Ke Alaka'i - Sept. 3, 2015 Issue

S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2015 路 Volume 112: Issue 5

THE LEAD ER

Cover: President Uchtdorf dedicates new Laie buildings Page 8-9 Church growth and expansion in Brazil Page 10-11 Refugees flood Europe Page 12-13

KE ALAKA I

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 • Volume 112: Issue 5

SUMMER 2015 • Volume 111: Issue 5 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF E m i ly H a l l s

ADVISOR L e e A n n Lambe r t PHOTOGRAPHERS

COPY EDITORS Ca m ro n S t o c k f o rd Jos h u a M a s o n Alys s a T roya n e k MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS Rachel Reed Matthew Roberts Jared Roberts Hailey Rasmussen Erik Winegar Kevin Brown Eric Hachenberger Leiani Brown Megan Church Brittanie Vorwaller

Ke lsie C arlso n H e cto r Pe r iqu in Lexie A ran cibia VIDEOGRAPHERS Vlad T ro pn ikov A brah am Garcia Yan -Fu C h e n INTERNS Samo n e Yu e n He cto r Pe r iqu in ART & GRAPHICS A n dre a Marsh all Macke n zie McLe o d ART DIRECTOR He cto r Pe r iqu in

CONTACT

E-mail: kea l a k a i @ by u h . e d u Ad Information: ke a l a k a i a d s @gmail.c o m Phone: ( 8 0 8 ) 6 7 5 - 3 6 9 4 Fax: ( 8 0 8 ) 6 7 5 - 3 4 9 1 Office: Ca m p u s , A l o h a C e n t e r 134 NE W S C E N TE R BOX 1920 BYUH LAIE, HI 96762

Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

Photo by Alyssa Troyanek

ABOUT US

PUBLISHER P r int S er v i ce s Editorial, photo submissions & distribution i n q u i r i e s : 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 the RSS FEED or to view additional ar ticles, go t o ke a l a k a i . by u h . e d u .

ON THE COVER: President Dieter F. Uchtdorf walks on the grounds of the Courtyard Marriott where he gave an address and dedicatory prayer for the newly built hotel on Aug. 29. Photo by Monique Saenz

2

KE ALAKA‘I

Share with us your photo of the week and we may feature it in our next issue. e-mail us at kealakai@byuh.edu

The Ke Alaka‘i began publishing the first year the university was started and has continued printing for 60 years. The name in Hawaiian means “the leader.” It began as a monthly newsletter, evolved into a weekly newspaper and is now a weekly news magazine along with a website,Youtube channel, Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.

Today a staff of more than 30 students works to provide information for the campus ohana and community.

FOLLOW US AROUND THE WEB Facebook: KE ALAKA’I

Website: KEALAKAI.BYUH.EDU

YouTube: KE ALAKA’I NEWS

4

Beautiful Women’s group welcomes all to boost self-esteem

5

Professors explain joys and trials of graduate school

6

Biblical Greek offered as language

7

Graphic outlines major distribution among BYUH

8-9

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf visits Laie to do dedications

10-11

Brazil is one of the fastest-growing countries in church membership

12-13

European leaders struggle to absorb refugees from the Middle East

14

Sister missionary carries on husband’s CES legacy

15

Garbage patch grows in Pacific

16-18 19 20

National Geographic photo winners show excellence in photography Students explain impact of single’s ward’s Family Home BYUH students share their greatest adventures

Instagram: @KEALAKAINEWS SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

3

Beautiful no matter what

The Beautiful Women’s group is a place to develop self-esteem and friends, participants say

BY LEIAN I BRO W N

T

he words “You’re Beautiful” flash through the window of the BYU-Hawaii Counseling Services Center in a wide array of languages, negligible to some, but a reminder to girls like Stephanie Soto, an ICS major and junior from California, that every Tuesday from 1-2 p.m. is special. The Beautiful Women’s Group meets, currently a group of 10 to 16 women, to form kinships and remind each other of their divine beauty and potential.

Soto said, “I went to one meeting last semester and I got hooked, and so far I have been trying to come to every meeting I can,” said Soto. “What got me hooked was that it was like a pep talk session for just what girls go through every day and introduces you to new people and friends–kind of like our version of a sorority. I just loved the connection I felt and the fun activities.”

A intern and graduate of social work Stacy Chen, who is from Taiwan, said, “The point of the group is to tell all girls that they're beautiful whoever they are and that they're

The Beautiful Women’s Group meets weekly at the Counseling Center. Pictured is BYUH alumna Natalia Riboldi.

File photo by Hector Periquin

4

KE ALAKA‘I

beautiful being themselves. We want them to know that true beauty is inside.”

The group, which is open to all, both men and women, meets in McKay 181 for an hour each week, where people discuss topics such as the definition of beauty, healthy eating, dating, exercise, and how to forgive themselves.

