Ke Alaka'i - February 2017 by Ke Alaka'i News

F E B R U A R Y 2 017 · Vo l u m e 116 : I s s u e 4

Pa g e 12 Fo o d Fe s t b r i ng toge the r p e o p l e a n d c ul ture s i n L ai e

Page 18 G raduatio n s peaker: Take w hat we ’ve l earned and serve o thers

THE LEAD ER

Page 30 Meet 8 o f BYU-H aw a i i ’s bac helo rs and bac hel o rett es

FEBRUARY 2017 • VOLUME 116 • ISSUE 4

ADVISOR Le e A n n Lam ber t MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS Kelsy Simmons Leslie Owusu Savanna Bachelder Patrick Campbell Dylan Sage Wilcox Gabriel Fryar Gosuke Kawano

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Cam ron St ockf ord Josh M ason COPY EDITORS Kev i n Brown Danna Osumo Alex Maldonado PHOTOGRAPHERS Lex i e Kapel i el a O l iv i a Tsan

Brooklyn Redd

Chant al Hopper

Alyssa Odom

ART & GRAPHICS

Adam Case VIDEOGRAPHERS Be n W hat cot t A rman d o Ja red Leon INTERNS

Hai l ey M ol i na Kyung Ji Ki m Dorot hy Chi u ART DIRECTOR Yuki m i Ki shi

Yu ki m i Ki shi

SOCIAL MEDIA

H ailey Rasm ussen

Kel sy Si m m ons

NEW S CE N T ER BOX 1920 BYUH LAIE, HI 96762 PUBLISHER P r int Ser vi ces Editorial, photo submissions & distribution inquiries: ke a l a k a i @ by u h . e d u . To s u b s c r i b e t o t h e R S S F E E D o r t o v i e w a d d i t i o n a l a r t i c l e s , go t o ke a l a k a i . by u h . e d u

CONTACT

E-mail: keal akai @by u h. edu Ad Information: keal akai ads@gmai l . com Phone: (80 8 ) 6 7 5 -3 6 9 4 Fax: (8 0 8 ) 6 7 5 -3 4 9 1 Office: BYU -Hawai i Al oha Cent er 13 4 ON THE COVER: Four single women and four single men are highlighted for Valentine’s Day. See their profiles and other Valentine’s-themed stories in this issue. Photo by Olivia Tsan

ABO UT US The Ke Alaka‘i began publishing the same year the university, then called Church College of Hawaii, opened. It has continued printing for more than 60 years. The name means “the leader” in Hawaiian. It began as a monthly newsletter, evolved into a weekly newspaper, then a weekly magazine, and is now a monthly news magazine with a website and a social media presence. Today a staff of about 25 students works to provide information for BYU-Hawaii’s campus ohana and Laie’s community.

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PH OTO SUBMISSIO N One of the bird of paradise flowers growing at the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitor’s Center. Photo by Yukimi Kishi

Share your photo with us and we may feature it in our next issue. E-mail us your high-resolution photo with a caption at kealakai@byuh.edu

F O L LO W U S AR O U ND THE WE B

KEA LA KA I.B YUH .EDU Instagram: @KEALAKAINEWS Snapchat: @KEALAKAINEWS Facebook: KE ALAKA‘I YouTube: KE ALAKA‘I NEWS

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FEBRUARY 2017 • VOLUME 116 • ISSUE 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAMPUS LIFE

A day in the life of Tiffannie Mac Donald Computer science major likes using math to solve real world problems

Foodfest Laie community gathers to taste cusine from across the globe

Biology program ranked No. 1 Best Values Schools ranked BYUH’s program first for equipment, classes

Tips on choosing a major Students and experienced professionals give advice on how to make this decision

VALENTINE’S

Bachelors and Bachelorettes of 2017 Get to know 8 of BYU-Hawaii’s singles

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Intercultural relationships Couples share some of the highlights and challenges of dating inter culturally

THURSDAY My leadership story: Richie Norton HGB 11 a.m.

COMMUNITY

Polynesian football players honored Five new members are inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame

The Bus changes its schedule The bus runs now every 30 minutes instead of every 45 minutes

Critical thinking and news Faculty and students say to check the facts when filtering through the news

WORLD

Relief Society celebrates 175 years Sister Tanner and others talk about sisterhood and visiting teaching

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February

Sports bring couples together Two couples share their love stories and how athletics played a part of it

Financial tips for married couples Faculty and students share how to become more financially responsible

C A L E N D A R

The future of America with Trump Students react to President Trump’s inauguration.

FRIDAY Farmer’s Market at 10:30 a.m. in the ballroom

TUESDAY Valentine’s Day

THURSDAY Creating Women Lecture HGB 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

Women’s basketball 5 p.m. Men’s basketball 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY YSA 1st Stake Conference 10 a.m. at the CAC.

SATURDAY Graduation at the Cannon Activities Center at 9:30 a.m.

MONDAY NSO campus tour, PCC tour, and Night Show.

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Patrick Campbell Brooklyn Redd Savanna Bachelder Writer | Single Writer | Facebook Official Writer | Single “There’s always a chance “Buy a sheep. Name him “Letting your flaws and someone’s going to get hurt Relation. Now you have a struggles be seen, as well as when you’re dealing with Relationsheep… Okay, on a your strengths and passions. feelings.You’ll sleep better more serious note, be your- Date people who build you at night knowing you were self, don’t worry, and make up and make being honest a respectful.” the most of your time here.” little less scary.”

Alyssa Odom Writer | Single “If you want someone awesome, be awesome. If you focus on being the best version of yourself, who could resist?”

Leslie Owusu Writer | Single “As the wise Dumbledore once said,‘Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.’”

Lexie Kapeliela Olivia Tsan Photographer| Married Photographer | Single “Selflessness equals happiness.” “Dating advice is trust.”

Dorothy Chiu Layout Artist | Engaged “Though God has his own timetable, we still need to do our part.”

Kyung ji Kim Layout Artist | ? “There is no secret when dating in Laie. People will know anyway, so just be brave.”

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Hailey Molina Layout Artist | Single “I am single; you shouldn’t take advice from me.”

Camron Stockford Editor-in-Chief | Married “Sometimes she just wants you to listen and not fix her problems.”

Josh Mason Editor-in-Chief | Married “Don’t put anyone in the friend zone.”

Gabe Fryar Writer | It’s Complicated “Don’t let people tell you who to love!”

Adam Case Gosuke Kawano Kelsy Simmons Chantal Hopper Writer | Not Married Writer | Single Writer | In a committed relaPhotographer | Single “If I learned anything from La “Well if I had good advice I “Be true to God and to yourself.” tionship with her calculator “Just tell each other what you La Land, it’s that kissing on wouldn’t be single...” sight ends in happiness 60% are thinking! Holy crud!” of the time, all the time.”

Ben Whatcott Armando J. Gonzalez Videographer | Single Videographer | Married “You both need to know that “Make the other person feel it’s a date. Once you’ve comfortable around you, cleared that up, do whatmeaning that they can be ever you want. Keep the themselves and not worry standards. Be safe. Have fun! about being too formal or Be yourself!” afraid of being themselves.”

Kevin Brown Copy Editor | Married “Don’t spend money on someone else’s wife. If the date isn’t going well, give me a call. We are going to get you out of there fast.” #Makedatinggreatagain.

Danna Osumo Copy Editor | Not Married “Learn to see yourself and others as Heavenly Father does.”

Alex Maldonado Copy Editor | Single and Ready to Mingle “Guys, don’t wear Axe body spray. She will assume you haven’t had a shower. Girls, same rules apply for more than two sprays of perfume.”

Yukimi Kishi Hailey Rasmussen Leeann Lambert Intern & Art Director | Married Advisor | The Boss Editing Intern |Not Married “Do things because you want “Get married.You will be “Coming from a family of to, not because you feel like really happy.” seven girls, my mother you should. If you don’t feel always said to have enough like doing something, ask money so you can get youryourself “why” and maybe self home from wherever you’ll learn something.” you are.” F E BRU ARY 2 0 1 7

Single Awareness Day

Survival Guide B Y L E SL I E O W U SU

ATTE ND T HE NS S WO &

GE T P H YSI CAL !

C H A MBER ORCHE ST R A

Hit up the gym and exercise. Go for a run. Ride your bicycle. Go on that hike you’ve been wanting to do for so long.

The Music and Visual Arts Department will be hosting a performance by the North Shore Symphonic Wind Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra in the auditorium from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

SH ARE TH E LOVE

Take the time to write heartfelt notes and letters to your family, friends, and loved ones. Everyone appreciates hand-written letters and making their day will make yours too!

H E AD TO T H E MOV I E S

Laie Palms Cinema will be showing “The Space Between Us” at 7:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. and “The LEGO Batman Movie” at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. IM PR OV E YO UR R E AD I N G

H O L D A SE CRE T CU PI D

A ND WRIT ING S KI L L S

PARTY

As part of their Reading and Writing Center Workshop Series, it will be holding a workshop for Proofreading and Editing strategies from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m.

It’s the same idea as a Secret Santa Party. Gather your single friends together beforehand and draw names anonymously. The gifts can be meaningful or silly, but opening them up will brighten your day either way!

S E RV E OT H E R S

Visit the Kahuku Elderly Hauoli Hale and spend time with the elderly residents. Or look for other ways to serve outside the community: plant a tree, volunteer at a local animal shelter, clean up the beach. TRE AT YO -SE L F G O TO TOWN!

