March 19, 2015 Ke Alakai Issue

March 19, 2015

Volume 110: Issue 8

‘ KE ALAKA I THE LEADER

RJ Gualberto: Meant to paint BYU-Hawaii student shares his artistic vision p. 8-9

'The importance of being Earnest' Freeman & Ferre collaborate for last time p. 4-5

Laie: a gathering place for Culture and Learning Kekela Miller gives a lifetime perspective on the legacy of Laie p. 7

KE ALAKA I

CONTENTS

March 19, 2015 • Volume 110: Issue 9

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EDITORS-IN-CHIEF H o m e r Wo lm a n R eb e c c a S a b a lo n e s COPY EDITORS E m i ly H a l l s C a m ro n S t o c k f o rd Alyssa Walhood MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS Alyssa Walhood Jared Roberts Jessica Everett Matthew Roberts Trenton McCullough Morgynne Tora Rachel Reed Mackenzie McLeod Siyang Chen Alyssa Troyanek Alizabeth Apgood Max Betts AD MANAGER Jo s h u a M a s o n

ADVISOR Le e an n Lambe r t ART DIRECTOR

INTERNS Samo n e I so m He cto r Pe r iqu in ART & GRAPHICS Lau re n Ste imle Jo h n D iaz E th an T sai Mo n ica R u balcava Je f f McLe o d PHOTOGRAPHERS Ke lsie C arlso n Mo n ica R u balcava Milan i Ho VIDEOGRAPHERS Je f f C o llin s Vlad T ro p n ikov Jo sh u a Maso n Yan -Fu C h e n

E-mail: ke a l a k a i @by u h . e du Ad Information: ke a l a k a i ads @ 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: C a m p u s , A l o h a C e n te r 134 N E W S C E N TE R

PUBLISHER

BOX 1920 BYUH LAIE, HI 96762

P r in t Se r vic e s

Editorial, photo submissions & distrib u t i o n 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 t h e R S S F E E D o r t o view additional ar ticles, g o t o ke a l a k a i . by u h . e d u .

ON THE COVER: BYU-Hawaii senior RJ Gualberto paints Polynesian portraits in preparation for his thesis. Photo by Vlad Tropnikov

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

Family plays on the reef at Bikini Beach. Photo of the Week by Rachel Reed.

KE ALAKA‘I

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‘ T h e Impo r tan ce o f Be i n g Ear nes t ’ prove s to be a ch al l e n gi ng play

Ke ke l a Mi l l e r spe ak s o n th e l e gac y o f Lai e at wo me n ’s l un ch e o n

He cto r Pe r iqu in

CONTACT

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Table of

[8-9] [10]

Student RJ Gualberto i s a n a r t i s t ex t ra o rd i n a i re

T h e sh o o ti n g o f a bl ack te e n in Madis on, Wis ., pro mpts co mpar i so n to r i o ts in Fergus on.

Co r r e cti o n: In th e March 1 2 i ssue, i n th e ar t ic le ab out th e l o st r i n g th at was f o un d an d re tur n e d, Tonga Sabl an ’s n ame was mi sspe l l e d. We re gre t th e er ror.

March 21

Saturday

Women’s softball vs. Hawai’i Pacific noon at softball field.

24-25

Tues. - Wed.

One Act Plays in McKay Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The order of the student directed plays are reversed on the second night.

26

Thursday

Prince Kuhio Day. No School

THE WEEK IN QUOTES

“We share the view that one of the great strengths of the U.S. has always been its willingness to welcome new immigrants to our shores, That’s what’s made us unique and special.” - President Barack Obama at annual Friends of Ireland luncheon at the capital with Irish Prime Minister Edna Kenny for its annual St. Patrick’s Day Meeting.

“Do you suppose it matters to our Heavenly Father whether your makeup, clothes, hair, and nails are perfect? Do you think your value to Him changes based on how many followers you have on Instagram or Pinterest? Do you think He wants you to worry or get depressed if some unfriends or un-follows you on Facebook or Twitter?

