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E ola olelo Hawaii

The Hawaiian language continues to be revitalized through state initiatives and within BYUH
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My first camera

After getting her first camera, a BYUH student turns a long-time admiration for photography into a passion for storytelling and cultural preservation of her Samoan heritage
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The healing lens

Three BYUH students share photography serves as a therapeutic outlet for self-expression, emotional processing and personal growth
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When words fail and pictures fade

BYUH student writers and photographers ponder the limitations of literature and photography saying by combining them, they can tell compelling stories
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An authentic experience with film photography

Perfect imperfection, unique lighting and the suspense of waiting to see what gets developed, are why photographers say they use film
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Putting things into perspective

Framing an image and a narrative calls for a specific choice of perspective, say student photographers and writer
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The art of finding balance

Graduation speaker, Rosalind Pedron says her success is rooted in the balance she found between academics, faith, family, community and motherhood

We all scream for iScreens

Dr. James Roberts, in his article on Yahoo.com, claimed cell phone addiction is similar to computer or gaming addictions after researching the topic. “Anything that can produce pleasure in your brain has the potential of becoming addictive. Loss of control is the essential element of any addiction,” Dr. Roberts reported. The article continues to name six indicators of a possible cell phone addiction; salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict and relapse. Dr. Roberts offers the following 12 statements that readers can use to determine whether or not they have a cellphone addiction by answering “yes” or “no.” 1. The first thing I reach for after waking in the morning is my cellphone. 2. I would turn around and go back home on the way to work if I had left my cellphone at home. 3. I often use my cellphone when I am bored. 4. I have pretended to take calls to avoid awkward social situations. 5. I find myself spending more and more time on my cellphone. 6. I spend more time than I should on my cellphone. 7. I become agitated or irritable when my cellphone is out of sight. 8. I have gone into a panic when I thought I had lost my cellphone. 9. I have argued with my spouse, friends, or family about my cellphone use. 10. I use my cellphone while driving my car. 11. I have tried to curb my cellphone use, but the effort didn’t last very long. 12. I need to reduce my cellphone use, but am afraid I can’t do it. Each of these questions can indicate a different aspect of the addiction. Questions 1 and 2 can indicate salience; questions 3 and 4 can indicate euphoria, which is a sign of mood modification; questions 5 and 6 can indicate tolerance a major factor in addictions; questions 7 and 8 can indicate possible withdrawal symptoms; questions 9 and 10 can indicate conflict that is caused by the addiction; and questions 11 and 12 can indicate relapse. If you answered "yes" more than eight times, Dr. Roberts suggests setting an appointment with a clinic. For those on campus, the counseling services can help. If you answered "yes" five to seven times, you are headed towards and addiction. If it was three or four, It is time to start analyzing your cell phone use, and if two or less of the above 12 statements were true for you, you are afraid of technology.No matter what readers scored, Dr. Roberts said that cellphones are not going anywhere, so we should all learn how to manage our use. Dr. Roberts suggested finding a time each day to “unplug” from our digital lives and devote time to what really matters, “friends, family, and being in the moment.” Alyssa Asplund, a sophomore from San Diego studying Graphic Design, couldn’t agree more with Dr. Roberts. “In society we focus so much on instant gratification. We want information right away just because it’s more convenient.” Asplund continued, “It’s a very impatient and crazy way to live. I find it absolutely inhuman and it’s like we’re turning into a bunch of robots.” Uploaded Feb. 26, 2015.