Grab your friends and head to Haleiwa, Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout, or even Waikiki. There are tons of beautiful places on the island, go and visit your favorite one.

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Head over to Angel’s Ice Cream for your favorite dessert, or eat at your favorite food truck. Whatever your foodie place is around the island, spend some time there.

E N JOY TH E S INGLE LIFE

Honestly, do whatever you want - watch Netflix, read your favorite book, listen to your favorite artist…anything that makes YOU happy. Nobody knows you better than you do, do whatever gives you joy and will help you relax before Final Exams start.

campus life

in this section A day in the life of computer science major Tiffany Mac Donald

Student and faculty share why the Biology program is ranked No. 1 in value

Food Fest brings together campus and community for Winter Semester

Security talks about the responsibility students have for their vehicles

Graduation speaker Mariah Walsh talks about lessons she learned as an English major

The Dean of Students Melba Latu was drawn to Laie after visiting the campus

Students and professors give tips on how to choose a major

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TIFFANNIE MAC DONALD COMPUTER SCIENCE major

B Y B RO O K LYN RE D D

Tiffanie MacDonald is one of very few women in her major, she said. Photo by Chantal Hopper

“I think it’s a major that many women should actually pursue because, as Latter-day Saints, we believe that the mother should stay home to nurture their children,” said Tiffannie Mac Donald, a junior computer science major from Arizona. “If you would like to supplement your income, computer science is something you can do from home or anywhere from around the world. I think more women should pursue this.” 10

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What made you decide to study this major? “I know technology is very important… and it will [never] go away. I knew I would have a future and job someday. I wanted to choose a major I knew would challenge me and that I would be able to use in the real world. I knew I was willing to work hard so I’ve stuck with it so far. Everything we use involves computer science. It’s so exciting to learn about this stuff and know how it actually works.”

What makes your major unique? “It is a field where there is so much potential for improvement, growth, and creativity. There are so many things that can make life more convenient with computer science. For example, you can make your house smart or your car drive for you. I want to research and develop things that will make life easier for me, and I know computer science is the future for that.”

What do you want to do with it? “I want to do data science. Amazon, Pinterest, and Pandora have user information, statistics, and tendencies. I want to take information of the user’s past to predict what the user would want. There are so many patterns in human habits that we have yet to discover, and there are ways we can do that with technology.”

Describe a typical day “I wake up, get ready for school, go to classes. In between classes I can be working on projects and programs. During the evenings is usually when everyone gets together in the lab, trying to figure out how to get a program to work.Then I go home and do it again the next day.There is usually a lot of studying and problem-solving involved.”

Number of people in the major “There are a lot of people, but there is still more room for growth. I wish so many more people had exposure to this because all of our lives are mostly controlled by technology. If we understood more about it, we would understand more about the world we live in.”

Time spent in a day “Most of the hours I spend a day is doing computer science. I usually spend 25-to-30 hours per week. Problem-solving is what takes up the most of our time.”

Pros “Flexibility with your schedule and definitely creativity. Any idea you have, you can make it come to life.You could also possibly be rich one day.”

Favorite Class “Discrete Mathematics because we take real world situations and turn them into formulas in math in order to solve a problem. Usually in math you use numbers but don’t really know how it applies to the real world.You can actually solve a lot of problems with math. It is a requirement for computer science because it’s understanding what a computer understands. It is interesting to see how you can translate the real world into technology.”

Cons “When you get stuck on a problem and you can’t seem to solve it… It is hard if you are not naturally inclined to do math and are an analytical thinker. It takes a little time, even for me. It’s definitely something you have to study and work for.”

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Campus Life

Lexi talks FoodBreen Fest unites about her experience the people of Laie A variety in culture and dishes gives people a taste of around the world with adoption to help others BY BROO KLY N R E D D AN D G O S U K E KAWAN O

A ND KELSY S I M O N S

Student says reading a letter from her birth mother was a turning point BY LES LIE O W U S U

Lexie Breen says while she if open about talking about adoption, others are not as comfortable. Photo by Lexie Kapeliela

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Indonesian Association serve drinks and noodles to Food Fest customers. Photo by Yukimi Kishi

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Left to right: Members of the Japanese Association serve mochi ice cream and beef bowls to customers at Food Fest. The Hawaiian Association offers hungry people lau lau plates. The Hong Kong Association sells sticky puffs at this year’s event. Photos by Yukimi Kishi and Dorothy Chiu

here were spices and smells in the air as different meats were being barbecued and prepared by students in 17 associations and making 22 dishes along with several drinks offered at Food Fest in the Little Circle on Feb. 4. The event brought together the community, students and faculty to experience different cultures and foods from all around the world. The event takes place once a year and approximately 2,000 people attended. Lurline Nunu, BYUH travel manager and Laie resident, said she has attended Food Fest since 1973. She said Food Fest offers a great evening for all in Laie to come and mingle together. She said, “Look around us at the different cultures. There is no place you can find all this culture. We are just all people who love each other.”

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As Nunu was hugging her grandchildren and laughing with them, she said, “We feel safe with each other in the community. We are all together. Lots of family and kids want to come to enjoy the entertainment.” Last year due to a hepatitis scare in Hawaii, the school had to postpone Food Fest. Nunu said, “We were sad we could not come last year.” Corporal L. Miller, from California and a Laie police officer working as security at the BYUH Food Fest, said the environment is very safe on campus, so safe that it would most likely be fine without security. He said, “This has a special feeling here that you don’t feel at other places.” Miller went on to describe how the food brought so many people together, allowing everyone to have fun, and share their talents. “It

is a heaven on earth. The students should recognize how lucky they are to get an education in this type of environment.” There was a lot of preparation involved while planning for Food Fest. Allison Whiting from Arizona and the director of Student Leadership Activities and Service, said that as an association, they wanted an activity to bring the community and students together in establishing an “ohana.” She said it is a fundraiser and the only way the student associations can raise money. Whiting said, “We love it as a tradition and look forward to it every year.” She said it takes a lot of delegation, teamwork, and planning that it allows students to engage and create leaders. She said, “Everyone just loves the food representing several countries. We feel honored to be a part of the traditions of the

university in bringing the students, staff, community, and faculty together making BYUH a gathering place.” Students who participated in Food Fest talked about the time and preparation it takes. Lasarusa Tokona, a freshman from Fiji majoring in computer science and one of the students who helped prepare the food, said, “It was tough preparing things in time and cooking. I feel I haven’t slept for a week. To be honest, I never am going to help with Food Fest again.” Mariana Goulding, a junior from California majoring in business management, working as a runner for the event in case members need more supplies, said, “Fiji and Malaysia seem to always has a long line. I hope that [the food] is not all gone by the time I get off.” She also said how the Hawaiian Association seemed to be on top of it with its assembly line and pre-prepped

food. She said out of all the associations she saw, the Hawaiian group was really organized. A sister missionary in the Honolulu Mission, Tracy Lor from Califonia, said, “I love how this event is family centered. They even have the jumper for little kids. It’s a good way to not only invite the single students but also married students and families who are attending here.” Another sister missionary from the same mission, Michelle Woo from Toronto, Canada, said, “I love how students are able to learn the different cultures and appreciate their food so they have a better understanding of how great each culture is. I think it’s a great way to get the community and the students together as well, so they really feel like this is their home.” People interviewed said they enjoyed the diversity of tastes and differences in the cultural dishes.

Some attendees suggested how Food Fest can improve in the future. Rebecca Vigoren, a senior from Washington majoring in peacebuilding/anthropology, said, “We need more vegetarian options and more drinks.” She said she would also like see an Ethiopian or Middle Eastern Association. A senior missionary, William Garff from Salt Lake City, Utah, said, “I like the food. There are lot of choices, which makes this event interesting and fun.” He added Food Fest would be better if there were “more variety of desserts.” Arthur Chiona, an intercultural studies graduate from Zimbabwe, said the Malaysian shish-ka-bobs were his favorite. He also loved the ASL drinks. He said, “I feel like this is a really good thing for the students to show off their cultures. The community gets to come toContinued on Page 16 F E BRU ARY 2 0 1 7

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Left to right: Korean Association members cook meet for their Food Fest dish, which is pictured in the middle. Career Center employee Kenneth Kalama and his family eat dinner during Food Fest. Photos by Dorothy Chiu and Yukimi Kishi Continued from Page 15

gether as well so they really feel like this is their with all but one of the other students dressed home. It’s one of those once-a-year things. He up. He said, “I wore a costume so people can said he wishes he could do an African tent and see the culture and diversity of this campus.” he would serve Boerewors, a sausage that they Other students from different associations, eat in Africa. such as the China Association, wore traditional Kern O’Riley, a senior from Ireland, maChinese outfits. Students from the Hong Kong joring in biology, said the Fiji curry was Association said that one of their members was his favorite dish. He said, “It’s a good, healthy dressed as a character representing the sticky plate and you get your money’s worth.” He puffs they were selling. suggested that next time each associations gives Bill Liva, bishop of the YSA 5th Ward, said, out free samples for everyone to try and get a “We love coming to this event and supporting taste of all the different cultures. all the students and the clubs.” He said it was Josh Jung, a senior from Korea majoring cool that there are so many students from difin TESOL education dressed in a military uniferent cultures here. He talked about how exform and carried a giant sign that said, “I love pensive it is to go to school here so he wanted Korean food.” If people shouted, “I love Korean to support the school in any way he could. food,” then they were able to receive a $2 off Earl Chung, from Pearl City and an island coupon on a bowl of bul-kalbi dupbop. Jung tour guide, said he heard about the event from previously served in the Korean military along a cousin. He said, “There’s an excellent atmo-

