THE LEADER
NOVEMBER 2021
N O V EM B ER 2021 1
NOVEMBER 2021 • VOLUME 130 • ISSUE 3
LeeAnn Lambert ADVISOR
Amanda Penrod COPY EDITOR
Abbie Putnam EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Collin Farley COPY EDITOR/ JOURNALIST
Katie Mower ART DIRECTOR
Alexandra Clendenning MULTINMEDIA JOURNALIST
Micheal Kraft SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Leiani Brown COPY EDITOR
Kylee Denison MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Levi Fuaga MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Lauren Goodwin MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Elle Larson MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Xyron Levi Corpus MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Rahel Meyer MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Anna Stephenson MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Mahana Tepa MULTIMEDIA JOUNRALIST
Nichole Whiteley MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Emily Hendrickson ARTS & GRAPHICS
Marlee Palmer ARTS & GRAPHICS
Sugarmaa Bataa CONTENT CREATOR/ PHOTOGRAPHER
Cristal Lee PHOTOGRAPHY &VIDEO
Munkhbayar Magvandorj PHOTOGRAPHY
Emarie Majors PHOTOGRAPHY
Uurtsaikh Nyamdeleg PHOTOGRAPHY &VIDEO
Mark Daeson Tabbilos PHOTOGRAPHY &VIDEO
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LE T T E R FRO M THE A R T D I R E CTOR As we worked in the office one afternoon, my coworker and I reflected on our recent visit the to the Beyond Van Gogh art exhibit in Honolulu. We talked with our other co-workers about how inspiring it was, how Van Gogh had changed our perspectives and how art has the power to truly move us. As we discussed this, we knew we wanted to learn about and share the amazing artists that surround us here on campus and in Laie, and what inspires them to create. That is why we have dedicated this month’s issue to all things creative. From hip-hop dancers (p.20) to cake decorators (p.31) to musicians with unique talents, like playing the horse violin (p.28), you will learn of the distinctive talents our campus has to offer. Take a dive into our local community on Oahu and check out the street art in Kaka‘ako (p.42) or learn more about the Van Gogh art exhibit (p.12).You can also learn how fashion is influenced by the past (p.34) and how students run their own businesses based off what they create (p. 16). As I have read through the stories in this month’s issue, I have been in awe of the talents people have and how they express them and use them to bless others. As an artist and graphic designer myself, I have felt that art is one of the most powerful ways we can communicate and connect as children of God, whether it is taking part in the joy of creation and collaboration (p. 16) or admiring the work of others. I hope you find gratitude, joy and inspiration as you read through this month’s issue. As a team here at Ke Alaka‘i, we had a lot of fun writing, editing and creating visuals for this issue. We hope you like it as much as we do! Enjoy! Katie Mower, art director
Katie Mower, art director NEWS CENTER:
Box 1920 BYUH Laie, HI 96762 Editorial, photo submissions & distribution inquires: kealakai@byuh.edu To view additional articles go to kealakai.byuh.edu
CONTACT: Email: kealakai@byuh.edu Phone: (808) 675-3694 Office: BYU–Hawaii Aloha Center 134 ON THE COVER: A photo collage of this month’s features by Katie Mower. Photos by Emarie Majors & Cristal Lee.
ABOUT 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.What 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 work to provide information for BYU–Hawaii’s campus ohana and Laie’s community.
© 2021 Ke Alaka‘i BYU–Hawaii All Rights Reserved N O V EM B ER 2021 3
Table of
CONT ENTS Inspired creativity
6 Art submission 7 Campus comments
10 Esther Mungamuri: Painter & illustrator
8 Country highlight: India
12 Van Gogh art exhibit
34 Sharing musicians on Laie Instagram
16 Art side business
36 Surfboard shaping
18 Video game programming
38 Street art in Honolulu
20 Jeff Merrill: Creation
42 Hip-hop Club
22 Horse violin 25 Cake decorating 28 Cultural connections to art
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30 Sol & Tas earrings
40 Living through words 46 Ragtime concert 48 Fashion through the decades
Thanksgiving
Campus & Community
50 What to make for Thanksgiving 52 How to draw a turkey
54 President & Sister Hafoka
53 Pie recipe
60 Give & Take wedding
58 Personifi: Alumni business
66 Shark attack coincidence 68 Tongan missionary students 70 Annie Wong: Hong Kong alumna
62 Gloria Folks Foundation
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CR E AT I V E W R I T I N G/ AR T/ PHOTO S UBM I S S I ON
“Great White Egret in low country Georgia” by Samuel Boice, an alumnus from Georgia
Share your art, photos or creative writing with us to share it in our next issue. E-mail us your high-resolution photo or work with a caption at kealakai@byuh.edu
FOL L OW US A ROUND T HE W EB
K E A L A K A I . BY UH . E D U
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CAMPUS C O M M E N T S Wha t i s a m a n t ra you live by?
BY LE VI F UAGA Yash Naiker, a junior from Malaysia majoring in political science, said he lives by the saying, “Do better than what you did yesterday.” He shared there’s a tendency for people to compare themselves to others and forget to work to improve their own well-being. As a college student, he said his mantra helps him improve himself and his work ethic. “Being a student is hard. I don’t think it’s easy. So knowing this [mantra], it pushes me in the right direction ... to become a better person and a better student.”
Frances Sharma, a sophomore from Fiji majoring in political science, said her father once told her, “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” She said this quote has helped her deal with the difficulties of college life and persevere toward her goals. “We sometimes feel when we hit rock bottom, it’s pointless to try again, but if you keep trying, you’ll get somewhere in life. It may not be where you want to be, but you’ll still get there,” she said.
Taylor Flynn, a freshman from Utah majoring in social work, said her mantra is, “Live life in the moment.” Eager to attend BYU–Hawaii, Flynn said she considered from graduating high school early, but her mother encouraged her to “live in the now” and cherish her high school experiences. She said her mother’s advice has helped her find joy in life as a student. “It’s helped me to focus on schooling and having fun with my friends … [and] making sure I’m getting good grades so I can continue and grow when I get my graduate degree as well.”
Helaman Kennach, a sophomore from Washington majoring in computer science, said he is comforted by a Elder Michael A. Dunn quote, “Truly, it is by small, simple and yes, even just 1 percent things that great things can be brought to pass,” given in the October 2021 General Conference. He shared he recently returned home to attend a funeral, missing four days of school and homework assignments, causing him a lot of stress. He said Dunn’s quote helped him complete the assignments he missed. “I feel comfort from the Spirit that I’m doing the right thing, and it helps me keep moving forward. Doing small things every day helps me feel like I can do it.”
Graphics by Katie Mower.
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COUNTRY HIGHLIGHT:
INDIA BYUH students say differences in religion don’t stop India from being a united country BY LAUREN GOODWIN
S
hahil Kumar Mungamuri said although India is a vast and diverse country, the differences in culture, food, language and tradition add to its unification.
What do you think India is most known for? Vaishali Kilaparthi, a senior from Visakhapatnam, India, majoring in accounting, said most of the time when she tells people she’s from India, they ask her about her favorite Bollywood movies. Bollywood is just like Hollywood, she explained, so many people are familiar with the movies. She said her favorite Bollywood movie is “Dangal.”
What are unique cultural practices in India? Don’t wear your slippers in the house, Kilaparthi said, emphasizing how in India, they don’t even bring slippers in the house. They leave them outside. Mungamuri, a freshman from Rajamandi, India, majoring in computer science, said Atithi Devo Bhava, or treating guests as if they are a god, is a unique cultural practice. He said the people in India will always feed the guests a lot of food and “give them the greatest salutations.”
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Anisha Rayudu, a freshman from Hyderabad, India, majoring in computer science, said another cultural practice in India is not talking back to people. No matter their age, she explained, people from India show others the utmost respect and love. She said doing so shares Indian traditions and culture with other people.
What is a piece of traditional Indian clothing? The saree (or sari) and chudidhar, said Rayudu, are pieces of traditional clothing that cover the entire body, typically worn during weddings or other special occasions. The saree resembles a blanket that is tied at the waist or wrapped around the person, she explained. The chudidhar is a pair of pants and shirt worn with a scarf. Traditionally, she said, most people will wear green, red, blue and yellow. Mungamuri said men wear a dhoti or a kurta, or white pants and shirt, during special family gatherings. However, due to Westernization, he said more men are starting to wear suits.
What is a major holiday in India and how do you celebrate it? There are many religious festivals held throughout the year, but some of the biggest holidays are Holi, Diwali and Ogadi, explained Mungamuri. Holi, or the festival of color, he said, is celebrated by throwing colored chalk at festival goers. Diwali, or the festival of light, is held in celebration of a Hindu god, and is a celebration of new beginnings, Mungamuri said. People will make good food and burn firecrackers or fireworks in the evening, he explained. Kilaparthi said holidays are different all over India, but Diwali is celebrated by almost everyone in India, even though it is of the Hindu religion. She shared the holiday is a five-day celebration, and added people of the Hindu religion will go to temples to worship, offer food to the gods and pray for family. Ogadi, Mungamuri shared, is held in March of the Roman calendar, and is similar to the New Year’s holiday. During the holiday, he said they make a dish using the seven different tastes, including sour, bitter and sweet, among
others. He said the dish symbolizes how “life may have many different emotions, and the tastes [or emotions] can be balanced in life.” Rayudu said her favorite holiday celebrated in India is Sankranthi, a three-day festival in January that celebrates the harvest. The first day is called Bhogi, where people “burn old wood or old furniture,” which represents burning the past and entering into a new life, she explained. The second day is called Sankranthi, and is celebrated by making a lot of food from what was harvested and wearing traditional clothing, she said. The third day is called Kanuma, shared Rayudu, and people will decorate bulls with different colors and let them rest all day. In India, farmers are referred to as the “backbone of India,” and the holiday is meant to honor and respect the farmers, she explained.
sacrifice, peace and agriculture. The spokes on the wheel, she explained, represent the virtues the country believes in. Mungamuri added the wheel is also known as the Ashoka Chakra, and is used to remember and honor a good king. He said the wheel itself “represents the life cycle and how there is life in movement and death in stagnation.” Kilaparthi said she learned in school the different colors also represent the different religious groups within India. She shared, “Saffron is the Hindu culture, white is the Christians and green is the Muslims.” Mungamuri said although this wasn’t the original meaning of the colors, people use them now to represent the different religious affiliations.
What is the main language spoken in India?
Kilaparthi said she lived in a coastal city 15 minutes from the beach. She said her hometown has a fish harbor and is one of the cleanest cities in India. Mungamuri said his city is in between the countryside and the city. “People might call it the countryside, but it’s a mix between both ... because we have small shopping malls, movie theaters and grocery stores.”
The national language in India is Hindi, shared Rayudu, but it is common for people to speak multiple languages. She said, “My native language is Telugu, but I also speak English and Hindi.” Mungamuri explained there are more than 20 to 30 languages spoken in India, and each state speaks a different dialect or language. He shared he speaks Telugu, English and enough Hindi to be able to ask for directions.
What is your favorite Indian food? Kilaparthi shared her favorite Indian food is called chicken biryani, which is served with rice and made with dry spices including coriander, star anise and bay leaves. She said this is one of the most popular dishes in her city. Mungamuri said although it was hard to narrow down, his favorite food is called dal, which is served with leafy vegetables. There are more than 10 different types of dal, he said, and people can make it with many different ingredients like mango, tomato and a variety of leafy vegetables.
What is the meaning behind India’s flag?
What is your home city like?
What are the education differences between India and BYUH? Kilaparthi said she prefers how there isn’t as much competition between students at BYUH. Schools in India, she said, are intense because everyone competes for the best grade, but in the United States, everyone has a chance to get the best grade they can. Mungamuri said studying at BYUH is much different than the textbook-based learning in India. He shared most of the time in India, students look to the textbook to find answers, but at BYUH, learning is much more collaborative and engaging. •
Graphics by Katie Mower.
Rayudu said the Indian flag has three different colors and a wheel in the middle. The colors saffron, white and green represent
N O V EM B ER 2021 9
ART AS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
BY XYRON LEVI CORPUZ
BYUH sophomore who painted murals in the cafeteria encourages artists to use their materials every day 1 0 KE AL A K A‘I 2021
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sked by her previous manager to paint three walls of the original BYU–Hawaii cafeteria where she used to work, Esther Mungamuri said her favorite is called “the ulu tree and the girl.” She explained the painting is one of three murals she did and features a girl picking fruits under an ulu tree and putting them in a basket on her lap and beside her are the ipu and the uli uli, two Hawaiian instruments. The painting took her about a month to complete, Mungamuri added. She explained the murals “the ulu tree and the girl” and “surfs up” were painted because her previous manager wanted to feature different aspects of the island. The “surfs up” mural features the surfing culture on the island, and the waves on the painting are made of rainbow colors from popular shave ice, she explained. The third mural is called “aloha.” She said the purpose of this mural is for guests to see the welcoming word painted on the middle of the wall when they eat at the cafeteria.
to show emotions in her drawings, like in the eyes and smiles. Something that caught my attention was when she told me it was pretty hard to draw my smile.” She said Mungamuri told her she has a special smile and her teeth were organized in an uncommon way. She said she found it cool Mungamuri had noticed small details others usually didn’t. “She has this gift or talent to see what nobody else does. … I was just so amazed,” Yañez Lizama added.
Dedicated and inspired
The universal language to inspire Mungamuri, a sophomore from Taiwan majoring in visual arts with a concentration in painting, said she always knew she had a passion for drawing. Even after trying different activities such as basketball, swimming, violin and piano, she said she never forgot her love for art. “I think that’s how you find your talent. You try everything, but you still love that one.” Mungamuri said she would not survive without art in the world because she is not good with words, writing, numbers or the Mandarin language. She said she sees art as a universal language. “You don’t need to translate [art]. You just see it, and you know it,” she explained. The goal of her art, she said, is “to inspire people and give [them] a warm and happy feeling” because there are already too many bad things happening in people’s lives.
Expression turned passion Mungamuri said she started drawing when she was 5 years old. She shared, “One time, I drew on the wall in my house because I wanted to express whatever was on my mind.” She explained that was where her passion started.
Today, Mungamuri explained she does portraits, illustrations and comics using charcoal, watercolor, ink, digital art and a little bit of oil. She said her favorite medium is watercolor and ink because both use a lot of water and she loves the movement of the water on the paper.
