Ke Alaka'i - June 2017

J U N E 2 017 ¡ Vo l u m e 117 : I s s u e 4

THE LEAD ER

Graduation Special Issue

Pa g e 2 2 S e n i o r g ra d u ati on speake r s a y s f a m i l y i s hi s moti vati on

Page 34 & 36 Tw o fac ulty c o uples are preparing to retire

Page 40 25th anniversary o f P CC’s Sam o an Fireknife Co mp et i t i o n

JUNE 2017 • VOLUME 117 • ISSUE 4

ADVISOR Le e A n n Lam ber t MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS Patrick Campbell Adam Case Gosuke Kawano

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Josh M ason COPY EDITORS Kev i n Brown Danna Osumo Alex Maldonado

Alyssa Odom

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Leslie Owusu

O l iv i a Tsan

Brooklyn Redd

Chant al Hopper

Malia Diaz

Al v i n Vi ncent Dy

Jaime Faoliu

ART & GRAPHICS

Antoniette Yee

Lex i e Kapel i el a

VIDEOGRAPHERS Kelsy Simmons Khoon An A rman d o Ja red Leon AD MANAGER

Dorot hy Chi u ART DIRECTOR Kyungj i Ki m SOCIAL MEDIA Kel sy Si m m ons

Go su ke Kawano

NEW S CE N T ER BOX 1920 BYUH LAIE, HI 96762 PUBLISHER P r int Ser vi ces Editorial, photo submissions & distribution inquiries: ke a l a k a i @ by u h . e d u .

To s u b s c r i b e t o t h e R S S F E E D o r t o v i e w a d d i t i o n a l a r t i c l e s , go t o ke a l a k a i . by u h . e d u

CONTACT

Email: keal akai @by u h. edu Ad Information: keal akai ads@gmai l . com Phone: (80 8 ) 6 7 5 -3 6 9 4 Fax: (8 0 8 ) 6 7 5 -3 4 9 1 Office: BYU -Hawai i Al oha Cent er 13 4 ON THE COVER:

Filipino senior Jared Lucenta, pictured with his family, will be the student graduation speaker for the Spring 2017 Commencement. Photo by Chantal Hopper

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.

CO R R E CTIO N

In the April 2017 issue of the Ke Alaka‘i, Dr. John Bell was misquoted in the Campus Changes article.You can read the corrected version online at kealakai.byuh.edu. We regret the errors.

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PH OTO SUBMISSIO N Albatross birds are pictured from the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on the North Shore of Oahu.

Photo by Chantal Hopper

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

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

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

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JUNE 2017 • VOLUME 117 • ISSUE 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS CAMPUS LIFE

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A day in the life of Kaitlyn Bourne Vocal performance major says mission life causes her to switch from studying medicine

12 Surviving Finals Week

Personal management skills and tips on how to do well on final exams

14 Healthy Living Club

New student association promotes good health practices, supports individual goals

18 Politician comes home for honor Former Hawaii state representative Feki Pouha is new Office of Honor manager

FEATURE

22 Graduation speaker Accounting major to speak at graduation, motivated by family to succeed

26 Beka from saves the world Graduating senior originally planned to join military, says God brought her to BYUH

28 Painting powerful women Graduating art student portrays worth of women through art in senior show 4

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Passion over pressure Graduating senior says switching to music major fulfills mother’s dream

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Goodwills retiring Professor couple “transition to new things” after 23 years of teaching at BYU-Hawaii

36 Returning, not retiring Chad and Cynthia Compton leave to be with family after 25 years at BYU-Hawaii

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Campus Comment Seniors answer: What are you going to do after you graduate?

LOCAL NEWS

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Keep the flame of culture burning Samoan warrior wins 25th Annual World Fireknife Championship at PCC

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Undergraduate research Science students present in competition, retiring professor gives keynote address

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48 Empowering Dreams Entrepreneurs: Competition encourages students to build their own careers

54 Hurricane preparedness

Experts say to make plans and practice it before water rises this season

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58 Hatching into a butterfly

Dance concert features variety of dancers with theme of learning to fly

C A L E N D A R

JUNE

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THURSDAY Graduation Commencement at 9:30 a.m. in the CAC.

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FRIDAY Sliding into Summer Dance in the Aloha Center Ballroom.

Check OrgSync for details.

JULY

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THURSDAY Blood Drive in Aloha Center Ballroom starting at 9:15 a.m.

AUGUST 5

SATURDAY Hawai’iana Service Day in the Aloha Center at 7 a.m.

Buses will take participants to locations.

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SATURDAY Summer Cinema activity at the Polynesian Cultural Center Hukilau Marketplace.

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THURSDAY Ohana Meeting for all staff and faculty at 8 a.m. in the McKay Auditorium.

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OPIN ION

Resurrecting Marxism: Might this be America’s Baal?

B Y TROY SM I TH P R O F E S SO R O F PO L I TI CAL SCI E N CE

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O

n Christmas Day 1991, Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, sat down in front of TV cameras to sign a document that would forever abolish the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and end the Cold War. Placing his pen to the paper Gorbachev tried to sign his name, then tried again – no ink flowed from his pen. A producer from the American CNN film crew handed him a Mont Blanc pen with which Gorbachev then delivered the coup de grâce to the Soviet empire1. Hollywood could not have scripted a more fitting allegory for the final moment of communism’s capitulation to democratic capitalism.

If you have been following the news, you know about Venezuela - the latest Marxist regime and economy to implode. Has there been a single Marxist success? Not one.

Despite Marxism’s utter failure around the world, we are seeing its resurrection today.

The most obvious example is the growing influence of former presidential candidate and avowed socialist Bernie Sanders. Sanders’ economic plans, says Austan Goolsbee, University of Chicago economist and advisor to President Obama, are as close to reality as “flying magic puppies with winning [lottery] tickets tied to their collars.”

But it isn’t just Bernie who is resurrecting socialism – Marxism is an increasingly common feature at universities where it is subverting the very logic and reasoning that birthed the principles and institutions of Western civilization, individual rights, and a free and open society.

Consider the state of colleges across the nation. Increasingly violent student protestors seek to silence speech, prevent the execution of laws, and stop Halloween costumes they find unsettling. College administrators presume victims are honest and deny the accused their due process rights. Faculty trying to uphold standards by inquiring whether a student plagiarized a paper are accused by other faculty of racism. Lost in this political correctness maelstrom is a value for truth as discovered through open dialogue even when that means airing uncomfortable ideas.

How has America moved so far from its

roots? It is not uncommon for conquerors to adopt the religion or philosophy of those they conquered. Ancient Israel turned away from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and His covenant to worship Baal. Conquering Rome adopted Greece’s gods and philosophy. American progressives of the 20th Century rejected the founding fathers’ constitutional balance of powers in favor of a European hierarchical model. Today, a similar process is under way as growing segments of universities extol the virtues of the latest incarnations of Marxism, such as critical theory, and denigrate democratic capitalism and the Western liberal order.

Proponents of this ideology knew they could not defeat Western values and principles with a head-on confrontation. Instead, they adopted Antonio Gramsci’s strategy to pursue a “long march through the institutions” of Western society – that is, acquire positions in Western institutions then subvert and corrode those institutions from the inside.

Their cover is their claim to help the poor, dispossessed, and suffering. And many of them naively believe that is what their ideas will do – just as many Western intellectuals falsely believed that Stalin would help the poor, dispossessed, and suffering (“useful idiots” is what Stalin called those idolizing Western intellectuals.)

Marxism’s preeminent scholar, Leszek Kolakowski, concluded that Marxism inevitably leads to slavery, and makes people stupid.

By proclaiming to provide a simple answer to everything – history, economics, and politics – Marxism leads people to neglect facts, truth, and basic logic.

Kolakowski’s criticism of leading critical theorist Herbert Marcuse applies to most campus protestors today. “Contempt for technique and organization goes hand in hand with a distaste for all forms of learning that are subject to regular rules of operation or that require vigorous effort, intellectual discipline, and a humble attitude towards facts and the rules of logic. It is much easier to shirk the laborious task and to utter slogans about global revolution transcending our present civilization and uniting

knowledge and feeling.” Marcuse, Kolakowski concluded, replaces reason with “slogans,” “ex cathedra statements,” and “bombast concealing poverty of thought.”

The same tactics and poverty of thought are found in current college protestors. Frank Bruni, the liberal New York Times columnist who covers higher education, noted that these college campus protestors are responding with nothing more than “character slurs,” which demonstrates, he believes, a failure to understand, and inability to engage with, ideas contrary to their own2.

That these events are happening on college campuses across the country is not that surprising when one realizes that many academic disciplines have given up on rules of logic and reasonableness in favor of justificatory and rationalizing proclamations. One of the leading scholars of this development, Jonathan Haidt, says many academic disciplines have become “tribal moral communities” that indoctrinate rather than instruct.

Bruni and Haidt believe the solution is greater intellectual diversity on college campuses. That could facilitate a return to teaching the discipline of logic and the principles of liberal democracies and market economies that have raised more people out of poverty than anything else in the entire history of the world3.

Staying the current course, however, may be America’s Baal.

1

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/5e852474-0831-

11e4-9afc-00144feab7de.html -- “So on Christmas day (western-style: Russian Christmas is later, on

January 7) 1991, Gorbachev announced his resigna-

tion, and the end of the Soviet Union – as Plokhy puts

it, “effectively acknowledging the United States as the sole remaining superpower on the face of the earth”.

In a piece of much-noticed symbolism, his Soviet

pen didn’t work: a CNN producer gave him the Mont Blanc with which he signed himself into history.”

2 3

https://charlierose.com/videos/30146

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2016/0207/

Progress-in-the-global-war-on-poverty

FOR A N Y I N Q U I R I ES A B O U T T H E ART I CL E , CON TACT TR OY SM I TH AT TR OY S M I T H @ B Y U H . E D U

In this Jan. 20, 2017 photo, protestors gather in front of Kane Hall on the University of Washington campus where right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was giving a speech in Seattle. Photo by AP J U NE

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campus life

in this section A day in the life of vocal performance major Kaitlyn Bourne Personal and time management tips for finals week

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New student association provides support for health goals and encourages healthy living

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Former Hawaii state representative Feki Pouha hired as Office of Honor manager

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Kaitlyn Bourne

VOCAL Major B Y GO SU K E KAWAN O Kaitlyn Bourne said she was inspired on her mission to switch from becoming a doctor to a music major. Photo by Alvin Vincent Dy

Kaitlyn Bourne, a senior vocal major from Utah, said she hopes to use music to inspire others and bring people together. “Music is so uplifting. That is why I think we use music so much in the gospel,� she said.

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What made you decide to study this major?

“I’ve always loved singing ever since I was little but was inclined to study medicine to be a doctor. When I went on a mission, I felt this divine inspiration that God didn’t give me this talent for me not to use it. So coming out of my mission, I knew that I was going to sing and pursue something that I love regardless of whether I thought it was practical, which I now realize it is.”

What makes your major unique?

“I think in a lot of majors, a lot of it is memorization or gaining knowledge, which is also in music, but music is also about training skills. I can memorize all I want about music history, music theory, and composition, but fundamentally if I cannot perform, then what am I? For me, what makes this major so different is that it is not only studying and memorizing all the time - the way most college students are - but also spending a lot of time practicing.”

