Preparations for Culture Night are picking up as the dates for the event peek around the corner. BYUHSA clubs have come together all semester to practice dances and cultural presentations to share with the community for the crowning event of the winter semester. “It gives people a way to appreciate culture without exploiting or disrespecting it. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to really jump in and also appreciate the process of learning a whole new set of dances,” said Kyle Chu, a sophomore accounting major from Washington. Chu will be participating in the Tahitian presentation. Though the grueling late night practices two and three times a week are exciting, a lot happens behind the scenes. Chapters were able to outsource their costume production to family members back home. The Samoan chapter reportedly sent money and measurements to freshman Pearl Tuiasosopo’s family and home relief society in American Samoa. The chapter received their costumes March 21st. The Hawaiian chapter will be featuring the “kahiko style of dancing” (ancient style). Makana Rapozo, one of the student kumu for this year’s presentation, reported Poliahu Sauni and Rose Tataipu “are working tirelessly” to make the traditional pa‘u skirts for the women and malo for the men. The Fiji Chapter held a curry and roti plate lunch fundraiser earlier in the semester to raise money for traditional attire and seamstress labor. The chapter will be performing traditional “meke” as part of their performance and will feature student voices rather than a recorded track as per modern custom. The Aotearoa chapter has been working without end as well. “It’s been awesome to learn the proper way to do these dances from people straight from New Zealand, and seeing that it’s kind of a competition between the chapters, I’m looking forward to see what everyone else has to bring to the table,” said Isabel Otanez-Ortiz, freshman from Iowa. Members were expected to contribute to the purchase of the costume materials and chapter heads created costumes for the presentation. All the chapters are working together to create seamless and soulful presentations. Culture Night will be held in the Cannon Activities center on March 27th and 28th and starting at 9 pm. For more information or for changes in the schedule, stay tuned to http://calendar.byuh.edu. Uploaded March 24, 2015

Soon after Paris Fashion Week ended on March 11, the French Parliament is considering passing a bill that would ban models from the runway that are “too skinny.” According to The New York Times, “The French Parliament is debating legislation that would effectively set minimum weights for women and girls to work as models, a step that supports of the bill say is necessary to combat the persistence of anorexia.” The New York Times said confronting the fashion industry about weight standards is “confronting one of the dark sides of fashion: the glamorization of too-thin women.” Shape magazine reports if the bill is passed, models will be required to have a medical certificate proving a BMI of no less than 18. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute states that a normal and healthy BMI weight is between 18.5 and 24.9.If approved, says New York Times, France would be joining other countries that have passed similar legislations. In 2012, Israel established a law that required models to have a minimum BMI of 18.5 or face criminal penalties. Other countries like Spain and Italy, reports The New York Times, “have weighed legislation similar to the one under consideration in France but for now continue to rely on voluntary pacts with the fashion industry.” Lindsey Ferrin, a junior psychology major from Oklahoma, said, “Today is about being confident in your own skin. If you want to improve yourself, eat right, exercise and most importantly do the things that make you happy.” Shape magazine says, “We all know that strong is sexy, so we’re glad to see the fashion world jumping on board too.” Actress Hillary Duff has recently admitted that, “I’m just not that concerned with being the skinniest person. I’m not a model… I’m normal and I’m perfectly happy being that way,” Duff told Elle magazine.Katie Willcox, plus-size model and Founder of Healthy is the New Skinny and Natural Model Management, told GLAM4GOOD, a fashion and beauty movement organization, about how she would like to see the future of the fashion and beauty industry change, “I would love to see all types of models being used… all colors, sizes and ages. In life there is beauty all around us, but we teach people to only think that beauty is thin, tall and young.”Cecilia Fisk, a junior psychology major from Utah, said “Sure models show us what clothes are popular but they are not the image of beauty.” Fisk continued that she does not feel like she needs to look at models in magazines or on TV for what is beautiful instead Fisk said, “To me, beauty is confidence and that comes in all sorts of shapes.”McKinzie Norton, a freshman graphic design major from Kansas, said, “I think the Church has done a good job making women feel good for who they are. I always have felt most comfortable in my own skin at church. I am happy being me and being happy is what matters to me.”Uploaded March 24, 2015

