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A guy in traditional Fijian dress jumps up, with his legs out to the sides and touches them with his hands on a path that leads through a forest of trees.

Telling stories through pixels: Student with a passion for storytelling tells of spending more than 100 hours on a five-minute video

Emilio Valenciano said he prefers making videos over photographs because he likes to tell stories and create an emotional connection with the audience.

Looking up at four people, two women and two men, who have put their arms around one another to form a circle. They are looking at each other and smiling.

BYUH students share dating customs unique to their countries, including who makes the first move and PDA do’s and don’ts

Dating customs from around the world include couple rings, rental dates, sharing a meal and hanging out shared BYU–Hawaii students from Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Nevada.

A family and missionaries take a group photo before a baptism. A man and woman are dressed in white ready to be baptised.

Returned missionaries adjusted to new cultures by losing themselves in the Lord’s work

Three returned missionaries at BYU–Hawaii spoke of the importance of understanding culture in missionary work. They noted respecting and learning a new culture on their missions helped them feel happy and shared stories and gave advice for prospective missionaries at BYUH.

Hawaiian artifacts that are in the BYUH Archive include 1. a feathered kāhili that has a number of feathers, either from chickens or other birds, that were woven or sewn together and put onto a stick to indicate that a chief or chiefess was coming. 2. The pandanus basket, made from the leaves of the pandanus tree, was a common basket used to carry material for everyday use. 3. A nose flute or air instrument made from bamboo that would be held up to the player’s nose. There are also three finger holes that would change the pitch of the note.

Pieces of the Past: BYUH Archives houses many Hawaiian artifacts including a stick made for nobility and a weapon made of shark’s teeth

BYU–Hawaii faculty members said learning about the history of the Hawaiian artifacts housed in the school Archives helps people understand the complexities of Hawaiian culture. They affirmed each artifact has its own unique purpose that contributes to Hawaiian history.

Jean Okimoto in a black and white photo from the late 1950s wearing a striped shirt and white pants standing by the front door of a house.

Living in the shadows of the temple: Alumnae Jean Okimoto shares what life was like when BYUH first started

When Jean Okimoto first stepped foot on the BYU–Hawaii campus, she described the close-knit community as a few small portables for gatherings and learning, full of lively weekend activities. In the Lanihuli House where she lived, Okimoto taught her roommates how to make sushi she had previously learned to make from her mother’s restaurant in Kauai.

BYUH student volunteers stand in a semi circle in a classroom with teens at the National Guard Youth Challenge Academy. They are wearing aloha shirts and traditional clothing from the South Pacific Islands.

BYUH volunteer said bringing the PCC to ‘at-promise’ youth taught them to endure challenging situations by understanding their cultures

Longo Huhane is just one of the students who helped bring the Polynesian Cultural Center to the Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge Academy cadets, who are referred to as “at-promise” youth as opposed to “at-risk” youth. She said teaching the cadets about culture was impactful because it helped them realize they can draw strength from their roots.

Two sister missionaries, one wearing an orange floral patterned dress and one in a blue dress, hold up their name tags in front of the Laie Hawaii Temple.

Laie sister missionaries said changes in missionary work during the pandemic revealed God’s perfect plan

Although she would have loved to have an in-person experience at the Missionary Training Center, Sister Tess Jones said Heavenly Father had a different plan for her as a missionary serving during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was difficult to miss out on traditional missionary experiences, she said, but she could see the miracles accomplished despite the changes.

A teacher dressed in a black Hopkido martial arts top and pants is surrounded by nine boys and girls he gives free lessons to on the grass outside of married student housing.

Indonesian student Indra Lokatama says he is the only certified hapkido instructor on Oahu, and he teaches local children it for free

Indra Lokatama, a senior from Indonesia majoring in psychology, said he is the only certified hapkido instructor on the entire island of Oahu. In addition, the BYU–Hawaii Hapkido Club, which he coaches, is the first and only Hapkido Club on the island.

Fei Liu wearing a red shirt with white polka dots, holds the flag of China and has a little black and white toy panda bear, while standing in front of flags from other nations in the background.

Country Highlight: Celebrations and traditions in China bring families together, says two BYUH students

Family is at the center of Chinese culture, traditions, food and celebrations. For example, Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, brings extended families together to decorate their homes, enjoy time away from school and eat family favorite foods, said two BYU–Hawaii sophomores from China.