To see what no one else sees Mitzi Lilian Yañez Lizama, a sophomore from Chile majoring in psychology, said Mungamuri, who was her dorm unit mate, has an extraordinary ability to notice details and capture emotion. She said, “I had never met someone like her. For example, I was so impressed with the mural she made in the cafeteria. … She’s going to be something big in the future.” Mungamuri proposed the idea of making a portrait illustration of Yañez Lizama, which she said she agreed to do. Not only did she like the finished portrait, but she said she was also very impressed with it. “She has a talent
Tatum Sammons Jensen, a senior from Arizona majoring in communications, said it is very inspiring for her to see Mungamuri’s dedication in art class. “She was always doing an extra painting,” she said. “As I was coming in late at night, she was always there in the classroom working on something, either for the watercolor class or something else.’’ She said she thinks Mungamuri could have taught the class because she was already so skillful. At the same time, she added Mungamuri is very humble and willing to be critiqued and learn more as an artist. Mungamuri gave advice for others who want to get into art. “If you want to have control of your pencil and of your material, you need to get to know them first. You need to use them every day.” Mungamuri’s main inspiration for her art is Norman Rockwell, who she said is an American illustrator and oil painter. She said she likes stories, and whenever she sees Rockwell’s work she feels like she is watching a movie. “One of my favorite pieces of art is called ‘The Gossips,’ which is one of [Rockwell’s] paintings,” she said. “You can see from the beginning the gossip goes through every single person and at the end is a totally different story.’’ •
Left: Esther Mungamuri sketches a portrait with charcoal. Above: Mungamuri poses with two of the three murals she painted in the original BYUH cafeteria. Photos by Christal Lee. Graphics by Marlee Palmer.
N O V E M B ER 2021 11
GENIUS ahead of
HIS TIME
BYUH students share how Van Gogh’s art enriches their lives and reminds them to cherish their loved ones
BY RAHEL MEYER
S
played onto the walls of a spacious room, Van Gogh’s colorful paintings moved from the walls to vividly appear on the floor. Classical music accompanied the massive moving canvases as visitors of “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” in Honolulu looked around with smiles on their faces. Shantall Morales, a senior majoring in psychology from Mexico, said, “You’re getting the whole experience, [including] the meaning behind his paintings and how he turned his pain into beauty. It allows you to enjoy his art.”
In the heart of an oddity Gabriela Amaller, a senior majoring in business management and cultural anthropology from Canada, said she visited the exhibit. She shared the experience helped her get to know the artist better and dive deep into his story. She said the exhibit gave her “a little glimpse into his mind, the genius behind the paintings.”
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Katie Mower, a BYUH alumna from Idaho who visited the exhibit twice, said prior to walking through the room-sized artwork, the visitor is led down a hallway that contains quotes and anecdotes about Van Gogh’s life. The quotes prepare visitors for the immersive experience, she added. “I loved reading about his life and the thoughts he had. I think people can resonate a lot with him and who he was. For example, he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. He thought about being a preacher, he tried being an art dealer, but in the end, he chose art because he loved it so much.” Mower explained Van Gogh, despite his genius and innovative use of color, never knew his own success and only sold one painting in his lifetime. “He lived poor and wasn’t a rich man by any means, but he pursued [art] anyway. … He failed at a lot of things, and yet he is what he is today because he kept on trying and kept on painting.”
Van Gogh’s various self-portraits at the exhibit. Photo by Katie Mower. N O V E M B ER 2021 13
“Everything that came after in the exhibit built off of what I felt in that moment about him. What he felt. That’s what prepared me to see his art in a different light.” Gabriela Amaller
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She said when walking through the hallway, one quote by Van Gogh stood out to her: “What am I in the eyes of most people? A nonentity or an oddity or a disagreeable person– someone who has and will have no position in society. In short, a little lower than the lowest. Very well– assuming that everything is indeed like that, then through my work, I’d like to show what there is in the heart of such an oddity, such a nobody.” Knowing Van Gogh’s story and his thoughts about his life helped her gain a deeper appreciation of his art, Mower said. “He had really big problems with mental health, from severe depression to going to an asylum to ending his life at age 37. Still, he created so much beauty, with which so many people fell in love with and admire today.” Mower added Van Gogh painted two to three paintings a day, filling them with his own emotions, such as anger, fear, joy and love. She said Van Gogh’s life has taught her it’s important for people to do what they love. According to the Van Gogh gallery website, Van Gogh painted almost 900 paintings in less than 10 years. Amaller said while reading about his life and the pain he felt, she felt as if he was misunderstood in his time. “I got really emotional when, in one of his quotes, he said he just wanted to paint the beauty in the world. I remember feeling his pain, that he felt like an outcast. I think everything that came after in the exhibit built off of what I felt in that moment about him. What he felt. That’s what prepared me to see his art in a different light.”
Immersing into his paintings Amaller explained after walking through the hallway and reading about Van Gogh’s life, the visitor is led into a spacious room where his paintings come alive. The Beyond Van Gogh website says experiencing Van Gogh’s art at the exhibit helps people appreciate his art in a new way. “Using his dreams, his thoughts and his words to drive the experience as a narrative,
we move along projection swathed walls wrapped in light, color and shapes that swirl, dance and refocus into flowers, cafes and landscapes. “Masterpieces, now freed from frames, come alive, appear and disappear, flow across multi-surfaces, the minutia of details titillating our heightened senses. Through his own words set to a symphonic score, we may come to a new appreciation of this tortured artist’s stunning work.” Mower said while being immersed into his paintings, one moment stood out to her because she remembered reading a quote that said Van Gogh felt most alive at night. “When one of his night paintings appeared, and the whole room was shifted into a warm, dark navy blue, I felt like I was there at that harbor. I was feeling the energy that came from the light [of the stars]. That’s what Van Gogh felt, and he captured it through his colors and brush strokes.” She added she always resonated with the same feeling at night and the sense of liveliness. “It was really interesting to see he could capture the same emotions in the late 1800s I feel today at night.” Another moment Mower said caught her attention was the portrayal of his almond tree painting. “All the petals of the blossoms fall off the tree and circle around the room, and the music goes along with it. [I] could see the detail in his work, and obviously he didn’t create it like that, but it brought his work to life even more. As the leaves are falling, it [immersed me] in what he might have felt as he created that. The music supports the experience.” Morales said this particular almond tree painting is one Van Gogh painted when his nephew was born. “All the feelings of tenderness, joy and love are being portrayed by looking at his painting and underlined by the music and the movement while standing in the exhibition.” She added at one point during the immersive experience, she learned Van Gogh found beauty in every little thing, and the faces of the people he painted started
to appear all over the surfaces around her. “That hit me so much because God’s greatest creation is his children. … Sometimes [people’s minds are] so involved in unnecessary things that [they’re] missing the best of this life.” Morales said the exhibition made her think of all the people she loves in her life and how much happiness they bring her. “I went out of this exhibition more grateful and thinking, ‘I need to be closer to the people around me and enjoy the beauty they bring to my life.’”
The magic in putting pen to paper After leaving the exhibition, Amaller said she wanted to pick up painting, drawing and writing poetry. “Art is so important because it makes us more sensitive and opens and broadens our perspective of different eras. It enriches our lives. I feel inspired to be more creative.” Although Amaller studies business and said she focuses on analytical things, she added she believes developing her creative side is important too. She said she could relate to Van Gogh’s pain and his using art as an outlet. “I’ve definitely been there before. I’ve never been to a madhouse, but [I have felt] misunderstood [and gone] through painful experiences. For me, it is poetry that helps me cope. … There’s something magical that happens when you pick up a pen or a pencil and you start drawing or writing.” Amaller said she encourages people to go to art exhibitions to support art and culture. •
Various artwork displayed at the exhibit. Photos by Katie Mower.
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Humanities major says she creates and sells her own abstract art to express herself and destress
From doodles to
side business
BY LEVI FUAGA
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lex Mortenson said one night while she and Sierra Cox were talking about homework assignments, she told Cox, “When you do lots of homework, your brain begins to leak out of your ears.” That night, Mortensen said Cox painted a portrait of a person’s brain leaking out of their ears. Mortensen said she was amazed and responded, “That’s exactly what my brain feels like.” Cox, a senior majoring in humanities from California, said she posts and sells her artwork through Instagram and Etsy, an online platform for selling handmade goods, @sluggyshug. Doing so allows her to manage her business from the comfort of her handheld device. She explained she channels her creativity through doodling and painting. “It helps me express myself better than I can in other ways. It’s definitely a hobby that’s good for when I’m stressed because I can relax when I do it. It calms me down,” she shared.
Inspired through studies Cox said as a humanities major, she has learned about the history of various well-known art styles and artists, which prompted her to ponder how art can have an impact on others. “It made me more interested in how art affects people and how it [is expressed] in different ways for different people in different places.” In addition, she said she enjoys making things that are different and have not been created before. “I used to draw and doodle on my homework, and I started painting and I really liked it,” Cox explained. She said she has experimented with linoleum, carving and ceramics in hopes of seeking an appealing style to claim. Through
her exploration, Cox said she became interested in an abstract style of art using acrylic paints, which became her favorite medium. She said she enjoys creating her own original artwork instead of illustrating something from real life. “It’s hard to draw things exactly as they are. I prefer to make something up,” explained Cox, adding she prefers an expressionistic style of art.
Paint and gain Cox said she began selling her artwork in 2019 to help her pay for more art supplies. She explained she gained inspiration to do so from her friend in California who sold her artwork on Etsy. From there, Cox said she gained confidence in promoting her work with the support of her friends. “It’s still not huge … but it has definitely grown a lot since I first started.” She said her business is based out of her home in California and she does not sell her paintings on campus. However, she shared she uses a design app to input and edit her designs onto shirts and stickers, then manages the shipping and handling for her customers. Cox said she fears pursuing an art career would limit her creativity because she would have to paint for certain audiences and work within a time frame. “I don’t really want [selling my artwork] to become my job because I feel like that would ruin my hobby [because] … I wouldn’t be able to do it when I want to.”
Illustrated friendships Although her business is based elsewhere, Cox’s reputation as an artist has been noticed at BYU–Hawaii by her friends Abbie Putnam, a senior from Utah majoring
in communications, and Mortensen, a sophomore from Utah majoring in hospitality and tourism management. Mortenson said, “It makes me feel proud of her, that she’s expressing herself in a way that a lot of people can’t and that she’s developing this talent God has given her.” She explained she learned of Cox’s talent while watching her doodle in her notebook during a devotional, which led to Cox showing her more artwork on her Instagram page. Cox’s roommate, Putnam, said, “It’s been fun to watch her create art in her free time. … I always like to tell people when I’m introducing her that she’s a talented artist because I think one of the most unique things about her is her artwork. She does a really good job.” After serving in the Australia Brisbane Mission together, Putnam said she and Cox then became roommates and close friends while attending school together. She shared while visiting her in California, she bought one of her T-shirts that has her illustration of someone pulling a chicken drumstick out of another person’s hair. Putnam said she then wore it during a weight-lifting class, which caught the attention of one of her classmates, who then went on to follow her Instagram page. Putnam said Cox isn’t afraid to express herself, loves to laugh and is a fun person to be around. Mortenson said Cox’s art style represents her vibrant personality. Cox said creating and selling her artwork has increased her confidence as an artist. She advised aspiring artists to draw inspiration from other creators with a similar art style and to not be afraid of what anyone thinks. “If you don’t try, you’ll never know,” she said. • Examples of Sierra Cox’s artwork. Photos provided by Sierra Cox.
N O V E M B ER 2021 17
CREATING A VIRTUAL WORLD BYUH alumna says she and her husband are working together to create new video games BY LAUREN GOODWIN
B
rittany Hennis Harper said she makes her own stories come to life by creating video games. She and her husband, Stephen Harper, are currently working on “Novaborn,” a video game she said she created based on comics Stephen Harper wrote. A user interface (UI) programmer at New World Interactive and BYU–Hawaii graphic design graduate from 2013, Brittany Harper said her love for video game programming all started in middle school. She said she made her first role-playing games using “RPG maker,” a video game series where you can create your own video game.
Starting their own company One night as Harper was playing the video game “Destiny” with her husband, she said she remembered wishing it was better. She said, “We thought, why not get into video games?” After Harper graduated from BYUH, she said she and her husband moved to BYU–Idaho so he could finish his degree. She said her husband became a comic book author and 3D artist and she began programming. The couple even started a programming club together, she added. In 2015, Harper said she and her husband started their own entertainment company called “Raptagon Studios,” where they planned to make video games and comics.
Making “Novaborn” together Harper said after a few prototypes, she designed a third-person video game that follows a storyline based her husband’s original comics.
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The game is set in Medieval times and follows a girl named Inpherna, who is considered a noble with a great life and family until a great tragedy pushes her to find answers, Harper explained. Stephen Harper said translating the comic into a 3D video game was interesting because he had to learn how to make sure the models of characters or objects on the page looked realistic as 3D models in the game. Stephen Harper shared, “It’s been a wonderful opportunity to learn the story-writing process and transcribe [the story] into a game.” Creating a comic for “Novaborn” allowed people to connect with the franchise and what they were creating, he explained. Robert McConnell, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Arts & Letters, said, “At its core, graphic design is about communicating through visuals and typography.” McConnell shared graphic design and programming have a lot in common because creating visuals within a video game are crucial in clearly communicating information to each player. Graphic designers learn skills like “control of color, composition and visual hierarchy [that] can help convey tone, create atmosphere, and add depth and realism to the game,” he explained. These skills help illustrate the story of the game that is not explicitly spoken, McConnell added. Brittany Harper said she and her husband were able to showcase their game “Novaborn: Crusade of Victus” at a few Canadian video game expos in 2019. At the expos, she said she
displayed the “first playable” model of the video game, which is a playable version of the game but not the final product. Stephen Harper said building “Novaborn” with his wife has been great because he and his wife trust each other’s creativity and drive to get things completed. He added expanding the company and working together has added to the experience of making video games because they get to make something they both love.
For other programmers: “Just go for it” Brittany Harper advised aspiring programmers to learn as much as they can, create portfolios and go to events to meet different companies they may want to join. She said it has been a great experience working with other programmers and artists to make AAA video games, which are considered large video game companies. Brittany Harper said joining companies that seem humble and friendly rather than boastful is important
for her to enjoy her work. She said, “Good programmers are hard to come by, so you can definitely pick and choose which company to work for.” Although being the only woman programmer at her job can be interesting, she said she feels lucky to be a part of such a tight knit group.
