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When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the Oscar best actor and actress nominations earlier this year, the absence of people of color, for the second time since 1998, sparked heavy criticism against the voting members of the academy. Though actor/actress nominations were not representative of the larger population, this year’s Oscar’s stage was graced with what the LA Times called, “the most diverse group of performers and presenters in Oscars history.” Among those who presented awards were Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Lopez, Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Kevin Hart, and Oprah Winfrey. "The presentation [of minorities] onstage does not bear any resemblance to the nominees and therefore the winners," said the Reverend Al Sharpton, who has not been silent on his feelings about lack of diversity in Hollywood. "One has to wonder whether or not the academy was trying to compensate with optics for what they didn't do with operations."One memorable moment from the night came when John Legend and Common (both black artists) performed their song “Glory” from the film “Selma,” which was nominated but didn’t win. “Glory” went on to win for best original song later in the evening. “It is not on accident that only the presenters and performers were black and brown people. We are seen as clever accessories in this country,” said Raul Kepur, a sophomore business major from San Diego, Calif. Another moment to be celebrated in terms of diversity came when Mexican director Alejandro G. Inarritu was given a standing ovation for best picture for “Birdman.” In receiving the award, Inarritu passionately dedicated his award to his, “fellow Mexicans, the ones who live in Mexico. I pray that we can find and build the government that we deserve.”While presenting the award to Inarritu, Sean Penn commented, “Who gave this guy a green card?” sparking outrage on Twitter. Author Lauren Morrill tweeted “Don’t care if Sean Penn was joking. Not your moment. Not your culture. Not appropriate.” However, Innarritu told the New York Daily News, “I found it hilarious. You know, Sean and I have that kind of brutal relation where only true friendship can survive. I didn’t find it offensive.” While the top Oscar categories were sans people of color this year, more than a few acceptance speeches on Sunday addressed the overall lack diversity felt in the awards themselves. In John Legend’s acceptance speech, he said, “We know that right now the struggle for freedom and justice is real.” Legend continued, addressing the school to prison pipeline and stated, “There are more black men under correctional control today than were under slavery in 1850.”Commentary addressing issues in the non-white community rose above the lack of representation in this year’s presentation. “If there is no space for us to be, we will create it. Best believe that,” said Barbara Harris, a freshman in HTM from Riverside, CA. Harris went on to explain the importance of representation in filmmaking, especially for youth of color in America. “Too often we are forgotten until our name appears on a gravestone or we are filling roles in movies enforcing harmful stereotypes. This needs to change.”For a more in depth coverage of the awards and those who received them, visit http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2015. Uploaded March 5, 2015

Earlier this year, Microsoft lifted the veil on their new operating system, Windows 10. The reveal announced changes and previewed features that consumers can expect later this year when the software becomes available. Here are five new features that you can expect when the new OS is released.1. The Return of the Start MenuThe Start menu feature was listed as the number one best feature available in Windows 10, according to LaptopMag, an online technology blog. When Windows 8 was released the option of having a “classic” Start menu vanished and was replaced by “live tiles.” Now in Windows 10 both ideas are merged into the new Start menu. It will include classic features like quick access to different drives and newer features like live tiles from Windows 8. The height of the Windows 10 Start menu will still be like older versions of Windows predating Windows 8, but the width of it is completely customizable and can range anywhere from two to three times the width of classic Start menus.2. Cortana, your Digital AssistantJust like the Microsoft Window’s phones, Windows 10 will come installed with Cortana, Microsoft’s voice-controlled digital assistant. Cortana allows you to pull up specific files, search your hard drive and find photos based off of dates just by telling your PC to do so, according to the Microsoft website. Microsoft also said that “you’ll see Cortana as never before” in Windows 10. Unlike other digital assistants Cortana speaks with a natural, conversational flow allowing her to be the world’s most personal Digital Assistant, according to Microsoft worker Joe Belfiore.3. Xbox app for Windows 10Another feature that will be made available in Windows 10 is the Xbox app. Soon you will be able to play any Xbox One game on your PC or tablet, according to LaptopMag. The new OS will support Xbox game streaming through home networks, with better speeds and graphics. Additionally, the application will have a feature called Game DVR allowing you to record, edit and share your victories. Finally, your friends will be accessible across Windows 10 or the Xbox consoles via Xbox Live.4. Project SpartanProject Spartan is a new web-browser for Windows 10 and has no relation to Internet Explorer. The user interface is very clean and almost Chrome-like, according to engadget.com, a technology review website. Engadet also stated that the focus on Project Spartan is social sharing. Project Spartan allows you to highlight, annotate and share websites with friends. Integrated into Project Spartan is the Digital Assistant Cortana, who doubles as an audioreader.5. HoloLens integrationMicrosoft HoloLens, together with Windows 10, brings high-definition holograms to life in your world, according to Microsoft. As holograms, digital content can be as real as the physical items in the room. By design, the holograms will be integrated in your world and merge with the physical surroundings enabling you to do things that you have never done before, such as play games where you are in the game, or watch Netflix on a wall of your kitchen.Uploaded March 5, 2015

