Ke Alaka'i- December 2017

D E C E M B E R 2 017 · Vo l u m e 118 : I s s u e 4

Pa g e 18 Th ea t re d e p a r t me n t pe rf orms Ja p a n e s e c h i l dre n’s pl ay

COV ER: Page 26 Re usable and life-s iz e Nativity f i rst of its kind o n c ampus

THE LEAD ER

Page 54 Graduatio n speaker Pi n g L i u s hares c o nversion st o ry

December 2017 • VOLUME 118 • ISSUE 4

ADVISOR Le e A n n Lam ber t MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS Patrick Campbell Antoniette Yee Gosuke Kawano

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kev i n Brown COPY EDITORS Danna Tokoara Savanna Bachelder Brooklyn Redd

Hannah Jones

VIDEOGRAPHERS

Jordan Cortez

A. Jared Leon

Courtney Bow Nielsen Emmalee Smith

Khoon An Kel sy Si m m ons

Jessica Leon Gonzalez

Al ex M al donado

Nathan Graham

ART & GRAPHICS

Hei Lam Lau

Lex i e Kapel i el a

Zeek Cheng

M oni ca Rubal cava

PHOTOGRAPHERS Ol iv i a Tsan A lvin Vi ncent Dy Mo n ica Rubal cava

Abi sh M oncur ART DIRECTOR Lor i n Vi l ayvong MANAGING EDITOR Josh M ason

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CONTACT

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ON THE COVER: Facilities Management creates nativity scene at request of President John Tanner. Read the story on Page 26.

o r t o v i e w a d d i t i o n a l a r t i c l e s , go t o ke a l a k a i . by u h . e d u

ABO UT US

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

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PH OTO SUBMISSIO N Sand, surf and a natural star - an autograph tree seed pod. Photo by Nikki Christansen

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

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

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DECEMBER 2017 • VOLUME 118 • ISSUE 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS CAMPUS LIFE

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Day in the life of Pacific Islands studies major Teiterake Toabo Kabwaua

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Food Fest unstopped by poor weather, clubs raise combined $25,000 through sales

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Recipes of dishes featured at Food Fest

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Great Ideas Competition gives out total of $24,000 in awards to entrepreneurs

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Theatre Department debuts first-ever BYUH Japanese play based on popular folk tale

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University chaplain explains decrease in non-member students after ending sports

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Campus Comment: What do you want for Christmas this year?

CHRISTMAS

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New nativity scene utilizes Polynesian design to make it first of its kind

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Tanners recite “Living Christ” as gift to BYUH students at lighting ceremony

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Keiki perform Christmas Lighting to “kickoff ” the holiday season

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CHURCH

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LDS Church to advance digital proselyting efforts for full-time missionaries

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Psychology majors analyze new mission interview questions

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New curriculum gives flexibility to Priesthood and Relief Society meetings

LIFESTYLE

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Spearfishing offers unique way to explore the ocean, say locals and students

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Recipe for traditional Chinese dessert: Sweet Sticky Rice Balls

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BYUH professor and students say whether emojis convey or betray emotions

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Students share how they recognize the good in themselves despite their insecurities

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Wives explain their journeys of not going on missions in order to get married

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TUESDAY University Chorale recital at McKay Auditorium from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

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FRIDAY Fall 2017 BYUH Graduation Commencement at CAC from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will be the featured guest speaker.

JANUARY 2-10

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FEATURE

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Burmese Mormon pioneer Yee Olive Mon shares conversion and mission story

WEDNESDAY First day of Winter 2018 Semester

Graduation speaker Ping Liu says mission was key to pursuing higher education

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Avid sailboater Landon Gold wants to help others experience passion of sailing

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DECEMBER

TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY New Student Experience holds activities

Make dating great again by going on fun, cheap dates

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WEDNESDAY Opening Social Dance from 9 p.m. to midnight at Aloha Center Ballroom.

Laie YSA stakes provide 372 tickets for BYU vs. UH football games DECEMB ER

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CALENDAR

December

Best places to go to celebrate the holidays outside of Laie on Oahu

CO M P I L E D B Y E M M AL E E SM I TH & K E V I N B RO W N

1-16 & 18-23 CHRISTMAS AT TH E HUKI LAU MARKETPLACE Christmas displays and nativity scenes, train rides for the keiki, live entertainment by award-winning Hawaiian artists, snow days and a visit from Santa. Check out hukilaumarketplace.com for more information.

2-31 HONOLULU CITY LIGHTS This year’s theme, “It’s a zoo out there,” marks the 33 rd annual display of lights and events at the Honolulu Hale in downtown.

Opening night festivities celebrate dazzling lights and displays, family friendly activities and fun at Frank F. Fasi Civic Center Grounds.

Official tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. Visit honolulucitylights.org for more information.

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3:30 p.m.

KUANA’S WI NTER WON DERLAN D Hawaiian musician, vocalist, songwriter, dancer and educator Kuana Torres Kahele appears at the Hawaii Theatre Center to usher in the holiday season. Visit hawaiitheatre.com for more information.

HAWAI I BOWL Post-season football is back on at the Aloha. Information can be found at thehawaiibowl.com.

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9:00 a.m.

WATERMAN SANTA AT TH E OUTRIGGER WAI KI KI BEACH

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5:30 p.m.-8:30 HAWAI I KAI CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE Go see boats decked out in Christmas lights and décor as they parade down the harbor’s waters.

More information can be found at hawaiikaimarina.com.

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11:55 p.m.

N EW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS

Happening at Waikiki Beach, the event starts at 11:55 p.m. with one firework being shot of Greeted by hula and mele (song) by every minute until midnight when children of the Halau Pua Kahale the big show starts. and available for free photos afterwards. Visit outrigger.com for more details.

15-17 CRAFT AN D GI FT FAIR Neal Blaisdell Exhibition. For more information, visit seasonsbestcraftfair.com.

campus life

in this section A day in the life of Pacific Islands studies major Teiterake Toabo Kabwaua

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Great Ideas Competition gives out $24,000 in awards to student and local entrepreneurs

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Food Fest unstopped by poor weather, clubs raise combined $25,000 through sales

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Theatre department debut first-ever performance of Japanese play

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Recipes of dishes featured at Food Fest

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University chaplain gives devotional on working with non-member students

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Students answer the question: What do you want for Christmas this year?

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Teiterake Toabo Kabwaua Pacific Islands Studies B Y AN TO N I E TTE YE E Kabwaua said a major in Pacific Islands studies not only covers different cultures, but also helps her to know where her ancestors come from. Photo

by Olivia Tsan

Teiterake Toabo Kabwaua, a senior from Kiribati, said she chose to be a Pacific Islands studies major so she can become an environmental activist in Oceania.

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What made you decide to study this major?

Number of people in the major

“I love how most of the cultures in the Pacific are similar.

In this major, I get to connect with the classes, and it’s easy for me to get along because I know my culture both in heart and mind.”

There are currently 31 students with a declared major in Pacific Island Studies and another 49 students with the declared minor, according to Marilee Ching, the Pacific Island Studies academic advising manager.

What makes your major unique?

Time spent in a day

“It’s easy for me to express myself more, because I can relate things to myself in most of the discussions.” Aside from the Pacific, Kabwaua said Pacific Islands studies also covers other cultures and they “discuss where our ancestors came from.”

What do you want to do with it?

Kabwaua said she hopes to attend graduate school and be an activist. “With my knowledge, I want to inform people about climate change. Most people know about climate change, but they don’t know about the ways to improve our environment through modern technology. I want to share my knowledge.”

“I know a lot about the Pacific Islands, so I don’t usually spend too much time studying. But I mostly spend 2-3 hours to prepare for class presentations. Most of the readings in class are familiar to me because I took Pacific Islands classes when I was in high school.”

cons

She shared how class discussions get kind of awkward when there are Western people around. “They don’t really know the issues between the United States and the Pacific Islands. Most islands in the Pacific were used to test a bomb or to dispose waste.

It’s hard for me because whenever I try to voice out my thoughts, they would defend the U.S.”

She added it’s hard to get in the Pacific Islands with her major. “You have to get a master’s because a lot of people are doing it and there’s a lot of competition.”

Favorite class

Kabwaua said Brother Hiagi Wesley’s classes are her favorite.

“My favorite class is PAIS 480R, a senior level class. In this class, we talk about the environment in the Pacific.The islands may be different, but they have common environmental issues.When I took it, we were just six in the class. So, it was easy to throw a joke because everyone understands it. Instead of beating around the bush or staring at each other, we’re always on the same page.”

Pros

Kabwaua said one of the pros is the freedom to express yourself and it is easy to relate during class discussions especially for islanders. “It’s easy for me because I took classes in high school.”

Describe a typical day

“I’ve been taking Brother Wesley’s class and it is always exciting because a typical day involves presentations, Brother Wesley bringing food to class, and him teasing the island kids.”

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A celebration of

diversity

Rain couldn’t stop students and local community members from coming out to share culture and good food.

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Student clubs advertise their food and show off their finished products. Photos by Olivia Tsan

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ood music, smells from around the world, and rain filled the air as students and local residents came together for Food Fest. On Saturday, Nov. 11, students and the local community relished in diversity and celebrated good food, while recognizing the ability of food to unite and bring together different cultures.

“Food Fest is like the Disneyland of food.

Where else can you go and get homemade food from cultures around the world all in one place?” said Kailey Trussel, a senior in psychology from Washington.

Trussel explained how food has great value in an individual’s life. Not only on a physical level, but also in its ability to connect people. “I appreciate its ability to bring people together in a way that words cannot.

Food is a universal language, and I speak it fluently.”

BYU-Hawaii clubs and associations came together to share their cultures through food with

local community members and BYUH students.

Event Supervisor Kehaulani Maruhi, a senior in social work from Tahiti, explained how the event supervisors worked hard to involve all the clubs on campus by having them help set up the event, help out in the kitchen, or by helping to clean up.

This year Food Fest featured 22 different culture clubs that represent countries from Asia and the Pacific Islands. Patrons were able to enjoy adobo from the Philippines, dumplings from Mongolia, and sua fi from Samoa as well as many other diverse dishes.

Also featured was Sacred Fish, a local band comprised of a father and his children who regularly perform at the Polynesia Cultural Center marketplace. There was also a bounce house and obstacle course set up for the children to enjoy.

Every year, each club puts in days of hard work and preparation into Food Fest to raise money for their clubs, according to Tseegii Dugar, a sophomore Continues on Page 13 DECEM B ER

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Continued from Page 11

I appreciate its ability to bring people together in a way that words cannot. Food is a universal language and I speak it fluently.

Kailey Trussel Scan this QR code to view Kelsy Simmon’s video of Food Fest!

in political science from Mongolia and vice president of the Mongolian club. “We worked so hard all Friday night and Saturday morning to prepare the food we would sell. It was worth it. We sold over 1,500 dumplings and nearly tripled the money we spent on supplies.”

Despite continuous rain that ended the event an hour earlier than planned, Food Fest raised $25,464 for BYUH clubs, only $1,000 less than the previous Food Fest, according to the Student Leadership & Activities Accounting Office. Maruhi expressed her gratitude for those who came out in the rain, because without the support of students and community members the clubs would not be able to raise enough money for Culture Night or other activities.

Grace Everton, a sophomore in biomedicine from California, explained how increased regulations to keep the food clean and healthy for everyone to consume made it more difficult for clubs to participate in Food Fest but despite the challenges there was still a “great turn out.”

Dugar expressed her love for the Food Fest experience, where different cultures and “amazing foods” were all brought together in a small space.

“The food is amazing. My favorite was the Healthcare Professionals Club acai bowls. They were filled with healthy ingredients and fresh fruit.”

Dana Usavitch, a sophomore in math education from Arizona, said she was in awe at the ability Food Fest has to teach individuals about different cultures. “Food Fest is incredible because so much of the culture of an individual is defined by food and dancing, so food is a huge part about learning about another’s culture. It was really cool to be able to sample a little bit of everybody’s culture through their food.”

