June 4, 2014 Ke Alakai Issue

June 4, 2014

Volume 107: Issue 4

‘ Ke Alaka i THE LEADER

Roller skates and Pogo Sticks 6-7 ‘Pippi Longstocking’ takes stage with youthful energy

A Float to Remember 8 Annual festival pays tribute to lost loved ones

From Russia With Love 10-11 Polina Vasilevskaya prepares for her return home to Russia

KE ALAKA I

CONTACT

E-mail: ke a l a k a i @byuh . e d u Ad Information: keal aka i a d s@g m a i l . co m Phone: ( 8 0 8 ) 6 7 5 - 3 6 9 4 Fax: ( 8 0 8 ) 6 7 5 - 3 4 9 1 Office: Campu s, A l o h a Ce n te r 1 3 4 P ubl i sher P r i n t S e r v i ce s

June 4, 2014 • Volume 107: Issue 4 Advisor

Editor-in-chief A u s t i n M e ld r u m

Le e an n Lambe r t

COPY EDITORs A u s t i n M e l d r um H o m e r Wo lm a n

Art Director Make n zie H e ad

MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS

INTERNs R ebe cca Gu ld e n Gre g Er ick so n

Rebecca Sabalones, Samone Isom, Samantha Spring, Lauren Steimle, Emily Halls, Jessica Tautfest, Reid Crickmore, Jared Roberts

ART & GRAPHICS M a ke n z ie H e a d M o rga n B o u wh u i s L a u re n S t e im l e H e c t o r Pe r iq u i n PHOTOGRAPHERs Ke l s i e C a rls o n H e c t o r Pe r iq u i n

VIDEOGRAPHERS N i Sh ipe n g Jame s A stle Je f f C o llin s A brah am Garcia AD MANAGER Je f f McLe o d

Table of

CONTENTS [4] [6-7] [8] [10-11]

Hawaii Reser ves Inc. announces new gas st at ion in Laie Children enjoy T heat er Depar t ment ’s “Pippi Longst ocking” T housands gat her at Ala Moana Beach Park f or Lant er n Float ing From Russia wit h love: BYUH st u dent Polina Vasilevskaya prepares t o bu ild her home cou nt r y in t he fut u re

ON THE COVER

A lantern floats in the water at Ala Moana Beach Park during the annual lantern floating ceremony held on Memorial Day, May 26. Photo by Becca Gulden.

NE W S CE NT E R Box 1920 BYUH Laie, HI 96762 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, go t o ke a l a k a i . by u h . e d u .

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

Photo of the Week: The Hokulea sails off the coast of Oahu as it begins its journey around the world. Photo by AP

JUNE 05

T H U R SDA Y The Blood Bank of Hawaii will be on campus in the Aloha Center Ballroom beginning at 9 a.m.

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F R IDA Y Last day of Summer A. Classes will resume on Monday, July 14.

The First Friday Street Festival will be held in Chinatown. Enjoy unique galleries, boutiques, cafes and restaurants that feature art exhibits and free entertainment.

Farmer’s Market will be held in the Aloha Center beginning at 10:30 a.m.

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M O N DA Y Holomua, an annual five-day college preparation experience for high school students, will be held all week long on campus.

T H E W EE K I N Q U O T ES

“The feeling of knowing that it was our son’s actions that caused the tragedy can only be described as hell on earth.”

-From a statement by the family of Elliot Rodger, who killed seven people including himself in Santa Barbara, Calif.

“Tolerance for other people’s ideas and the freedom to express your own are . . . perpetually vulnerable to the tyrannical tendencies of monarchs, mobs, and majorities, and lately we’ve seen those tendencies manifest themselves too often, both on college campuses and in our society.”

-Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and former New York City mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg at the 2014 Harvard University commencement ceremony.

NOTE

WORTHY

News Headlines

UCSB massacre leaves seven dead, including killer The Isla Vista community near the University of California Santa Barbara was left in shock on May 23 after a killing rampage left seven dead and 13 injured. Elliot Rodger, a UCSB student and the son of the assistant director of the “Hunger Games,” killed six people before taking his own life. BYU-Hawaii students believe the tradgedy was preventable.

According to his YouTube channel, Rodger felt alone and frustrated that women didn’t pay attention to him. Sheriff’s deputies had been called to the apartment of Elliott Rodger several times in the past year. The most recent visit from deputies came on April 10 when relatives called and were alarmed by YouTube videos Rodger had posted.

According to ABC News, “Parts of the world are quite literally “Sheriff’s depueating themselves to death.”