Houses for hope on Vanuatu

William Arnett, a junior in music from Arizona, is working with a group of returned missionaries and Vanuatu natives to bring education and the gospel to Vanuatu. In Vanuatu, education is in short supply. “Families can send one, maybe two of their children to school,” said Arnett, who served a mission in Vanuatu. “The islands and atolls are mostly subsistence farming and people are only able to reach a high school education, if that.”“Everyone in the country is just so vivacious that want to have education. They’re a very new country — only 30 years old. They got independence in 1980. They know to become a powerful country and to be the country they want to be is through education,” Arnett added. He and other returned missionaries have seen the need for education and have a plan to help provide it.On Crowdrise, you can watch a video called Houses for Hope, which explains their project. Through donations they will fund the building of a house for missionaries to live. The LDS Church will rent the house and give that money to the community, which will help fund for school. According to Arnett, a large portion of that money will be spent in paying teachers, buying school supplies and building a schoolhouse. By putting money into building these houses, the members of Houses for Hope are putting money into the education system of Vanuatu, as well as boosting its economy. Other portions of the rent money will go toward building more homes in outer regions of Vanuatu for missionaries to proselyte and serve the people. All it takes is one house to get it started.Maklen Kapulu, a project organizer for Houses of Hope and a senior in political science from Vanuatu, will be going back to her home to begin preparations on the ground this summer. “I know that this program will really help the children and especially the communities in Vanuatu,” said Kapulu. “We’re trying to help the country out, to get them what they really need,” said Arnett, echoing his Crowdrise video. “They don’t have the money to build the houses to rent them to missionaries to get money cycling through.” Arnett said housing would help missionaries to get out in the field, helping and serving the people. He added, “If we get the benefits of the gospel to them, it will also help them get educated and developed. This is one way it can go directly into their communities. It’s a win-win on both sides.” “As the children go to school they will be able to get a high school education, which is really the end of the line for them in their country, but then they can come to BYU-Hawaii and be able to have the miracle that is this church school to help them out,” said Arnett.He continued, “I feel like it’s a way — and I don’t want to sound cheesy — a way we can establish peace internationally. I think the school was made to do something like this and this is something we should do,” said Arnett.Houses for Hope is dedicated to their cause and backed by a generous donor who will match whatever money is raised from Crowdrise (up to $8000). While they are hoping to find success in the Empower Your Dreams competition, “we are going to do this anyway. The contest is just a way to do it quicker within the next two years,” said Arnett. “It’s going to happen, it’s just going to happen so much faster and so much better with your help,” said Arnett.Uploaded Feb. 26, 2015

Hukilau Marketplace Grand Opening

Students, locals, and tourists alike gathered at the Polynesian Cultural Center for the grand opening of the Hukilau Marketplace last Friday, Feb. 20. to participate in several activities, as well as try out the new shops and food options. Before the festivities began, a brief opening ceremony was held at the entrance. PCC President and CEO Alfred Grace took the stand, addressing the public about the exciting new opportunities and experiences the marketplace provides. “How do you make this marketplace different from any other marketplace?” Grace asked rhetorically. “You tell a story.” He explained the Hukilau Marketplace is symbolic of the values and traditions that have been part of Hawaiian culture for years. According to Pres. Grace, the first Hukilau was held on Jan. 31, 1948 as a fundraiser to rebuild the chapel in Laie. Hukilau means to “pull the leaves,” and Laie residents worked together to catch fish using woven nets. Residents used the extra fish from their catch to create a luau to raise funds. Although profit from tourism in Hawaii was not as prominent as it is today, the community pulled together and created a long lasting tradition eventually leading to the creation of the PCC. Along with a hula performance and lei untying, the public was invited to peruse the shops and events. Everyone in attendance was provided a free dinner of rice, beef stew, and manapua, with a sweet pake cake for desert. VIP guests were invited to an exclusive dinner at Pounders restaurant before its official opening. A statue of legendary Hamana Kalili was unveiled to commemorate Kalili as the originator of the shaka. According to the Honolulu Advertiser, Kalili lost his three middle fingers in sugar mill accident; he then became a security guard on the sugar train and his waving pinky finger and thumb become known as the shaka sign as he waved to tourists. The Kalili statue represents this and preserves his memory and story. Kahuku High School also did a series of performances, including the haka. “It’s really family oriented,” said Jordan Wilder, an undeclared freshman from Idaho, when asked her opinion on the new marketplace.The event was filled with students and friends who checked out the shops and food. Seven Brothers opened their new Seven Brothers Surf location in the Marketplace, as did Tita’s Grill. Seven Brothers Surf manager Shez Hannemann said, “[Hukilau Marketplace] promotes the locals to come out more.”Uploaded Feb. 26, 2015