Amanda Hee, a senior in psychology from Maui, explained, “This is my first and last Food Fest. It’s so sad. I have always known about Culture Night, but never too much about Food Fest. I wish I would have known and been coming all these years. The New Zealand Chapter dessert chocolate pudding cake was to die for.”

Emma Mccullough, a BYUH alumni and local resident of Oahu, said, “We do not miss Food Fest.

We are 2015 alumni and we come back every single year. Now we have a family and we have to show the kids what BYU-Hawaii culture is all about.” •

Left: The South Korean Club wears cultural clothing while holding the South Korean flag. The Malaysian Club barbecue chicken satay along with Indonesia, Taiwan and 19 other clubs that participated this year. Photos by Olivia Tsan DECEMB ER

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Recipes

from around the world COM PI L E D B Y H E L AM L AU

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NAVAJO TACOS Native American Club

According to the club, they said they don’t use specific measurements, but will eyeball everything instead.

Ingredients Bread: Flour Baking powder Salt Warm water Filling: Frozen chili blocks Ground beef Pinto beans Toppings: Shredded cheese Sliced olives Shredded lettuce Diced tomato Diced onion Salsa Sour cream Directions 1. Mix flour and baking powder with warm water until it becomes a dough ball.

2. Sit the dough for at least 30 minutes. Longer is better.

3. Take small balls of the dough and flap them into bread. Be careful not to have holes in your flapped dough.

4. Fry it in oil until one side turns into golden brown. Flip the bread and fry the other side.

5. Cook ground beef until brown. Add them to a pot with the chili blocks,and beans.

6. Add water and cook them together.

7. Put beans onto the fry bread, and add the toppings you want.

GYUDON BEEF BOWL RECIPE

Japanese Club Ingredients 1/2 Onion 1 Green onion 1/2 cup dashi (fish broth) 2 Tbsp mirin (sweet cooking alcohol) 1 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp soy sauce 3/4 Lb thinly sliced beef Directions 1. If you cannot find sliced beef, freeze your beef for 1-2 hours and cut them into bite-sized pieces.

2. Slice the onion and chop the green onion.

Set aside.

3. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add dashi, mirin, and soy sauce.

4. Cover the lid and bring the sauce to a boil.

Add onions, cover, and cook until tender.

5. Add beef and cook until brown.

6. Serve the meat and sauce over steamed rice.

7. Top with green onions and enjoy!

LUAU (Taro leaf with lamb) Samoan Club

Ingredients Cooked lamb Luau leaf Onions Salt Desired spices Directions 1. Chop the lamb into smaller pieces.

2. Chop the luau leaf as well.

3. Equally spread the meat in a foil pan.

4. Add onions, salt, and spices to give it flavor, 5. Spread luau leaves on the meat and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Keep checking to make sure that it will not burn.

KOKO SAMOA(Hot chocolate drink) Koko Samoa can be bought from the Polynesian food store in Hauula, which is just across from Tamuras. It’s also found at Cackle Fresh for $10.

Ingredients Koko Samoa Sugar Water Directions 1. Fill the pot half-way.

2. Add Koko Samoa and let it boil for 20-30 minutes.

3. Add sugar and it’s ready to serve

OTAI

Tongan Club Ingredients 1 Watermelon 2 mangos 1 pineapple Sugar Coconut milk Water Directions 1. Use half of one watermelon or a whole one to make more.

2. Scrape the watermelon into a bowl. Add a mango or two, with pineapple for more flavor.

3. Stir it all together.

4. Add two small cups of sugar or more depending on the amount. It also depends how sweet you want it.

5. Let the mixture sit, while you prepare the water and coconut milk.

6. Pour in water to double the mixture,You don’t want the otai to be too watery or concentrated.

7. Stir it all up.

8. Chill for about an hour, then serve.

Top left: Members of the Mongolian Club, top right, and the Hong Kong Club, prepare and serve food during Food Fest. Photos by Olivia Tsan DECEMB ER

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Great Ideas Competition

BYU-Hawaii community members and students present their solutions to problems, and judges share their advice for success B Y: E M M AL EE SM I TH AN D JO RDAN CO RTE Z

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YU-Hawaii student finalists for the Great Ideas competition presented their vision for domestic, international, social and community problems and said the competition was hard, but rewarding.

The competition occurred on Thursday, Nov. 16 and awards were given in each category. First-place winners received $3,000, second place received $2,000 and third place received $1,000.

To determine which of the 24 participants would win the cash prizes, the university brought in four people who have had success in their businesses and entrepreneurial pursuits.

DOMESTIC

First place went to Lua Creations, a necktie brand started by Jackson Measles, a junior from Utah studying communications. He said he created handmade neckties as a hobby and turned it into a business after he received a lot of requests. During his presentation, he said his brand is focused on surfing action and sports culture.

Second place was Van Life in Paradise, a van rental company started by Bryce Coleman, a junior studying peacebuilding from Arizona.

His plan was to renovate Volkswagens into mobile homes for visitors when they travel. Coleman’s current Volkswagen has a kitchen with a refrigerator, two beds, a shower and space for surfboards and snorkeling gear.

In third place was ‘GLDR Handplanes,’ a hand board used while surfing to glide along the side of the wave. The creators, Jack Soren and Patrick Calderon, said it allows anyone at any skill level to surf down a barrel. The board

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is made out of broken and old boards to reduce waste and increase affordability with entrylevel boards starting at $100.

Munkh-Od Altansukh, it is a website to allows users access to any English educational video at a monthly subscription fee.

INTERNATIONAL There were four winners in this category, as third place was awarded to two competitors this year. The announcer said the judges donated more money to make the fourth award possible.

Shaker mints, on-the-go mints to clean protein shakers, came in first place. Julliet Liafau said she thought of the idea to save time and keep shakers clean with natural, non-toxic mints.

In second place came Bellflower, an online wedding dress website that allows brides to personalize their wedding dress in an affordable way. Sharon Yeap, a freshman majoring in biochemistry from Malaysia, said she created this website to reduce wedding dress prices. “I made my wedding dresses only half the cost of a regular dress, while still being exactly what you picture.”

One of the third place winners was the Cultural Discovery Center of Mongolia,

by Nasanbold Sukhbaatar and Tuvshinjargal Lkhagvadorj. This is an idea for a center near the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, where five of Mongolia’s cultural nomadic tribes would be brought together in one place for visitors to see. According to Lkhagvadorj, this idea will allow easier and faster access to cultures in the countryside.

The other third place winner, Cloud College, was also geared toward Mongolians.

Created by Bayarsaikhan Amarjargal and

SOCIAL

Symbiotic Solutions came in first place and aims to solve the problem of food shortages and unemployment. The non-profit organization creator, Devin Hampton, said its solution is having fathers and sons come home and build their own chicken businesses. Food for the chickens will be provided by family’s or community’s food waste to black soldier fly larvae.

Beristain Clothing came in second place.

Carolina Cruz and Genesis Chavez said they created this unique and traditional brand of clothing to provide jobs for less-educated and poverty-stricken Mexican women.

In third place came Daisi, created by Sei Kuwahara and Tomomasa Ono. Daisi is a biogas digestor, which processes human waste into compost. Kuwahara, a freshman studying business management from Japan, said this invention is perfect for third-world countries that suffer from sanitation problems or countries like the United States that produce a lot of food waste.

COMMUNITY

First place winner was Oahu Indoor Swap Meet, a more comfortable solution to the outdoor swap meet, according to creator Martha Christensen. It includes air conditioning, a close bathroom and will be open six days a week. Christensen thought of this idea to provide cover from rain, wind and the heat usually experienced at the swap meet.

From left to right: Jay Bliss, Jackson Measles, Rickey Butler, Clarke Miyasaki, Jean Brown. Photo by Alvin Dy

The T-shirt brand Daily Mormon, created

by Josh Mason, an alumni from Oklahoma, came in second place. Daily Mormon sells “shirts to convert,” with Book of Mormon verses and favorite scripture verses on them.

Selling through Amazon, he said the company will also include Mormon quotes and is currently developing options for requests with verses not already available.

In third place was Crowdsourced Sales Team. This company’s business was started by Kevin Knudsen and aims to find customers the best products and visa versa. The company gets a commission from the sale once it is finalized. They are currently developing an app and focusing on digital design, photography, and the service industry.

INSIGHTS FROM THE JUDGES

When asked about what makes an idea great, Jason (Jay) Bliss, a diverse angel investor and founder of other healthcare organizations, said, “It has to be something that is going to change lives.”

Bliss said he has been a part of many companies that have made a lot of money but

haven’t changed people’s lives. “I only invest in businesses that can improve the lives of the customer and those who engage them.”

Clarke Miyasaki, the executive vice president of business development for Stance Socks, said, “Great ideas are ones that are simple, don’t try to boil the whole ocean.”

Jean Brown, founder of Jean Brown Research and former Entrepreneur in Residence at BYU-Hawaii, said of the participants, “You have international students that do a fabulous job with the language barrier.You also have students that have a million things to do and some were willing to do their homework.”

Ricky Butler, founder of Plaid Social Labs and current VP of Corbis, also judged the competition a couple years ago. “I thought there were a couple ideas that were groundbreaking, and I can say a lot has improved. A lot of the ideas were really strong this year with the students.”

The four judges were also asked what advice they would leave with BYUH students.

Bliss said, “My biggest contributor in my life, to all my successes … is the fact I chose the best partner ever, and that is my spouse.”

Brown said, “I think there’s a plan for people, something they need to accomplish and they need to find it. They need to find their own vision of what it is they want to be, not what everyone else wants them to do or be … and work like crazy for it. God will help you do it. Every time I thought I could do it on my own, I was cut to my knees.”

Butler said, “I would suggest surrounding yourself with people who balance out your weaknesses. Where I have had success is when I’ve focused on my weaknesses.

“I knew exactly what I couldn’t do. Once I finally swallowed my pride … and allowed other people to fill in those gaps, my business really started growing. Once I built up a team, my business exploded and became the biggest company in the world, helping brands work with online celebrities and influencers.”

Miyasaki said, “I love the concept of ‘nail it and scale it.’ Great ideas can become actual products by nailing something simple ... and proving that it works in a small subset or group.” •

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The Honorable

Urashima Taro First-ever Japanese play featured Japanese cast members who shared their culture and language through the beloved children’s story

BY COU RTN EY B OW

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YU-Hawaii Music and Theatre Department presented the Japanese children’s play, “The Honorable Urashima Taro” that showcased the Japanese culture for the first time on BYUH stage.

The play was on Nov. 9 and one of the cast members, Rachel Haruka Van Vleet, a freshman from California studying communications, said they tried to make it “as authentic as possible.”

She said, “We have lots of Japanese cast members...and some of our lines were translated into Japanese to add more

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authenticity too, which was a lot of fun.”

Director Kristl Densley explained in her director’s note that she had a two-fold mission to produce a play for children and families, and include members of the BYUH student body that hadn’t had their culture represented on the university’s stage before.

“Urashima Taro is a well-known story in Japan,” said Densley. “Children grow up learning the story of Urashima Taro. In choosing this story it has provided us with a wonderful opportunity for our students to perform for the families and children in our

community. The Japanese students in our production shared their culture and language with us as we adapted this beloved story for our BYUH stage.”

Densley said, “The majority of our cast is of Japanese descent. It has been wonderful watching them share their experiences. They have helped some students discover their heritage that they have little knowledge of and kept me in line as I attempted to make choices that ‘wouldn’t happen in Japan.’ What a delightful way to learn.”

Van Vleet said she’s half Japanese and grew up in a mixed culture home. “I knew a lot to begin with, but I also learned a lot with this play being with Japanese students.”

Densley said she drew inspiration from Japanese theatrical movement practitioner Tadshi Suzuki. The cast spent hours using Japanese movement styles to create the world of the play.