February’s Eat the Street carried the theme of French chocolate on Friday, Feb. 27 in Honolulu. This led to a variety of unique dishes, including chocolate garnished steak, French macaroons, chocolate-covered fruit, and a chocolate balsamic sauce. Ethan Precourt, a sophomore from Massachusetts studying business, said, “The chocolate theme was what initially got me down there. It motivated me to do the drive down. It was interesting to see how all the different food trucks incorporated the chocolate theme into their menu.” He added, “Some were very creative and others not so much.”Eat the Street features more than 40 food truck vendors from around the island on the last Friday of every month. The trucks bring hungry visitors to sample a variety of food from around the island.Krystal Wares, a senior from California majoring in art, said, “Eat the Street has a fun, family-friendly atmosphere but also the exciting energy of a big city event. It’s nice to escape the country sometimes and enjoy a different, more upbeat environment.” A down side for many of the students who traveled from Laie to downtown was the crowd, as they showed up to the overflowing parking lot full of food vendors. “I thought the food options were exciting but out of reach with the crowd situation. A better location and setup would change the feel of the event for me,” said Tyler Wares, a recent BYU-Hawaii graduate from California. Wares said, “The idea is amazing and it would have been a perfect night if it was just our friends and the food trucks with all those different flavors at our finger tips. But unfortunately 10,000 other people had that same idea. That made it complicated when ordering and finding food to eat. Some vendors ran out of food quickly.”Wares also offered advice: “I would suggest getting there earlier to take full advantage of all the trucks and options they offer.”Eat the Street was first held in 2011 in a small parking lot in Honolulu. According to the Eat the Street website, the first event was a huge success, with more than 1,500 people in attendance. The festival is now held on a lot at South Street and attracts up to 7,000 people each month. The next Eat the Street will be a special event held in Mililani on March 14 with a similar chocolate theme. Following that event the vendors will return to the South Street lot on March 27 from 4 to 9 p.m. for Eat the Street Japan style. Uploaded March 5, 2015

Feminism took a few steps forward and a few steps backward at the 2015 Oscars when female celebrities demanded to be more than a pretty face, but also seemed to demand their pretty face required more support than other minorities. Patricia Arquette, who won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Boyhood, said in her Oscar acceptance speech, “To every woman who gave birth to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”“Everyone else’s rights,” comes with something of a sting specifically at the 87 Oscars when African American actors, directors, producers, etc. were so wholly underrepresented. “Sure, feminism is kind of the order of the day,” said Cara Nebeker, a recent graduate of psychology from BYU-Hawaii, “but there are oppressions so much deeper than wage equality for men and women. Up until 150 years ago, African-Americans’ souls were considered three-fifths of a person and weren’t paid for their work at all.”A movement to help desexualize women, #AskHerMore, demanded that red carpet interviewers ask women more questions than what they are wearing. Rina Tafua, a senior in university studies from California, said #AskHerMore allows women “to be considered humans instead of walking mannequins. It’s a step up for feminism, but it’s easy to see how other movements are more important.”Bell Hooks, an American social activist, most famous for her commentary on gender, race, and class, said, “In America, the social status of black and white women has never the been the same. Although they were both subject to sexist victimization, as victims of racism black women were subjected to oppressions no white woman was forced to endure. In fact, white racial imperialism granted all white women, however victimized by sexist oppression they might be, the right to assume the role of oppressor in relationship to black women and black men.”Feminism attempted to take a place above race equality and sexual orientation issues, according to Twitter responses recorded on Buzzfeed.com. “Patricia Arquette sure ruined her nice moment. Fighting against one injustice does not excuse blindness to others,” said @Wende. “Girl please go away,” said @Sanniel, after Arquette went further down her ignored oppression spiral. Backstage at the Oscars she demanded, “It’s time for all the women in America and all the men who love women, and all the gay people, and all the people of color who we’ve all fought for, to fight for us now.” The fight for their own equality isn’t over, said people on Twitter, and demanded Arquette take a hard look at her words to see the innate racism there. Arquette’s desire for gender equality highlighted the need for “intersectionality” in the fight. Intersectionality, according to The Telegraph, is a term created by Professor Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989 regarding the phenomenon of feminism as multi-layered depending on a woman’s race, ethnicity, economic class, and ability.Uploaded March 4, 2015

