A week of celebration...
"That sounds good to me," said Gladys Knight who, along with husband William McDowell, was officially greeted Friday morning by BYU-Hawaii President Eric B. Shumway at the McKay Foyer. A host of media lined up to welcome her as well, asking questions and taking photos of her first visit to the university.
"The faces on this campus are just beautiful," said Knight. "All the different cultures make BYU-Hawaii just so special. I love it."
Performing what has been labeled "the number-one show in Las Vegas," Knights here to kick off Jubilee Week, and will be showcasing many of her popular hits Saturday night at the Cannon Activities Center at 7 p.m. She will also be featured Sunday evening as she directs her Saints Unified Voices gospel choir in back-to-back performances, a choir in which several of its members are BYUH alumni.
"As I look into the faces of my choir, it's like your campus," Knight continued. "There are so many beautiful faces, so many colors, shapes, sizes, and that's what makes it so beautiful. You know when you're little and you get your first coloring book, you also get a brand new set of crayons. Then you open up that box of crayons and you see all those beautiful colors, and you want to use all of them. That's what BYU-Hawaii is like—full of all these beautiful colors and cultures, and God wants to use all of them."
President Shumway anxiously awaited the singer before she arrived on campus.
"Very few singers over the last 50 years have matched the artistry of Gladys Knight," he said. "We're absolutely thrilled to have Gladys come to our campus as part of our 50th anniversary celebration to perform for our students, faculty, staff and community. Along with her great music, she brings a passion for building multi-cultural understanding that has been a hallmark of our campus mission for the past 50 years."
Along with that passion, she brought that trademark smile, which has been so prevalent in both the record industry and in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which found it's way into Gladys' life in 1997.
As Knight and company toured the campus, they attended a rehearsal by the University Choral. As she entered the room, the group was singing a spiritual piece entitled "Go Down, Moses," at the extreme delight of Gladys' brother, known simply to everyone as Bubba, a former pip.
As the choir concluded with the hymn "Nearer My God to Thee," Bubba expressed gratitude towards the choir. Speaking to director Michael Belnap, he said, "Words can't express how I feel for you and your group." Gladys shared his sentiments, saying, "Music can reach people all over the world, but the spirit in which you do it makes the difference. Any little thing we can, we should do to make a difference."
The theme of BYU-Hawaii's Golden Jubilee is "From This School…",in reference to the prophecy made in 1921 by then Church President David O. McKay, when he said, "From this school, I'll tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good towards the establishment of peace internationally."
President Shumway added, "This year's celebration is a very significant time for us to reminisce, and to say thank-you to the men and women who have given their lives, talents, gifts of learning, and teaching that have reached so many people throughout the world. It's also a time to reflect on what remainst o be done in the future, to say in our hearts that what has happened in the last 50 years is really a preface to what needs to be done in the future," he added.
In addition to the concerts and firesides featuring Knight and her choir, Jubilee events include a keynote address by Hawaii State Governor Linda Lingle and a "Parade of Nations" march, highlighting the flags of the 76 countries, all of which are represented by students on our campus this semester. There are also artistic and cultural exhibits, a golf tournament, an alumni leadership conference, a holoku ball, a BYU-Hawaii day at the Polynesian Cultural Center including an alumni show, and an address by President Thomas S. Monson, a member of the First Presidency of the Church. The Jubilee wraps up on Saturday, October 22with a community parade, carnival, and fireworks.
Over the past 50 years, the student body grew from 153 who met in temporary war-surplus buildings to 2,400 students, almost half of whom come from more than 70 different countries, making BYU-Hawaii the most international university per capita in the U.S. The university has developed into a four-year comprehensive undergraduate institution that consistently ranks among top U.S. universities for the value and quality of its approximately 40 academic majors.
BYU-Hawaii focuses on educating the minds, hearts, and character of its students, sharpening their integrity and their desires to serve. The university develops leadership skills in a harmonious multicultural environment, preparing students to embrace the opportunities and challenges of an increasingly global world, all while following the university mission to "establish peace internationally."
For a complete schedule of events, please visit the Jubilee Web site.