“He crafted a series of walks and marches that require full physical commitment,” Densley said. “While training in this style, you are able to find freedom within the rigidity of the movement form. We used elements of this training as inspiration during rehearsal, utilizing many of them in the final product.You will notice many things pulled from Karate.”

Audience member Ping Liu, a senior from China studying TESOL, said she found inspiration in the message behind “The Honorable Urashima Taro.” She said she appreciated the culture represented in the production and was able to draw connections to the gospel.

“In China and Japan, the music is very similar and so I liked how the music in the play was very Asian style,” Liu said.

“I liked it a lot. I felt like they were really able to bring the audience into the culture to make them feel like they’re in Japan. It also makes me think about the gospel and our purpose here on earth. The end is a very meaningful part for us. It’s the highlight.”

Mari Kojima, a freshman from Japan studying intercultural peacebuilding, played the role of Michiko in the play. She said, “I used to be in a drama club back in Japan, so I was very excited about doing a play again.

“When I was a little girl back in Japan I used to think Japan was a nerd country. I didn’t know why, but I just felt like it was not cool to be Japanese. But now, I think my culture is super cool!”

Kojima said the play reminded her of her home country of Japan and the customs and traditions she grew up with. While diving into

Japanese culture came easy, she said the hardest part of the performance was reciting it all in English.

“Acting in Japanese and English aren’t the same. The hard part of acting in English was that I had to say all of the English words to my scene partners as my ‘true words.’ The rehearsals ... helped me digest all of the English words in my mind.”

Sam Tobon, a freshman from Colombia studying peacebuilding, said the cast members began running through the play right after they received their roles, of which he played the turtle.

“At first I thought of Master Oogway from the movie “Kung Fu Panda” as my inspiration and looked at some of his scenes, but they didn’t really fit. So I felt it was better if I just worked around as an assistant to the princess.

“I also watched a lot of sea turtle videos, like how they swam underwater, how they walked on land, how they moved their feet and even how they angled their head.”

Tobon said one thing that set this play apart from others was the implementation of marching by cast members in the play. “There are several scenes where repetitive music was played that had a very clear beat. Professor

Densley taught us marching styles that she had learned herself.”

He said the marching was evident in the scene where the soldiers were going to fight to see the scorpion.

Tobon also said there was “an air of familiarity” for the play for most of the cast when they practiced and performed their roles, which helped take out some stress.

“Sometimes during practice breaks we would play songs that everyone knew and we just had a good time. We had an amazing team to work with. Everybody was fully committed to doing their best and putting up a good show.

That’s what made it special and something to look forward to every day.” •

“In choosing this story it has provided us with a wonderful opportunity for our students to perform for the families and children in our community.”

Kristl Densley

The majority of the cast were of Japanese descent and were able to discover their heritage, according to Director Kristl Densley.

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How students can ‘Go Forth to Serve’ Current BYUH chaplain and former Hong Kong Mission president, gives students four steps on how to become successful B Y JORDA N CORT E Z

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Elder Charles Goo spoke at Nov. 7 devotional and shared with students four steps on living by the BYUH motto, “enter to learn and go forth to serve.” Photo by Monique Saenz

ith the goal of sharing a message and vision for students was to go forth and serve all over the world, Elder Charles Goo, spoke at the BYUH Devotional on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Goo said, “You are special and belong to this chosen generation.You will be the future leaders of the church worldwide. God has brought you to this school to prepare.

‘Enter to learn, go forth to serve.’

“Someday, when you leave this campus, I hope you don’t just take a degree, but specific experiences of service and leadership that you can take with you, and spread throughout the world.”

Goo is also the chaplain on campus, he said, and as chaplain, his main purpose is to help the non-members who want to attend BYUH, or are already attending, know the school’s expectations.

With the Athletics program ending last year, Goo said the number of non-members attending BYUH has decreased from 60 students to about 30.

“The school wants to ensure that they understand the Honor Code and are okay with keeping it,” said Goo. “To help, I conduct interviews with applying students. Some applicants have two interviews, one with their geographical bishop back home, and then one with me.”

For Goo, his role as chaplain is not his first major church calling. He previously served as a stake president in Laie, mission president in the Hong Kong China Mission, and temple president for the Hong Kong Temple.

Lok Him Rhine Woo, a junior studying applied mathematics from Hong Kong who knew Elder Goo, said, “President Goo is one of the pioneers for the people in Hong Kong. He is a servant of the Lord who helped build up Zion there.”

When speaking of the ‘Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve’ sign at the entrance of the school, Goo said, “The Lord did not put it there for looks, but as a reminder of our responsibility.”

Goo left students with four ways to prepare to ‘go forth to serve.’ He said his original plan was to share 12 ways, “but my wife kindly told me that was too many, so I cut it down to four.”

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His four ideas his shared at devotional to prepare students to go out and serve included: • Temple Attendance • Take Advantage of the Education here at BYUH • Young Men, Serve a Mission • Find Opportunities to Serve Others

Goo said any major decision he made as a stake president, mission president, or temple president was always made with regular temple attendance. “Being in the temple always reminds me of my eternal perspective and helps me make decisions.”

According to Goo, education not only helps when looking for a promotion, but it also helps to “develop skills, broaden horizons and think outside the box.” His advice is to spend two hours outside of class, for every hour spent in class that week.

Goo also pleads with young men who have not yet served a mission to begin planning now to serve. It was as

a young missionary in Hong Kong that he made the lifelong commitment to always be a consecrated member of the church and accept any calling that came his way.

This commitment came after seeing many homeless, helpless people in Hong Kong and after his mission president helped him see how he could help. His president shared Doctrine and Covenants 82:3, “For of him unto whom much is given much is required.”

Goo said, “My mission set forth the foundation for the rest of my life and has blessed me in all my callings.”

Goo also stated that finding opportunities to serve others can be simple and impactful. He said it starts with praying for the Spirit to guide you to those in need and following the subtle promptings that come.

Bryce Coleman, a sophomore studying international cultural studies from Arizona, said, “Elder Goo’s devotional was one of my favorites because he was so missionary oriented. I loved it.” •

Elder Goo (middle), stands with family members and friends after the devotional. Photo by Monique Saenz

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TIMELINE OF CHARLES GOO’S LIFE & SERVICE

1945

1965-1968

1970

1970-1973

1973

1981-1986

1986-1989

1989-2007

1997-2005

2005-2007 2007-2010 2014-2016

2017

Born in Honolulu Hawaii. Raised in Laie since 1954.

Served in Southern Far East Mission, Hong Kong Headquarters, Cantonese Speaking.

Graduated from BYU at Provo with a degree in Statistics.

First Lieutenant in Army assigned to the finance office in Germany.

Began at BYU-Hawaii in Registrar’s Office Assistant Dean of Students (admissions, financial aid, registrar).

• Earned Doctorate of Educational Administration in 1982.

Mission President for Hong Kong China Mission Associate Dean of Student Life (career service, international student services, counseling services).

Honolulu Hawaii Mission Presidency • Served under 4 Presidents - Dee F. Andersen, H. Ross Workman, Mark Hinckley Willes and Ronald K. Hawkins •1991-1997 Stake President of BYU First Stake.

High Council of Laie Hawaii North Stake.

Hong Kong Temple President.

Senior couple in New York, New York North Mission for the China Town Ward as member and leadership support.

Now serves as BYU-Hawaii Chaplain.

Elder Charles Goo served as the mission and also temple president in Hong Kong, and is the current BYUH chaplain. Photos by Monique Saenz and Olivia Tsan

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Campus Comment

What do you want for Christmas this year?

BY ANTONIETTE YEE

son Chang Ja

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“To find my true love.”

“I want to extend service to others and give love on Christmas day.”

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“I want to receive my mission call.”

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P ,B i oc h e m i s tr y, “Junk Food”

Illustration by Olivia Tsan

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Christmas

in this section Nativity scene in little circle features Polynesian weaving, first of its kind

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Tanners recite “Living Christ” as gift to BYUH students at annual Christmas lighting ceremony

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Laie Elementary keiki perform annual Christmas Lighting to “kickoff ” the holiday season

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CA M P US LIF E

The new

Nativity Scene Polynesian weaving and special dimensions make the new Nativity at BYUH the first of its kind B Y JO RDAN CO RTE Z

President Tanner says the Nativity centralized in the Flag Circle reminds people to worship the Savior this season. Photo by Alvin Vincent Dy

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he Nativity scene in the Flag Circle is the first reusable and life-size nativity in BYUH history, according to Facilities Management. The materials and design used are completely inspired by Polynesian culture. John Tanner, president of BYUH, said, “We are delighted to add a larger-than-life Nativity to the campus this year. The Nativity places Christ, the Light of the World, amid the campus lights, reminding us of the reason we celebrate Christmas.

“We have placed it in the Flag Circle. I like to think of this as a reminder that Christ is the Lord of all nations.

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People from every country and clime are invited to follow the star to the Savior and join with the shepherds and wise men in worshipping Him,” Tanner said.

Iafeta Sao, the operations manager of Facilities Management, said the school used to have Nativity scenes long ago, but they were always cheap and disposable. This is the first high-quality manger that is designed to be used, stored and reused for the foreseeable future.

The Nativity scene has coconut leaves weaved around, inside and on top of the manger. The idea originated from Sao, who was born and raised on the island of Samoa. He

gathered some students and employees to help weave the entire manger and give it an “island” feel.

“The manger is all Polynesian. We got coconut leaves from around campus and decided to weave those around the manger. Mostly it was all newly weaved coconut leaves.

Some older weavings were even donated for us to use.

“Weaving is part of our life back home. It is what we do on a daily basis. Growing up, it is a daily activity. It’s what we do.”

Many of Sao’s coworkers jokingly referred to Sao as “the master weaver” and said he has “still got the talent.”

Tony Mikaele, supervisor of Facilities Management who has lived in both Hawaii and Samoa his whole life, said, “Those are the things you learn being on the island. Back in the day that’s what the people would use for their homes and roofs.”

Mikaele said even though he has become a little rusty at weaving, Sao helped him and several others remember the skill. All of the coconut leaves that were used for the manger were gathered from around BYUH and PCC.

When Mikaele was asked if he had to climb the trees to gather the leaves himself, he chuckled and replied, “We love to climb, but there is a safety concern now, so we used a pole-saw. It’s a lot easier.

We stand there and cut it down, and it takes less energy. Climbing takes a lot of energy.”

According to Jaddy Toelupe, the lead maintenance technician and carpenter for Facilities Management, the manger was all created by the BYUH Carpentry shop. Carpentry was asked to make the manger storable, moveable and high quality.

Toelupe stated the original dimensions were small in comparison to the huge sculptures that were being shipped from Utah, so adjustments were made to make the sizings match.

The Carpentry Department made other adjustments as well to keep the manger realistic, said Jake Fullmer, a carpenter for Facilities Management. “Originally, the roof of the manger was going to be steep. If it was too steep, it would have looked like a house. The way it came out is really nice.”

According to Toelupe, the sides of the manger stand 8 feet tall with a slight rise at the center, 8 feet deep and 12 feet wide. The entire manger is made up of about 14 smaller segments that can each be taken apart and stored.

As for the sculptures, the largest is the two wisemen sculpture standing at 88 inches tall and weighing 270 pounds. The smallest sculpture on the scene is the ram, sitting at 24 inches tall and weighing 85 pounds. The Holy Family, which includes Mary, Joseph and Christ, stands at 60 inches tall and weighs 230 pounds.

According to Fullmer, the process of bringing the Nativity scene from the Carpentry shop, located right behind the Old Gymnasium, to the Flag Circle took four hours. The sculptures themselves were transported by large moving cranes.

Instead of hay to lay on the floor of the manger and around the sculptures, the Facilities Management team decided to use California grass that was taken from behind the school. Sao said they tried looking for someone who sold hay, but could not find anyone.

He stated he was very pleased with how the California grass looks.

The placement of the Nativity scene serves many purposes, according to Sao. People who want to see the Nativity up close can do so from their cars and drive around the Flag Circle.

