Ke Alaka'i - June 2016

J U N E 2 016 · Vo l u m e 114 : I s s u e 4

THE LEAD ER

In this issue: Pages 21-28 Recap Culture Night and find yourself and friends in the photos • Pages 44-45 Assistant Coach Roberts to be Head Coach for last year of men’s basketball • Pages 52-54 Operation Underground Railroad frees child sex slaves

JUNE 2016 • VOLUME 114 • ISSUE 4

ADVISOR

“The Action Bible”

Le e A n n Lam ber t MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS Eric Hachenberger Alex Maldonado Danna Osumo Hunter Pons

“The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane”

by Kate DiCamillo

MANAGING EDITOR Josh M ason COPY EDITORS Jared Rober t s Lei ani Brown

Rachel Chambers Samantha Daynes

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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ART & GRAPHICS

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Lauren St ei m l e

A n d re a M ar shal l

Hai l ey M ol i na

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INTERNS

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BO O K

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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 students will dance for their culture’s in Culture Night.

From left to right: Jade Helle dances for Tahiti, Jordan Williams for New Zealand, Khetty Ann Bucag for the Philippines, and Kazuyuki Kameya for Japan. Photo by Hector Periquin

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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JUNE 2016 • VOLUME 114 • ISSUE 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAMPUS LIFE

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Trumpeter Suzie Kinghorn Senior recital shows her musical prowess and love for Disney songs

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The history of the GCB The General Classroom Building used to have an auto shop, wood shop, and radio station

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Director of EIL Leola Solis’ mother’s influence set her path of TESOL early in her life

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Empower Your Dreams See whose business plans won

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Graduation Speaker Theresa Smith plans to start her doctorate program in biochemistry after a post-graduation trip to Iceland

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Culture Night 2016 Photos, photos, photos!

RELIGION

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Understanding Judaism Traditional attire symbolizes devotion to God

EDITORIAL

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Prayers of souls The third part of a short story about Alma the Younger

LIFESTYLE

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World Fireknife Championships Mikaele Oloa becomes five-time world champion

SPORTS

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3-6 p.m., SATURDAY Fun Day with the BYU Football team at the Little Circle

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7 p.m., SUNDAY Devotional with the BYU Football team at the CAC

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9:30 a.m., THURSDAY Spring Semester Commencement at the CAC. Come celebrate graduation

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7 and 9:30 p.m. FRIDAY Free movie showing at the Little Theater

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JULY

Men’s Golf They reach nationals for the first time in two decades

WORLD

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The Abolitionists Film shows work of ex-CIA and Navy Seals to stop child sex slavery

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JUNE

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Women’s Tennis The Lady Seasiders take second in the National Championship

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C A L E N D A R

TUESDAY Concert Choir’s Japan trip

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5 p.m.- 8 a.m., FRIDAY Sunset to Sunrise at Laie Elementary

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8:30 a.m., SATURDAY Community Hukilau at Hukilau Beach

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SIMPLE HEALTH TIPS B Y DANNA O S UMO

Taking care of your health is “part of a big picture” and each individual is “100 percent in charge of their health,” according to Lena Tyau, Board Certified registered nurse at the BYU-Hawaii Health Center.

Five students majoring in exercise and sports science lay down basic rules to staying healthy.

Tyau said that despite education being students’ foremost priority, they should still follow basic health rules. “You will not do well in any of your pursuits—social relationships, school or work—if you are not healthy,” said Tyau. “You have control to balance everything well so that you can put your best foot forward.”

Assess Your Personality “The likeliness of having cardiovascular problems is higher among depressed, anxious, hostile, angry, impatient, and uptight people,” said Benjamin Garcia, a senior EXS major from Mexico.

“Learning how to effectively cope with your emotions and stress may enable you to make better food and exercise choices.” He suggested assessing your personality by reflecting on past experiences, using resources in Counseling Services, taking online selfassessment quizzes, or analyzing your behavior and the way you interact with others to better approach your ongoing challenges.

“Stress management can include activities that distracts your mind such as an alternative sports or a hobby,” said Tyau. She said by being mentally healthy, perspectives of the problems you have would be lessened.

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Drink Water “Changing the habit of not hydrating the body properly can create better digestion of food,” said Madison Hurd, a freshman EXS major from Utah. Hurd added room temperature water is better for your body because it helps increase you metabolic rate and reduce metabolic waste that could have built up in your immune system.

“Proper hydration is what we normally suggest to our students,” added Tyau. She said each student should drink 64 ounces or more of water because when the body is dehydrated, many things can occur such as fatigue, increased heart rate, and constipation.

Be Active

Eat The Right Food “It’s not about eating less but eating healthy,” said Keikiani Mataoa, a freshman exercise and sports science major from Tahiti.

“Think of greens, fruits and legumes first.”

She emphasized that by not eating right, you do not provide the necessary nutrients your body needs to create new cells and clean toxins, which prevent future illnesses.

Tyau added, “Having a well-balanced diet is important because when your stomach is not working well, you will actually gain weight and your body function will be sluggish, which makes it hard to concentrate on other things.”

Sleep

“Being active does not mean going to the gym “Even though you think you are not doing all the time,” said Princess Donato, a junior exanything, your body is doing a lot of things ercise and sports science major from the Philip- such as healing and repairing your heart and pines. She suggested taking the stairs instead blood vessels,” said Matthew Leung, a senior of the elevator, or walking an extra 15 minutes EXS major from Hong Kong. He said people around campus each day. “By having at least should get six to nine hours of sleep a day and half hour of simple physical activity, there are that sleeping the right amount has many health so many benefits. It helps to improve memory, benefits such as providing energy for the next reduce stress and improve the immune system.” day. “Most importantly, it helps healing of the

Tyau agreed with Donato and emphasized body and repair of your heart and blood veswhen an individual is physically active, it will sels,” said Leung. increase endorphin production in the brain,

Tyau said she understands it is difficult which gives a sense of wellness. Tyau added acfor students to get the right amount of sleep tivity keeps the body oxygenated, which makes because of their busy schedules, but she the body less tired. encouraged students to sleep at least six hours each night. “The main benefit of sleep is the ability to focus,” said Tyau.

campus life

in this section Senior Suzie Kinghorn shares her love of music and skills with multiple instruments in her senior recital A day in the life of social work major Karlmaine Revillo The GCB used to house an auto shop, wood shop, and radio station EIL Director Leola Solis grew up speaking and loving English in Samoa thanks to her Hawaiian Mother’s influence

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Judges of Empower Your Dreams said successful businesses require hard work and passion

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The Graduation speaker is biochemistry major Theresa Smith

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BYU-Hawaii’s School of Education ranked No. 4 in the nation

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Culture Night 2016 photos feature performing groups

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Biblical Greek language class gives students greater insight to New Testament

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C ampus L i fe Music major Suzie Kinghorn displayed her instrumental versatility at her senior recital, but said her personal favorite is still the trumpet. Photo by Stop Khemthorn

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A girl & her horn - plus more Music Professor Kammerer says trumpet player is one of the best he has ever taught B Y AL E X M AL D O N AD O

Suzie Kinghorn is a soon-to-be BYU-Hawaii graduate with a lifetime of musical mastery and a reputation amongst her professors as a humble, teachable pupil, always looking for ways to improve her talents. In anticipation of her graduation, Kinghorn organized a seven-song, multi-instrumental recital with four pieces she arranged herself.

Kinghorn’s musical selections included remastered hymns, time-honored sonatas, and even a medley of her favorite Disney classics.

Kinghorn performed with several instruments including the piano, the steel drum, and her personal favorite, the trumpet. David Kammerer, of the BYUH Music Department, said, “For me, the highlight was her flugelhorn performance on the jazz ballad, ‘I Remember Clifford.’ Ballads require a high degree of musical maturity, and Suzie delivered a performance demonstrating a level of nuance I’ve rarely heard from an undergraduate.”

Rikki Brady, a junior vocal performance major from Oregon, said, “My favorite part was definitely the Disney medley. I cried. There were actual physical tears. I love Disney so when I heard it get started, I couldn’t control myself.” Chris Cornelison, a senior English major from Hauula also favored the Disney mix and added, “I’m so impressed with how she arranged all the different songs and themes into one seamless medley.”

Kinghorn said she officially started preparing for her recital after returning home from her mission in Philadelphia, Penn., last April. She then spent the following year gradually adding to it and refining it up until the actual performance on April 29.

Kammerer reflected on his time as Kinghorn’s private instructor throughout her degree program and said, “The thing that impresses me about Suzie is her humility. Many young

musicians who attain her degree of early success become cocky and unteachable; but Suzie has continually remained open to and eager to implement ways to improve her talents. She’s one of the very best I’ve ever taught.”

Kinghorn recollected how she first became acquainted with Kammerer through his wife, Elizabeth Kammerer, when she was the choir director at Kahuku High School.

Kinghorn had played in the Kahuku band ever since she moved to Hawaii from Idaho in the seventh grade, and by her senior year, Sister Kammerer could see Suzie had the potential for a BYUH scholarship.

Kinghorn recalled, “Sister Kammerer asked me to play my trumpet to accompany the intermediate choir. Unbeknownst to me, [Brother Kammerer] was observing me and my playing and decided I was somebody who he wanted in the BYUH Music Department.

Later he came up to me and said in basic terms, ‘I used that as your audition and I’m prepared to offer you a scholarship.’ At that point, I didn’t even know where I was going to go to school. I had applied to Provo, BYUH, and that kind of answered the question for me, and I just haven’t looked back.”

After playing at BYUH for a couple years, Kinghorn learned of an opportunity to serve a mission for the LDS Church in Nauvoo, Ill. as a trumpeter in the Nauvoo Brass Band from May to August of 2013. “I was the fourth consecutive female trumpet from BYUH to serve in the band. The three years prior to when I went, they were all from here too,” Kinghorn shared.

As she was preparing for her mini mission in Nauvoo, Kinghorn said she was ecstatic to hear the announcement sister missionaries could serve full proselyting missions at the age of 19. Kinghorn said she felt a

stirring within herself and knew she was meant to serve, so she began working on her mission papers until she left for Illinois. “I ended getting called to the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission while I was still serving in Nauvoo. I had about two months in between the two missions,” Kinghorn continued, “When I got home from my first mission, the PCC was doing their 50th anniversary celebration and brought back the PCC brass band, which used to be a really big deal at the PCC; and I got to be involved in that.”

Kinghorn then was able to serve her 18-month mission in Pennsylvania, but was only able to play the trumpet twice during her whole mission. “People thought I was crazy for going, because the trumpet is something you have to continually work on and improve. They say that one day laying off practicing can be as much as three days lost time,” Kinghorn said.

“When I got back, Brother K. really believed in me, and said he believed I could get back to where I was before my mission in just six weeks. We worked really hard, and he pushed me to just keep trying, and it made me realize that I can use my talent for so much more.”

Kinghorn said one of her goals in life is “to do so much more than just perform and show off. I want to be able to help lift and strengthen others. Music has completely changed the way I see the world, and I want others to be able to feel the spirit and feel God’s love through the music that I play.”

