BYU-Hawaii’s literary journal, the Kula Manu, is filled with stories, art, and poetry from students, faculty, and community members. Students and members of the community are given the opportunity to submit an art piece, photo, essay, short story, or poem. A prize is awarded to the two best submissions in each category, with $100 being awarded to first place and $50 to second. The Kula Manu allows for students to share what they love and help them connect more to the community. “It’s a way for people to be able to express themselves. I dance, and it is a form of expression. There are a lot of different ways to express yourself,” said Sinaiya Eskeets, a freshman from Nevada majoring in exercise and sports science.Joseph Plicka, the professor teaching Advanced Creative Writing (the class publishing the Kula Manu), has been in charge of the publication for three years. “It has been a record of what our students are writing, and photography and art. Its a wonderful thing to be a part of,” said Plicka. “And it’s the only place where students can display their work in the narrative arts.”Ever since the 1960s, the Kula Manu has published stories written by people from all over the world and are available to read in the library for decades to come. Being a diverse school, people from the United States, the Philippines, and the Pacific Islands and more have contributed to the journal. “It’s not only a way to serve the students but also hopefully a way to bring the community together because a lot of what is written is born from people’s experiences living here,” added Plicka. Every year students sign up for a class, usually English 318R, to oversee, edit, lay out, and publish the literary journal, giving students a chance to have a hands-on experience with creating a publication. “The most exciting thing about working in the Kula Manu is collaborating with other students and seeing their ideas on various topics we bring up or are involved with,” shared Karina King, a senior in sculpting and ceramics from California, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Kula Manu. At the end of Winter Semester, a reception is scheduled to honor those whose entries where included in the publication and a copy of the Kula Manu is given to them. Afterward, free copies of the Kula Manu will be available to the public to share and learn more about ideas, things in the community, or outside experiences fellow peers share. Students can submit their work by emailing the Kula Manu at kulamanu2015@gmail.com.Uploaded Feb. 19, 2015.
Writer: Rachel Reed
