains of her veil she wore were ripped into tiny pieces and distributed among the graves outside of the church.

M ALAYSI A

Home in Kuantan, Malaysia with a violent past In Kuantan, Malaysia, worldofbuzz.com discussed chilling events that took place at a haunted house. “In the early 1990s, there was a tragedy in this house,where the whole family committed suicide. This family was at one time a happy family; a father and mother and her young children.” The story turned dark when the husband became close to a successful businesswoman. Throughout the town, news spread and the wife learned of the affair. One day the wife called her husband and she said to return to their home immediately or prepare to face the consequences. But he ignored the warning. When he returned the next morning, he discovered his wife hanging at the doorway of their bedroom with his two young children hanging alongside her. This prompted the husband to also commit suicide. Now the house is haunted with the spirits off the family. Rachel Pushman, a junior from Malaysia studying graphic design, said she thinks this story may be real. “Not everyone talks about these stories, but some of the Muslim people and people who love the language in Malaysia, Malay, they read horror stories and most of them are based on true events and stories.”

PH IL I P P I NES

The Aswang - folklore not for the faint of heart Angela Morales, a freshman from the Philippines majoring in peacebuilding and psychology, described the Aswang as a monster who is a normal human. Morales said the monster is usually a she, who at night transforms herself into something like a big dog or half human with wings.” She went on speaking a little softer and with a different tone, “She goes to the middle of the jungle in a very dark place and eventually cuts off her legs, leaving them in the jungle. Then she flies around and she smells people who are very ill and people who are pregnant. She tries to eat the fetus or take away the life of the dying man.” Although the story is graphic and compelling, Morales said she approaches the story with caution. “Maybe it’s true, but when stories are passed down from generation to generation, there can be exaggeration. People have creative mind sets.”

F I JI

The Tagimoucia Flower Glenna Nixalene Prakash, a sophomore from Fiji majoring in HTM and biology, told the story of the tagimoucia flower, which means “the crying tears of despair.” She said the flower can only be found in Taveuni, Fiji, near a specific lake. She said people have tried to grow the flower in other parts of Fiji but have been unable to. Regarding the mysterious flower, Prakash shared, “The legend was that there was a princess sent off to marry this ugly, old man. So basically her father was forcing her to marry [him], but because she didn’t want to. She ran off into the forest and stopped by a lake and started crying, crying, and crying.” She said some Fijians believe that when her tears hit a tangle of vines near the lake, her tears bloomed into the red tagimoucia flower, which today is known as Fiji’s national flower. OCTOB ER 2018

51


H A LLO WEEN

Halloween Recipes Easy and cheap treats for a spooky Halloween B Y SH AN N O N CRO W L E Y

GHOST COOKIES

(serves a family) Ingredients: 1 large pack Nutter Butters ½ of 12 oz. bag white chocolate chips semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 tbsp. of Crisco shortening wax paper piping bags for making ghost eyes Steps: 1. Heat up white chocolate chips with 1 tbsp. shortening in microwavable bowl for 30 second intervals, so you don’t burn the chocolate. Stir in between. Microwave until consistency is smooth when stirring. Add shortening as necessary. 2. Lay a sheet of wax paper on cookie sheet or plate, so the ghost cookies don’t stick. 3. Dip each Nutter Butter cookie halfway in melted white chocolate. Set on cookie sheet and let chocolate set. 4. Heat chocolate for the eyes in separate microwavable bowl. Follow instructions from Step 1. 5. Pour melted chocolate into piping bag. Add two dots for each of the eyes on your ghosts. 6. Cool in fridge for 10 minutes and enjoy your spooky treat!

52

KE ALAK A ‘I


MUMMY-DOGS

(can feed up to 8 people) Ingredients: 2 packs of 8 hot dogs 1 can of Pillsbury crescent roll dough condiments Steps: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. 3. On clean surface, roll out dough and cut into ½ inch strips for your mummy dogs. 4. Wrap each hot dog with dough, leaving space for the eyes. 5. Line mummies on baking sheet, leaving 1-2 inches space between each. 6. Bake for 15 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. 7. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before adding condiments and start eating.