- World Health Organization Chief ties concluded Margaret Chan, on statistics showing that Rodger 30 percent of humans are overweight. was not an im“We have to recognize that Afghanmediate threat istan will not be a perfect place, and to himself or it is not America’s responsibility to make it one.” others, and -President Barack Obama that they did not have cause to place him on an involuntary mental health hold, or to enter or search his residence,” the news release states. “Therefore, they did not view the videos or conduct a weapons check on Rodger.”

Toby Redd, a senior in finance from Washington, said, “The police need to be more pro-active and vigilant in cases such as this.

There were several warning signs and chanc-

A man mourns the death of one of the people killed in the Isla Vista community. Photo by AP

es for them to intervene. They should have watched his YouTube videos and seen the guns that were registered to him in their database.”

The New York Daily News reported the shooter was armed with three legally purchased handguns and more than 400 rounds of ammunition. Isla Vista is a small, student populated neighborhood south of the UCSB campus.

Abraham Garcia, a senior from Santa Barbara studying psychology, said he was shocked when he heard the news. “This is the second time something horrible like that has happened in Santa Barbara. Back in the early 2000’s, there was another tragedy that also involved a college student and killing of other students. This one is far worse. It is disturbing because I could of been there. The LDS Institute of Religion building is on the same block. I’m happy that there was no activity that night.”

Matthew Leung, a junior in EXS from Hong Kong, said, “This is a horrible tragedy. This could have been resolved before it started. There is always a way to prevent conflict.”

Students in Santa Barbara held a paddle out memorial service to remember those who were lost over the weekend. Thousands attended.

-Re iD Crickmore

New Student Maika'i Card Rewards card to allow for bigger discounts and buying in bulk

A

BYUHSA President Marc Gardner and Foodland Manager Garett Nakamura introduce a new Maika‘i rewards card specifically for BYUH students. Photo by Kelsie Carlson.

deal has been reached with the Laie Foodland and BYU-Hawaii to provide students with a student-centered Maika’i rewards card that would allow for deeper discounts and bulk purchases.

Last September it was brought to the attention of Bishop Dan Kehoe of the Laie YSA 9th Ward, that ward members wanted to buy food items in bulk. An initiative to send buses to Costco was unsuccessful and church leaders went back to the drawing board. Devin King, a senior in hospitality and tourism management from Utah, said, “I think being able to buy in bulk locally would be a huge benefit to students.”

Church leaders began to negotiate with the local Laie Foodland to find a way to benefit Foodland as well as BYUH students.

With BYUH’s plan to increase enrollment to 5,000 students in the future, Foodland was interested in getting more students to shop here in Laie. A plan was drawn up for Foodland to issue new Maika’i cards to allow students to get a deeper discount on store items, as well as feedback on what they would want in the store in the future.

Kelli Nahoolea, a junior studying art from Texas, said, “In the long run, it will be cheaper for students to be able to buy discounted [food] at Foodland instead of having to drive to Costco.”

In addition, for every $1,250 spent at the store using the new Maika’i cards, students would be able to give $20 back to BYUH for gift certificates for food items for students in need.

Lily Tang, a junior in social work from Hong Kong, said, “It sounds like a good idea, but unless it’s significantly cheaper than Tamura’s, I will still just make the drive to Tamura’s for my groceries.”

-Re id Crickmore

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Ke Alaka‘i

COMMUNITY A conceptual rendering of the new gas station to be built in Laie Shopping Center that is set to open in early 2015. Photo from Envision Laie

Laie to welcome new gas station Aloha Petroleum to move into Laie Shopping Center A new gas station in Laie is set to open in early 2015. The gas station will be built on the south side of the Laie Shopping Center, in front of the post office. It will replace L&L Drive-In as the restaurant will move next to Taco Bell. The deal was made with Aloha Petroleum, a partner of Foodland, after a failed deal with Chevron last year, according to Envision Laie.

Richard Parry, president and CEO of Aloha Petroleum, Ltd, said, ”Aloha is pleased and excited about this new opportunity to partner with Foodland to develop a new fuel station to serve the communities of Laie and Ko’olauloa. The Aloha brand features top tier quality gasoline that exceeds the EPA standards. We look forward to the station opening in early 2015.”

The new gas station will have four fuel dispensers with eight fueling spots and a 500-square-foot kiosk that will house a convenience store. Customers who use their Maika’i card will receive a 5-cent per gallon cash discount at the Aloha Island Mart gas station.

‘‘

Aloha is pleased and excited about this new opportunity to partner with Food to develop a new fuel station to ser ve the communities of Laie and Ko’olauloa.