Students to make feature film

Students at BYU-Hawaii are attempting to pull together funds to create a feature-length film. They created a page on Kickstarter, and have been seen fundraising outside the BYU-Hawaii Counseling Center with their “(almost) free ice cream,” camera equipment, and laptops for willing passers-by to pledge at least $1 to their cause. “We are currently in the fundraising process,” said Jacob Moss, a junior from Oregon majoring in music composition. “We are on Kickstarter with 81 followers. We hope to meet $35,000 which will be enough to pull it off to be professional looking and sounding film.” “If we don’t get the $35,000 we don’t get anything,” added Jacob’s older brother, Preston Moss, a junior majoring in fine arts and anthropology. Christopher Wiley, a sophomore music major from Oregon, clarified that “the credit cards aren’t charged until the goal is reached.” According to Preston, they are not just looking for money backers. He explained, “we also need help with the cast and crew. If you are interested or feel like helping, please back us on Kickstarter. Share it with your rich parents and bishops!” Jacob jokingly added, “Take out a loan for us! We will be extremely grateful!” “We need a lot of help from other students. It will be a significant step for us in our film careers,” said Wiley.Their film will be called “The Sandman,” Preston shared. The movie is “based on a short story written in the 19th century by E.T.A. Hoffman.” When asked a brief synopsis of their film, they directed to their Kickstarter page, which reads: “Nathaniel is happy. He’s successful in school, engaged, with a grand future ahead of him. Things turn however, as he suspects one of his professors of being a deranged serial killer, who harvests the eyes of his victims. Split between planning for his wedding and bringing this criminal to justice, Nathaniel embarks on an adventure that reveals the world to be a far more wild, and frightening place than he wished to imagine it.”“All of the cast and crew are students,” said Preston. Participating in such a project would provide students “experience and creativity in a team.” “We are dreamers. We are believers. I mean that we want to go out and work and do something with our lives. We want to move people, create meaning, beauty within people’s lives. This is an idea that captivates us as a group. We want to make (something) entertaining for the film. Something beautiful. We want to make something beautiful,” Jacob elaborated.“If we reach the quality of audience we are hoping to reach,” said Jacob, “it will be nice publicity for us and the school. If you are involved, it could be a catapult to a career. Of course, in order to reach that level is going to take a lot of effort by our cast and crew, and sheer good luck.”Jacob said in closing, “I think everyone should do things like this. We are super grateful for all of the help and support we receive. We are making a movie.” Uploaded Feb. 25, 2015.

The GoPro revolution

What started as one surfer’s desire to document his surf trip has turned into a globally recognized billion-dollar company: GoPro. BYU-Hawaii students said they think GoPros promote action sports and encourage people to be active. Today GoPro is a household name, and can be found on the beaches, in the mountains, and in the skies. “It gives you the ability to capture a wave from inside the barrel from a surfer’s point of view, which we never used to be able to do. It’s pretty much the eyes of the surfer. It has taken surf photography to a new level,” said Trey Fortucci, a senior studying exercise science from Oahu. “I think, just like Apple, GoPro is coming out with new products that are attractive to consumers and fit their needs. It’s a ‘life-proof’ camera that is cost effective and geared towards a person’s lifestyle, whatever that lifestyle may be,” said Fortucci.The small camera is almost indestructible and easy to always have with you. “I love the photography from GoPro. It is really unique and it is easy to carry with you wherever you go. There is nothing else like it,” said Megan Tiritilli from California. “A lot of the shots that we are getting with GoPros today would not be possible with a $3,000 camera set-up in hand. It all comes back to costs and mobility. The size and cost of the GoPro is unbeatable. I can fit it in my pocket and still have a good camera that can get the shots that I want,” said Fortucci. The world of action sports is getting flooded with photos and clips from GoPro users around the world. “I think GoPro has put action sports a bit more on the map. Now we have footage of so many different sports and new angles that we did not have before,” said Chris Hoer, a junior from Utah studying business. “Action sports are receiving more exposure and are in the spotlight more often because of GoPro.”Hoer said he believes the exposure can motivate people around the world to follow their passions and show others the joys of living. “It is definitely a good thing. I think it encourages more people to get out there and capture their moments and be active. People will try different things and film it. Ultimately it’s very cool,” said Hoer. Because GoPros are so small, it allows people to get a new perspective from the athletes in the sports they follow. Most of the action sports around the world are using GoPros to capture their most exciting moments. “It’s cool to see exactly what some of these guys are seeing with the point of view angle. It makes you want to do what they are doing,” said Hoer. Uploaded Feb. 25, 2015