What do you want to do with it?

“My plan is to go on to grad school to study opera and train more because I’m still so young. A bachelor’s degree in vocal performance is kind of just scratching the surface as far as talent and training goes. I would also like to go to Europe. There is a huge classical music market there.”

Describe a typical day “I wake up early and have class basically from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday. I teach private lessons to students and people from the community in the evenings.Then I usually get home between around 6:30 and 7 p.m. and do homework. I also need to put in an hour of vocal practice a day. So I usually get all things done by around 9 in the evening. It’s a long day, but when you do what you love, it’s worth it.”

Number of people in the major “I believe there are approximately 20 students in vocal performance. It’s not a huge program. Even in the music program, maybe there are about 50 to 70 students in total.”

Time spent in a day “I usually spend about 10 hours a day working and doing homework like singing and listening to music.We have a lot of listening.”

Pros “We get to do what we love and do it to influence other people.

I cannot think of a better way to spread peace than with music, because although we might not speak the same language, everybody can listen to a piece of music and take something away from it. I think as a music major, you have that ability to unite others though these musical experiences.”

Favorite Class “I love all of the music history classes talking about what we know about music, where it came from, and how it was built and has evolved. I also like the vocal and opera literature classes where we dive into songs that we would never be exposed to otherwise, because there are thousands upon thousands of songs to sing. I love finding new music to love.”

Cons “It’s very time consuming. I can say that if you are not dedicated to it, you’d hate it.You have to put in the effort because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t progress and you’d be frustrated. The music field is very saturated with very talented people, so it’s very competitive.”

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START RIGHT AND BRIGHT Try and get an early start each morning. Getting work done early will increase your productivity throughout the day and help you accomplish more.

STAY ACTIVE Head to the gym, go for a ride on the Maleakahana bike path, or take a run around Laie. Make time for exercise.

USE YOUR RESOURCES Pay a visit to your professor during office hours, utilize oncampus tutors, or spend time studying in the library rather than being distracted in your room.

AVOID SOCIAL MEDIA As fun as it is to Snapchat your friends and watch funny videos on YouTube, take a break from those things for the week.

SERVE Serving others is one way to feel better about yourself and your circumstances. A few ideas are to surprise a studying student with a snack, pick up litter around campus, or send someone and encouraging note.

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k e e W s l ina

S u r v i va l G u i de B Y A LY SSA

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HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE! Staying hydrated will help you feel more alert and ready to conquer your exams. Dehydration causes fatigue and headaches, which will distract you and make studying more difficult.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER Don’t try to do everything at once. Make a plan, prioritize, and don’t over-think your tasks.

GET SOME SLEEP Getting a good night’s sleep throughout the week will help you stay more focused and have more energy.

“TREAT YO’ SELF” After studying for a few hours, concentration will likely be fading and a break is necessary.

Take some time to buy yourself some ice cream or go for a quick trip to the beach. Whatever you consider a treat, treat yourself to it.

TAKE A WALK To the temple, the beach, or even your fridge – a change of scenery can often make studying more effective. Take a quick break to enjoy the beauty of the island, then get back to work.

Graphics by Dorothy Chiu

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Campus Life

Healthy body, happy life New student association promotes good health practices, supports individual goals

BY MA LIA D I AZ

From left to right: Jeremy De Guzman, treasurer; Chantal Hopper, secretary; Brooklyn Redd, president; Kawika Wise, vice president of activities and Rachel Roundy, vice president of service and careers. Photo by Alvin Vincent Dy

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YU Hawaii’s Healthy Living Student Association focuses on improving all areas of health and wellness through nutrition, exercise, and awareness. Brooklyn Redd, president of the association and an international cultural studies junior from New Mexico, said she was inspired to create the association because of experiences with health she had during her childhood and with her family.

Redd explained, “My father is a doctor who uses alternative medicine, and my mother is a nutritionist who always emphasized the importance of health. There was a time my dad was really sick when I was little. I remember it was difficult for him to work and really hard on us as a family.

“My parents’ example is an inspiration to me to help others be healthy and to know it’s really not that hard. Life becomes easier when you’re healthy rather than when you’re not.

“When I was young, we were afraid my dad was going to pass away because he was really sick.” She said she learned there are different ways to deal with hard situations in life, like sicknesses, from her father’s example of changing his diet and living a healthy lifestyle, which helped him to be able to provide for her family. “My parents are good examples with how to deal with things,” she added.

Redd said she also discovered the benefits of healthy living through her own trials growing up. “I had depression and anxiety. I found Continues on Page 16

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The Healthy Living Student Association focuses on learning about and supporting a healthy lifestyle. Photo by Alvin Vincent Dy Continued from Page 15

that when I was eating healthy, exercising, and sleeping enough, that’s when I was able to overcome them. I have a testimony that healthy living really can change your life.”

Jeremy De Guzman, treasurer of the association, said, “I enjoy being with the people, especially the presidency members. We encourage each other to keep our goals to stay healthy. I’m working to heal from my injuries so accidents and problems don’t arise. Once you’re not healthy, it’s hard to come back from it.”

Over 50 students signed up for the association this semester, said Redd. Guzman, an exercise science senior from Texas, said, “It’s crazy because we’re so new. We thought we would be lucky just to get 15. There are a lot of people interested in it.”

Rachel Roundy, an exercise science junior from Utah, works at the gym and is the association’s vice president of careers. She said, “Brooklyn came to me and asked if we could start a healthy living club. It’s something I’ve always been passionate about since I was a little girl. My parents emphasized healthy eating. I feel so much better when I’m taking care of my body. When you’re healthy, you can more easily listen to your body.”

Redd expressed deep appreciation to her presidency and said she chose them because each one has a passion for health. “I really pondered on who would be good for our team and who would be able to advocate well. They are all amazing assets,” she said.

Kawika Wise, vice president of activities, said, “When you have the coolest people in the presidency, it’s hard to resist. I definitely care about my health. I just love to

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exercise and I care about my body because my body is a beautiful temple.”

Wise, a senior from Laie majoring in Hawaiian Studies, added, “We just want everyone to become better versions of themselves and this club is the place to be.”

The association’s main goal is for people to learn, said Redd. “No one should feel intimidated,” she said. “We want people to see what it’s like to see the difference eating, and doing healthy things can help you live a happy life.You think as a student it’s so expensive to eat healthy food. My family struggled financially when I was growing up, but we were able to do it.You just need motivation and willingness.”

Roundy added, “On Instagram and fitness pages, people are constantly comparing themselves to others. This is not like that. It’s about feeling good, and [it’s about] all aspects of health. It isn’t about getting or having a perfect body. None of us want people to feel intimidated.”

This semester, the association has held exercise activities where members do Zumba and yoga. On May 27, members went to meditate with the Buddhist monks at the Sacred Falls International Meditation Center. About 23 students attended and learned how to focus on breathing and positive thoughts to push away negative thoughts, said Redd. “They said if you’re able to focus on your breath 24/7, that’s when you’re able to live in the moment and focus on the positive things going on,” she added.

For more information on association activities, visit the BYUHSA Healthy Living Association Facebook page or OrgSync page.

Protein Pancakes, a.k.a. “Buffcakes” (makes 4-5 small pancakes) RECIP E FRO M : R AC H E L R O U N DY

1 scoop protein powder (chocolate is best) 1 banana 1 egg 3 tbsp oats 1 tbsp milk 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (if you want it sweeter) Shredded coconut to taste 1.

2.

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Grease frying pan and turn stove to medium heat.

Mash the banana in a medium-size bowl so it’s soft like baby food.

Add protein powder and egg. Mix together.

Add oats, milk, and shredded coconut.

If pan is heated, pour mix onto pan.

Let cook for 30-60 seconds, then flip.

Serve with peanut butter, banana slices, and coconut on top

Piping hot plate of “Buffcakes.” Photo by Olivia Tsan

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Alumnus returns home to lead Office of Honor Law school graduate and politician says blessing come from living the Code BY: A NTO N I E T T E Y E E

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Feki Pouha says he is ready to help students develop integrity and character. Photo by Chantal Hopper

he new Office of Honor Manager Feki Pouha, a former Hawaii state representative, said it is an honor to give back and serve BYU-Hawaii. “My family felt strong in serving and giving back,” Pouha said. “Those were things I was taught growing up. I felt that I should grab any chance to come back and serve in BYUH, especially after serving in government and learning things in law. I also felt I could be helpful to the university and students as well.”

As an alumnus, Pouha said he is a firm believer of President David O. McKay’s prophecy about BYUH. “This place aims to produce genuine gold men and women who can be instruments to the establishment of peace. I love and support this mission,” Pouha said.

He graduated with a law degree from BYU in Provo and was a state representative of the 47th House District. “I enjoyed my work as a state representative. I was able to apply the things I learned as a law student, and I know I did my best to improve the community.”

Pouha was also student body president at BYUH from 2006-2007. As an undergraduate in Hawaiian Studies program, he worked as part of the first crew to help carve and maintain the Iosepa, a 57-foot traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe now housed at the Polynesian Cultural Center. He also helped to document the first crew members’ oral histories involving the Iosepa, according to www.Hawaii.org.

Pouha said, “One of the reasons why I came to work in BYUH is my family has been here for quite a few generations. My grandparents were labor missionaries at the PCC. My parents met in BYUH. I also met my wife, Kieiki Pouha, here.”

Pouha said he officially became the new Office of Honor manager on April 17, and the main principles he will follow are integrity, character, and honor. “Every day has been very interesting since I started working here. We’re trying to emphasize and help people remember the education here is not only academic, but also a moral component to character development. That’s what sets apart this university from other universities.”

He continued, “My prayer goes to everybody, especially those who are part of this university ohana, to follow the ideals we have committed to.”

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Feki Pouha

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Manager

FEKI Pouha was student body president from 20062007

Became the new Office of Honor manager on April 17, 2017

Graduated with a law degree from BYU

While attending BYUH, he met his wife, Kieiki Pouha

Former Hawaii State Representative

Pouha said his prior accomplishments influenced him to return and manage the Office of Honor. Graphic by Lexie Kapeliela Continued from Page 19

Pouha said his role is to remind students to live within the Honor Code’s standards, settle challenges, and make sure the safety of the campus is not compromised. “Everyone makes mistakes. [They are] opportunities to re-evaluate our choices and make sure we’re in the right direction.”

Pouha said the Honor Code can bless lives and be used as a teaching tool to help students develop better characters. “I find the Honor Code to be true as I strive to live it and do my best. I have had many blessings and that’s what people can find too.

“We also believe in the spiritual aspects as well. If you keep yourself clean, you will receive more blessings, answers to prayers, and you will be able to have a full experience at BYUH that can help you for the rest of your life.”

Dana Templeman, director of the Office of Honor, said she is confident Pouha will be an asset to the office. “Feki has the qualifications, compassion, and a sense of humor. He is very articulate and has a good nature.”

Templeman said their team supports Pouha and will get him ready to manage the Office of Honor. “He’s catching on so quickly and he has already exceeded my expectations.”

She explained how she has worked for the LDS Church for 24 years, and it’s time for her to retire. “I’m so happy to leave the Office of Honor in great hands.”