“If people come from the entrance to the school, they look right into the Savior, Mary and Joseph. President Tanner is into focusing on the Savior. His focus is always on the Savior,” said Sao.

Sao’s hope is that each year there will be additions to the Nativity scene and school lightings. He hopes to involve more students in the set-up process. He mentioned organizing with the Samoan and Tongan clubs to help with the coconut weavings.

Toelupe noted something special about this manger. “If you step back, you can see the star from the school building right above the manger. It matches right above it.” •

“If people come from the entrance to the school, they look right into the Savior, Mary and Joseph.

President Tanner is into focusing on the Savior.

His focus is always on the Savior.”

Lafeta Sao

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Christmas

A round the World Tanners recite memorized ‘Living Christ’ as gift to BYUH at lighting ceremony B Y CO U RTN E Y B O W N I E L SE N

C

ommunity members joined together with BYUHawaii students and faculty for a Christmas lighting ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 26 in the Flag Circle. The lighting ceremony started with a song and prayer followed by a countdown by President John Tanner for the Christmas lights to turn on.

During the program, President and Sister Susan Tanner shared their thoughts on the Savior and his birth. President Tanner explained how they’d been thinking about what to give to the students of BYUH and decided on memorizing “The Living Christ,” which they recited together word for word.

Madeline Bayshore, a junior from Utah studying biomedicine, said she thought this set a good example for BYUH students.

“I liked that they recited ‘The Living Christ together,’” Bayshore said. “I think that’s a great idea. I mean, if you’re going to do something for Christmas, then I think ‘The Living Christ’ is a great opportunity to bring yourself closer to Christ. It can’t do anything but benefit you, so when you have it memorized you can refer back to it.”

The program included Christmas musical numbers from the Chinese, Fijian, and Samoan clubs.

Afatasi Afualo, a sophomore from Samoa studying political science, said he enjoyed singing with the Samoan chapter and participating in the ceremony for the first time.

“The lyrics talk about the birth of the Savior and what’s

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going on before his birth as well as during his time on Earth,” Afualo said. “I thought it brought the spirit of Christmas as we celebrate the birth of the Savior.’

Although Afualo said his club didn’t have much time to practice, they were all familiar with the Christmas songs they sang back home in Samoa.

“I know it was a little short, but I wish they gave us more time. I wish they invited more clubs to participate, but there were a lot of people here tonight and I enjoyed singing in front of them.”

Bayshore said she came, “because my boyfriend sang for the Samoan Chapter. I wish the speakers were louder so you could hear more of it, but I was really impressed by Fiji and Samoa. I think Samoa was my favorite, but I’m pretty biased. I was really impressed by Fiji. Their soloist did such a good job.”

Macey Raymond, a junior from Arizona studying communications, also had a hard time hearing the speakers but said she and her husband still enjoyed it.

“We arrived just a little after it began and were a little bit in the back,” Raymond said. “Even though we weren’t far from the front, we couldn’t see or hear anything. We had no idea what was going on, but the idea of it was nice and it was fun to be around fellow students.”

Bayshore concluded, “I’d always heard about the Christmas lighting ceremony, but I’d never seen it for myself. So I was really impressed it had a great turnout.” •

Students, faculty, staff, and the community attend a lighting ceremony on Nov. 26. Choirs from the Samoan, Fijian and Chinese clubs sang and the Tanners recited “The Living Christ� during the event. Photos by Alvin

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Christmas Tree Lighting event Laie Elementary students help get the community into the spirit of the season B Y E M M AL E E SM I TH

Elementary students from each grade level take center stage during their traditional Christmas performnce for the community in the Cannon Activities Center oonNov. 29. Photo by Monica Rubalcava

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he Laie Elementary students entertained the community at the annual Christmas Tree Lighting event, which was described as the “kickoff to Christmas” by the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Vice President of Cultural Presentations Delsa Moe. Held Nov. 29, thousands of community members packed the Cannon Activities Center to watch each grade perform their own musical number.

Moe, the announcer for the event, said she has been involved with the program since her children were in it. “And now they have kids of their own,” she added. The night started with a talk from BYUH Vice President for Academics John Bell, who was representing President John S. Tanner. Bell said, “We recognize one of the great gifts of Christmas bringing hope into the world is our ‘keiki.’”

The first performance began with a video of children wearing headphones listening and dancing to Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time.” The crowd laughed as younger children danced along in their seats. The pre-kindergarteners then danced to Alvin and the Chipmunks’ “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” and the Cheetah Girls’ “Cheetah-licious Christmas.”

For “Cheetah-licious,” the girls shook their hips and waved their hands while wearing a golden sash across their waist. For “The Chipmunk Song,” the boys jumped up and down and wore baseball caps with red shirts with an “A” on the front resembling the iconic Alvin and the Chipmunks.

The kindergarteners and first graders, dressed in white shirts, went next. It started off with a video asking them: “What do you 30

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like about Christmas?” Almost all of them mentioned presents, but one particular boy added, “I like it because we don’t have to sit around and stuff.” The students then sang “Snowman Jump.”

A video before the second and third graders’ performance showed students answering the question: “What makes Christmas wonderful?” A blonde girl said she loves acting out the Nativity.

Another girl answered, “It’s the most time I spend with my family.”

A girl introduced the fourth and fifth graders’ performance by saying the children were having an investigation of how the presents got underneath the tree. She said, “We have some wonderful leads that say it’s a big fat guy in a suite.” The song featured a boy in a Santa suit holding up his stuffed stomach.

Elementary student Marlee Peters, began the finale, and said, “Perhaps the best reminder of the night is not just what you get, but what you give.” The students performed with a few signs as well as a man joining to sign the whole song in American Sign Language.

Teachers and staff even joined in on the fun by moving and drumming to Justin Bieber’s version of the “Little Drummer Boy” with plastic cups, similar to the style of “When I’m Gone” from the movie “Pitch Perfect.”

When Santa went out to the children, they reacted by screaming, jumping in excitement, and throwing hats in the air almost like a Kahuku graduation. Moe asked to take a selfie with Santa, and the children jumped around to get into the picture. The event concluded with a countdown to light the Christmas tree on the BYUH campus.•

Church

in this section LDS Church decreases missions, focuses on digital proselyting efforts for full-time missionaries

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Psychology majors say new mission interview questions emphasize mental health concerns

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New curriculum allows flexibility for third hour Priesthood and Relief Society meetings

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CHURCH

Mission updates The LDS Church reduces total number of missions and implements more technology in order to make missionaries more efficient B Y H AN N AH JO N E S

Sister missionaries at the Laie Temple Visitor’s Center communicate with investigators from all around the world. Photos by Alvin Dy

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ccording to Deseret News, The LDS Church announced it is planning on trimming the number of missions, in an effort to increase digital proselyting among missionaries. Missionaries using tablets will upgrade to using smartphones. The church also announced it will have a global set of interview questions to ask those preparing to serve a mission.

Dr. Line-Noue Kruse, a special instructor of history and political science at BYU-Hawaii, commented on the purpose of the new interview questions. “As I understand, it is to help prospected missionaries to prepare. This list of questions also helps every young men and young women to prepare. As a mother... [the questions] help me to help my children to know the importance of being prepared.”

Having a child who is autistic, Kruse said, “I’ve always wondered if my child would be able to serve a mission. And now, after what Elder Ballard said … if [my son] comes to the point and thinks he may not be able to sustain the rigorousness of a mission, he’s still valued.

He has other opportunities to serve.

“The intent is to make sure prospective missionaries are prepared not just in worthiness, but also physically, emotionally and psychologically- the whole package.”

Kruse said in 2012, the church increased its missionary force from 58,000 to 88,000

by allowing missionaries to serve missions at younger ages. “So now that we are globalized and have digitalized economies,” she said, “how wonderful is it that missionaries are going to have a smart phones? By integrating technology, it is a wonderful way [to increase the work] when our culture and languages and zones are so different.”

Kruse said this would reduce the hassle of using pass-along cards. “Now you can ask a missionary a question [and] have an investigator be interested and go right online, download the Book of Mormon in their language, and have it available.” Kruse said she favors missionaries being able to provide immediate answers compared to the months of waiting when using pass-along cards.

She continued, “I think the way the church is using technology is in the spirit of sharing the gospel. We’re keeping up with the times, but also we’re being led by our prophet. We have changed the way in which we are engaging in missionary work around the world.”

Sister and Elder Coleman, full-time senior missionaries from the Polynesian Culture Center, shared their experience with missions while shedding light on the latest LDS mission news. While serving another mission in Omaha, Nebraska, back in 2012, Sister Coleman recounted, “When that huge influence of missionaries came, we were opening

apartments like crazy. Once the bubble went through, we were closing apartments like crazy.

I think [decreasing missions] is a good idea. It seems like you have to have a certain number to run a mission.”

Elder Coleman commented on the reduction of missions. “The church has to run things like a business … . It doesn’t make sense to have things that aren’t being utilized.”

As far as electronics go, Elder Coleman said, “I can see where it is absolutely essential and needed in order to keep up with this day and age. Theoretically you could give me a name, I could submit it, and it could be to the missionaries within five minutes halfway across the world.”

Tallking about the concern of missionaries possibly being distracted by using electronics more, Sister Coleman said, “There’s all different kinds of challenges for a good thing.”

Elder Coleman emphasized that it’s not the electronic device that makes decisions about its use, but rather the missionary. He said, “There are those who are good missionaries, and those who are bad missionaries.”

While there has been a decline in the number of missionaries to just over 70,000 as reported during the April 2017 General Conference, Sister Coleman said, “They’re not reducing the work. Every place is covered. It’s just bigger areas now.” •

“I think the way the church is using technology, is in the spirit of sharing the gospel. We’re keeping up with the times, but also being sure we’re being led by our prophet. We have changed the way in which we are engaging in missionary work around the world.”

Dr. Line-Noue Kruse, a special instructor of history and political science at BYU-Hawaii DECEMB ER

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CACHURCH M P US LIF E

Depression Mental Health

OCD

Dyslexia

Anxiety ADD

Future Missionary

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Avoiding mental health problems Former mission president and returned missionary psychology majors respond to newly released LDS mission interview questions B Y CO U RTN E Y B O W N I E L SE N

he First Presidency of the LDS Church has released a set of standard questions for bishops and stake presidents to use while interviewing prospective full-time missionaries.

According to lds.org, the questions are intended to help prospective full-time missionaries understand and better prepare they are not only “worthy, but physically, mentally and emotionally prepared for missionary service.”

Marcus Martins, a Religion professor at BYU-Hawaii and former mission president over the Sao Paulo North Brazil Mission, said he wishes these questions had been released six years ago when he was first called to be a mission president because it would have saved a lot of heartache.

“No mission president enjoys sending missionaries home before the regular time of their service is over,” said Martins. “It’s not fun. It’s heart wrenching because for us, our missionaries are like our sons and daughters.

In the case of those with mental health issues, what becomes even more of a concern is the fact that it was preventable.”

The newly released questions include a number of mental health concerns including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder and dyslexia.

“As a psychology major, I did notice a bit more of an emphasis on mental health,” said Ben Coffey, a returned missionary and a junior from New Zealand studying psychology. “It’s really good that they’re ... able to see if these are things that perspective missionaries might be facing prior to going into the mission field.”

Cody Kessler, a returned missionary and

T

a senior from California studying psychology, said, “I’ve had plenty of friends come home because of anxiety-based issues and then they’re kind of outcasted, so at least drawing attention kind of helps focus on the church recognizing it. There are other ways to serve if you don’t meet the qualifications.”

Coffey explained how the stigmas surrounding mental health within the church and society are changing and how beneficial this can be for missionary service.

“It’s kind of one of those things that isn’t really talked about that much,” Coffey continued. “Not just in the church, but as a society in general, and the fact that they’re acknowledging that this is definitely a significant factor in your ability to serve. There are a lot of missionaries who do go home early because they face mental illness and they have issues when they’re out.”