Graphic by Lynne Hardy / Photo by Anuhea Chen OCTOB ER 2018 53


H A LLO WEEN

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a family based holiday in Latin America, say students from there, who suggest people watch the Disney movie “Coco” to better understand the culture. Graphic by Bruno Maynez

54

KE ALAK A ‘I


Celebrating the power of families Latin American students explain how they honor their ancestors through Día de los Muertos B Y N OAH SH OAF

T

he vibrant Mexican and Latin America holiday, Día de los Muertos, which translates to the Day of the Dead, is sometimes coined as “The Mexican Halloween.” However, Día de los Muertos cultural significance differs immensely from Halloween, said students from Latin America. While Halloween focuses more on fear, Joseph Herrera, a senior from Mexico studying intercultural peacebuilding, said Día de los Muertos celebrates death. “I love the festivities that surround the day of the dead and the bright colors that encompass it. It helps to shine a light on death that it normally doesn’t receive. Death is sometimes seen as taboo, but the Día de los Muertos shows how it is an inevitable part of life—it should be accepted.” The history behind Día de los Muertos is complicated because it is a mix of Aztec and Catholic traditions. According to the Britannica Encyclopedia, the holiday came from the rituals of the pre-Hispanic people of Mexico. The celebration lasted for a month and was led by the Aztec goddess Mictecacihuatl, known as “Lady of the Dead.” After the Spanish arrived in Mexico and began converting the native people

to Roman Catholicism, the holiday was moved to coincide with All Saints’ Day, Nov. 1 and All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2. Now the holiday is a threeday event with Día de los Muertos starting the festivities on Oct. 31. Modern observances vary from region to region. For Herrera, Día de los Muertos means eating traditional foods like “pan de muerto,” which is a sweet bread that has a cross in the center. Also, he said his family makes altars to remember their ancestors. “The altar has a picture of them, and it will have their favorite things to show them that they are loved still and remembered.” Día de los Muertos is something Herrera said he knows is foreign to many Americans. He said he recommends everyone watch the Disney Pixar Movie “Coco” because to him, it is an accurate portrayal of the three-day holiday. “I think the movie ‘Coco’ has done a great job to illustrate to the American public and the world what the holiday is about. It is about ancestors, remembering where we come from, and celebrating life.” The Day of the Dead influences other Latin American countries, not just Mexico, according to Gabriela Gomez, a student from

Guatemala studying communications and peacebuilding. “Countries that were colonized by Spanish have holidays that are Catholic based, but these holidays change a little bit in every country. For example, my family doesn’t celebrate Día de los Muertos as much as we celebrate Día de los todos Santos.” For Día De los todos Santos, which translates to “All Souls Day,” Gomez explained how she celebrates the holiday. “We go and decorate the tombs of our beloved ones who passed away. We go and paint them, put flowers, sometimes we carve pumpkins, or put their favorite foods on them.” Although Herrera and Gomez celebrate in similar ways, Gomez noted it is important to know they are different. For example, she said her family might celebrate differently because her family is not always traditional. Even with the different interpretations of Día de los Muertos and Día de los todos Santos, Gomez said she finds they all connect because they center on the power of families. “I like being with all my cousins in the cemetery at night and talking about our families. We tell stories with plenty of joking and laughing,” she said. •

OCTOB ER 2018

55


H A LLO WEEN

Observing Halloween around the world Holiday celebrated in USA but students say only in some parts of Japan, Italy, Tonga and more B Y N OAH SH OAF G R AP H I C B Y M CK E N N A LO CK E N

H

alloween is one of the biggest commercial holidays in America with people spending more than $9 billion a year celebrating it, says Statista.com, but its influence spans past the western hemisphere. According to sophomore and accounting major, Tatsuya Ogaki, Halloween is becoming popular in his home country of Japan, even though it is not an official holiday. “I don't think Halloween is a big event in Japan compared to Christmas or New Year, but it's been changing. Recently people have been enjoying Halloween.” Ogaki said he thinks Halloween is becoming more mainstream in Japan is because of the influence of popular American attractions like Disneyland and Universal Studios. He said they have been using Halloween as a way to draw profits, as restaurants and stores are starting to do as well. He explained how this can create a divide in who celebrates Halloween because he said it depends on how much American culture someone is exposed to. He continued, “I feel younger people 56