Do you think outward attractiveness, your dress size, or popularity make the slightest difference in your worth to the One who created the universe?

He loves you not only for who you are this very day but also for the person of glory and light you have the potential and the desire to become.” President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency at Women’s General Session October 2014

Women & men worldwide come together to stand for equal rights B Y R A C H EL REED

Celebrations were held around the world to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. The celebrations ranged from Indian women and children watching street plays on female empowerment to women and activists marching at the capital in Morocco holding signs that said, “Women protesting for dignity, freedom, equality, social justice.” In Afghanistan, men wore burqas to protest against violence toward women and held signs reading, “We say no to all forms of violence,” reported AP.

“Thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements,” stated the International Women’s Day website. Events range “from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking to local women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades, and more.”

In recent years, more public awareness has been given to prevent domestic abuse toward women and increase equal treatment. “IWD gives space for women’s voices to be heard and also potential for activism to be done for women’s causes; for example, domestic abuse, body images in advertising, education and so on,” stated Anna Christiansen, a BYU-Hawaii English teacher who also teaches women’s studies.

Through social media, IWD has gained notoriety to prevent abuse inside and outside the home and to help women gain equality. The IWD website states, “The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.”

Brooke Thomas, a BYUH graduate and intern from California, said in light of women’s

People participated in the International Women’s Day March in Times Square in New York City . Photo by AP

improvement throughout history, “Well, we’ve come a long way. Feminism gets a bad name, but a lot of it now is educating people. Feminism simply means to be equal.

It doesn’t mean men and women have to be the same. It just means we have equal rights, equal opportunity, equal pay...it started mostly about getting our rights and now its mostly getting our voices heard. We do hold up half the sky.”

The IWD website continued, “However, great improvements have been made.

We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university...women have real choices.”

International Women’s Day was first established in 1910 when Clara Zetkin, the leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, presented the idea in a conference of 100 women from 17 countries that there should be an annual day in every country for women to press for their demands, according to the IWD website.

Since 1918, IWD has grown and “become a day of global recognition and celebration for women...Women’s organizations and governments around the world have observed IWD to honor women’s advancement and be reminded of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women’s equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life,” the IWD website says.

MARCH 19, 2015

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BECOMING ‘EARNEST’

BY RACHEL REED

A play that challenged cast and crew alike

C 4

ast members said “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde, was a challenge and opportunity for them to hone their acting skills. The play was performed from

March 12 to 14.

According to the Associate Director Michaela Bayona, it was the last play that the director, Neil Freeman, and stage manager KE ALAKA‘I

and production facilitator Craig Ferre would do together.

“Neil is amazing – has these wonderful ideas,” said Bayona. “One of the best parts about working with him is how much he focuses on the language of the show. He figures out the language is what’s going to bring out the movements, which is something I hadn’t really seen before, but the way he executed it was a really great learning experience for me.”

The play follows the story of two friends, Jack Worthington and Algernon Moncrieff and their love interests, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. When the two men adopt the name Earnest and propose to two different women, characters meet, and confusion and laughter ensue.

The students put a lot of effort into the play, practicing hard for five weeks before opening night. It is a BYUH tradition to put on a play during Winter Semester, whether

Backstage preparation for this play strived to capture the character of 1910 England.

Photos by Milani Ho

classical or Shakespeare, but some veteran actors said “Earnest” was a challenge.

Dannia Tan, a junior from Utah majoring in theater, who played Lady Bracknell, said, “This was probably the hardest one. I’ve done Shakespeare before, but it paled in comparison.”

Cameron Abaroa, a senior from Arizona majoring in international cultural studies, who played Algernon Moncrieff, said about the language in the play, “It’s kind

of what made this a very unique challenge because the language is so distinct. So much goes into actually speaking it.”

Students and stage crew took the best from their performance. Abaroa, a veteran performer at BYUH, having performed in “Mary Poppins” a month before, said from his experience, “Having come from playing Mr. Banks to playing this person who doesn’t care about anything, it was a challenge, but it was an opportunity.”