The group seeks to provide an atmosphere where women of all backgrounds can come together and feel free talking about their lives.

In addition to discussions, the women tie dye shirts and watch videos, and look forward to doing yoga together, holding a mock British Tea Party to learn more about etiquette and eating habits, and makeup and nail polish stations as future activities.

“I like it because it's a good opportunity to make new friends and find out more about your character and potential,” said member Jolin Chen. “It's a very a positive atmosphere for women. People there are really nice; it's a good place for girls if they need more friends.”

Some members, such as Jolin Chen, said if more people attended, the group would be able to “have more activities, and it would make it more diverse.”

Women who regularly attend the meetings have noticed a change in themselves, and others have noticed too. “I feel like I have had a change for the better,” said Soto. “Every time I go I just feel good, like no matter what day I had I go there and I think I am beautiful and I am special and I feel like I can carry that all week because I know that I have a support group behind me.”

After a meeting discussing the importance of smiling, and even hearing from a man’s perspective on smiling and beauty, Stacy Chen began to see the effects on members of the group. “Now out in the hallway or whenever I see her on campus, I always see her smile,” said Chen. “It’s interesting because I knew this girl before, and I know she’s really shy and doesn’t really open up. Seeing her smile as she’s walking is amazing.”

Dr. James D. Lee (left) and Dr. J. Brian Watkins (right) advise students to ponder before pursuing graduate school.

Photo by Kelsie Carlson

B Y RAC HEL R EED

BYU-Hawaii professors highly recommend students to research graduate schools before furthering their education. There may be fields that require graduate degrees and have a high percentage of graduate students getting jobs, such as jobs in healthcare and social work, according to U.S. News and World Report.

“All prophets tell us to receive as much education as we can,” said Jennifer Chen, a professor in Accounting who got her master’s in accounting and Ph.D. in business administration with accounting emphasis. “Going to graduate school is not the only way to obtain more education, however it is the traditional path that many people take.”

Some of the pros of going to graduate school are increased earning capability and professional credibility, according to Petersons.com, an informational website devoted to helping students learn about college and university options.

Sanoma Goodwill, a professor in English who received her Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition, said, “Those of us who were in the same program that I was in, we used to say, ‘Intelligence is not the most important characteristic.

Determination, endurance, perseverance, that’s what it takes to be a successful graduate student.’”

Going to graduate school will increase income and further career prospects, according to Petersons.com. A student

could work on advanced projects with advanced tools while getting recognition for the work that they complete. Students can also teach and do research at the universities they attend. Getting a higher degree may also help escape being behind a desk all day and being able to do business outside of work, according to Petersons.com.

“I got to work around the world with different government agencies with the U.S. Department of Defense,” said James D. Lee, the dean of the College of Business, Computing and Government. Lee got his master’s in accounting and Ph.D. in management information systems.

“There was a project at the United Nations I worked on. I was able to do a lot of research that, without the advanced degree, I wouldn’t have been able to do.”

J. Brian Watkins, an assistant professor in Accounting, with a master’s in accounting and a J.D. in law, said, “I talk about the negatives of law school, but I made a lot of money, and it enabled me to have a large family and to have my wife at home.You work hard, but you get paid well.

But eventually you realize there are a lot more things more impor-

tant than money. Even though the money was nice, I couldn’t do this forever.”

Graduate schools are also competitive and have fewer spots than undergraduate programs. Entering into a higher institution can put stress on a student’s social life with friends and family, due to situations involving housing, time, and money.

Goodwill decided to get her graduate degree and had the support of her family. “When a person goes to graduate school– and if there’s family involved–that has to be a family decision,” Goodwill said. “It requires the help and support and encouragement of everybody in that family.”

U.S. News reported potential students who do not know what to do with their degrees should not pursue graduate studies. Instead, it is better to find out personal interests by volunteering at potential jobs, researching, or doing internships.

“It will really punish you if you haven’t done your research,” said Watkins. “I see students as undergraduates that have already been out to accounting firms and worked in firms like them, and want to train them. They wouldn’t

have got those jobs if they hadn’t done the research and the work ahead of time.You can’t just graduate and find a job.

“Make sure [students] understand where graduate school is in their plan,” continued Watkins. “If they are just going to school saying they’ll figure it out when they’re in school, that’s a mistake. But if you know what you want to do and you know how you’re going to incorporate school into that plan, great.”

Graduate school is expensive and if a student enters without a plan, they will be paying student loans for a long time, says Petersons.com.

Graduate programs require higher emotional maturity, wrote Petersons.com. It becomes very important to work hard and do everything that is necessary.

