The shaka gesture is recognized across the world as a symbol of Hawaii. For students attending BYU-Hawaii, it has become a popular signifier for “hang loose,” “howzit,” “thank you,” and “right on.” The origin of the shaka was in the community of Laie.

A communications expert compared people being unconsciously consumed with social media to a fish swimming unaware that he is in water. Dennis G. Martin, a professor emeritus of Communications from BYU in Provo, said, like “the fish is the last one to realize water is its medium, we are not likely to notice that machines make up the medium we swim in…. Think about the medium we are swimming in because it has a huge impact on who we are and who we become.”Martin spoke to a full audience of BYU-Hawaii students and professors in the Little Theatre on Feb 26, about the types of community people choose to create. Martin said, “A digital connection is not the same as a human bond. When we have a moment to disconnect, we turn into mummies with faces illuminated by the glowing screen. We have allowed social media to replace our thinking time. When was the last time you just spent 15 minutes thinking?”To illustrate his comment, he shared a Los Angeles news story about a 83-year-old woman’s mummified body found after being dead for a year in front of a glowing computer monitor with Facebook opened. Martin said she had no family, friends, or religious groups. However, being a former B-movie star and model for Playboy, in her lonely state she had connected with old fans on Facebook. He said, “What a paradox? She had a web that had grown exponentially, but at what cost.”In attendance at the forum was Cole Ellsworth, a freshman from Texas studying exercise and sports science. He said, “Technology can be isolating. It can be a struggle to have meaningful times together. For me, this forum made me think about ways I can bring friends together over anything- the dinner table, outdoors, activities. I want to make creating that space to just talk more a part of my life.”Martin said he wanted the forum to be a place where students can analyze the impact their social media has on their lives. He said, “Value the machines for what they are; tools just like a saw or hammer. They serve a great purpose, but let’s not substitute machines for commonness, communion, community, and communication.”Gabbi Smith, a freshman from Utah studying history, agreed with Martin. “It’s really valuable to see social media as a tool. That means you are using it, not having it use you. Being out here, I have to rely on social media to communicate with people back home. When we see it as a tool, we can use it to form a sense of community. It just depends on your intent of how you use it.”Martin gave another example, this time of a woman who had to sit through 17 hours on a flight from L.A. to Singapore with the bathroom leaking right beside her. He said at first she complained and received a short, unapologetic response from the airline. He explained the woman then tweeted about the unfairness on Twitter. From this example, Martin said, “Social media has democratized the world we live in. Don’t you feel a little bit of power? You have a voice now.”Joyce Li, a senior majoring in ICS communications from Hong Kong, said, “A couple years ago, I noticed within my group of friends that they used social media to capture people’s attention and it turned into a bad thing of commenting just to get people to respond. It’s easier to be mean over social media.”Li further explained that you don’t really see people’s reactions, facial expressions, and body language. On the other hand, Li said, “Leaders of the church talk to us about how great a tool it is. I am called as a social media missionary and we emphasize reaching out to people from different parts of the world.”Uploaded March 6, 2015

Curling up next to your mom is the best cure when you’re sick, but as adults we have to find other remedies. “Being sick isn’t always so bad, it gives me an excuse to lay in bed and watch Netflix all day,” said Hannah Davis, a freshman from Arkansas majoring in business, when asked how she battled being ill. Whether it’s a cold or the stomach flu, here are some tips from moms for those days when you aren’t feeling your best. 1. Citrus: The pulp in citrus fruits is known to boost your immune system. This is what makes orange juice such a great option when you’re feeling under the weather.Spicy Foods: If you have a stomachache, spicy foods might be a bad idea; but if you’re looking to clear up those sinuses, peppers are sure to help.2. Coconut Water: Perfect for replacing those electrolytes and hydrating your body, giving it the boost it needs to get you feeling better.3. Crackers: Eating unsalted crackers or dry toast helps ease queasy stomachs by absorbing some of those toxins.4. Bananas: The potassium found in bananas is a great source to replace those electrolytes lost when you have a fever. 5. Eggs: Eggs help break down the toxins in your body so these are a great choice when you’re feeling sick. 6. Ginger Ale: Sipping flat ginger ale or Sprite when you have an upset stomach helps to ease nausea. 7. Popsicles: These are the perfect treat to sooth a sore throat and keep hydrated.8. Honey: Honey is filled with anti-oxidants so add a tablespoon to some herbal tea or water. 9. Tomato Juice: A cup of V8 juice will give you the boost you need to rehydrate and get feeling better.Try out a few of these simple things and find out what works for you. It would be best to not get sick at all! Here are some things you can do to not get sick in the first place.• Wash your hands before each meal and after using the restroom. • If someone in your house or dorm room is sick, cut a white onion in half and leave it out. The onion will absorb the bacteria and help prevent others from getting sick. Be sure to throw it out once it starts to turn black, you don’t want that bacteria sitting around!• Drink 8 oz of grape juice every morning to prevent the stomach flu.• Keep a clean living environment.• Eat foods rich with vitamins.Along with plenty of rest, these tips might be useful next time you’re feeling sick. Make sure to take care of yourself and keep your body healthy!Uploaded March 6, 2015.

