Starting mid-October every year, the BYU–Hawaii Facilities Management department starts the months-long process of decorating the campus in time for Christmas, explained Curt Christiansen, project manager, capital assets and key assets coordinator for BYUH.
The undertaking is handled by contractors from local company Eagle Electric LLC with the goal of having everything up and running by Thanksgiving, Christiansen explained.
Ammon Tamilarason, a senior hospitality and tourism management major from Malaysia works as the student assistant to the operations manager. He said the purpose of the decorations, which can be seen all the way from Laie Elementary School, is to promote and emphasize the idea that all people are “children of Christ.”
Tamilarason explained upon entering the campus, a “massive bright star,” which represents people believing in Christ, can be seen. He said the lights are on campus to represent remembering the Lord and “to show people how the Lord can provide [for] them in their lives and help them.”
Josephine Satele, a junior marine biology major from Georgia, said she was looking forward to seeing the lights because they are her “favorite part of Christmas.” She said the lights remind her of 3 Nephi 18:24, which states the importance of people sharing their light with others.
Tamilarason shared the lights this year are taking a step forward by involving students and faculty more than they have in the past. In a trial program, members of the Mongolia Club and the Science Club helped replace lightbulbs and check wiring during the hoomana day of service.
The process, usually done by electricians, typically costs the school a lot of money, accumulating to “thousands of dollars,” said Tamilarason. He said this year it cost the school only $300 with the volunteer help.
Tamilarason said the students performed their duties very well, so from now on, Facilities Management will likely rely on student service to get the lights ready to go up. “They really [lived up] to our expectations and went beyond,” he said, praising the clubs and describing the students as “assets” of the school.
Christiansen explained one of the reasons for changing the lightbulbs was to replace the incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs. With a lower energy cost, LED bulbs are both cheaper and more environmentally-friendly, he explained, emphasizing how the change has happened gradually over the past three years.
Tamilarason said the switch to LED bulbs reveals the trajectory of BYUH becoming more sustainable.
He also stated the cost-saving measures implemented by Facilities Management were intended as a way to ensure as much of the school’s money as possible was going towards projects with “more value,” such as construction and student welfare.
Christiansen said one other reason for changing the lightbulbs was the University president’s wife is always in charge of choosing the colors of the displays. He said the colors Monica Kauwe chose this year “represent the school” and did require some of the lights to be changed from previous years.