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sphere here. All I see is people hugging each other and laughing. This is awesome.” Roger Zavala, a senior from Honduras majoring in business and the president of Latin Association, said, “[Food Fest] takes a lot of preparation. The more prepared [you are], the more able you are in helping people to have a better experience. I feel grateful my team is willing to help. The best part is that they are my friends and we are able to work together.” He said, “My favorite part was being able to share food from our own cultures and what we grew up with.” Zavala said the people in his booth worked together well and they were able to sell out their food fast. He suggested they have more volunteers who can help next time. Riley Weston, a freshman from Oregon majoring in computer science, said, “I was very

excited for the Malaysian food because I served my mission in Malaysia.” There were also a lot of talents and performances offered at the event. From singing to dancing, performers were able to share a variety of their talents. Weston said he was given the opportunity to perform for Hip Hop Association. He said, “It was fun performing for everyone. I have never performed in my life.” Nelson Loveridge, a junior from California majoring in exercise science, said, “Being able to sit at picnic tables and watch the performances while eating was very relaxing.” He added, “It’s awesome and people love this.” Students, faculty, and community members who were interviewed said they were looking forward to next year’s Food Fest and trying new dishes.

H AWAI I RE CI P E - L AU ’ L AU

Recipe given by: Dylan Wilcox Ingredients: • Pork meat • Kalo leaves • Tea leaves • Salt Directions: “Step one: Go into the forest and slay a pig. Slit its throat and let it bleed out. “Step two: Drag said pig out of the forest, and bring it to your friends house. Skin it. Gut it. Then prepare it to become lau’ lau. “After you do that, take the meat and you roll it up in Lu’au leaf. That is the leaf of the kalo, taro, or gapi for Philippines.

“You put a pinch of Hawaiian salt in there, then you wrap it with the lu’au leaf and then the tea leaf. Then you wrap it again and stick it in the steamer. You repeat that process about 250-to-300 times because you’ve got to feed a village.” For more recipes from Food Fest, check out Kelsy Simmons story on the Ke Alaka‘i website at kealakai.byuh.edu.

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C ampus L i fe College students Graduation speaker surf on the web Mariah Walshinsays while waiting line. graduates Photo by AP.should take the tools they have learned here and apply them to help others wherever they go. Photo by Lexie Kapeliela

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Finding the humanity in others Graduation speaker shares lessons learned and life-changing books B Y H AI L E Y RASM U SSE N

English major Mariah Walsh, BYU-Hawaii’s student Winter 2017 graduation speaker, said reading books and discussing them in class has helped her see unfair biases she may have towards people and it has helped her eliminate them. Walsh is also graduating with a minor in linguistics with a TESOL certificate and gave a coy smile when said she is from the arctic tundra of Minnesota. Walsh said she was extended an invitation to speak at graduation by the BYUH President’s Council. “They get a list of top students from the deans in the different departments. The President’s Council picks from the pool of top students to participate in the graduation program whether it’s speaking or giving a prayer.” She said having her efforts recognized feels good. “It’s an honor to speak to faculty, staff and parents in behalf of the graduating class.” Graduation is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 25 in the Cannon Activities Center, and during the interview, Walsh talked about the advice she is thinking of sharing at commencement: “This is the time where students have to make the next step after graduation. If you had asked me two semesters ago, I would have told you that it was going to be a glorious, wonderful moment....Now I realize it is more of a gateway to something better.” She continued, “Now is the time for graduates to take the tools they learned in school and use them in productive and helpful ways. Now is the time for students to build the kingdom wherever they serve.”

H E R E XPE RI E N CE AT B YU H

Walsh said during her time at BYUH, she has learned how to act on her a deep desire to understand and accept people from different cultures. “I think it’s important to learn how to relate to someone beyond thinking, ‘Oh this is this person’s name, and this is where they’re from.’ It’s more about finding the humanity in others and connecting over that.” Learning about the world through literature, Walsh said, was one thing she loves about her major. Often times, they covered controversial topics in her literature classes. “It exposed me to class distinctions between the wealthy and poor. I have learned about racial and cultural conflicts.” She also said she learned how some people respond to colonization, the differences in religions, and slavery. She said there have been lots of small things that pushed her forward throughout her college experience. “Sometimes it has been my friends, teachers, or even my callings. Planes can only take off against the wind.” She said she knows people who have huge trials. Walsh said she feels like the weight of the challenges she has faced thus far have not matched those of some of her peers. “However” she said, “there’s no life that isn’t riddled with challenges.” Walsh said participating in BYUHSA association activities helped her deal with the challenges of school. “The chapter activities captured the essence of BYUH the most,” she said. For example, Walsh said the TESOL Society has a Karaoke night once a semester, and she said her Asian friends love it. “I was never

into Karaoke before but that changed.” She said the group would get a room in the GCB, bring speakers, and roughly 20-to-30 people would come. “It was especially great when they picked a good song everyone knew. Everyone would join in and sing along with the chorus. It was nice having this kind of fun together instead of only associating with each other when we struggled through our classes.” H E R FAVO RI TE B O O K S

Walsh said her top five books are “The Great Gatsby,” “The Sound and the Fury,” “Great Expectations,” “Macbeth,” and lastly, she said excitedly as her eyes lit up, “1984 by George Orwell. I think everyone should read that one.” She said “1984” is a post-apocalyptic story placed in an extreme setting, and it was eye opening to see why people should not conform to the dictates of society. Walsh said by studying “1984,” she realized the importance of preventing the things that are important from being degraded or diminished. Expounding on William Faulkner’s writing in “The Sound and the Fury,” Walsh said it is “genius, complex, revolutionary and distinct,” and the book is an example of the power of language and communication. Talking about the “The Great Gatsby,” she said the book “offers us a very realistic view of how the ideals of society can be corrupt. What may seem fun and engaging might not be the moral option to take.” After graduation, Walsh will stay for the next semester to teach English 101 as an internship and also EIL 320 for a regular job. F E BRU ARY 2 0 1 7

C ampus L i fe College students surf on the web while waiting in line. Photo by AP.

Lab Instructor Santhi Lavanya works with students in the lab. Photo by Lexie Kapeliela

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Great resources build great biology experiences BYU-Hawaii Biology program ranked No.1 in value B Y SAVAN N A B ACH E L D E R

BYU-Hawaii’s Biology program was ranked first in value by Best Value Schools, according to its website. Best Value Schools justified its ranking by saying: “Brigham Young UniversityHawaii provides its biology students with an unprecedented educational value. “General Biology, Marine Biology, and Biochemistry students alike have access to abundant resources at BYU, including a comprehensive research and thesis course. This challenging class... covers everything from scientific literature analysis and hypothesis development to oral and written communications skills for scientific presentations.” Professors agreed the research aspect of the program is a major strength. Dr. Georgi Lukov, the chair of the Natural Science Department, said faculty members are heavily invested in the research program. “We take a lot of pride, in the good sense of the word, in providing students with valuable, practical research experience. “Specifically in the biology and marine conservation side, we have been able to provide good opportunities for students to go and participate. We constantly take students to Alaska or Tahiti to do research with some of our faculty and collaborators.” Students have good opportunities to do field work on the island as well, according to Lukov. “We have a marine team here, and they are working on taking the department boat and going to collect samples for their research.” Dr. Roger Goodwill, a biology professor and the facilitator of many research-based trips, said the equipment BYUH has access to is a big factor in the program’s success. “The board of church education has been very supportive in buying us equipment for labs, both in chemistry and biology. The equipment we have is top-notch. It’s the kind of equipment only graduate students use. And yet, our undergraduates are using it.”

According to Goodwill, the experience in the field and in labs gives BYUH students an advantage in a professional setting. “I had one student who left [BYUH], and she went into biotech. She emailed me and said, ‘We have all these people with bachelor’s degrees who know theory, but they can’t do anything. We have all kinds of Ph.D.’s for theory, but we need people who know how to do it.’ It’s easy for our students to go out and sell themselves as a bio technician, because they know how to do it.” Lukov gave appreciation for the students in the Biology program. “I give credit to a lot of our students. They are very proactive... Living here, they are just on fire. “A lot of them look for places they can use [their biology experience]. We had two or three students who interned with One Ocean, which is a service up in the North Shore. They basically provide [help for] the tourist attraction by taking people out and having them swim with the sharks.” He also said, “Our students go and help them with their research stuff, like data collection and processing.” Santhi Lavanya Vakapalli, adjunct professor for General Chemistry, said, “It’s a great environment. We have great equipment, engaging labs, and nice faculty. Through our research at this university, the Biochemistry Department is making soap from waste vegetable oil and supplying it to the cafeteria.” Santhi has degrees in mathematics, physics and chemistry, and holds a master’s of analytical chemistry, knowledge she said she shares one-on-one with the students. Students in the Biology program said they benefit greatly from that personal interaction, including Camron Sharp, a sophomore biomedical science major from California. “I think the Biology Department here at BYUH has a range of instructors who care about their particular field. It makes it a better environment to learn what we will later be using.”