Martins went on to talk about various missionaries within his mission who dealt with mental illnesses that weren’t taken care of before they left for the MTC that then lead to bigger problems.

“One thing I told missionaries is that there is no blame to be placed on those who end their missions early,” Martins said. “They have served to the utmost of their physical or emotional abilities. Their service will be just as valuable as those who served full term.

“You will not lose any of the blessings.

Whatever time period you serve for, the Lord will accept your offer. I have no doubt that the Lord will say, ‘It’s good enough.You did everything that you could.’”

Coffey said, “Mental illness is a real thing and you can’t just pray it away sometimes.

That’s what a lot of people think sometimes, like, ‘Oh, you’re sad and depressed? Just keep praying and read your scriptures and God will make you feel happy.’

“That’s not really addressing the core issue there. I think the more the church addresses that these are genuine concerns people have, the more it’s going to give us an opportunity to reach out and lift up our brothers and sisters around us. [This] breeds a much healthier environment for everyone to be open to receiving help and looking to help [each] other as well.”

Kessler said, “Realizing that, ‘Okay, if these are the certain requirements that I need to reach, then I should probably draw attention to the fact these are things my potential companion could have if I don’t experience it.’ Understanding can help. I had a companion who had bipolar disorder. He didn’t have anyone to trust, and I didn’t know anything about the issues. It wasn’t until taking classes that I recognized he definitely had bipolar disorder.

“I really appreciate that the church is starting to start a dialog about that. It’s a lot more helpful to try and help people find counseling and things for these [issues] beforehand so they have tools and things to help them out if they do continue to serve a mission later on.”

Martins concluded these questions would prove beneficial to missionary service for the church. “In the future, I see those who have a desire to serve a full-time mission, but who have physical or mental health issues, they’ll still serve, but they’ll have taken care of those issues beforehand.” •

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C HURCH The new curriculum is called “Come, Follow Me,” just like the new youth curriculum introduced in 2013. Photo courtesy of lds.org

Adults to ‘Come, Follow Me’ New curriculum allows flexibility for third-hour Priesthood and Relief Society meetings

BY AN TO N I E TTE YE E

S

tarting January 2018, Sunday meetings for Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society will have greater emphasis on counseling together, learning from general conference messages, and studying special topics selected by their general leaders, according to a letter from the First Presidency.

BYU-Hawaii students said the new curriculum gives members freedom to teach lessons in line with their needs.

Relief Society President of the YSA 14th Ward Marcia Suwanto, a junior majoring in hospitality and tourism management from Indonesia, said, “The 2018 curriculum gives us more opportunities to meet the needs of members, and it allows more discussion. When we have assigned topics, not everybody can relate at the same time. With the new curriculum, we are more free to teach lessons related in our time than following a specific topic.”

The first Sunday will be a council meeting where the quorums and organizations discuss the needs of their local areas.

The second and third Sundays will be focused on modern general conference messages. The fourth will be on a doctrinal topic selected by church leaders. With months that have fifth Sundays, the bishopric or branch presidency will choose the topic.

Kimball Heaton, the Sunday School president in the YSA 14th Ward and a biomedicine junior from Utah, said the new curriculum is similar to Preach My Gospel. He said, “I like it because it is more diverse, and we can put more things into it than just following a manual. It is a way of teaching according to the needs of people. Instead of giving a generic lesson, it will be tailored to our needs.”

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The curriculum change was announced on Aug. 25. The First Presidency sent out a letter announcing the new materials for Sunday meetings, called “Come, Follow Me—For Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society Meetings.” The letter says the program will emphasize a new focus in “counseling together in quorums, groups, and Relief Societies; and organizing to meet local needs.”

Heaton added, “It lets the Spirit guide our teaching more instead of following the strict basic lesson plan.”

In an LDS news release, Elder LeGrand R. Curtis, a Seventy and assistant executive director in the Priesthood and Family Department, says, “One of the reasons for the new approach is to give increased emphasis to the words of the living prophets.”

Sister Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society general president, adds, “Focusing our gospel study on the words of living prophets and apostles will give even greater meaning to our study of the ‘ancient’ scriptures.

Ryan Domingo, the ward clerk in the Laie YSA 8th Ward and an accounting junior from the Philippines, said the new curriculum offers a personal approach and is more focused. He said, “I never doubted the instructions the church releases. I’m sure they prayed about it to meet the concerns of each member.”

Ntonga Terabwena, a senior majoring in elementary education from Kiribati, said she sees the changes as more productive and effective. She said, “There are certain topics that should be more emphasized these days like responsible use of media and technology.” More information about the 2018 Sunday school material can be found on comefollowme.lds.org. •

lifestyle

in this section Avid spear fishermen say the sport allows them to explore ocean in different ways

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Students share how they recognize and develop their talents despite knowing their insecurities

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Recipe for Sweet Sticky Rice Balls, a traditional Chinese dessert

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Wives explain how they decided to get married instead of going on a full-time mission

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Ideas for fun and cheap dates to help make dating great again

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Emojis can sometimes aid or hinder communication in electronic messages

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Spearfishing into the wild From swimming with sharks to encountering moray eels, Laie locals and students share their love for spearfishing B Y GU Y B AXTE R

Morgan Halas attracts an octopus while spearfishing. Photo by Morgan Halas

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pearfishing with a friend, Morgan Halas, a Laie local well known on Instagram for his underwater photography, said his friend Kawika was a few feet below the surface, cutting up an old rotten fish to attract other fish, when he noticed a big tiger shark swim up a few feet over his friend’s head. “The shark noticed me staring at it and got scared and skittish and swam off in a rush. When me and Kawika came up for air, [Kawika] had no idea what had even happened.”

Spearfishing can be a dangerous, thrilling experience allowing people to feel as if they are swimming in a “whole new world,” said BYU-Hawaii students and locals as they shared their experiences.

Jared Ward, a senior from California majoring in exercise science, said his favorite thing about spearfishing is “it takes me completely out of the world I’m living in, and it drops me into a brand new one.

“It’s a whole new world … and I think because of that it helps me forget about all of my worries above the water; my to do lists, all of the things I need to get done; all of my stresses and allows me to enjoy the moment I’m in this brand new world.”

THRILLING, MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES

Ward said the most interesting thing he ever saw was when he was spearfishing in California. He said he was with a friend when they heard sonar beeping off in the distance.

He said the visibility of the water was very unclear that day, but “we ended up seeing what we thought was a small private submarine.

“After doing research to see if there had been any other sightings or if it was from the military, we came up empty handed. Still to this day, we don’t know what it was or what they were doing. We were kind of freaked out by it, but it was a cool experience. “

Ward continued, “Another amazing thing I’ve personally seen in the water was when I was doing depth training about a fourth-mile outside of Shark’s Cove. We were 85 feet deep and a 10-foot tiger shark stumbled upon us. It was one of those experiences that you don’t know whether to be afraid or in shock. But it was an almost calming sensation, understanding that you have no control in the situation and that you’re in the water with a creature so much larger than you.

“When I first started, I was always afraid of sharks, but then after diving and having interactions with different kinds of sharks, I’ve realized they are the least of my problems and now I’m actually more afraid of eels.

“They’re like the snakes of the ocean. They will pop right out of holes and come charging out at you. They’re really aggressive.”

There are many dangerous factors that come into play when spearfishing. Hales said. “I’m scared of getting stuck down there and getting caught on the reef, but my biggest fear is getting bit by a moray eel. The eels are big and have gnarly teeth. They are all over and really slice through your skin.”

Nick Gruen, a junior from California studying marketing and photography, said he has been spearfishing for more than eight years.

“The most interesting sea creatures I’ve seen [while spearfishing] have been sharks, which I love. It always is a funny feeling and a bit eerie being in the water with them because they are there hunting for the same food as you.”

HOW IT BEGAN

Ward said he got into spearfishing because “I got tired of not catching many fish with a [fishing] rod. I grew up fishing with my dad, but when I was about 15, I saw a couple of guys spearfishing.

“I thought it was the coolest thing ever, watching [spear fishermen] come out with a ton of fish, because there were a lot of guys fishing from land and they weren’t catching anything. This caused me to think that the people spearfishing must have figured something out that the land fisherman didn’t know.”

Diving since he was a little kid, Hale said, “Growing up, all of my family spearfished. Whenever we would have big parties, we would go catch the fish for that night’s dinner.”

ADVANTAGES OF THE SPORT

Hale said, “I like to spear fish because it’s good for you and makes you feel better. It’s a healthy sport that gives you a rush but is relaxing at the same time.”

Gruen said, “I spear fish because I love the ocean. It’s such a beautiful place and it’s full of things that we don’t always get to see. Underwater, everything is mysterious and unknown.

There is always a new crazy experience to be had.”

To those who interested in spearfishing for the first time, Gruen suggested, “If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t go out. Find someone who is willing to teach you and dive with you.You never want to dive past your comfort zone. There is no point to push yourself when spearfishing because it is not a controlled environment and it is not safe. The most important part of all of this is to be respectful to the ocean and the island and its people. Don’t take more than you need and don’t be wasteful. Always catch what you eat and eat what you catch.” •

TO LEARN

MORE

Nick Gruenmr - @mr_gru Morgan Hales - @morganhalas

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Sweet Sticky Rice Balls in Ginger Soup B Y M I L AN I H O I P

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ith a rainy week and a cool air seeping in the evenings in the small town of Laie, we have arrived to the chilly times to the land of aloha. To keep yourself feeling cozy for the holidays, try this warm recipe of sweet sticky rice balls in ginger soup, a traditional Chinese dessert.

Mike Cheng, a senior from Hong Kong studying exercise science, gave an explanation of this dessert: “This dessert might seem scary to those who aren’t used to Asian foods—the sticky rice balls are made of a black sesame filling wrapped in white glutinous rice dough and cooked in a sweet ginger soup. The sticky rice balls are chewy, a texture which Asians love.”

This dessert is normally made for major Chinese festivals throughout the year and is a symbol of family unity, shared Lily Leung, a social work alumna originally from Hong Kong who currently lives in Laie.

“The sweet ginger soup is very comforting, especially for ladies.” Ginger is well known in Chinese cuisine to be soothing to the stomach, menstrual cycles, and flus.

“On a night where I crave a sweet, warm, gingery, chewy dessert, I would go for the sticky rice balls in ginger soup—if I have all the ingredients after shopping from Chinatown! ” said Helam Lau, a Hong Kongese sophomore studying psychology. •

Ingredients: Rice balls

1 cup ground black sesame

2 cups glutinous rice flour

1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 3/4 cup warm water

1 cup cold lard, margarin, or butter

3/4 cup

Ingredients: Soup

1 cup sugar

10g of fresh ginger, sliced

1 cup

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2 pcs brown slab sugar or rock sugar

Steps In a medium or large pot, boil 1 litre of water. Bring to boil.Once the water is boiling, put in the slices of ginger and brown slab sugar. Turn down the heatto medium, let simmer for 20 mins or more.

The longer it simmers, the more gingery and spicy it gets, so adjust accordingly to your taste.

Prepare the dough while waiting.

In a medium bowl, pour in glutinous rice flour. Using a spatula or hand to mix, slowly pour in the warm water.

Knead the dough until smooth. The longer the dough is kneaded, the more chewy the sticky rice balls will be, which might vary with personal preferences. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, set aside for 20-30 mins to allow the water and flour to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, mix the ground black sesame, sugar, and lard/margarin/butter together until it forms a thick paste.

+ Prepare a large plate. Unwrap the dough, scoop about 1 tablespoon piece, and roll it into a ball.

Press down with thumb the middle of the ball to make space for the filling; put in ½ teaspon black sesame paste. Cover the filling by closing up the dough, roll it back into a ball, and set onthe plate. Repeat the process until dough and filling are finished.

Put the rice balls into boiling ginger soup, about 20 at a time. Cook for 10-15 minutes. The rice balls are ready when afloat on the top of the soup. Scoop both rice balls and soup into bowlsand serve hot.