Lee said that getting a graduate degree, “helped me inspire in my children a desire to be well educated and recognize the importance of being learners for their entire lives. Their mother has also done that. She supported me for a long time. I was in school for a long time and when I finished she was finally able to go back to school and earn her degree.”

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

5

BYU Hawaii’s newest language class B Y KEV IN B R OW N

Students will have the chance to learn how

to read, write, and speak Biblical Greek starting the Winter 2015-2016 Semester.

“Just like any other language class, we will start off by learning beginning vocabulary and grammar with an emphasis on the New Testament,” stated Dr. Dan Sharp of BYUH’s Religion Department, who will be teaching the class.

The curriculum of this class will be to learn and apply Greek to personal scripture study. It will be a four-credit hour class spanned over three semesters. The first semester will cover half of the material in the assigned book, with the other half being discussed during the second semester.

The third semester will give students hands-on experience in translating assigned passages from the New Testament.

Sharp said, “Students will have all of the tools and knowledge necessary to be able to translate directly from Greek to English.”

Students will be given passages in Greek and will be asked to translate according to their abilities. These passages will then be brought to the next class where they will be discussed and reviewed for accuracy. Sharp explained because Greek can be so complex and interpreted in so many different ways, a class discussion is needed to clarify that everyone understands what is being said.

“Even if you can’t take all three semesters, by just taking the first class it will help you in your general scripture study,” Sharp explained. “It gives insights from the scriptures that you can’t get otherwise. You will be able to evaluate older readings and make a decision about which one you think is

6

KE ALAKA‘I

Dr. Dan Sharp’s Biblical Greek class will begin next semester. Photo by Lexie Arancibia

most accurate. The Bible comes from different manuscripts, and this class reviews some of those older writings, which differ from what we have today in English.”

Sharp said anyone who has a desire to learn a new language and get new insights on the scriptures should take this class.

“The fact that it is so different than the general language classes you hear about on college campuses makes it that much more appealing,” said Emma Hunt, a junior studying psychology from California. “You never hear anyone say they speak Greek. But if you know [Greek] then everyone will know, because it makes you different.”

“Other languages get their root words from Greek,” said Lizzie Loveland, a senior studying hospitality and tourism management from Idaho. “By having a

knowledge of Greek, we can fully understand our own language better. That ability makes someone unique.”

Sharp explained the blessings of taking this class are somewhat overlooked because of the lack of Greek speakers in the modern world. He hinted at why he thinks there is a deeper meaning of having a knowledge of Greek. “Instead of learning a language that will help you in business for the future, this will help you in your scripture study throughout your life.”

This Greek class is available for enrollment next semester under the name “World Language 101.” It will not fulfil the requirement for religion credits but instead will fulfil the new GE requirement for language credits.

MAJORS and STUDENTS

BREAKDOWN

BYU HAWAII MAJORS and STUDENTS

By Rachel Reed Infographic by Mackenzie McLeod Information from academic advisor Martha Christensen

ART

MATH

T.E.S.O.L ENGLISH

CHEMISTRY

4 SOCIAL SCIENCE

10

13

11

7

57

5

9

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

PHYSICS BIOLOGY

17

EDUCATION OF...

6

EXS

HISTORY BUSINESS

4 6

HAWAIIAN STUDIES

7

UNIVERSITY 17

HISTORY COMPUTER SCIENCE 21

T.E.S.O.L

BIOCHEMISTRY COMPUTER INFO SCIENCE

BUSINESS 571 571

HTM, Management

IDS 28 57 54 104

STUDIES

17

33

PACIFIC ISLAND STUDIES

MUSIC 64

ART

116

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION 152

EXS

201

33 45 132

33

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

MATH

ENGLISH

UNDECIDED

ICS 215

BIOLOGY

213

ACCOUNTING

168

PSYCHOLOGY

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

151

7

Uchtdorf says Courtyard Marriott will create cherished memories

BY KEV IN BRO W N

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated one of Laie’s newest additions, Courtyard Marriott, on Aug. 29, as well as the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Hukilau Marketplace, which is adjacent to the hotel. “This is probably the only Courtyard that will receive an apostolic blessing,” said Chairman Dick Marriott, who was present.

Before offering the dedicatory prayer for the Hukilau Marketplace, President Uchtdorf said, “I want to tell you how grateful I am for each and every one of you and how much the First Presidency appreciates everything you do. In this vast mass of water, you’re a wonder of spiritual power, of

8

KE ALAKA‘I

joy, of friendship, of love for your neighbors, and you have a radiance of goodness about you that is truly a marvelous example of what the Church and the gospel of Jesus Christ can do to us,” reported the Deseret News in a story by local Mike Foley.

The dedication was opened by Hawaiian hula done by members of Halau Hula O Kekela, and a welcoming chant by Cy Bridges. Shortly after, “Uncle” Joe Ah Quin, who performed in the movie “Johnny Lingo”, sang, “Behold Laie,” which Kumu Hula Kela Miller danced to.