KE ALAK A ‘I

celebrate Halloween.There were even students who wore costumes in my high school on Halloween, but I don’t even think my grandparents know what the word ‘Halloween’ is.” According to History.com, the Halloween celebrated today in America originated from ancient festivals and religious rituals. Now it has evolved into a big business holiday, says The National Retail Federation. Melissa Collins, a freshman studying marine biology, said she understands how Halloween can be viewed differently depending on where you live. She lived in Italy for over eight years on a U.S. Navy base and said she observed how some Italians react to Halloween. “On the base, we host Halloween events. Many Italians will come onto the base and bring their families to celebrate Halloween with us. Sometimes there ends up being more Italians at the events than Americans.” Collins said not all Italians celebrate Halloween. She thinks mainly the Italians close to the base and who have contact with Americans

celebrate the holiday. Halloween is different in Japan or Italy compared to United States, but according to freshman Nerissa Fie’eiki, a hospitality and tourism major, Halloween in Tonga differs the most. “I only know one part of Tonga that celebrates Halloween and that’s because it is an English-speaking area. Nowhere else in Tonga do people celebrate it.” The International TEFL Academy reported how other countries, not just Japan and also France, are influenced by Halloween. It said, “Halloween celebrations are becoming increasingly popular in Chile, particularly in major cities like Santiago, where shops, supermarkets, and malls break out special decorations and kids just love to wear costumes and knock on the doors of their neighbors asking for candy.” The Academy also said due to Americans living in foreign cities, countries like South Korea, Spain, and Brazil, are starting to celebrate different elements of Halloween too. •


Affordable Halloween Carving

A fun activity when you’re on a budget B Y AN U H E A CH E N

M ATE RI A L S

Sharp knife/blade Fruits and vegetables of choice H O W TO CA RV E

For easy cleanup, lay down newspaper or a trash bag on the table. Using a knife, cut a hole on the top to scoop out the seeds and/or flesh inside. This is optional if you won’t be lighting the inside of your carving. However hollowing out the fruits and vegetables make it easiest to carve because you can punch out the shapes you cut. Carve a fun and spooky face using your imagination and display! • Photos by Anuhea Chen OCTOB ER 2018

57


H A LLO WEEN

So you need a last minute

Halloween costume? NO

Are you the quiet type?

YES NO

Face paint?

TREE

YES

Buy: fake leaves Tape or sew leaves to a brown shirt. Pair with brown pants

Human costume or nah?

NO

YES

MIME

Buy: white and black face paint Paint a mime face. Pair with a black and white striped shirt, black pants and suspenders. (Mime routine optional.)

BUNCH OF GRAPES

Buy: Purple balloons Stick inflated balloons all over body. Wear a green beanie if you have one

YES Are you artsy?

FORMAL APOLOGY Wear your classiest evening wear and a sign that says “apology.”

NO I THINK SO

BANKSY ART Buy: bouquet of flowers Wear black and white clothes, a backward hat, and a bandana over your face. Hold your bouquet like a grenade.

STICK FIGURE

Buy:glowsticks Tape glow sticks along your limbs and aroundyour face. Turn the lights out

STATIC CLING Stick socks and cotton balls to a shirt.

SHEET GHOST

NICKELBACK

Glue or tape nickels to the back of your shirt

DEVILED EGG Tape a yellow circle to the center of a white shirt. Add red horns and a tail.

Sheet+eye holes=costume

CLASSIC

58

KE ALAK A ‘I

QUIRKY

Classic Or Quirky?

NO


YES

START HERE

Are you willing to buy a few costume items?

NO

How do you feel about puns?

LAME!

NO

YES

Food Costume?

Do you want an excuse to dress up?

NO

Do you want a recognizable character?

FUNNY!

Can you get two friends to join you?

YES

Are you over Halloween and this quiz?

YES

YES

NO

Edible Costume?

THREE BLIND MICE

Wear gray shirts and make yourself mouse ears. Add sunglasses and canes to complete the look.

NO

EMOJI

Pick an iconic emoji and make an outfit to match Example: red shirt running guy, pink shirt reaction girl, red dress dancer

YES

And willing to destroy a shirt?

ERROR 404: COSTUME NOT FOUND

Write the above message on a white shirt. Done.

YES

SOMEONE ELSE

NO

Print off a “Hello My Name is” name tag and write a name on it that is not yours

SMARTIE PANTS

Tape Smarties candies to your pants. Offer your friends impressive facts.

Graphic by Mckenna Locken OCTOB ER 2018

59


Happy Halloween. Graphic by Lynne Hardy


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.