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C ampus L i fe College students To prevent the problem surf on the web of citations and the while waiting in line. possible towing of Photo by AP. vehicles, BYU-Hawaii campus Security officials encourage students to purchase $5 parking permits. Photo by Lexie Kapeliela

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Purpose of $5 parking permits Director of Security says they are willing to work with students concerning their vehicles B Y K E L SY SI M M O N S

Students at BYU-Hawaii said they have noticed an increase in the amount of citations on their vehicles parked on campus resulting in the towing of their vehicles. BYUH Director of Security Earl Morris (Torch), said there is more to the issue than students think. “The intent of the whole parking program is to protect the university from liability. Being protected from liability is important because the LDS Church is self-insured. If an accident happens [on campus], the church could be liable.” Morris continued, “If you protect the campus from liability, you protect the church from liability.Your tithing money has to claim for any liabilities that happen on campus. That is a church risk management policy. That’s not even a BYU policy.” Requiring a permit is the only way Security can know all cars on campus are properly registered, inspected and insured, said Morris. “It’s not Security’s fault everyone is getting towed. It’s because there is not an up-todate registration or safety check,” said Campus Security guard, Max Brimhall, a freshman business management major from Honolulu. “We are just doing our jobs. Don’t hate all of us. Permits aren’t that expensive.” Morris wanted to assure students the university is not trying to use permits to make money. “There isn’t another university that I know of in the country that charges $5 to park. My son, who goes to Utah State, pays $480 a year to park there. At [BYU in] Provo it is over $400 a year to park. So we are cheap.” Over Winter break, some students said they arrived back on campus with numerous citations on their vehicles, including Kinsey

Brown, a junior from California studying biomedical science. “I can understand one ticket, but four? It’s almost like they were taking advantage of the fact that we were gone.” Brown said her car required $2,000 in repairs for it to pass the safety inspection. “The repairs cost more than the value of the vehicle. When we finally got home, we noticed someone from Security writing a fifth ticket to the car, so we told them to just tow it. We are glad that campus Security just got rid of the car for us, for free.” In response to student complaints about being ticketed and towed over the break, Morris referred to a message Security sent out in the Student Bulletin. He said, “If you are going to leave your car over the break, come in and let Security know so that we don’t tow your vehicle.” Morris also said there is no limit to the amount of citations issued to a vehicle. He said the system can be bad news to students purchasing vehicles from other students. Morris said if a student buys a car from another student who hasn’t paid off their tickets, the new owner would inherit all the citations. “When you give someone a ticket, you are giving the car a ticket.” Even though Security is very willing to work with students, said Morris, students often don’t come into the Security office because then the new student’s name will be attached to the car. “As soon as we know who you are, the game changes completely. Now, if you have 10 citations and you are not going to pay it, I know who the car belongs to. We can put a hold on your school account.”

However, Morris said a positive side to having a name attached to the car is the owner has the opportunity to settle the fines in order to not have the car towed. Also campus Security will call the owner before towing the car, he said, out of courtesy. Morris said another issue is students parking in the Administration parking lot. “It’s a visitor parking lot.You can’t go there as a safe haven to escape getting a citation or getting your vehicle towed.You still have to have a permit. “If you are a visitor and you get a citation, most of the visitors will come and see us. We will say, ‘No problem,’ and we will void the citation,” he said. According to the campus Security website, all citation appeals must be appealed at the Security Office within 14 days of receiving the ticket. According to Morris, if students are not able to pay the fine, campus Security is willing to organize community service for the students. Justin Park, a campus Security guard, said, obtaining parking permits is necessary for safety. “Our main focus or duty is to promote safety for anybody that enters campus and PCC.” Morris continued, “At the end of the day, I don’t want to give citations. I don’t want to tow vehicles. That’s the last thing I want to do.” He also stressed the importance of legalizing vehicles to avoid worrying about situations like these. In order to obtain a $5 parking permit, students must have a valid driver’s license, insurance, and their vehicle needs a up-to-date state registration and safety sticker. Visitor passes can also be issued for family and friends. F E BRU ARY 2 0 1 7

C ampus L i fe College students After visiting Laie for surf on the web the first time, Melba while waiting in line. Latu observed how Photo by AP. Laie had been blessed by the Lord. Photo by Olivia Tsan

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New dean follows dream Latu said she left an established Utah life to serve the students who inspired her B Y L E SL I E O W U SU

Melba Latu joined the BYU-Hawaii ohana as the newly appointed Dean of Students in November 2016. She shared how her journey to Laie and her passion for students has helped her love her current job and appreciate BYUH. Latu said her job consists of ensuring the health, welfare, and wellbeing of students. “The general welfare of students is what I’m charged with safeguarding, and it’s something I take very seriously. It involves a lot of different departments and a lot of different parts.” She said she feels her responsibility is big and she needs to be informed about all aspects of campus and student life. “The more I learn, the more I realize what an inspired institution this is; that we’re able to meet the regulations, and we’re able to meet the requirements for all these students so they can come and get an education, then go back to their countries and build a kingdom. It is amazing.” Latu said education was something she has always been passionate about; especially education for underrepresented populations. “My Tongan culture is something I’m very proud of, and for it to be represented as it is at BYUH and the PCC, brings me such pride. Seeing more Polynesians, specifically, getting higher education is something that’s always been important, but I never knew how I would be involved in it.” Before deciding to take the job offer, Latu said she visited Hawaii. “I had never been to Hawaii before, and

when I came out here and met the students, I fell in love with them and their dedication. I thought if I could work with these students, that would be the opportunity of a lifetime...There is something about the setting of our campus. Laie was kissed by the Lord.” Latu said the decision to move to Laie was hard because her whole family was in Provo, she had just bought her dream house, and loved her job at the BYU Honor Code Office. Despite her anchors planted in Utah, she said her dream-like experience at BYUH called to her. “This is an inspired organization. The people who work here, I think the Lord has hand picked them and has brought them here. For me, it was the students who sold this place for me. “The students here at BYUH are the best because they’re good, passionate about learning, and they are culturally aware. I have no doubt that they are the future leaders of the church and in the world. I feel so humbled to play this role.” Latu recalled her first night in Laie. “I was looking at the ocean. As I felt the trade winds blow through, I was captivated. This is an amazing place. I think Heavenly Father watches over our campus very carefully. He’s given us this beautiful land where we can learn.” Latu was born and raised in Orem, Utah, and is the third of eight children. She obtained an English degree with a violin minor from BYU, and went on to law school at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts.

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Khoon Han Photo by Olivia Tsan

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Seek advice selecting a major

tudents said choosing a major is difficult because they are worried they will end up only having career opportunities in the field they study. Some students suggested researching potential interests through the Career Center or connecting with alumni in a specific field to help in the decision-making process. Others said they based their decisions on what to major in at BYU-Hawaii off interests they found they enjoyed before they started college. Ben Bailey, a BYU doctoral graduate intern working in the BYUH Counseling Services office, said there are many factors or reasons for students being unsure about which major to choose. “They are really worried that what they end up studying is going to be what they end up having a career in,” he said, though he added students don’t always end up in a career related to their major. Mion Tanaka, a freshman from Japan with an undeclared major, said, “I feel rushed because this is my second semester, and my friends have already started taking major classes,” she said. “I’m taking GE classes to find what I want to major in, but I still can’t figure it out.” Best College USA says there are fours things to consider when choosing a major: 1. Seek out help 2. Explore 3. Be introspective 4. Be proactive Riley Weston, a sophomore from Oregon studying computer science, said he chose his major because he loved all his technology classes in high school. “My biggest advice for newer students would be to really put yourself back into high school and look at what you saw yourself leaning more toward. There was always one class that you really enjoyed more than the rest,” he said. Ben Papeo, an alumni from Italy who graduated this year in psychology, said he read the book “Major Decisions” by President Henry B. Eyring while he

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attended LDS Business College. The book mentions the website mynextmove.org, so he said he visited the site and took an assessment test to find out what his interests were. According to Papeo, students question how they can choose only one of several majors to pursue a specific career because it is more than likely that most students have various interests. Carly Kortas, a senior from Michigan majoring in hospitality and tourism management and business management, encouraged students to seek answers from the Lord through prayer. “Just remember, he will only answer you if you’ve already done your research. I would suggest students look around and talk to people who are working with the degree they are interested in and talk to professors and ask what opportunities are out there.” Kortas said what led her to BYUH was the HTM major, but as she took one HTM class that emphasized marketing, she began to like marketing more than her major. She said she talked with her advisor to see if she could do both majors. Papeo said, “Some people advise to pick only one subject and stick on that and keep the best one as a future career and a second thing as a hobby, but I don’t think this is necessarily true because you might like two things exactly equally. What I would advise is not to give up but find ways to combine those things.” Papeo recommended students to go to the Career Center and gather information about any industry they are interested in and ask alumni for their experiences. Princetonreview.com acknowleges that choosing a college major can be overwhelming. However, the website says the major a student chooses will not guarantee his or her future. “Many graduates find jobs that have nothing to do with what they studied in college.” The site suggests students to talk to professors, advisors, department heads, and other students and even possibly find an internship off campus.

valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

in this section Meet eight bachelors and bachelorettes at BYU-Hawaii. Students in various stages of intercultural relationships share dating advice