Mele Lesuma, former manager who is temporarily working at the Office of Honor and is originally from Fiji, said the Honor Code office was changed to Office of Honor to better represent the commitment of students to the school. “We are here to help students fulfill their goals and commitments by reminding them to adhere to the code.”

Lesuma said their team was divinely guided when they were hiring a new manager. “We know that Brother Pouha is the right person to lead this office.”

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Lesuma advised students to keep in mind the commitment that comes with studying at BYUH. “If we abide by the standards, we will be successful and happy not only here, but also when we pursue our goals.”

Sister Tanner, a senior missionary at the Office of Honor, said, “Our job is just learning how to serve and help the students and university.”

Pouha explained it could be hard for students to see the benefits of the code because they don’t want to be treated like children. He said the way students view the Honor Code is the problem. “Instead of seeing it as a hindrance, you should look at it as a protection that would help you change your behavior to your benefit.”

When students don’t follow the code, he said, they are missing out on opportunities to learn, grow, and become more than they are now.

“See what a great person you can become by following the Honor Code [instead of] seeing what you can get away with,” he counseled. “In the end, you will hurt yourself and miss out opportunities and eventually hurt others if you choose to disobey.”

He said the Office of Honor wants to give people the opportunity to correct themselves as much as possible. “We don’t want to tell you what to do. We don’t want to tell you that you’re wrong. We believe in being responsible and having agency. That may be true as you commit to follow [the Honor Code] and continually recommit yourself.

“Just like brushing your teeth, if you didn’t brush for a long time no one wants to be around you. Same thing with the Honor Code. It is made to protect each other, the university, and to keep our campus a safe place.”

He advised students to go to the BYUH website to report any concerns they may have. “There’s due process for every report we receive, and we need evidence. If there are patterns of misconduct, it should be reported.”

feature

in this section Student commencement speaker Jared Lucenta says family motivated him to succeed

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Music senior says switching to music major has fulfilled his own passion and his mother’s dream

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Graduating biology major originally planned on joining military, says God brought her to BYUH

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Roger and Sanoma Goodwill retire after 23 years of teaching at BYU-Hawaii

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Esther Candari presents art on powerful women in her life for final show at BYUH

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Chad and Cynthia Compton are retiring after 25 years of instructing BYUH students

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Campus Comment: What are you going to do after you graduate?

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Fe a t u r e

Graduating with family & faith Accounting major chosen as commencement speaker, motivated by wife and son to succeed in education

BY A NTO N I E T T E Y E E

Jared Lucenta said his family motivated him to succeed in his studies.

Photo by Chantal Hopper

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Fe ature

“We should not forget to ask help from the Lord to accomplish great things,” said Filipino student Jared Lucenta, who was chosen as graduation speaker for the Spring 2017 Commencement. He said he will base his graduation speech on President Thomas Monson’s quote, “Our future is as bright as our faith.”

Lucenta shared the most important aspect of his university life is his family. He started as a single student and said his school work was good. But when he got married and had a son, he was more inspired to study. “My family made my studies more joyful, and I became more motivated to do better in school. I was not only thinking about myself; I put my family on top of my priority list.”

Lucenta said he could not believe he was chosen to speak because he is a quiet person and is not good at public speaking. He is honored and grateful to be given the chance to speak in behalf of the graduating students, he added.

“I received an email asking me to meet with the Vice President of Academics, Dr. John D. Bell,” said Lucenta. He said he thought it was a survey for graduating students. “When I told my wife about it, she got scared and asked me if I did something wrong. It felt like I was called to the principal’s office,” he said while laughing.

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Rebecah Lucenta, Jared’s wife and a senior studying social work from the Philippines, said she is very proud of her husband.

“He deserves it,” she said. “Jared really worked hard for this, and he is very good in balancing his time with his family and studies.”

“I feel jealous because I am not graduating yet,” Rebecah said while laughing. “Jared is a very humble person to the point that we can’t believe he is the graduation speaker.”

Jared explained small classes made his studies easier and fun. “Accounting is hard, but through the personal relationship built with my teachers, it helped me forget about all the stress in class.”

Lucenta shared the advice he learned from an alumnus to study two weeks in advance for each class. He said, “Studying in advance has helped me participate in class discussions. I also create a questionnaire based on the book and my notes to test myself.

“I also sacrificed most of my Saturdays to study, but I regret it because I missed some activities. Since it is my last semester, I am making the most out of my time here to explore Oahu more.”

Rebecah said her husband is very into studying, unlike her. “He inspires me and always reminds me to do my best.”

Lucenta explained how he surpassed one struggle as a college student and a father. “My wife had postpartum depression. Our baby experienced seizures and we thought he was going to die,” he said.

“We went to three emergency rooms. A Mormon ad came to my mind that says: “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come unto you.” Through faith and constant prayer, he said his son is now in good condition.

Rebecah shared her husband’s advice to her every time they encounter trials: “He would always say to have faith, just do your best, and God will do the rest.” She added, “Being married to him is a blessing because I learned a lot.

“Our experience here is very meaningful in so many ways. We learned a lot from our hardships, but we always believed that at the end of the rain is a rainbow,” added Rebecah.

“We had a hard time financially. Jared would always remind me about the miracle of tithing.

It always works.”

Adreil Maguale, a freshman from the Philippines majoring in business management, said Lucenta was already a consistent honor student in the Philippines before he even came to BYUH. “I am not surprised that he is graduating summa cum laude because I already expected he would be able to reach it,” he said. “Since he

Left: Jared Lucenta is graduating summa cum laude; Right: The Lucenta family will be staying around as Jared does an internship with the Institutional Research Department. Photos by Chantal Hopper

has a family, I was just a little worried because I know it is hard to balance it with school. I am happy he is graduating with honors.”

Lucenta was Maguale’s youth leader, and both went on the same mission according to Maguale. “He is favored of the Lord. I look up to him so much, and I even call him prophet because he is so righteous,” Maguale added.

Maguale said Lucenta made a huge impact in his life. He said, “He was my inspiration on my mission. Even though he was a consistent honor student, he was willing to cut all the benefits from school to go on a mission. There was a point in my life when I wanted to finish my studies first, but Jared inspired me to go on a mission.”

“He also inspired me to go to BYUH.” Maguale said. “When I was on my mission, I heard he was going to BYUH. I was inspired to go and took the Michigan test on my mission.

Now I am here.”

Maguale shared he once went to Lucenta’s house in the Philippines and saw a board filled with goals that had a specific year to finish a mission, go to BYUH, and get married. He said, “I even asked his mom how did they raise Jared to become who he is now.

“When we were in youth, Jared was a bully, but he had a mighty change of heart. His

mom told me that Jared would lock himself in his room and read the scriptures. He also inspired me to read the scriptures everyday.”

Being able to graduate from BYUH is a dream come true, said Lucenta. “I am grateful to all the people who donated and made IWORK available. Given the financial circumstance we have back home, I was able to come attend here.”

Lucenta said, “I am very happy to be part of this great university and meet international people who are willing to help. Professors were always there to help willingly. Even though a class is hard, they make it simple and fun for students.

“The education offered here in BYUH is not only academic. It is all about everything. I get to balance both secular and spiritual aspects in life.”

Lucenta gave a smile when he said, “You cannot just pray and chill.You have to do your part to attain your goals.

“I am graduating with my family. Throughout my whole BYUH experience, I felt the Lord’s help. The Lord poured so many blessings to us, especially to our son.”

After graduation, Lucenta is going to do his academic training with the Institutional Research Department on campus. He said he

recently received an email about the position and was not expecting it. “I was looking for accounting positions, but they emailed me without my knowledge about it,” he added.

Lucenta garnered academic acclaim by graduating Summa Cum Laude, becoming SAP certified, and being a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society while studying accounting.

GRAD UATI O N I S O N JUNE 8

The Spring 2017 Commencement will take place on June 8 at the Cannon Activities Center, and the guest speaker will be Elder Ulisses Soares, a General Authority Seventy.

Elder Soares received a bachelor’s of arts in accounting and economics from the Pontificia Catholic University School of Economic and Science. He has served as a full-time missionary, elders quorum president, counselor in a bishopric, high councilor, stake executive secretary, regional welfare agent, stake president, and president of the Portugal Porto Mission from 2000-2003.

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Beka Frome saves the world Graduating biology major says unexpected circumstances part of God’s plan to bring her to BYUH B Y L E SL I E O W U SU

Beka Frome said she wants to pursue a career in conservation biology because she loves the beauty of the earth. Photo by Olivia Tsan

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espite not being able to accomplish her dreams of joining the military and attending a Californian university because of an unexpected diagnosis, Beka Frome said attending BYUHawaii was the best decision she has ever made. Now that she is graduating, Frome said she plans to pursue a career in conservation biology.

Frome, a senior from Bozeman, Montana, majoring in biology and minoring in biochemistry, said the journey of attending BYUH was not always clear from the beginning. As a high school student, she was competitive and ambitious. She applied to a lot of universities and was accepted to several of them, including her dream school, University of California at San Diego.

She said, “I was so excited when I got in, but I was like ‘Whoa, I’m not a California resident.’ The [cost of attendance] was like $55,000 per semester, so I thought maybe I should rethink this for my undergrad. So I went through a lot of different options.”

One option that seemed the most viable was joining the military. “I always loved the military and I would love to be a part of it and serve my country,” said Frome. “I was talking to recruiting officers and starting that whole process because that was going to help pay for school and go to UCSD at the same time.”

However, during Frome’s senior year, she was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder that prevented her from eating gluten. She said, “I know people make fun of it, but it’s a real thing.

“When I got Celiac Disease, I was so frustrated because it also meant that I was no longer eligible to be in the military due to deployment and ration regulations. It was really hard for me, but I see now in hindsight that was the way of Heavenly Father showing me [I wasn’t] supposed to go to San Diego.

“Then after that, I decided I was going to BYUH because it was my second choice and I could afford it. It turned out being the exact perfect thing that I needed to do. I’m so grateful that it happened now. It’s hard still to have Celiac, but I know that I got it at that time so I could come here and have all the experiences that I’ve had here.”

Frome said her favorite thing about BYUH has been the people. “I hope that’s not cliché, but I look back and I think about the people I’ve met here and the friends I’ve made and I can’t imagine where I would have been without them. I have all these different cultures that I’ve fallen in love with. I’ve fallen in love with the islands. I’m so grateful and blessed that I could come to this school,” said Frome.

During her time at BYUH, Frome said being a teaching assistant has been her favorite job. Job Greenall, a freshman in biochemistry from California, is currently enrolled in BIOL 112 this semester, and said, “She took the time to meet me outside of her tutoring hours to help me. I’ve watched how busy her schedule is. She manages her time so well and she is able to knock out each item each day.”

Frome said she loves helping the students she tutors, and getting to share something she is so passionate about is what makes it all worth it. “A lot of the times there’ll be students who come in and they just can’t get something. I’ll feel myself starting to get a little frustrated. But the best part about my job is when they’re sitting there - and I’ve seen them struggle for hours or even weeks on a subject - and then finally they’re just like ‘Oooooohhh! I get it.’”

Frome said majoring in biology was not something she originally planned on pursuing in college. She said, “When I was in high school, history, English, and other subjects came really easily for me. As for math and science, I did it because they were challenging to me, but I didn’t really see a future in them for me.

