A shark killed a Japanese surfer off the Australian coast on Feb. 9, reports the New York Daily News. The 41-year old surfer was waiting for a wave when a shark bit at the back of the man’s board, taking his legs with it, the story says. The man’s friends who had been surfing with him that day, pulled him back into shore attempting to save his life by performing CPR and attending to the excessive bleeding. “…Because both legs were gone, he bled to death very quickly,” said David Wright, mayor of the town where the shark attack occurred. Shark attacks hit close to home for people living on Oahu since surfing is a popular pass time and hobby for BYU-Hawaii students as well. Cassie Davis, a business major from Utah, said, “I know the risks when I go out into the water, but you have to decide whether it’s worth it.” So far this year there has been one shark attack in Hawaii on Jan. 27 off the coast of Maui where the person attacked ended up with cuts on his lower left leg, reports the website dlnr.hawaii.gov/sharks. In 2014, there were six reported shark attacks in Hawaii, the website says, but most are not fatal attacks like the one in Australia. “What is the likelihood of being attacked by a shark in the waters of Hawaii?” says gohawaii.about.com. “Answer: Very unlikely. In 2012, 7.99 million visitors came to the islands and there were just ten shark attacks in Hawaii (the highest since 2002). In 2008 there were only two attacks and just three attacks each year in 2009, 2010 and 2011.”Being aware of the possibility of having a confrontation with a shark while in the water is the first step to surfing-safety. “If you aren’t willing to take the risk of running into a shark, don’t surf. The chances are small but there’s always a chance,” said Brindlee Fullmer, a business major from Arizona. “Shark attacks? They happen sometimes,” said Rachel Cooper, a psychology major from Utah. “The scar would look pretty cool though.” If you’re going out surfing, follow these tips from National Geographic on “How to Avoid an Attack:”• Stay away from the mouths of rivers after heavy rains, when freshwater fishes and other animals are swept out to sea.• Swim clear of fishing boats. They often trail fish remains and blood, which can draw sharks.• If you're bleeding, including menstruating, stay on the beach. Sharks can smell and taste even the smallest amount of blood from over a mile (1.6 kilometers) away and trace it back to its source.• If you cut or injure yourself in the water, get out! Do not stay in the water with blood around you.• Stay out of the water if fish blood or bait fish are present. In other words, steer clear of fishers.• Avoid large groups of fish, seals, or sea lions. They all are prominent on the shark's menu.• Stay away if you see large groups of dolphins and seabirds. They are attracted to the same food sharks eat. And don't make the mistake of thinking that if dolphins are present, there won't be any sharks around. Dolphins can be prey for large sharks.• Stay away from dead animals in the water

The deputy commissioner of the Chinese General Administration of Customs, Sun Yibiao, led a delegation to New Zealand Feb. 10, where he was briefed on a detector-dog training program that the country is helping China develop, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported.Jinping Yu, a sophomore from China majoring in accounting said, “I only heard about training dogs in detecting drugs, this is first time to know cash-detecting dogs.”Deputy Commissioner Sun also visited the New Zealand detector-dog base. Even though China has already taken advantage of dogs to chase contraband wildlife, drugs and explosives, this will be the first cash-detecting dog program of China.With the far-reaching anti-corruption campaign by President Xi Jinping entering its third year, it has become more and more important for the Chinese authorities to enhance surveillance capabilities. Some officials suspected of corruption who tried to flee with their ill-gotten gains have been found and nabbed at the border, said South China Morning Post. Canada New also reported that, between April 2011 and early June 2012, nearly $13 million in undeclared cash has been seized from Chinese by Canadian border officials at the Toronto and Vancouver airports. Jiayuan Wang, a sophomore from China majoring in accounting shared his opinion: “Cash-sniffing dogs is just a measure, it cannot radically stopped the political corruption and some officials will still abscond with their ill-gotten gains. For those people, the most common way to transfer property is using bank account and check, only a few using cash.”Since 2012, New Zealand has trained detector dogs. Before entering service, both the dogs and their handlers must undergo an intensive training over a three-month period. The New Zealand customs authorities reported that more than $1.9 million in “undeclared or concealed cash” had been sniffed out by the dogs that were dual-trained in drug and cash-detecting.“Trainers from New Zealand customs will provide assistance to China when they begin training their dogs,” the New Zealand customs minister, Nicky Wagner, said in a government statement on Feb. 10.Bethany James, a freshman from New Zealand said this is her first time hearing this news. “I think it is very smart, but I don’t think it’s very necessary to spend time and money on this program.”Uploaded March 2, 2015