Two couples share how sports initially connected them with their spouse

Read financial advice for married couples

Community members give ideas for what single people can do on Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day

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li v

a Ts

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Eligible

Bachelors &

Bachelorettes 2017 B Y GO SU K E KAWAN O

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Taiwan

Oahu

Exercise & sports science

Political science

Accounting

Elementary education

Junior

Senior

Junior

ww Beautiful ww Spiritual ww Kind ww Meek

ww Hardworking ww Passionate ww Kind to everyone, not just me ww Outgoing

ww Short temper

ww Arrogance

ww Very kind ww Able to communicate well ww Modest

ww Arrogance

ANYTHING ABOUT YOU

WHAT ATTRACTS YOU

Fiji

TURN OFF

YEAR IN MAJOR SCHOOL

HOME

st ga er nd Pe ley Ha

ng sia iH gY en Ts

qa Qa ika nn ka Su

oo dr an Ch ris Ch California

ww I have family from Mexico, France, Caribbean and India ww I was in a drumming group that took 2nd place internationally in 2011 ww I am an aspiring clinical psychologist

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ww When he shows great respect and appreciation for what he has and for others.

ww When guys belittle or mock others ww Quick to anger ww I was a part of the beach volleyball team before my mission and before coming to Hawaii for school ww I am currently an ambassador for a clothing line - Fiji made that is sold worldwide

ww I am a city person ww I play basketball ww I play table tennis

ww I’ve taken German, Mandarin, and Arabic ww I served my mission in Virginia ww I’m working on a research project now and if it’s approved, I will go to Malaysia this summer

Yo on ji L ee

He at on Kim ba ll

Jin jq iY ao

Mi ch ae l Ed m un d Papua New Guinea

China

Utah

South Korea

Political science

HTM

Biomedical

Political science

Junior

Sophomore

Senior

ww RM ww Beautiful ww Spiritual minded ww Hard work

ww Positive attitude ww Kindness ww Mature ww Spiritual ww Ambitious ww Organized ww Good sense of humor

ww Happy ww Smiling ww Athletic ww Kind (Huge)

ww Fun to be around

ww Immodest

ww Not accountable for what he says ww Lazy ww Indoor always

ww Rude ww Dress immodestly

ww Arrogance ww Not responsible

ww I like going on adventures ww I like exploring new activities ww I love going for motorcycle rides around the Island

ww There is a 19-year gap between me and my baby sister who was just born ww I like Chinese handwriting ww I like trying new things ww I like cooking Chinese food

ww I like outdoor activities such as camping and swimming ww I like cooking ww I like the gospel

ww I am actually pretty nice ww I may have blonde hair but I am a typical Korean ww I love the musical “Hamilton”

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Va le nt i neâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College students Emily Reid and Jones surf on the web Segi. Segi said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s while waiting in line. important to embrace Photo by AP. new traditions in interracial relationships. Photo by Chantal Hopper

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Blending cultures with love Couples say openmindedness is key to success in interracial relationships B Y GAB E F RYAR

Intercultural relationships require determination to learn about one another’s culture and appreciating their differences, according to BYU-Hawaii students in a relationship with someone from another culture. Computer science junior Kelvin Tan from Malaysia shared, “My mom told me that whomever I love, she will love them too. It’s more about the kind of person that you love and not the skin color, culture, or where they’re from.” Kelvin and Beam Tan have been embracing an intercultural marriage for 11 months after first meeting each other working as tour guides in the Polynesian Cultural Center. Beam Tan, a senior studying TESOL from Thailand, shared, “Learning about each other’s culture has been really important. When you love someone, you learn to love their culture and origin as well. We both try very hard to learn about each other’s culture, and by doing so, we are able to grow closer.” Emily Reid, a junior international cultural studies major from Oregon, advised, “Listen before judging. When there is something that I notice is really different, I’ve learned to watch and observe rather than compromising. An intercultural relationship doesn’t mean you have to change who you are to get along with the person you love. Instead it means becoming more accepting of each other’s cultures and becoming open to trying new things.” Reid’s Samoan boyfriend Jones Segi, a freshman studying computer science, added, “It’s really important to learn to become understanding and open minded in any relationship, but especially when it’s intercultural. I’ve learned how important it is to embrace some new traditions as well, like giving gifts. In Samoa we didn’t really do that too often. Like for Christmas, we don’t really give gifts in the same way back home, so I didn’t known that Americans do a gift exchange.”

When questioned if an intercultural relationship can be for anyone, Beam replied, “A lot of it depends on your attitude. Even when you love someone, you need to learn how to have the right attitude in making things work. Language may not be the most important in this relationship, but it really sets it apart in terms of communication.You need to be understanding and patient when you don’t know exactly what the other person means.” Kelvin Tan added, “I think everyone can have an intercultural relationship if they’re willing to have the patience to work things out. Having a mind open to change and the ability to see past yourself allows this kind of relationship to grow. As long as you really set your goal to be learning about the other person, that’s when the relationship will work well.” Reid said, “One of the best things about our relationship is it’s kind of a challenge that gets me more interested and curious. The extra effort I put into this relationship allows me to fall in love with his culture and how it has shaped him into who he is today. Language can be hard in the relationship. Jones understands everything I say since I always speak English, but sometimes when he speaks Samoan to his friends, that’s where the challenge is. It doesn’t make me angry, but it sometimes makes me feel like I’m missing out on something. On the other hand, it adds a fun challenge to our relationship since we’re constantly running into differences in the way we communicate.” Canadian Vanessa Hillman, a sophomore music major and descendant from an interracial and intercultural marriage, explained, “I am proud of both cultures I grew up in. But one of the hardest things about it was that I feel like I didn’t know everything about either culture since I was really a mix of both. My whole life I felt like I had to prove that I was Filipino and white at the same time. I know that I am both, but I feel like everyone sees me as neither Filipino or Caucasian.”

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Two athletic love stories Two couples share how BYUH Athletics initially connected them to their spouses. B Y PATRICK CA MP B E L L

Jon and Amanda Hooke were both on the cross country team. Photo By Lexie Kapeliela

C ROS S CO UNT RY CO N N E CT I O N

Jon and Amanda Hooke, who were married in 2016, said they became acquainted with each other while participating in Athletics at BYUHawaii. Jon Hooke was a senior from Utah preparing to graduate. While dating was on his mind, there was one thing he said he was not going to do: date a freshman. Amanda, from Utah, was starting her freshman year at BYUH and was a brand-new member of the cross country team. The two quickly became friends. Jon added, “It helped that we both ran cross country. That gave us something in common.” Jon and his roommate started inviting Amanda and one of her good friends over to hang out, but it soon became apparent the invitation was meant more for Amanda. “He obviously couldn’t resist me,” laughed Amanda Hooke, now a junior from Utah majoring in social work. 36

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The two spent a lot of time with each other because of cross country, but their relationship wouldn’t really spark until a team trip to the mainland. Jon explained, “We were in Montana for a meet, and that’s when we had our first kiss.” While Jon broke his oath to never date a freshman, he took it a step further and ended up marrying one. After dating another year, the couple officially tied the knot in Utah in March 2016. Jon is working in Honolulu while Amanda is working to complete her degree at BYUH. SH E SAW H I M F I RST

Lacey and Cory Lange, who were married in 2014, said their story also stemmed from the BYUH Athletics Department. While they were both focused on their sports, they said they couldn’t help but notice each other as their paths crossed at the Cannon Activities Center.

Cory and Lacey Lange first saw each other in the CAC and are pictured with their daughter. Photo By Kelsie Carlson

Lacey Lange, a senior from Nevada majoring in elementary education, said, “We saw each other for the first time in the CAC, and I remember telling the other volleyball girls, “I call dibs!’” She said she did not wait for the magic moment to happen but instead took the initiative right away. Cory Lange, a senior from California majoring in business and on the basketball team, recalled, “We were always studying at the same time in the library, and she kept coming and sitting by me.” The Langes said one evening after their studies were completed, the two of them continued to talk. Their conversation continued until the library staff had to ask them to leave because they were closing. “We were walking out and I wanted an excuse to keep talking, so I had to think of something,” Cory reminisced. He said he thought strategically. Knowing she had a car, and he didn’t, he asked if she wanted to go to McDonald’s because he knew she would have to drive him. She gladly accepted the invitation.