-Richard Parr y, CEO of Aloha

Eric Beaver, HRI president, said of the new partnership, “Our community has benefited for many years from our longtime relationship with Foodland, our anchor tenant at the shopping center. Foodland has

been with us since the 1990s and understands our community and values, and we now welcome their partner, Aloha Petroleum.” The exterior colors and design of the Aloha Island Mart will match that of Foodland, adding cohesion to the shopping center.

Jenai S. Wall, Foodland Chairman and CEO, said “We’ve had a long and successful relationship with Aloha Petroleum, and we know our customers value their product.” Wall continued, “We know having a gas station conveniently located in this community is very important to our customers and we are delighted to partner with Aloha Petroleum to provide this added service to the Laie Shopping Center.”

“We are excited about this new development and will keep everyone updated along the way,” says the Envision Laie website.

-Emily Halls

JUNE 4, 2014

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Ke Alaka‘i

Above: Makenzie Head, a senior graphic design major from Utah, plays the lead role of Pippi, the little girl who comes to town and turns things upside down.

Photos by Kelsie Carlson and Lois Colton

‘Pippi Longstocking’

COMMUNITY Below: Scenes from BYU-Hawaii Theatre Department’s production of “Pippi Longstocking.”

Photos by Kelsie Carlson and Lois Colton

Theater Department performs musical adaptation of classic children’s story

P

ippi Longstocking roller-skated around stage and endearingly pranked authority figures in BYU-Hawaii’s theatrical production of the classic children’s story performed from May 29 to June 1 in the McKay Auditorium. The all-ages show featured a diverse cast of students, adults and children from the community, and a Shetland pony all collaborating on stage.

“It’s a community play, both for the audience and the performers. I’m glad the younger kids can enjoy it,” said Heidi Scott.

Her husband, Daniel Scott, a chemistry professor at BYUH, and their son Timothy were in the audience to watch their other children, Samuel and Brady, perform on stage. Samuel Scott played Tommy Sattergren and Brady Scott played Axel. “I’m glad there’s lots of little kids my age in it,” said Timothy Scott.

Daniel Scott took his children to and from the late night rehearsals but encouraged them all along the way. “It’s a good opportunity for children to learn how to present themselves. Sure, this play is good for the children, but it also has a deep inner meaning,” Daniel Scott said.

The opening scene showed a bored and lonely Annika Sattergren wishing for an unusual friend to come and be a playmate to her and her brother Tommy. Immediately after, in walked Pippi Longstocking–backwards. “Maybe all of us would like to have our wishes come true. Maybe we all have an inner child,” said Daniel Scott.

Pippi was played by actress Makenzie Head, a senior in graphic design from Utah, whose acting roles have ranged from Bilbo Baggins to a seductive ghost in “Blithe Spirit.” Pippi Longstocking is Head’s last acting role as a BYUH student. “It has definitely been a whirlwind. This is the most energetic role I’ve ever played, and I’ve grown to love it. It’s been so much fun with a live horse, the pogo stick and roller skates. The cast is great. The kids are adorable.”

The horse, named Ace, was a surprise to the audience as gasps of delight and disbelief swept through the auditorium when he walked on stage adding to the fun and colorful atmosphere of the show.

Jeff Dunn, a community member from Laie, attended the show with his wife and daughter. “It’s fun having little kids on stage,

and I’ve never seen a live horse on stage before. Pippi is definitely carrying the show.”

Andrea Mullen, a junior in history education from Utah, shared some unexpected happenings behind the scenes of the production and how they kept the diverse cast focused during rehearsal. “So far, Ace has only pooped on the stage twice. The first time he was on stage, he turned his butt toward the audience, lifted his tail, and let one drop. We keep the children entertained when they are backstage and not performing through watching endless episodes of ‘Phineas and Ferb,’” said Mullen.

-Samone Isom

June 4, 2014

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Honolulu Lantern Festival Gathering to remember lost loved ones Lanterns dedicated to lost loved ones were floating on the waters of Ala Moana Beach Park on Memorial Day, May 24. The Japanese Buddist sect Shinnyo-en organizes the lantern floating ceremony and holds the event on Memorial Day to incorporate additional participants and audiences. Thousands of people attended the 15th annual ceremony, including residents of Hawaii, tourists, and BYU-Hawaii students.

Among the crowd was sophomore Berit Muller, a graphic design major from Germany. “It was really sweet reading some of the words people had written on the lanterns. Everyone was thinking of their families and friends and then they stepped into the ocean lighting the candles and letting go.” Muller said there was a very peaceful atmosphere about the area. People were taking the time to talk and share stories of the people they had loved and lost.