Her plan to fulfill that goal is to teach children the trumpet in her home. She said, “In my experience when I was growing up and taking music lessons, I would always go to their home and they would have a room and teach me there. I really like that setting and the idea that I could be at home and still teach when we do eventually have a family.”

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Karlmaine Revillo A social worker B Y DAN N A O SU M O

Above: Revillo said she wants to make the world a better place. Photo by Zachary Konecki

Karlmaine Revillo is a senior from the Philippines studying social work, which she said is a way for her to give hope to the world.

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What made you decide to study this major?

From her experience on her LDS mission and working actively with children and families, Revillo realized she wanted to talk with people for the rest of her life. She wanted to be in their shoes. “I felt like I was very privileged growing up, and there were a lot of things I took for granted. I wanted to make the world a better place for everyone,” said Revillo.

What makes your major unique?

“Social work will portray what the real world is like.You can get a better view of other countries and what they are going through,” said Revillo.

Describe a typical day According to Revillo, before class starts, there is a lot reading to be done, usually at least 20 pages. In class, students learn the different fields of social work, including mental health, substance abuse, and international social work. Although social work students do not go on field trips often, students are shown a lot of videos in class on real life interaction to see how the outside world is like.

Number of people in the major There are 97 students who are majoring in social work, according to the academic advisor for social work, Joselyn Akana.

Time spent in a day

What do you want to do with it?

Revillo said she spends three to four hours everyday in classes and other than work, the rest of the day is reading assignments.

Revillo’s plans include getting her master’s after graduation and eventually entering the field of mental health. She said she would want to work with adolescents or elderly adults.

Particularly, she wants to do bio-psycho-social assessments where she can talk to people to assess what particular challenges they face.

Pros

Favorite Class Her favorite class is the community mental health class where the students learn about different mental illnesses. “It is interesting because there is a lot of group work and role playing. We partner up with students and do client to therapist sessions,” explained Revillo.

“As a social work major, there are a lot of higher level classes where I can learn about social problems...You are actually excited to come to class because you will enjoy learning,” said Revillo.

Cons Revillo said social work teachers are very honest about the disadvantages of social work. “They will say that it gets into your brain or that we will get emotionally drained, which makes you doubt choosing this major,” she said.

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C ampus L i fe Students work in one of the shops in the Technology Building that is now the GCB. Photo courtesy of the BYUH Archives

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Te c h n o l o g y B u i l d i n g BYUH alumni recall when the GCB was a technical school B Y ZE PH M CK E E

on the coconut trees.” Pilobello also recalled, The General Classroom Building was once “We had a side business gooping up the inside of a well-equipped technical school, complete TVs so they wouldn’t corrode so quickly in the with an auto shop, radio station, and a wood salt air.” shop, as detailed by maps in the BYU-Hawaii

Past the electronics lab were a few classes Archives. Sitting on the western end of the campus, the General Classroom Building is one mostly used for woodworking, although they saw some other use as well. of the oldest parts of BYUH. Today, it houses

The northern end of the building was an the Technology and Mathematics departments, auto shop with “two large bays with lifts for and also serves as a general-purpose building. serious work,” according to alumni and EIL

According to Steve Cheney, a former Professor Mark James who graduated in 1979.

BYUH employee, the Technology Building, as It also featured a body shop and a paint booth it was known then, housed “an electronics lab, near the back of the building. James noted a woodworking shop, classrooms in the center of the building used for all trade-related classes, it was one of the best classes he ever took, learning to save money by doing the auto work an auto shop, a machinery shop, and a welding himself. “I’ve saved thousands,” he said. shop. The welding shop was located in what is

People said they have fond memories now the ceramics building.” of the building. Foley recalls some of the fun

The computer labs in the southern end times spent there. “I remember taking an auto of the building were once electronics labs with class there from Brother Turley who, at the radio stations, where students would learn and practice Morse code. Mikaele Foley, a BYUH end of the term, deep-fried his killer scones alumni, remembers this program. “One of the and honey butter for us. It was so ono. Also, it would definitely be kapu nowadays, but Brother teachers in the late 1960s maintained a ham radio station… I remember taking a ham radio Turley also used to let his little blond-headed daughter play in the shop, get her hands into all class from him, in which I learned enough Morse code to pass the test and get my beginthe oily/grimy stuff, and ride around with him in his open-top jeep!” ning ham license.”

BYUH enjoyed nearly three decades of

Edwin Pilobello, a former student who studied industrial management, recalled his ex- technical instruction in the Technology Buildperience there. “I remember taking and passing ing. However, in the Fall Semester of 1986, the Morse code exam, raising the 10m antenna school administrators decided to stop offering the electronics, automotive, and construction and CQing anywhere in the world!” A CQ is majors. Cheney recalled “technology students a type of radio call, Pilobello explained. “We even strung a full wave oriented towards Japan were given about four years to complete their

major,” before it closed down. Saddened by the imminent departure of their major, students in the Construction Technology Program built a grandfather clock as one last memento that still stands inside the admin offices in the Lorenzo Snow building.

In 1989, when interior remodeling began on the main building, some of the workers discovered a bottle with a note in it from the first labor missionaries. The note was turned over to the Library Archives and is still there to this day.

The text of the original note: To whom it may concern This note is in memory of our labor mission, building this great college,The Church College of Hawaii. And also in memory of our plaster gang - our supervisors.

Bro. Aurthor Peel Bro. AndrewWilkinson Bro. Edward Sitton We pray that nothing will distroy or mark our little memory note, and that later on in years we will recover it. (11-29-56) Sincerely, Bro. Itasea Anohumukini Bro. Antone Haiku Jr. Witness: Bro. Dan Moa

The interior and exterior remodeling in the early ‘90s changed the technology building into what is today known as the GCB. With the rise of computing majors, the southern end of the building was converted into computer labs to house the new major. Two new classrooms were added to the front of the building as well.

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C ampus L i fe Leola Solis is the director of the EIL Department. Her mother was one of the first TESOL graduates at BYUH. Photo by Monique Saenz

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TESOL is family tradition Her mother’s love for reading helped Leola Solis embrace and excel in English B Y SAM O N E YU E N

Leola Solis, BYU-Hawaii EIL director, said she found her love of English under her mother’s influence. Her mother, Ana Kahililani LaBarre Moleni, was among the first group of TESOL graduates at the then Church College of Hawaii. She met and married Solis’ Tongan father, and they moved to Tonga where they raised nine bilingual children.

Once Solis came to BYUH and learned about TESOL, she said she saw how her mother’s TESOL education had influenced how she raised her nine children.

“Because she was a foreigner in Tonga, and because she was a TESOL graduate, she understood how important English was,” Solis said.

“So she had a rule: English in the house, and Tongan outside. We were raised speaking English, and I think that is one of the reasons all of us children—there are nine of us—speak English and Tongan equally well.”

Solis said there was a small disclaimer to her statement. “It is closely tied to personality.” She said the introverts in her family spoke English better than Tongan, while the outdoor-loving, rambunctious ones spoke Tongan better than English. “My younger brother actually had to go through EIL because he spoke Tongan more,” she said.

When Solis came to study at BYUH after graduating from Liahona High School, where her father was the principle, she chose to major in English. “My mom read all these books. I read books. I thought, ‘I’ll go with English,’ because I didn’t know there was such a thing as TESOL.”

She discovered TESOL two years into her education and decided to minor in it, keeping her English major. “What is interesting is that all my papers I wrote in my English classes all had to do with the English language,” said Solis. “My final paper was on ‘English, the language of power.’ One of my favorite classes was ‘History of the English Language.’

I wrote another paper on semantics. I thought, afterwards, ‘Wow, I was really preparing myself for TESOL,’ because those subjects are more TESOL subjects. I don’t think I wrote anything on analyzing poetry.”

She attributes much of this interest to her mother. “I look back now and I see all these different things that have influenced me to go into TESOL because of her,” she said. “The first was how she pushed English on us, because she wanted us to succeed. I developed my passion for reading from her. She loved to read. My earliest memories with her are laying in bed, reading.”

She said it was difficult to get books in Tonga, so her mother’s collection was precious. That collection included Shakespeare’s works, Wordsworth, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, National Velvet, a set of fairy tales and nursery rhymes. “I read everything in the bookcase that she had brought with her. That, I think, helped influence where I was going to go.”

Where she went was to the world of teaching English. Her husband, Mike Solis, said she has always had a goal to teach at BYUH, even

from the time they were freshly married and she worked at Laie Subway to pay the bills.

She explained she was hired by BYUH a year after graduating as a part-time English teacher in 2002, rotating between the EIL and English departments. Her love of teaching solidified during this time.

“I love teaching. I just enjoy having the students, enjoy listening to them talk, enjoy seeing them interact with one another.”

She said she was a part-time English instructor for a decade, loving every minute of it, before she decided to go back to school. She went to Hawaii Pacific University to get her master’s in TESOL in 2012, graduating with it in 2014. “Getting the master’s was very interesting because after being a teacher for 10 years, I learned why I did things.

The master’s program actually put a name to a lot of the practices that I had been doing already.”

Such practices included using groups and presentations to get students to talk more, which she learned is called the communicative language teaching approach.

She said she recently was told how remarkably obedient BYUH EIL students are in class. One of her HPU professors, Ed Kline, came and observed EIL classes at BYUH. “He said when I would ask them to do something, they immediately did it. And I’ve never really had students not do that in a classroom.” Apparently it takes 10-15 minutes for students to begin in-class assignments at other schools, especially non-universities.

While she was finishing her master’s, Solis said she had some good fortune. “I was very, very lucky. Blessed, lucky? Fortunate?

About the time I was finishing up my master’s, two job positions opened up. It was May, and that was my last semester, and I thought, ‘Oh well. Couldn’t hurt. I’ll just put in my application. See where it takes me.’ Part of me was kind of not wanting to get the job because of the extra responsibility.”

Now, she continues to teach EIL and said she wouldn’t change the long path to where she is now. “Sometimes we don’t know where it takes us. I look back and I think: ‘I started out with English, went into TESOL, graduated, started teaching part time, enjoyed it.’ I didn’t have any ambition to change, decided to get my master’s just because, and the job opened, applied, and I got the job.

“So, all these different things just kind of lined up and fell into place. But it wasn’t immediate. I graduated in 2001, 2002 I got the part-time job, and then 2014 I graduated with my master’s. So that’s a long period of time. But I enjoyed that long period of time of being a part timer.

“I love this department,” she said. “Everyone here works well together. They all are very helpful. I see them all as my mentors.”