The German architect Frei Otto won the Pritzker Prize by virtue of his “airy tent-like structures and other inventive feats of engineering,” said the New York Times. However, Otto died right before the announcement was to be made. The Pritzker, which usually goes to a living architect, is regarded as architecture’s highest honor, according to The New York Times. “The committee said it was the first time that the winner had died before it was announced.“

Two helicopters collided and crashed in La Rioja province in northwestern Argentina on March 9, killing eight French passengers and two Argentine pilots, according to the Associated Press. The helicopters were carrying crew of a popular European reality show, “Dropped,” in which world-class athletes survive in extreme areas of the world and find civilization. Among the dead were Olympic gold medalist swimmer Camille Muffat, Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine and pioneering sailor Florence Arthaud, according to AP.A video captured the accident, showing the helicopters hitting the other, and both descending from loss of control. The helicopters crashed into the ground 50 feet apart, catching fire and leaving the remains to be charred and nearly unrecognizable, according to AP. Because of the harsh terrain, investigators weren’t able to reach the crash until the following day to recover the bodies.Daniel Gorkich, an aviation director in the area in Argentina, said the pilots were highly trained and the strong winds and afternoon sun could have caused the accident, according to AP.Family and citizens in Argentina and France mourned for the dead. President Francois Holland told AP he felt “immense sadness,” and the Olympic Committee announced its flag would be flown at half-staff for three days. Students at BYU-Hawaii said they were concerned for the families and loved ones of the victims. “That’s tough for the family situation. Their families, I’m sure, thought they were going on a show,” said senior Kendall Pefley, an international cultural studies major from California. “You can’t really prevent something like that.”There were memorials for Muffat, the 25-year-old champion swimmer, who won gold in 400-meter freestyle as well as silver and bronze at the London Olympics. Vastine, an Olympic wrestler, who won a bronze in 2008 in Beijing, was hoping to compete in the upcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, according to AP. Arthaud was the first woman to win the Route de Rhum race, “a trans-Atlantic single-handed yacht race between Brittany and the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe,” AP reported.The helicopters collided near Villa Castelli, a small town in the Andean foothills, said AP. “That would be so hard,” said Mikaela Tauili’ili, a senior majoring in accounting from Western Samoa. “And for people seeing that, you don’t expect to see helicopters blow up right there.”Other victims of the crash included the crew for the reality television show, including Volodia Guinard, Brice Guilbert, Laurent Sbasnik, Lucie Mei-Dalby, and Edouard Gilles, according to AP. The other two victims were the pilots, Juan Carlos Castillo and Roberto Abate.Zoe Welliver, a sophomore studying English from Canada, commented, “I worry about all those people. They all have families and all of them are affected.”According to AP, the crash was one of the deadliest incidents related to reality TV shows. Louis Bodin told news sources that the show would be suspended, but “maybe in the future we’ll pick it back up because the concept is beautiful. At the moment, we are very sad.”Uploaded March 20, 2015

Honolulu’s commercial and retail district, Kaka‘ako, is filled with murals and street art across buildings in this urban community. Students said they thought the art displayed across the underground community gives this particular part of Honolulu a different and unique feel to the city.The walls of Kaka‘ako were blank canvases until February of 2011, when Honolulu artist Jasper Wong put together an organization called “Pow! Wow! Hawaii.” Every year artists from all over the world come together to fill the walls with unique and urban art. The art created is left on the walls for all of the locals and tourists to check out, according to powwowhawaii.com.Wong, director of Pow! Wow! Hawaii, said the organization’s purpose, and the display of art is, “To bring people together; beautify communities; and educate through art.”Wong explained there are many things that are needed in order to fulfill a process like this: “A lot of blood, sweat, tears and burning midnight oils. Pow! Wow! Hawaii has a lot of moving parts. It requires a lot of time and care to make sure all the gears move. The people of Hawaii love art and it's great to see thousands of people come to see murals.” Participant of Pow! Wow! Hawaii, Kalani Pokipala, said, “The light that I see Pow! Wow! Hawaii shining is a light that's been long overdue for the underground and urban community for Hawaii's artists, including everyone that comes from overseas. “For street art, music and culture to grow and thrive, there needed to be something or someone to take the bull by the horns and run full throttle. With the