Looking to the future Due to COVID-19, Brittany Harper said there haven’t been enough funds to finish “Novaborn,” so she had to find a job at New World Interactive. She said she remains hopeful things will start to improve and they will be able to receive enough funding to finish the game. “One day we’ll make our games. We have many stories and experiences we want to exist. But for now, we need some time to recover before we can do that.” Stephen Harper shared, “This is a time of growth . . . as we are making our own company, games, comics and stories.” Despite the turbulent times of COVID-19, he said he and Brittany Harper cannot wait to expand the company and create more games and stories. The comics depicting the storyline for “Novaborn” can be found on the website raptagonstudios.com. •
Brittany and Stephen Harper’s “Novaborn: Tales of Inpherna.” Graphics by Emily Hendrickson. N O V E M B ER 2021 19
cr e a t i
o
The joy of
n
Art professor says the creative process of painting and drawing relates to God’s creation of the world BY LEVI FUAGA & LEIANI BROWN
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reating artwork mimics God’s creative power, said Jeff Merrill, associate professor of visual arts in the Faculty of Arts & Letters. Merrill, who worked as an illustrator for more than 10 years and attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California, said many people see art as a “frivolous, unimportant pursuit,” but he emphasized the importance of creative power. “One of the titles God uses often and that we read about in the scriptures is ‘Creator,’” explained Merrill. “The scriptures have a lot of information about the creation and how he created things and why he created things. That’s something really essential to the definition of God.” He said he wants to emphasize the importance of creating but is not trying to compare himself to God. “Being creative usually benefits more than the creator. In a sense, it’s a service to everyone. When we create, we problem solve, we invent, we build, we develop, we beautify. It’s a positive experience.”
Gospel principles and creativity One of the things that fascinates him, Merrill said, is that art and the creative process 2 0 KE AL A K A‘I 2021
contain analogies for the gospel, such as the creation of the world. He shared how he tries to teach his students in a way that combines the two topics. “Some of these principles of design really integrate and mirror and interface perfectly with gospel principles,” he said. “It’s given me a blueprint to navigate and a lens to see the world through.” Hikaru Kikuya, a senior from Japan studying painting, said Merrill is very spiritual and encourages students to include their faith in the Lord in their careers. “He offers challenges, but at the same time, he knows how hard painting [and drawing can be].” Merrill said he hopes his students learn to be “critical observers.” He explained he wants his students to not only learn the art principles, but also understand them and have the critical thinking skills to solve problems that may arise.
The rush of creating and teaching Merrill, a self-professed “representational artist,” said he feels a sort of exhilaration or “adrenaline rush” when he is able to represent a person through art. He explained adrenaline “is like a power drink. It gives you something beyond your own strength. And I don’t
know that it’s necessarily adrenaline, but it feels that way.” His personality plays a role in his exhilaration about art, he said. “I go through these times where my mind gets super creative. It’s like all the synapses are firing and there are so many thoughts and ideas.” Merrill’s favorite part about teaching, he said, is interacting with the students. “I feel energized ... being around them and sharing art. There’s something there that also gives me an adrenaline rush. It’s super exciting for me to share what I know with students.” Samuel Ching, a senior from Hong Kong double-majoring in art education and painting, and Merrill’s TA, said Merrill strives to help the international students, particularly those who don’t speak English as their first language. “He would reach out to them and make sure they [understood] each concept [clearly],” Ching explained. Merrill said when he was choosing his career path, he tried to consider other options, such as being an orthodontist, but he always came back to art. “Art has given me a sense of identity. It’s given me opportunities to grow. As much as anything, it’s given me a sense of fulfillment in life.” •
BYUH students and professor posing with their artwork. Top left and middle right: Samuel Ching. Middle: Jeff Merrill. Top right and middle left: Hikaru Kikuya. Photos by Christal Lee.
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horseplay
Sometimes played to chase away potential evils, the morin khuur is found in almost every Mongolian home, says student musician BY ELLE LARSON
Y
oko Yondonjamts said he can perform songs that sound like a horse galloping, cantering, running and trotting on his unique instrument, the morin khuur. He uses the tips of his fingers and the tops of his knuckles to play the instrument, swiftly changing hand positions to hit every note. Yondonjamts, a sophomore from Mongolia majoring in business management, said the morin khuur, or horsehead fiddle in English, is a traditional Mongolian instrument. The instrument has two strings made of horsehair and features a carved horse head on the top of the instrument’s neck.Yondonjamts said he holds the morin khuur in front of him while he plays it with a bow like a cello. He said he brought his small, guitar-sized morin khuur as his carry-on when he flew to Hawaii. He added he might have the only morin khuur in all of Hawaii, and he is the only one who plays the instrument out of all the Mongolian students at BYU–Hawaii.
The lore behind morin khuur According to the website Mongolianz, the morin khuur has been a part of Mongolian culture since the 13th century.Yondonjamts explained the lore behind the instrument, “There was a guy who went to military service, and during his service, he met a girl.” According to the Mongolianz website, the man became known as Namjil the Cuckoo because he sang so beautifully. Yondonjamts explained Namjil and the girl, who happened to be the princess, met up with each other every night. “One day, his mission was completed, and he headed home.” Yondonjamts said the princess wanted to give Namjil a horse he could travel on to visit her. “But that horse was special,” he said. “It had wings so it could fly.” He said the man took the horse home and came back to meet the princess every night for years. One day,Yondonjamts said the man’s neighbor noticed the horse’s wings. “The neighbor was kind of a bad person, so he took the scissors and cut all the wings, and the horse died.” He explained Namjil mourned the loss of his pet, and he missed his girlfriend.Yondonjamts said to memorialize the horse, Namjil created a morin khuur by carving the horse’s bone into a small horse head to top the instrument and made the rest of the instrument out of the horse’s Yoko Yondonjamts playing his morin khuur, or horsehead fiddle, a traditional Mongolian instrument that embodies the legend of Namjil the Cuckoo. The story goes that Namjil carved the first morin khuur to memorialize his dead horse. Photos by Christal Lee.
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skin and hair. He said every part of the morin khuur was made of parts of Namjil’s horse. He said people who can make the morin khuur “are like gods. I can’t do that.”
Finding music in tradition Today,Yondonjamts said the morin khuur is Mongolia’s traditional instrument, and almost every home has one to display and revere, although most don’t know how to play it. “If your house has a morin khuur, it can protect the family.” Yondonjamts said when people move to a new house, they call a musician like him to come and play the morin khuur. “The sound chases all the bad things from your home,” he explained. He said the morin khuur is an essential part of Mongolian ceremonies, including weddings and celebrations. Bolor Odgiiv, a sophomore majoring in social work from Mongolia, confirmed almost every home in Mongolia has a morin khuur. “It’s a symbolic tradition to have it. … Horses are very representative of Mongolia because [Mongolians] conquered the world on horse,” she explained. “The horse is very important to us. It’s very unique and treasured for us to have the morin khuur.” The Mongolianz website says people still use the morin khuur to coax mother camels to care for their babies.Yondonjamts explained he has never attempted to tame any wild animals with his fiddle because he’s from the city, though he has heard of people playing to summon horses. He said the man who taught him to play could play his morin khuur while riding his horse. 2 4 KE AL A K A‘I 2021
Learning to play
A plan to combine interests
Yondonjamts said he started playing the morin khuur in middle school after watching a man play it on television. “One of the guys was playing it, and he made a horse sound with it, and I was impressed.” He said he told his parents he wanted to learn, and they found a small school near his home where a man taught lessons. “I met the guy who was my teacher, and he tested me on my hearing.” His teacher hit some rhythms on a table and asked him to repeat them,Yondonjamts explained. He said he passed the test and the teacher told him he accepted him as a student. Yondonjamts said he visited the school for private lessons a few times a week for three years, then went on to attend the Music and Dance College in Ulaanbaatar for another three years before serving his mission and studying business management at BYUH. Flora Enkhbold, a senior from Mongolia majoring in business, said she can tell Yondonjamts loves his morin khuur. She said he started playing the instrument later than most musicians, “But he was passionate about it, [so] he learned it pretty fast.” Yondonjamts said the morin khuur can be played alongside all different instruments, but most of the time, people perform solo. While he studied music in college in Mongolia, he said he was a part of a traditional Mongolian orchestra. Yondonjamts has taught several students in Mongolia to play the morin khuur but does not plan to spend too much time teaching until he has retired, he explained.
Though he studies marketing now, Yondonjamts said music remains a big part of his life.Yondonjamts explained he was a member of SION Choir, which competed in Mongolia’s Got Talent in 2016. He said he also sings and raps on the Mongolian Especially for Youth (MEFY) YouTube channel. On the channel, he said he and other Mongolian church members create musical church videos in Mongolian. Yondonjamts said he decided to study marketing because “In Mongolia, the musicians are not paid a lot. It’s not like other jobs. It takes a lot of time to learn.You spend your whole life, and it’s really risky. ... [Studying marketing is] a better choice for me.” He said he plans to use his talent in the future to help him with his career. He said he wants to start an event planning team where he and his team put together entertainment, decorations and food. He said doing this would combine all his interests: music, psychology and business, into a valuable service.•
Yoko Yondonjamts rides a horse at Gunstock Ranch. He says the man who taught him how to play the morin khuur can play and ride at the same time. Photos by Christal Lee.
BYUH alumna says she paints Impressionist art on Hawaiian-inspired wedding cakes BY ELLE LARSON
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s Jehonna Kane studied at BYU– Hawaii, she said she grew to love the Hawaiian culture and traditions, so she began to incorporate them into her work. She said she also tries to ship local produce from Hawaii to Utah to use in her baking. Hawaiian flavors like lilikoi and coconut are popular flavors at Maile Cake Designs, she explained. Kane, a graphic design alumna from the Philippines, said her baking skills are all selftaught because she relies on her graphic design and multimedia art background from BYUH to decorate her cakes. Kane calls the cakes her “edible canvases.”
Alumna Jehonna Kane says she tries to incorporate Hawaiian flavors and designs into her “edible canvases.” Photo provided by Jehonna Kane.
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She said she opened up a shop from home in Hawaii in 2020 before moving to Utah, and in just a year, she has put together an impressive portfolio, a strong social media presence and even a television appearance. Kane described her recent appearance on ABC 4 Utah. She said she was approached by a content producer looking for businesses to promote. Maile Cake Designs was chosen for its unique business design, she explained.
Hawaiian cakes in Utah “What I do is a little bit different than just regular, pretty cakes,” Kane said. She said her cake designs focus on two themes: Wabi-sabi, the Japanese philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection, and impressionism, capturing beauty in time. “I see cakes as art,” she said. “Even though it’s edible, it can be art. … Despite the fact that wedding cakes are meant to be eaten and dismembered, I believe accepting and enjoying the artistic beauty in the moment is important.” She said she makes an extra special Swiss meringue butter-cream frosting, that her customers love, to put on all of her cakes. “It acts just like acrylic, just like paint.” She explained she uses a palette knife to create artwork with the buttercream on her cakes. Kane said she brought back the Hawaiian traditions and flavors to Utah to encourage the Polynesian culture there through representing 2 6 KE AL A K A‘I 2021
the communities of islanders in the state. “There’s a lot of Polynesian influence here, and not a lot of us are being represented in the wedding industry.” She explained she wants to give the communities more exposure in hopes of helping them to live their culture even though they are far from home. Kane said she uses the traditional Hawaiian maile vine as a symbol for her business. The Maile Cake Design website explains maile is a vine that grows in wet forests of Hawaii. “In ancient Hawaiian wedding ceremonies, a strand of maile is used to bind the bride and groom together to symbolize their commitment and union. … The maile lei embodies the spirit of Aloha.”
Kane’s first cake Kane said she started her business from home after designing a cake for her sister’s wedding during the pandemic. Jen Bilan, Kane’s sister and BYUH alumna, recollected the cake. Bilan said it was the first time Kane made a two-tiered cake, and it wasn’t easy. “[Jehonna] used a couple of boba straws for cake support. It was chaotic. We were laughing and giggling nervously because we didn’t know if it would survive.” She said Kane added some artistic embellishments to the cake, improvising with bouquet flowers and gold leaf foils.
Kane said because she loves the process of designing and baking, she forged these two passions together and started making wedding cakes. She added she took advantage of the new market of couples getting married during the pandemic.
More than a cake Daria Fuell is an elementary behavioral specialist in Utah who hired Kane to design and create her wedding cake. Fuell said she found Maile Cake Designs on Instagram. “When I found Jehonna’s page, I fell in love. … I saw how she could do incredible artistry with her craft.” Fuell said she was amazed at Kane’s talent and loved Kane’s watercolor and oil painting styles. “It was the most perfect thing I could ever think of [for my wedding].When I heard she was available for our date, I think I literally started jumping up and down because I was so excited to work with her.” Kane said the process of making a wedding cake starts with knowing the couple. “Every couple and relationship is different. They give me a brief overview of their dynamics, and then I dive deeper to find what sparks joy. It makes it super meaningful for
them.” She said by learning about her clients, she can take her designs “beyond the Pinterest board.” After she gets to know her clients, she said she works with them to develop a sketch of the cake they want. “The wedding couple plays a major part in designing the cake. It is a collaborative effort between the couple and the cake artist.” In total, Kane said the design process takes about four months, and she produces one or two cakes per week. Fuell said Kane added the lyrics of the couple’s favorite song and artwork to match the flowers on their wedding invitations to their cake. These personalized details made the cake a special symbol at the wedding, she said. “It really became something that was personal to us.” Fuell said Kane was very personable. She explained she knew a lot of professionals in the wedding industry who treat clients as clients, not friends. In contrast, she said Kane “understood our cake wasn’t going to be like anybody else’s. It really made us feel like we were valued to her artistry.” She said after everything, she considers Kane a friend because of the connection they developed while working on the cake.
A word of advice When it comes to starting a business, Kane told BYUH students it is important to find a support system or “a tribe of likeminded individuals.” She said her biggest support is her husband. Running a business from home with two children in tow is no easy feat, Kane said, but she encourages mothers to try their hand at running a business too. “It’s possible to juggle both motherhood and a business.You can do it. It takes a village, so finding support is the biggest thing.” Business owners should also take things one step at a time, said Kane. “Success doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process. Take a break if you have to, but don’t quit until you have really tried.” •
Left page: Jehonna Kane adding flowers to a cake. Right page: Three of Jehonna Kane’s cakes along with the sketches and design plans for two of them. Photos provided by Jehonna Kane.