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Middle: Senior Sze Wan Feigleson holds a check from BYU-Hawaii and the Willes Center after taking first place in the International category of the Empower Your Dreams Competition held in May. Photo by Stop Khemthorn

The full list of winners from Empower Your Dreams 2016

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INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNITY

DOMESTIC

SOCIAL

1st

1st

1st

1st

“Accent Champion”

“The North Shore Coupon”

“Lift Humanity”

“The Kapalu Connection”

Sze Wan Feigleson

Kiana Uluave

Kalin Uluave

William Arnett III

2nd

2nd

2nd

2nd

“Deseret Aluminum”

“Native Edge”

“Just in Case”

“Tossd Salt Spray”

Christian Kevin Kusuma

Josh Riboldi

Katie Bak, Demaree Brown

Savannah Allred

and Mosia Lucianto

3rd

and Joshua Carter

3rd

3rd

“Word Power Genius”

3rd

“Ayele Foundation”

“A&J Fertility Group”

Dale Hammond

“Tovo Care Givers, LLC”

Augustine Cassis Boateng

Amulek Ming Wei Yu

and Jacob Gold

Lavinia Tovo

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Making dreams a reality Willes Center awards thousands to students & community to encourage entrepreneurship B Y SAM AN TH A DAYN E S

“Our mantra is: If you don’t build your own dreams, someone’s going to hire you and build theirs. And we really want students to build their own dreams,” said Jason Earl, the director of the Willes Center, when asked about the focus of Empower Your Dreams, the annual competition held this year on May 11-12.

“Empower Your Dreams is a crash course to starting a business,” said Robby Whites, a guest judge and co-founder of Clarus Glassboards.

His partner, Jeremy Rincon, said in a presentation to students at the awards ceremony, “Many people love the idea of entrepreneurship, but not the reality. Entrepreneurship requires fearless leadership, and you need to stand alone.

And it can be terrifying.”

Earl said this was the seventh year of the event, and this year’s was the biggest one yet. “It started out relatively small and then over time it was so successful they decided to dedicate a whole day to it,” Earl said.

In giving advice to student entrepreneurs, Rincon said, “The risks are you’ll fail. But I strongly believe that anything that’s easy isn’t worth trying for. So don’t let failure be an impediment to pursuing your dreams.”

Heather Staker, a guest judge and co-founder of elementary learning platforms “Brain Chase” and “Ready to Blend,” said, “I feel in my life that I’ve had heavenly inspiration about the path that’s right for me. So I would recommend in any situation, as we’re choosing careers or startup enterprises, that we tune in to that source of direction.”

Rincon advised, “Think big. It sounds cliché to say it, but I think every single concept we heard today was bigger than the individual person.”

Guest judge Elizabeth Smart, president of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, agreed, saying her best piece of advice is simply to “do what you have a passion for.”

This year the event was held in the PCC’s Hawaiian Journey Theater, where the students presented their businesses on a six-story screen. Earl said this year over $30,000 was given out to fund students’ businesses, which is more money than has ever been given out in the competition.

Hyram Yarbo, a sophomore from Arizona studying international cultural studies who competed in Empower Your Dreams, said students submitted business proposals with all

the aspects of how their company is run: descriptions of the service or product, marketing plans, and who’s on the team.

Five finalists were chosen for each category–International, Social, Domestic, and Community–to submit their proposal before the guest judges.

Yarbo said students needed commitment to their business to make it into the competition. “If you entered the competition without fully believing in your business, you shouldn’t have entered. Because you have to believe in it.”

He added the judges were looking for the effort students put into the businesses. “If you haven’t put skin in the game and really involved yourself in the creation of your business, who’s to say you’re not going to back out?”

Smart said she was impressed with all of the students’ ideas, how well thought-out their businesses were, and how well-prepared the presentations were.

Whites added seeing the students’ passion for their businesses was inspiring. He also said he admired that so many people wanted to give back to those in need and make a difference in the world through their businesses.

Kalin Uluave, a senior from Laie studying business, won the first place prize of $5,000 in the Domestic Category with his business “Lift Humanity,” which sells bracelets and bags made by merchants in Third World countries. Uluave said he definitely didn’t expect to win, but said he plans to use the money to start an online platform and a social media presence for his business.

Uluave said he enjoyed Empower Your Dreams and the event allowed him to network and make connections. “It was awesome to meet some mentors who showed me what I could be doing to make more money, what I’m doing that’s wasting money and time, and what I can do to better scale the business.”

He added it was fun to have his wife, Kiana Uluave, win first place in the Community Category with her business “The North Shore Coupon,” a coupon card that partners with businesses across the North Shore to give percent off deals to card owners.

He said his wife plans to make contacts with over 100 businesses before she launches the card for Fall student orientation. Uluave laughed, “She’s more of the brains. I just try to follow her.”

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C ampus L i fe Theresa Smith, a biochemistry major from Colorado, was selected as the student speaker at the upcoming BYUH graduation. Elder Gerrit W. Gong, in the Presidency of the Seventy, will be the general authority speaker at commencement.

Photo by Stop Khemthorn

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Senior wants to help cure cancer Biochemistry major will be speaking at June 2016 Commencement B Y TE RE SA H WAN G

“Recognizing the value of learning,” is the most important thing in university life according to the June 2016 graduation speaker Theresa Smith.

Smith, a senior from Colorado majoring in biochemistry, said she had no idea why she became the graduation speaker. She only knew that her GPA was high enough to be qualified. “I didn’t see it coming,” said Smith. She said her professor suggested she speak on something inspirational in her graduation speech.

Smith said she studied hard throughout her three years of college because she understood the importance of GPA and naturally enjoyed learning.

“If I do bad, it means that I didn’t do my best. It’s like a competition against myself,” said Smith.

As the oldest of seven children, Smith said her parents helped in her education, but her goals and academic success are due to her own effort.

“Because of my personality, my parents don’t need to get on my back,” Smith added, “But they always support me and that helps.”

Smith said she is going on a road trip in Iceland for two weeks right after she graduates. Then in August, she will began her doctorate program in biochemistry at BYU in Provo.

She said she struggled to choose a doctorate program. “How am I supposed to pick a program?

They are all different, and they all have really fancy names that I don’t even know what they mean.”

Smith eventually decided to pursue a higher degree in biochemistry due to her passion to become a researcher in the field.

Smith said biochemistry majors can’t take biochemistry classes until their junior year. General chemistry and organic chemistry are prerequisites.

“But once I did that, I realized I really loved it.

It’s definitely what I want to do,” said Smith. She also said she had some credits from high school that were substitutes some required classes, so she was able to finish her studies earlier.

As a biochemistry major, Smith said doing experiments in a laboratory could be frustrating but fun at the same time.

She said she had a project with a team throughout a whole semester to learn laboratory techniques.

“We couldn’t get passed it at certain point, but everyone became good friends because we were always in the lab so late.”

Smith said beside the knowledge she has gained, she has also leaned from different people and cultures while at BYUH. She emphasized she was happy to try so many delicious foods from multiple cultures while in Hawaii.

Additionally, Smith said she learned how to connect with people and made friends with them.

“I have become more social in general. I kind of had a hard time with that before I came here.” She said she liked the whole atmosphere of BYUH.

As the focus of her future career, Smith wants to develop more accurate and effective treatments for cancer. Smith said hearing of people suffering and dying from cancer makes her want to take action.

Smith encouraged students of BYUH to recognize the value of learning. She said even though general classes may not be related to some major studies, “It’s always good to know things and branch out,” she continued. “It makes you a more well-rounded person that you are more aware of the things going on around you and in the world.”

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Teaching program gets high marks Students and administrators of the School of Education say No. 4 national ranking reinforces hard work put into institution B Y DAN N A O SU M O

BYU-Hawaii’s School of Education was ranked No. 4 in the nation based on quality programs and price of tuition, according to tobecomoeteachers.com. This has encouraged SOE faculty and students to know “they can gain a great education experience that will be worthwhile of their time and resources,” said John Bailey SOE department chair.

Bailey explained this website is useful for prospective teachers to find the best schools to attend that are affordable. “We are pleased to be ranked No. 4 because I think we have a well-structured program where we ensure students get the basic knowledge and skill that enable them to have well-sought-after and have well-paid jobs after graduation,” said Bailey.

Cynthia Chun, the field services coordinator of the SOE, said she is in charge of placing the students into their student teaching positions.

“I work a lot with the students and I see that the students here are able to have many personalized feedback because we are a very small department,” said Chun, compared to other universities where there is less contact between teachers and students. “Education students should feel a lot of pride and satisfaction because of their hard work. It takes everyone in the school to be put up to No. 4” According to the website, BYUH is ranked fourth alongside BYU in Provo. Its website states it is ranked based on high standards of education, high graduation success rates, high return on investment, and expected earnings after graduation.

Bailey added it was nice to be recognized because the SOE has “always tried to maintain a quality program and that the website validates it.” Peggy Hirata, the teacher clearance coordinator at the SOE, said it is “a very prestigious recognition” and that students would benefit a lot from this recognition.

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“When they graduate and seek good jobs, the schools who are hiring them will recognize that they are highly qualified teachers,” said Hirata.

Tori Cornelison, a senior elementary education major from Hauula, said she is happy with the achievement of BYUH’s SOE. “The teachers are really the reason for this success. They are just so wonderful because they share that excitement and drive with us,” said Cornelison. She said she is graduating this semester and knows how tough the SOE program is.

“They hold their teachers in very high standards because they know that we will go out all over the world and represent the school,” said Cornelison. She said being in the student teacher program was hard for her because she had to be a full-time teacher and student at the same time. “It was really hard, but when you come out the other end of it, you are ready for anything,” said Cornelison.

Although the ranking applies to the U.S. licensing of the SOE, Bailey said it proves how great the program is for all its students. “The strength of the faculty is that all our teachers are teachers in the field that they are responsible for. And they teach the principles to their classes on how to teach effectively, manage a class, assist effectively and prepare effectively,” said Bailey.

Kim Sae Yeon, a junior elementary education major from Korea, said she was grateful to be in the SOE but was surprised it was No. 4.

“Education is not very well known on campus, but it is great that we are No. 4 because I think we deserve it,” said Kim. She said she has learned skills that will be beneficial to her in the future. “The education system is very different in Korea, but here I can see all the different cultures and diversity which can help me teach everywhere.”

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C ampus L i fe Photos by Yukimi Kishi, Emily Halls, Kelsie Carlson, Mackenzie McLeod, Zach Konecki, and Stop Khemthorn

Kir ib at i T r ibute s to cur re nt events, hi s to ry an d n ati o nal pride s ho w n thro ugh song and dance FRI DAY

Dressed in long-sleeved white shirts and blouses and with smiles on their faces, the members of the Hawaiian Association opened the annual BYU-Hawaii Culture Night with a hula about famed Hawaiian church member Jonathon Napela on May 27 in the Cannon Activities Center.

With acts from 23 associations, Culture Night showed what BYUH is all about, said Josh Wallace, one of the two masters of ceremony of the night and a senior in music from California.

During the Fijian slideshow, dedicated to the victims of Cyclone Winston that devastated the area recently, Wallace said he thought, “I 22

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saw a lot of Fijians and also people from other cultures performing. I felt this is what this campus is working for: peace internationally.

Culture Night is the perfect portrait of that.

People from different cultures portray other cultures and no one is laughing at the dances.

They never ridicule it. It is always positive. It was a beautiful, beautiful moment. This is another testimony of the school’s mission.”

Following the host island’s opening, a single representative of the European Association sang and played the piano accompanying a slideshow showing the rich history of the continent as well as the current refugee crisis and terrorist attacks in Belgium and France.

Wallace said as she sang, he held up his cellphone as a light swaying to the music. Following his example, hundreds in the audience joined in “and showed their support,” he said.