Enjoy!

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Emoji conveys or betrays emotion A BYUH professor and students discuss whether emojis help express feelings or hinder communication B Y H E L AM L AU

Illustration by Lorin Vilayvong 42

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BYU-Hawaii Communications Professor Dr. Daniel Stout discussed how although emojis can bring convenience into people’s communication, it can at times replace meaningful conversations. Students shared how they use emojis to enhance communication.

Stout said, “I fear that we have become very simplistic in our communication. Instead of expressing our thoughts, we reply with a thumbs up, or instead of expressing feelings of love, we send a heart.”

Stout used an example of a time his wife texted him a heart emoji and he replied to her with a smiley face emoji. “I still wish she would also tell me how much she loves me.”

However, according to BYUH students, emojis are a way to express emotions through texting and messaging.

Koshin Kitagaki, a junior from Japan majoring in business management, said, “Communication is not just about words. Body language and facial expressions help people to understand each other in order to build a closer relationship.

“In today’s world where people tend to talk through technology rather than face to face, emoji does help to express emotions in a more precise way. What would you think if you saw a post, ‘I am so happy dot dot dot’ versus, ‘I am so happy with a ring and a heart emoji dot dot dot?’”

Kitagaki said he uses emojis often to communicate with his girlfriend who is from Hong Kong. “Our language is not the same, so I would use emojis often to let her understand what I mean. For close friends, I don’t use emojis because that takes time, unless I really want to show specific emotions like sadness, anger, or love.”

Stout said sometimes he will use emojis when texting, but said he tries not to use it too often. “I feel like at times people are just looking for immediate answers. I have a mixed feeling about emojis.

Some emojis can capture certain feelings and the right instinct. It is also an immediate way to respond your instant feedback to a message”

He said he uses emojis for unimportant messages. “Emojis are very good for non-vital communication or social encounters were conversation is simpler [or] unimportant like, ‘Have you noticed that change of dinner time?’

“It is a very effective way of communicating a simple response like yes or no; I like it or I don’t like it with some feeling and emotions. People might communicate more often because of the convenience brought along.”

Jordan Humphries, a freshman from Los Angeles majoring in business management, said, “Emojis are profoundly important. In the way of enhancing communication, emojis help when I am in a deep conversation over text. [When] talking about stuff that is hard to talk about, emojis can help us say what we mean without actually saying it. When you are having a conversation with someone through text or writing letters, it is really hard to convey emotions, sarcastic comments in particular.”

“In the way of enhancing communication, emojis help when I am in a deep conversation over text. [When] talking about stuff that is hard to talk about, emojis can help us say what we mean without actually saying it.”

Jordan Humphries

Humphries said he includes emojis in his messages whenever he can. “I not only use emojis in texts, but also email and social media posts on Facebook, Instagram [or] Twitter.”

He gave an example of how emojis are important for expressing true meanings. “’I would love to go to the dance.’ Saying it without emojis, would be interpreted as, ‘He would really love to go to the dance.’ “ But he added, “With two laughing emojis or a winky face after the sentence, that is replaced by sarcasm. It could change the entire meaning of it.”

Humphries continued, “One time I had pictures to post for Halloween last year. I wanted to convey the meaning of the entire night but I didn’t know how to phrase it. I ended up using three 100 emojis with red lines underneath as my captions of the post.”

Humphries expained his emoji use, “The meaning of the 100 emoji in America is we go hard, we get 100 percent and we go all out for the night. It implies a really exciting time.

“The laughing faces with tears are definitely the emoji I have used the most often. I feel like most people would have that as their most commonly used emoji, because it either conveys sarcasm or makes a serious topic more chill.”

He said he thinks one emoji can express several different meanings. “The roller coaster emoji can either mean ‘That was a roller coaster of emotions’ or ‘We are going to a roller coaster park.’

“Another thing we [can] do with emojis is … put emojis in people’s names under the contacts.You put a heart emoji with your girlfriend, while you put a green sick face or devil face with someone you hate.

“Emojis help when I am being indecisive in what to say or say something that I usually won’t say. On the negative side, I don’t know which emoji to use. It is not an inconvenience, but it is [similar to] picking between chocolate or vanilla ice-cream. Too many options are provided. If you are disappointed, should I use the blue forehead with a tear or the crying one?” •

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LI FESTYLE

Loving yourself Students shed light on how to recognize and accept people’s gifts B Y H AN N AH JO N E S

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hree BYU-Hawaii students shared their experiences and advice to finding and developing good qualities about themselves despite their insecurities.

Tori Herdegen, a freshman from Nevada with an undeclared major, said she can accomplish seemingly impossible tasks using her gift of determination.

She said she realized her determination as she overcame the struggle of attending track practice every day.

Herdegen, surprised and excited, said, “That wasn’t something I knew that I could do. I pushed myself so hard.

“I know that I’m not a perfect person, but from seeing the person that I used to be to who I am now, I’ve been able to see progress in myself. I know that it is because I am determined that [I] stick to my goals.

“There’s many times where I’ve seen myself determined to accomplish something [and] pushed myself to do things I didn’t know I could do.

If there is a quality you want to strive for, you have to allow yourself to have patience.”

She added she understands

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recognizing personal gifts is not a simple task for people.

“It’s something I think everyone struggles with.You have to start small and make little improvements daily. Don’t beat yourself up because you messed up once. Use that as a learning experience for you to know what not to do next time.”

Herdegen called also attention to qualities in others. “It’s essential to recognize good things in yourself so that you can find good things in others. I just think it’s the only way you can truly be happy. If you shame yourself all the time, how can you truly see the importance of others?

“It’s important to trust that [Heavenly Father] has a plan for us and that we are not worthless people. There is something that makes each of us…needed. [When] I recognize that there is something that I want... I work towards it. It’s cool to look back and see the progress I’ve made, but to know that I’m still becoming better. I still strive for new things and new qualities, and I still see progress.”

Allie Hunter, a freshman from California majoring in communications, stressed the importance of recognizing the gifts you already have. She said, “Once you’ve found out the strengths you have, you’ll know your weaknesses. So, play on your strengths and work on your weaknesses.”

She shared the qualities she liked about herself and said, “I like that I am mild [and] my demeanor is peaceful. Finding things that you love to do helps accentuate who you are,

“It’s essential to recognize good things in yourself, so that you can find good things in others. I just think it’s the only way you can truly be happy. If you shame yourself all the time, how can you truly see the importance of others?”

Tori Herdergen and once you find out who you are, then you are better able to reflect. I think there needs to be a balance of knowing who you are and recognizing the goodness of others.

“Once you know both of those things, then you don’t become prideful or insecure.

You can meet in the middle and be confident in who you are.”

Hunter acknowledged those who struggle to find their gifts. “If you have insecurities, find things you like about yourself and use it to your best advantage. People will appreciate you for who you are because you know of your worth.

The right people will value that quality.”

Tandra Taito, a freshman from Fiji majoring in hotel and tourism management, directed others to be aware and open to their qualities. She said, “Our gifts set us apart from everyone else. Be more confident.

“See how people react to you being around them.You’ll be able to recognize what people like about you [and] what they don’t.

[You’ll notice] things you’re good at. Then, surround yourself with people you want to learn from.

Taito said she noticed how others don’t receive enough compliments and encouraged words that uplift others. “It would be hard for me to think good things about myself if I didn’t hear [good things] from others.”

Duncan Holmer, a freshman from New York majoring in art, talked about his qualities after a long silence. Deep in thought, he said, “I like that I’m able to talk to people I don’t even know because I make new friendships.”

He also added although he had never made any sports teams in junior high, it pushed him to work hard and eventually become a talented athlete.

“We’re all given different gifts from God. It’s our duty to find out our talents and strengthen them.You don’t go throughout life sticking to one thing. [Everyone] wants to see what [they] can do and see what [they’re] good at. It’s something we all have to do.

“I think people try to compare themselves [and say], ‘Well I’m not that good,’ and assume they must not have talents. But, they’ll have other talents that they can’t see. They’re not looking in the right spot. They need to put themselves out there to see what talents they have.”

Herdegen said, “Maybe you put yourself out there to learn soccer, but instead you learn really good communication skills.

Soccer wasn’t what you became good at, but you realized you have another strength somewhere else. Trying different things, and not being afraid to step outside your comfort zone, allows you to find what things you’re good at.

“It’s not your talents that define you,” she said, “it’s what you do with your talents that define who you are.” •

Left: Duncan Holmer says his strength is making new friendships.

Right: Allie Hunter says she likes her mild and peaceful personality. Photos by Alvin Dy DECEMB ER

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Sisters share how they chose marriage over mission Wives say marriage was what God wanted for them, not a mission B Y Z E E K C H E N G AN D AN TO N I E TTE YE E

Standing with her family, Aoi Kiyatake said she is grateful she chose to marry her husband, Ezra Kamoe. Photo by Alvin Dy

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y seeking guidance from Heavenly Father and support from people around them, BYU-Hawaii student wives said they don’t regret their decisions and were grateful for the blessings that came from marriage.

“My mom told me that the Lord will guide through comfort, not fear,” said Julianna Celua, a senior from Canada studying social work. “I was really stressed out about the decision between mission and marriage. Just thinking about the mission made me feel scared and nervous. I had more comfort when staying with my husband.”

Receiving guidance from her stake president, Aoi Kamoe, a Japanese alumna in graphic design, said at the time she couldn’t serve a mission due to broken bones from a previous accident. “My stake president asked me if I had a boyfriend and suggested me to perhaps consider marriage. That got me thinking about marriage. My husband [boyfriend at the time] supported me and suggested I should pray about it. That’s when I received my answer.”

Receiving a confirmation during a general conference session, Kate Tekurio, a senior from Oregon studying psychology, said, “Everyone was talking about the awesome revelation about missionary work that they received, but for me, it was about starting a family.”

Caroline Greer, a senior from Utah studying political science, received guidance from her bishop and family. “He told me that I can’t go wrong with either decision, and my family was very supportive. I felt there was not a right answer, but once I made the decision to get married, I felt peace and happiness. I thought I would regret it, but I never did.”

Even hearing all the mission experiences from friends, Greer said she never felt regret.“I felt like it was where I was supposed to be. I know that I made a right choice. We all learn from different experiences. The mission doesn’t necessarily make life better than other things would.”

Kamoe said she occasionally feels regret when hearing mission stories from her friends, but then she thinks about the blessings of family. “If I would have gone on a mission, I wouldn’t have had my son and my family. Having a family is very important. I think this path was better for me.”

Similarly, Celua expressed, “It was a humbling experience. It was hard to tell everyone that I was not going on a mission. I had to trust in Heavenly Father that he had another plan for me. I think the preparation of the mission is the preparation of my marriage.”

Students interviewed said they struggled with the decision between marriage and a mission. Celua suggested, “Remember that it’s a choice. It’s totally a decision between you and Heavenly Father.Your friends and parents can’t decide it for you. Submit yourself to the Lord.”

Mary Anne Taguba, a junior majoring in accounting from the Philippines said she was supposed to serve in the New

Zealand Wellington Mission on April 13, 2017, but instead chose to get married after receiving inspiration.

Taguba shared, “He was so persistent. We both fasted ... I was so confused. I asked my siblings for advice. My sister advised me to read my patriarchal blessing, go to the temple, and talk to my bishop. I had really a hard time choosing. I told myself, ‘This is harder than accounting.’ It was really for me to decide.”

She said as she read her patriarchal blessing, she felt choosing to serve a mission or marriage was up to her. “I was reading the scriptures behind the temple one day and read 1 John 4:18: ‘Perfect love casteth out all fear.’ I had a lot of fears before, but I felt the Holy Ghost whispering to me that everything will be all right. I chose marriage over mission because I felt that marriage was the answer .... Heavenly Father answers our prayers. He knows when we feel helpless, he knows our potential.” She said she has never doubted or regretted her decision.