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CUL TURAL CONN
ECT ION
TO
CRE
ATING BY ALEXANDRA CLENDENNING Bold colors and found paper, similar to collage art, make up the work of local artist Haunani Hess, who said she is directly inspired by the nature and culture surrounding her on Oahu. Her pieces are filled with mountains, aquatic scenes and photography, demonstrated in bright watercolors on the background of found pages from books. “I am native Hawaiian. My work is an expression from the core of my being, and not solely as a reaction to external circumstances,” she said. “I am a Hawaiian artist, whereas 2 8 KE AL A K A‘I 2021
Local artists says anyone who has an imagination can create art non-Hawaiians who live here are sometimes mistakenly called, ‘Hawaiian artists.” Hess is a local, self-taught, self-employed artist who said she has been doing art her whole adult life. Hess owns her own studio in Honolulu, where she is originally from. She explained she sells her pieces privately, and to get more coverage in the community, also at local markets on Oahu two times per month. Another BYUH alumnus from Brisbane, Australia, and freelance artist and designer on the North Shore of Oahu, Sam Mangakahia says Maori tattoo art, or ta moko, inspires his artwork. “[My] strong interest in moko wasn’t just in the beauty of design, it was in the process of learning people’s stories and sharing that through indigenous design,” Mangakahia shares on his website, Hamiora.com. He said he hand-carves culture pieces on almost anything, such as leather journals, phone cases and instruments. On his website, he showcases his style and technique. According to Mangakahia, each piece showcases his Maori culture by representing the nature of New Zealand, Australia and Oahu. He uses bold lines and curved figures that look like waves, leaves, flowers and turtles. A freshman from Papenoo, Tahiti studying psychology, Edelweiss Chonger said she started doing art when she was 6-years-old. She credited her inspiration and exposure to different styles of art to her mother, who is a pianist; her uncle, who is an artist; and her grandfather, who is an architect. She said the exposure to different types of art has allowed her to experiment with different mediums like spray paint, acrylic art and collage. “I think today, my style has changed a little in the sense that I love trying new things every time,” Chonger said.
The creative process Hess described her art as multi-layered with different colors and forms. She said she
uses different lines and figures to represent the mountains and the landscape of Oahu. “My style is to be in a state of ease, flow and intuition,” she said. “I am led by the creative process, rather than pushing for a specific outcome.” Hess explained her process starts by collecting the appropriate materials and having an organized space. “I am constantly gathering materials, be it found paper, magazines, old books, fabric swatches or any material that calls my attention,” she explained. Throughout her life, Hess said she has experienced art through a more technical lens, which was not something pleasurable for her. She explained she has also interned in different parts of the United States. One place was Austin, Texas, where she learned from artist Reggie Thomas, who specializes in glass blowing. She compared the experience of forcing a style of art on herself to doing countless push ups. As time passed, Hess said she grew away from doing tedious work and began exploring more abstract forms and doing what felt good to her as an artist. She encouraged other artists to do what they love, emphasizing they should try and challenge themselves within the zone they enjoy while not participating in a style that is painful for them. Mangakahia said creating becomes much easier for him when the tools he is used to using are readily available for him. “I like to have tools I can work with, whether that is an iPad, a drill, a paint brush or pens. I make sure I have these things around me so when I have a thought and I want to bring out my imagination, I can [quickly] before the thought or the inspiration leaves me.” He continued, “Anyone can do art. Anyone who has an imagination can do art. There’s no set way of how you’re supposed to do it.” He said timeless and meaningful art has a strong base in the elements and principles of art.
Chonger expressed throughout her journey with creating art, she has learned more about herself. “Art is not just about painting, or doing graffiti or drawing. It is about [artists] leaving [their] comfort zones to better discover [their] strengths and weaknesses. … I want to be authentic. Even though what we do is never really completely unique because a lot of people can do the same, I still think it’s important to try to be different.”
History depicted through art During an internship in New Zealand, Mangakahia said he collaborated with local artist Rangi Kipa, a New Zealand sculptor and carver, on the interior design of a local airport. As they worked, Mangakahia said he learned how the narrative and meaning behind a piece of art is just as important as the final product. “What inspires me is the meaning behind the art and how you can create emotion from pieces of art. I want to inspire others to live a better life or be happier … when they view a piece or think about how they connect with the piece through family and culture,” he shared. Mangakahia said the experience of working with Kipa impacted how he thought about his creative process and how he could use art to teach specific history lessons. He said having messages embedded in his work will allow more people to understand New Zealand roots and heritage. “Art can make
everyone culturally adapt and familiar with these markings [ta moko] and bring culture back as the main source of visual communication, helping to decolonize New Zealand.” As a child, Hess said she traveled to different states because her father was in the U.S. military. While traveling, she said she was exposed to different places and people where she learned how to adapt. Hess explained how the layering of her childhood experiences can be seen in the layering done in her artwork. “In a way, every place I’ve lived has stuck with me,” she said. “My work has a lot of layers and textures and nuance. I love mixed media for the rebellious aspect of using whatever materials to create. I think traveling so much as a child taught me how to be adaptable, resilient and resourceful.”
Nature’s impact on creating During a local art show in Honolulu, Hess described a time when driving home from work where she was awestruck by the natural creations surrounding her. “The mountains are always in the background. It’s not even like I have to remind myself to look at them and to recognize the beauty of nature,” Hess said. “It stuns me every day, stuns me all the time, and I’ve lived here almost my whole life.” While on his internship, Mangakahia said he learned an important lesson from Kipa. He asked Kipa how inspiration can come to
artists and how they could be re-inspired. Mangakahia said Kipa responded, “It’s everywhere. It’s in the ocean. Have a look. You just need to look. Look at the patterns and the shape of the sea urchins.” Mangakahia said, “What I feel like he was saying is God is the ultimate creator, and all you need to do is look around at the leaves and trees. Look at how you were created. Look at your muscles and ratios within yourself. That’s how I gain inspiration.” Chonger said the many cultures at BYUH have helped her create new pieces because she incorporates their energies into her work. For example, she explained how the Indonesian culture, which she has learned about through friends, can give her energy, while the Hawaiian culture grounds and relaxes her. “The people on the island are very relaxed and chill, which is a completely different culture from Indonesia. It’s an interesting concept that I try to find a balance in and mix together in my artwork through color and pattern,” Chonger said smiling. You can find Mangakahia’s leather journals and phone cases on shakatribeshop.com. You can find Hess’s artwork on https:// www.haunanihess.com/ • Left: Sam Mangakahia posing with a guitar he carved. Photo provided by Sam Mangakahia. Middle: An example of Haunani Hess’ artwork. Photo provided by Haunani Hess. Right: An example of Edelweiss Chonger’s artwork. Photo provided by Edelweiss Chonger. N O V E M B ER 2021 29
Turning trauma into
beauty
Founder of earring business says her business is a place where women dealing with infertility and pregnancy issues can reach out BY RAHEL MEYER
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hen her first-born son, Sol, passed away in 2017, BYU–Hawaii alumna Ema Kaka from Hamilton, New Zealand, said she felt a need to keep herself busy to be able to cope with her loss. She said, “I was tired of everything that had happened. So I decided I want to find a business where I can give back to other women who experienced something similar to what I’ve gone through.” She explained her business is named after her son, Sol. “He was my first motivation in starting this business, after he passed away,” she said. Coming from a home where her parents were small business owners, Ema Kaka said her father always taught her to build something for herself. She explained when the opportunity arose, she was able to implement the mindset she grew up with and start her first business. “It was definitely not easy, and [there were] a lot of ups and downs. Things were changing all the time. I was seeking treatment for my trauma, adjusted to new challenges, and changing in transitions. I had to learn a lot,” she shared.
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Creating the idea When she was in New Zealand visiting her family after her son had just passed away, Ema Kaka said she saw tassel earrings had been growing in popularity and realized she could use the market demand to her advantage. Coming back to Hawaii, she put herself to work researching tassel earring designs that looked simple and elegant, Ema Kaka shared. She said, “I would make minor tweaks. I would change a color, take inspiration from Pinterest and then change them to how I wanted them.” Ema Kaka explained her husband Conway Kaka, a BYUH alumnus from Laie, Hawaii, then helped her in building a website and manufacturing a product. Describing himself as her “behind-the-scenes partner,” Conway Kaka said, “I am her No. 1 supporter. Ema would have these great ideas, and I would make it happen. From website designs and setup to finding manufacturers, I was the guy.” Ema Kaka explained she then used her business as a platform to reach out and spread awareness about fertility and
Ema Kaka, BYUH alumna and creator of Sol&Tas, an earring business named after her first-born son who passed away in 2017, models some of her merchandise. Photos by Mark Daeson Tabbilos.
pregnancy issues. In one of her posts on her business Instagram feed, Ema Kaka advocates for infants and pregnancy loss awareness month. She says in her post, “I just wanted to recognize all the strong women out there that have experienced pain and loss! We are here to support and love you.”
A safe space for similar struggles Conway Kaka said he admires his wife for making the decision to build her own business. “Too often, we are told we can’t do things. We aren’t smart enough, rich enough,” he said. “I wanted Ema to know whatever she did, she was strong [enough] and capable enough.” Supporting his wife in creating a business that brings awareness to similar struggles she experienced with pregnancy and fertility was a “no-brainer,” he said. Before losing their first son, he said they, as a couple, had no idea how many women experience fertility issues and the struggles that come from losing a child. He said, “This was mostly because people didn’t N O V E M B ER 2021 31
share it, and who would, right? It’s a pretty personal experience.” Conway Kaka explained his wife felt prompted to share her experience so other women could have a safe space to share each other’s burdens. “She is able to connect to so many people because she is absolutely real, transparent, and genuine with what she went through. “Because of this, so many people feel comfortable approaching her about their own experiences. They feel safe, and they know they won’t be judged, pitied, or misunderstood.” Conway Kaka explained this is the reason this business never really was about the money but about “connecting with others.”
Empowering women Ema Kaka said from the beginning, her main goal in building the business was to showcase to other women they can be successful in a career and can tell their stories. “It wasn’t always just about making money, but being able to show other girls this is something they can do themselves as well,” she said. “Negative experiences can be turned into something positive.” She said when she opened her business, other women started reaching out to her and sharing their experiences. She shared how one of her friends who had experienced a lot of miscarriages and problems with pregnancies reached out to 3 2 KE AL A K A‘I 2021
her through her business. Having been in the same situation years earlier, Ema Kaka said she was able to support her in her struggle. “It wasn’t about telling her what to do, but having an open ear. It was about her knowing someone went through the same thing and it was going to be okay. “It’s so sad to know other women are going through this, but I’m grateful I have gone through it and can be there for them,” she said. “That was something I was so proud of at that moment because I was able to create relationships with so many other women who have experienced something similar or the same as I have,” Ema Kaka said. “The fact that people feel comfortable enough to reach out to me through my business and share those experiences really humbles me because it is such a sacred and personal experience.” Ema Kaka said she is grateful for being able to develop all these “great and awesome relationships” with so many women and mothers, and she has gained new insights and learned from their experiences as well.
Multitasking as a mother, wife and business owner Ema Kaka said balancing her life as a mother and having her own business can definitely be a challenge. With a toddler and a newborn at home, she said she is a big believer in planning, which is why she and her husband sit down
each Sunday to plan for the week. She shared, “This is how I know how much time I have throughout the day to work on my orders, go to the post office or reply to people who e-mail.” Conway Kaka explained he and his wife have learned to lean on each other and on Heavenly Father and that planning their week helps them to stay on the same page. “We focus on each other’s strengths rather than weaknesses. We are far from perfect, but we know we are most successful when we rely on each other and Heavenly Father,” he said. “When [God] is in our home, things always seem to run more smoothly.”
Future aspirations Ema Kaka said she wants to use the money from her business to give to different charities or create a support group or organization where she can give back to mothers experiencing infertility, pregnancy issues or the loss of a baby. Ema Kaka said sometimes women in difficult situations feel alone because they feel as if sharing their stories might be for the wrong reasons or seem as if they seek attention. “The whole point of my business is [to help] women understand it is okay to tell your story,” she said. “It is okay to reach out to other people. There are people who understand what you are experiencing.” Kaleel Spooner, a BYUH alumna from
New Zealand who met Ema Kaka as a young woman at a youth conference, said her story has empowered her in her own struggles. “Ema is someone who carries herself with so much beauty and grace. To suffer that is common to all. To suffer and still keep your composure, your faith and your smile, that is remarkable. That is Ema.” Spooner explained Ema Kaka is one of the most genuine people she has ever met and is a light for those who walk in the same path as her. “[She] is creating a space for [women] and couples to have honest yet sensitive conversations. She reminds me there are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits. She is a great example of someone who turns their experiences into wisdom.” Ema Kaka’s earrings can be found on Facebook and Instagram @solandtas and at solandtas.com.•
Left: Ema Kaka and her husband Conway Kaka, who has supported and encouraged his wife in her earring business, pose with their two kids. Above: Examples of Sol&Tas earrings are displayed. Photos by Mark Daeson Tabbilos.
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A PLATFORM TO PERFORM BYUH student says a simple class project turned into a platform for Laie musicians to showcase talents and hard work BY NICHOLE WHITELEY
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Cat Ruangthap (top right), Brandon Sorilla (top left) and J.T. Stokes (middle) are all featured on Lexi Mellor’s Instagram page.. Photos by Christal Lee. Graphics by Marlee Palmer.
ven through financial setbacks, rejection letters from universities and three-hour bus rides every week to take lessons, pianist Cat Ruangthap said her parents’ selfless sacrifice fueled her passion for music. A senior from Thailand majoring in piano performance, Ruangthap is one of the musicians featured on @Laie_music, an Instagram account created to showcase local musicians. She said she found her love for piano since her church choir did not have a pianist, and her parents sacrificed everything to pay for her piano lessons so she could serve in the choir. She said her parents told her, “Every minute is really precious. Please use every minute in your life to make something out of it [for] … something that will benefit you, your future family and everyone around you.” Ruangthap said she plans on going back to Thailand to teach at the university she attended, Mahidol University, or the college of
music. She said she wants to provide students who have her same passion for music with an education, no matter their financial needs.
Acknowledging talent Pannist, singer and pianist Lexi Mellor, a senior from Centerville, Utah, majoring in both marketing and business management, shared, “I know there are so many talented musicians and artists here in Laie… but I never noticed anything in the music program that highlighted musicians.” Mellor said she wanted to change this, so she started an Instagram account called @Laie_music to feature local musicians. She said she started the account for her capstone marketing course, where they were assigned to create a social media account and run it for a semester. Mellor said music has always been a big part of her life because she sang classical music and played the piano as a child. She said she is now in two ensembles at BYUH, singing for Salsa Orchestra and playing the lead steel pan for Shaka Steel. She said her experience as a BYUH musician is what made her notice the need for a platform where Laie student musicians could showcase their talents. Although it started as a class project, she said she hopes to see the account continue because of its potential to help a lot of people. “I hope to provide these musicians with some acknowledgment of the hard work they put in and the talent they have,” explained Mellor. Anyone can be highlighted on her Instagram page by sending in a video of their musical talent, Mellor explained. She said she accepts and features all musicians who reach out to her, no matter what level of musical talent they have achieved, because she created the account for people who love music and work hard to be seen.