collective conscience, manpower and mind of every individual, starving artist, trendsetter, musician, curator, memory snappers, makeshift innovator, art mogul, and so on, this event allows for the clouds to dissipate and sunlight to shine in.”Pokipala said he thinks it is great Kaka’ako is being beautified through art and music through Pow! Wow! Hawaii. “The best part is having a plethora of artists from all over the world come together for one reason, and one reason only: bringing the awareness level of Hawaii's art and urban community to the masses, and working together as one to achieve such a conquest,” said Pokipala. Locals and students have witnessed the unique street art in the urban community created by the hands of those who have come from around the world.BYU-Hawaii student Kelsie Gordon, a junior majoring in biology from Washington, has checked out the different art styles in Honolulu. Gordon said, “I think street art brings lots of unique culture to the streets of Hawaii. It shows how an individual’s expression can be respected by many other people. I think street art also makes Honolulu, specifically the Kaka’ako district, unique because of the diversity of the artists who created the masterpieces.”The murals created in early February this year cover the walls and buildings of Honolulu and will be kept for everyone to see until next year when new and inventive artists from all over the world come again to cover the town with art.Uploaded March 19, 2015

BYU-Hawaii Career Services brought in FBI Special Agent Ty Arnold to discuss job opportunities open to BYUH students within the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Arnold received a criminal justice degree and served in the military prior to joining the FBI and has now been an FBI special agent for 18 years. Arnold has experience in all different fields of the FBI including; white collar crime, terrorism, violence and drugs.Throughout the information session, Arnold explained the two types of staff in the FBI. There are about 25,000 positions of the first: professional staff. These positions include Intelligence Analysts, Linguistics, Engineers and Human Resources Specialists. The second type of staff is Special Agents. “Special Agents conduct investigations and/or operations,” said Arnold. “We are the people out in the field doing all of the fun stuff. That’s why it is the best job in the world. We get to go out and do everything from interviewing suspects, witnesses and victims. Everything that involves investigation.” Arnold said there are about 15,000 of these elite positions. Jake Hsu, Employer Relations Manager of Career Services, said, “Alumni & Career Services at BYU-Hawaii invites relevant employers and organizations to campus so students can become aware of the possible career options and also understand how to align themselves to best compete and apply for such positions.”The FBI information piqued the curiosity of Matthew Medonich, a senior double majoring in international cultural studies and hospitality and tourism management from Arizona. Medonich said he was interested in possibly working for the FBI. “My aunt works for the CIA and I really want to use my language abilities to help America as well as work in some kind of government position that wears nice suits,” said Medonich, who also said the meeting was informative and gave him the ability to prepare for the future job.Arnold emphasized the FBI is a hard industry to get into and comes with a few requirements. First, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen. Second, the applicant must be between the ages of 23 and 36 years old. The applicant must also have a four-year degree and must be physically fit and willing to relocate. Hsu said, “Information sessions are always good to attend because they are the real… professionals explaining reality in the working world to students who are preparing for it. Information about jobs and organizations you think you know and heard from others will be verified and explained at information session. The benefit is mutual, when great students and BYU-Hawaii alumni take great opportunities, and then those organizations return to BYU-Hawaii for more recruits.”Uploaded March 19, 2015

On March 6, 19-year-old Tony Robinson was shot by a police officer in Madison, Wis., which greatly “intensified concerns of racial bias in U.S. law enforcement,” says Reuters. Since the incident, family, friends and those “angry over the death… [have been marching] through the streets of Madison toward the capital building… carry signs, beating drums and chanting, ‘The people united will never be defeated,’” Yahoo News reported.Sean McClellan, a senior social work major from Utah, said he feels he has learned a good deal of the conditions that continue a racist system. “I still see racism today, and I think it will take many decades for people to able to not make racist judgments when two people of two different skin colors are faced in conflict.” McClellan continued, “I think cases like Ferguson and the Madison one are going to keep being exploited if people keep feeding the flame.”For Sione Fuluvaka, a freshman math major from Laie, his experience from serving a mission in Florida had shown