Greer added, “They both are good things. Be open to other possibilities. Don’t think that there is only one way.You might miss out on other opportunities.”

Kamoe said, “Even though you really love a guy, step back and think about the long term. Get to know more about that guy, and don’t get blinded because of love. Don’t get married just because of love, but also don’t go on a mission just because everyone else does. If that guy can wait, go on a mission anyway.” •

Mary Anne Taguba holds her mission call to New Zealand. but she says she was inspired to get married instead and stands wit her fiancé Nalu Okimoto. Photos by Olivia Tsan

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Make dating great again Students share fun cheap date ideas for people living on Oahu B Y J ORDA N CORT E Z

Max Moncur and Megan Riley like relaxed and fun dates. Photo by Alvin Dy

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ates that are spontaneous, creative and active are the best Oahu dates, according to BYU-Hawaii students.

“Anything spontaneous is so fun. If you see a guy on the side of the road selling pickled mangos and you’ve never had pickled mangos before, go try them. Relaxed, fun dates are always the best,” said Megan Riley, a sophomore from California studying accounting.

Max Moncur, a junior from California studying finance, said he loves fun and creative dates. “One of my favorite date ideas is getting finger painting supplies, hiking to a good lookout spot and painting the sunset as you watch it. You can compare pictures afterwards, and they are usually pretty funny.”

One of Moncur’s favorite places to watch the sunset is the Pu’u O Mahuka Heiau State Historic Site located right next to Waimea Bay Park. “You drive up to the top, and then it’s just a couple of minutes walk to the edge of the mountain.”

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like playing the ukulele and surfing.

Danna Usevitch, a sophomore from Arizona studying math education, said a simple date students could do in Laie is making ice cream.

She gave instructions for making ice cream. “Get a good Ziploc bag and fill it up with the ice cream ingredients. Close the bag tight then reinforce it with another bag. Find a larger bag, bucket or large can that can be closed up. Fill that one halfway with ice and a little salt then put your smaller ice cream bag inside.

“To mix the ice cream up and get it cold, you’ll have to move the container around, so this is the fun part. The more creative, the better.You can throw the ice bag around, roll the bucket around or whatever you want to do to get your ice cream all mixed up. Make a game out of it.You’ll notice your ice cream get firm and then you are ready to eat to your soul’s delight.”

Moncur said another free date would be watching the firework show in Waikiki. “Every Friday the Hilton Hawaiian Village puts on a 15-minute firework show for their guests, but

the show can be seen from so many places in Waikiki. The show starts at 7:45 p.m. so go a little early. If you want to be really creative, rent some paddle boards and watch it while floating in the water.”

Riley said her most favorite date she has ever been on was stargazing. “We drove out to Kaena Point on a clear night, then walked to the little gate they had. About half a quarter mile in there was some trees [where] we set up a hammock. It gave me a good chance to get to know them and talk, unlike if we had just watched a movie.”

Trey Workman, a sophomore from Arizona studying psychology, said he loves going on hikes for dates. “If they are not experienced hikers, that is totally fine. There are so many easy hikes around the island, like the Lanikai Pillboxes. It is a great way to talk as you walk and get to know the person. I also love to create games during the hike or ask about funny stories they might have.”

Workman said no matter what, a date will always be fun if it is something simple and gives the couple an opportunity to talk while doing an activity together. •

feature

in this section Yee Olive Mon: First Burmese female to serve an LDS mission

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Graduation speaker Ping Liu decides to pursue higher education after serving a mission

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Landon Gold wants to help others experience his sailing passion

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BYU Cougars win 30-20 against UH, 372 YSA students receive free tickets from stake leaders to attend game

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A Burmese Mormon pioneer One of the first members and the first sister missionary from Myanmar shares her life story B Y: E M M AL EE SM I TH AN D H AN N AH JO N E S

Mon said after graduation, she hopes to further her education at BYU in Provo where she will study marriage and family relations. Photo by Alvin Dy

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YU-Hawaii student Yee Olive Mon shared her conversion story to the LDS Church and how she is striving to get an education to become an advocate for her country and help her people have better lives.

Mon, who goes by her middle name, Olive, is a senior studying social work from Myanmar. She said she started attending the LDS Church after the senior missionaries offered to teach her piano lessons for free.

She said the missionaries then asked her if she wanted to learn more about the church.

Mon said she thought, “I have to say yes now because I’m taking free lessons and eating their food.

“So, I did it, and that’s how they got me.

Heavenly Father knew how to get me. But because my heart was not open to the gospel, it took a while. I felt so much love and peace when I went to church. I kept coming back to church because of the senior missionaries. I didn’t become a pianist, but I think I got more than that,” she said.

The missionaries asked her to start translating church writings from English to Burmese because she spoke a little bit of English from her Baptist high school. She said she was translating Gordon B. Hinckley’s talk, “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for the Youth,” in which he teaches about the six ‘be’ attitudes.

“That talk changed my life. I thought, ‘This man is a true man. So, this man must be a true prophet. If this man is a true prophet, then the church must be true.’ That means the gospel must be true and that means Joseph Smith must be a true prophet.”

At the age of 16, Mon formally became a member of the church. “I was baptized on Feb. 14, 2004, and I was the 38th member of the church from my country,” said Mon. Although Mon’s parents were very supportive of her joining the church, her extended family were against it. “My uncle didn’t start speaking to me until I went to school (BYUH).”

She shared an experience when she was soaking wet as she came home from church. “[My uncle] lives really close to the church so I decided I would just go to his place. I was knocking and knocking, but my cousins couldn’t answer the door because I was a

Mormon. He said, ‘We don’t want Satan people inside the house.’

“It was really difficult at that time. I told my mom about it who told my uncle, ‘If you don’t like my daughter, then I’m not going to be your sister.’” She said her uncle didn’t invite them to any family reunions anymore.

MISSION

As Mon became active in the church, she said she had a very strong-willed Young Women’s leader who served in Brazil, Cleia Peterson, who encouraged her to go on a mission despite her scoliosis. “My Young Women’s president encouraged me to go on a mission. She told me I could do it.”

Mon also said she watched “The Best Two Years” and thought it made serving a mission look fun.

Although Mon had the desire to serve a mission, she said, “We didn’t have any young missionaries at that time. We did not have any returned missionaries [from] the country to tell me what it was about or what the mission life [was like].”

After making the decision to serve, Mon said, “I was really worried, to be honest. I was going to be the very first female ever.” Despite her fear, she said she proceeded to move forward with faith.

Admitting it was “so scary,” Mon said, “I was born and raised in a family that if you start [something] you finish it and you finish it good.

So even if I started [my mission] and hated it, I would finish it.”

Mon received her call to serve in the Pocatello Idaho Mission, English speaking, and would become the first sister missionary to serve from Myanmar and the fifth missionary to date. “In my country, how we see the United States is Washington, D.C., New York City, and L.A. I had no idea where Pocatello was.

“All we see in the movies [about the United States] are people shooting people and [everyone] killing each other. So, as soon as I said ‘United States’ my mom said, ‘No, you are not going.’”

Despite Mon’s mother’s concerns, she said, “My mom was very supportive [and] very encouraging,” so Mon proceeded to prepare for her mission.

Mon attributed how she got through the familial tension to her mom’s loyalty to her during conflict.

“Half of my relatives are really strong Catholics, and half of them are really strong Baptist. My uncle wouldn’t allow me in his house. [Preparing] was difficult in a way and it was easy in a way. It was like a Cold War inside the family.”

Mon recalled how miraculous it was she got her visa. “At that time, politics were not great. I had a friend waiting six months to get a visa. It seemed very impossible. The miracle was that I just walked into the embassy, and [after a] really good half hour interview … having [laid out] the first lesson of Joseph Smith’s vision … I got my visa! Something was working in [the Lord’s] mind. Nobody believed it.”

During her mission in 2014 and 2015, the church allowed the first young missionaries to serve in Myanmar. She explained since then the church has been growing in Myanmar and there has been more missionaries, even sisters, from her country. “Once they saw that I could do it with my disability, they said, ‘If she can do it, I can do it too.’”

Mon said she was able to preach the gospel and help people with mental issues, depression and homelessness on her mission.

“I knew I wasn’t going to save the whole world because I can’t do that, but I was going to change one life and that is going to help more change.”

AFTER MISSION

Mon moved to Singapore after her mission with her Young Women’s president. There, her bishop encouraged her to attend BYUH. “It was a hard process because I didn’t grow up in a rich family and everything I earn is with my own effort, but I’m really glad I did it.”

One of the lines she thinks of when she is discouraged is something one of her professors, Dr. Andre Hippolite, said. “She said to us, ‘I don’t know why you chose social work or why you’re doing it, but you’re in the business of selling hope.’”

Mon said, “I push myself every day and say ‘Okay, I’m going to be the one who helps people restore their hope.’ I need to have hope for my future.”

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Mon said she joined the church primarily because of the role the senior missionaries played in her life. She tells stories of her conversion with Elder Mcaffee, a senior missionary currently serving in Hawaii.

Photo by Lorin Vilayvong

Mary Deyro, a junior from the Philippines studying psychology, is friends with Mon, and said, “She knows what she wants and she’ll work for it until she gets it. Even though she has a very big workload, she still gives time to serve in the temple six hours a week.”

Mon talked about the effect serving a mission had on the people closest to her. “My baby sister joined the church when I was on a mission and my middle sister joined [last] March. My sister would always say, ‘You’re my role model.You’re the reason I want to serve a mission!’”

Zanna Dehiwaththage, an alumna from Malaysia who also know Mon, said, “Her kindness, charity, and love makes others feel very comfortable. Through her example, her sister served a mission.”

Jaeleen Ozu, Mon’s first roommate at BYUH and a sophomore majoring in accounting from American Samoa, agreed that Mon is a

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role model. “Olive was one of the people who inspired me to serve a mission.”

AFTER BYUH

After graduating, Mon said she wants to go to graduate school at BYU and study marriage and family relations “because it has been a big problem in my country for many years. They don’t speak about it, but there’s a lot of abusive behavior, lots of drug addicts or other forms of addiction. Children drink alcohol starting at 3 or 4 years old.”

She said she wants to be an advocate for the youth. “They don’t know where or how to get jobs, but they’re very smart and intelligent people. I want to help my people get the higher education they deserve.

“I know I will not become rich, but I will become rich with blessings and seeing other people’s lives change and their generations change. That is my goal.”

Mon has struggled with scoliosis her whole life, but didn’t let it keep her from serving a mission. Peterson said of Mon, “She is a gospel powerhouse. She is strong and has a strong testimony of Christ and the gospel of Jesus Christ. As one of the first members in Myanmar, she has been an example of a pioneer.

“I remember when she was getting ready to go on a mission. She had so much faith [that] she would serve regardless of her physical problems. She served with commitment.”

Mon concluded, “I’d like to encourage anyone who is thinking of serving a mission, that despite their disabilities-physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, even financiallythat everything will be helped if they commit to serve others.

“A mission ... has changed my perspective on life. I have so many blessings that I have lost count, all because I served a mission.” •

Having been given the opportunity to attend BYUH, Mon said she studies hard so she can one day be an advocate for youth in her country. Photo by Alvin Dy

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Graduation Speaker

Ping Liu

Graduating senior says education is paramount to helping others B Y H E L AM L AU

Ping Liu says she decided to pursue higher education after serving a mission. She stopped going to school when she was 15 but later completed a GED. Photo by Olivia Tsan

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ESOL education major Ping Liu, who was selected to be BYU-Hawaii’s student Fall 2017 Graduation speaker, shared how her conversion to the gospel led her to receive a higher education and choose a major that would allow her to contribute to her home country of China.

“For my future plans, I will definitely go back to my home country and do something over there,” said Liu.” Lots of people, even my family, asked me to stay in the U.S. as life here seems more enjoyable.”