Let it all out Guitarist and singer Brandon Sorilla, a sophomore from the Philippines majoring in music-vocal performance, said singing and dancing are his happy place and help him express his emotions. “If I am frustrated or mad, I let it all out with a super, super high song. Sometimes I feel like I want to break my
Left: Senior Lexi Mellor, who started the Instagram account, practices the steel drums. Right: Cat Ruangthap shares her piano skills made possible by her parents’ sacrifices. Photos by Christal Lee.
vocal cords and break my voice, but it ends up relaxing me.” He said singing has saved his life. Vocalist J.T. Stokes, a senior from New Jersey majoring in music-vocal performance, said he is passionate about music because it allows people to connect with others through music, even if they don’t know each other. “It is a universal language,” he explained. Ruangthap said she loves music because of its beauty and power to heal. “I want to make [music] become more meaningful so it can help other people feel loved and cared for and appreciate it enough to continue. I want to empower other people.”
Taking that first step Sorilla said he performed weekly for events back home, but when he came to BYUH, he found it hard to find ways to share his talents. He said what got him started here was performing with choir teacher Lawrence Laureano, adjunct faculty in the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts, during the 2021 Spring Semester. After people saw his talent, Sorilla said he was asked to perform in devotionals and join other classes, such as Salsa Orchestra. He said, “Sometimes the first step is what changes everything.” He added although singing is a way for him to express himself, he has to have the confidence to showcase his talent.
“Be open to opportunities and they will come,” Sorilla said. After meeting Sorilla in the Shaka Steel and Salsa Orchestra, he said Mellor gave him the opportunity to be featured on her Instagram page. Sorilla said he was grateful she gave him another way to share his talent. Mellor said she hopes people will start to reach out to her with their talents, or the talents of their friends, so she can showcase their hard work. Stokes said he found out he wanted to take his love of music and share it with others through teaching after he had the opportunity to teach his brother how to sing in a vocal pedagogy class he took. “I got to learn more about myself and better my own musicianship. I enjoyed teaching.” Stokes said he loves music because of the joy it brings to many lives. Being featured on @Laie_music was a great opportunity, shared Stokes, because it is difficult as a singer to find ways to showcase his music. Mellor said her advice to those who are nervous about showcasing their talent is to “just go for it” because they work hard and “deserve to be seen.” She said because their music is a way for them to express themselves, they will not regret sharing it.•
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BYUH student says his passion for surfing led him to express his creativity by shaping surfboards BY COLLIN FARLEY
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fter moving to Hawaii, Jared Horton said he learned how to surf and shape surfboards all on his own. Part of why he wanted to shape his own surfboard, he said, is “plenty of people say they want to shape a surfboard, but how many people would actually do it? When I say I want to do something, I will do everything in my power to do it. I want to live my dreams, and my dreams aren’t just words.They’re actions.”
Self-taught shaper Horton, a junior from Murray, Utah, majoring in business management, said in the garage of the house he used to live in, the landlord had some surfboard shaping equipment. He said one day, he purchased all the surfboard shaping materials and began shaping. 3 6 KE AL A K A‘I 2021
He watch YouTube videos and talked with his landlord, who had shaped surfboards when he was younger, to help him learn how to shape. It took about a week to finish his first board, he explained. According to Horton, shaping a surfboard starts with a big oval-shaped foam “blank” that can be bought at any building materials store. The desired shape of the board is then traced onto the blank and cut with a hand saw, he explained. After that, he said the foam is sanded down to the desired shape using sandpaper. When the foam is shaped right, the board is covered with fiberglass and coated in laminate, and then multiple layers of epoxy, which creates the glossy finish, Horton said. Aside from shaping surfboards, Horton said he has shaped other things, like a small hand plane used for bodysurfing. Horton’s
roommate, Tanner Quinn, a senior from Wrightwood, California, majoring in business management, is an avid bodysurfer who said he is excited to try out Horton’s new creation and is confident it will help him catch bigger waves while bodysurfing. Horton added he also enjoys repairing damaged surfboards for friends and anyone who reaches out to him. He said he recently met BYUH President John Kauwe one morning while surfing west of Turtle Bay Resort, and later repaired Kauwe’s son’s surfboard. Horton said his friend, Davey Crippen, told him he had also dreamed of shaping his own surfboard, and Horton said he decided to help him right away. Crippen, a sophomore from Elk Ridge, Utah, majoring in elementary education, said
he was surprised when only a day or two after he shared his goal with Horton, he received a call from him saying he was planning on buying all the materials that day. He wanted to start shaping a couple of boards as soon as possible, he explained. Crippen said it was fun to shape his own board alongside Horton, be creative and “make it [his] own.” Horton and a friend are planning to enter the Great Ideas Competition put on by the Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship, he said, which gives students the opportunity to present business ideas and win up to $2,000 to invest in their business. Horton said he has plans to present his business idea of taking old and damaged surfboards and either repairing them, restoring them or recycling the materials and using them to shape new surfboards. He said he is excited to continue expanding his passion of surfing by repairing and shaping surfboards.
Self-taught surfer Horton said he has participated in a variety of water sports, including water polo and competitive swimming, since he was about 8 years old. He explained he wanted to learn how to surf because of how fun he thought it would be, and because he had always looked up to people who surf. “When someone says they’re a surfer,” Horton said, “I just respect them a lot more.” The first time he surfed was when he went on a family vacation to San Clemente, California, at the age of 14, he said. There was a big swell that came in and he said he had always wanted to try surfing. Luckily, the house where his family was staying had some surfboards, he explained. “I just decided I wanted to take one out, so I went out to the pier in San Clemente one day, and I surfed.”
Horton said he picked up surfing that day all on his own, without any mentoring. After this experience, he shared he surfed a few more times on other family vacations. After serving a mission in Fiji, Horton said he decided to attend BYU–Hawaii and saw it as a perfect opportunity to become better at surfing. He bought himself an 8-foot NSP longboard as soon as he could and started surfing, he shared. As time went on, he said he went from surfing on his 8-foot longboard to a 6-foot, 8-inch short board and then a 6-foot, 3-inch board. He said as he surfed more and more, he decided to make it a goal to shape his own surfboard. • Jared Horton shapes and crafts surfboards. Photos by Munkhbayar Magvandorj.
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Hawaii’s street art movement beautifies communities and creates a powerful positive impact, says co-founder of annual urban art festival BY RAHEL MEYER
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aking a stroll in downtown Honolulu, vibrant, colorful murals adorn walls and surfaces surrounding the spectators on the streets. The Our Kaka‘ako website states much of the street art comes from POW! WOW! Hawaii, an urban art festival that draws in talented local and global artists to paint and refresh murals. Hawaii. com explains the festival’s name refers to the impact art has on people. The annual festival is made up of contemporary artists who demonstrate creativity and celebrate a deep appreciation of art and culture, according to the Our Kaka‘ako website. Co-founded in 2010 by artists Jasper Wong and Kamea Hadar, the Our Kaka‘ako site explains POW! WOW! Hawaii has expanded into a global phenomenon. In fact, the website says the movement is a street art leader in 17 different cities, where community members participate in workshops, lectures, exhibitions, block parties and Q&A’s with artists. In an interview with VoyageLA, Wong, a native Hawaiian, he said, “Our mission [as a non-profit] is to beautify communities. [We feel obligated] to educate people about the positive impact and power of public art.” • The POW! WOW! Hawaii urban art festival. Photos by Emarie Majors. Graphics by Katie Mower.
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BYUH professor Joe Plicka says creative writing is all about helping others notice what is usually taken for granted BY LEVI FUAGA & LEIANI BROWN
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year originally devoted to studying death became a celebration of life explained Joe Plicka, assistant professor in the Faculty of Arts & Letters, at a faculty forum on Sept. 9. “The closer I got to death, the closer I felt to life,” he said. Plicka shared how as he sat down to tackle the topic during his professional development leave, he found himself writing about nature, faith and his children, which led to the publication of three personal essays and a few more forthcoming works.
case, a file in his drawer titled “Jesus, the Man” that held scraps of paper for many years, inspired the essay. “I think I was always looking for more evidence of Jesus’ humanity,” said Plicka. “When I would read the scriptures, I would think to myself, ‘That’s so something a human would do,’ and I would make a note of it.”
Harnessing the art of the overlooked
Literature and language, Plicka explained, are “sacred [like] scripture” to him and “a road map for the person [he wants] to be.” He said language helps readers understand themselves and others, have more empathy and learn from other’s mistakes. He expressed he finds joy in teaching students and believes they can foster a deep connection through literature. “Without literature in our culture, and by extension, in our individual lives, we become less compassionate and less humane and less flexible in our thinking.” Upon reading and teaching various genres, Plicka said he felt inspired to write his own creative nonfiction pieces. He explained he began by writing fictional short stories for his dissertation and drew inspiration from other essayists and nonfiction writers. He shared one of his biggest influences is Brian Doyle, a Catholic writer who integrated religious themes into his works. “The first time I read his work I felt like I had been reborn. … He taught me what it means to write from the vantage point of faith.”
Dean and Associate Professor Patricia Patrick attended Plicka’s forum and expressed she adored his piece, “But Whyyy?,” because it conveys the importance of appreciating what people easily overlook. She said, “A creative writer works really hard to say the things we all think but we find difficult to put into words. They wake us up to noticing things we otherwise take for granted.” “But Whyyy?” is published in “Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction” and recounts an experience Plicka had with his 4-year-old son asking him why we need birds. Plicka writes, “Could birds be the difference for us, the razor-thin margin, between homed and homeless? Between flush and strapped? Between, possibly, life and death? Who knows? Do you want to take that chance? I don’t.” Plicka expressed he enjoys writing about families, character development and what people easily take for granted. He said creative nonfiction harbors a spiritual element, allowing writers to express their own thoughts and feelings. “It can be a transformative experience where we connect with somebody else on what feels like a meaningful level, and we’re changed because of it.”
Compiling meaningful experiences
How to be original: Read
During the faculty forum, hosted in the Little Theater with about 40 attendees of students and faculty, Plicka began by reading two pieces written by Doyle, then five of his own essays published as a result of his professional development leave. Elizabeth Allen, a senior from Oregon majoring in supply chain management, said she felt spiritual listening to Plicka’s stories. Allen said she particularly enjoyed Plicka’s essay entitled, “The Jesus,” which described the many perceptions of Jesus Christ. “There’s quite a few of them I want to send to my friends that I feel could resonate with them really well.” After reading “The Jesus,” Plicka explained much of his writing comes from deep experiences compiled over a very long time. In this
Plicka said he has been teaching at BYUH for nearly a decade and, as the only creative writing professor on campus, he is also the director of the creative writing minor and faculty advisor for the BYUH journal of literature and art, “Kula Manu.” As one of Plicka’s colleagues, Patrick said she remembered being on the hiring committee when Plicka was hired. She expressed how much of a good-hearted and cooperative colleague he has been. “He is always a positive person to be around and a real deep thinker.” Because the program is small, Plicka explained he teaches various subjects such as poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Allen, who has taken three of Plicka’s creative writing classes, said he is very knowledgeable, experienced and devoted to his work. “It
Writing from a perspective of faith
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is sometimes rare to see someone very dedicated to something for their entire life,” she said. Plicka said he believes anything people experience can offer a perspective on life. “Anything in the world, anything you see, anything you experience can become a window into some deeper kind of thought or experience.” He added aspiring writers should invest in reading authors or writers of their preferred genre. He said some students avoid reading books to not to be influenced by other authors’ pieces, but Plicka emphasized, “You can’t be original if you haven’t seen what others have done. Otherwise, you’re just going to repeat what they’ve done.” The forum, entitled “Stories, Prayers and Songs: A Reading,” was conducted by Mason Allred, assistant professor in the Faculty of Arts & Letters, who explained Plicka’s work was published for various online literary magazines, including “Brevity” and “Braided Way.” Allred added Plicka was featured in an anthology called “Fire in the Pasture: 21st Century Mormon Poets.” • The following QR code leads to three of Plicka’s published works:
Professor Joe Plicka. Photo by Emarie Majors. Graphics by Emily Hendrickson
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Hip-hop Club leaders say anyone can dance in the club’s encouraging and empowering environment BY RAHEL MEYER
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ith presidency members from different countries around the world, the BYU–Hawaii Hip-Hop Dance Club aspires to be a place where diversity flourishes through a connection to dance, explained Josephine Matafeo, a sophomore majoring in computer science from Samoa and the club’s vice president. “We [the club presidency] represent Samoa, Canada, Hawaii, the Philippines and Germany,” she said. “We are all different ethnicities, but we have one thing in common, and that is dance.” Matafeo said she loves the connection they have built, and she hopes the club members can experience the same connection, regardless of where they are from.
Growing and empowering together Joy Tang, a junior majoring in business management from Canada and president of the Hip-hop Club, said the first time she went to a dance practice for the club in 2019, she was nervous since she had never danced hip-hop before. “I was so scared. We learned the
Left page from left to right: Members of the Hip-hop Club presidency, Josephine Matafeo, Prince Jag Gundaya, Jayna-Lin Akita, Joy Tang and Brandon Kyle Sorilla. Right page from left to right: Joy Tang and Jayna-Lin Akita demonstrating hip-hop dancing. Photos by Emarie Majors.
choreography, split up into different groups, and then performed in front of everybody. I can’t tell you how nervous I was.” Tang said even though her nerves were high, she loved the environment because everybody was so supportive. “Everyone was cheering us on, and even when [our group] messed up, [the club members] continued cheering us on,” she explained. Tang stayed in the club because “it [doesn’t] matter how well you dance,” she shared. “It was about creating that community of dancers who uplift each other.” Now, being the president of the Hip-hop Club, she said she wants to maintain the supportive environment. “Sometimes people can get super competitive, where everyone is just trying to show off. We don’t have that here,” she said. “It’s an environment where beginners can come and learn, and then experienced people can teach. We can all grow and empower each other.”