“I guess I chose to be a biology major because it is challenging for me, but it is also so interesting and so rewarding. I want to do conservation biology because I believe we can’t, as humans, exist if our earth is not healthy and taken care of. It’s like malama ‘aina: taking care of the land.

“I love the ocean and I love the ecosystems there. I love protecting the reefs. If I ever see anyone snorkeling at Hanauma Bay or anywhere and they’re standing on the reef, I’m one of those annoying people who are like, ‘Hey, you know you’re not supposed to stand on the reef.’”

She said if more people respected the plants and creatures of all of earth’s ecosystems, there wouldn’t be as many problems with conservation.

Dr. Michael Murdock, an associate professor in the History Department, has had Frome in his classes and said, “She lifts everyone around her. All you have to do is get within 20 feet of Beka Frome and your day is better. Even if she’s having a bad day, she lifts others.”

This semester Frome enrolled in Murdock’s HIST 485 class but realized there was a scheduling conflict with her biology labs. Murdock said he changed his former syllabus and created a “Rebeka-Friendly Syllabus” so she would be able to attend the class and her labs. “She has an excellent work ethic. It makes me happy to see her. That’s why I adjusted my syllabus. I knew it’d be better with her in it,” he said.

After graduation, Frome said she wants to pursue a graduate degree. She said, “I’m thinking about going to school at UCSD or University of Hawaii and staying here on the island. I really just want to do research and work in conservation biology.”

Frome said she would like to be a professor or teach biology at her high school in Montana. “It will be a way to share my love of biology and my love of the earth with other people. I want to help the world. When I watch the sunset or when I stare out at the horizon and the waves, I just feel like I really want to protect things.”

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C a Fe m paut us rLei f e

Painting Powerful Women Graduating art major portrays worth of women through art in senior show

BY A NTO N I E T T E Y E E

Esther Candari’s artwork took eight months to prepare and was displayed in the lobby of the McKay Auditorium she said with hopes to reach out to women and remind them of their power and beauty. Photo by Chantal Hopper

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sther Candari, a graduating senior fine arts major from Kaneohe, showcased contemporary realism in painting and sculpture with the theme “Greater than Rubies” in the lobby of the McKay Auditorium on May 13.

Candari explained the title of her show refers to Proverbs 31:10: “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” She said, “My art show is not like an inyour-face sort of beauty but more of a reserved beauty.

“My goal is to capture the beauty of women on multiple levels, both outward and inward. I focused on more than just a beautiful face.”

Through her show, Candari said she wanted “to capture women who really understand their worth. Women who are powerful in what they are doing and making a difference in the world, yet they still remain very graceful and dignified people.”

The art show was also a service project; there was a drawer with stationary in it that was used to write letters of encouragement to women in desperate times. There was also a donation box for items such as hygiene products, first-aid materials, stationary, diapers, and socks. Candari said the items would be taken to a women’s shelter, prison, and an addiction recovery program.

“One of the objectives of the service project is to reach out to women who are kind of forgotten, having hard times, and those who need words of encouragement and love,” she said.

Every art piece was inspired by an amazing woman in her life, said Candari, and the subjects of her artwork are women whom she looks up to. “I personally interact with Sister Hippolite Wright and Sister Tanner, and they give me guidance and counsel,” she said. “Also, some of my classmates are my subjects because they have done amazing things [despite] how young they are.”

Candari decided to do her art show as a counterpoint to modern media. She said she did not like how women are so objectified in advertisements and supermodels who are photoshopped and sexualized.

“It is misrepresenting what a real woman is,” she said. “Just like the women dressed up as Continues on Page 30

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Candari said each art piece was inspired by an amazing woman in her life, such as Susan Tanner. Photo by Chantal Hopper Continued from Page 29

vaginas who marched in Washington D.C., I feel like women were used in a wrong way. We can promote women’s rights without being so vulgar about it,” Candari said.

She explained how she wanted to find something that was a counterpoint to the objectification of women without being too “churchy” or “crazy conservative.” She said, “The paintings of the church are so reserved, meek, and mild. I wanted something that was strong and fierce but still dignified.

“I try to capture the range of personalities of people who don’t have an amazing resume but are sweet and kind. Also, those whom I see and interact with on a day-to-day basis.”

One of Candari’s favorite pieces is called “All I Ask,” a portrait of Lillian Bradley, human rights activist holding her hands in front of her longingly. The painting is being auctioned on behalf of Bradley’s foundation, Fahodie for Friends in Ghana.

About the painting, Candari said, “I feel like I was able to capture the spirit I wanted. It is a piece that draws people in and they understand what I want them to understand with it.”

Bradley, a BYUH alumni, said she met Candari in front of the McKay Center and was told about the project. Bradley gave a photo of herself to Candari without any real knowledge of the project. “When I first saw the output, I was really amazed. Esther’s work is phenomenal,” she said.

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Bradley said there is so much passion in all the paintings, and it showcases Candari’s talent.

“What I really love about all the paintings is the representation of women as strong and beautiful. I also love her willingness to share her gift with all of us, which is really inspiring.”

Bradley said her favorite piece from the show was “Albania.” She said, “It is very relaxed and relatable. The colors are beautiful and I love the dark background. I also love the look in her eyes and it seems like she is contemplating and wondering.”

“Albania” is painted on mahogany veneer using oil, according to the printed description.

The subject of the painting is a woman wearing a dark green dress and a light green bandana.

She is looking on her left side while her arms are folded and resting on her stomach.

“Esther is so talented, kind, and she has a special gift. I am not a creative person, but she inspires me,” Bradley continued. “She is very original and not scared to try things. She inspires me in my everyday life not be scared and to create what I feel is important.”

The art show took eight months of preparation, said Candari. She lamented how every day was a struggle while creating her pieces. “Things can go wrong with painting, like the ideas I can’t capture and finding the time to get it all done in less than eight months... I spent six to eight hours a day, sometimes even 12 hours working on a piece.”

She said art invites people into a physical and emotional space. “When people walk in the hallway, they see my artwork that comes from the space. As they look closely, I want them to experience an emotional space. For women, I want them to get a feeling of empowerment; for guys, gratitude if they are looking at it for women in their lives.”

Braylee Gabel, a junior from Washington majoring in applied mathematics, said, “[Esther] is able to capture and embody so many feelings in just one painting. Her artwork express more than words can.”

Gabel said one of Candari’s strengths is her originality. “She painted on a piece of wood, and I always thought that paintings were painted on canvas. She also ripped out pieces of books and painted it.

“She inspires me to do what I want. Anybody can do math, but not everyone can paint like Esther can. People can see her passion in all the details on her artwork, and she knows the right type,” Gabel added.

Audrey Hyde, a community member and aunty of Candari, said she knows and loves the subjects of the show. She said, “She put a lot of passion into strong, righteous women in her paintings, and it is beautiful to see how they came out.

“Esther is very directed and knows what she wants to do, and she goes for it. I like how she displays the scriptures in her artwork.”

Each artwork captured women with a range of personalities who don’t have an amazing resume but are sweet and kind, said Candari. Photos by Chantal Hopper

Audience members at Candari’s show look at her painting “All I Ask,” which is based off of BYUH alumna and human rights activist Lillian Bradley.

The painting, Albania, is painted on mahogany veneer using oil and required six to eight hours a day of work to finish, said Candari.

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L i fe st y le College students Ryo Funajima was encouraged surf theclarinet web after years of to tryonthe while waiting in line. playing trumpet and trombone.

Photo Photo by

by AP. Alvin Vincent Dy

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Choosing passion over pressure Graduating senior says decision to switch to a music major fulfills his mother’s dream B Y GO SU K E KAWAN O

Although his family is not musically-oriented, Ryo Funajima, a graduating senior from Japan studying music, said his mother had “a longcherished hope” for her children to play musical instruments.

“I think that influence might have been a big part in my life,” he said. “I felt like I was [playing] because I wanted to make my mother’s dream come true. However, as time passed, I began to like music myself.” He said he first started to play the piano when he was 8 years old and he still plays for fun occasionally.

Although Funajima had been familiar with piano most of his early life, he said he began playing the trumpet and trombone in junior high school. Funajima said one day his piano teacher counseled him, “I think you’d be better off with clarinet because of the shape of your mouth.”

Even though he still had the lingering thought of the piano teacher’s remark, Funajima said he kept playing trumpet after going to high school with the goal of getting into a music university.

Funajima said he later succumbed to his teacher’s recommendation. He said, “I was very confident in trumpet, but I had an interest in various instruments, so that remark didn’t shock me. It just naturally sank into my heart at that time.”

After one year of practicing the clarinet, Funajima said he decided to go on a mission and was called to the Japan Tokyo Mission. He said he was able to use his musical talent on the mission.

“Around the middle of my mission, the use of music became very active for proselyting purposes, and our mission had a chance to pub-

lish mission CDs. We tried to make that happen by revolving around one musically talented missionary from Las Vegas and the help of another member who was attending a university of music in Tokyo.”

Funajima said they were able to make a connection with a recording company as well.

“At that time, they asked me to play the clarinet instead of playing the piano,” he said.

After his mission, Funajima said he went to Utah to study English and eventually decided to apply to BYUH. “I kind of wanted to go to BYU thinking I wanted to learn some English there instead of going to a university in Japan.”

When he first came to BYUH, he was taking marketing and business classes, but he said those classes were not the right fit for him.

“I felt I should do what I’d like to do instead.

That’s when I got to become acquainted with a music major friend, and I felt more strongly that I wanted to major in music,” he said.

One of the pivotal moments that helped him decide to change his major was when he said he performed with his music major friend, Koko Ohira, at a devotional shortly after his arrival at BYUH.

He recalled, “At her invitation, I was given this opportunity to play at the devotional, even though I was not a music major. I had a blast playing with her and decided to dive into my music journey.”

Funajima said the transition to a new major wasn’t easy. He said he felt like reconsidering his major “because there are many people, especially Japanese, who are majoring in business and working hard toward their clear visions for the future.” He said he was asked questions like, “What do you do in your music

major?” or, “What’s your career plan with your music major?”

The feeling Funajima felt from music stayed with him, and he wanted to be true to himself. “Music really fit me. There were moments when I worried from time to time, but it didn’t go to the point where I decided to change my major.”

His involvement in music enabled him to make contributions to Heavenly Father, he said.

“If I didn’t have any engagement in music, I wouldn’t have opportunities like playing during sacrament meeting, or performing as an ensemble at temples, or taking a tour to Maui to mingle with church members and local people there.”

He said he sees joy in music and is grateful for the blessing of having close connections with professors at BYU-Hawaii.

“Although BYUH is such a small campus, and it might not be as recognized as other BYUs, the music professors we have are really amazing people. There [aren’t] schools like BYUH where the professors remember your name, and we can learn from them closely,” he said.

There are different lessons Funajima has acquired through his major, he said, and he has been polishing his skills on his instruments. “I am learning every semester about the importance of making continuous effort. Through this major, I am learning directly that we obtain our success by working hard,” he said.

Funajima said after graduation he wants to start a restaurant in his hometown and look for ways to bring out the musical talent of God’s children in every aspect of his life.