President Uchtdorf explained why the church chose Marriott to occupy this plot of land affiliated with the LDS Church.

“We had to choose someone we could trust, and [Marriott] was chosen to secure our interests,” said Uchtdorf. The LDS Church has owned the land where the hotel was constructed for more than 150 years, and President Uchtdorf said Marriott would be best at upholding the standards of the community and its members.

Referring to the Hukilau tradition in Laie, he stated the hotel can serve as a missionary tool as well as it “will be pulling in the fish” from all over the world.

“The hotel really feels like a part of the community,” said Clover Valentine, a resident of Hauula. “I always just want to stay here instead because the rooms are so

Above: President Dieter F. Uchtdorf blesses the Courtyard Marriott to be a safe haven for weary travelers.

Top left: Members of the Ko’olauloa Children’s Chorus wear native dress to greet VIPs at the hotel. Lower left: President Uchtdorf and his wife, Harriet, wave to people at the Hukilau Marketplace and members of Halau Hula O Kekela perform at the hotel dedication. Photos by Lexie Arancibia and University Communications

beautiful and it’s a nice improvement. They did everything perfect.”

“The employees are all part of an ohana here, giving back to their community,” said Telesia Tonga, who conducted the dedication and recognized the dignitaries. She explained more people will move back to Laie because the addition of the hotel creates sufficient jobs here.

Nearly $1 million were spent on landscaping for Laie’s Courtyard, and many Polynesian artifacts were brought over from the PCC to give character to the lobby, said Dan Gifford, one of the project managers.

Outside, the hotel features a cascading waterfall pool easily accessible and viewable from the hotel’s spacious lobby. Another unique feature in the hotel is the presidential suite, reserved for dignitaries and honored guests visiting the island.

“We saw the vision, but we had to make the numbers work,” said Gifford. He

made reference to the difficulties that had to be overcome in order for the hotel to be successful in this type of setting. Gifford said he worked with other community members to make sure that aspects of the hotel were in accordance with features of the community. “I promise you that we didn’t order any of these [artifacts] off of Amazon,” he said.

The ceremony was attended by hundreds of community members and public figures. Accompanying President Uchtdorf and his wife, Harriet, were First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric Gerald K. Causse and his wife, Valerie; BYUHawaii President John F. Tanner and his wife, Susan; and President Kim B. Clark of the Seventy, who also serves as Commissioner of the Church Education System, and his wife, Susan.

Dick Marriott, former chairman of the PCC board of directors shared how

his father started a root beer stand, which later sold tamales, before developing the company of thousands of hotels.

“Ten percent of the world’s GDP comes from hospitality and tourism,” stated Marriott. By providing jobs and giving BYUH students hands-on experience, the hotel is an improvement to the area, he said.

In President Uchtdorf’s closing remarks and dedicatory prayer, he left his apostolic blessing that the hotel would share cherished memories that will last a lifetime among families that come to visit.

He concluded that it will also be a place of safe haven for the weary traveler.

Besides dedicating the hotel and marketplace, Uchtdorf toured the newest buildings on the BYUH campus, visited the Laie Hawaii Temple, and attended the PCC’s night show.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

9

u n l e a s h e d

BY ERIC H AC H EN BERGER

10

KE ALAKA‘I

BYUH student Davisson Oliveira is among the growing number of converts in Brazil. Photo by Hector Periquin

According to Elder Jeffery R. Holland, Brazil is “a nation on the move.”

As further stated by lds.org, “Brazil is on a strong, upward trajectory in terms of Church maturity. It has to be considered one of the strongest areas of the Church as we move into the 21st Century.”

Davisson Oliveira, a sophomore double majoring in computer science and information technology from Brazil, said he asked the missionary who was teaching him, “‘How many people have you baptized?’

He said, ‘I don’t remember, but you are next.’”

Oliveira was born in Brazil, where he didn’t know the church at all. “When I was young, like 16 or 17, I used to ask a lot of questions,” he said. “I started to look for any kind of church that could help me. I needed answers. One day, a friend told me he was just baptized in the LDS Church. At the time, I thought the churches only wanted your money.”

A couple of days later, Oliveira attended an activity at the church building for the first time. He said, “They made me feel like I was important. I felt like I was being prepared without knowing it.”

Even with opposition that brought him to the point where he had to choose between church and family, he said he saw God’s hand in his life. “I knew only one person could give the answer, so I prayed,” he said. “I felt just like how the missionaries told me I would feel. I never felt so at peace. To be baptized was the second best thing I did in my life.

After I met the gospel, my eyes just opened. A year later, I left on my mission.”

