Ke Alaka'i Homepage

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

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.”

Whether it is the hales, off-campus housing, or TVA, there never seems to be enough room for even the belongings students have. BYU-Hawaii students share some simple organizing hacks they use to create more space and keep away the clutter.Celeste Poisson, a senior elementary education major from Virginia, who has lived in the BYUH hales and off-campus, said every year she has to come up with new creative ways to make space and get organized. “Living here through the years, I’ve accumulated a lot of things, especially clothes. With limited closet space, I have to use soda can tabs on my hangers to have twice the room. ” Soda can tabs have two holes. You slide the tab onto one hanger, and hang the second hanger from the other hole, making you able to put two shirts in the space meant for one on a clothes rod.Poisson said she also stacks food containers inside each other so they’re neat and easy to find. She added when things are organized and have place to go, her room doesn’t seem so small. “Everything has a place. I try to use baskets or whatever to keep things neat and tidy. You feel better when your life is less cluttered, literally,” she said.Raena Lopez, a freshman elementary education major from Texas, said with the help of Pinterest, organization is about making her hale room look cute. “I use a toiletry travel caddy for my jewelry and school supplies. The caddy coordinates with the magnet boxes I have on the side of my wardrobe. I also have bins under my bed that I decorated with colored paper that goes along with my room.” Lopez said all of these efforts have made her room feel more “homey.”Chloe Dean, a junior psychology major from California, lives in TVA and said, “We use a little shelf to put our microwave on the little counter space we have, and I also put my rice cooker on it. It helps a lot.” To add some decoration, Dean said she has decorated some mason jars and other glass containers with colorful paint to put odds and ends.Megan Naidu, a senior accounting major from Idaho, who also lives in TVA, said with the limited space in TVA, she has a hard time finding a place for everything to go. “Avniel [her husband] makes a lot of shelves for our apartment so we can stack things have more space. It makes our apartment seem less cluttered. Also, my walls have become best friends with hooks and door knobs to hang things.” Naidu said that at the end of the day, “A happy home is a clean home.”

Part of living in a paradise like Hawaii is exploring and admiring its beauty by hiking. The following is a compiled list of students’ favorites, along with a few tips.Chinaman’s Hat: If you’re looking for something a little different, Chinaman’s may be the one to hike. “I liked it because it wasn’t just hiking. You get to swim in the ocean a little bit too,” said Isabella Bigley, a marine biology major from California. “You should wear really protective shoes because it’s pretty much all reef when you’re crossing the water.”Location: KaneoheLength: 2 hours round-trip (depending on the tide)Difficulty: ModerateKoko Head: 1,050 steps to the top, the Koko Crater Trail offers a beautiful view and fun climb.“It was killer on the way up, but the view made it worth it, and so did getting to scale the mountain side on the way down,” said Alison Anglen, a freshman majoring in psychology from Arizona.Location: HonoluluLength: 0.7 MilesDifficulty: ModerateDiamond Head: It’s a fairly simple hike with an incredible view of Waikiki.Location: HonoluluLength: 1.6 MilesDifficulty: ModerateCrouching Lion: This is a quick hike with a few different trail options. Lots of fun and a rewarding view; hiking the loop is recommended. “One of the easiest hikes with one of the best views,” commented Alex Martinez, a freshman from the Washington, D.C. area.Location: KaaawaLength: Varies depending on trail; Full loop is 4.4 miles.Difficulty: ModerateMakapuu Point Lighthouse: This is a paved trail up to a look out of the ocean and lighthouse. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, climb down to the tide pools and go for a swim.Location: south of WaimanaloLength: 2.0 MilesDifficulty: EasyOlomana Three Peaks: Jake Stevenson, a freshman from Utah, and Devin Winstanley, a social work major from Colorado, both agreed the rugged climb of Three Peaks was their favorite. “Not only was the view beautiful, but so was the journey,” said Winstanley.Location: KailuaLength: 2.5 MilesDifficulty: DifficultLaie Falls: Laie Falls is a bit of a longer hike that leads to a waterfall. The hike is a bit difficult for the end result. Some students said it may not be worth it to do it twice, but everyone should at least try it out once.Location: LaieLength: 4.7 MilesDifficulty: Moderately EasyPCC Falls: Another longer hike that takes you to a small waterfall and pool. Can be fairly muddy if it has rained recently. Scott Davis, an exercise science major from Colorado, said, “It’s a good, simple hike for anyone who wants to go out and experience Hawaii.”Location: LaieLength: 3.9 MilesDifficulty: Moderately Easy

A Chinese New Year celebration for the Year of the Sheep included food, decorations and activities for those eating at the Caf on Feb. 23. In honor of the Lunar New Year, Chinese food was served along with karaoke, martial art performances, and an acrobatic lion dance. Chinese New Year is an important holiday where the color red is worn and used for decorations, as well as gift-wrapping and envelopes given to children filled with “lucky money.”At the Caf, cultural music filled the room as people from all over the world were able to experience a little bit of the Chinese holiday together. The students ate a festive meal of Canton duck soup, Peking steamed buns, shrimp chow ho fun, General Tso chicken, eggs rolls, oriental salad with sesame soy dressing, jasmine rice and Chinese red bean rice cakes. There were bubble tea drinks too giving students the opportunity to try new things while participating in traditions and customs. Different Asian cultures around the world celebrate this holiday a bit differently, said BYU-Hawaii students, but usually it includes big family get-togethers and lots of food. “We celebrate the same day in Korea. It’s just a little bit different,” said Seopin Nam, a TESOL major from South Korea. When asked if the celebration in the Caf was anything like it had been at home, Nam responded, “No, the food was very weird. It’s nothing like that when I celebrate it at home.” But Felicia Lee, a business management major from Singapore, said she enjoyed the festivities and appreciated the efforts the Caf put into celebrating her favorite holiday. “Not having family here made it different,” said Lee, “because it’s definitely a holiday focused on family… I feel like they did all they could to bring the spirit of Chinese New Year.” One of Lee’s favorite parts was the lion dance, a traditional Chinese New Year event. Two performers work in tandem to make the lion dance and interact with the audience. One operated the head complete with opening and closing the lion’s mouth to receive holiday gifts. The other performer assisted the operator of the head to make the lion walk and do acrobatic tricks. Lee said she thought they really captured the essence of the holiday and made it enjoyable for all students of every culture.“This makes us want to go to China to celebrate,” said Taryn Skahill, a TESOL major from Texas.