The Sacred Falls hike is positively reviewed online, and people hike it even though it is illegal. In an effort to discourage would-be hikers, The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DNLR) posted a video about the dangers of the hike online to supplement the physical warning signs placed at the head of the trail.The seven-minute video DNLR uploaded on Vimeo and YouTube describes the dangers of Sacred Falls. On Mother’s Day weekend of 1999, a chunk of the upper cliffs fell off and landed on hikers who were swimming and sitting below. 50 people were injured, and eight died, permanently closing the hike to the public. Some locals were able to hike the hike before it closed down, such as Caressa Ann Pitt, a junior studying graphic design from Pupukea.”When I went on it when I was younger, I remember there was a waterfall at the end. I haven’t been since then because it was closed down,” said Pitt. Law enforcers try to prevent people from going on the hike into Sacred Falls. The video explains that if someone was injured, it is impossible for a helicopter to get into the falls, and firemen are putting their own lives in a dangerous situation. Bradley Highsmith, a junior in exercise and sports science from North Carolina, said he doesn’t think this is a compelling reason to stay off the hike. He said, “It’s like saying firefighters can save people in a burning building. It’s their job, but it’s still dangerous.”The video tries to warn others, despite the beautiful view, to avoid the hike. Highsmith added, “Its a shame that they don’t let people go see it. There are a lot of other hikes that are just as dangerous.” Pitt said, “I just try to obey the laws of the land, that’s all. There are a lot of hikes here in Hawaii that are off-limits.” Uploaded March 2, 2015

The 2015 BYU at Provo football recruiting class made national news Feb. 4, but not for signing a big name 5-star recruit. Instead the recruit that caught national attention has not even played a real game of football yet. Motekiai Langi, from Liahona High School in Liahona, Tonga, has caught the college football world by storm because of his massive size. Langi comes in measuring 6-foot-7 and weighing 410-pounds. “This is an exciting new recruit,” said Trinity Waddell, a junior bio-medical major from Dayton, Texas. “No doubt he’ll be fun to watch crushing people.”But do not let his size fool you. Langi, who grew up playing rugby, has surprisingly quick feet along with his impressive size. “It’s not a fat 410 pounds,” said BYU head football coach Bronco Mendenhall during a press conference on signing day. “He is a solid, healthy-looking giant man. I think if I’m any kind of coach at all and our staff is, there’s got to be something we can teach that guy to do.”The coaching staff first learned of Langi two years ago when coaching assistantSteve Kaufusi saw Langi playing a pickup basketball game while on the island of Tonga. Kaufusi was impressed not only with Langi’s size but his speed and quick feet as well. “Kaufusi thought he was light on his feet and could play football,” said Mendenhall.Though not having the intention to offer Langi a scholarship, Mendenhall quickly had a change of heart after just a short 15 minute meeting with Langi, and offered the recruit a football scholarship.Unfortunately, BYU fans are going to have to wait a couple years before having a chance to see Langi play his first football game. Langi currently is in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah preparing to serve an LDS Church mission to Arizona.This will not be the first time Mendenhall and the BYU football team has attempted to teach the game of football to someone who has never played it. A few years ago, an unknown walk-on from Ghana, Ezekiel Ansah, who had never played football, joined the football team. After learning the game and having a successful college career, Ansah was drafted No. 5 overall by the Detroit Lions.Uploaded March 2, 2015