Recounting a miracle from his last area in his mission, Oliveira said he saw how the Lord saved him in order to save others. A mother told him and his companion how she had prayed long before for God to send her family angels, and said, “You guys are the angels that God sent to us.”

“We are really the missionaries of God, the angels he sends to help people out there,” said Oliveira. “We really have the power to change people’s lives if we want to.”

However, the church has not always grown so smoothly in Brazil. Timothy Richardson, professor of Spanish and Chinese, recounted a personal story from over 30 years ago while he was living in the very

city Oliveira would be baptized in more than two decades later. “In Sete Lagoas, there was only one branch. The very first Sunday I attended, the branch president was excommunicated. The mission president made me the new branch president, and I served there for almost a year.”

Richardson remembered the lack of priesthood brethren available at that time. “It would have been the best to have a senior couple there,” he said. “The elder could have helped with the priesthood functions and the sister with the teaching of the Relief Society. The branch was in a rough state.” As of today, Sete Lagoas is about to be split into two stakes, according to Justin Anderson, a junior in biochemsitry from Washington who served his mission in Brazil.

“When I joined the church in 1972, there were only three stakes in the country,” explained Brazil-born Marcus Martins, professor of Religious education and a former mission president in Brazil. “We didn’t even know what a stake was. I remembered my father asking, ‘So what’s the difference between a stake and a district?’ A district was all I knew. We were recent converts.”

Martins continued, “All the way to 1978, there was not that much growth. Then the revelation on the priesthood came. That’s when you started to see that explosive growth.” He said the revelation giving all worthy men the priesthood allowed mission presidents to send missionaries wherever they felt.

“A lot of those regions they sent missionaries [for the first time], were regions with a very heavy presence of Lamanites – and they are the believing blood. It was in the north where missions baptized thousands of people a year. That’s when you see the church population going from 50,000 in 1978 to over a million by 2010,” said Martins.

Anderson said, “The city where I lived has 6 million people.

Almost everybody lives in the city. People just want to be around people.

They are really religious. We would ask people at lunch time, ‘Hey, do you know what street this is?’ and they would respond, ‘Hey come on, eat lunch with us. Please come inside.’ So you say a prayer with them and they just love everything about Christ.”

Oliveira said, “People look for the hope that Jesus Christ can sustain them.”

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

11

European Sanctuary

BY ERIC H AC H EN BERGER G R APH IC BY AN D REA M ARSH ALL

S

Syria has become the center of conflict in the Middle East, reported the German newsroom deutsche-wirtschaft-nachrichten.de. Recent fights in the city of Aleppo have led to an increased wave of refugees leaving the country for safety, paying thousands of dollars for the dubious passages to Europe – a continent that is being swept by immigrants.

“There is a basic need to have security,” said Réka Bordás, a junior from Hungary double majoring in international peace building and psychology. “My husband said that when he was a missionary in Germany they taught a man from Iran. They asked him, ‘What do you like about Germany?’ He said, ‘The security. That I can walk down the street without fearing.’”

Thirteen-year-old Ahmed, from Syria, recounted his experience of the war to German news website dw.de. “My grandfather was shot by snipers,” he told them. “Two days before we fled, the airplanes came. They came over and over again and shot many missiles.

Many people died.”

Even after his family left, news of the war followed on television, the radio and in the stories from other refugees. “The children have seen all that with their own eyes,” said Abeer,

12

KE ALAKA‘I

Ahmed’s mother. “They have experienced the massacre and the war. That was their everyday life.”

Refugees not only seek asylum in Europe, but also go to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey, says amnesty.org.

According to dw.de, over 135,000 refugees have already crossed the various borders of Europe in the first half of 2015, which is more than came in all of 2014.

Michael Murdock, associate professor and department chair of Political Science observed, “[The European countries] fear that their economic prosperity is going to be destroyed. They fear they will be defined by immigrants.” A fear that would not be founded on solid rock “if they would integrate them better in society.”

Bordás said, “I have seen many posts on Facebook from my family and friends at home about these immigrants and what they do; some people support them, some people are afraid. They are just afraid that there are terrorists among them. On the big scale, they are afraid that the Christian Europe disappears.

“There are many Muslims and [the Europeans] are just afraid from this different

culture. I can kind of understand it, because Europe has been Christian for thousands of years.”

The situation in Europe stays highly unstable. Murdock said, “If the economy goes really bad, praetorianism [the control of a society by force or fraud, according to dictionary. com] is going to rise. If the economy recovers, then the immigration problem won’t be as bad, because they will need these immigrants for there is need of labor. The growth will absorb them. So all depends on the economy.”

Meanwhile, the Middle East stays a cacophony of competing cultures, wars for power, oil and land and an endless conflict between religions, sects, faiths and fanatics.

Bordás continued with compassion, “We don’t experience how it is to have our home in war and your life in danger.”