Recognizing everyone can dance Jayna-Lin Akita, a senior from Laie, Hawaii, majoring in arts and art education, said she wants new club members to embrace who they are. “A lot of people get nervous because they think they can’t dance, but in reality, everybody can dance.” Akita, who is the secretary of the Hip-hop Club, grew up doing cheer and said when she first took a dance class by Nina Foster, adjunct faculty for Seasider Sports & Activities at BYUH, she wasn’t feeling N O V E M B ER 2021 43
confident in her dancing skills. “I was so shy. I was thinking, ‘This is so scary,’ and I was dancing so stiff because of my training in cheer.” Akita explained Foster helped her to open up and be confident in herself and her performing skills. “Now, it’s a real passion of mine. It helps me to cope with stress and the challenges I’m going through.” Akita emphasized it is important for dancers to not compare themselves to others while their skills are developing because it’s a learning experience. Dancers learn to step outside of their comfort zones and grow as people, she explained. She added people who are learning to dance will not “learn dance overnight” and shouldn’t feel rushed while they are learning. She said if they take their time to find out who they are, they will learn to perform.
Empowering instead of judging Matafeo said it is vital people know they are not being judged when performing. “I want people to be confident,” she said. “People would come up to me and say, ‘Oh, I want to dance like you.’ And of course, I want that too, but I want you to dance like you.” Matafeo said every dancer has their unique way of expressing themselves. She explained empowering instead of judging new club members can help them discover their own skills. She added her dance journey is guided by people who believed in her even when she didn’t believe in herself. “When I was younger, back home, I would always dance funnily or bad to make people laugh,” Matafeo shared. “I never really realized I was good at it until I was chosen to dance for the Commonwealth Youth Games when I was in 12th grade.” Matafeo said her teacher would point her out and put her in the lead to help others correct their moves. “That was the first time where I thought, ‘Hey, I’m actually good at this,’” she explained. But, Matafeo said she never felt she was good enough. When Tang asked her to be the vice president of the Hip-hop Club, Matafeo said she realized she needed to stop putting herself down. “I asked myself, ‘How does rejecting those kinds of opportunities help me to support the people around me?’” Matafeo said her experience made her want to help and empower others who think they are not good enough. “There’s no judgment in this club,” she shared. “We can all learn from each other. We grow as dancers, but also as people.” Akita said the encouraging environment is why she loves being in the Hip-hop Club presidency. “Everybody is so uplifting, and they really care about each individual,” she said. “They want to get to know everybody. We’re not here to judge [club members]. We’re here for [them] to dance and learn.”
Creating safe spaces through dance Brandon Kyle Sorilla, a sophomore from the Philippines majoring in music-vocal performance and Hip-hop Club vice president of activities, said even experienced dancers make mistakes. “What [people] need is dedication and to enjoy [themselves]. Don’t be shy because everybody is imperfect. We have dancers who danced their whole lives, and they make mistakes,” he said. Sorilla, who has been part of hip-hop crews throughout his youth, said for him, his hip-hop teams were like his own family who gave him needed support. 4 4 KE AL A K A‘I 2021
“
People would come up to me and say, ‘Oh, I want to dance like you.’ And of course, I want that too,
but II want want you you to to but dance like like you. you. dance -JOSEPHINE MATAFEO
“When you are teaching or being taught, it builds a strong relationship and trust,” he shared. “It’s not always about winning competitions, but about creating a community of dancers who are like family.” Sorilla explained he wants to create that same environment at BYUH, where people feel it is their safe space to express themselves. “I have had so many experiences with depression and moments when [I was] feeling down, and dance has saved me. “Dance can help [people] and motivate [them] to keep going because [they] have that support system of close friends who look out for [them],” he shared. Sorilla added he hopes BYUH will one day get a hip-hop team like BYU in Provo. “Just having a pure hip-hop group here would be amazing,” he said. “As long as people are enjoying themselves and feel like this is a safe place.”
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Brought back to life Prince Jag Gundaya, a sophomore majoring in hospitality & tourism management from the Philippines, said coming to BYUH has rekindled his love for dancing hip-hop. Gundaya, who is also the lead choreographer of the Hip-hop Club, said he has been part of national and international hip-hop crews throughout his youth and competed around the world for the Philippines. When he lost his best friend, who was also a fellow dancer, Gundaya said he stopped dancing completely. “I had no reason to dance anymore. Surely, I was proud of my achievements, but I felt as if I had lost everything,” he said. “I was done with dance.” Gundaya explained when coming to BYUH, he just wanted to focus on finishing his studies, but seeing students’ desire to dance made him pick up dance again. “Everyone wanted to dance, and seeing their potential made me want to support them in their journey of dance,” he said. “I came alive again. So, I gave it a chance, and I don’t regret it.” Gundaya advised students to never think they are too good to keep learning or better than their fellow dancers. He said, “Always be a student so you can learn, no matter the circumstances.” •
Left page top: Josephine Matafeo. Left page bottom: Brandon Kyle Sorilla. Right page: Prince Jag Gundaya. Photos by Emarie Majors.
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The Seaside Ragtime Band entertains with 100-year-old silent film and music BY LEVI FUAGA
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eople of all ages gathered in the McKay Auditorium awaiting music of a different time period. The lights darkened, but the lights were shining on the Seaside Ragtime Band. The moment Darren Duerden struck his xylophone, silence prevailed in the auditorium as the band’s fun and fast-paced musicians played tunes from the 1920s. Darren Duerden, a professor of music in the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts, said the performance was done in a format that has never been done before at BYU–Hawaii. He performed a classic style of music known as “ragtime” along with his wife, Jennifer Duerden, an adjunct faculty for the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts, and a small group of other musicians. The group also played accompaniment, in the form of music and sound effects, to two short silent films during the Oct. 7 performance. Darren Duerden explained ragtime is “fast-paced and derived from 1890s African American music [and] was seen as very low class and vulgar.” He added the name of the style originates from the “syncopated or sloppy rhythm that was characteristic of this kind of piano music.” Jennifer Duerden, a piano teacher and pianist, said she, her husband and her son transcribed both of the short films. “In the beginning, it was hard to tell if we were
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together with the video,” she said. “I would listen to it every single day [to get] the templates in my head so the next rehearsal [would go] smoother.” She said even with all that transcribing and practice, she still needed to improvise her performance throughout the rehearsals. “I had notes written out, but in spite of that, I would still have to make adjustments on the spot,” she said. Jennifer Duerden added, “I think it’s always nice when you enjoy the people you work with and it really makes a difference since we’ve spent many hours [together] in person.” Joseph Powell, a sophomore from Arizona majoring in TESOL and music, said he was so amazed by the combination of music and silent film he thought the sound effects were part of the movie. “I didn’t know they were doing the whole performance beforehand. ... It was amazing to see all of their talent put into use.” Elder Matt and Sister Diane Bjarnson, senior missionaries from Utah serving at the Polynesian Cultural Center, said they didn’t know what to expect out of the performance, but were amazed by what was showcased. Sister Bjarnson shared, “I loved it when he was providing the sound effects with the silent film. It was amazing he came up with the correct sounds for the exact moments when that was happening.”
Elder Bjarnson said he enjoyed seeing both the musical and theatrical elements of the lively performance. “It was enjoyable hearing music from the 1920s. It [took me] right back to that era, and I was reminded of those silent films I enjoyed. ... [They] made that era of music really entertaining.” Darren Duerden expressed joy in preparing music that could stir people’s emotions about the 1920s. “I organized this program to encourage people to dress like the 1920s … and to be able to transport people back into the 1920s, an era of silent film, when America was a different place,” he said. At the beginning of the show, Darren Duerden dedicated the performance to one of their band members, Mark Wolfersberger, dean and professor in the Faculty of Education & Social Work, who wasn’t able to perform due to medical reasons. Wolfersberger’s son, Alex, performed in his place. • Left page background: Darren Duerden playing the xylophone. Bottom left: Darren and Jennifer Duerden playing instruments as part of the Seaside Ragtime Band. Top right: The string bass player in the band, Perry Christensen. Photos by Emarie Majors. Middle Right: The Duerdens, Perry Christensen and Alex Wolfersberger. Bottom Right: The Duerdens and Sadie Madriaga practice their performance
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FASHION through the decades BY RAHEL MEYER
As fashion trends from the past have come back in recent years, Jada Loganimoce, a sophomore from Washington majoring in business management, showcases how pairing modern and vintage trends makes them more appealing to current consumers.
‘20s
According to the SelectSpec’s Fashion & Lifestyle website, round vintage glasses were a must-have fashion accessory in the roaring ‘20s, regardless of sex. Post-war spending inspired a new kind of retail therapy for women, where “women would be unshackled from their tight corsets,” says the site.
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‘50s ‘60s Nordstrom’s Trunk Club online style advice says grey sweatpants, originally created for athletes in the 1920s by French designer Emile Camuset, became a sportswear statement in the 1950s due to the incredible prestige athletes enjoyed.The love for sweats was re-ignited in the mid-1970s by Sylvester Stallone’s iconic portrayal of Rocky and became acceptable in the ‘70s as a fashion statement, according to the Nordstrom site.
The Marie Claire website states, “A symbol of rebellion, the ‘60s gave way to flared styles and bold printed pants that were hard to miss.” CR Fashion Book online says vintage dancer pearl necklaces, symbols of luxury because of people like Coco Chanel and Audrey Hepburn, were a popular accessory many women wore on a day-to-day basis.
‘70s
The Independent UK website says corduroy was the fabric of the ‘70s. Brooks Brothers explains it was discovered by college students and beatniks in the ‘60s, and by the late 1970s, the popularity of corduroy pants grew among preps and surfers. According to the Bellatory website, the mini bag also grew in popularity when Bonnie Cashin designed mini leather bags for Coach.
‘80s
According to the Grazia UK website, Princess Diana’s white chunky sneakers and spandex biker shorts paired with an oversized crew-neck sweater impacted the ‘80s so much she set the fashion trend for the decade.
Both pages: Jada Loganimoce shows off the popular fashion trends of several different time periods. Photos by Christal Lee.
‘90s
The Blanket Fort Blog on The Scrunchie Club website explains next to mom jeans, scrunchies became extremely popular in the ‘90s.The website Pure Wow says nightclub singer and pianist Rommy Revson created and patented the scrunchie in the late ‘80s after she experienced continuous hair damage due to the metal hair ties she had to wear during her performances. • N O V E M B ER 2021 49
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After more than 40 years of temple service and a mission empowering the saints of Papua New Guinea, President and Sister Hafoka return to lead the Lord’s house BY ELLE LARSON
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resident Finau Hafoka said he and his wife, Lucy Hafoka, returned home from their mission in Papua New Guinea and began serving as temple president and matron of the Laie Hawaii Temple this August 2021. President Hafoka blinked back tears as he spoke of his unexpected call to serve at the Laie temple. “I’m still shocked the Lord has trusted us with his temple, the most sacred place on earth.” He said it’s an honor to come home to family and friends and continue serving. “I know this temple here is a very special temple, not only to us who live here, but also I’m sure to our Church leaders in Salt Lake, and especially to our Heavenly Father,” he said. President Hafoka said he and his wife came to Oahu from Tonga to study at BYU– Hawaii and raised their family of seven in Kahuku. In 2018, they were called to preside over the Papua New Guinea Mission, despite neither of them ever having served missions before.
Inspiring the strength to stay Raga Kau, a sophomore majoring in hospitality and tourism management from Papua New Guinea, said after observing how the Hafokas loved and served others in her country, she wants to be like them because “they continue to serve.” She added, “ They are willing to serve, and their service never stops.” President Hafoka said he admires the saints in Papua New Guinea. He spoke of men and women who would walk more than four hours “through rivers and mountains to come to church.” He said he saw many people make the trek many times. “They stay for two hours, and after that they return home, [walking for] another four to five hours,” he described. Teni Vimahi, a senior majoring in business management from Texas, is the Hafoka’s niece. Vimahi said she served a mission in California in 2019 while the Hafokas were serving in Papua New Guinea. While they served, she said she lost her grandmother and grandfather and considered going home to mourn the two
devastating losses. But Vimahi said she drew strength to continue serving from President Hafoka’s example as he could not leave Papua New Guinea to attend his mother’s funeral.
While Sister Hafoka traveled to Hawaii to attend the funeral, her husband continued to serve, Vimahi said. “Being on my mission, I looked to him, seeing how strong he was and how much it took for him to not go to his own mom’s funeral,” she said. “That gave me the strength to be able to stay out on my mission.” Vimahi said, “[President Hafoka] has always been the rock of my mom’s siblings, of her side of the family. I’ve always seen him that way. He’s just so spiritually in tune. It’s like he knows exactly what the Lord has in store for him and what the Lord wants him to do.”
Building the bridge to BYUH Kau said President and Sister Hafoka stood as a connection between Papua New Guinea and BYUH for many Papuan students. She added President Hafoka played a massive role in getting her to BYUH. She said her application took a long time to process, so she was losing patience and was worried her application would never go through. Kau shared she reached out to and met with President Hafoka, who had connections at BYUH. She said he started their meeting with a specific, direct prayer.
“That prayer literally worked,” Kau added. She said a simple call from President Hafoka to BYUH Admissions accelerated her progress in coming to BYUH. “When he called them, it was like he opened up the doors,” she described. “Admissions was able to work on my papers, and they [went] through.” She said the Hafokas regularly checked up on her and helped her complete her application. Kau explained learning she was accepted to BYUH was the “most exciting” time of her life and she was “so happy.” She continued, “The first thing I did was I emailed [the Hafokas] and told them I was accepted.” Kau said it was important to her to attend BYUH because she wants to be able to serve the people in Papua New Guinea. “I want to go and implement what I’ve learned here and not just keep it to myself,” she said. “I want to help others, especially when it comes to leading in the Church.” Kau said while President Hafoka served in Papua New Guinea, “He was not only there as a mission president, [but also] he was there for everyone.” She said President and Sister Hafoka helped the saints grow and find new lives and encouraged many students to go to BYUH. Even if they did not want to, President Hafoka helped them build the desire to go, she explained.
Training Papuan moms She said the Hafokas focused a lot of their service to the Papuan saints on seeking education. She said Sister Hafoka helped start a mom’s preschool to educate children ages 8-10 who need to learn basic learning skills before they can attend public school. Sister Hafoka said though many of the mothers have only 8th grade educations, they are “willing to learn and help their children.” They work together to volunteer and teach the children in their community a few days a week in the Church chapels and in their homes, Sister Hafoka explained. Sister Hafoka said while in Papua New Guinea with her husband, she helped train the Papuan mothers to teach the basics, including N O V E M B ER 2021 55
the alphabet, numbers, colors and reading. Some classes have as many as 80 students, she said. Sister Hafoka said she keeps in touch with the moms she trained, and the program still runs and grows today. The mothers don’t get paid, Sister Hafoka said, but “they don’t want to collect money. They want to help.” In addition to providing free education to young Papuan children, Sister Hafoka said the preschool has been a great missionary tool. She said non-members bring their children to the preschool, and after some time have been baptized because of the mothers’ service. Kau said it is amazing to see the Hafokas take on their new role as temple president and matron and share the same love with the people in Laie.