Michael Lau, a high school teacher from Kahuku who played the relatively serious Jack Worthington, was in the play to have one last show with Freeman and Ferre. Lau said he enjoyed it, but he added, “I actually think this role was super hard for me. I’ve always wanted to play Algernon. I’ve played a lot of silly roles, so it’s been really hard to get into character.”

MARCH 19, 2015

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Mareike Stibbe, left, and Justine Poloc- Caitlin Neal-Karhut of N.Y., smiles as she zek, both of Germany watch partici- watches the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in pants march up Fifth Ave. during the St. New York. Photos by AP Patrick’s Day Parade, in NYC.

Boston Red Sox staff member James Comeau shows his St. Patricks day spirit before an exhibition spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in Fort Myers.

GREEN with PRIDE American St. Patrick’s Day myths and traditions highlight Irish pride B Y MACKENZIE M CLEO D

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St. Patrick’s Day began in Ireland but has become an American holiday associated with traditions of which people don’t know the origins.

Students identify with Emily Thompson, a senior in graphic design from Arizona, who said she doesn’t know why it is really celebrated, though she does like to party on the holiday. “It was always my favorite holiday because it was a random holiday in the middle of March. Who doesn’t like a holiday in the middle of a no holiday season? I also love that it is a green dominated day. From the green utensils, to the green milk and meal, my mom made it a fun day.”

History.com and Christian Science Monitor shared their wisdom on the peculiar and interesting fun facts of this holiday. St. Patrick was not even Irish, but English. He was born in the 5th Century to a family of aristocrats, and his parents were Roman citizens, says History.com. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and enslaved. After six year of captivity working as a sheepherder, he returned back to England. While in captivity, he converted to Christianity. When he landed on the shores of England, he decided to go back to Ireland and work as a Christian missionary.

St. Patrick’s color is actually blue, not green. St. Patrick was usually illustrated wearing blue, until the 17th Century when it changed because of Ireland’s association with green landscape. In this period, Ireland was nicknamed the “Emerald Isle,” says Christian Science Monitor.

St. Patrick died on March 17, 461. He was forgotten until people started spreading myths about him. His popularity grew so much he was named a patron saint of Ireland. There was a legend KE ALAKA‘I

he drove all the snakes from Ireland. This was not in a literal sense, since there is no history or scientific possibility of snakes being on the island. It was more of a symbol of St. Patrick cleansing the island of paganism, says History.com.

Pinching people who are not wearing green is meant to remind a person leprechauns have the ability to pinch them, says Christian Science Monitor. A biology junior from Texas, Trinity Waddell said, “I’m not that Irish, but my favorite part of the day is the excuse to pinch people.”

St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. In the 18th Century, Christians in Ireland started to wear them as a way to show their pride. That tradition evolved into wearing green, says History.com.

The tradition of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day actually started in the United States because the potato famine drove thousands of Irish people to come to America. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was in 1762 in New York, says History.com.

On St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago, 40 pounds of green dye are used to turn the Chicago River green. Adam Ahmu, a junior from Chicago studying information technology, said “Visually, it is crazy. It is such a fun day since thousands of people come together and see a river turn green. What is there not to like?”

There are 34.7 million Irish-Americans living in the United States. That’s more than seven times the population of Ireland, says History.com.

Kekela Miller reveals Laie as a pu‘uhonua or place of refuge Speaker talks about Laie’s effect on hula

People, Mormons and nonmormons alike, Miller said, flocked to Laie to “learn their cultures. All the hula masters

BY S AM O NE IS O M came here. They would only teach you if you became a member of the church. Look at Kekela Miller, the Merry Monarch festival. All those kumu kumu hula hula trace their hula genealogy to this small and lifetime resident of Laie, village.”

