Sam Mangakahia, the artist assigned to create the medallion for President John S. K. Kauwe III’s inauguration, said President Kauwe wanted him to design a medallion that incorporates meaningful symbols representing who President Kauwe is as a person and leader and the mission and culture of the University.
“He wants culture to be integrated into the school, into what is most important and what people see. I think this medallion is a symbol of the beginning of this movement,” Mangakahia explained.
Mangakahia, a 2020 alumni from Australia, said he and President Kauwe worked together hand-in-hand in the process. He explained he would create his design and show it to the president, who would adjust the design to his liking. They did this back and forth for six months until they got the right design, Mangakahi explained.
University Brand Manager Marisa Santeco, who works for University Communications, said President Kauwe's medallion varies from previous presidential medallions because “Typically for these presidential medallions, ... the back side of the medallion usually has an image of the school. President Kauwe’s medallion was customized to reflect his individual traits he has to offer BYUH.”
She said the medallion also tells the story of who he is and has symbols that are special to him.
Meanings behind the symbols
Mangakahia said the outside pattern of the medallion represents malama, which means “to look after and care for.” He said to successfully malama, “one must give and take. ... The filled-in triangles, symbolize the ‘give’ and the empty triangles depict the ‘take.’”
This pattern represents the rim of a well that people “all benefit from and contribute to,” he said. “For the well to be there, people have to dig the hole. For the well to be of any use, people have to take water out of it. So [there’s] give and take.”
Mangakahia said the middle design on one side of the medallion resembles a ti leaf and “is a pattern President Kauwe holds close to him. It’s a quilt pattern his great uncle designed and his grandmother stitched. The ti leaf has a pleasant fragrance and is used in many significant ceremonies,” he said.
The Hawaiian phrase at the bottom, E‘ Ōpu Ali‘i, means to “have the heart of a chief” and “to have kindness, generosity and even the temper of a chief,” Mangakahia said.
The Japanese characters written on the top translate to “the 11th president” and represent President Kauwe’s mission to Japan, Mangakahia explained.
The challenging part of the project, Mangakahia said, was getting the symbols, story and layout to fit on the limited amount of space. He said he had to “think about what's most important” and omit any designs that weren't needed because “There was no room for things that don't have a purpose.”
Meaningful materials
Santeco said one way President Kauwe's medallion varies from previous presidential medallions is the material it was made with.
“[Former] President Tanner had a brass medallion with an antique finish.”
According to an article called “Designing A Legacy” published by the University News, Mangakahia says they used three different types of wood for the medallion, including koa, milo and maple.
He says koa was incorporated for “its strength and durability,” milo for its red color, and maple “to create a stark contrast.” He adds each wood “represents the depth and importance of President Kauwe and his mission.”
The medallion's ribbon
Santeco said, “My contribution is not as big as Sams. Initially, I just provided Sam with BYUH’s logo and reviewed his work alongside President Kauwe and my director, Laura Tevaga.”
In the last few days leading to the inauguration, she said she helped put the ribbon on the medallion because Mangakahia could not access the sewing lab that day because it was closed.
“I burned the edges of the ribbon to keep the thread from running and hand-sewed it together, all in hopes it would sit nicely on the president’s chest when he wore it at the inauguration,” she shared.
“I never thought I would have to sew or use a lighter in my office to do such a task, but it was a memorable one for sure,” she added.