him how even in a state that is a melting pot of cultures and different races, there is still racism and stereotypes. “Even though I haven’t personally experienced racism, even on my mission, I’ve seen how some people can’t look past stereotypes. I think it helps me understand the reactions of people who make race a reason for violence.”Sara Black, a freshman elementary education major from Kailua, said, “It is hard to say that racism doesn’t exist, but it does. It is unfortunate.”CNN compared the different reactions of the Madison police and the Ferguson police as the reason for the low key protesting in Madison and the violent protesting in Ferguson after a black teenager died from a shot fired by a white police officer.In Madison, Police Chief Mike Koval immediately went to the home of Robinson to apologize and to “show affirmative steps in moving forward to bring the community back into the fold,” said Koval. In contrast, Ferguson Police Chief Tomas Jackson finally went to apologize to Brown’s family after a month of violent protesting, reported CNN.The investigating procedures also greatly differed between the two towns, resulting in less of a violent outlash in Madison. CNN reported, “Under Wisconsin law, an outside agency is tasked with the investigation of police-involved shootings.” On March 9, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker stated that outside agency will be the Wisconsin Department of Justice.CNN reported in Ferguson’s case, “Chief Jackson asked the St. Louis County Police Department to conduct an independent investigation into Brown’s killing.”The timing between the shooting and releasing the name of the officer that shot the teen was also important, said CNN. Within hours of the incident, Chief Koval released the name of the officer who shot Robinson, reports CNN. By not withholding information from the public, says CNN, there was no time for racial suspicion to build. In Ferguson, “Three days after Brown was killed, Ferguson police backtracked on a promise made a day earlier to release the name of the officer,” wrote CNN. Brown’s family, CNN continued, “accused the police of protecting their own and ignoring standard procedures.”An additional key factor, CNN explained, is how the authorities presented the victim. When Chief Koval was pressed for details on documents that indicated that Robinson plead guilty for an armed robbery that happened a year ago, Koval said, “I could but I choose not to… I am not going to blemish anyone’s character.”In complete contrast, CNN reported Chief Jackson released a video in which Brown robbed a convenience store prior to the shooting.These all resulted in differences in the size and tone of rallies in each town. In Madison, demonstrations have remained peaceful as activists chanted, “Black lives matter” and “Who do we trust? No one!” reported CNN News. In Ferguson, within a few hours of Brown’s death people began to violently, “hurtled bottles at officers and kicked police cars,” and demonstrations continued for weeks afterward.Uploaded March 19, 2015

Beauty and art overcome negativity in the mind of BYU-Hawaii senior R.J. Gualberto, who was accepted into his dream graduate school, the New York Academy of Art. Trumping the pessimism from family members and societal expectations of his home country, the Philippines, Gualberto said he is pursuing his passion, and hopes to help other artists pursue their own.Despite dismaying comments made about the outlook of art as a career, Gualberto has the goal to paint for the LDS temples, or design them. “I never get discouraged if I am thinking about working for the church in the future to help the work of the Lord. Whatever the world says, I’ve heard all of them already, and I’m still here doing it. I know I’ve been helped. I’ve been getting all these wonderful opportunities, so I know I am supposed to do this.”After receiving his education in the United States, Gualberto said he wants to go back to the Philippines and start an art school. “That is my goal 20 years from now. I know a lot of aspiring artists there who don’t have the resources. They get discouraged. They have no access and no support. I’m already talking to my friends here who would be able to teach 20 years from now. I just want the youth in the Philippines to have someone to push them if they really want to pursue art.” He said most students are encouraged to go into nursing, engineering, hotel management, or more practical jobs, which is why he was discouraged by his parents to pursue art as a career, since there are no demands for artists back home.Growing up in a small town two hours from Manila, Gualberto, who is studying graphic design, said his first encounter with art was at the age of 8 when his uncle would draw portraits of people. “For some reason he told me to stay away from his sketch pad, but I would sneak into his room when he was gone and look at his sketches. I was amazed by it.”Around the same time as this experience, he said his family converted to the LDS Church. “I grew up with President Hinckley as the prophet of my youth. Being exposed to the art from the Ensign, I copied a sketch of him that inspired me at the age of 12. I didn’t know who drew it or where it came