Bishop Paul Staples from Laie, when reflecting on the world’s commotion, said, “It’s the students here who are going to bring peace.”

The German newsroom reported the state of the affected European nations. Turkey has spent over $6 billion on the refugees. The promised 70 million Euro from the EU have

stayed a mere promise by the present day, although a stabilization of the situation in Turkey would be beneficial for Europe.

The disunity in the reaction between European countries continued to draw a chaotic picture on the subject, as informed by the dw.de. Sweden is up front in acceptance and integration of the migrants. The Netherlands have earned harsh critics on their migrant policies.

Austria stays in the middle as the famous alpine country. Poland only wants to accept Christians and Spain has closed all its frontiers to Africa.

Germany’s Zeit.de lists several reasons for this rapidly growing flood of people.

• • • •

•

The business with the refugees is a prosperous endeavor.

In many of the critical states, there is no hope for improvement.

Many East-European countries have no interest in helping migrants.

Rumors in Turkey about deportment back to their country push people further into Europe.

Germany still welcomes refugees.

Refugees walk across the tracks at the railway station of Idomeni, Northern Greece to cross the border and enter Macedonia on Aug. 26, Photo by Associated Press

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

13

Series on Senior Missionaries

by Sister Brenda Jeppson Filipino couple fulfills McKay prophecy, wife completes mission on campus

T

he prophetic words, “...From this school… will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good,” are well-known as part of the 1955 BYU-Hawaii ground-breaking speech given by David O. McKay. Although he did not realize that his life would become a model of what President McKay had envisioned, Bienvenido Pangilinan Flores would alter the fabric of the Church Education System in his homeland, the Philippines, and would thus fulfill the prophecy to in its highest expectations.

Flores grew up in Manila, was converted to the Church in 1965, and earned a two years’ associates degree. Elder Dennis Singh, a missionary, told him about the Church College of Hawaii, and then helped Flores enroll at age 18. After two semesters, he departed for a mission to the Philippines. Upon his return to CCH, he met Luzviminda Ferrer, a freshman at CCH who was also from the Philippines. Bien and Luz were married in the Laie Temple in August 1972. By 1974, the same year the Church College of Hawaii officially changed to Brigham Young University-Hawaii, and the couple had two little boys. The family stayed in Laie two years longer, acquiring good business experience.

Toward the end of l975, the young family returned to the Philippines. Bien was called as Elders’ Quorum president in the Quezon City Ward. He met Senen Pineda, who worked for CES and offered Flores a job with the CES. He accepted the offer, and the family moved to San Pablo City, Laguna. Flores was called as the first branch president, and Luzviminda was sustained as the first Relief Society president.

Flores was instrumental in finding property for, getting approval for, and witnessing the building of the San Pablo Chapel. In the Camiling District, Flores formally organized seminaries and trained teachers in almost every church branch. Flores was sustained as a counselor in the Camiling District presidency then later called as the district president.

14

KE ALAKA‘I

BYU-Hawaii alumni Bien and Luzviminda Flores worked together to build the church and CES in the Philippines. Photo courtesy of Luzviminda Flores

Flores needed teaching certification, so the Flores family (now six people) returned to Laie in December 1979. He worked at the PCC while he went to school. He earned his certificate for teaching and returned to Cebu City, where church membership and the need for seminaries and institutes was exploding.

Bien was now the CES Multi-regional director.

He held a 6 a.m. seminary class in the family’s tiny living room. He began a search for, and found, a building the church could rent longterm as an Institute of Religion and CES offices.

This building, with faculty and staff, was what was needed to make CES come alive in the Philippines. Flores served as stake president— twice—during this time, and Luzviminda served in positions of heavy responsibility. The couple also had a daughter while they were in Cebu City.

CES needed Flores in Manila, so the family relocated in June 1984, and he was promoted to Philippines CES Area director.

The main objective in Manila was to create the same official Institute Program as had been done in Cebu City, with one exception: the

Church would purchase or build the Institute of Religion and its adjoining CES offices. Bien found offices near the new temple site for CES. He was also called as a Regional Representative

by Gordon B. Hinckley.

Flores traveled the entire length and width of the islands to establish official seminaries in every ward/branch and stake/district.

Luzviminda was asked to work full-time and be in charge of the clothing and laundry departments of the nearly complete Manila Temple— the first temple in the Philippines. The Manila Temple was dedicated in September 1984.

BYUH graduates began coming back to the Philippines to work as salaried full-time workers in dozens of positions. Many former BYUH students were married in the new temple.

Flores was one of the first temple workers; he also witnessed many weddings and sealings of former Institute and Seminary students.