Samo a

Members of the Hong Kong Association delighted with their traditional instruments adapting the modern song “We Will Rock You.” After a parody on soccer and traditional theater, they highlighted the school’s mission with a choir performance of “We Are the World.”

Mongolia’s performance referred to traditional horseback riding, archery and wrestling.

The Hip Hop Association inspired with an extremely clean choreography using the theme of police and inmates.

“Awe inspiring,” was what political science freshman Tim Saylor from China said about the performance. “I felt involved the whole time. The energy in there was so ginormous, so engulfing, you just wanted to go in there and dance with them on the stage.”

Aotearoa, also known as New Zealand, didn’t fail to impress with its traditional haka

Hawai i and participants dressed in black and purple costumes and ferocious tribal face tattoos. They ended by singing in Maori “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” from the Disney movie “Hercules.”

Both the Taiwan and China Associations danced traditionally but also merged modern influences in their styles.

Fiji’s performance included dances by both women and men with the men concluding their dance by collapsing on the floor seemingly exhausted.

The Kiribati Assocation women danced wearing black grass skirts and the men wore woven mats.

The finale featured the “Happy Islands” of Samoa, as master of ceremony Lehai Falepapalangi called them. As the took the stage, he urged the audience to not give in to the impulse to go and dance with the Samoans but to

remain in their seats. The Samoan drums shook the stage and the seats, as about a 100 dancers moved to the beat concluding the first night.

S AT U R DAY

The Saturday evening edition of Culture Night started in a light-hearted fashion with host Falepapalangi having to call his co-host Wallace to find out where he was. The phone call was played over the CAC speakers until Wallace charged down the bleaches to join him on stage.

After a prayer in Tongan, the first performance was by a new student association called Zion’s Community. It started with a video of the recent disasters in Ecuador, Japan, and Tonga, and was narrated by President Henry B. Eyring about trials of faith. Following the video, several families from different countries sat across the stage while Ana Nuku sang “Israel,

C h i na Israel, God is Calling.” The families slowly rose and joined the singer at the rear of the stage to form a choir.

Following Zion’s Community, the show’s hosts welcomed the Latin American group to the stage with a special ukulele rendition of “La Bamba.” However, due to technical difficulties, its soundtrack didn’t start and the Latin American dancers left the stage temporarily.

To buy the sound crew time to fix the audio, the hosts revisited the tissue-pulling game from Friday night. After the race to the bottom of the tissue boxes, the Singapore/Malaysia Association was cued up to dance.

It started by showing a video of the different cultural origins the two nations share, including Chinese, Malay, Indian, Filipino, and more. The multinational nature of the associaContinued on page 26 JU NE 2 0 1 6

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Hong Kong

Hip hop

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F ij i

Mongol i a

Taiwan

Europ e an

Z i on’s C om munit y

C o ok Isl ands

Ph i l ippi ne s

Aust ra li a

Tonga

L at i n Amer i c a

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C ampus L i fe Photos by Yukimi Kishi, Emily Halls, Kelsie Carlson, Mackenzie McLeod, Zach Konecki, and Stop Khemthorn

Singap ore/ Ma l aysi a Continued from page 23

tion showed through in the vibrantly colored Punjabi suits and precise hand motions, which are representative of India.

Following Singapore and Malaysia, the plaid-clad Latin American dancers were welcomed back to the stage with thunderous applause and a now-functioning soundtrack.

Their act started with a high-energy, all-female hip-hop routine accompanied by a strong reggae beat, followed by a couples’ routine danced to a traditional cowbell-laden salsa track.

The final section had all the couples forming a semi-circle, unrolling the flags of Latin American countries and parading them around the stage.

Performer Allison Tedford, a freshman political science major from Mexico, said, “Surprisingly, not a lot of people here know very 26

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much about Latino culture, so I feel like it was accurately represented tonight with the dances and the music.”

After the Latin America section, the men’s golf team and women’s tennis team were recognized just before Indonesia took the stage.

Indonesia’s routine was unique with its acapella chanting. Most of the dancers formed a cross-legged semi-circle around four girls dressed in orange as they danced up and down the center stage spreading flower pedals. Then a dancer dressed like a monkey god came to the stage from the audience. He symbolized the protector of the princess, one of the girls dressed in orange, said Ernawati Suharto, a senior from Indonesia.

After Indonesia, Japan was greeted by a roaring ovation perhaps only rivaled by the Samoan group’s applause from the night before.

Jap an The crowd only grew louder as the association celebrated Pokémon’s 20th anniversary by acting out a live Pokémon fight between Ash Ketchum and Team Rocket from the animated show.

Following the fight, male dancers in silky happi festival jackets and girls in flower-printed yukata, or summer kimonos, flooded the stage in a display of Japanese nationalism complete with a flag-bearer carrying a 20-foot Japanese flag and charging around a three-story human tower raining flower petals from the top.

Japanese alumna Migiwa Kameya of the Culture Night Committee, said the flower petals represented cherry blossoms, a muchbeloved tree and symbol of Japan.

The hosts followed Japan’s act with a piano performance of “Rude” by MAGIC! and most of the audience was singing along by the

Ind ones i a end. The next group to take the stage was Australia. The members danced to a cover of OutKast’s song “Hey Ya!” titled “Straya” following an aboriginal dance reminiscent of kangaroos.

After a couple more games, the Cook Islands dancers showed off their signature fast knees and quick hips with rhythmic drum patterns.

The following group was the American Sign Language SA. The members fused ASL with signature dances from pop classics such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and the whole opening sequence from the TV show, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

ASL President Logan Sprouse, a sophomore nursing major from California, explained, “The hardest part was appealing to both a deaf audience and a hearing audience… The main thing we drilled into people was the facial

expressions. A deaf person uses their facial expressions more than anything, so we ran these exercises to really draw those expressions out.”

Next was Korea where association members delivered what attendees described as a mesmerizing fan dance. The women used their pink fans to create “car-sized flowers, flowing rivers, and other enchanting shapes and patterns,” as Erica Greer, a sophomore from Virginia studying exercise sports science, put it.

The Philippines followed with dances from the three major islands of the thousandisland nation, complete with reenacted royal ceremonies, bright religious celebrations, and three Filipino flags brandished at the end.

After another game, a familiar drum pattern filled the CAC as Tahiti danced onto stage with Kamy Tekurio dressed as a Tahitian king conducting a sacred ceremony. Tekurio, a

ASL freshman TESOL major from Tahiti, described the opening act as, “The story of The Little Mermaid. It’s a legend from back home, so I was supposed to be the king who gives her her legs at the end so she could dance with the one she loves. It was part of the story I was saying in the beginning, but I said it in Tahitian so probably nobody understood it.”

The Kingdom of Tonga, with nearly 100 dancers dressed in red and white outfits, closed the show and filled the stage to its limit. The group delivered a series of traditional Tongan dances, using staffs and sticks to create the beat they danced to.

The group closed out with a drum ensemble at the rear of the stage playing with enough power and passion that only about half of the red and white tassels on their drum sticks remained by the end of the show.

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Studying Greek & the scriptures Biblical Greek language class helps students and faculty gain greater insight into the New Testament B Y ZE PH M CK E E

As the semester comes to a close, Dr. Dan Sharp will finish enough to make translations. This fulfills all of the General a year of teaching Biblical Greek to students.

Education language requirements, and Sharp encouraged

The class, WLNG 101R, counts for four language students who haven’t yet taken a language class to give credits and features plenty of religious insights as well, he this one a try. said. Students study the vocabulary and grammar of the

Despite the emphasis on secular knowledge, students Greek found in New Testament manuscripts, primarily said they regularly find spiritual knowledge and insights from the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece. They from their studies. also regularly translate the Greek Bible into English.

Dr. Mike Weber, an associate professor of Physics,

“It’s a very specific Greek that we’re learning,” said he regularly attends classes in order to study. “I think Sharp said, “but it’s the most helpful because how many we’ve gained an appreciation for how much John, for students are actually gonna go to Greece? Maybe some, example, is Christ-centered. Everything relies on Christ, but how many of them are and I think that that’s really going to wind up studying pointed out strongly in the the Bible? Hopefully every Greek New Testament, more student at BYUH will for the so than I’ve ever seen,” Weber rest of their lives.” said. “I’m not taking this class

Parker Jackson, a junior to learn Modern Greek – I majoring in business managecould care less about modern ment from Wyoming who Greek – I care about the New took the class, said, “There Testament.” are three different renditions The class follows the exof Greek. There’s the ample of the Prophet Joseph Classical, which came before Smith, who studied several the New Testament, which has languages throughout his life, all of the classic greek mytholincluding Greek, Hebrew, ogy and writings; Common Egyptian, Latin, and German.

Greek, which is Biblical Greek “My soul delights in reading that is commonly found in the word of the Lord in the the New Testament; and then original, and I am deterDr. Dan Sharp teaches Biblical Greek and starts mined to pursue the study of the there’s modern Greek, which a new class in the fall. Photo by Kelsie Carlson is spoken today.” languages, until I shall become

The class focuses its efforts on studying the Coma master of them, if I am permitted to live long enough,” mon, or Biblical Greek language in order to better unSmith wrote in his journal. “Oh may God give me learnderstand the chapters in the New Testament. Sharp noted ing, even language, and endue me with qualifications to “people who are interested in this class will take it because magnify his name where I live.” of its religious implications. But what’s interesting is that

The class is open for registration and will take place the class is not a religion class, so you don’t get religion MTWF from 8:40 to 9:40 a.m. during the upcoming credit for taking it. It’s really a language class.”

2016 Fall Semester. Sharp encouraged any and all who are

In fact, the class technically runs on a three semester interested to take it. “Do what the prophet would have course, so students can learn the language and master it done,” he said.

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religion

in this section Judaism has three volumes within its holy book, called the Tanakah

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Fiction: Alma the Younger’s tortured soul is rescued by Jesus Christ

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T T hh ee Wo Wo rr ll dd ’s ’s R R ee ll ii gg ii oo nn ss

Law Law and and Knowledge Knowledge MMeemmbbeer rs s oof f t thhee Jew Jewi si shh f af ai ti thh oobbs seer rve ve t tr ra addi ti ti oi onn a anndd cceer reemmoony ny t too ddi fi ff ef er reennt t ddeeggr reeees s ddeeppeennddi ni ngg oonn t thheei ri r cchhoos seenn s seecct t: : OOr rt thhooddox ox, ,CCoonns seer rvavat ti ve, i ve,a anndd RReef of or rmmeedd BY LEX LD OO NN AD OO BYAA LEXMA MA LD AD

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This oil oil painting painting by

by BYUH BYUH painting painting senior, senior, Californian Mackenzie This McLeod from California, shows one of the oldest Jewish Mackenzie McLeod, shows one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods neighborhoods in in Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Mea Mea Shearim.

Shearim.

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R eli g i on Below: A man at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and has long, curly sideburns and a beard as signs of respect to God. Photo by AP. Right: Painting by Mackenzie McLeod shows a Jewish man reading a holy book.

J

udaism, one of the world’s three Abrahamic faiths, has a devout presence on Oahu. The Temple Emanu-El synagogue, a popular hub for the Jewish community in Honolulu, is one of several meeting places in the county.