Laie: A place to call home President Hafoka said he and his wife started studying at BYUH in the late ‘70s at separate times. He worked as a security guard and she as a dancer at the Polynesian Cultural Center, he explained. He said they met in the library. “There was a place she would always go to study,” he explained. “I knew that’s where she studied, so that’s where I went.” They were sealed in the Laie temple in
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1981 when they were still BYUH students, Sister Hafoka shared. She said the temple is the Lord’s, but if they were to claim a temple as their own, it would be the Laie temple “because this is where our home is. This is where we raised our family.” Sister Hafoka said she and her family of seven traveled from their home in Tonga to Laie to be sealed in the temple when she was 13 years old. “It’s a lot of sacrifices my parents have made to raise enough money to take all of us to the temple,” she said. Her family converted to the Church two years previous to being sealed, she shared. “My parents were taught about the temple and they had learned families could be together forever. … We did a lot of fasting and prayer to raise enough money to take us,” Sister Hafoka said. “We’ve seen the Lord’s hand in our lives.” President Hafoka said his family was also sealed in the Laie temple. He explained he joined the Church in high school while living with a relative in New Zealand. “My parents were so angry,” he said, adding he wrote to his family back home, but when they learned of his conversion, they would not answer him. After he was baptized, President Hafoka said the missionaries who taught him encouraged him to attend BYUH. He was accepted, went to the University and brought his family
with him to Laie. His parents and three sisters took missionary lessons, were baptized across from the PCC, and, a year later, were sealed in the temple, he explained. President Hafoka promised students, “[In the temple, you] can receive answers, inspiration, peace, hope and comfort.” He said students have a unique opportunity to live so close to the temple in Laie. “I want them to come to the temple and take advantage of that source of heavenly strength.” He continued, “A student who comes to the temple often will be guided and directed by the Spirit and, as a result, he or she will be a successful student even after graduation.” • President and Sister Hafoka return to the temple where they and both of their families were sealed. Photos by Sugarmaa Bataa. Graphics by Marlee Palmer.
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BYUH alumni seek to create communities of investors with a new social stock-market app BY ELLE LARSON
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YU–Hawaii alumnus Kevin Baize said the goal of PersonaFi is to create a community of underdog investors who share their investing insights with each other. “People want to have control over their money, and they don’t want to spend a lot to have someone manage it,” Baize explained. With the help of PersonaFi, he said people can solve this problem. He said they hope to improve financial literacy and decrease the number of people intimidated by the stock market. PersonaFi’s motto reads, “Investing doesn’t need to be rocket science.” Baize said he eventually wants to base his PersonaFi team in Hawaii. They plan to employ BYUH students on the island, he explained, creating a tech hub similar to Silicon Valley, California. He calls it “Silicon Paradise.”
BYUH alumni team Baize is PersonaFi’s chief technological officer and a local from Kahuku. He said the company’s team is made of many BYUH alumni scattered from Hawaii to Arizona to Japan. Combining technological skills and financial expertise, the group that runs PersonaFi is an “unstoppable” team, Baize added. Jeremy Woffinden is a computer science BYUH alumnus who works remotely from Japan as a developer for PersonaFi. He said he appreciates the meaning behind his job because it has “given [him] a great opportunity to work on something meaningful that could change how people invest.” He continued, “I'm excited to see how our work here can help people learn more and bring communities together.”
He said he hopes PersonaFi will extend its reach to his home country of Japan in the next five years because a social investment platform like PersonaFi would help foster a community for new Japanese investors. After using the PersonaFi app,Woffinden said more Japanese citizens will feel educated and confident about investing. Woffinden shared as an investor, he understands the value of the app. “I would've loved to have something like this when I started investing,” he said, emphasizing how the app has “a community of people who share their strategies and give advice at no cost and with no ulterior motives.”
people share what they are investing in, ask questions about investing and receive advice on investment practices from the PersonaFi team, he explained. Baize said from the Facebook group, the company created a “cult,” or a loyal band of followers who support the company, wear the merchandise and invest in its stock. This Facebook group boasts a 90 percent engagement rate with more than 23,000 members, he noted. Baize said they also send out a bi-weekly newsletter to more than 1,400 people.
Filling a need
Baize said PersonaFi recently started a campaign on Wefunder, which is like Kickstarter, but for investing. He said on Wefunder, people can invest money into PersonaFi before it enters the New York Stock Exchange. Wefunder allows the company to give their early followers an opportunity to invest in PersonaFi, Baize said. The campaign will help the company receive funds to develop and deliver their products, explained Baize. The goal for the campaign is to raise $500,000, and they have already earned more than $300,000, Baize shared. Kenneth Mooso, the chief executive officer of PersonaFi, said they will primarily use the funds they earn to launch the Android version of the app, including developing servers, data and product. •
Baize said the PersonaFi team members conducted an online survey, and from their research, they found the biggest deciding factor for investors is what their friends are buying and selling. This makes investing a social thing, Baize concluded. To capitalize on this discovery, he said the team created a social investment app. The app, he explained, is like Facebook or Instagram, except it’s all about investing. He said people who join can create circles of friends to share where they are investing their money. Users can decide how much information they want to share, he noted. The app, Baize said, has all the best aspects of social media: A feed to scroll through, the ability to like and share posts and the chance to view information about companies before investing.
Gaining a following
The next move
Graphics by Emily Hendrickson.
Baize explained PersonaFi started out as a Facebook group. On the page,
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BYUH student spends less than $50 on wedding decor by refurbishing decorations from Give & Take BY ELLE LARSON
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onfronted with the challenge of planning a wedding on a budget with COVID-19 restrictions, Lesieli Timoteo said she needed a decorator. Timoteo said her friend, Julia Sio, a junior from Samoa majoring in computer science, has an eye for thrifty treasure and came to her rescue by working with decorations from the Give & Take. Timoteo, a junior from Tonga majoring in accounting, shared her gratitude for Sio and her team for overseeing her wedding’s decorations and lightening her burden at no cost. “The decorations were spectacular. … She’s an angel.” The newlywed said everything was beautifully done and she loved having her wedding ceremony at the Sustainability Center. “The venue was beautiful already, but the decorations took it to another level,” said Timoteo. Sio said people asked her what she was going to do with all the decor she brought home from Give & Take because it looked worthless. Despite their jeers, Sio said she sees the value of things beyond their current, sad state. “The things at Give & Take aren’t trash,” she said. “They may look rusty and dirty, but they’re not trash.” One Saturday while she and her friends served at Give & Take, Sio said she struck gold because the crowning decoration for Timoteo’s upcoming wedding showed up. She said it was a big, golden decorative ball lamp that hung like a disco ball from a railing. “That ball saved us, and it was quite expensive and pretty new,” remarked Sio.
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She said she got a team of friends together to help spruce up her finds. They spent three to four hours every evening for four weeks painting pots, refurbishing picture frames, fixing up pallets for rustic wood pieces and collecting flowers to decorate the event, Sio explained. She said the night before Timoteo’s wedding at the Sustainability Center, she and her team stayed up preparing decorations until 4 in the morning. In addition, they worked more than six hours on the day of the celebration. Despite the long night, Sio said, “I wasn’t tired at all.” She said because she felt prepared, “This wedding was fun. We were super excited.” She said she appreciated the opportunity to decorate the wedding for free because it was good practice for her future. She said she plans to use this wedding to promote the event planning business she wants to start. “It’s a passion of mine to decorate and to help,” she said. She explained serving Timoteo helped her put her passion to work. After the wedding was over, Sio said she felt accomplished seeing every little thing come together. She said she felt honored to be a part of the event. “They trusted us with their day. There were a lot of prayers and a lot of personal growth, and the night was super amazing,” she said.
A venue that felt like home Timoteo said when she and her fiancé scoped the Sustainability Center wedding spot
for the first time, her husband felt it was the place. “First, because it was free, and second, it was different. It has so much green, and it gave me a feeling of home,” she explained. Leslie Harper, the Sustainability Center student manager, said when they got the idea to make the farm a wedding reception spot, they saw it as a problem to be solved. “That’s what we do here,” Harper remarked. “We look at a student problem, and we try to be part of the solution.” He explained the Stake Center wasn’t allowing receptions because of the pandemic, so they were approached by three different couples who needed a place to celebrate their wedding. His team already used the space for their meetings, said Harper. With a little tending, he said the area became a beautiful place to hold a wedding reception. The Sustainability Center hosted three weddings this summer, but Harper explained they are putting their wedding service on hold. He said issues with safety exits, parking and following COVID-19 restrictions make it difficult to keep this option open for students. Once these problems are resolved, Harper said the venue may be used for events in the future. • Lesieli and Malcom Timoteo on their wedding day with the decorations made by Julia Sio and others set up at the Sustainability Center. Photos provided by Julia Sio.
Lesieli Timoteo
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BEA UTY
IN DIVERSITY
Founder of a non-profit helping African immigrants and refugees shares how diversity at BYUH impacted her vision BY RAHEL MEYER
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he challenges she faced as an international student in the United States are what fuel her each day, says Gloria Mensah, co-founder and executive director of the GK Folks Foundation, on the foundation’s website. She writes, “For several years, I could not look into the eyes of anyone, whether they were a stranger, acquaintance or even colleague at school/work. ... Also, I could not speak in public, and as a result, held myself back from fully exploring my potential and sharing my talents.” Mensah, a former BYU–Hawaii student from Nigeria, said her time at BYUH inspired her to make decisions that led to the founding of GK Folks, a non-profit located in Utah, which works to support African immigrants and refugees. “I can recall when I finally had the courage to step out of my fears, how disheartening it felt to be ridiculed because of my accent,” continues Mensah. “Surrounded by other Africans, and seeing I was not alone in this cultural dilemma, I wanted to do something. I wanted to serve. Hence the birth of the foundation.”
Inspired by Culture Night Mensah said her experiences with the diversity at BYUH had a great impact on her. “All the Polynesian cultures and the diversity in Hawaii made me feel like there was a need for us to portray African culture as well,” she said. When Mensah left BYUH to continue her studies at Utah Valley University (UVU), Mensah said she wanted to showcase her culture even though there weren’t a lot of African students on campus. She was nominated to be the president for UVU’s African Club, and said she was inspired by BYUH Culture Night to host an African culture
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Left: Gloria Mensah with her sister Victoria Kajo while she was attending BYUH. Right: Gloria Mensah with her husband, Freebody Mensah. Photos provided by Gloria Mensah.
night at UVU. “My goal was to do exactly what is done in BYUH Culture Night,” she explained. Mensah said the event was huge, with more than 1,000 people in attendance. After receiving a lot of positive feedback in 2010 when they held their first event, the club presidency repeated it every year, Mensah added. “It was awesome. It became the biggest event on campus,” she said.
Expanding through outreach and Miss Africa Utah Mensah explained she wanted to do more to help the African community, so she decided to take the next step to organize fundraising. “I had a lot of friends who were international students from Africa who could not afford school,” she said. “So, we [had the idea to] have the culture night and the fundraising event so we could raise money to help these international students.” Mensah said this was the moment Miss Africa Utah was born. The pageant is focused on the heritage, talent and beauty of each woman participating, and Mensah said whoever won the competition received the money raised by their African culture night. Because it was a student club and there were limits set in place by the school, Mensah said it became increasingly difficult to use the money for the Miss Africa scholarship. “We couldn’t really give full scholarships to the very first Miss Africa, or the second or third,” she said.
Mensah graduated from college in 2012, and said she decided to start her non-profit organization, GK Folks Foundation, because she had the time to raise money for African immigrants and refugees and give it out as scholarships. The Globe Salt Lake City website says Miss Africa Utah has been a huge success and gained national popularity with their “unforgettable nights.” Mensah said over the course of 10 years, they have expanded to promote African culture in four U.S. states. She said the growth and support of the foundation over the last years has been immense. The GK Folks Foundation website says, “The foundation has contributed to the progression of more than 200 young women and their communities. We have awarded over $50,000 in scholarship funds to women leaders in pursuit of a diverse range of educational, community development and professional goals.” GK Folks is about more than just giving people money, Mensah said. “First and foremost, [refugees] … need mentorship.”
Seeing the people behind the stigma Salisha Allard-Blaisdell, development director at GK Folks, said the misconceptions about refugees, such as thinking they are unfriendly or uneducated, stem from a place of not knowing the individual behind the stigma. “[People] would drop all those misconceptions if [they] would sit down with them and listen to their story.” N O V E M B ER 2021 63
It is essential to give refugees an opportunity to express themselves for who they are and then treat them with respect and no judgment, she explained. “They are struggling. They are really trying hard to survive in a new world. They may not even want to be here.” Gifty Boateng, people director and treasury director of the foundation, said people often forget about the “lottery of life,” or how people end up in different environments in different countries– meaning anybody could be a refugee at some point in their life. “If any of us were ever in trouble, we would like other people to help us out,” she said. “Why then wouldn’t we help others who seek refuge?” Allard-Blaisdell said giving refugees an opportunity to speak out and have a platform where they can voice their opinions, stories, culture and pride is something GK Folks has been working on for the past 10 years. She shared the example of a former Miss Africa Utah contestant, Desange Kuenihira, who is now an inspirational speaker with her own non-profit called “unDEfeated.” Allard-Blaisdell said Kuenihira came to the United States as a refugee and was drawn to the Miss Africa Utah competition. Seeing Kuenihira participate as a contestant and overcome her challenges is inspiring, she said. Allard-Blaisdell said Kuenihira was denied a childhood due to her being forced into an early child marriage. “It blows my mind to hear the stories of these women,” she said. “I thought I grew up hard, but I’m like, ‘No, there’s nothing hard about [my] life.’” Allard-Blaisdell said because she grew up in an orphanage in Grenada, it was especially hard for her to listen to the stories of those refugees who saw their parents killed in front of them or who lived in a refugee camp with no food or water. “Now they come here and they are changing the world,” she said.
