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The World Surfing League, the yearlong tour that showcases the world’s top surfers from around the globe, has kicked off its season in Australia the first week of March. Surf fans from around the world have tuned in via webcast, television and in person to witness the spectacle of talent that is professional surfing. Students and surfers at BYU-Hawaii are looking forward to seeing the younger generation take the reigns from the long time veterans of the sport on tour and dominate the competition. Scott Messick, a senior studying business said, “The younger generation on tour are just figuring out how to find the middle ground with free surf and strategy out there in their heats. The older guys like Kelly Slater (11x World Champ) and Mick Fanning (3x World Champ) still shred, but they do the same things every heat. That's what's so special about the younger guys like John John Florence, Kolohe Andino, and Gabriel Medina; they bring the rail game, along with the air game.”Luke Facer, a junior studying biology from California said, “Seems like the younger guys are starting to make a good run for the title. All the normal top contenders and past title winners like Joel Parkinson, Taj Burrow, Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning are beginning to fade. I think they just have a couple more years to possibly get another title. Then it’s going to be all the young guns. The older guys are not out of the race yet though. They have been training hard during the off-season and come with a lot of experience that the younger boys on tour don’t have. Facer believes things could sway Fanning’s way this year again. He said, “I think that Mick Fanning, who came in second last year, is hungry for another world title and he was so close last year. He is fired up to take it. So far in the first couple of heats he looks on point.”The World Surfing League’s yearlong season moves to some of the world’s top surf locations to test the skills and talents of the world’s best surfers. This year’s tour starts in Australia and will move to places such as South Africa, California, Fiji, Tahiti and Hawaii throughout the year. Facer said, “Jeffery’s Bay, South Africa is one of my favorite spot to watch. It has everything, sections for big turns and radical moves as well as barrels and air sections. It is a wave that really shows the weaknesses and strengths of the surfers.” Many from around the island feel a special connection to the Hawaiian surfers on tour and are always hoping to see a good result from them. “John John is one of my favorites to watch,” said Ikaika Kaulukukui from Kaneohe. “He is explosive, unpredictable and does really well to represent our island. He understands waves of consequence and shows the world what Hawaii is producing.”Gabriel Medina was last year’s title winner and will be fighting to defend the title again this year. Messick said, “JJF is going to take this year's title. No question. He has been surfing so well for the past six months. He has grown up a bit and puts some strategy into his heats now and doesn't just free surf.”Watch all the World Surf League action online at www.worldsurfleague.com.Uploaded March 10, 2015

Vans, the company that supplied the original waffle sole grip shoe, has recently reached $2 billions in revenue, reported the Orange County Register. Vans has become an iconic company in the surf, skate and action sports industry. Students agree Vans has become an everyday shoe that has influenced the action sports world for the better. “I like the way that they look and that they can go universally with just about anything. You can wear them skating, running and even dancing. They give off a pretty relaxed vibe but they are still the original skate shoe,” said Jeff Facer, a junior from California studying business. According to Vans.com, on March 16, 1966, Paul Van Doren and his three partners opened up their first ever store in Anaheim, Calif., and the Vans dream was born. The Van Doren Rubber Company was unique in that it manufactured shoes and sold them directly to the public. On that first morning, 12 customers purchased shoes, which were made that day and ready for pick-up in the afternoon. Vans has continued to grow and is now a household name around the world. “Vans is one of the companies that helped the skate community to grow and become what it is today. Now they are getting a lot more involved in the surfing world too. They sponsor athletes from all around the world helping to spread the good vibes of Vans with everyone,” said Facer. According to Vans.com, in just 10 years, the action-sports brand has gone from about $320 million in revenue to $2 billion, a growth rare in an industry that has seen its share of downfalls in recent years. The latest figures put Vans on top of the food chain for the action-sports industry, surpassing surfing giants like Quiksilver and Billabong.Seth Young, a recent graduate from Arizona, said, “I feel like Vans are a shoe you can still wear even when they're torn up and it's still cool, maybe even cooler that way to some people. I think they used to be more for skaters or surfers but they've expanded a lot to meet the hipster demand.”Vans shoes are appealing to all types of people now. Skater, surfers, boys, girls, just about everyone is familiar with Vans, said Alex Krohnfeldt, a senior studying exercise science from California. “I wear Vans everyday. Personally, I love Vans. I have about 12 different pairs. Vans represents a mix of style and comfort and are shoes you can do anything in. I've always worn the classic lace ups. I love Vans because they fit my style and are comfy but still cute,” she said.Uploaded March 10, 2015