North Carolina University sees death of three muslim students

The recent deaths of three Muslim students at North Carolina State in Chapel Hill may be ruled a hate crime.“We know this is a hate crime. We know that Islamophobia is real and very much alive in this country,” said William Gyles, a senior majoring in biochemistry from Illinois. Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; his wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21; and her sister, Razan Mohammed Abu-Salha, 19, were found dead on Feb. 10th at the newly married couple’s apartment. A grand jury has indicted Craig Hicks on three counts of first-degree murder, according to the Durham County Clerk’s office. Hicks was also charged with using a firearm inside of an occupied home. County police told media outlets, “an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking” may have been the cause of the fatal altercation, but officials are not throwing out the possibility of a hate crime. Barakat graduated with honors from N.C State in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Barakat’s wife Yusor graduated from N.C. State last fall with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. Yusor had just recently been accepted into the UNC dentistry program. Razan, Yusor’s younger sister, was a sophomore in N.C. State’s college of design, majoring in architecture. “Needless to say, these three young people had so much ahead of them. It pains me to think that this is happening to my brothers and sisters everywhere. It’s always the same headline, they just change up the campus every now and then,” remarked Karima Selah, a Muslim student at the University of Hawaii Manoa.The FBI defines a hate crime as, “a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias.”CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin said, “To qualify as a hate crime, all that matters is that the crime was motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias.”According to the university’s recent press release, N.C. State has created a scholarship program called “Our Three Winners” that will provide annual support to students in N.C. State’s Poole College of Management, College of Sciences and the College of Design. Chancellor Randy Woodson said along with the announcement of the scholarship, “Deah, Yusor and Razan exemplified the best of N.C. State and will forever serve as role models for our student body.” Woodson continued, “Each was not only an outstanding student, but individually and as a family lived their lives bringing joy to others, helping those in need and making the world a better place.”Prior to his death, Deah Barakat created a GoFundMe site to help provide medical care for Syrian refugees. Since his, his wife’s and sister-in-law’s passing, the page has received more than $335,000. According to Barakat’s cousin, Rula Dweydari, the money will be used to set up clinics for Syrian refugees in Turkey in memory of the three Muslim students.Uploaded Feb. 25, 2015

Meet the new BYUHSA

What is BYUHSA? BYUHSA is an acronym for Brigham Young University-Hawaii Service Association. The organization’s specific role is to serve the students and student organizations. BYUHSA has gone through a major reorganization in the past year to help us condense and focus on developing a closer ear to the students and the presidencies of Student Associations (formerly called clubs or chapters) on campus. Previous BYUHSA Presidencies have been organized with one President and two Executive Vice Presidents who oversaw 12 additional Area Vice Presidents. These representatives oversaw most student activities, and community service projects as well as student Associations and Student Advisory Council (SAC).What is BYUHSA today? BYUHSA is now organized into three areas and has a President and two Vice Presidents. The idea is move all of student activities and community service projects to more specialized teams within our department, and focus the Presidency on student leadership, students concerns and the Associations that have been developed on campus. Here are the three areas that are under BYUHSA:The first area is leadership development which is handled by the President Marc Gardner. The role of the President is to provide strong leadership for the BYUHSA teams and leadership development opportunities for the student body, especially through engagement with SAC and Associations. The President facilitates meetings and presents to students, departments and University Administration.The second area of focus is Student Advisory Council which is managed by the Vice President Sery Kuma Kone and the Student Advisory Council Team. They are the research, recommendation, and education arm of BYUHSA and they will look into unresolved concerns of any student and student related issues on campus. The feedback form is accessed at: http://student.byuh.edu/byuhsa/ under the SAC button.The third area of focus is the Student Association Presidencies who work with the Vice President Blake Va’aulu on creating positive activities within Associations. These student Associations were once called clubs on campus; there are 41 Associations, with 2,450 members signed up this semester. During the 2014 Fall Semester, there were 117 funded activities and many more weekly activities held by the Associations. This is a place for all students to connect with other students in meaningful ways.What happened to the other areas before the reorganization? Within our department of Student Leadership, Activities, and Service (SLAS) is BYUHSA, the Student Events Team, the HUB, the Service Center, the iLead group, the Aloha Center Front Desk, New Student Orientation and our wonderful Media Team focus on providing excellent and focused service in these areas. With all of the changes that have happened at BYUHSA, we would love for you to visit us in the SLAS office in the Aloha Center (Room 131) and get involved!