Judaism is believed to date as far back as 2500 B.C., as reported by www.myjewishlearning.com. Today the Jewish faith has around 14.5 million followers who adhere to distinctive sects, similar to modern day Christianity.

The three main Jewish groups are Orthodox, Conservative, and Reformed, according to Jessica Bram, director of Education at Temple Emanu-El.

Bram explained, “Orthodox Jews are very observant and stringent to what is taught in the Torah; what it says is what they do. Conservative Judaism is in the middle; they use the Torah very devoutly but have somewhat adapted it to modern life. Reform Judaism follows the belief of choice through knowledge. What that means is you read the text, interpret it, understand what you can and decide if it’s meaningful for you. If you try it and it works for you, that’s awesome. If you don’t, that’s okay too, but you did the work and the internal process of figuring out what is meaningful to you.”

Bram attributed the divisions within Judaism to the fact that Jews are encouraged to ask many questions so that they can know their religion well. All the questions have sparked a medley of answers throughout time, leading to the formation of many different branches within the Jewish faith.

Jews congregate in meetinghouses known as synagogues or temples where services are held up to three times a day. On Saturdays, only a morning and evening service are held.

Bram said the main services people attend are the Friday night and Saturday morning sessions because they fall into the weekly 25-hour period known as ‘Shabbat,’ meaning ‘The Sabbath.’

According to www.myjewishlearning. com, Shabbat starts at sunset or immediately after sundown on Friday night and ends at nightfall on Saturday. Shabbat is a time of rest, commemorating the day God rested after creating Earth, as recorded in Genesis.

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“Some people wear a kippah all the time, only taking it off when they shower or sleep, but a lot of people only wear it when they are in the temple.”

-Jessica Bram, director of Education at Temple Emanu-El in Honolulu

During a Shabbat service, the congregation will pray, sing hymns (depending on the sect), and hear from the rabbi as he reads from the Torah and delivers a message based on scriptural passages.

Bram explained there is not generally a hierarchy within the Jewish religion. However, Orthodox Jews appoint a chief rabbi who oversees an assigned country or region, similar to an area president in the LDS faith.

In other sects of Judaism, there is no formal chain of command to decide what is to be taught in the synagogues. “What is being taught in one synagogue one day could be completely different from what’s being taught at the synagogue next door,” Bram clarified.

Regardless of denomination, Jews worldwide rely on an assortment of holy books called the Tanakah to learn about God and his interactions with the children of Israel. The Tanakah is a compilation of three main volumes: First, the Torah, which Bram described to be the five books of Moses found in the Old Testament.

Second, the Nevi’im, which is a collection of writings of Old Testament prophets. The third portion is the Ketuvim or ‘the writings.’

The Ketuvim comprises the Song of Solomon, Psalms, and other Old Testament writings, such as the book of Daniel and the book of Job, said Bram.

Judaism also utilizes three books written by early common-era rabbis called the Mishnah, the Midrash, and the Talmud. Their purpose is to help readers gain spiritual understanding and to interpret the Tanakah, Bram continued.

The Talmud serves the unique roll of providing traditional Jewish folklore, such as why Moses had difficulty speaking and why Cane killed Abel, Bram described.

Beliefs and Traditions

“All of our beliefs basically come down to following the 10 Commandments and treating others the way you want to be treated. It’s about making yourself a better person and becoming aware of your individuality on Earth so you can help make Earth a better place for everyone,” said Bram.

Many Jewish sects have a belief system that makes little reference to an afterlife.

Bram explained there are many Jews who believe once one dies, their physical bodies will help to nurture future life. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.Your body decomposes and helps the earth grow,” Bram clarified.

As stated by www.myjewishlearning.com, the Jewish conceptions of heaven and hell are associated with the belief in immortality and/ or the World to Come, and have always been ambiguous. Most Jewish ideas about the afterlife developed in post-Biblical times.

Judaism incorporates dietary laws known as kashrut, which prohibit the mixing of dairy and meat, as well as the consumption of shellfish or flesh from split-hooved animals (like pigs), Bram expounded.

Kashrut forbids meat that has not been butchered a specific way. Jews are supposed to eat foods deemed as “kosher,” a Hebrew term for “fit” or “appropriate.” Kosher meats have been watched over in the manufacturing process by a rabbi to ensure kashrut standards, according to myjewishlearning.com.

Another distinguishing factor of Jewish devotion is traditional attire. The most common article of clothing is the skull-cap known as a kippah or yarmulke. A kippah can be worn by both genders but is more common among males. Kippahs are worn to signal respect to God. “Some people wear a kippah all the time, only taking it off when they shower or sleep, but a lot of people only wear it when they are in the temple,” Bram described.

Another traditional Jewish garment is a prayer shawl called a tallit. Similar to the kippah, some members choose to wear a tallit under their clothes at all times, while others choose to wear it only when worshipping at a synagogue. A tallit is traditionally blue and white or black and white, but it can be other colors depending on the wearer’s preference, Bram expounded.

A grooming trend that is common among Orthodox Jewish men is long, curly sideburns and beards. The sideburns are called ‘payos.’

The wearing of long sideburns and beards

THE THREE MAIN JEWISH G RO U P S

O r t h o d ox C o n s e r va t i ve Reformed

stems from a passage in the Torah declaring that when a farmer tends their fields, they should leave the corners uncultivated. Many Orthodox Jews have interpreted the passage to mean they should leave the corners or sides of their faces “uncultivated” as a sign of respect to God, according to Bram.

Bram said when a Jewish child is around 8 days old, a ceremony called brit milah is held, during which the baby is given a name and, if male, circumcised. The next big step in life comes when a child begins elementary school.

A “consecration” is held, during which youth decide for themselves whether or not they will continue adhering to Judaism.

At the ages of 13 for boys and 12 for girls, he or she will celebrate their bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah. Bar is Hebrew for son and bat means daughter. Mitzvah translates to commandment, so when a boy has his bar mitzvah, he is becoming a “son of the commandment,” Bram said.

During a bar or bat mitzvah, the child will conduct the Saturday morning worship service and read from the Torah for the first time. This is also the same time they are given their tallit.

Generally, a large family gathering is held in celebration, continued Bram.

Confirmation follows a bar or bat mitzvah ceremony, which functions similarly to a Christian confirmation during which youth covenant to obey God and his commandments, explained Bram.

Bram said the next big step a Jewish faithful takes in their lives is the ceremony of marriage, and lastly, death.

Outside of ordinances, ceremonies, and commandments, Jews are encouraged to seek out as much knowledge as they can.

Bram explained, “From the time you are born until the time you die, you should always be learning.” She clarified it doesn’t matter if you’re learning about your faith or if you’re learning about nature, all knowledge is good knowledge.

For more information about Judaism, visit www.myjewishlearning.com.

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Prayer of Souls A S H O RT STO RY B Y E RI C H ACH E N B E RGE R vi s i t h a c h en sto r i es. b r i gh a mp ress. c o m

The Son, Part III of III

There was hell!

The world around Alma shifted balance like the rocky deck of a ship amidst a dark tempest. Shadows raced by, he fell, caught himself and was thrown into the next abyss opening before him.

His very flesh seemed to burn while he sweated and shivered simultaneously. There was no clear thought he could gather, no shield to protect himself of the winds of guilt. In his head summoned images...

Horrifying images of his sins. There was a man in those shadows of the Hades smiting his brother, killing his own children for their belief in God. A family breaking apart, as the doubt he had sown destroyed the traction of faith.

He fell to his knees, but there was no rest for him. Still the ground moved, and there was no horizon to hold his sight. Broken commandments opened the severed dams of pain, spilling a torment of an eternal quality in both body and spirit.

The world began to spin and afar Alma saw mountains with dark barriers glooming over him like predator teeth. Harrowed up was his soul in the face of his sins.

In the awareness of all the evils he had done, he stood. And there was nothing to aid him, no deliverance. Torture continued. He ran, he knew not where,

through labyrinths of black walls never ending, never yielding an exit.

Around a corner he came and there she knelt.

His mother. Her face stricken with grief, darkness under her eyes, tears streaming down her pale and thin face. A body had fallen in front of her, cut and bruised, shackled to the ground in darkness. It was a body fairly similar to his own. “Mother,” he wanted to say, but no words escaped his mouth. “I am alive.” But then he wasn’t too sure anymore.

He turned and ran away just to stumble into his father. He saw a face robbed of all emotions with no more strength to lament. He had given up on his son.

He turned and walked away, leaving him, powerless to help.

A single thought struck harder than the pain he felt. There was another Father left to face. With all his being, Alma understood he would have to stand in front of God – in all his sins, in all nakedness, in all his rebellion.

Upon that simple thought, inexpressible horror took hold of him like roots growing into his veins.

“Oh,” his soul exclaimed, “that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to Continued on page 36

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Continued from page 35

stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.”

His desperate gaze, shifting directions as fast as an eagle’s, went to the mountains wishing they would fall upon him, eradicating him forever.

On the bottom of hell, fingernails scratching stone, Alma found a memory.

It was a memory of his father, the only memory without the company of pain. Alma, his father, had preached concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

Hitting his fist to the ground to bear the weight of perdition, he looked up into grey skies. From the bottom of his heart emerged a wish, a yearning – a cry. “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.”

Suddenly the storm ended as if a curtain was drawn between Alma and the weather. He dared not to open his eyes as a feeling of peace flowed into his soul. The ground wasn’t moving anymore. The cold had vanished.

He felt sand under his fingers. Thunder had been replaced by the quiet rushing of waves on a windless day.

Finally, Alma opened his eyes.

He knelt at a shore, facing east, where light approached the horizon. Slowly he arose, still uneasy on his feet. Everything was gone. A sudden barrier kept him from the memories that had caused him the tortures of hell. He couldn’t even remember the pain.

It had vanished.

Never had he believed in the atonement, a future spectacle hoped for by the old. But his prayer had been heard – and answered.

Light rose fast, though not burning like the sun, but white and glorious, shining from within his soul and the water in front of his feet until it was exceeding everything.

Alma was swept away by a joy he had never known, never felt, never imagined possible. Clouds of light gathered around him. Peace filled his soul as stark in contrast to his pain like day to night.

He took a deep breath, taking in the glory of redemption as the clouds burst open.

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There was heaven!

And amidst the trailing clouds of molten silver was God. A realm of angels, rejoicing in the glory of heaven, in a life of eternal light.

A sudden longing filled Alma’s soul. He wanted to be there. He remembered in the depths of his creation that this was the purpose of his life. Heaven was the goal, the destination, the reason.

He didn’t fear God’s presence anymore; there was no hesitation. God’s countenance was an invitation of love, not of punishment.

The Lord’s voice came unto him, “Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off.”

Despite this glorious vision, Alma awoke to the understanding of his repentance being incomplete.

He wasn’t there yet. He wasn’t ready. The path of repentance had just begun. There were hearts to heal that his words had shattered, cities to stabilize and friends to be helped back to the road he had distracted them from. It would be a hard way to walk, a journey nigh unto death, but it would lead back to this place of which he was granted a glimpse.

He closed his eyes – and woke, his limbs receiving their strength again.