Miller’s husband, Martin Miller, reminded those said to the assembled women, “I hope at the BYUH that, as women, you teach your children Women’s your culture and keep your culture alive as Organization she has, and you won’t regret it. I know Luncheon, sometimes your culture gets in the way of of Laie as a historical sacred gathering place on March 12. church activities, but it is good. Keeps them out of jail.”

“Laie: the place of refuge. Laie:

Kekela added, “Hula, music, a gathering place for all. Laie: the place to religion was a very big part of Laie.” She learn the culture,” Miller said. dances and teaches hula, and in her early life,

Miller began her presentation talking about Laie in the 1800s. “Think back her grandparents told her she would dance the hula. However, “my thing was always to the 1800s; how barren this place was. playing with the boys. Wrestling, surfing, It became a pu‘uhonua, a place of refuge racing, even boxing. Whatever the boys did, and tall walls were built around Laie. So no wonder the prophets thought this would be a I wanted to do better. My grandparents had different ideas for me.” perfect place: it was already sacred.”

In addition to the impact Laie

She continued, “My family was had on hula, Kekela said BYU-Hawaii was here before the missionaries came. When they came, we knew it was what the kupunas destined to be here. “I remember, when I had been talking about. They had said there went to Laie Elementary, the kupunas said ‘One day there will be a school bigger than will be a religion that comes that will bind the one we are in now.’ Lo and behold, families together forever.” Miller shared her David O. McKay came and founded the testimony of LDS religion, emphasizing the Church College of Hawaii. Who would have temple. “Everyone who has come to this place has a responsibility to protect the white thought there was such big learning, and that it would be in this little town of Laie?” house, the kahale la’a, the temple.”

Kekela said the town of Laie is

Miller said there were already still a gathering place and that all cultures Christian religions on the island by the time the LDS missionaries came. Catholic and Protestants were around, and Miller said when Hawaiians came back from Honolulu, after converting to those churches. “They realized they were not allowed to do hula or speak Hawaiian. It was different when the Mormons came,” she said. “They said, ‘Speak Kekela Miller and her halau perform at Hawaiian. Teach your culture. Practice hula.’” the BYUH Women’s Luncheon. Centerpieces at the event were instruments. Photos

by Jeff Collins

are welcome - just as anyone was welcomed when Laie was a pu‘uhonua. “I hope you know what makes this place special. It is you. It is us. It is our kupuna. For me the aloha spirit lives on in you—whether you are Hawaiian or not—it is the light of Christ, and it is our sisterhood that bonds us together. We have different cultures and music and when we have oppositions it makes us stronger.”

Hawaiian instruments, like ukulele, ipu, and uliuli were the centerpieces on the tables in the room. Kekela invited the audience to play along and contribute to the music as she sang. Then her halau came out and danced to two songs: “Puke’ele,” which is about a son’s gratitude to his mother and “Laie Nani,” an ode to Laie.

Linda Black, who helped set up the event, said it was “a worthwhile and meaningful time we shared to create gratitude for this beautiful place.”

RosaMaria Hurst, who has lived in Laie for more than 20 years, said, “It was beautiful. I think this is what we need to hear. We have been listening, but need to keep listening. You have come to learn the aloha spirit. I’m not from here, but I’ve learned that.”

Kekela opened an invitation to anyone who wanted to learn hula. They meet every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Laie Elementary School Cafeteria, and it is free.

“Hula is to be taught to everyone. Hula is from the heart,” she said.

MARCH 19, 2015

7

Following inspiration Even with opposition, R.J. Gualberto successfully pursues his dream to attend the Academy of Art

B Y MAC KENZIE M CLEO D

B

eauty and art overcome negativity in the mind of BYU-Hawaii senior R.J. Gualberto, who was accepted into his dream graduate school, the New York Academy of Art. Trumping the pessimism from family members and societal expectations of his home country, the Philippines, Gualberto said he is pursuing his passion, and hopes to help other artists pursue their own.

Despite dismaying comments made about the outlook of art as a career, Gualber-

8

KE ALAKA‘I

to has the goal to paint for the LDS temples, or design them. “I never get discouraged if I am thinking about working for the church in the future to help the work of the Lord.

