CAMPUS C O M M E N T S Wha t do you l ove m os t a b ou t you r cu lt u re ?
BY A L E X A ND R A C LE ND E N NIN G I nd i go Te t u aa p u a, a s op hom o re fro m La ie st u dying p o lit ic a l sc ienc e, sa id she grew up i n th e L a ie c om m u nit y. O ne t h ing t ha t is v ery imp o rt a nt a b o u t her c u lt u re, she s ai d , i s th e c e le b ra t ion of f ir s t b ir t hd a ys. “ W hen p eo p le c a me t o t he H a w a iia n I sla nds, there was di se a s e g oing a rou nd . S o t he b a b ies so met imes w o u ldn’ t ma ke it t o t heir first bi r thd ay s . If th e y liv e d t o 1 , it wa s a hu g e c eleb ra t io n, a nd t ha t t ra dit io n is st ill c a r ried o n to thi s d ay.”
Ana Fe in g a, a s e nior f rom Ton ga st u dying p o lit ic a l sc ienc e a nd TES OL, sha red fami l y i s a bi g d e a l in Tong a n c ult ure . On her missio n, she sa id she sa w ma ny ho meless p eopl e that sh e ha d ne v e r s e e n in Tong a . “ I f o ne o f yo u r fa mily memb ers do esn’ t ha v e a home, i t’s y o u r re s p ons ib ilit y t o t a ke t he m in,” Feinga ex p la ined. “ To nga n c o mmu nit y is ever y where an d is a lwa ys re a d y t o we lc o me t ho se a ro u nd t hem. Onc e yo u t ell so meo ne you’re To n g a n, t he c onne c t ion is ins t a nt , a nd t hey w ill help yo u .”
C r y s ta l Tan ia, a s op hom ore f ro m I ndo nesia st u dying c o mmu nic a t io ns, sa id t he pr i mar y re l i gi on in I nd one s ia is M us lim, so t he ma jo rit y o f t he p o p u la t io n c eleb ra t es Ra mad an, w h i c h re q u ire s t he m t o f a s t f or a w ho le mo nt h. “ To sho w resp ec t fo r t heir t ra di ti on, al l the re st a u ra nt s c los e d u r ing lu nc h t ime. S o met imes, t hey ju st c lo se t heir c u rt a ins so peopl e c an ’ t s e e t he m e a t ing . ”
Si lv ia Ta taf u , a s op ho mo re fro m New Z ea la nd st u dying so c ia l w o r k , sai d her a nc e s t or s v e nt u re d f rom To nga t o New Z ea la nd t o p ro v ide mo re o p p o r tuni ti es f or f u t ure g e ne ra t ions. She p ra ised BY U –H a w a ii fo r a llo w ing her t o ga in more und e r s t a nd ing of he r To nga n herit a ge a nd la ngu a ge. She sha red a t BYUH s he ha s le a r ne d a b ou t m ent a l hea lt h a nd w a s insp ired t o help t he p eo p le i n Tonga. “ Af t e r I g ra d ua t e , I want t o go t o To nga a nd help p eo p le t here w it h gai ni ng more m e nt a l he a lt h re s ou rces,” she sha red.
Lo rasia Tav u to , a j unio r fro m Fiji st u dying p o lit ic a l sc ienc e, sa id b a c k home, re s p e c t is one of t he m o st imp o rt a nt a sp ec t o f her c u lt u re. S he sa id, “ One thi ng H a wa ii a nd Fij i ha v e in c o mmo n is sho w ing resp ec t t o t he elder ly.” S he ad d ed b e c a u s e of BY UH , s he ha s b een a b le t o lea r n a b o u t dif ferent c u lt u res, whi ch has he lp e d he r g row a s a n indiv idu a l. “ I ’ m a lw a ys o p en t o new t hings in life and to b uild ne w f r ie nd s hip s ,” she sa id.
Graphics by Katie Mower. Photos by Ulziibayar Badamdorj.
M AY 2021 7