In December 2014, CT scans revealed what’s inside an ancient Buddha statue: the mummy of an ancient Buddhist master. The 900-year-old statue perfectly encases a skeleton that rests in the lotus position, said Reuters. Some students at BYU-Hawaii were startled to learn about the monk in the statue. Danna Usevitch, a freshman studying math education from Arizona, said after learning about the practice of self-mummification, “It seems more significant. It's not just some grotesque thing where there’s a dead person inside a statue. It's more for a purpose.”According to CNET, self-mummification was a process for only the most religious of monks. It was believed by a few that mummification was actually a state of higher enlightenment or a highly advanced spiritual state. Vincent van Vilsteren, the curator of archaeology at the Drents Museum informed the Ke Alaka'i, this particular monk may have practiced self-mummification, but "there is a very small chance that he has praced this. There is an even smaller chance that the research can demonstrate that he practiced self-mummification. But the research is still ongoing and we are awaiting results." van Vilsteren said "the statue was made 200 years after the monk died. In those 200 years, he was just worshipped as a mummy without a statue around him." Monika Kiss-Stefan spokeswoman for the Budapest Museum, where the statue is currently on display, said "the monk had prepared for his death meticulously. Monks who choose self-mummification ate only seeds for a long time and then roots of a poisonous plant to prevent maggots eating their flesh," as reported by Reuters. "They spent their last days in a pit, meditating, and when they died, their bodies were left until they became mummified. The mummified body was covered with clay around 200 to 300 years after the monk's death, followed by several layers of enamel and finally golden paint, to make the statue," says the Reuters article.Van Vilsteren said the process of self-mummification using fasting and toxic tea may be true, "But if we may prove all this, is very doubtful."Yonathan Dogi, a sophomore studying hospitality and tourism management from Indonesia, admired that someone could do that. “Some people don’t really care about their religion until they realize how important it is for their life,” said Dogi. “They devote all their time to do meditation and prayer.” Sydney McCarrey, a vocal performance junior from Laie commented, “It sounds like they’ve achieved their highest state, which can be paralleled with us.”The monk found inside this particular statue is believed to be the Buddhist master named Liu Quan of the Chinese Meditation School. His name is written on the cloth the skeleton sits on. He died around 1100 AD. The scan also revealed scraps of paper with ancient Chinese characters in the cavity where his organs used to be, according to CNET. Original upload on March 6, 2015 corrected March 27, 2015.

Harvard University has issued a new policy of banning sexual or romantic relationships between professors and undergraduate students, joining a small but growing quantity of universities banning such relationships, reports the New York Times.“I totally agree with this policy. If the professors want to date a young-age person, they should look somewhere else besides the colleges,” said Bobby Eggleston, a senior in bio-medical sciences from California. However, Alanna Norwood, a junior in biochemistry from California, said she thinks such a rule is irrelevant for BYU-Hawaii. “I don’t think it is necessary for all the BYU schools to have this kind of policy, as most of the professors on campus are married,” she said. Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences Committee on Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures recommended this change. “Our rule is that if you are supervising, evaluating or grading someone, you should not have a sexual relationship with that person,” said Alison Johnson, a history professor who led the committee. According to that rule, the sexual harassment policy has been revised to not only ban sexual and romantic relationships between professors and all undergraduates, but also “between teaching staff, such as graduate students, and the students who fall under their supervision or evaluation,” wrote the New York Times.Sachi Dono, a sophomore from Japan majoring in psychology, said, “It is better for universities to have this policy. In Japan, there are no definite rules to say whether it is okay or not for teachers and students to have special relationships. Once a teacher goes beyond the normal relations with students, he may get fired or transferred to another school.” The American Association of University Professors does not support universities banning such relationships. However, the organization has admitted that with the unequal power dynamic, it is hard to determine consent about the intimate relationships between students and professors; therefore, college employees can easily have allegations of sexual harassment. Yao Lingwen, a sophomore in elementary education from China shared her opinion: “I don’t think universities having this policy can totally avoid sexual harassment. It is a different thing than dating. I just treat the relations between professors and students as normal as other dating situations.” Alanna Norwood, a junior in biochemistry from California, said, “If I know my friend is dating with a professor, I will still treat her as equal to others. Nothing special.” However, other students disagree. Bobby Eggleston said, “In the case a student in my class is dating the professor for that class, I would feel weird in some way.”Uploaded March 5, 2015

