The Ke Alaka‘i team took a trip down to Honolulu to visit the biggest daily newspaper distributor on the island, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, on Aug. 29. The team learned about design and online skills to improve the BYU-Hawaii magazine and its online presence.

A passion for marine biology is why Kendra Nelson and Grace Tuthill decided to start a business selling homemade pasta in Laie. The two BYUH students began selling pasta as a way to fund an internship and trips to observe and research marine life.

After decades of socialist rule ended in Mongolia, which forbade the practice of Christianity, Mongolians were introduced in the 1990s to Christianity and subsequently Christmas. As one of the larger Christian denominations in Mongolia, Mongolian Latter-day Saints introduced Christmas culture to their country to celebrate the holiday through musical devotionals, music videos, and charity projects.

The LDS Church has embraced social media and is using different avenues to reach out to both members and investigators. Church leaders encourage members to use social media as a way to share the gospel. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “Perhaps the Lord’s encouragement to ‘open [your] mouths’ might today include ‘use your hands’ to blog and text message the gospel to all the world!”

During the COVID-19 quarantine, the BYU–Hawaii Sustainability Center conducted projects to benefit the BYUH ohana, including creating sanitizers, giving away food and travel commodities and supplying materials to make face masks.

As Laie-area residents are grateful Hurricane Douglas missed the community as its more powerful winds and rains passed by about 30 miles north of the town, BYU-Hawaii faculty members discussed the importance of hurricane and emergency preparation. Additionally, the Cannon Activities Center no longer being a Red Cross approved shelter because it is in a flood zone, was also discussed in the local media along with a proposed plan to build a new shelter in Hauula on higher ground.

The Laie Hawaii Temple includes several pieces of art from the friezes near the top of the temple to the sculptures around it, and members of the Laie community said this art tells a story. Kap Te’o Tafiti, a carver, sculptor, performer and senior cultural ambassador at the Polynesian Cultural Center, said all the art he creates has a purpose. He said in regards to art, its purpose is to tell a story.

Media advertisements on television seem to give the wrong idea about what beauty means to women, causing women to resort to cosmetic surgery, unhealthy dieting, and low self esteem says researchers. Women seem to be a constant target when it comes to being sexually objectified in advertisements, which subconsciously influence the minds of women, they say. According to an article on ezinearticles.com by Irina Webster, “Only one in five women are satisfied with their body weight. Nearly half of all normal-weight women overestimate their size and shape. A distorted body image can lead to self-destructive behavior, like dieting or eating disorders.” Women compare themselves to people on the media who are often “perfected” by digitally altering images creating unrealistic and sometimes unhuman ideas on how women should look. “Personally, I highly dislike these ads, as they suggest to both women and men that those models are the epitome of what a woman should look like physically and what women should be able to offer,” said Hana Akina, a BYU-Hawaii alumnus from the Laie. “I try not to let the women portrayed in the media influence how I live my life and my level of self-esteem. I’ve been there already, and it isn’t worth comparing myself to them. I’m just trying to be the best person and woman that I can be, according to my own standards and how I feel that Heavenly Father wants me to be.” Media products are full of images of unhealthy, skinny women, who are portrayed as “beautiful” by magazines, TV, movies and other media products that cause women to exercise abnormal eating behaviors says researchers. “I think this is happening all over the world, and it’s just getting worse and worse in my country…people see less clothes or being naked as attractive,” said Kaman Pang, a senior in marketing from Hong Kong. “Women think that the more you are willing to show your body, the more attention you will get. I think that’s why the women today are focusing on losing weight….Do not follow the culture right now. I would just be myself and dress appropriately and you will definitely gain respect from people,” added Pang. According to analysts, the reason behind women being sexually objectified by media advertisement is strictly economic. “Product industries are assured growth and profits. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth $100 billion (U.S.) a year. This is a lot of money and certainly worth their while to continue to foster the idea of emancipated women as being the norm,” says Webster. “Women want to look as good as the models in the ads,” said La Rue Querido, a graphic design sophomore from the Philippines. “I think the consequence of this is that we’re spending too much time and money on products that won’t really profit us in the long run....I feel sad about how most women rely on these products to look pretty. We should learn to love our natural selves.” Wi Wisanbannawit, a senior in TESOL from Bangkok, Thailand, said, “Mass media definitely influences women. In fact, everyone, regardless of gender and age…I do not really like it when media use women in the wrong way…This also leads some women to find themselves unattractive comparing to models in media. And many suffer from low self esteem, depression, and even some diseases.” Alopa Tuifua, an alumnae from Tonga, also commented on how the media influences women. “It gives girls false expectations and boys false hope...It’s not only us women who have been given this photoshopped image to live up to, but also men and what they look for. I believe that it comes down to a simple smile and just remembering that you don’t need to degrade yourself.”

Missionaries who studied at BYU–Hawaii said they are learning the importance of discipleship and how to serve others from home after returning from their mission due to the coronavirus pandemic. They said they are yearning to return to where they were serving their Heavenly Father and gathering his sheep.