2015 Grammy awards full of political slants

The 57th annual Grammy performers and hosts used their vast platform and sent multiple political messages while on stage. “This past year has been chalk full of tragedy, incredible loss, and even a rising of a very important movement. It seemed appropriate for these prominent artists to put in their two cents, “commented Barbara Harris, a junior from California majoring in hospitality and tourism management. Common, a prominent hip-hop and R&B artist, accompanied by John Legend, a full orchestra, and a choir, performed “Glory” juxtaposed with clips from the award winning movie, Selma. Common spoke on the increase in racial tensions spread across America and ended the beautiful composition with the eyes Eric Garner, a black man choked to death by a NYPD officer, on the big screens behind himself and the choir. Erin Kach, a junior history major from Utah said, “I loved the performance, it was something unlike anything that has been produced on a Grammy stage. That’s artistry.”Sam Smith was nominated for five awards, and won four of them, including; record of the year, song of the year, best new artist, and best pop vocal album. “I thought it was very entertaining and Sam Smith deserved all of his awards,” said Kelsee Webb, a freshman majoring in biomedical science from California, “I really like him.”Pharrell Williams, though he performed his hit single, “Happy,” added a small hint of social justice awareness to his Grammy performance. All of Williams’ backup dancers wore black hoodies with the hoods up to commemorate Trayvon Martin’s tragic death and even held their hands up as if submitting to a police officer with a gun. Throughout the whole night, various Grammy hosts and newscasters sprinkled in statements branded by recent political movements, Prince being one of them. When he announced the album of the year, Prince framed the announcement by saying, “Like books and black lives, albums still matter.”“The gravity of this statement is so immense. Prince snuck it in, giving absolutely no time for negative rebuttal. He seized the opportunity to remind the larger audience of the importance of the fight against racial inequalities,” remarked Morgan Jaupri, a sophomore communications major from New York. Beck walked away with the prestigious award of album of the year. Others nominated in this category included Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Pharrell Williams. Kanye West also made a reenactment of the time when he took the microphone from Taylor Swift at the MTV Music Video Awards in 2009. However, this time he made a joke of the situation and did not denounce Beck in any way during their acceptance of album of the year. Student Anna Nelson, a junior majoring in international cultural studies from Utah, said, “I agree with Kanye, I think Beyoncé should have won album of the year.”To watch the Grammy’s recaps and or specific aforementioned performances, visit grammy.com for full coverage. Uploaded by Feb. 19, 2015.

Valentine's day dance

The Laie YSA First Stake Valentine’s Day dance blew it out of the park this year with its combination of good music and food. To attempt to accommodate students who got off work late, the dance began at 10 p.m. and ran until 1 a.m., allowing more students to enjoy the festivities.“The music has been pretty good, so it’s been a great night,” said Maclaine Day, freshman majoring in international cultural studies from Montana. The Aloha Center ballroom hosted a plethora of party games to keep energy up, hamburgers fresh off the grill, as well as a snacks. Alan Akina, 2nd counselor in the YSA 1st Stake Presidency, explained, “All the boys get blue tickets and all the girls get pink tickets. And to go eat in that food booth, you need a ticket for every food item. The only problem is all the boys need to have pink tickets and all the girls need blue tickets, and the only way to get that is for boys and girls to dance with each other.”Kale Anitema, a junior majoring in history form Maui, said, “There have been less and less dances, but when there is, it’s popping.” Anitema continued, “I would like to see the lights on, more chairs, and boys formally asking girls to dance.”Tonga Sablan, a junior majoring in communications from Seattle, Wash., echoed the sentiment on dances in the light when he said, “They are a perfect opportunity for students… to come from all over the world and share the universal language of dance.” Colorado freshman and accounting major, Simon Johansen said, “It’s a rarity to have such a solid mix here at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. The music stayed consistently on point throughout the whole night.” When asked about logistics of the dance, Rose Ram, a professor at BYUH who also happened to be manning the desserts, rebutted the question and asked, “Is that why you came over here? To interview me? Oh no, I’m going to find you a nice boy to dance with. Look, these ones coming up behind you look like they’d be perfect. Choose one!”For more information on upcoming dances, look on your ward’s bulletin, or the Student Activities board. Uploaded Feb. 19, 2015.