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Local The Goodwills reminisce about their 23 years teaching in Hawaii. They will be moving to Arizona to be closer to grandchildren and has a list of things to yet accomplish. Photo by Chantal Hopper

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Goodwills are retiring Professor couple “transition to new things” after 23 years of teaching at BYU-Hawaii B Y ADAM CASE

“We have 65 boxes of books packed in the living room right now. I think that we will end up with around 100 boxes,” said retiring Associate Professor of English Sanoma Goodwill. Both she and her husband Roger, professor of biology, are retiring after around 23 years of teaching English and marine biology, respectively, at BYU-Hawaii.

About her final weeks before retirement, Sister Goodwill said, “It’s hard to be motivated sometimes. Once I get to the classroom I have fun, but I have some other things that I want to do in life. I would like to have time to work on family history. I was at the retirement party for the Compton’s yesterday and he said something very interesting. He said he doesn’t think of it as retirement, he thinks of it as ‘transitioning.’ I should adopt that. We are transitioning to new things.”

Both coming from military families, the Goodwills have lived across the world, ranging from Germany to Japan.

Sister Goodwill said, “My mom once counted that by the time I was 47 years old, I had moved 47 different times.”

When explaining how she and her husband met, she said, “Our paths crossed for one year in Arizona. We were both in high school.”

After both went to BYU and eventually got married, Brother Goodwill worked several different jobs, including a missile technician in the Air Force, a commercial fisherman, and a professor at a school in Kentucky. They eventually made their way to Hawaii and have taught at BYUH since. He said, “In 50 years of work, I have spent more than 30 of them in the Pacific.”

For his postretirement goals, Roger Goodwill said, “We are planning on doing genealogy and that kind of stuff, maybe even a church mission.You eventually get to a point where you can’t see and you can’t walk. Every

day I wake up and something else doesn’t work, so if you’re going to do some of those things, you need to actually go and do them at some point.”

The Goodwills said they are planning on moving to Gilbert, Arizona sometime after this summer. Sister Goodwill said, “Seven of our 13 grandchildren live in that area near Gilbert. I want to spend time with them, and I want to quilt. I am also thinking about taking a Spanish class and probably volunteering to teach literacy or something like that. I will probably still be teaching, just not so constantly. A church mission also sounds good though.”

When asked what he is going to do after retirement, Roger Goodwill said jokingly, “We are going to watch television.” He added, “There is a lot of work that hasn’t been done, so I am going to take that with me and continue it. My research has been divided into two areas: marine invertebrate biodiversity and this little bird called the Pacific golden plover. I’m not a bird guy, but I fell into it. I hope I will be able to continue that.”

For students looking to someday be teachers, Sister Goodwill said, “I think if a student is thinking about teaching, they need to not just be in love with the subject they are teaching, they need to really love being around people. It doesn’t matter whether it is pre-school or college, you really need to like people; you need to care about them.You need to be passionate about it, otherwise you will not be a good teacher and you won’t be happy.”

Keith Peterson, associate professor of English, said he has taught multiple classes and presented at conferences with Sister Goodwill.

When asked how he felt about her retirement, he said, “She deserves it. She has been working so hard for more than 20 years, taking a full load. She also teaches mostly the harder writ-

ing classes instead of major classes, which are generally easier to teach.”

Peterson said the Goodwills “do some of the best service at our school without drawing attention to themselves [and] have truly served the world during their time here.”

Regarding the legacy Brother Goodwill hopes to leave, he said, “I don’t know if there is one. I was chair [of the Biology Department] for 17 years, picking it up from where somebody else left it off. Things change. I can see how they are changing it in some ways already, and it can make you feel bad. On the other hand, they are the ones that have to run the program after I leave and things change.

“Things always have to be tweaked. I would guess that in a year, students won’t even know we were here. Those students who knew us will have graduated and moved on, and some of the faculty will have moved on. So I think the legacy is more in the fingerprints we leave. If I leave a document, it will be put in a filing cabinet and it doesn’t change much really. But if a student comes in and isn’t doing well or doesn’t know how to do well, and you go in and teach them how to do better, how to study better, you have left a fingerprint on that person.”

About her own legacy, Sister Goodwill said, “I feel the same way as my husband. I like to help students remember learning in my class and [the] learning being fun. I would love it if three generations from now somebody said, ‘Oh, my great-grandmother took English from Sister Goodwill at BYU-Hawaii, and that’s why I loved Beowulf.’ I think the legacy is the students who have grown and learned in our classes.”

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Fe ature College students Cynthia and Chad Compton say surf the to web theyon want retire so they can while in line. spendwaiting more time with their family..

Photo Photo by

by AP. Olivia Tsan

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Comptons to retire After a quarter of a century, Chad and Cynthia Compton say Aloha ‘Oe to BYU-Hawaii B Y L E SL I E O W U SU

Chad and Cynthia Compton will be retiring from teaching at BYU-Hawaii to take care of her mother and be able to attend family milestones they’ve missed, said Chad. During the 25 years they’ve been here, Cynthia said they’ve only been to two family weddings.

Supporting her parents is the primary reason, said Chad, but they are also looking forward to getting back to all the baptisms, weddings, and other important family events they’ve missed.

In regards to the timing and reasons behind retiring, Chad, a professor of International Cultural Studies, said, “We’ve been away from family for 35 years, and we never wanted to be. On two occasions we intended to leave, but we had that stupor of thought telling us that heaven had other plans for us. We stayed, but now [Cynthia’s] parents are a little older, and it would be nice to be there to support them.

“We didn’t get a block this time, no stupor when we thought of leaving. Though we are very uncertain about where we should be and what we should be doing to help, other than family and her parents.”

Before working at BYUH, Chad was teaching at Loyola Marymount University and Cynthia at Pierce Junior College in California.

Due to a goal of applying to five universities a year, he applied to BYUH one year because he needed a fifth place but didn’t intend on going.

After being contacted and turning down multiple offers to be interviewed, Chad said he finally agreed to come for an interview. He said, “It wasn’t very long after being on campus and getting caught up in the intercultural communication part of things...that we said, ‘Well this is more interesting than we thought.’ We were young and still in a mode of adventuring and seeing the world.” They arrived in September 1992.

Dixie Johnson, an ICS senior from California, has taken classes from both Comptons.

She said, “He is an amazing professor. His mind is fascinating. I didn’t actually have to take COMM 360 because it isn’t required, but I loved ICS 151 so much that I decided to take it as an elective. I’m so sad he’s leaving because he makes you think in ways you’ve never thought about thinking... I would say I was close-minded before taking class with him, but now I’m open minded.”

Johnson said she decided to take Cynthia Compton’s GE 100 class because someone told her she was an amazing teacher. She said, “She gave me constructive and fair feedback on work. She helped me a lot with my feelings about feminism and being in a church that is so patriarchal. I would often meet with her oneon-one... The biggest impact she’s left on me is how to push for change in a kind way.”

Tevita Ka‘ili, department chair of ICS, said he has worked with Chad Compton for the last 12 years. He said, “He’s a thinker; a true academic. His mind is always thinking. Our offices are right next to each other. We often have conversations about important topics like artificial intelligence and the Internet revolution. Our conversations are very interesting, thought-provoking, and stimulating. His most admired trait is the ability to communicate things clearly. He is a master teacher.”

Richard McBride, department chair of History, said, “[Cynthia’s] work ethic is orientated around her deep love for students. She is passionate about student learning. I’ve seen her spend tons of time with students helping them develop intellectual and spiritual growth. She possesses a true Christlike love. She’s this hope.

She sought for the best for all the students she worked with. There’s this compassion and tough love as well.”

Another achievement Cynthia Compton made was creating an edible garden to build bridges between the university and Laie Elementary School. “We worked on creating a

learning garden to help develop and magnify different ways of learning for the students and to make it more integrative. That was lifechanging for sure. Working with those amazing ladies and working with the students. That was such an amazing experience. It gave me a profound love for the children here and their families.”

In addition to teaching, Chad Compton also worked in administration as the associate dean in the college of arts and sciences and later as the associate academic vice president.

Chad said he, along with Professor Jeffrey Belnap and Professor Phillip McArthur, got together and created a new program called “International Cultural Studies.” He said, “That was a rich integration of humanities, anthropology, and communications. It was fun to build that program and a major that I think made a lot of contributions to campus.”

He also was a big part in creating the Learning Framework. He said a team of 13 faculty and five students over a 12-month period worked together “trying to enhance the academic culture at BYUH so the learning became more transformative, deeper, and more meaningful so there was less skating across the surface to just get the grade. I continue to see the promise of transforming our culture of academics so it’s more active and less passive for the students in the classroom.” All-in-all, Chad Compton said the classroom is vastly more rewarding than administrative work.

He said, “I’ve seen students who came with such low levels of language proficiency and very low levels of skill in academic study, but I have seen them determined and willing to really work hard. And though they may have gotten a C- in a class from me, a year later they were getting A’s. That is by far the most rewarding work I’ve ever done on this campus to be able to support a student who is determined to succeed and help them accomplish.”

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Fe ature

Campus Comment:

What are you going to do after you graduate?

B Y J O S H MA S O N / P H OTO S B Y O L I V I A T S AN

Kyungji Kim South Korea, Graphic Design “I’m staying here. I’m going to waste time and money trying to enjoy Hawaii life.”

Wai Sze Grace Chong Hong Kong, Human Resources “I’m going to get married and get a job in HR somewhere in Hong Kong.”

Heilani Tinirauarii Tahiti, Psychology “Enjoy and travel. Catch up from my three years of study. Hopefully get a job afterwards.”

Leinaala – o – Laie Watson Australia, Accounting “I’m going to work in an accounting firm in Australia.”

Ischel Manalo Philippines, Human Resources “I honestly don’t know.”

David Arellano Mexico, Hospitality and Tourism Management “I got a job offer to stay here in Hawaii for a year and work at Pounders as an assistant manager.”

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local news

in this section Samoan dancer wins 25th Annual World Fireknife championship

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Empower Your Dreams winners discuss businesses and thoughts on competition

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Science majors present research, compete at Undergraduate Research Conference

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Experts say make a plan for hurricane preparedness, practice it before water rises

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Entrepreneurship competition encourages students to build their own dreams into careers

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Dance recital features students with theme of learning to fly like a butterfly

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Local

25th Annual Fireknife Competition Competitors, judges, and spectators recap this year’s competition

BY G O S U K E KAWAN O & K E L SY S I M M O N S

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From left to right: Kepanipa’a Damaso, Falaniko Penesa, and Mikaele Oloa. Photo by Olivia Tsan

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he 25th Annual World Fireknife Final Tournament, hosted by the Polynesian Cultural Center on May 13, attracted more than 2,400 students and visitors from all around the world, according to event organizers. The event showcased fireknife performances by three warriors from Florida, Samoa, and Hawaii.

The competition began on May 11, and participants were dwindled down to finalists fighting for the championship title. The Samoan dancer covered in champion glory, Falaniko Penesa, took home this year’s title and said this was his third time participating in a tournament like this.

Coming to Hawaii and competing was very enjoyable, said Penesa, because he met warriors from around the globe. Penesa said he started to practice fireknife dancing when he was about 11 years old, and his passion for sharing his culture has been his driving force.

“This is a part of my culture, so I really want to be a champion. That’s why I’ve always been practicing and training very hard,” he said.