As he sat up on the bed he had been placed on, he saw his father sitting in a chair. An old man, old in years, bowed by labor and sickness, yet with this glow of heaven in his eyes.

Both knew it.

The son had been born of God.

Father and son had been reconciled.

They arose, filled with a spirit of reverence, staring at each other for a moment. Then in joy they fell upon their necks and bathed each other’s shoulders with their tears.

lifestyle

in this section Coloring books meant for grown ups are sold in the BYU-Hawaii Bookstore

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The 24th World Fireknife Championships is won by Mikaele Oloa for the fifth time

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Meditation through coloring BYUH Bookstore begins sales of intricate coloring books B Y SAM AN TH A DAYN E S

New coloring books for adults that appeal to LDS audiences are Siufanua called the project her “baby” and said, “I give credit to God, available in the BYU-Hawaii Bookstore and are gaining popuwhere credit is due: The pictures flowed freely when I put pencil to larity, said students. Adult coloring books have more intricate paper. I was amazed through much of this process.” and complicated patterns than coloring books for children and

She added, “I believe that all things in nature and the universe are sometimes abstract. People can shade them in with colored testify of Jesus Christ and His mission. Combining the beautiful pencils or pens. designs of nature with the rich symbolism of temples, which also

Sarah Baker, a junior from New York studying information testify of Him, seemed to be a natural fit.” systems, said she colors in books all the time at home and some In an article written on the Drawing on Symbols blog, Siutimes in class. Two of her books came from the Bookstore. Baker fanua’s sister, Belinda Bringhurst, said coloring “may look like a said, “The books have quotes that I really like, so I can color them simple activity, but focusing on color choice, patterns, darks and and hang them up later if I want.” lights, texture, and movement has the abil Baker said she finds colority to make ‘the difficulties of life evapoing relaxing and added, “It lets me rate from our awareness...It is very much focus on something fun for a few like a meditative exercise’ that keeps your minutes at a time during the day, attention in the present moment.” instead of worrying about assign Another student said she had this ments. And I’m always so proud of kind of experience while coloring. Abby myself when I finally finish a picture.

Liv, a sophomore from California studyI feel like such a little kid.” ing biology, said, “Coloring is interactive

Bookstore manager David enough but not so that it distracts me. It’s Fonoimoana said he saw a market very therapeutic.” for adult coloring books and began

In the article, Bringhurst talked about selling them in the BYUH Bookhow the coloring books have helped one store. When the Bookstore sold little girl who struggled with attention out of coloring books within a few deficit disorder to keep focused in church. months, he thought about extendSiufanua said the book has received posiing the reach of the market and tive receptions even from those not of the finding a coloring book that would LDS faith. appeal to LDS audiences.

Fonoimoana said he approached his This coloring book for adults with LDS themes is friend President Galeai, a native of Laie

Fonoimoana found an article on Kickstarter for LDS adult color- available at the BYUH Bookstore. Left: A page from who works in the Cafeteria, about drawing “Temples: Drawing on Symbols.” ing books and got in touch with an adult coloring book with Polynesian its creator, Jeanette Siufanua. He bought a batch of her coloring designs. Galeai said, “I just do drawing on my clothes and whatever books and said they have been selling well so far. Fonoimoana said just for fun.You know when you work here, you need some kind of he thinks they’ll sell especially well when General Conference stress relief. So I go home and I just draw.” comes around.

Galeai hopes to draw at least 20 pages for a coloring book.

Siufanua is a former resident of Moana Street as well as the He also has a YouTube channel where he likes to give people cookartist of “Temples: Drawing on Symbols,” an LDS adult coloring ing recipes and tips, and said he hopes to put two or three recipes book. “Temples” contains pictures that draw from modern-day in the coloring book as well. Galeai said, “I just hope people enjoy temples and scenes from the scriptures, drawn in intricate patit. And if I can help somebody else relieve their stress, I’d be happy terns that allow multiple colors to decorate the page. to see that.”

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B Y SO M E O N E I D K

The 2016 World Fireknife Championships at the PCC had 18 men compete for the $4,000 first-place prize. Photo by Kelsie Carlson

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Contestants of all ages set the stage ablaze at the World Fireknife 2016 Competitions B Y TE RE SA H WAN G

Mikaele Oloa from Waialua, Oahu, became a five-time champion at the 24th Annual World Fireknife Championships on May 14. Falaniko Penesa from Samoa became the second place winner. Matuni Vaiaoga from Orlando, Fla., was awarded third place.

Alfred Grace, Polynesian Cultural Center president and CEO, shared how he felt about the championship this year.

“The quality of the competition was just amazing,” he said.

Each year, Grace said, the competitors’ skills go far beyond his expectations.

Oloa’s outstanding performance in the final competition was described in a PCC press release as: “His tosses overhead were the highest and he twirled one and two fireknives over his head, in front of his body, behind his back, and at times juggled them at different heights.”

Oloa’s fireknife performance showed tremendous creativity, speed, and risk, the press release also said.

When it comes to the design of his dance this year, Oloa said, “I really wanted to do a lot of old traditional moves.

There are a lot of cuts around my legs and cuts around my neck.” He emphasized he tried to stay savage and stick to the old Samoan style.

“Oloa’s routine culminated with him on his back, balanced only on his feet and head, and pushing himself backwards over 30 feet of ground, all while spinning a fireknife in both hands,” said the press release.

Oloa said he would begin to prepare for the next Championship immediately. “Tomorrow! Right now, when I go home!”

Oloa said he teaches the next generation of fireknife dancers and gave this advice to young fireknife students: “Always stay savage. It’s a Samoan warriors’ dance, so it’s got to stick to Samoan.”

Oloa won a $4,000 award. He said becoming the fivetime champion of the competition was a blessing, but it also brought a lot of pressure because it is easy to fall from the top.

“Being at where you at, and when everyone is coming for you, I think the only way you can go is down.” He said he would just do his best and pray for the rest.

After the three senior finalists were awarded, secondplace winner Penesa said, “I am happy. If people are happy, I am happy.” Penesa said he would share the $2,000 prize money with his family.

Penesa said he would go back to work at Hong Kong Disney Land, and said perhaps he would return to participate in the next World Fireknife Championship.

The 24th Annual World Fireknife Championships held at PCC lasted three days, from May 12 to 14. The first night of the championships took place in Hale Aloha of PCC. The event was opened by Samoan chiefly speeches.

Hosts of the night, PCC Director Delsa Moe and Samoan Village Chief Steve La’ulu, introduced 18 competitors older than 18 in the senior division from around the world, including Samoa, the Islands of Hawaii, other states in the United States, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Japan.

Moe and La’ulu introduced the 11 judges of the championships. They said the judges had sufficient knowledge and experiences in fireknife performance to decide the winners of the championships.

Traditional Samoan food was sold during the competition, so the audience could more fully enjoy Samoan culture.

As the night went late, seats were filled with guests of the PCC and local community members.

At the end of the first round of the competition, six out of 18 senior division competitors advanced to the semi-finals.

In the second night of the championships, competitors between 6 and 11 years old in the junior division and competitors between 12 and 17 years old in the intermediate division impressed audience members with their fireknife dances.

Audience members cheered for the children and youth, and Moe said the young competitors presented their courage and determination for fireknife performance at such young ages.

In the junior division, Isa’ako Milford from Laie won the first place in the competition. Mose Lilo from Ewa Beach was the second-place winner. Matagi Lilo from Ewa Beach took third place overall for the junior division competition.

In the intermediate division, Hale Motu’apuaka from Aiea repeated as the first-place winner. Jeralee Galeai from Laie, the only female competitor, won second place. Hunter Nery from Waialua was awarded third place.

Grace expressed his delight at seeing talented and hardworking youth in the competition. “We believe in the future,” he said, “we will have more and more amazing final champions.”

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Fireknife winners from top to bottom: Mikaele Oloa, Falaniko Penesa, Matuni Vaiaoga. Photos by Zachary Konecki

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Sports

in this section Assistant Coach Gabriel Roberts promoted to Head Coach for Men’s Basketball’s final year

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Women’s Tennis takes second place in NCAA Division II Championship

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Men’s Golf reach NCAA Division II Championships

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Sp or ts Although he will be coaching the final season of basketball, Gabriel Roberts said he is looking forward to the opportunity to end the athletics program on a high note. Photo by Kelsie Carlson

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Roberts to conclude BYUH men’s basketball legacy B Y E RI C H ACH E N B E RGE R

Gabriel Roberts, new head coach of the BYUHawaii Men’s Basketball team, will carry on the 27-year legacy of Coach Ken Wagner for the last year of the Athletics program at BYUH. Personal history and yearlong experience as assistant coach help him to lead the team in this crucial final season.

“I have always kept the hope that they will change their minds and we will have the Athletics program for longer,” said Roberts.

“But if that doesn’t happen, I just want to retain sports and have the best possible program we can have. We are going to try to have the best players and team we can have and do everything in our power to represent the school in a positive manner.”

The new Athletics Director, Brad Jones, said, “Coach Wagner has for 27 years created a tremendous Athletics program. Everything is a fine-tuned machine.” He stated this has made it easier for him to step in and carry on for one year through the transition because BYUH has such a healthy system.

“Knowing that it is the last year motivates me more because I really want to win a championship,” said Justin Park, a junior majoring in international cultural studies from Arizona, and who will continue to play the last season with the basketball team. “It is the last year we will be able to do this, and it motivates me to work and train harder also in the off season. I expect a lot of great things to happen. We have a lot of talent coming up. A lot of the players are really talented, have different skill sets that can help everybody out.”

Park said he has confidence and trust in his new coach. “Coach Roberts was the assistant coach so we know what he likes to

do. Now that he is the head coach, I am sure he wants to change some things around and do some new things. It will be an adjustment at first, but we like him as the assistant coach so it will be a great time having him as our head coach now. He is all about winning – that’s for sure.”

Wagner retired from BYUH due to the opportunity of coaching the national teams in Taiwan, said Roberts. “Because of the circumstances, he thought it would be a good idea to leave now and give me a year of experience as head coach because I have been his assistant for eight years.”

From a junior high coach and teacher with the dream of becoming a high school coach, Roberts came to BYUH first as a volunteer assistant. “I ended up getting along with the head coach, and he liked having me around so he ended up paying me part time and I stayed for five more years.”

After getting a graduate degree, he came back to BYUH and started working full-time as assistant coach.

Roberts referred to Elder David A. Bednar’s comparison of the different ways of receiving inspiration, where he emphasized the more common occurring pattern of “seeing a little bit in front of you to see the next steps.

[Elder Bednar] described it like a foggy day, where you can’t see a lot in front of you at all, but as you move forward in faith, then you see just enough to go past. That is the way it works for me. I never thought of coming out here and coaching. But I look back now and see several things lined up for me.”

Roberts said he doesn’t know if God’s plan is to have him coach and save the Athletics

program at the last minute or if it’s simply to help to get him to the next place. “But I have seen a purpose in my life where everything plays in for a reason,” he said.

The Athletics program under the hand of Jones will, despite the imminent end, continues to find new and better ways to serve players, students, and community. “The focus is the student athletes, to make it a tremendous opportunity and experience for them,” said Jones.