However, the Langes say their first official date was when they picked up some Subway and headed to the iconic Sunset Beach to eat and watch the sunset over the ocean. They both agreed the date was a romantic evening. Later that night after they had both returned to their respective homes, Cory said he discovered his roommate had gone to bed and locked the door. Cory, having forgotten his keys and not wanting to wake his roommate, said he crashed on the sofa in the living room for the night. “When I saw him the next day he had bug bites all over him,” laughed Lacey. “He had forgotten to shut the door so he got destroyed by all the bugs. He had 57 bites on one of his arms alone!” After Lacey nursed Cory back to health from his bug attack, the two said they began seriously dating, then eventually got married. They now have a daughter and said they are excited for what the future holds for their family. F E BRU ARY 2 0 1 7

Va le nt i neâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College Studentsstudents said they surf on the account forweb every while line. pennywaiting in theirinbudgets. Photo by AP. Photo by Olivia Tsan

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Financing married life Students make personal finance a priority in marriage by using apps & Facebook groups BY GO SU K E KAWAN O

Although marriage is one of the happiest moments in life, according to some of BYU-Hawaii’s married students, taking this step and building a new family comes with financial challenges. PJ Rogers, a BYUH assistant professor of Supply Chain and Operations, recommended students, especially those who were married, take a personal finance class. “Make personal finance a priority in your marriage,” he said. “Spend less than you earn, have your money make you money, and protect your assets. If everyone understood these three things, we would have much more financially literate families.” Daniel Maneha, an accounting sophomore from Hauula, said his financial situation has gotten better since being married. “We work together, and we make a great team. My wife is very disciplined when it comes to finances.” Maneha continued, “My wife is very adamant about paying tithing first. She accounts for every penny and made sure we bought things that were on sale. We eat at home and rarely eat out because she loves to cook. We [also] shopped at Tamura’s instead of Foodland.” Alvin Vincent Dy, a junior from the Philippines studying graphic design, agreed with Maneha and said tithing should be a priority. “We still pay our tithing despite the days of having literally no food in the fridge. People at unexpected times bring us food,” said Dy. “Being married is harder financially,” he continued, “but it is not impossible. We are given talents to attain financial stability. It is only up to us how we utilize what God has given to us.” According to www.credit.com, mistakes capable of ruining marriage are: Thinking a spouse’s debt is not your problem, failing to join finances, not having ground rules for how to handle money,

keeping secrets, hiding money from your spouse, and leaving the bills in the hands of one person. Kalin Uluave, married to Kiana Uluave, a senior from Utah studying business management, said, “We use the app called Mint. It tells us how much we spend on food and how much we save. [It also helps] set goals. For instance, we are going back to my mission in France, so we’ve been budgeting for the last year and a half saving.” Uluave added, “We also have a lot of resources here at BYUH.” Some of the resources he mentioned include entrepreneurship classes and professors. According to Uluave, he was able to learn valuable financial skills when he did business projects and talked with mentors working in the different industries. Uluave said he was able to learn skills to carry out many types of business projects by taking entrepreneurship classes. He concluded by saying he tries to ask lots of different mentors and people working in the different industries. Tiffany Lepl, a mother from Arizona working in the BYUH Intramural Program, said, “We try not to eat out too much and not spend money on things we don’t need.” Haruka Honda, an expectant mother with two boys aged 8 and 2, said, “We set a time to discuss our plans so we can figure out what to expect financially. And, if needed, we would consider changing employment to support our family.” Kristin Maua’i, a babysitter and part-time photographer from Oahu, said they don’t try to take any loans other than for educational purposes. She said, “Anything home-wise, we try to get them for free. So [BYUH Buy and Sell Anything] definitely helps.” F E BRU ARY 2 0 1 7

Va le nt i ne’s

CAM PU S C O MMEN T :

W H AT D O S I N GL E P E O PL E D O O N VA L EN TI N E’ S DAY? B Y KELSY SIM M ON S

“I just hang out with friends and party on my own.You don’t need a man… or a woman I guess.”

“If you don’t have a Valentine, you should go find one... at the beach or at the park.”

H ANN AH DUN K LEY, AN UNDECIDED FRESH MAN FR OM NEVADA HINATEATA H AFOK A AND HER LITTLE

“Well, in a positive way, single people hang out with single people, but if not then they stay home and Netflix. Then, they write for Ke Alaka‘i.”

B R OTHER TR ISTAN H AFOK A, STUDENTS FR OM LAIE ELEM ENTARY SCHOOL

“I’m going to watch all the things that my friends get from their admirers and be jealous.” SHEM WOO , A B IOCHEM ISTRY JUNIOR FR OM SIN GAPO R E

“I would probably study or do homework. I don’t know because I’ve never been by myself on Valentine’s Day!”

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MUN SEWO N , A FR ESH M AN B USINES S

M AK AYLA B OR GE , A TESOL JUNIOR

MAN AGEMENT M AJ OR FR OM KOR EA

FR OM IDAH O

community

in this section The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame inducts five new members

The Bus now runs every 30 minutes instead of 45 minutes

Learning how to think critically about news stories

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C oa m pmuus nLi ti yf e

Lexi Breen talks Polynesian Football about herhonored experience players Athletes point to their heritage in reflection of their successes with adoption to help others BY PAT RICK CAM P B E L L

Student says reading a letter from her birth mother was a turning point BY LES LIE O W U S U

Lexie Breen says while she if open about talking about adoption, others are not as comfortable. Photo by Lexie Kapeliela

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From Left to right: Toa Mariota, Junior Ah You, Christopher Kealoha Naeole, Vai Sikahema, Riki Morgan Ellison, Frank Manumaleuna Back Row: Sefo Liufau, Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Tanuvasa, Jessie Sapolu Pose with PCC village warriors Photo by Lexie Kapeliela

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C ommu n it y

From left to right: Junior Ah You gives his acceptance speech in the Pacific Theater at PCC. PCC dancers perform to a song from Disney’s Moana before the acceptance speeches. Ma‘a Tanuvasa autographs a football for a fan. Dancers perform a Hula Kahiko before the enshrinement ceremony. Photo by Lexie Kapeliela

onored Polynesian football players attributed their success to their families, coaches and culture during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame at the Polynesian Cultural Center on Jan. 21 as part of a weekend of celebration. The five inductees of the 2017 PFHOF class were Christopher Kealoha Naeole, Junior Ah You, Ma‘a Tanuvasa, Riki Morgan Ellison, and John Manumaleuna, who was nominated posthumously. Additionally, Marcus Mariota and Sefo Liufau were honored as the 2016 professional and collegiate Polynesian football players of the year. In his acceptance speech, Tanuvasa spoke of the Polynesian players who had paved the way for him. He said, “For you young guys, they already set the blue print for you to follow. It’s why we started the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. So we never forget the past, we 44

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to hail from Maori and New Zealand descent. celebrate the present, and in the future every “Polynesian people have so much love and you Polynesian athlete has a platform to look back and understand their great heritage.” don’t see that in most places in the world,” The day was filled with humor and laughs Ellison said. “I think we can take that love and until the inductees’ acceptance speeches. There share it with others.” were still a few jokes to go around, but the While all the other inductees grew up in speeches were filled with emotion and gratitraditional Polynesian households, Ellison grew tude as the inductees gave thanks to their family up in the United States after he and his mother and coaches for supporting them. left New Zealand to find a new life. He ended up in Arizona. He said while his family line “My brother had the vision that Polynesians could come to dominate the sport of foot- included many great rugby players, he found his way onto the football field. ball,” said Frank Manumaleuna who accepted “Belonging to a tribe, belonging to a famthe induction on behalf of John. “John had a ily is something all of Polynesia can relate to,” message. The message was ‘families.’ The messaid Ellison. “All I wanted growing up was to sage was ‘making good decisions.’ He helped belong to a tribe. I want to give humble thanks kids with his voice.” to all the tribes I became a part of; to replicate All the inductees gave homage to their what you all have here; to be complete.” Polynesian culture and traditions. The players While the audience was very supportive came primarily from Samoan backgrounds but Ellison became the first inductee in the PFHOF of all the inductees, they couldn’t help giving

a little hometown love to their village sons ining the PCC. He thanked the PCC for hosting cluding Ah You, Naeole, and the Manumaleuna the event and said the venue was “a beautiful Family. setting for this celebration.” He also added, Naeole told the story of having to run to “History speaks for itself the impact Polynesians the shrimp farms from Kahuku and in the sand have had on football.” dunes as part of his youth football training. “My The event also celebrated Polynesian coach probably would have been arrested for players who are currently making an impact of that stuff today,” laughed Naeole. “The Kahuku/ the game. While Polynesians have been primarLaie/Hauula community here makes you ily known as defensive stalwarts and forces of tough.” nature on the offensive and defensive line, it is Many of the members of the community players in this generation such as All-American came to see Ah You, the man who many claim quarterback Liufau and Tennessee Titan quarto be the one who paved the way for all the terback Mariota who are redefining what it great football players who have been recruited means to be a Polynesian football player. from Kahuku High School over the years. “It’s a tough man’s game we play and I “What a beautiful community to live in,” hope I paved the way for more Polynesians to said Ah You. “It’s like one happy family.” come play the game like those being honored ESPN personality and SportsCenter sportshere today did for me,” said Liufau. caster Neil Everett, who hosted the acceptance Each of the inductees received several speech ceremony, said it was his first time visit- gifts as part of their induction along with their

picture and enshrinement in the actual hall of fame. They each received a hall of fame class ring, a jacket and a $2,500 donation to their alma mater’s scholarship fund. Additionally, $25,000 will be donated to aide Polynesian students living in Hawaii. The weekend also included a banquet for the families the night before the hall of fame ceremony and a Polynesian All-American high school football game on Jan. 28 at Aloha Stadium.

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C ommu n it y College students surf on the web while waiting in line. Photo by AP.