YouTube and LDS videographer Devin Graham returned to Hawaii during Valentine’s Week to film his newest project promoting the Polynesian Cultural Center. Graham visited campus last semester when he was a judge for the Great Ideas video contest and was one of four who spoke at a Q&A fireside along with singer David Archuleta, and video sensations Tiffany Alvord and Stuart Edge. On this trip, he spent three days getting footage of every part of PCC. “He worked non-stop,” commented the coordinator of the shoot. From the luaus to the villages, to the night show and new Hukilau Marketplace, Graham filmed it all. “Devin brings a new perspective,” said Pane Meatoga. “We wanted to film PCC in a new and different way.” PCC funded Graham’s travels to Hawaii, and officials said they are excited to see what he will create along with the life and spirit of the PCC he captured while filming. In an interview Graham, he mentioned his love for Hawaii and all it has to offer. “Hawaii is like my second home,” Graham said. After both living here, and spending time at BYU-Hawaii, Graham said he holds a special place in his heart for this island and its experience. But there’s not much time for play when there’s so much work to be done, he said. Although, according to Graham, it makes it a bit easier when the work is fun. Graham said his love for videography started when he was a young boy spending his days playing with toys. As a child, he would create short movies, starring his Legos. His career in filmmaking has taken off, he said, with he and his crew releasing a new video every week and the number of subscribers to his YouTube channel continuing to grow to just under 3 million. Not only will his most recent video benefit the PCC, he said it would benefit his career as well. When asked in what ways, Graham said he hoped to draw in more of a Polynesian audience through this video, as well as share the love he has for the island, and hopefully convince others to come experience it. “We love filming things we care about,” commented Graham. Although he and his crew weren’t paid to make the video, he said the opportunity was payment enough. Graham said he and his crew had been wanting to film at PCC for a long time and were excited to be offered the chance to help promote the PCC experience. Check out the video online on Graham’s YouTube channel called devinsupertramp. In the words of Graham, “Alright, that’s a wrap guys.”

Since the Shiite Houthi rebels overtook Yemen’s capital in September of last year, and declared control of the country in January, the country has been in an all-out crisis. On Tuesday, February 10th, diplomats began to evacuate Yemen, according to Fox News. The embassy is said to be suspended until conditions improve.The Houthis are a Shiite rebel force that has been fighting in opposition to Yemeni President Hadi’s government. They have seized control of the nation, and the White House has ordered the U.S. ambassador to leave the country, with marine security to follow soon after, according to ijreview.com.Sala McCarthy-Stonex, a freshman and political science major, first heard the news on the world PRI. When asked what her reactions were to the news of the chaos in the war-torn country, she responded that she was “mostly just thinking about the ambassador’s reaction and how chaotic it was, and how surprised they are it didn’t turn into a massive tragedy with everyone trying to leave.” Fox News consultant and former U.S. ambassador Bolton stated the planning of the evacuation was haphazard, and “we should be thankful tragedy didn’t strike.”As reported by CNN, terrorists have made general threats against the U.S. Embassy and personnel in Yemen. "There are threats against everybody," a senior State Department official said. "The U.S. Embassy, the ambassador, all of our employees.” Mohammed al-Sabri, a senior Yemeni political figure who leads a multi-party alliance of opposition parties, said the Houthis would be unable to govern the country and would only fuel its international isolation, according to the Huffington Post. "They are a militia, not a political group," he went on to say. The country has been split by opposing rallies, with supporters of the Shiite rebels marching in the capital of Sanaa on Feb 27, and Yemenis against the rebels gathering in cities such as Taiz, Hodida and Dhamar, reported AP. “I think it is true for both. It is a militia, but they have enough support to be a political group.” Sala stated after hearing the political figure’s opinion. President Hadi recently escaped house arrest, according to AP, but the rebels show no signs of wavering. Airplane shipments of medical supplies have come from Iran, and 14 weekly direct flights have been scheduled between Yemen and Iran. Uploaded March 2, 2015

When asked about their own Caf food creations, BYU-Hawaii student’s opened up about personal go-to Caf recipes. Aaron Shields, a business major from Utah, suggested spicing up your waffles a bit. “Cinnamon in the waffle batter; I started that,” he said. Including a dash of cinnamon or applesauce to your waffle batter can add a delicious spin to your meal. Kyla Greening, a Pacific Island Studies major from New Zealand, has another way to modify those plain, boring waffles. She simply added a smear of strawberry cream cheese to the top and covered them in maple syrup. Waffles are a great snack option, but if you’re looking for other dessert suggestions, here are some other ideas. Sam Brieden, a bio-chemistry major from Michigan, said one of his favorite Caf treats is homemade Orange Julius. “Start out with half a cup of vanilla ice cream, and then add orange juice before mixing them together,” said Brieden. There are lots of options and new things to try when it comes to the Caf, but here’s a list of students favorites.• Add BBQ sauce to a grilled cheese sandwich before putting it in the grilled cheese maker. • Try cream cheese and cucumbers on your bagels.• Put a spoonful of peanut butter in a cereal bowl before adding cereal and milk.• When tuna is available, add it to a salad. • Mix orange juice and apple juice together for a refreshing new drink option. • Create some heavenly chocolate milk with a little vanilla soy milk, chocolate soy milk, and topped off with skim milk.• Add a nice spin to your PB&J by grilling it in the grilled cheese maker. (Actually adding cheese is not recommended.)• When chicken is offered as an option, shred it and make a chicken sandwich or salad.