Students and friends living in the “V.I.P House” are hoping to make a documentary called “Mormon Connection” by traveling through Europe this summer and staying with members they meet on the road. The movie is meant to demonstrate how small the Mormon world can be. V.I.P House resident Cody Myers, a junior from Texas studying business, explained the “Mormon Connection” video is going to be “half adventure film, half missionary tool in order to spread the gospel. In a nutshell, it is going to be a documentary of the global Mormon Church. It will spotlight how there are members of the church in every part of the world.” Myers said six of his friends from BYU-Hawaii, including three from the V.I.P House, are going to travel around Europe and use their connections to stay at members’ homes while and recording their hosts’ stories.Clayton Kearl, another V.I.P resident and Utah senior in business, said, “How many times do you hear people say ‘Oh, it’s such a small world in the Mormon world.’ You’re always making connections everywhere you go. We want to highlight that and show you can make friends in the church wherever you go.” Myers talked about some of the inspiration for the project. He said, “This summer, I went on a road trip with my younger brother for five weeks. I was planning on camping every night, but because of our membership in the church and going to BYU, we only had to camp two nights out of the 35.” Myers continued, “The first two weeks we didn’t even buy any food. We were just amazed by how awesome our membership in the church is. There are families and friends everywhere. We wanted to show that to the world because it was such a cool experience, and show it in a larger scale in Europe.”Myers said they just launched their idea on Kickstarter, a platform for funding creative projects. He said they have raised over $1,400 out of their goal of $7,500.Lindsay Kelley, a senior in EXS from Oregon, said she loves the idea. “It sounds really cool because they are going to be able to connect to people all over the world and understand different cultures with the LDS faith. I love their house because there are a lot of different personalities that make it entertaining. Kelley said, “I love how genuine everyone is, there. They are all in my ward and they bring such a sweet spirit.” Kearl said their house is trying to bring people together. “You’re only alone until you talk to the person next to you. That is how our house is. We make people feel welcome.” He said they want to make people feel like a V.I.P. when they come to their house. The V.I.P House, located off the cul-de-sac on the Point, is full of color. A person going down the stairs enters and sees red and green flashes from the disco ball light, and an art wall full of eclectic paintings to the right. There is an open deck with a piano, an ukelele, a drum set, harmonicas, couch sectionals, hammocks, a television, an art station, and a hanging bed called the “Magic Carpet,” for guests’ entertainment.Rachel Jenson, a freshman from Utah studying elementary education, shared her favorite part of the house. “It is definitely the deck, the lights, and the vibes of the house. All the boys at the house are really upbeat and happy. They just want to have a good time. They don’t care who you are. Everyone is welcome and I like that.”Uploaded March 5, 2015

Various malls in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada are stepping up their security after a siege at a Kenyan mall ended with more than 60 fatalities, according to CNN.The attack, carried out by Somalian-based al-Shabaab militants, took place in the upscale Westgate Mall two years ago in Nairobi where shoppers were held hostage for four days, BBC reported.Now, two years later, the same terror group has threatened the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, calling for attacks similar to those that took place at Westgate Mall. “Threats like these shouldn’t be taken lightly,” said Alex Leek, a junior from Indiana studying biology. “Hopefully this gets settled before something bigger happens.”The terror group al-Shabaab released the threats via video on Saturday, Feb. 21. However, the U.S. government does not have any clear information regarding attacks in the U.S.A., U.K. and Canada, CNN also reported.Although the specifics of the attacks were not identified, Homeland Security and the FBI have begun making improvements in security since the attack in Kenya.Within the last year, the FBI has teamed up with select malls nationwide with aims to increase preparedness. Amongst those exercises were staged mall attacks that tested the readiness of SWAT teams.“It’s good to know that preparation is taking place for attacks like these,” said Kelly Hess, a sophomore from California who is undeclared. “The last thing we’d need is a lack of preparation.”The threats have come as a surprise for U.S. officials, since al-Shabaab limited their past attacks to only their home country, Kenya and Uganda, according to Houston-based KPRC 2 News.U.S. officials believe that with the rise of other terror groups like ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and their vicious actions, al-Shabaab may be feeling a little left out.“If the terror group is trying to prove themselves to someone then I don’t think these threats are likely to unfold, but that’s just my opinion,” said Victoria Ansarah, a freshman from Washington D.C. studying ICS.The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI believe the video was the terror group’s attempt to compete for attention and recruits with other terrorist groups, KPRC 2 News also added.“Al-Shabaab’s strength is compromised,” A U.S. law enforcement official said to KPRC 2 News. “And while the group has the desire to see a mall attack in the U.S., it probably isn’t able to do so.”Uploaded March 5, 2015