Whatever the world says, I’ve heard all of them already, and I’m still here doing it. I know I’ve been helped. I’ve been getting all these wonderful opportunities, so I know I am supposed to do this.”

After receiving his education in the United States, Gualberto said he wants to

go back to the Philippines and start an art school. “That is my goal 20 years from now.

I know a lot of aspiring artists there who don’t have the resources. They get discouraged. They have no access and no support.

I’m already talking to my friends here who would be able to teach 20 years from now.

I just want the youth in the Philippines to have someone to push them if they really want to pursue art.”

He said most students are encouraged to go into nursing, engineering, hotel management, or more practical jobs, which is why he was discouraged by his parents to pursue art as a career, since there are no demands for artists back home.

Growing up in a small town two hours from Manila, Gualberto, who is studying graphic design, said his first encounter with art was at the age of 8 when his uncle would draw portraits of people. “For some reason he told me to stay away from his sketch pad, but I would sneak into his room when he was gone and look at his sketches. I was amazed by it.”

Around the same time as this experience, he said his family converted to the LDS Church. “I grew up with President Hinckley as the prophet of my youth. Being exposed to the art from the Ensign, I copied a sketch of him that inspired me at the age of 12. I didn’t know who drew it or where it came from.”

In 2013, Gualberto apprenticed for the painter William Whitaker, a wellrespected portrait artist commissioned by the church in Salt Lake City. Gualberto said one of Whitaker’s jobs is to update the paintings of the apostles every five years.

“When I was cleaning Mr. Whitaker’s archive room, I saw a stack of the original Gordon B. Hinckley sketches that I drew when I was little. I can’t tell you how amazed and humble I felt at that moment to realize he was the artist. It just proved to me that everything happens for a reason. I came from a really small town, and art is not something that people are going to buy there. As I keep

going doing what I love, it just brings me to places. I got a scholarship to come here for art and through the I-WORK program. After one year of studying here, I got that internship. Yesterday, I found out I was accepted to my dream school. I keep getting the confirmation that this is my calling. ”

Gualberto said Whitaker also became more like a spiritual mentor to him.

“He told me, ‘I want you to pray every time before you paint... You are really lucky because the church is going to need painters like you to paint for the temple.’”

Rae Robinson, a junior from Texas studying painting, said, “R.J. is a super talented and driven individual. Ever since I came here, I looked up to him a lot. He sets his goals high and achieves them with excitement. He’s going to go super far in life and in the art world.”

Although a graphic design major, Gualberto said he loves painting figures and portraits the most. His favorite style is classical realism. After graduation, he and his wife, Sara, are traveling to Paris for a four-week painting program to learn a particular portrait style. In the fall, he will start school in New York.

“My most meaningful piece of artwork is my grandpa. I surprised myself that I could actually paint my grandpa just like that.” Gualberto also shared one of his favorite paintings is of Jesus Christ. “From all my paintings, I really think I didn’t do this myself. I painted it in one night when I couldn’t sleep.”

Gualberto said he is working on his thesis for his bachelor’s in Fine Arts. He is painting portraits from the different Polynesian Islands. His show opens April 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the McKay Auditorium foyer and runs until April 14. It will also be displayed in the PCC Marketplace from April 15 to 18.

Gualberto has a diverse range of artworks ranging from typography, murals, and paintings that can be found at rjgualberto.com.

Top: Gualberto in front of several of his paintings for his thesis. Bottom: Gualberto continues working on one of his latest painting. Photos by Vlad Tropnikov MARCH 19, 2015

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CNN compared the different reactions of the Madison police and the Ferguson police as the reason for the low key protesting in Madison and the violent protesting in Ferguson after a black teenager died from a shot fired by a white police officer.

In Madison, Police Chief Mike Koval immediately went to the home of Robinson to apologize and to “show affirmative steps in moving forward to bring the community back into the fold,” said Koval. In contrast, Ferguson Police Chief Tomas Jackson finally went to apologize to Brown’s family after a month of violent protesting, reported CNN.