Normalizing mental health Mensah said spreading awareness of the importance of mental health has also been an important part of GK Folks Foundation because a lot of immigrants, refugees and Africans don’t see the importance of mental health. “We provided over 150 therapy sessions,” she said. “We impacted a lot of people, especially with the pandemic. It was right on time to help many [people].” Mensah said she is grateful for her very supportive husband, who gave her the room to grow the non-profit and helped her build
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it. “I have a huge team behind me, and there is no way I could do it myself,” she shared. “People volunteer their time and money. I want to give a shout out to them because there’s no way I would have been able to accomplish anything without their help.” Allard-Blaisdell said, “The people behind GK are highly equipped with the skills, knowledge and passion necessary for the organization to provide the services we do.” She said there are people helping them from all over the world who have a doctorate or master’s in public health or social work. She emphasized the huge blessing it is for the foundation to receive support from “this wonderful, exciting group of people who are coming together and sharing their skills and abilities to … support people who look like us.” She said because of their service, the refugees, immigrants and Africans saw they could benefit from therapy because it was “attainable and accessible” and realized “There was no shame in going to therapy.” Boateng said every member of the organization puts in a lot of volunteer work and is supportive of each other. She said, “The organization feels like a family, and that is rare to find.” She met Mensah and AllardBlaisdell at BYUH in 2008 because they were all international students, she said.
Beauty in diversity Mensah said the positive impact the GK Folks Foundation has on refugees is one thing that keeps her motivated. “They are growing into outspoken, very eloquent individuals who are speaking for themselves. They know what they want and attend school successfully. We help them connect with people from the community.” She continued, “It’s 10 years of my life. Hard work. My time, my money, my effort, everything has gone into this. I found my calling and that is in helping immigrants, refugees and people of color.” Mensah shared it is seeing the joy in people’s faces during the transformation that happens whenever they can help someone that keeps her going. “Look at how beautiful BYUH is because of its diversity. I believe there is beauty in diversity and that our differences make us unique,” she said. “My goal is to create an environment where people will not just tolerate diversity, but genuinely appreciate people that are diverse and different from them.” •
Now they come here & they are changing the world” Salisha Allard-Blaisdell
Top: Miss Africa Utah Contestants. Bottom: Gloria Mensah receives the Living Color award for her work with the Gloria Folks Foundation. Photos provided by Gloria Mensah.
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C N E D I C N I O K C A T K AT
SHAR
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A BYUH alumnus and a current student, both avid surfers, say shark attacks have not stopped them from doing what they love BY KYLEE DENISON
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xactly three years to the day that a BYU– Hawaii alumnus was attacked by a shark, Davey Crippen, a sophomore majoring in elementary education from Elk Ridge, Utah, was also bit. Crippen explained he was sitting next to his little brother, with his feet hanging off the dock at Moli‘i fishponds on Sept. 8, 2021 when he noticed splashing about 15 feet away and saw a small shark. At 10 yards away, Crippen said he saw a dorsal fin and tail swimming in a circle really fast. When he saw this, he said he felt prompted by the Spirit to take his feet out of the water. Crippen explained he was preoccupied with his brother and did not think the unlikely would happen. “I didn’t pay attention to that prompting,” he stated. Just then, Crippen said there was a big splash right where he was, and the shark bit his foot. Adrenaline pumping, Crippen said he jumped up, but still got a good look at
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the white-tip reef shark that was just under 4 feet long. “It felt like rocks going into my feet,” explained Crippen. While en route to Kahuku Medical Center, Crippen said his younger brother Spencer, a newly ordained elder, administered his first priesthood blessing with the assistance of their grandfather. Former basketball player and alumnus Juliun Perkins from Kailua, Hawaii, said he had a run-in with a 12-foot tiger shark on Sept. 8, 2018. “I remember the shark’s eyes rolled back in its head as it thrashed back and forth. It was definitely in attack mode,” he said. In Perkins’s case, he was bit on his arm while surfing at Pounder’s Beach early in the morning, he explained. “As I was paddling away from the shark, a wave crashed on me, and I lost my board,” he shared. “Thinking I was going to die, I said the biggest prayer of my life.”
Perkins said he saw six surfers swimming towards him, out of nowhere, one a professional surfer and another an offduty lifeguard. “If it wasn’t for those people, there is no way [I would have survived],” he said. Perkins said he is still surfing, playing basketball and can type on a computer, but it’s been a long road. He explained his bite is 15 inches long, and the shark bit below his elbow and by his wrist. Crippen said he is now walking just fine. He explained within a week of the attack, he resumed all his regular activities, including surfing. “I find so much joy, peace and fulfillment in the ocean and could never give up the desire I have of surfing and being in the water,” said Crippen. Despite his traumatic shark attack, Perkins shared his understanding and respect for the animal. “Sharks are not
CE Davey Crippen standing on the dock where the shark bit him. Photos by Mark Daeson Tabbilos.
vicious creatures,” he said. “[It’s] important to recognize [the ocean] is their home. We are entering their territory. … If they knew what you tasted like before biting you, they would not bite you.” Perkins offered a word of caution and advice when going surfing. “Be aware. Be cautious,” he said. “[It’s] always best to go out with a friend, not only for sharks but also there are tons of things that can happen. … It doesn’t matter how experienced you are.” Crippen also expressed caution and advice about being in the ocean. “Take caution, but please do not be afraid of sharks,” he said. “They’re amazing creatures that play an essential role in maintaining healthy and flourishing ecosystems here in Hawaii.” •
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IT’S THE BEST OF
BOTH WORLDS Two sister missionaries, unable to return home due to COVID-19, foster faith by attending BYUH BY LEVI FUAGA
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nable to return to their home country of Tonga due to COVID-19 restrictions, Sisters Dorothy Tonga and Asena Kisepi, missionaries at the Laie Temple Visitor’s Center, have been attending BYU– Hawaii as students and full-time missionaries since Winter Semester 2021. On Oct. 8, Tonga was released from full-time service, and Kisepi was released the following Sunday. Tonga shared, “The only difference we feel is we don’t wear our name tags anymore, but we strive to serve the Lord no matter what circumstances we are in.” Kisepi said, “I knew this day would come, but I know my name tag will be embedded in my heart. Once a missionary, always a missionary.” Sister Tonga, who started her mission in December 2018, said the ordeal has been hard but spiritually rewarding for the both of them. “Balancing academics and spirituality is very difficult. But we both learned God wouldn’t give us anything we would not be able to overcome. With that mindset, it has really helped us to find joy in this weird, unique situation we’re in.”
Strength from beyond the grave Sister Tonga, a freshman majoring in biology, shared they both have family members who passed away while serving their missions. Sister Kisepi, a freshman majoring in computer science, shared of her father’s passing and how it has strengthened 6 8 KE AL A K A‘I 2021
her faith during her mission. “I have a strong testimony of the temple and I can feel my father’s spirit [whenever I am on] the temple grounds.” Sister Tonga said her faith helped her to grasp the passing of her grandparents. “I said to myself, if God takes any of my family members while I’m away, I’ll be okay with it.” She said she took both of their names to the temple for proxy baptisms and learned “no sacrifice is too great when it comes to the people you love.”
Connect and relate Sister Tonga said attending school as a missionary has given her more empathy for college students. “I feel like the Lord put us in their shoe. I now understand it is hard being in college, and even raising families. There’s so many things you have to worry about. Being a student missionary has helped us to connect with other people.” Sister Kisepi said, “Being able to relate to the [students] is very important. We can help them with their spirituality [since] we’re going through the same things as them.” Sister Tonga said the pandemic has caused tribulations for everyone in different ways. She said this perspective allows them to look outside of themselves and better serve the students. “Knowing other people are struggling has helped us to not focus on our own situation, but to look outward and
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see there are other people who are having a harder time.” Cris Wilson, a sophomore from California majoring in vocal performance, said the sisters’ friendly and fun countenances helped him to feel welcome at BYUH. “Being Polynesian, I felt like a fish out of water because I grew up in California and I don’t speak Samoan or Hawaiian, but they helped me to feel comfortable with who I am.” Wilson shared he has grown closer to them through work and church functions and even found out during a family history lesson he is distantly related to both of them. “I work as an usher for the night show, and Sister Kisepi would help us with ushering. Sister Tonga was training to become a dancer.” Elder Guy Redder and Sister Karen Redder, senior missionaries from Idaho serving at the Laie Temple Visitor’s Center, expressed their joy in meeting Sisters Tonga and Kisepi at the start of their missions. “They were very outgoing, had strong testimonies and were very dedicated to missionary work,” said Elder Redder, expressing his admiration for how much they have persevered through their ordeal. “Anytime we talked to them, we’d tell them we’re praying for them, and they would always stay positive and say, ‘The Lord is in charge. He’s in control. All will work out fine.’” He said the sisters have considered
their situation an opportunity to continue serving the Lord.
From serving to education When their parents encouraged them to attend BYUH since they were serving in the area, Tonga said they both agreed it was a good idea. “[At first] we thought it was impossible, but nothing is impossible with the Lord.” Sister Redder explained how she and other visitor’s center sisters occasionally acted as “surrogate companions” to Sisters Tonga and Kisepi while they attended their respective classes. “On the first day of school, I went with Sister Kisepi to chemistry and the teacher looked at me really weird and said, ‘I didn’t know missionaries could go to school.’” Sister Tonga said despite not being together, their families have been engaged in their own acts of service. “They’re basically living their best life. No matter what situations they’re in, they’re content, happy and grateful they’re still alive and breathing, which has helped us to be grateful in our circumstances.” She said they’ve found joy in fulfilling their family’s wishes to receive an education. “I believe the big reason we accepted the opportunity to go to school and [previously] be missionaries at the same time is because we know since we can’t be with our families … we’re able to feel as if we are home by doing what our families would want us to do.” •
Left: Dorothy Tonga and Asena Kisepi before they were released from being missionaries. Right: Dorothy Tonga and Asena Kisepi walking to class. Photos by Munkbayar Magvandorj.
[At first] we thought it was impossible, but nothing is impossible with the Lord. Sister Tonga N O V E M B ER 2021 69
GETTING TO KNOW
THE WORLD BYUH alumna says she converted to the Church and went on to work for one of the biggest sectors of the organization BY ALEXANDRA CLENDENNING
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lumna Annie Wong, who is now the area director of communication for the Church for all of Asia, said learning about people and how their culture influences who they are can be credited to her conversion to the Church and attending BYU–Hawaii. She said her experience of meeting different people would have been very different if she had stayed in Hong Kong for school. “The BYUH environment, the demographic itself, was an extremely eye-opening experience,” she said. “When I walked into the cafeteria, I basically saw the world. The small classroom sizes there gave me the opportunity to interact more closely with the professors. Having classmates you know from literally all over the world gave me the perspective I have a Heavenly Father who loves all of his children.” Before leaving Hong Kong to attend BYUH, she said she remembers speaking with her stake president, who also attended BYUH for a portion of his educational career. She said, “He told me, ‘Over there, you learn so much more about people,’ and it is so true. As soon as I got to campus, [I felt] like I saw the world on that campus.”
Meeting the missionaries Malinda Larson, a missionary who served in the Hong Kong Mission starting in October 1999, said she met Wong when Wong was a teenager attending a prestigious Christian school in Hong Kong. Larson expressed during the beginning stages of her mission, her Cantonese was not very strong, but she still had a great desire to meet new people, teach them the gospel and connect with them on a personal level. While contacting people at a train station in Hong Kong, Larson said she remembered seeing a young girl wearing a scarf that caught her attention. That girl was Annie Wong. In her broken Cantonese, Larson explained she began to say she liked her scarf but did not know the word for scarf, so she just said it in 7 0 KE AL A K A‘I 2021
English. “Once I said something in English, Annie started talking to me. I thought to myself that I had picked the right girl to speak to that day.”
Continually converting Wong explained in an interview for the Latter-day Saint Women’s Podcast it was the sister missionaries and their commitment to serve full-time missions that really impressed her. While recounting her experience, she said the missionaries invited her to go to church and she started to investigate from there. “I still was very much attracted to their sincerity and how genuine they were when they spoke with me.” Despite her interest, Wong said she could not get baptized right away. “I was a minor and I wasn’t able to get permission during those two and a half years to get baptized, so I just kept studying with them until my mom signed the paper to let me get baptized.” Larson beamed while describing her fondness of Wong and the time she had to meet with her during those few months of teaching her the gospel. “I would say she’s a sponge. She loves to learn, and she loves people, but she also loves learning about her divine nature as a daughter of God. To teach a person about their divine worth and their divine nature is such a great blessing.” Larson described the experience of meeting with Wong as a way for her to see God’s hand and the plan he has for all of his children. She added Wong had a lot of questions when she was investigating the Church. “[God] wants us to have questions, and he doesn’t want us to just accept it because people tell us to. He wants us to ask our questions and come to find the answers first, so I was grateful the process gave her time to have questions and to seek to know.” Larson said they have stayed friends since they met in 1999 and continue to share their lives with one another. She described Wong as having an “energy that carries over to people she loves you can feel just by being in the same room as her. … She’s just a spark of light that can make you smile and feel so comfortable that you just want to give her a hug.”
An appetite for learning Wong shared learning has always been a part of her life. On the Latter-day Saint Women’s Podcast, she explained how her high school was very competitive, with students on track to attend Ivy League colleges in the United States. As Wong prepared for her journey to BYUH, she said many of her classmates did not take her pursuit seriously because since the school is in Hawaii, they did not think it would be a focused endeavor. “In reality, I’m a very studious person and I’m very academically driven. So, I had this dilemma of going to BYUH when I first started. But over time, I learned a lot from the school and I would say I had some very life changing experiences,” she explained.
Overseeing the people of the Church As the current area director of Communication for the Church for all of Asia, Wong said she oversees different issues and the needs of the people in those areas. Wong explained her role allows her to use persuasion for good change within the regions she oversees.
Tom Crockett, from Tucson Arizona and former director of public affairs, which is what Wong’s position used to be called, said the position requires maintaining relationships with government officials and other organizations within the countries of that region. “Government relations, all the way down to the local communities doing local service and so on, had to do with news, news information, managing news and managing the relationships we have in the local communities,” explained Crockett about Wong’s role as area director. Before Wong went into her profession, she explained she volunteered to work as an intern in the Human Resources office when she transferred to BYU in Provo. She was not getting paid, but said she thought the opportunity would be a great learning experience. This led to her receiving a paid position as a secretary, and ultimately assisting the public affairs director. Wong recommended BYUH students to “always perform, always deliver and always do well in all circumstances” because people notice when they do or don’t do well, and students can never know where their experiences will take them in the future. Wong credited the help she received with her writing, reading and public speaking skills to the BYUH Reading and Writing Center, where she frequently went to practice her English speaking, writing and communications skills. • From left to right in both photos: Malinda Larson (missionary), Annie Wong and Sarah Street (missionary) in Hong Kong. Photos provided by Malinda Larson.
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