The event also provided music, including Hawaiian chants and Taiko drums, giving a special spirit to the air. Andrew Monahan, a junior from Pennsylvania majoring in business, said, “The Memorial

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Ke Alaka‘i

Day Celebration blew me away to say the least. The gathering of people from all races and walks of life to honor deceased loved ones was compelling. I didn’t know I could feel the spirit in Waikiki, but I did.” After taking the trip with fellow students, Monahan said he and his friends released their own lantern giving tribute and making their Memorial Day a memorable one. Muller also said a highlight of the ceremony was that everything was free, including the lanterns.

Not all students were pleased with the event’s organization.

Coming to celebrate veterans and their lives, Jesse Grimshaw, a senior from California majoring in business, said he thought they missed the point of the holiday in not acknowledging the men and women who have given their lives to their country. “The production of everything was good, but they didn’t give the tribute to the veterans,” said Grimshaw. He said he wished it had been more about Memorial Day and the members of the armed forces who served the country.

- Lau re n Ste imle

Lanterns with handwritten messages float in the waters of Ala Moana beach park as part of the annual Memorial Day festival.

Photo by Greg Erickson

CAMPUS History Professor and University Archivist Matt Kester recently moved to Hollywood to begin screenwriting for a new TV series on ABC titled “Forever.” Photo by Monique Saenz.

Matt Kester

Bringing history to prime time television

“I think this class will be a great opportunity for people like me who are planning on working in the film industry. Learning these skills is a great History Professor Matt Kester is taking a way to help us broaden our skill range, as well six-months leave of absence from teaching at as maybe find the emphasis of film production BYU-Hawaii to be a screenwriter for ABC’s that we would like to go into.” new television series “Forever.”

Kester has dabbled in writing for

“It’s a cool opportunity to really television before and said he wrote several get some knowledge from not just studying, less-than-excellent screenplays before creating but doing,” said Kester, who plans to use the one for a show he entitled “Prodigal Son.” knowledge gained from this experience to “That got my foot in the door. It got me an create and teach a screenwriting class at BYUH agent and a manager,” said Kester. The reprewhen he returns January 2015. sentation provided by the agent and manager

Matthew Miller, the former executive helped him receive the opportunity to write for producer of “Chuck,” is the head writer and “Forever.” creator of “Forever.” Kester said he anticipates ABC had already picked up the show learning a great deal from Miller and others in before Kester ever got a call. The pilot episode Hollywood and then passing that on to BYUH has already been shot and the trailer can be students in a screenwriting class that is new to seen on YouTube. “Forever” stars Ioan Gruffthe course roster. “I’ll be able to teach students udd, known for his role as Mr. Fantastic from some really practical skills about writing for the “Fantastic Four,” who stars as a New York production. For example, each show has a City medical examiner that cannot die. “He’s budget, so you have to write scenes that will around death all the time, but is immortal. come under budget,” Kester said. “I hope It is not so much a supernatural show—it’s students will sign up for the course. It’s really pretty grounded,” said Kester. something that any major can take.”

Kester has joined a team of 10

At least one student is looking writers for the first 20 weeks of the show. forward to signing up. Danica Webster, a “Basically, we sit in a room all day and we senior in ICS-Humanities from Kansas, said, discuss characters and break stories, come up

with episodes, then send outlines and scripts to the producer [Warner Bros.]” At least once a month he will go to New York for shooting.

Kester said he enjoys life in Hollywood and New York but remains set on his plans to return to Laie after the show. “The Hollywood world is very tenuous. I enjoy the creative and commercial aspects of it, but I don’t enjoy the unpredictability of it. Screenwriting is fun and great, but teaching is my passion,” he said.

-Samone Isom

Matt Kester speaks at a devotional on campus in 2007. Kester said he plans to teach a screenwriting class at BYUH when he returns from his experience in Hollywood. Photo by Monique Saenz.

June 4, 2014

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hrough her testimony and the love of her country, Polina Vasilevskaya, a sophomore in art from Russia, is improving herself in hopes of improving her homeland.

Vasilevskaya said she grew to know God through her upbringing in the Russian Orthodox Church. Through the example of her mother, Vasilevskaya learned how to pray. “We were a very happy family. But my mom got sick, and she was searching for some support in our religion but we couldn’t find it.”

When Vasilevskaya was 14, she and her mother were walking downtown and they were handed a piece of paper. Vasilevskaya remembers the experience vividly. “We took the paper, but we didn’t look at who gave it to us. But we saw that it was an invitation to go and see a movie about Christ and about how families can be together forever. I thought ‘I don’t have school, it’s for free, and it’s about God. We will go.” Although they were skeptical, Vasilevskaya, her mother, and Vasilevskaya’s best friend went to the movie sponsored by the missionaries.