The investigating procedures also greatly differed between the two towns, resulting in less of a violent outlash in Madison. CNN reported, “Under Wisconsin law, an outside agency is tasked with the investigation of police-involved shootings.” On March 9, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker stated that outside agency will be the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

CNN reported in Ferguson’s case, “Chief Jackson asked the St. Louis County Police Department to conduct an independent Debate over racism intensifies after investigation into Brown’s killing.” multiple incidents with law enforcement The timing between the shooting and releasing the name of the officer that shot the teen was also important, said CNN. Within B Y JES S IC A EV ER ETTE hours of the incident, Chief Koval released the name of the officer On March 6, 19-year-old Tony Robinson was shot by a police officer who shot Robinson, reports CNN. By not withholding information from the public, says CNN, there was no time for racial suspicion to in Madison, Wis., which greatly “intensified concerns of racial bias build. in U.S. law enforcement,” says Reuters. Since the incident, family,

In Ferguson, “Three days after Brown was killed, Ferguson friends and those “angry over the death… [have been marching] police backtracked on a promise made a day earlier to release the through the streets of Madison toward the capital building… carry name of the officer,” wrote CNN. Brown’s family, CNN continued, signs, beating drums and chanting, ‘The people united will never be “accused the police of protecting their own and ignoring standard defeated,’” Yahoo News reported.

Sean McClellan, a senior social work major from Utah, said procedures.”

An additional key factor, CNN explained, is how the he feels he has learned a good deal of the conditions that continue a authorities presented the victim. When Chief Koval was pressed for racist system. “I still see racism today, and I think it will take many details on documents that indicated that Robinson plead guilty for an decades for people to able to not make racist judgments when two armed robbery that happened a year ago, Koval said, “I could but I people of two different skin colors are faced in conflict.” McClellan continued, “I think cases like Ferguson and the Madison one are go- choose not to… I am not going to blemish anyone’s character.”

In complete contrast, CNN reported Chief Jackson released a video in ing to keep being exploited if people keep feeding the flame.”

For Sione Fuluvaka, a freshman math major from Laie, his which Brown robbed a convenience store prior to the shooting.

These all resulted in differences in the size and tone of ralexperience from serving a mission in Florida had shown him how lies in each town. In Madison, demonstrations have remained peaceful even in a state that is a melting pot of cultures and different races, there is still racism and stereotypes. “Even though I haven’t personally as activists chanted, “Black lives matter” and “Who do we trust? experienced racism, even on my mission, I’ve seen how some people No one!” reported CNN News. In Ferguson, within a few hours of Brown’s death people began to violently, “hurtled bottles at officers can’t look past stereotypes. I think it helps me understand the reacand kicked police cars,” and demonstrations continued for weeks tions of people who make race a reason for violence.” afterward.

Sara Black, a freshman elementary education major from Kailua, said, “It is hard to say that racism doesn’t exist, but it does. It is unfortunate.”

Graphic illustrations by Jeff McLeod

Comparing Ferguson & Madison situations

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Special agent outlines criteria to join the FBI B Y ALY S S A TR O YA NEK

BYU-Hawaii Career Services brought in FBI Special Agent Ty Arnold to discuss job opportunities open to BYUH students within the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Arnold received a criminal justice degree and served in the military prior to joining the FBI and has now been an FBI special agent for 18 years. Arnold has experience in all different fields of the FBI including; white collar crime, terrorism, violence and drugs.

Throughout the information session, Arnold explained the two types of staff in the FBI. There are about 25,000 positions of the first: professional staff. These positions include Intelligence Analysts, Linguistics, Engineers and Human Resources Specialists.

The second type of staff is Special Agents. “Special Agents conduct investigations and/or operations,” said Arnold. “We are the people out in the field doing all of the fun stuff. That’s why it is the best job in the world. We get to go out and do everything from interviewing suspects, witnesses and victims. Everything that involves investigation.”