A recent report revealed that BYU Provo’s Marriott School was valued to have the best MBA program in the country, according to the Business Insider. According to the report done by financial firm M7 Financial, BYU pulls out in front of Harvard.According to the M7 Financial website, it created its financial rankings of top MBA programs by the ability of the average student to pay student loans when after graduation comes around. Assigning a letter grade, it examined schools to see which would be best for students. From the recent report, Harvard and other prestigious schools such as Stanford and Duke, received an A in the report. Schools such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale, and Duke’s MBA programs received A-. Out of the entire list, the BYU Marriott program was the only one to earn an A+.“Harvard. It’s the best of the best, the cream of the crop. As far as academics stands, it’s a very prestigious school,” said Michael Meile, a graduate in IT from Nevada. “To hear that BYU, a church institution, was ranked up there, at first it’s surprising but then you think because of the characteristics that exist there, why not?”M7 calculations gave BYU’s Marriott School an A+ due to the fact that students’ loan obligations are modest in comparison to initial career prospects, according to Business Insider. A BYU graduate would earn an average salary of $110,216, and only sustained a debt of $27,924 on average. In comparison, Harvard’s graduates earn an average salary of $138,924 but even greater debt of $73,926. M7 also calculated in their report how quickly a graduate would be able to pay off loans, and how burdensome a debt could become. Job prospects upon graduating were also examined. Although Harvard has a high employment rate after graduation, students at the Marriott School also have high ratings and good paying jobs, according to the Business Insider. “I think being a member of the church is a big part of it. People look at you differently with a religion. People want to hire LDS. I feel like I could have a job offer easier by being a member of the church,” said Brian Hung, a graduate in math from Hong Kong. Sergelenbaatar Oyungerel, a freshman in accounting in Mongolia, said about the report, “I think it doesn’t matter what school you go to. It’s from you and how you study and how you try to learn things.”Uploaded March 10, 2015

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson told reporters the city was making a formal apology to Tamir Rice’s family and the people of Cleveland for the wording in the legal filing of the 12-year-old boy’s death, which said the death of Tamir, who was shot by police in November, was the sixth grader’s own fault. “We did something that… is hurtful to the family, that is disrespectful to them and the victim as well as the city of the Cleveland,” Jackson said.“I accept Jackson’s apology for what it was. A PR stunt. Plain and simple. It would have been better if the police officer had apologized for killing a 12-year-old,” said Dom Lacroix, a junior majoring in biology. Though Jackson pushed for an immediate rewording of the legal filing, Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Rice family, said the mayor’s apology didn’t go far enough. Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann fired the fatal shots at Tamir in November. Reports said shots were fired not more than two seconds after arrival at a playground where Tamir was playing with a pellet gun. Tamir’s mother, Samaria Rice, told CNN, “They never even gave him a chance. The whole world has seen the same video like I've seen, and I'm sure the whole world is saying, 'You guys never gave him a chance.' With that being said, it can never be justified."Cuyahoga County’s medical examiner has ruled the death of Tamir Rice a homicide but has issued no statement determining the events leading to Tamir’s death a crime or not. “I’m tired of finding out another person who looks like me was killed. I’m tired and my people are tired,” said Talaya Banks, a freshman majoring in psychology. In the response to the Rice family’s lawsuit, the city said Tamir’s injuries, “were directly and proximately caused by the failure of Plaintiffs' decedent to exercise due care to avoid injury.” Furthermore, the response said, Plaintiffs' decedent's injuries, losses, and damages complained of, were directly and proximately caused by the acts of Plaintiffs' decedent, not this Defendant." “I believe there are good people who are good cops. But the term “good cop” is an oxymoron. The two cannot exist in the same place in this country,” commented Megan Hill, a senior majoring in communications from Providence, RI. "The Rice family maintains that Tamir was shot and killed unnecessarily by Cleveland police officers," Rice family co-counsel Walter Madison said in a statement. "Their tactics that preceded his death and the subsequent victim blaming are examples of the institutionalized behavior that has beset the Cleveland Police Department. The Rice family's lawsuit seeks to eliminate certain institutional behaviors and practices that have no place in our diverse community."According to Democracy Now! News reports, a White House task force has been assigned to calling to action a series of reforms in policing tactics, including increased transparency and further investigation into fatal shootings.Uploaded March 10, 2015

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.