from.”In 2013, Gualberto apprenticed for the painter William Whitaker, a well-respected portrait artist commissioned by the church in Salt Lake City. Gualberto said one of Whitaker’s jobs is to update the paintings of the apostles every five years. “When I was cleaning Mr. Whitaker’s archive room, I saw a stack of the original Gordon B. Hinckley sketches that I drew when I was little. I can’t tell you how amazed and humble I felt at that moment to realize he was the artist. It just proved to me that everything happens for a reason. I came from a really small town, and art is not something that people are going to buy there. As I keep going doing what I love, it just brings me to places. I got a scholarship to come here for art and through the I-WORK program. After one year of studying here, I got that internship. Yesterday, I found out I was accepted to my dream school. I keep getting the confirmation that this is my calling. ”Gualberto said Whitaker also became more like a spiritual mentor to him. “He told me, ‘I want you to pray every time before you paint... You are really lucky because the church is going to need painters like you to paint for the temple.’”Rae Robinson, a junior from Texas studying painting, said, “R.J. is a super talented and driven individual. Ever since I came here, I looked up to him a lot. He sets his goals high and achieves them with excitement. He’s going to go super far in life and in the art world.”Although a graphic design major, Gualberto said he loves painting figures and portraits the most. His favorite style is classical realism. After graduation, he and his wife, Sara, are traveling to Paris for a four-week painting program to learn a particular portrait style. In the fall, he will start school in New York. “My most meaningful piece of artwork is my grandpa. I surprised myself that I could actually paint my grandpa just like that.” Gualberto also shared one of his favorite paintings is of Jesus Christ. “From all my paintings, I really think I didn’t do this myself. I painted it in one night when I couldn’t sleep.”Gualberto said he is working on his thesis for his bachelor’s in Fine Arts. He is painting portraits from the different Polynesian Islands. His show opens April 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the McKay Auditorium foyer and runs until April 14. It will also be displayed in the PCC Marketplace from April 15 to 18.Gualberto has a diverse range of artworks ranging from typography, murals, and paintings that can be found at rjgualberto.com. Uploaded March 19, 2015

Celebrations were held around the world to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. The celebrations ranged from Indian women and children watching street plays on female empowerment to women and activists marching at the capital in Morocco holding signs that said, “Women protesting for dignity, freedom, equality, social justice.” In Afghanistan, men wore burqas to protest against violence toward women and held signs reading, “We say no to all forms of violence,” reported AP.“Thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements,” stated the International Women’s Day website. Events range “from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking to local women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades, and more.”In recent years, more public awareness has been given to prevent domestic abuse toward women and increase equal treatment. “IWD gives space for women’s voices to be heard and also potential for activism to be done for women’s causes; for example, domestic abuse, body images in advertising, education and so on,” stated Anna Christiansen, a BYU-Hawaii English teacher who also teaches women’s studies. Through social media, IWD has gained notoriety to prevent abuse inside and outside the home and to help women gain equality. The IWD website states, “The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.”Brooke Thomas, a BYUH graduate and intern from California, said in light of women’s improvement throughout history, “Well, we’ve come a long way. Feminism gets a bad name, but a lot of it now is educating people. Feminism simply means to be equal. It doesn’t mean men and women have to be the same. It just means we have equal rights, equal opportunity, equal pay...it started mostly about getting our rights and now its mostly getting our voices heard. We do hold up half the sky.”The IWD website continued, “However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university...women have real choices.”International Women’s Day was first established in 1910 when Clara Zetkin, the leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, presented the idea in a conference of 100 women from 17 countries that there should be an annual day in every country for women to press for their demands, according to the IWD website. Since 1918, IWD has grown and “become a day of global recognition and celebration for women...Women’s organizations and governments around the world have observed IWD to honor women’s advancement and be reminded of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women’s equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life,” the IWD website says. Uploaded March 19, 2015