To compete against other warriors, he said he had been “trying new moves and was being creative,” such as a double throw in his knife technique. Penesa said, who works as a fireknife dancer at the Hong Kong Disneyland. “Thank you for everyone’s support and especially my family.”

The second-place winner, Mikaele Oloa of Hawaii, said he was able to “stay calm and relax through prayer” throughout his performance.

When talking about his standpoint on fireknife dancing, he said, “I guess the main thing that I’ve been trying to [accomplish every year] is trying to stay savage and warrior. We gotta remember that this is the Samoan warrior dance. So, we gotta try to portray the best of the Samoan warrior.”

Although he wasn’t the champion title this year, Oloa said he is determined to move forward with faith. “[I will] pray more, train more, and just keep going. You never know how the judges will judge and score. The only thing you can do is just do your best and dedicate all you do to God.”

A local attendee, Tamauni Nagy, said he came to support Oloa during the event. He said, “The fire was strong. That’s the main part. I got to watch my friend Mikaele do his thing.”

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Nagy said he also does fireknife dancing and mat participate in a tournament in the future. He said, “I wouldn’t mind competing, maybe next year. Hopefully, I will make it to the final and compete on the stage.”

When the fireknife tournament began and the dancers started performing, some of the audience members screamed, and other audience members seemed stunned by the performance they were watching.

After the combined fireknife and evening show, BYU-Hawaii student, Deedra Ramachandram, a sophomore graphic design major from Malaysia, said she really enjoyed her first fireknife show experience.

She stated, “Pretty much everything about it was really good because you got to see them do more tricks than [they usually] do in the regular night show.” She said she especially liked the part where dancers hooked all of the knives together and spun them around.

“ This is something you don’t want to miss because this is a once-in-alifetime opportunity. I’m just glad I was able to watch it,” she said.

There were seven judges in the tournament evaluating the technique of the dancers. Florida-based judge Cyril Schwenke said, “It was close, tough, and exciting. There are a lot of things to be considered [including] their stamina, the use of the stage, the motion, creativity, and all of the exciting things [such as] the throw. That’s how I judge and grade the performance of the dancers.” Schwenke said it was difficult to evaluate the performances due to time limitations.

According to the PCC, the fireknife tournament started in 1993 by Pulefano Galeai from Samoa to further the growth of the PCC.

Galeai said, “The whole idea is to learn the Samoan fire dance and have more understanding of their culture.” He said he has been very grateful and satisfied to see how much the warriors “have been getting better and better” throughout the years. “We got competitors from Japan and Australia. Now the whole world is turning to it.” Galaei said competition also brings people from all nations together.

Sielu Avea, the World Fireknife inaugural Champion, said he would never forget the night he was fire dancing at the Night Show for PCC

when a cast member threw him a fireknife from the mountain on stage to him on the floor.

“The first knife came really fast, switched, and the hook came last,” he said. The hook on the knife pierced the center of his palm and came out the back of his hand. “I pulled it out really hard and screamed. I yelled at him to throw the other knife. Then I kept going. The crowd was really silent at that time because there we a lot of blood all over me. But the show must go on!” Avea laughed when he said he was thankful that an ambulance was already waiting for him when he got off stage.

Avea said the heart of fireknife dancing comes from mana or the spirit and energy within a person. “When I talk about mana, I mean perform from your heart. When you do everything from your heart, the feeling will go far and touch other people through your performance.”

Training as a fireknife dancer teaches a person perseverance and strength, said Avea. Getting hurt and getting burned is all a part of the experience. It gives a person the opportunity to improve. “If I get hit by the knife, it teaches me I need to get up and better myself,” he said.

Oloa said it’s important to learn the origins of fireknife. “There is a lot of fancy moves nowadays. Before you learn all those crazy motions, you have to learn the basics and where it came from.”

The fireknife is based off of the traditional weapon of the princess of Samoa, called the Nifo Oti. On one end of the knife is a hook made of a tooth, which is where it gets its name. “Nifo Oti” translates to English as “Tooth of Death.”

Oloa said, “In the old days when they would go to war, they would cut the enemy's head off and put the head on the hook. Then they would spin it. That is where they got the spinning for the knife dance.”

Despite the evolving style of dance, Galeai said he is impressed with the original work of the dancers. “They learn to be show people and earn a living.” He said fire dancers he knows have created successful careers out of the art working in places such as Disneyland, Cirque Du Soleil and other entertainment venues.

Above: Competitors tossed, swallowed, and spun fire, sometimes fast enough for it to ignite the stage. Below: Falaniko Penesa is crowned champion. Photos by Olivia Tsan

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C a Fe m pa ut us rLe i f e

Undergraduate Research Retiring Professor Roger Goodwill gives keynote address commending participants for their scientific advancements

BY K EV I N B R O W N

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Students attend conference to support friends and receive extra credit for their courses. Photo by Alvin Vincent Dy

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tudents presented their senior research projects on Thursday, May 11 in the Aloha Center to fulfill graduation requirements in their majors and compete against other student researchers for prize money.

Presentations focused on areas of studies in biology, mathematics, chemistry, biochemistry and psychology.

Following their poster presentations, The College of Math and Sciences hosted a luncheon for faculty members and research conference participants in the Aloha Center Ballroom. Dr. Roger Goodwill, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Physical Science, was the keynote speaker for the event.

According to Dr. Mark Cannon, dean of the College of Math and Sciences, Goodwill was selected to speak at the event to highlight his career achievements of more than 20 years at BYU-Hawaii as he nears retirement. Cannon stated, “Dr. Goodwill is a big part of why we have a marine biology program.”

In his opening remarks, Goodwill jokingly referred to the next place where he will be residing.

“I’m praying for global warming so that Arizona will get an ocean. I’m married to the ocean,” he said.

Goodwill pointed out several research discoveries he and his students have found throughout the years, including findings from several trips he has taken to the Kaneohe mud flats and to the island of Saipan. “I’ve been going to the mud flats for over 20 years looking at the same things every year. However,

one year a student found a new sea anemone. I sent it to an expert and, sure enough, she said it was a new species.”

Goodwill said he also acquired a knowledge of birds during his career while he was studying flight patterns of birds in the Pacific. “I’m not even a bird person! I became an expert in something I wasn’t even interested in.”

He said a geographical knowledge of migratory patterns from around the world was necessary in his finds. As an example, he said, “If I’m going to try to protect [birds] here in Hawaii, I need to know what’s happening to them in Japan.”

Goodwill said experts can be wrong, so it is best to personally gain the knowledge required through careful research. “Go out and find something that someone isn’t doing, and you will become the expert.

Look for something boring, and you will find that it is far from boring,” he said.

At the end of the luncheon, students received results from faculty judges based on their visual presentations in the Aloha Center, and the finalists moved on to present their projects vocally.

The finalists selected were: Kailey Trussel, Emma Hunt, Wyatt Massey, Lavender Lin, Marco Hadisurya, Rulon Olmstead and DonEliezer Baize in their combined probability project, Tessa Davidson, and Kolton Olson.

In front of more than 100 students and faculty during the oral presentations, Emma Hunt, a senior from California studying psychology, took home the

Biochemistry major Evan Dickson tested the viability of shortening ESI mass spectrometry in bacterial identification. Photo by Alvin Vincent Dy

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Roger Goodwill gave the keynote address saying students leave BYUH with hands-on experience in their fields. Photo by Alvin Vincent Dy

grand prize of $250 for having the best oral presentation. Her project, “How culture effects a woman’s Disney princess media exposure and her body esteem,” included more than 700 participants, more than any other student project at the conference.

Hunt’s research results agreed with her hypothesis that body esteem changes based on the amount of times women watch Disney princess movies. “The research shows that women who watch these movies do feel more sexually attractive, and they have a higher self-esteem,” she said.

Hunt’s research also found that Disney’s “Little Mermaid” is the most watched Disney princess movie in every culture around the globe.

Other participants at the conference showcased their findings as well, such as research from Scott Davis, a senior from Wyoming studying exercise and sports science, on preferences between hamstring or patellar tendon ACL grafts for orthopedic knee surgeons. He said, “The patellar tendon graft allows athletes to return close to the performance they were achieving before their incident. Studies show that you will never be at the same level you were before, but this graft will get you closer to that level.”

Davis said recovery time for a patellar tendon graft, which is used primarily for athletes, is 12 to 14 months, whereas hamstring graft recoveries are around 10 months.

Sam Brieden, a senior biochemistry major from Michigan, presented research on identifying biomarkers for oral health using breath samples. “If certain compounds keep popping up, it might identify cavities. The idea is that it will become a certain type of diagnostic tool in the future,” he said. Although there were no correlations linking certain bacteria strains to cavities, Brieden said the research helped him further his knowledge in the dentistry field, his future career.

A project that caught the attention of many conference attendees was Lovender Hsien-Jung Lin’s glucose/air alkaline fuel cell powering a clock. Lin, a senior from Taiwan studying biochemistry, said the clock runs on sugar and it is 100 percent efficient, comparing it to other energy sources today that expel heat by-products.

Lin said, “We are thinking [the battery] can charge something larger, maybe even operate a remote-controlled car.” She said she thinks the battery life could last at least two weeks powering the clock because of the use of glucose, a renewable energy source. Lin worked on the battery under the direction of Dr. Daniel Scott, an associate professor of biochemistry.

Organizers of the event said more than 46 presenters participated in the research conference under the mentorship of 11 faculty members.

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Empowering Dreams Entrepreneurship competition encourages students to build their own careers M AL I A D I AZ

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he annual Empower Your Dreams entrepreneurship competition was held on May 11. The competitors showcased their products or services.

Jason Scott Earl, academic director of the Willes Center and professor in entrepreneurship, said, “Here at the center, we teach that if you don’t build your own dreams, then someone is going to hire you to build theirs. So this really is the students’ chance to focus on something that they really want to do in the future.

It could be a crazy idea, it could be a new product or service, or it could be something they want to take back home and do.”

Those ideas are presented to a panel of judges who then give their feedback on the product or service.

Students have the opportunity to win some prize money as seed capital to help them grow their businesses.

There were four categories to enter: domestic, international, social, and community. For the first three, awards were given to the top three winners: $1,000 for third place, $3,000 for second, and $5,000 for first.

Over 100 submissions were narrowed down to 20 different participant companies to become finalists for the competition. There were up to four students per company. In this process, Earl said, “We made sure the students were actually eligible. We then had a group of external judges, not from BYUH, identify those who would be competing. Now we have off-island judges here to see the final presentations.” The judges came from all over the United States and Ireland for the competition.

“After we had the semi-finalists identified, we assigned mentors. Each one has at least one mentor who can help them. This is an important part when it gets to the finalists because we want to make sure that the judges are completely unbiased. We try to give them as much help on the mentoring side and then we turn it over to the final judges. We [the professors] have no say in who wins. We had 40 really solid ideas and we had to weed them out. It’s just the time–we can’t fit them all in one day. It had to be 20.”

Richie Norton, instructor and managing coordinator for the center for entrepreneurship, said, “These students have been preparing either this whole semester or since last semester with the Great Ideas competition.

The students here today went through a real refining process to get to where they are. These students have

worked really hard and they really believe in their ideas.

Yes they’re here to win, but I believe that even if they don’t win, they’re planning on making it happen anyways because they believe in it so much,” Norton explained as he looked over the students’ booths at the HGB on the first day of the competition.