Remembering fondly, Vasilevskaya said, “We loved it. We were smiling all the time and we didn’t know why we felt so happy.

Now I know that it was the spirit.” They then invited the missionaries over and Vasilevskaya’s family eagerly listened to their message.

Preparing to Build th Kingdom

Russian convert to use educ to improve the lives of her

“I feel that right now is not the time to come back, but the time to develop myself so I can be stronger and even better, so I can really help someone.”

-Polina Vasilevskaya Her family and her best friend were baptized shortly after completing the missionary discussions.

After she and her family were baptized, Vasilevskaya said she changed her whole lifestyle. “We were very different from all the other kids at school because in one summer, we went from teenage girls in short skirts to almost nuns. This religion and beliefs affect how we live. We were obsessed with sister missionaries, and we wanted to dress like they do and be very good at keeping all the standards,” Vasilevskaya said.

Five years after her conversion to the LDS Church, Vasilevskaya’s mother died from cancer. “To the end, she was very faithful.

Even though we had to travel two days to go to the Sweden and Finland temples, she always went to the temple.”

Shortly after her mother died, her best friend’s father also died. “Her mom started listening to the missionaries because she got lonely. She needed support, and she saw her daughter growing up and being a good girl, so she set a really good example,” Vasilevskaya said. To help out with the missionary discussions, Vasilevskaya’s fa10

Ke Alaka‘i

ther went to her best friend’s home to assist the missionaries. Because he was over there so often, Vasilevskaya’s father and her best friend’s mother began dating and were soon married. “My best friend and I became sisters,” Vasilevskaya said with a smile.

When they turned 21, Vasilevskaya and her now sister decided to go on missions. They were both called to the Russia Novosibirsk Mission, and they finished their mission as companions.

When she came home from her mission, Vasilevskaya stayed at home and worked at McDonalds. “It’s really fancy place in Russia,” she said. Although she had studied at a university before going on her mission, Vasilevskaya didn’t return. “I wanted to do something where

CAMPUS Polina Vasilevskaya, a sophomore majoring in art from Russia, aspires to be an art therapist to heal the people of Russia.

Photo by Kelsie Carlson.

he

cation people

I could help people, and I decided that I wanted to do art therapy,” she said. She had heard about the BYU schools through her American companions on her mission. She attended BYU in Provo for a year and a half until she came to BYUH this past April.

Hawaii is very different from Russia, said Vasilevskaya. “I think I’m still going through culture shock. Here, I’m going through culture shock not because of my English, but because of my skin color. People think that I’m American, then they realize I’m not.”

Although Hawaii is paradise, Russia will always be home for Vasilevskaya. “I do miss Russia sometimes. I mostly miss just being accepted just because—that I don’t need to prove anything—and I

can just be myself.” Vasilevskaya hopes to use what she has learned thus far to give back to her country. “I want to become really strong and really educated so I can help people in Russia. I want to do whatever I can to help the Russian people.”

Vasilevskaya added, “Some people ask me, ‘So are you going to come back to build the kingdom?’ and I feel that right now is not the time to come back, but the time to develop myself so I can be stronger, and even better so I can really help someone.” Attributing all her success to the Lord, Vasilevskaya said, “As long as you keep the commandments, you can serve the Lord no matter where you are.”

-Emily Halls June 4, 2014

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Faculty Edition

Campus Comment

If you could see one band dead or alive this weekend, who would it be?

Earth, Wind The Eagles and Fire

“

Earth, Wind and Fire would without a doubt would be my pick. They are the finest musical group of all time.”

–Cary Wasden, Associate Professor in Business Management

Elvis

“

I would see Elvis. He’s the pioneer of modern day rock ‘n roll and he filmed a movie in Hawaii.”

–Corbin Thomander, General Manager of the Bookstore

AndrE Rieu

“

“

I would see The Eagles hands down. I saw them live at the Hollywood Bowl once and it was amazing. I would love to see them again.”

–Elder Fuller,

Honor Code office missionary

The Beatles Bruno Mars

“

If I had to pick one it would I like all kinds of music, but be André Rieu. He covers all if I could see any band it would music genres from classical to be The Beatles. Nobody changed pop. He is extremely talented.” music like they did.”

–David Preece, –Helena Hannonen, Assistant Professor Professor in Marketing in Business Management

“

I have a lot of favorites, but I would have to pick Bruno Mars. I love the melodies in his songs.”

–Susan Wesley, Academic Advisor in Business Management -Re id Crickmore

Photos by Hector Periquin