Another emphasis for this last year, according to Jones, will lie in honoring all who came before. “We are here and have been made great because of the other student athletes and coaches [who preceded us].”

Preliminary discussions on how to “carry on the legacy” have been made, said Jones. “It was a big part of BYUH and is something you don’t just sever and forget about.” The discussions have focused not only on the achievements in the games, but also on how the Athletics program “has helped the church to become more prominent in other areas. A lot of media comes to the school through the Athletics. We might reach out to the media and highlight those great athletes who have been here before.”

Park said, “We are hoping to get more of the community involved next year and to get more people to the games. We were talking about doing service in the community as a basketball team, to go out and serve our fellow members and students.”

Roberts concluded, “All we can do is put forth our best efforts. If the decision can’t be changed, then we at least do our part. It is like when you lose a match.You did everything you could and you just came up short.You can still be proud of your efforts and what you did.”

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Sp or ts From top to bottom: Jeong Min Jeon, Kanela Adamson, and Chiung-En “JoJo” Wu are on the Women’s Tennis team that won second place in the NCAA Championships. Photos by Monique Saenz

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Women’s tennis takes second place in close championship match B Y TE RE SA H WAN G

BYU-Hawaii women’s tennis team overcame the challenge of playing at a higher elevation in Denver, Colo., and took second place in the NCAA Division II Women’s Tennis Championships on May 21. The BYUH women’s tennis team returned from Denver the following day.

“It’s a little regretful. We had a chance to win the championship,” said Nannan “Dallas” Zhang, a junior from China majoring in accounting, “but the opponents were very strong for sure.”

The Seasiders fell short in a tight contest with Armstrong State.

“Armstrong State (32-1) has won the Championship seven times in the last nine years,” says a BYUH Sport Information press release. “The Seasiders (25-1) are 7-time national champions who have not taken home the top prize since 2007. It was the third meeting in the last five title matches between the two schools.”

BYUH men’s tennis player Wade F. Lee congratulated the team. “You guys won every single match except the last one. That was already excellent,” he said.

Before the team went to Denver, the players said playing tennis at the higher elevation in what is called the “Mile-High City,” would be challenging. “I don’t want to die in Denver,” Jeong Min, a junior from South Korea majoring in international cultural studies, jokingly said before they flew out from Hawaii.

According to Zhang, it turned out getting used to the terrain was not as difficult as they imagined. Zhang said the only difference was: “It was easier to get exhausted.”

She said the weather in Denver was very cold their first two days, but the weather warmed when the matches began.

Zhang said the team players were happy to stay in a Sheraton hotel downtown. “It was the best accommodation for a tournament ever in my three years.”

According to BYUH’s Sports Information press release on May 19, “Zhang continued her winning streaks to power No.1 BYU-Hawaii women’s tennis and defeated No.12 St. Mary’s (TX) 5-2 in the quarterfinals on Thursday at the Regency Athletic Complex.”

“No. 1 BYU-Hawaii women’s tennis held off a furious comeback to defeat No. 2 Saint Leo 5-3 in the semifinals on Friday at the Gates Tennis Center,” says a BYUH Sports Information press release the following day.

“Saint Leo was a very good team,” BYUH Head Coach Dave Porter said. “We played much better in doubles than the first two days and that was important in today’s match to get the 2-1 lead…” Porter said the team would need to do better to win the final, said the release.

But BYUH women’s tennis dropped a closely contested 5-3 match to defending champions No. 3 Armstrong State in the final championship on Saturday, May 21.

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Sp or ts Golfer Dalton Stanger practices on the beach at Turtle Bay. Photo by Hector Periquin

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Finishing on an upswing The Men’s Golf Team improves its ranking, taking 12th place in the NCAA championships B Y ZE P H M CK E E

The BYU-Hawaii Men’s Golf Team enjoyed one of its best seasons since the late 1980s, which concluded with the team going to the NCAA Division II championships in Denver, Colo., from May 17-21. The team tied for 12th place with Tiffin University, according to a BYUH Sports Information press release.

The head coach, Bob Owan, said he was very proud of his team’s performance this semester.

“Our main goal was to win the PacWest. We were in second place, and that’s great, but we qualified for the regional, which is one of the biggest things we wanted to do to get into post season play.”

Earlier in May, the team competed in the regional championships in New Mexico, making fifth place out of the 20 teams present, just enough to qualify the team for nationals. “We’re playing against Chico State, which won five times already this year, and our biggest obstacle was that regional [match], just hanging in there,” described Dalton Stanger, a sophomore from Utah studying psychology. “We qualified by one shot.”

This is Stanger’s first semester at BYUH, and according to him, improvement is the theme of the team’s season. “The team was ranked 130th when we got here. Now we’re up to 12th.”

Looking forward to the finals, many of the team members were apprehensive about what was to come. “I have a little anxiety,” remarked Inoka Ka-

hawaii, a senior form Laie studying interdisciplinary studies. “I’m excited to compete again and see how far we can go in the national championship. That’s really the goal every year once you start the season: to try to get there.”

Despite the individual nature of golf as a sport, the Seasiders make it very much a team effort. “We pick up on each other’s vibes when we play, and we always have each other’s backs when we’re out there,” commented Kahawaii. “We can compete with anybody. We’re fighters.”

Brent Grant, a sophomore from Hawaii majoring in marketing, noted that “Golf is interesting because it starts off as an individual sport. It’s pretty difficult to pinpoint one thing that the team does to hold itself together. In between rounds we are really supportive of each other; we are honest with each other about what the course is doing for us and what it isn’t.”

Playing golf for the school is a huge commitment, they say. “This semester we’ve travelled every other week, so we’ve been gone for 5-6 days at a time, then we’ll be home for 5-6 days at a time, and then we’ll leave again. This will be our eighth trip,” said Kahawaii.

Stanger said it is vital to maintain a positive attitude. “It’s really easy to get down on yourself out there, but the truth of it is that no one really cares.

Continued on page 50

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Sp or ts Golfers Brent Grant, left, and Dalton Stanger, right, just came back from the NCAA Division II Championships in Denver, Colo. Photo by Hector Periquin

Continued from page 49

If you make a bogey on one hole, you gotta come back and make a birdie on the next hole. Our team leads the field almost every tournament in birdies.”

In the concluding championships, BYUH Sports Information reported, “Herrera recorded birdies on three of the back nine to tie for 27th on the individual scoreboard with a final score of even par. Grant started the round with three consecutive birdies, but a doublebogey on hole eight slowed him down. His 2-over 218 was tied for 41st on the leaderboard.”

Throughout the semester, the team underwent extensive training and practice with Coaches Bob Owan and Ryan Acosta. “We’ve done some homework on the course already, and we kind of know what the course is asking for,” said Acosta about the championship course.

“I’m here to oversee their practice routines and help each player individually improve certain aspects of their games to be ready for the national championship.”

After celebrating one of their best seasons in years, the sports program will be closing down next year. To

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Coach Owan and much of the team, this comes across as rather disappointing. “It is what it is,” Owan said. “A lot of people are disappointed. I am somewhat disappointed, but I think that decisions have been made and we just gotta move on.”

Owan continued, “ We have one more year to plan and think about the team and what they are going to do.

I’m excited for the ending of this season and for next year too. We’ll finish out with a big bang, but I’ve accepted that we are going to close.”

BYUH’s sports program was an excellent way to spread awareness about the school and the church, according to Stanger. “I think the sports program is a great beacon to go out and reach communities that have never heard about BYUH. With golf especially, I talk the gospel with every guy that I play with, and they ask me questions. I’ve had some great opportunities as a BYUH player to share the gospel, and take the BYUH spirit into a bunch of communities that wouldn’t have it if it weren’t for the sports program.”

world

in this section “The Abolitionists� film exposes the international market of child sex slavery and how people have freed groups of children

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Access to electricity, education, income opportunities and health decreases poverty

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Homeowners in Hawaii are petitioning to limit vacation rentals so families can find affordable places to rent

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Operation Underground Railroad is a go A t e a m o f h i g h ly s p e c i a l i z e d e x - g ove r n m e n t o f f i c i a l s s e t o u t p u r g e t h e wo r l d o f c h i l d s e x u a l e x p l o i t a t i o n

BY A LEX MAL D O N AD O

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Tim Ballard with his team named Operation Underground Railroad travel the world in their movie “The Abolitionists” seeking to inform others about the commonality of child sex trafficking. Photo courtesy of “The Abolitionists”

ormer CIA Agent, Homeland Security Agent, and BYU in Provo graduate Tim Ballard has taken to the silver screen to show what he and his team of former Navy SEALs, Special Ops, and CIA operatives are doing to end human trafficking and child sex slavery. In his movie, “The Abolitionists,” Ballard brings audiences to the front lines of a well-hidden war affecting millions of people around the world every day. The feature follows Ballard and company as they go deep undercover in cities around the world to liberate children from the hands of their unlawful captors.

The movie’s launch website, www. theabolitionistsmovie.com, records how Ballard formed his team known as Operation Underground Railroad after a career of rescuing children from sexual exploitation both domestically and overseas for Homeland Security. The website says, “Despite the U.S. government’s best efforts, Tim observed that red tape and bureaucracy left many children falling through the cracks. These children constitute over 90% of the children lost to child sex slavery, and Tim could do nothing to help them while in the employment of the U.S. government.”

Sala McCarthy Stonex, a senior political science major from Laie, said, “I think the most inspiring thing is the fact that Tim was not only a special agent who took on such a rough job, but also left the cover of the U.S. government to go out and make an even bigger impact.”

Erica Greer, a sophomore exercise science major from Virginia, saw the movie and said one of the things she admired most about Continued on page 54

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Continued from page 53

Ballard and his team was how they always said a prayer before planning a mission or going into a deal. Though his faith is never directly referenced in “The Abolitionists” or on the O.U.R.’s website, www. ourrescue.org, his biography says he served a “church mission in Chile,” and is a BYU graduate.

In each of the on-screen operations, Ballard inserts himself directly into the buyer’s market to arrange meetings with as many underage sex workers as their traffickers will allow. Once all the children are present and the dealers have been paid, Ballard gives a signal and his team, accompanied by the local government, swarm in and bring the slave traders to justice.

Julia Anderson, a junior intercultural peacebuilding major from Utah, also saw the film and shared her thoughts: “It was so inspiring to see the great care that Operation Undercover Railroad has for these precious souls. They risked their lives to save these innocent children.”

Once freed, O.U.R. helps find a safe home for the former child slaves and continues to work with them to help them work through any trauma they have. Ballard believes “The rescue isn’t complete until the healing of the child happens.” Since O.U.R.’s founding in 2013, it has been directly responsible for the liberation of more than 500 sex slaves and has put more than 180 traffickers behind bars, according to www. ourrescue.org.

The film brings to light how common, especially among children, sex trafficking is in the world today. When O.U.R. visits Colombia in the film, child pornography is so commonplace, it can actually be bought on the street corner of a busy marketplace. Purchasing an evening with an underage girl there is as easy as going to the beach and asking around to find out who’s selling. When the team goes to Haiti to help a man track down his abducted son, they discover an orphanage where children who aren’t old enough to speak can be bought after about 15 minutes of talking to the caretaker. Anderson said, “I couldn’t believe how nonchalant the traffickers were.”