Honolulu police investigated a stabbing of two children and a woman at a Kalihi housing project. Emergency medic responders said a 7-year-old boy, 8-year-old girl and their 28-year-old mother, Megan Isomura, were apparently stabbed multiple times at Kalihi Valley Homes, also known as Kamehameha IV housing on Monday, Feb 23. All three victims were transported in serious but stable conditions to a hospital nearby. Isomura’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, 34-year-old Brandon Lorenz, turned himself in that same afternoon, but has been released from police custody on Feb. 25, Hawaii News Now reported.“These kinds of stories are what I grew up hearing on the news. This is not new for Kalihi. Though I do hope the mother and her children get the medical and emotional help they need, it’s time we look at the bigger picture of reckless violence on the island,” said Malia Jonston, a recent Farrington graduate. The Honolulu Star Advertiser reports that Kalihi Elementary School, just a few blocks away, was under lockdown for about and hour when someone matching the description of the alleged suspect was reported on campus. Lorenz has a criminal history that includes counts of family violence, assault, and multiple temporary restraining order violations. The couple also has a history of violence together.“My father had problems with his own anger. It’s always the same story. To hear about this is so tragic. That could’ve been me,” commented a BYU- Hawaii student. Isomura and her two children were reportedly attacked in their sleep. Isomura reported she has another child who was fortunately staying with a relative at the time. Medical officials reported Isomura and her children are stable and recovering in the hospital. “When you have to call the cops, call the cops. We can deal with the emotional trauma after that,” said Troy Lea, professor and psychologist in the BYUH counseling services. Campus security can be reached at (808) 675-3911 and will assist in further measures after initial reports of violence. Counseling services on campus also provides therapeutic assistance for victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. For more information of reporting cases of domestic violence, and or options for recovery and therapy, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1 (800) 799-7233 and their website can be found at http://www.thehotline.org. The hotline and website alike offers free, anonymous support. Uploaded March 4, 2015

Students’ deadline to submit proposals for this year’s Conference on Undergraduate Achievement is this coming Friday, March 6. The College of Math and Sciences andCollege of Language, Culture, and Arts are partnering for the Empower Your Dreams event taking place on March 19.The event’s flyer said, “We invite proposals for papers, posters, performances, creative writing readings, art displays, and exhibitions. Students from all disciplines will have the opportunity to share their scholarly and creative accomplishments with the entire university community.”Phillip McArthur, dean of the College of Language, Culture, and Arts, said, “The purpose of the conference is to give students an opportunity to present their original work. It could be anything from textual analysis of literary text to scientific research. They get the opportunity to present their research - to organize and present it, and have that experience of going before an audience and being asked questions about it from their peers.”When asked what advice he would give students writing their abstracts, McArthur said, “My recommendation is to be as concise and clear as possible. In the 150 words they have, state the title, what it’s about, what are the most interesting findings that are compelling and of interest to others, and any conclusions they can make from that. It’s an exercise on being pithy, concise, and articulate. It’s a good practice for future careers. It’s not just about getting your paper admitted to the conference. It’s about learning how to even render what you’ve done and sum it up really tightly.”Rose Ram, the associate Academic vice president for Assessment and Accreditation, said she prepares students in her research class to present at the conference. She advised students to, “Look at what is required in your proposal, definitely work with your faculty mentor, have peers read it, and be very creative about your abstract that makes people excited and draws people in. An abstract that is well written will leave the person reading it very intrigued and wanting to come hear it.”Rae Robinson, a junior studying painting from Texas, said she is preparing to submit her proposal. “I’m just excited to show my art in any way I can, especially to a different audience that doesn’t normally view it. I think it’s really nice that they open it to visual arts. It’s fun to combine and come together with many of the same ideas and views, but just in a different way of portraying it.” Robinson said she is going to submit a collection of her pen and ink drawings, a couple portraits, and a collage of the Pacific Island temples.McArthur said he was excited for this year because the winner of the music presentations will be able to play with the Honolulu Symphony. He said, “We have a whole day where students move towards becoming professionals.” In regards to the presentations, he said. “They have not only used them for their resume, but also some of them have reworked them and submitted them for publication and were able to get them in a publication in a smaller journal before grad school. Those are really good moments in reflecting over the conferences the past 15 years.”Ram said she looks forward to every Winter Semester for this event. “For me, the most thrilling part of being able to mentor students to get to this conference is to be able to see that confidence in the student grow. That’s the richness. If I can do that for them here, it will set them up for greater success in the future.”Uploaded March 3, 2015