The next step was to build a Manila Institute of Religion. An incredibly beautiful building was constructed and then dedicated in 1987. Enthusiasm for the Institute and Seminary programs steadily grew and membership in the Church multiplied in the neighboring islands. Flores was asked to also supervise the Micronesia-Guam Area. In January of 1991, he served as Mission President for the Philippines Cagayan De Oro Mission.

In the mid-90s, Flores and Luzviminda moved to Utah, and Bien began his work on a master’s degree. He then started a 20-year career with the Carbon County District and then with Jordan School District. He was diagnosed with a rare cancer in late summer of 2012 and succumbed to it on January 31, 2013. The couple had planned to return to Laie to serve a senior couple’s mission. Luzviminda arrived to begin that mission by the beginning of 2014, 11 months after Flores’ passing. She felt she “could not waste time.” She completed her mission and left Laie in July of 2015. Luzviminda said at her departure, “I am so blessed to have been at his side for the long journey and to have begun it and ended it in my beloved Laie.”

A CLEAN OCEAN

Students reflect on plan to manage the Pacific garbage patch B Y R AC HE L RE E D The garbage patch is now two times larger than the state of Texas.

Photo by AP

S

cientists and researchers returned from a month-long “Mega Expedition,” sponsored by The Ocean Cleanup, with a plan for a floating barrier to contain a giant floating garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean, reported AP. The Ocean Cleanup was created by Boyan Slat, a 21-year old from the Netherlands who has developed the technology that can start removing the garbage by 2020, according to AP. They hope to clean up the patch with an idea to create a 1-mile barrier to collect garbage, reported AP.

The great Pacific garbage patch has been floating in the Pacific Ocean for some time since before its discovery in 1997, weighing tons and roughly estimated to be twice the size of Texas, according to AP. Inside consists of anything from tiny bits of plastic, to laundry baskets and buoys, to a complete fishing net. This island of garbage was first discovered in 1997 by Charles J. Moore when he returned from a TransPacific Yacht Race, reported AP.

The floating barrier, envisioned by Slat, would remove the garbage from the ocean by skimming the garbage from the surface of the ocean while letting currents and aquatic life pass by underneath, reported AP. It would be attached to the seabed using an anchoring system like oil-drilling rigs do, according to AP.

“It's been there for years, so if nothing else happens, I hope it draws attention to it,” said Allison Anglen, a sophomore studying psychology from Arizona. “That’s the first step in fixing it.”

Researchers reported the trash varied in size, with some of the plastic shards being small enough for fish to eat and enter the food chain, making it much harder to clean up, according to AP. As time continues on, the plastic will become even harder and harder to clean up, thus making it more difficult. Slat told AP, “It was a good illustration of why it’s such an urgent thing to clean up, because if we don’t clean it up, then we’ll give the big plastic time to break into smaller and smaller pieces.”

Abbie Costanza, a sophomore studying elementary education from Utah, learned about the garbage patch from her Hawaiian studies class. “We had to do a beach cleanup. So we brought all the trash that we found, and it was the randomest stuff. They were talking about how it doesn’t have anywhere to go and it goes into the ocean. Birds eat it, and it fills up their stomach and kills them.”

One way to fight the garbage patch growing is to stop further trash getting into the ocean and to raise awareness of the growing problem. “Anything in the environment at some point will affect everything else,” said Anglen.

Seeley Dopp, a junior from Idaho studying international cultural studies, said a way to help would be to be more unified. “Every country has different policies and a way to handle getting rid of trash. If we could be more unified as a global community to get rid of trash, that could be helpful [to the ocean].”

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

15

Diving with a humpback whale and her newborn calf while they cruise around Roca Partida ‌ in the Revillagigedo [Islands], Mexico. This is an outstanding and unique place full of pelagic life, so we need to accelerate the incorporation of the islands into UNESCO as [a] natural heritage site in order to increase the protection of the islands against the prevailing illegal fishing corporations and big-game fishing. Photo and caption by Anuar Patjane Floriuk B Y H A I L E Y R A S M USSEN

16

KE ALAKA‘I

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO WINNERS

WINNER: WHALE WHISPERERS A NUA R PATJA NE F LORIUK

T

he 2015 Traveler Photo Contest for National Geographic Magazine attracted thousands of photographers to submit their best shots from the year. The winning shot, Whale Whisperers, was taken by Anuar Patjane Floriuk of Mexico. Glenn Kau, an employee for the Sound and Lighting Department at BYUHawaii originally from Honolulu, said he likes the photograph because “it has everything in there, the divers, whale, and fish.” As the advisor for the Focus Film and Photography Club, he works with students who are interested in developing their talents in photography.

“The best thing you can do to get good at photography is to take pictures, pictures, pictures,” Kau suggested. “One of the

best ways to practice is the 365 method.You take pictures every day and you post one of them either on a blog or a social media outlet. This will help you learn how to use a camera by getting familiar with its settings and exposure. It’s a fun way to learn yet it’s tough being dedicated to taking pictures every day.”