While O.U.R. is out traveling the world to liberate children from the hands of their slave-trading abductors, they have provided a way for 54

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members of the general public to use their time and resources to raise awareness of the issue. Anderson said, “After the movie, I looked into how I can help with the cause using my own talents. I submitted an application to volunteer with collecting humanitarian needs and aftercare.”

She continued, “Hopefully I’ll be able to work from home right now as part of the recruiting team, website management, fund raising, collecting humanitarian needs and educating people about the project.”

O.U.R.’s website shows several celebrities who have committed to join the movement, including popular electronic music producer, Kaskade, who went on record to say, “The day I became a father, it felt like a primal switch was flipped. There’s little I wouldn’t do to secure the safety of my own children. O.U.R.’s mission to do just that for children who have been involved in modern-day slavery speaks to that same feeling. This is a fight I can get behind.”

While O.U.R.’s movement is gaining popularity through social media and with the limited nationwide release of “The Abolitionists,” there is still a long way to go to fully abolish child sex slavery. The FBI reported sex slavery is “The fastest growing business of organized crime and the third-largest criminal enterprise in the world.”

Esther Candari, a junior art major from Kaneohe, said she has been following the topic for a few years and explained the growing prevalence of child sex slavery is due in part to pornography. She explained, “So many Westerners go to countries like that to engage in child trafficking because they got into porn and became desensitized.”

She added that in many cases, porn addicts no longer get excited by “normal” pornography and start exploring more “hardcore” genres until they eventually end up addicted to child pornography. Candari explained that after a while, the addicts “want the real thing” and go where they can get it.

To learn more about Operation Underground Railroad and how you can support the movement, visit www.ourrescue.org. “The Abolitionists” was only available for viewing on May 13 and 16 in select theaters. The times and locations of future showings can be found on www.theabolitionistsmovie.com.

ENDING POVERTY Wo r l d B a n k s h a r e s g l o b a l v i s i o n f o r 2 0 3 0 B Y TE RE SA H WAN G

PAGES 55 - 57 A boy sits on a roof in the Huruma area of Nairobi, Kenya on May 5 as Kenyan police search for a missing woman in a collapsed building. Photo by AP JU NE 2 0 1 6

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World

World Bank says improving access to education, health services and ability to work are vital “The World Bank estimates that 702 million people live in ‘extreme global poverty,’ which is defined as living on less than $1.90/day (USD),” according to www.onedayswages.org.

From 1990 to 2010, poverty rates fell by 52 percent, and child mortality rates decreased by 47 percent, according to www.usaid.gov.

During this period, it adds, around 2 billion people gained access to clean water.

Jim Yong Kim, World Bank group president, said the major reductions in poverty were due to investments in people’s education, health, and social safety nets in developing countries in recent years. Further reductions in poverty rates would come from evidence-based approaches to improve opportunities to earn income, education and health, according to www.worldbank.org.

“With these strategies in place, the world stands a vastly better chance of ending extreme poverty by 2030 and raising the life prospects of low-income families,” said Kim.

The U.N. Office for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) conducted a study identifying the significance of addressing structural vulnerability in developing countries. The point was highlighted by the outbreak of Eb56

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ola, which was concentrated in three least developed countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The U.N. study identifies gender inequality, institutional frameworks, infrastructure development and service delivery, along with external factors as the main determinants of extreme poverty reduction in LDCs, according to www.un.org.

“Actions by LDC development partners on trade, official development assistance and other forms of external finance, including foreign direct investment, and technology transfer and acquisition will determine progress in ending poverty to a large degree,” says a U.N. report.

ONE campaign, an international advocacy organization, highlighted 10 main issues affecting poverty: infectious diseases, agriculture, transparency, energy, development assistance, water and sanitation, debt cancellation, trade and investment, maternal and child health, and education. ONE groups believe these issues should be evaluated along with the progression of developing countries in order to further the efforts of resolving poverty.

The Borgen Project, an advocacy non-governmental organization, argued addressing global poverty is essential to U.S. economic growth. As people climb out of poverty, they participate more in the U.S. economy as consumers. One out of five U.S. jobs is export-based and 50 percent of U.S. exports go to developing nations, according to the Borgen Project website.

Foreign Policy Magazine describes the world’s poor as the largest

From 1990 to 2010, poverty rates fell by 52 percent and child mortality rates decreased by 47 percent, according to usaid.gov. Two girls from Nigeria are shown, where in 2010 BCC reported that 60.9 percent of people lived in “absolute poverty.” Photos by AP

untapped market on earth. Low-income households collectively possess

She pointed out people need to realize they are global citizens. most of the buying power in many developing countries. Businesses miss What happens around the world will eventually affect everyone, most of this market if they ignore the bottom of the economic pyramid.

Vigoren explained.

Research has shown that deteriorations in security correlate with poverty, According to www.renewableenergyworld.com, the Electrify Afand 500 million people live in countries at risk of becoming less peaceful, rica Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama on Feb. with 200 million of them already living below the poverty line, according 8. This act aims to direct U.S. government agencies to prioritize foreign to www.visionofhumanity.org. loans, providing technical support to generate and transmit power in

Rebecca Vigoren, a senior majoring in international cultural studies Sub-Saharan African countries. from Washington and president of the BYU-Hawaii ONE Student Associ- The ultimate goal of the Electrify Africa Act is to add at least ation, encourages people to support U.S. Foreign Aid, even if they don’t 20,000 megawatts of power, providing first-time electrical access for have very much money. Vigoren said middle-class citizens in America are at least 50 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2020, according to wealthier than 50 percent of the world population. www.renewableenergyworld.com

“We struggle to pay for higher education, but the people we are

In the Monduli district of Tanzania, 70 percent of Tanzanians live trying help in Sub-Saharan Africa cannot afford to go to kindergarten. in rural areas, reports USAID, and only one out of 10 have access to They can’t afford electricity for running water. They are dying for no acelectricity there. cess to healthcare,” said Vigoren.

Elizabeth Moringe, 20, from Esilalei Village in Tanzania, shared her

Vigoren said only 1 percent of the total $4 trillion U.S. budget, or gratitude for electrical access in her home with USAID officials. $40 billion, is for foreign aid. However, she said the aid already has had “I was very happy the day the computer came and I started at computer significant influence on addressing extreme poverty. school. The electricity is helping us solve many problems. We can store

“In economically unstable countries, extreme groups are able to milk in the fridge to keep it fresh. I am expecting my kids to go to school, easily gain control. By combating poverty, we are combating religious and when they come home they will be able to do homework because extremism, and we are combating groups like ISIS. It is the best way to they have light to study at night.” secure international safety,” said Vigoren.

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L i fe st y le

Average Price of Real Estate in Oahu

Source: hicentral.com

FOR RENT

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Vacation rental conundrum Money drives competition for limited housing on Oahu B Y AL E X M AL D O N AD O I L LU ST R AT I O N B Y H AI L E Y M O L I N A & M ACK E N ZI E M CL E O D

A group of BYU-Hawaii students and staff are working with the North Shore community to raise awareness about the illegal use of residential properties as vacation rental houses.

Rebekah Matagi Walker, of the BYUH International Cultural Studies Department, is especially active in the movement and explained, “At first glance, it’s a way for people to make their mortgage. What’s happening is it takes away residential space and turns it in to commerce space. It drives up prices of homes within our community because outside investors are willing to pay top dollar for what they see as a profitable investment.”

Her husband, history professor Isaiah Walker, continued, “Homeowners often think that if they pay taxes on their vacation rental, then it is legal. However, there are technically only six legal vacation rentals in the Laie area; so if your home is not one of the six permitted Laie properties, then it is illegal and subject to thousands of dollars in fines. Since violations have drastically increased over the last few years, the City and County is no longer turning a blind eye to this massive problem.”

In November of 2015, Kent Fonoimoana, from Sunset, shared a story in the Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board meeting about how vacation rentals negatively affected the street where a friend of his lived. In the gathering, Fonoimoana said how over time, the homes on his friend’s street gradually became empty. He said there were no more children playing on the road and his friend never saw his neighbors anymore. He finally realized all the houses on his street had slowly been converted into vacation rental properties.

Sam Wasson, a junior education major from Hauula, added, “You can see there are streets all over the place that used to be full of families, community people, working people. Now it’s just vacation rentals; tourists who come and go.”

The 2015 Hawaii Tourism Authority report cited a total of 4,411 vacation units being advertised online throughout Oahu, even though city data indicates the island had only 828 permitted vacation rentals as of November 2015. The report also revealed nearly 11 percent of the homes in Laie are used as vacation, while more than 20 percent of all available properties in Kahuku suffer the same fate.

Levi May, a senior ICS major from Wyoming who is part of the initiative, explained there are zoning laws in Hawaii that “say if you’re going to rent an apartment or house, it has to be for a full month. It’s against the law to rent anything [not zoned for vacation rentals] for two weeks or less. That law is to protect people looking for housing and helps make housing more available to them.”

May continued, “If all the available houses are being used for vacation rentals, there aren’t any places left to rent for [locals]. This

makes the prices go up for what is available and especially affects people who are low income and can’t find a good place to live for a fair price.”

The town of Kailua,on the far eastern side of Oahu, has been facing the same problem for just as long as the North Shore, but citizens have begun to take action and strike down the vacation rental conundrum plaguing its neighborhoods. Walker said there are community members in Kailua like herself and May who have spoken out to raise awareness of the growing issue. They are actively encouraging their fellow citizens to stop using their properties for vacation rentals and report any cases they know of to authorities for investigation.

Wasson is also actively trying to spread the word on the issue, but he wants others to understand most of the people using their properties as vacation rentals are not bad people. “They could be using their money to help put their kids through college or any other good cause, but they don’t realize they’re hurting their fellow community members and actually doing something illegal.”

BYUH has recently addressed the growing rental dilemma through a series of e-mails and meetings to inform staff members about the issue, according to BYUH University Communications Director Michael Johanson. “It is very important that we understand the laws, especially those that are changing, when they impact us.

The Housing Office is making a concentrated effort to educate those who are affected by these changing laws. That education will continue to be refined as more information is available as it relates to university employees,” Johanson wrote in an e-mail to BYUH faculty and staff.

Walker said one of the biggest obstacles the community will face trying to stop the pervasive vacation rentals is money. “In order to clear out these businesses, people are going to lose money and that scares them,” she said. “A lot of people buy homes knowing they can only afford it if they also use it for vacation rentals. If they no longer do the rentals, they can’t afford the home anymore.”

Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting told the investigative news site Civil Beat that it is looking to enact more aggressive measures to combat illegal rentals. This includes increasing the fines for short-term rentals from $1,000 to a maximum of $10,000 a day.

The department is also considering introducing a bill in the City Council that would require vacation rental operators to include information on their advertisements indicating that their rentals are legal, such as their operating certificate number or address, or face a penalty of $1,000 a day.

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A contestant shows his fireknife skills at the Polynesian Cultural Center’s yearly championship in May. Photo by Kelsie Carlsen