Liu said a bishop she met in Utah provided her with much inspiration. “He said, ‘Always remember who helped you in the past and who you can help in the future.’ I felt like the Lord wanted me to meet him so that I would remember why I came to study at BYUH.”

Speaking of the moment she found out she was being selected to speak at graduation, she said with an anxious face, “It would be my first time to speak in front of so many people coming from all around the world. I was totally shocked and didn’t expect it at all.”

In order to be considered for speaking at graduation, Liu said deans from every department on campus submit names of the top students with the highest academic achievements and then pray about them. She said, “What the student council said stuck out to me. [They said] the Lord brought my name to their attention.”

Liu explained her thoughts on why she felt she was chosen. “A high grade made me qualified to be on the list.

Working in the temple as an ordinance worker for two and a half years with many of the school faculty members made my name easily recognized from the list.”

Regarding what she wants to address at the ceremony, Liu said she has decided to focus on one or two things that would inspire a small amount of people instead of trying to impress everyone. “I would like to share my journey of why I ended up studying at BYUH and my suggestions in particular for international students who are struggling with the language.

“I was told by my family and culture that all we have to do is just marry someone who can provide us with a good living. After I was baptized and served my mission in New York North, I got to know that education is the key to provide us with more opportunities to serve the Lord and people around us.

“The gospel is a turning point in my life. That changed my mind about receiving an education while I stopped school and worked at the age of 15.” Liu said she only made it to the ninth grade. “I worked really hard to study in Oregon to get my GED. Later, I came to study at BYUH.”

ACHIEVEMENTS AND REGRETS AT BYUH

Liu said her time management skills were a contributing factor to her high grades. “The biggest success that I have achieved throughout these three years is … I [never] missed a class nor turned assignments in late.

“I have my planner with me every day. If I missed a class, I feel like I would miss a whole lot. Going to class is my job being a student. Missing a class is just like not going to work.

“For a regret, my host family [in Oregon] also graduated from BYUH and told me that they used to study really hard and they didn’t go out to have fun when they were students.

Today, I feel like I have the same feeling like them. I haven’t been to a lot of places near Laie.”

Liu summarized her three years of school life at BYUH, “If I studied TESOL at another university, I wouldn’t have teachers caring about my spiritual learning. Teachers here not only are capable of teaching temporal knowledge, but they also care about your spiritual growth and how you become a future leader. That impressed me the most.” •

GRADUATION IS ON DEC. 15

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is scheduled to speak at BYUHawaii’s Fall graduation on Dec. 15. Daryl Whitford, the university registrar, said about 250 students are expected to receive diplomas at commencement in the Cannon Activities Center beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Elder Rasband was called to be an apostle in October 2015. Before that he served in the Presidency of the Seventy since 2005, was a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, served in several area presidencies, was a full-time missionary in the Eastern States Mission (1970-1972), and presided over the New York, New York North Mission from 1996 to 1999.

He attended the University of Utah. In 1976, he began working at the Huntsman Corporation and in 1987, he was appointed president and chief operating officer of Huntsman Chemical Corporation.

He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1951, and he married Melanie Twitchell in 1973. They have five children. •

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Landon Gold says sailing brings him closer to the Creator and His creations. Photo by Abish Martin 56

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Overcoming obstacles through sailing Student says he is passionate about sailing and wants to help others experience it

BY PATRI CK CAM P B E L L

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ailing since high school, BYU-Hawaii senior Landon Gold said he decided to push the limits and connect with nature when he purchased a 14-foot sailboat and steered it outside of Laie Bay.

A marine biology major from California, Gold said the feeling of freedom and connection with nature is what inspired him to pursue sailing here in Hawaii.

“To be going somewhere by the power of the wind at the mercy of the ocean–it’s a feeling that doesn’t compare,” said Gold.

He continued, “That’s why I go out. It’s freedom. It’s connection. It’s a challenge. Every time you go out there’s obstacles you have to overcome. Different situations you have to deal with and that’s fun. To take yourself out of what feels comfortable, and put yourself in a new environment where you have to figure things out, you’re having to be aware and learn. It’s great.”

Megan Gold, Landon’s wife and a registered nurse from California, said, “The reason I married him is because of the stuff he does like this. After meeting Landon, everyone else kind of seemed boring,” she said while laughing.

Landon said his favorite experiences have been, “[seeing] wildlife. Sailing next to a pod of dolphins is pretty fantastic. Sailing up and seeing whales while you’re out there is pretty spectacular.”

He added he enjoyed sailing his boat to several of the small islands outside of Laie Bay, including Pulemoku, nicknamed Peanut Island, and Mokuauia, which can be seen from Castles Beach. Landon said both were fun to explore because of the variety of fish and other features he hadn’t seen inside Laie Bay.

Landon recounted, “I don’t know many people who have sailed out of Laie Bay. You might go surf at Goats, or Middles but to actually go out past Pulemoku out into the open ocean is a different experience. It heightens your senses. The first time going out there under the power of the

sail, just me and a friend, was kind of living on the edge. It was very exciting.

It was new territory. You didn’t know what to expect or what you would find.

It was a different perspective and look on the island.”

One of Landon’s friends, Cody Beckett, a junior from Cali- Scan this QR code to fornia majoring in finance, said view Kelsy Simmon’s he was also introduced to sailing video featuring during high school.

Landon Gold!

The two purchased a catamaran sailboat at first, said Beckett, but they now sail in Landon’s new boat, which is a monohull and is more stable in the water, according to Landon.

“Landon loves to push the limits and that’s good for me,” said Beckett. “I don’t want to say I’m the opposite, but I like to make sure things don’t go wrong. Being with Landon helps me push my horizons and see what more I can do.”

Beckett said the coolest sailing experience he’s had with Landon was sailing from Laie Bay to Waimea. The 15-mile sail took three and a half hours, which was a quick speed for such a small boat, according to Beckett.

“It was exciting because we have this little boat and you’re off shore like a mile and half. And if something goes wrong, what are you going to do? Swim back?” said Beckett.

Landon said he enjoys inviting friends not only for the company but also because it’s the way he was introduced to sailing when he was in high school in California.

“I don’t want to preach about us all getting lost from our roots and not being able to connect anymore,” said Landon. “I do think I have an opportunity to give some people something they wouldn’t otherwise have that helps them get closer to themselves and get closer to the world around them.”

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Landon continued, “If someone wants to go sailing, I would love to take them. I want to give them that experience.”

Beckett continued, “He usually comes up with the crazy ideas and then I’m trying realistically [to] figure out, ‘Will that work?’ He pushes me to do things I wouldn’t do on my own. At least in my mind.”

Beckett added, “On [Landon’s] boat he’s the captain, so he’s going to make the calls.”

While he may be the captain of the ship, Landon was quick to acknowledge there are a lot of things he can’t control while he’s sailing.

“You feel really small once you get off the shore,” said Landon. “It brings me closer to the Creator and to the creation.”

Landon explained, “It’s so easy for us to get in our cars, turn the key over, and start driving where we want to go. But it’s a completely different experience to be at the mercy of nature.You have to work together to achieve a goal.You have to utilize and exploit what nature has to give you at that time to accomplish something.”

Beckett agreed, “There’s not a lot of things people our age get into where you have to understand nature. People should learn about sailing and try sailing [because] you have

to understand nature. It brings you closer to what’s going on around you.”

Both said surfing is similar because surfers have to watch the waves and know the tides and where the wind is coming from.

Beckett comparing the two said, “People surf and they have to understand how waves work, but sailing is both waves and wind and rain and whatever else comes at you.”

Landon said students who want to learn how to sail “should just go for it,” and shouldn’t “trip up because of what people say or because of what you think might go wrong.”

Beckett agreed, “The only way to learn sailing is to go out and actually try. People can tell you and show you, but until you actually get your hands on the boat and on the rigging, you’ll never learn.”

Landon said, “I first got into sailing because somebody liked me enough to take me out on their boat. I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for those people who have opened up their resources to allow me to have the experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I feel I should do the same with my friends.”

He continued, “I’ve been able to sail out here in Hawaii. I just wanted it badly enough to make it happen.” •

“That’s why I go out. It’s freedom.

It’s connection. It’s a challenge.

Every time you go out there’s obstacles you have to overcome.”

Landon Gold says he is grateful for his friends in high school who introduced him to sailing as it has given him experiences he wouldn’t have had otherwise. Photo by Abish Martin 58

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YSA stakes provide students with BYU football experience BYU fans enjoy the last football game of the season as the Cougars come out with a win B Y JO RDAN CO RTE Z

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he BYU Cougars won 30-20 against the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at the Nov. 25 football game at Aloha Stadium. Rooting for the Cougars were 372 students who were given already-purchased tickets from the Laie YSA 1st and 2nd Stakes, according to Mailefihi Niutupuivaha, the stake president of the YSA 1st Stake.

“The idea was spearheaded by my counselor, President Kehoe,” said Niutupuivaha. “He is over the activities for our stake. When he presented the idea to us, we were all in.”

The two stakes came together to provide the young single adult students with tickets, transportation, and a lunch. All costs were paid for by the individual stakes.

Jacob McGee, the assistant stake clerk for the YSA 1st Stake, said, “I remember being in President Kehoe’s ward when he was my bishop and he would organize Wet ‘n’ Wild trips for the ward with transportation and food. He’s a big believer of putting people in good places to have fun.”

Rylee Marshall, a freshman from Utah studying biology, said, “This was an experience I would not have been able to have if it weren’t for the free tickets. I would not have just bought tickets on my own because we are poor college students.

“I’ve never been to this stadium so it was a new experience. I love being surrounded by

all the students and people I know. It makes it so much more enjoyable than just being with random strangers.”

Kelly Beazer, a freshman from Arizona studying elementary education, said this was her first BYU game ever. “It’s so generous for them to provide these tickets for us because I know it was not cheap.” Beazer said the experience was a good break from school and the atmosphere was full of pride for the Cougars.

Aloha Stadium was somewhat empty as the two teams took to the field for warm-ups 50 minutes before kickoff.

According to the Honolulu Star Advertiser, around 19,256 fans attended the game, which still left more than half of the 50,000 seat capacity stadium empty.

Despite the lack of attendance and rainy weather, BYUH students wildly cheered while watching BYU’s last game of the season.

BYU ended what fans have described as a disappointing season with a 4-9 record this year, contrasting the Cougars’ 9-4 record from last year.

In the wake of the underwhelming season and two days after BYU defeated UH, the Cougars announced they have released Offensive Coordinator Ty Detmer from the coaching staff and are in search for another coordinator for next season, according to the Deseret News.

UH ended the night and the season with a 3-9 record.

The first half ended with BYU on top with a 13-7 lead despite Rhett Almond, the Cougars’ kicker, missing the wide left point after touchdown with 11 minutes and 31 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Almond also later missed a 26-yard field goal with 2 seconds left in the first half.

Joe Critchlow, a freshman quarterback for BYU, led the offense down the field in the third quarter and connected on an 11-yard pass to Neil Pau’u. The Cougars took a 20-7 lead with 1 minute and 39 seconds left in the quarter.

However, the Rainbow Warriors battled back in the fourth quarter. With 12 minutes and 23 seconds left in the game, the Warriors capitalized on a turnover and scored on a 15yard pass to Ammon Barker from the quarterback. The PAT was blocked by Corbin Kaufusi of BYU, making it a 20-13 game.

After a 35-yard field goal by Andrew Mikkelsen, BYU took a 10-point lead, then stopped the Warriors on a 4th down and 4 on the following possession. Some of the crowd could be seen filing out of the stadium as BYU again scored on an 11-yard rush with 3 minutes and 46 seconds remaining for a 30-13 lead.

The Warriors followed with a 6 play, 75yard drive for a touchdown with 1 minute and 48 seconds remaining in the game, but to no avail. • Laie YSA students show up in the hundreds to support the BYU Cougars. Photo by Olivia Tsan DECEMB ER

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Students wrap Fall Semester 2017 as they also prepare for the Christmas break.

Photo by Alvin Vincent Dy