Five hikers were trapped on the Stairway to Heaven hike Feb. 15 and spent the night on the trail because it was too dark for officials to rescue them, reported Hawaii News Now. They attempted the hike the day after a section of the stairway was damaged during a storm.The five hikers, one man and four women, says Hawaii News Now, started their adventure midday Sunday, Feb. 15, in the Moanalua Valley and got "stuck" on the Kaneohe side of the ridge. Hikers used their cellphones to call 911, around 7:15 p.m. that night. By the time the Hawaii Fire Department dispatched four units and 12 personnel, HFD decided it was too dark to rescue the stranded hikers. The hikers then spent the night on the trail. HFD resumed their search early Monday around 6:30 a.m. According to the Star Advertiser, HFD used one of the hiker's cell phones' GPS utility to locate the hikers. Once found, the hikers were air lifted in a helicopter from the ridge 8:21 a.m. that morning. The Star Advertiser reported they were flown to Kaneohe District Park and none of the hikers needed medical attention. According to Hawaii News Now, the trail was damaged in a landslide on Feb. 14. Several railings and stairs were damaged so badly that officials are considering closing the hiking trail and even ripping it out. According to the Huffington Post, the stairway was originally wooden and "was installed during World War ll so the military could access a radio station antennae 2,000 feet up the mountain." In the 1950s the stairway was restored with steel steps leading to a new Coast Guard navigation station. The area has been closed since the ‘80s and a security guard is posted at the entrance for most of the day. According to the Huffington Post, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply has jurisdiction over the hike now and "requires that anyone who goes up it signs waivers and presents a $1 million liability insurance policy."

Saturday Night Live celebrated 40 years of unforgettable laughs with some of the most famous comedians of the past half-century on NBC on Feb. 15. BYU-Hawaii students reminisced on their favorite skits and look forward to more in the future. The 40th anniversary aired as a three and a half hour special, featuring the most popular skits with comedians like Will Ferrell, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, and Jimmy Fallon. There were special musical performances by Paul McCartney, Miley Cyrus and Paul Simon. Justin Timberlake and other past hosts, such as Chris Rock, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, and Steve Martin, joined in on skits featuring famous actors Bradley Cooper and Betty White, pop star Taylor Swift and athlete Peyton Manning at the notorious 30 Rockefeller Center’s hallowed Studio 8H. Cameron Abaroa, a senior arts major from Arizona, shared he has two favorite SNL skits: Anne Hathaway as Mary Poppins and Tina Fey as Sarah Palin. Abaroa quoted his favorite line from Hathaway: “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is a disease of the liver that is extremely painful. I have the disease. It is not as fun as it is to say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”Victoria Mason, a sophomore bio-medical major from Utah, said every time she thinks of SNL, she thinks of Adam Sandler and Chris Farley’s “Lunch Lady Finds Love” skit. “Talk about flashback to the late ‘90s. My older cousins would sing this song. They loved Adam Sandler’s skits. So once I was old enough, I watched his stuff. They were hilarious and I think of this song when I buy cafeteria food,” said Mason.Brigham Madsen, a junior business management major from California, said, “SNL and cowbell are synonyms to me. ‘I’ve got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell.’ Will Ferrell was hilarious banging the cowbell with his belly dance.” Alex Leek, a sophomore in social work from Indiana, said, “I like the Chris Farley one when he is the motivational speaker that ‘lives in a bus down by the river.’ Kills me every time when he yells that and then breaks the coffee table!”Another student, Sterling Hansen, a junior English major from California, also likes Chris Farley’s motivational speaker skit. Hansen said his other all time favorite is Will Ferrell’s Spartan cheerleading skit, “It goes ‘Who’s that Spartan in my teepee? It’s me! It’s me!’ Or ‘Taco, burrito, what’s coming out of your speedo.’ Chris Farley and Will Ferrell are the best things that ever happened to SNL.”Janelle Prince, a sophomore in social work from Utah, said she enjoys the SNL weekend update with Seth Meyers and Bill Hader as Stefon. “Stefon is such a crack up. He comes up with really weird names for clubs, and whenever he covers his mouth, you know he is hiding a laugh. But he looks creepy and it’s so funny.”