When it comes to getting a good picture, Kau said, “it really comes down to the right moment.” He continued, “Some people are really good at capturing it, some are not.”

In describing how he captured this photo, Floriuk said, “The photo wasn’t planned. I was taking photos near the head of the whale, and all of a sudden she began to swim toward the rest of the diving team. The divers gave the whale and her calf space, and I just clicked at the moment when the flow and composition seemed right.” The photo was taken near Roca Partida, an island off the western coast of Mexico.

“They found Moby Dick and I wish I was there,” stated Shemaina Jory Miller, a senior studying peacebuilding from California. Maggie Zackowitz, editor-in-chief of National Geographic Traveler magazine, said she was blown away by the creativity of the photographers after going through more than 17,000 entries. These entries can be viewed online at http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest-2015/.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

17

2ND PLACE: GRAVEL WORKMEN FAISAL AZI M

Right: [This] gravel-crush working place remains full of dust and sand. Three gravel workmen are looking through the window glass at their working place in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Photo and caption by Faisal Azim

MERIT WINNER: CATCHING A DUCK

SARAH WOU T E R S

Below: Two boys are trying to catch a duck at the stream of the waterfall. Nong Khai Province, Thailand. Photo and caption

by Sarah Wouters

18

KE ALAKA‘I

100 years of FHE Students express gratitude for Family Home Evening activities B Y MEGA N CHU R CH

his year marks the 100 anniversary of the institution of Family Home Evening in the LDS Church. Originally designed as a way for families to spend meaningful time together, the program has carried over into young single adult life on campus. Marcus Martins, a professor of Religion from Brazil, said the YSA units still need FHE to prepare them for the future.

“We create a habit of having FHE, a habit that hopefully we will continue to have once we graduate from college,” Martins said.

“And whether we get married as soon as we graduate or we take a little while to get married, we still have that habit of having Monday evenings set apart. If Mondays are available for people, we have FHE.”

Martins said that once people form habits, they become “infinitely difficult” to break, and forming the habit of having FHE before students have families will allow them to be more successful once they start one.

Students who regularly attend FHE said going helps them to get to know their wards better. Bethany Hatch, a sophomore psychology major from Canada, said, “Every time you go, you get a little closer with your ward. That’s handy because then you have more friends, more people to reach out to. It’s a good support system.”

Eugene Aloc, a junior studying business management from the Philippines, said, “FHE is like finding a family away from your home. It helps you not to feel homesick, not to feel alone”.

Elder Randy Keyes, a new campus psychologist from Canada, said young single

adults are able to find companionship and unity within their ward through FHE because, “It gives them a social opportunity that they might not go out and seek themselves. It gives them an opportunity to contribute their knowledge, their personality and their spirituality.” Keyes said it helps singles to bond with each other and participate in campus life in a spiritually uplifting manner.

Fun times can be found at FHE. Some students mentioned some of their favorite activities are bonfires and anything involving food, because everyone knows college students live for free food. Jenna Van Vliet, a senior studying international cultural studies from California, recalled one of her favorite memories being pineapple carving at Halloween.

Family Home Evening was first instituted in the latter-days in 1915 through a letter from the First Presidency. They wrote, "We advise and urge the inauguration of a ‘Home Evening' throughout the Church, at which time fathers and mothers may gather their boys and girls about them in the home and teach them the word of the Lord. This ‘Home Evening' should be devoted to prayer, singing hymns, songs, instrumental music, scripture-reading, family topics and specific instruction on the principles of the Gospel, and on the ethical problems of life, as well as the duties and obligation of children to parents, the home, the Church, society, and the Nation.”

Games and snacks at FHE bring students together. Photo by Lexie Arancibia

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

19

“I hiked the Eagle Caps in Oregon. It was so nice and the top was all covered in snow.”

“I kayaked through a thunderstorm then slept on a beach.”

Justice Royer, a freshman from Oregon studying marine biology

Kekoa Jensen, a freshman from California in Hawaiian studies

“I lived in the desert for two months.”

“I fed bald eagles in Alaska.”

ST ORY BY J ARED ROBE RT S PHOT OS BY HE CTO R PE RIQU IN AND LEXIE ARANCIBIA

Brooklyn Boehme, a freshman from Missouri studying chemistry education

“I got dropped off in a random city and had to figure things out myself.”

Ladd Castellano, an undeclared freshman from California

What is your greatest adventure?

“One time, I accidentally blew up a butane canister and singed my friends eyebrows off.”

20

Chase Connell, a freshman from California exercise and sport science KEstudying ALAKA‘I

Ellen Benson, a freshman from Utah studying marine biology