“I don’t think they’re gonna take the money and run to spend it at Foodland… I really think they’re going to use it on their business. Their businesses aren’t really just to make money… a lot of them have something to do with some kind of social good, which we call social entrepreneurship. It’s how to take your business skills to solve social ills.You’ll see that as a theme with a lot of them.

“They’re not money hungry, but they want to do something meaningful as well,” said Norton.

“That brings it home to the McKay vision, to influence the world for good, to establish peace internationally. And the cool thing about this business plan competition is they’re doing it right now. It’s not like, ‘Oh when I graduate,’ it’s now. They’ve been inspired now and they’re doing it. So they’re really fulfilling that mission in a real way,” Norton said expressing pride for the students.

Derek Miner, cofounder and president at Tech Prep Academy and one of the judges, said, “All of the presenters and all of the presentations were extraordinary and so thoughtful. [Choosing the winners] was one of the hardest things I think we’ve ever had to do. We wanted all of them to win, but there are many who didn’t win that I think will go on and do great things which is awesome, and that’s what happens a lot of times in life.”

Miner said it was amazing to see so many international students participating. “What’s so meaningful for me is to see students from all across the world who know and have lived and grown up in their own context and their own culture knowing better than any of us what types of problems need to be solved there locally,” he said.

One of the competition judges, Mala Grewal, founder and CEO at Talent Catalyst, said she could tell the students really wanted to win. “I was really, really impressed with how creative all the projects were. [BYUH] just strikes me as a very creative place and there’s a celebration for creation here. The competition was amazing.

Ideas were really pretty solid,” she said.

Continues on Page 50

Top: Robertson Farao entered his business laundry2U into the community category.

Bottom: Munkhbaatar Bumtsend presents his O2 filter idea to community members. Photo by Olivia Tsan

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C ampus L i fe Continued from Page 49

Grewal said she and the other judges had a difficult time deciding the winners. “I went to BYU and I wish we had something like this.

“Kids from BYUH come from so many different countries and for a lot of them it’s their first shot at going to school and getting a degree, and they want to gain something here that they are going to take back and contribute into their places of birth and their countries of origin and that to me, is what it’s about.”

Business is learning how to sell yourself and how entrepreneurship is the future, said Grewal.

“Entrepreneurship is the key to being independent.

The principles of business can help you scale any idea and bring it to more people other than yourself. If you’re always dependent on someone or something, you’re limited on what you can do. If you want independence in your life… like millennials do, learning the principles of business is everything. Being an entrepreneur is being free, but it is really, really hard.”

Earl explained, “If you look at the target area for this school, it’s Asia Pacific, India, China, and the Pacific

Rim. That’s where two-thirds of the world’s population is, but only 1 percent of the church’s population.” Earl said a lot of these students go back home to create the future of the church.

“This is where the future leaders are and it’s really not just about who has the best business idea in this competition. I think this is really about giving students confidence in the skills to go back home and be successful, create jobs, and really just change the world in a very meaningful way. And I can’t think of a better thing that we could be doing here at BYU Hawaii.”

Norton added an invitation to all students to take entrepreneurship classes. “Whether you get a job or have your own business, it’s important to understand the skills of how to create income to protect your family in case of a crazy economic downturn or something happening in your business.”

He explained if students can learn how the money is created, they have the opportunity to better lives.

Community Winner

BYUH Alumnus Josh Ribaldi’s business Nature’s Pure Edge provides shampoo for pets. Photo by Olivia Tsan

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Student Winners

Aloha Martin and Ralph Holding designed Ride Along, a carpooling app for BYU-Hawaii students. Photo by Monique Sanez

I N TERN AT IO NA L WINNER: RIDE A LON G BYU-Hawaii French student Aloha Martin and her boyfriend Ralph Holding said they have been thinking about “Ride Along” for a long time. Their company is similar to Uber but will be centered around the BYUH campus, said Holding.

Holding, a business management sophomore from California, said they are probably going to start as a website and then move towards an app-based business. “Ride Along will have an online scheduler where drivers will log the times they are available and where they’re going. There will also a separate page for passengers to be matched with drivers going to the same location. Payments will be digital through PayPal or Venmo.”

Martin, a freshman studying business management, said, “Creating an app isn’t easy, so first we want to create a fan base. Then we can introduce the app and show people how to use it.” Holding said they are in the process of talking to multiple website developers and trying to pick the best partner. “The plan is to try to get the website up and running before next semester. Our goal is to automate it, but to start out, we will probably be doing manual transactions… look out for Ride Along,” he announced.

Winning the international category was exciting and motivating, said Holding. “Sometimes you have all these business ideas and people think they’re great ideas, but they don’t work out like you imagined.

So we’re just happy the judges loved it. It gives us more motivation because these high-ranking business owners believe in us.”

Martin and Holding said they have enjoyed working on their idea as a couple. “It’s good because we are always together so we are always thinking and talking about it. I also trust him… and I think he trusts me,” Martin said as she laughed. “Yeah I do,” Holding replied.

Martin continued, “It gives us more unity and a great experience. Because we know each other on a personal level. It makes it easy in a business point of view to know what strengths to use and at what time. It’s fun too that this was just a low-key conversation that grew bigger and bigger.”

She smiled and said, “I think we complete each other very well.”

Holding added, “I’m not super creative, so it’s good to have someone who has great ideas. My job is to take the idea and figure out how to make it happen. Her ideas are great to build off of,” he said.

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L i fe st y le

Alysha Gurr and Ajri McArthur create Sand Dollars, a flat bread with no sugar, gluten, or dairy. Photo by Monique Sanez

D O M EST IC WINNER: HEZTIA , LLC Ajri McArthur, a local resident, partnered with Alysha Gurr, a social work junior from Canada, to introduce a new healthy food brand to the market. McArthur, a college graduate in architecture and interior design, and Gurr won the competition with their pilot product the buckwheat sand dollar, similar to naan or a tortilla made of flatbread.

Gurr explained, “We want to share good food with other people, and we want to show others that healthy food can taste really good, but there’s limited options out there. There is no product on the market that offers what we offer.”

McArthur described their product as all-natural, real, flavorful and vegan. “Buckwheat is not wheat or a grain. It’s actually a fruit seed. It’s a totally new flavor option. It has no wheat, gluten, sugar, or dairy,” she explained.

The ‘sand dollars’ currently come in two sizes: little shaka and big shaka. “The little ones are perfect for sandwiches, burgers, mini tacos, and toast to top with your favorite topping. The big ones are great for wraps, individual pizzas, burritos, quesadillas, and tacos,” said Gurr. “You can turn them into a dessert too. They’re basically a replacement for bread.”

During the pitch competition, they offered samples of their up-and-coming product, a squash spice soup. “Right now we just have

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one flavor, but we will soon debut three new flavors: garlic, cinnamon raisin, and tomato herb. We have plans to develop ‘the sandbox fund,’ where portions of each sale will go towards local hunger initiatives,” said McArthur.

Their products are available in local farmers markets. They will also be selling their products at events like the North Shore Ocean Fest at Turtle Bay and Maiden Hawaii Expo this summer. McArthur added, “We want to expand, get the word out there, and have people try our goodness.”

Winning the domestic category was a good way for HEZTIA to feel validated and receive feedback, said McArthur. “It was definitely exciting… and we loved the feedback from the two judges from New York who said they could see HEZTIA going big there in New York.”

McArthur continued, “We’ve definitely been thinking about our next big step... The funds from this competition will help us pay off our investments and ‘get out of the red.’ We’re looking for more strategies to hit more market clientele and experimenting with new products. Mala, one of the judges, gave us the best advice [when] she said, ‘Have 200 conversations.’ We plan to start conversing with lots of business owners, friends, and family…and maybe they will be willing to share their journey with us,” said McArthur.

The RiceUp crew celebrate winning the social category for Empower Your Dreams. Photo by Monique Sanez

S OCIAL WIN NER: RIC EUP Elvin Jerome Laceda, a biology junior minoring in international entrepreneurship from the Philippines, is the founder and CEO behind RiceUp, an organization that helps Filipino farmers use social enterprise to better profit from their resources.

He said RiceUp facilitates three basic programs: 1. Improving income of farmers through financial management trainings and self-reliant workshops 2. Promoting integrated family farming to enrich their livelihood 3. Digitalized training for them to accelerate their progress and access to the markets

The non-profit organization is currently working with 50 farmers in two farming villages and has microloan institutions in the Philippines. Their work has helped increase farmer income from $71 a month to $250 a month and lower loan interest rates from 15 percent to 3 percent for their farmers, according to Laceda.

Laceda explained he hopes the program will accelerate the work of Filipino farmers and provide more income opportunities for them.

This allows them to send their children to school. One of RiceUp’s members, Princess Donato, a biology senior from the Philippines, said, “This project is definitely to empower the Filipino farmers. It’s building their confidence and helping them get what they deserve.”

RiceUp says the $5,000 prize money will help their work progress and reach more communities.

Laceda said the team is planning to launch a mobile app in the Philippines in July that will enable farmers to sell their produce in the local market and participate in a food basket subscription. “It’s a subscription in which local consumers can purchase and have the basket of produce at their doorstep to access affordable produce in a timely manner,” he explained

“We are also promoting an anti-food waste so farmers decrease their waste of food for them to create organic fertilizers and be able to help the environment in that way. All of the projects that we are doing are actually a part of the United Nations Sustainable Development. Our two focuses are to end poverty and ensure sustainable production and consumption,” he continued.

“I am especially grateful to the team we have. This is a strong, united, and capable team,” said Laceda. Donato added, “When we won, it was such a great experience. I know that we didn’t just do this by ourselves. The farmers were with us the whole time. My favorite part was when they were actually with us when we won… on Facebook live.”

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Prepare during sunny days for deadly hurricanes Experts say make a plan and practice it before water rises B Y L E E AN N L AM B E RT

While hurricane-strength winds and rains can cause devastating damage, said Elder Paul Crookston at a hurricane preparedness meeting hosted by BYU-Hawaii Security on May 10, the greatest damage and loss of life comes from ocean storm surge.

“Tidal surge is the deadliest part of a hurricane statistically,” Crookston told a group of more than 50 people at the Heber J. Grant Building. “It pushes debris on land, and they become battering rams” crushing everything is in its path. “Nine out of 10 deaths come from storm surge,” he added. Crookston is an engineer but said he has worked over the years on U.S. and state emergency and disaster teams.

With hurricane season in Hawaii starting on June 1, the meeting was held to help people prepare themselves and also to help the community, the different entities in Laie, and the

City and County of Honolulu work together when a disaster strikes.

H U R R I CAN E S I N TH E H AWAI I AN I SL AN D S

In 2016, six tropical cyclones passed by the Hawaiian Islands during hurricane season, reports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. One tropical storm hit the Big Island in July causing damage, and two other storms in August passed near Oahu creating pounding surf and causing erosion along Kamehameha Highway on the Windward side.

In 2015, 15 tropical storms or hurricanes passed by Hawaii during a strong El Nino year with widespread warm ocean temperatures across the Pacific basin, reports NOAA.