Residents of the North Shore said they hope for greater consistency in the arrival times of The Bus. Photo by Chantal Hopper

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Bus improves North Shore route Wait time between buses shortened and customers appreciate new schedule B Y ALYSSA O D O M

The Bus, Oahu’s public transportation system, anwhen I am needing to get to work. I have noticed a bit nounced a change in the Route 55 buses, which run from more consistency over the past month, and this must be Ala Moana Mall to Haleiwa, shortening the wait time in due to the timetable change. I think it is great that The between buses from 45 minutes to 30 minutes. The new Bus is making an effort to make the bus more reachable. timetable, released on Dec. 4, 2016, is intended to allow However, if they are always late then it will not be much for more accessibility to The Bus on the of an improvement.” North Shore, according to TheBus.org. The Bus offers a U-Pass , which According to The Bus’s website, allows patrons to ride the bus an many people commute to work on unlimited amount of times from Route 55, especially with the stops in Jan. 1, 2017 through May 31, 2017. the business district in Honolulu. One The pass is offered at a discounted bus rider from Hauula said, “I have been price to students at the Aloha Center riding the bus for many years, and I ride Front Desk for $225 dollars. Route 55 several times a week if not Annika Soderborg, a freshevery day. I have hoped for a long time man from Utah studying political that we would start to see more buses science and intercultural studies, and more consistency within the buses. I rides the bus several times per week ride the bus to get to work, and it is difand said she’s noticed the change. ficult for me when the buses do not run “I have noticed a difference in the on time. I hope with the new timetable bus punctuality the past few weeks, change that we will begin to see more which makes getting a U-pass even Ayaka Neki depends on The Bus buses so I am not waiting at the stop more worth it to me,” she said. “It is to get to work. Photo by Chantal twenty minutes after the estimated much more affordable than purchasHopper arrival time.” ing a car out here, and saves me from Ayaka Neki, wife to a BYU-Hawaii student and the hassle of having to maintain a car as well. As long as resident of TVA from Japan, rides the bus three times per the new timetable change stays consistent, it will be a week to get to her job at Coral Kingdom in Kaneohe. much more effective mode of transportation for me as a She said, “The bus is often late and that is very frustrating student.”

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Critical

Thinking and News B Y K E L SY SI M M O N S P H OTO S B Y L E XI E KAP E L I E L A

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Check your sources It is the responsibility of readers to seek out and uncover truth from the media, according to the students and faculty at BYU-Hawaii. “No reporter can be completely objective, but they can strive to be accurate,” said Dr. Daniel Stout, a professor of communications in the International Cultural Studies Department. Leeann Lambert, advisor to Student Media on campus and a communications instructor, said, “Media today has an objective. If you don’t look at it with a critical eye, you are being told what to think as opposed to thinking for yourself.” According to Stout, readers can look for red flags to tell them the validity of a piece of news, such as whether or not journalists completely identify their sources. He said, “There is so much of this: ‘a source that did not want to be identified’ and ‘a source close to Donald Trump said so and so.’ How credible is that?” Dylan-Sage Wilcox, a sophomore studying English from the Big Island, agreed, “Always check their sources. It’s so important for people to verify where that info is coming from and from whom it is coming from.” Another way Stout said to validate the quality of a source is collaborating multiple sources. “In the church, we talk about ‘out of the mouth of two witnesses.’ [A good journalist] will have a politician express something, then find a professor at a university that expresses the same thing,” he said. Along with multiple sources, Stout said consumers can ask themselves: Did the story present more than one view? “There is an issue of balance. Inevitable, in a story, there are opinions on both sides of an issue. Good journalism presents more than one position.” Stout gave an example of a picture that can be framed in a certain way so portions of the image are cut out or put in focus. He said when a reporter talks about flag burning, he can frame it as unpatriotic, or he can frame it as freedom of speech. Lambert defined bias and editorial journalism as “when [journalists] put in their own opinion rather than getting information from sources that know more about it.” In regards to this type of journalism, Lambert said the world we live in is used to immediate info. “Everyone wants information in 15-second news bites,

but that doesn’t give you a 360-degree view. Is that what you want to base your opinion on?” Lambert said consumers have to be willing to put in the time and energy to study. “People are getting little sentences of information that doesn’t show the complexity of the situation. If a story doesn’t show you more than a couple of points of view, probably it’s not complete,” she said. Another problem, Lambert described, is news being fused with entertainment. “I call it news-attainment. Some people only get their political opinion from comedians. It’s a problem. If you only want to listen to news that is entertaining, you are missing out on information you need.You need information and sometimes it’s not entertaining.” She said another danger in the comedic view of politics and world issues is the belittling and mocking of people. “It may be critical thinking and critical discussion, but it makes light of things that are serious, so people dismiss it.” Lambert also said people get their information from social media, of which she said can be highly bias and editorial. Wilcox agreed, “I do believe the majority of people get their news via Facebook. It’s really easy to read an article or post one on Facebook that is emotionally charged, but you need to look at it and ask the who, the what, and the how.” Stout said emotion, sensationalism, and entertainment are all a part of the reporting process because news agencies want readers. He said news agencies pay attention to the way consumers respond to news. Lambert said, “You vote by what you log on to. By what you click on, you vote on what type of news you are going to get.” She explained how her Yahoo page is full of news about the Kardashians, not because it’s important to know about but because people click on it more often. Dixie Johnson, a junior intercultural peacebuilding and communications major from Idaho, said the quest to find truth is in fact possible. “Although all news agencies are a little bias, I think it’s good to try to look at the ones that tell more facts than opinions. When it’s opinion-based, I don’t take it for the truth until I know more about it. I think that can prevent you from getting on the band wagon, which all of us tend to do at one point.”

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Are these sources reliable?

Where else can I learn more?

Nathank Kahaialiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;i and Riri Asanuma. Photo by Lexie Kapeliela

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World

in this section FamilySearch.org launched a new initiative to get people to record their own family history Sisters celebrate the love and support Relief Society provides

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Some of BYU-Hawaiiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s liberal Mormons share how they view the gospel and politics

Students opinions are divided over Trump as the new president of the United States

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World College students FamilySearch is surf on the web encouraging people while waiting in line. to start personal Photo by AP. journaling by providing them with one question a week to write about. Photo by Chantal Hopper

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The #52Stories Project encourages record keeping New initiative invites everyone to write down one story every week for a year B Y ALYSSA O D O M

At the start of the new year, FamilySearch.org introduced a new initiative that will give individuals a new way to participate in journaling. Each week the website introduces a new question designed spark a start for one’s journal entry. The questions are organized into topics such as “Goals & Achievements,” “Education & School,” and “Values & Beliefs.” According to an address given by President Spencer W. Kimball more than 40 years ago, there is no better way to participate in your own personal history “than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved.” The initiative reads, “The #52stories project provides the inspiration you need to write down one story every week for a year, bringing you 52 steps closer to completing your personal history.” Some examples of questions the provided questions are, “What valuable lessons have you learned from school that have helped you in your life?” and, “What values do you feel are most important to pass down to posterity?” Dr. Randy Day, assistant director of the Laie Temple Family History Center, shared his thoughts on journaling in conjunction with family history. “Family history is more than just checking off a box and finding names of your ancestors. It’s really about finding out who you are, and you learn that by learning about who your ancestors were.You can discover this by learning what was important to them, what they did, where they lived, and what they thought about. Through doing this you are able to gain further insight on who you are, why you may do some of the things you do, and why certain things are important to you.” Volunteers at the Laie Temple Family History Center shared how journaling has helped them in their lives. Kadee Campbell, a junior studying business management from Atlanta, Georgia, said

she has kept a journal since she was 8 years old. She added: “It’s funny to look back on my journal entries from when I was a kid. At that point, the only things that I recorded in my journal were what I ate for breakfast or what I did at school on a given day. “I recently started up journaling again, but with a new take on it. I now use it as an outlet for the feelings that I usually hold inside. I write with the thought in mind that one day I will share these stories and feelings with my kids. That definitely changes my perspective on my writing.” Adam Conte, a senior studying exercise science from Arizona, has spent time as a family history chairman in his ward and currently volunteers at the Laie Temple Family History Center. He said, “I’ve always considered myself an avid journaler. I may not be perfect, but I was definitely better than your average high school male. However, as soon as I went on my mission, it became a consistent part of my life. Journaling forces you to think harder than you would in your average conversation. This is what I love about keeping a journal! All of my thoughts, ideas, and promptings are laid out in front of me and are there forever so I can share them with my current and future family.” The volunteers also recounted how reading their ancestors family history has helped them gain a better appreciation for the work that they are doing. Conte added, “My family has one of my grandpa’s journals. My grandma took pictures of it and compiled it for all of the grandkids. This is one of my favorite things to look through. It is so cool and helps me feel closer to my grandpa.” “Having tangible evidence of my ancestors’ life helps me feel more intertwined with the family history work and takes away the disconnect that I feel when I am just looking at names on a paper,” Conte concluded. The questions can be found at familysearch.org/blog/ en/52stories-weekly-questions/. F E BRU ARY 2 0 1 7

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175th Anniversary of Relief Society Sisters celebrate the service, love and support Relief Society provides B Y ALYSSA O D O M

Relief Society sisters from the YSA 11th Ward. From left, Alyssa Caduada, Xay Pastores, Sarah Fabia Photo by Hailey Rasmussen