Terrorist Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein fired shots at a free speech forum and Jewish synagogue in Copenhagen on Valentine’s Day, killing two people.Kjestine Tatarata, a senior from Denmark studying business, said, “The police found and shot him right outside my old apartment in Copenhagen.” She continued, explaining how this fits in with the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks in France. “Since then, we thought something could happen in Denmark. It seems like there is a growing number of radicalized people.” The Swedish artist Lars Vilks attended the Feb. 14 forum, and told CNN he has gone into hiding after escaping unharmed. “He believes he was likely the target of the attack. Vilks, known for his controversial depictions of the Prophet Mohammed, is on an Al Qaeda hit list,” reported CNN. CNN said the drawings depicted the prophet Muhammad as a dog, which is a very offensive gesture toward Islam.According to the report, “A 55-year-old man, identified as a filmmaker by local media, died in that attack and three police officers were injured. Hours later, the same gunman killed a 37-year-old member of a synagogue and wounded two police officers in a second attack outside a girl’s bat mitzvah celebration in central Copenhagen.”CNN also said El-Hussein posted allegiance to ISIS on Facebook right before he went to the first attack. Native resident of Denmark Louise Andersen said, “Personally, I find these cases more frustrating than ever, as we’ve seen the reactions from Muslim extremists to these drawings countless times before. I find it unnecessary to make the point of our freedom of speech further.” Andersen continued, “But the opposite has seemed to happen. Danish people have emphasized more than ever that our freedom of speech and opinion is vital to our society, and that giving that up would compromise the identity of our country.” Olivia Oquist, a junior from Sweden studying marketing, said these attacks were surprising to her. Oquist said, “Sweden is like a vanilla country. We never are really involved in much and so it’s scary when things happen like this because it is so close to home.”Political Science Professor Brian Houghton, who has been a counterterrorism analyst since 1986, said, “Sending a message through violence for a political cause makes it terrorism. We call guys like El-Hussein ‘homegrown.’ According to CNN, he was a Danish citizen with Palestinian origin and a criminal, gang-related history. This is another thing we see quite often; individuals become more extreme, violent, and radicalized after they go to prison.” Houghton continued, “In Paris and Denmark, you have individuals who have self-radicalized, meaning that these people are not members of a terrorist organization. They didn’t go to training camps. Rather, they have gone online, watched videos, and read literature that they agree with, and they start to commit violent acts.”The Washington Times reported that more than 500 people were in attendance at El-Hussein’s burial in February.Uploaded March 5, 2015

The doors of the McKay Auditorium opened to an art exhibit the evening of Feb. 28, stocked with pieces mainly from professors on campus, but also a few community members, according to Professor Brandon T. Truscott, art instructor at BYU-Hawaii. “I love this event because it gives us a chance to show that professors, who spend time in the classroom, are good at what they do,” said Dr. David Kammerer, a music teacher at BYUH, who went on to mention it was a good time to dispel the myth that individuals go into teaching because they aren’t that talented at their subject. “We teach because we love it,” Kammerer continued. Upon entering the exhibit, attendees immediately saw a large, string-art piece on canvas that spelled out “Laie.” The white string was stretched over black canvas in an intricate, spider-web-like display. “It’s like you walk in and BOOM- Laie,” said Gavin Nuttall, a biology major from California. He went on to cite “Hibiscus 1” by Japanese professor Katsuhiro Kajiyama. “Teachers and community members are the bomb-diggity,” said Cara Young, a freshman from Colorado. Dozens of other pieces were on display in the small foyer to the auditorium. In the far back right corner, a replica of Princess Kaiulani’s ball gown, created by Daniela Dooley, stood erect. Towards the front of the room, a stoneware creation called “Ocean form 2” by Jacob Jackson rested on a platform.When the clock struck 7:30 p.m., the music, theatre, and audiovisual performances began.A good amount of the musical pieces were originals. Dr. David Bradshaw’s original number, “Passings” brought Lizzy Saylor, a sophomore in education from China, to tears. “It gave me time to think and it moved me,” she said when describing her emotions during the performance. “It was incredible,” said Saylor. “Not what I expected. I was interested the whole time. They were my teachers. It was like supporting my friends.” The fun nature and timbre of “The Hula Blues” had the audience laughing. The call and response between the xylophone and the piano elicited positive reactions from the audience. The last two pieces were fun and jazzy, and “Shower the People” involved the audience. Toward the end of the song, the audience was asked to sing along with the chorus. According to Dr. Kammerer, the solo performers had been working on their selected pieces for about a month, while the last two jazz pieces had only four hours of practice between the two of them. Uploaded March 5, 2015