In 1992, 25 years ago, Hurricane Iniki struck Hawaii killing six people, injuring 1,000,

Crookston said. It caused anywhere from $1.8 to $3 billion worth of damage mostly on the island of Kauai but also there was some damage on Oahu, The storm destroyed 1,400 homes on Kauai and damaged 5,000 more.

Hurricane season lasts until Nov. 30, he said, but hurricanes have happened in both December and January. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center said on May 24 it predicts five to eight tropical cyclones could pass by Hawaii during the 2017 hurricane season.

P L AN N I N G F O R A Q U ICK E VACUATI O N

He asked those in attendance at the meeting, “What would you do if you had five minutes to evacuate?”

In Hawaii, people may have a few days warning about hurricanes, but tsunamis and

If a disaster takes out Kamehameha Highway, emergency officials say people in Laie need to be prepared to take care of themselves. Ke Alaka’i file photo

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Ha waii Emergency Management Agency information urges families and individuals to have:

An emergency kit that includes seven days of food and water.

Choose a physical place to meet if communication is down.

Plan escape routes from each room in your house or dorm and do drills to practice getting out in case of emergency.

flash flooding can occur within hours and minutes of notice. Being prepared includes removing items around your house that can be turned into missiles during high winds, storm surge or flooding, Crookston said, while showing at the preparedness meeting photos of chairs embedded into walls and a piece of wood piercing through the trunk of a palm tree.

Crookston said when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005, there was a woman reportedly sitting on her porch with water up

Select a family member who lives out of state to handle family communications.

Prepare a small backpack for yourself and each person in your family with a change of clothes, sturdy shoes as well as a pack of cards or other entertainment items.

over her ankles waiting for government officials to come save her. In contrast, he said people should plan on taking care of themselves for days or weeks after a disaster, but he said especially on the North Shore of Oahu where roads could be blocked for a long time if a disaster strikes.

“We do not want to generate fear but cause you to think and prepare and take action,” says meeting information, before an emergency actually happens. Crookston said when an

emergency hits, “our minds get muddled.” He said planning and practicing a plan while the sun is still shining, and creating and following a checklist during a disaster helps keep people focused and safe.

PRI O RI TI ZI N G AF TE R AN E M E RGE N CY H AP PENS

After a disaster strikes, he said, the first priority is to get everyone out of harm’s way. He urged making a list of people with special needs Continued on page 56 J U NE

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C ampus L i fe WO RK I N G B E TTE R TO GETHER O N TH E N O RTH SH O R E

Using infrared satellite images, the National Weather Service Honolulu Office’s Kevin Kodama created this composite of 15 tropical storms that passed by Hawaii during the 2015 hurricane season.

Continued from Page 56

to make sure no one is forgotten. “If somebody is not breathing, don’t worry about their insurance,” Crookston said, but rather seek to meet their immediate needs.

Minutes after an emergency happens, the second priority he said then becomes water and shelter plus spiritual and mental wellbeing.

“Shelter can become a life or death situation even in paradise,” Crookston warned. “It’s also a good for prayer too,” asking for heavenly

direction on how to meet your needs and those around you. In the hours after event, the next priority is food, sanitation, light, communication, security, medication and continued service to others.

Then in the days and weeks or months that follow, efforts will focus on insurance, money, transportation, social interaction, learning, employment, power generation, food and water production and entertainment.

Representatives from BYUH, the Polynesian Cultural Center, the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Management office, the American Red Cross, and Hawaiian Electric Company were among those at the meeting to learn about hurricanes and how they can use a flexible Incident Command System first designed by firefighters in California to better coordinate with first responders.

Crookston said in order for different agencies and organizations to communicate and coordinate effectively, they need to understand job titles and use the same terminology. He said the ICS developed in California is now used in all operations funded by the U.S. federal government.

The ICS system can be used for an incident that takes a few hours to resolve with maybe five responders involved, he said, and also for massive disasters where thousands of people are mobilized and continues over several weeks or months.

Red Cross tips for creating an emergency check list ❏ Meet with household members to discuss the dangers of fire, severe weather, earthquakes and other emergencies.

Explain how to respond to each. ❏ Find the safe spots in your home for each type of disaster. ❏ Discuss what to do about power outages and personal injuries. ❏ Draw a floor plan of your home.

Mark two escape routes from each room. ❏ Show family members how to turn off the water, gas and electricity at main switches when necessary.

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❏ Post emergency telephone numbers near telephones. ❏ Teach children how and when to call 911, police and fire. ❏ Instruct household members to turn on the radio for emergency information. ❏ Pick one out-of-state and one local friend or relative for family members to call if separated during a disaster (it is often easier to call out-of-state than within the affected area). ❏ Teach children your out-of-state contact’s phone numbers.

❏ Pick two emergency meeting places.

1) A place near your home in case of a fire.

2) A place outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home after a disaster. ❏ Take a basic first aid and CPR class. ❏ Keep family records in a water and fire-proof container.

What to have in an Emergency Kit?

Besides assembling an emergency kit, the Red Cross suggests also packing a pair of sturdy shoes and a change of clothing. Photo by Olivia Tsan

Items the Red Cross suggests be included in an emergency kit are: 1. 1 gallon of water per person, per day | 2. Non-perishable food liked canned soups | 3. Manual can opener | 4. Battery or solar powered flashlight with extra batteries | 5. Identification – passport, driver’s license | 6. Banking information – account numbers and bill pay information | 7. All insurance information and healthcare directives | 8. Copy of property titles and deeds | 9. Copy of prescriptions and dosages | 10. Phone list of family and important numbers | 11. Plastic bags and ties for waste | 12. Whistle | 13. Matches | 14. Blankets and tarps | 15. First Aid Kit | 16. Extra cash in small bills | 17. Personal hygiene items: toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, antibacterial wipes, toilet paper, deodorant, eye care, moisturizing lotion

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World

Hatching into a butterfly Dance recital features inexperienced students with theme of learning to fly, says director

BY B RO O K LYN RE D D

Director Nina Foster, a BYUH dance instructor and choreographer, led a dance concert featuring students and interns of all skill levels for the dance concert “Butterfly” on May 10 in the McKay Auditorium.

Foster said she was moved to create the dance by her 5-year-old son. She said one day she asked him why he was sad and he replied, “I can’t fly.” She said her older children told him they would help him to fly.

Foster said she immediately ran with the new idea. “When someone loves you, they inspire and help you to fly. You can’t do it alone. I want the students to see that they did something they never thought they could do,” she said. Foster said she wanted to help her performers and students to also fly.

The event started with a video presentation showing the work and hours of practice students put into preparing for the concert. In

big bold letters the video started off saying, “22 students, 13 nations, one choreographer.”

The video continued with words such as “Dedication, teamwork, endurance, and enjoyment” as it showed performers working together with trust falls, tears, and laughter.

In the end of the video, students shared their love and appreciation for Foster along with their excitement to perform.

Following the video, Foster appeared on stage wearing a long blue sparkly mermaidlike dress beginning the event with a personal story about Ray Cheng and his experience of performing for the first time.

Ray Chang, a student on an internship from Taiwan, said this was his first time performing.

He said he was given an unexpected opportunity; when he was trying to find the bathroom, Foster invited him to come and practice

dancing with them. “At first, it was hard, but everyone was so patient to help. It was fun,” he said.

Since beginning dance classes at the start of the semester, Chang said he has lost 40 pounds because they would practice 15 hours every week. “Standing on stage was a good experience for me,” said Chang. “It gave me confidence. I can do impossible things. I am so happy Nina stopped me at the bathroom.”

Fang Su (Suzie), an intern from China and one of the performers, said, “I really enjoyed dancing, and I feel healthier than before. It was wonderful performing on stage.”

Su and Chang said they aren’t members of the LDS Church, but after seeing everyone pray during practices and before the performance, it helped them to understand the power of prayer.

“Everyone tries their best and we help each other,” said Su.

Dance teacher, Nina Foster is lifted up during the end-of-the semester concert in the McKay Audiitorium. Photo by Monique Saenz

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Student performers said it was hard work dancing 15 hours a week in preparation for the concert, but it was worth it. Photo by Monique Saenz

From performing hip-hop to ballet, and Tahitian to Bollywood, Foster’s performers said they never imagined themselves dancing.

In the Bollywood performance, all the BYUH student performers wore black and held colorful Indian scarves as they waved them like a flag while running around in a circle.

Students performed to a variety of wellknown songs such as “The Greatest,” by Sia, “You’re the One that I Want,” from the musical “Grease,” and “Cotton Eyed Joe,” by Rednex.

Before each dance, emcee Esther Candari, a senior majoring in art from Hawaii, related the dances that would be performed to the theme and title “Butterfly.”

She said, “As butterflies go with flowers, music goes with dancing. Since music has been around, which is forever, there have been dances to go with it.

“The crowd cheered loudly and awed as they saw Foster’s three children perform to a variety of different dances. Foster’s 8-year-old daughter, Sophia Foster, was described by Candari as being “a beautiful little ballerina.” She will be going to Paris this summer to study at the Mariah Ballet School, according to Candari.

Sophia wore a red and white striped tutu while dancing on stage with BYUH students to the song “Shake Senora” by Pitbull.

Her 11-year-old brother, wearing a matching red shirt and black pants, accompa-

nied her and performed a ballroom dance as he spun her around followed by her performing the splits.

Foster’s children danced to a dubstep version of “Fur Elise,” wearing matching costumes while performing a mix of hip-hop and ballet.

The audience cheered excitedly when the music changed and the 5-year-old sibling came out wearing sunglasses, dancing to the song “Daddy” by Psy.

The auditorium was packed with students who laughed and cheered as the dancers performed. Audience members said they enjoyed the performance and were astonished to find out a lot of their peers were performing for the first time. Students who watched the performance said the dancers were incredible, enthusiastic, and even some said they took interest to joining the classes next semester.

Shane Fukino, a senior from Hawaii majoring in business management, said, “You can tell the dancers [were] enthusiastic and really liked what they did. It was really fun and I didn’t mind the emcees this time. They were more natural.”

The emcees kept the crowd laughing with their jokes. Davisson De Oliveira, a computer science major from Brazil, co-emceed with Candari and performed in some of the dances.

The crowd was surprised when Oliveira made an unexpected proposal to Candari.

Oliveira, while laughing, said the proposal was actually fake during an interview after the concert.

“I found a flower at the back of the stage and asked Esther if I could borrow her ring,” he said. Audience members said they were unsure of the authenticity of the proposal, but said it definitely kept them entertained.

Oliveira said, “I didn’t know I could dance any of the dances. I only know Latin dance. I saw a lot of the performers struggling at first, but we all helped each other make it through.”

Toward the end of the performance, all the performers, including the three children, wore white while dancing to a cover of David Archuleta’s song “Glorious” by One Voice Children’s Choir. In the performance, the BYUH students started off sitting on the stage acting confused and lost as the children came in smiling and touching each student, giving them a sense of hope and purpose as they stood up and performed with energy. Sophia was lifted in the air by a student to make it look like she was flying.

Foster said she plans to have a similar event next year. She continues to also teach dance classes on campus such as Modern Dance (EXS 186), Hip-Hop (known as Intermediate Dance for Theater, EXS 288), and Advanced Dance (EXS 289R).

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A warrior performs in the 25th Annual World Fireknife Competition finals held at PCC on May 13. Photo by Olivia Tsan