Arnold said there are about 15,000 of these elite positions.

Jake Hsu, Employer Relations Manager of Career Services, said, “Alumni & Career Services at BYU-Hawaii invites relevant employers and organizations to campus so students can become aware of the possible career options and also understand how to align themselves to best compete and apply for such positions.”

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The FBI information piqued the curiosity of Matthew Medonich, a senior double majoring in international cultural studies and hospitality and tourism management from Arizona. Medonich said he was interested in possibly working for the FBI. “My aunt works for the CIA and I really want to use my language abilities to help America as well as work in some kind of government position that wears nice suits,” said Medonich, who also said the meeting was informative and gave him the ability to prepare for the future job.

Arnold emphasized the FBI is a hard industry to get into and comes with a few requirements. First, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen. Second, the applicant must be between the ages of 23 and 36 years old. The applicant must also have a four-year degree and must be physically fit and willing to relocate.

Hsu said, “Information sessions are always good to attend because they are the real… professionals explaining reality in the working world to students who are preparing for it. Information about jobs and organizations you think you know and heard from others will be verified and explained at information session. The benefit is mutual, when great students and BYU-Hawaii alumni take great opportunities, and then those organizations return to BYU-Hawaii for more recruits.”

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P OW ! WOW ! H AWA I I M A K E S URBA N NE I G HBORHOOD A CA NVA S OF I NS PI RATI ON

BY ALYSSA T RO YAN EK

H

onolulu’s commercial and retail district, Kaka‘ako, is filled with murals and street art across buildings in this urban community.

Students said they thought the art displayed across the underground community gives this particular part of Honolulu a different and unique feel to the city.

The walls of Kaka‘ako were blank canvases until February of 2011, when Honolulu artist Jasper Wong put together an organization called “Pow! Wow! Hawaii.” Every year artists from all over the world come together to fill the walls with unique and urban art. The art created is left on the walls for all of the locals and tourists to check out, according to powwowhawaii.com.

Wong, director of Pow! Wow! Hawaii, said the organization’s purpose, and the display of art is, “To bring people together; beautify communities; and educate through art.”

Wong explained there are many things that are needed in order to fulfill a process like this: “A lot of blood, sweat, tears and burning midnight oils. Pow! Wow! Hawaii has a lot of moving parts. It requires

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a lot of time and care to make sure all the gears move. The people of Hawaii love art and it's great to see thousands of people come to see murals.”

Participant of Pow! Wow! Hawaii, Kalani Pokipala, said, “The light that I see Pow! Wow! Hawaii shining is a light that's been long overdue for the underground and urban community for Hawaii's artists, including everyone that comes from overseas.

“For street art, music and culture to grow and thrive, there needed to be something or someone to take the bull by the horns and run full throttle. With the collective conscience, manpower and mind of every individual, starving artist, trendsetter, musician, curator, memory snappers, makeshift innovator, art mogul, and so on, this event allows for the clouds to dissipate and sunlight to shine in.”

Pokipala said he thinks it is great Kaka’ako is being beautified through art and music through Pow! Wow! Hawaii. “The best part is having a plethora of artists from all over the world come together for one reason, and one reason only: bringing the awareness

Artists create street art in Kaka’ako.

Photo by Monica Rubalcava

level of Hawaii's art and urban community to the masses, and working together as one to achieve such a conquest,” said Pokipala.

Locals and students have witnessed the unique street art in the urban community created by the hands of those who have come from around the world.

BYU-Hawaii student Kelsie Gordon, a junior majoring in biology from Washington, has checked out the different art styles in Honolulu. Gordon said, “I think street art brings lots of unique culture to the streets of Hawaii. It shows how an individual’s expression can be respected by many other people.

I think street art also makes Honolulu, specifically the Kaka’ako district, unique because of the diversity of the artists who created the masterpieces.”

The murals created in early February this year cover the walls and buildings of Honolulu and will be kept for everyone to see until next year when new and inventive artists from all over the world come again to cover the town with art.