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his year, the LDS Church will celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Relief Society’s founding by the prophet Joseph Smith. Since March 17, 1842, the Relief Society has allowed women to come together in a mutual love for the Savior to love, serve, and teach one another. Upon the founding of the organization, the Prophet Joseph Smith said, “The Ladies’ Relief Society is not only to relieve the poor, but to save souls.” Wife of BYU-Hawaii President John S. Tanner, Susan W. Tanner, said one of the most special attributes of the Relief Society is the consistency it has maintained since its founding. “The Relief Society was founded on three main ideas: saving families, serving others, and sanctifying yourself. That has not changed. It has stayed consistent all through the years. It was a part of the church when Jesus was on the earth. Joseph Smith recognized this as he told the sisters that the name may have changed but the organization was part of the primitive church.” Tanner said the Relief Society has been a part of her life since her early childhood years. “My earliest memories of Relief Society were from when I was a little girl, probably about 3 or 4 years old. My mom would attend a group called ‘Singing Mothers.’ This was a part of the Relief Society organized by Louisa Robinson, the 7th General Relief Society President of the church, during World Ward II.” “At this time,” Tanner continued, “the whole world was in an uproar and families were sad as they sent their brothers, sons, and husbands off to war. Singing Mothers was organized as a way to bring the women of the church together and bring joy and love into one another’s homes.” Tanner said she has always felt the presence of Relief Society in her life, and as time has gone on, she said it becomes more meaningful and prevalent to her. “I think it is such a blessing for women to be able to start out their Relief Society experience in student young single adult wards. It puts you with other young people who are all learning and growing

within the organization. A lot of times you are far from home and you learn to rely on each other for love and support.” Another part of the Relief Society organization is the Visiting Teaching program. Visiting Teaching is designed so all women in the society have the opportunity to teach and be taught by a fellow sister. Madison Hurley, a freshman from Pennsylvania studying elementary education, is a Visiting Teaching coordinator in her ward. She said being a member of a Relief Society while at school has been a great help during her first two semesters away from home. “I was nervous to come to school so far from home. When you live with your parents, it is very easy to follow what they tell you to do. They took me to church, seminary, and mutual and it was never a hard decision for me to go. “Being on your own makes things a little bit more difficult. But having a group of unified, loving girls to interact with in my ward has made it so much easier. I also love Visiting Teaching because it gives you the opportunity to form a one-on-one connection with one of your sisters. It is an opportunity to serve and be taught by the spirit. I think every woman should make an effort to participate.” While Tanner’s husband was the president of the Brazil São Paulo South Mission, the mission home wasn’t in the boundaries of any one ward. She and her husband were instructed to visit the different wards throughout the mission and become acquainted with the members and missionaries. Because of their unusual circumstances, Tanner did not belong to a specific Relief Society and did not have assigned sisters to visit teach or an assigned visiting teacher Tanner said, “I have always had a firm testimony of Visiting Teaching, but it was not until I was deprived of that blessing did I truly recognize its importance. The last year of our mission, I was then blessed to have a visiting teacher. She was a young single adult and she was amazing. She brought the spirit and so much love into my home, she helped fill a whole that I didn’t know had been empty.”

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World College students Gabby Corbett surf on the web and Becca Vigoren while waiting say their viewsin line. Photo by AP.their strengthen testimonies of the gospel. Photo by Chantal Hopper

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The Liberal Mormon Minorities of the Mormon community compare liberal ideals to the gospel B Y GAB E F RYAR

There are students across the BYU-Hawaii campus who identify and support the Democratic Party and liberal ideologies, despite being statistically in the minority among Latter-day Saint political affiliation. “I’m liberal because I believe in the church, and I’m Mormon because I believe in the church,” said senior Becca Vigoren, an international cultural studies-peacebuilding major from Washington. Being a convert to the church, Vigoren added, “It seems like the longer I have been Mormon, the more liberal I become.” As reported by the Pew Research Center, 70 percent of Mormons in the United States support or learn towards supporting the Republican Party while 19 percent of Mormons identify as or lean towards the Democratic Party. The article reads, “[There is a] difference of 51 percentage points. That’s the biggest gap in favor of the GOP out of the 30 religious groups we analyzed.” Although the majority of LDS members identify as Republican, Vigoren explained, “My strong belief in Jesus Christ is what makes me more liberal, I think. I think about who Jesus ate with; sinners.... He rebuked political leaders and challenged people to change their traditions. “For me, when I hear these stories and then look at our world today, it seems to me that Jesus was pretty liberal. The gospel is all about love, light, Jesus, justice and mercy. Liberal ideology is all about progression, which is literally the goal of this life, right? I believe the gospel can be apolitical.

“I don’t think that being liberal is the only way to live the gospel though. Just like I don’t believe the perfect Mormon has to be conservative,” said Vigoren. Gabby Corbett, a sophomore ICS-peacebuilding major from Maryland, shared the Book of Mormon scripture Alma 1:30, “And thus in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who are naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.” Corbett explained, “It even says the word ‘liberal.’ It’s not ‘every man for himself,’ and then they become even more wealthy and prosperous. I think it’s important that those who are able take what they have and share with those in need; it doesn’t matter why they’re in need. That’s charity, the pure love of Christ.” “Charity,” Corbett continued, “also means we love and respect everyone, no matter what choices they make. I think that if God gives us agency, even when he knows we are going to make choices that hurt him and hurt us, we should allow others the same freedoms to choose what they want to do, even if we don’t agree with those choices or are morally opposed to them.” Noelle Oldham, a junior from Florida studying art education, said, “Something that I have seen as very important in the church is learning to love all people. In Primary you’ll

learn that we should all love one another and be compassionate towards our fellow man. When we see someone in need, we should give to them. If we see someone not feeling accepted, we should support them. If we see someone thinking about a choice, we should allow them their free agency to choose for themselves. All of these ideas are Democrat[ic] values.” Being a minority in any respect can be difficult, according to Vigoren. “For a long time, it felt like I didn’t have a place in this church; like my thoughts and beliefs were just too radical. I thought I was the only feminist at BYUH. When I was in Political Science 101, we had to take this test that told us if we were more liberal or conservative. The professor then made us line up, liberals on the left and conservatives on the right. I stood furthest left, and by a lot.” Vigoren continued, “[During] my freshman year there was a state voting on same-sex marriage; everyone on campus was signing petitions against it.... I definitely felt alone there. I remember calling my best friend in Boston crying, thinking I had to transfer from my dream school. “Then I made some friends who weren’t as conservative. I found professors and community members that I thought liked me,” she said. “I moved to Washington, D.C. and was strengthened by an entire movement of LDS liberals. I finally figured it out. I may not always agree with what the members do or even with the church’s policies towards certain things, but I can hold my truths about liberalism and my truths about the gospel and make it work.”

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World College students Donald Trump was surf on the web inaugurated as president while waiting in line. on Jan. 20, and students Photo by AP. said they are hoping he will improve the environment, health care, taxation, U.S. businesses and schools. Photo by AP

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Mixed hope for Trump Students divided on President Trump’s election, supporters share hopes B Y GO SU K E KAWAN O

Billionaire Businessman Donald Trump has started his first few weeks as the 45th President of the United States and his era to “Make America Great Again,” according to Wall Street Journal. BYU-Hawaii students said they have mixed opinions on whether or not his presidency will benefit Americans. Tessa Davidson, a senior studying exercise and sports science and biomedical science from Washington, said if she had voted she would have voted for Trump. “I think he is not like any other politicians. He’s blunter and outspoken, which is sometimes negative. But I also think it is a good thing because maybe he will make actual changes since he doesn’t care about pleasing people.” Steven Aurich, a freshman studying biomedical science from Oregon, said he did vote for Trump. “I think he will help support the local economy in Oregon as well as other states. I believe he will represent the United States well and help reconstruct certain policies.” Chris Nartker, a junior majoring in biomedical from Idaho, said he would have voted for Trump as well. “I think he got a lot of negativity on the media, so it is hard to tell what is accurate and what is not. But I feel like he has a good direction, so I am [hopeful] for what he’ll do.” Anna Hansen, a freshman studying international cultural studies from Idaho, said she was not able to vote due to her travel plans. However, she said she wished she had voted because she does not like the idea of Trump being president. “Because of how he is, it’s shown that he is not good at communicating well with other people. He is really aggressive, so it makes me scared for the future.”

When asked what changes they were looking forward to seeing under his new administration, Hansen said she would like to see environmental changes. According to Vox, Trump is working with the Environmental Protection Agency to improve environmental laws. However, the Associated Press reported, “So far, Trump has sent mixed signals on whether or how he will try to slow Earth’s warming temperatures and rising sea levels. He has called global warming a ‘hoax’ and has pledged to reverse Obama’s efforts to curb emissions from coal-fired power plants. But the president also recently met with prominent climate activists Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio. Ivanka Trump, a close adviser to her father, has indicated interest in working on the issue.” Davidson said, “I’m hoping to see the changes in health care. Maybe [the government] can make adjustments and improve Obamacare because it is not really working at all. Also, another concern is improving job situations and having more employment for Americans.” Aurich agreed and said, “Change the healthcare system. But apparently, [Trump] is already doing that.” President Trump revived the abortion ban and hopes to improve healthcare in the coming months, according to the New York Times. Aurich said he hoped there could be an increase in support for local businesses and better funding for public schools. “I also think it would be nice as well to see the changes to where our money goes for congresses and senates,” he said. Nartker said he would like to see the U.S. have better tax systems and Medicare. “I think we need to have more capitalism so that this country is making more manufactures inside the country than outside.” F E BRU ARY 2 0 1 7

Mariah Walsh will be the student graduation speaker on Feb. 25 . Photo by Lexie Kapeliela