Sierra Phillips, a sophomore from California studying psychology, spent the last four and a half months teaching English to elementary school aged students in Nanjing, China, a city with a population greater than New York City.Phillips asserts the biggest and most memorable thing she learned during her trip was, “sometimes the smallest minds are your greatest teachers, and the brightest students are those who are the most eager to learn.”Phillips explained, “I worked with a program called the International Language Program teaching English to six second grade classes and three fourth grade classes on top of additional classes like art, drama, kitchen and shop.” Phillips said she heard about the program through a friend who taught in Ukraine through ILP.The program used full immersion to teach the children the English language, meaning that, even though Phillips taught on a Chinese campus, she was only allowed to speak English with the students. However, if students were struggling enough, Phillips would address the questions to the students in both English and Mandarin. “I spent a short amount of time studying the language with a good friend of mine before I left to Nanjing,” Phillips stated. “Fortunately, I was able to arrive with a little background on the language. It was difficult at first, especially when it came to asking for directions.”To overcome these difficulties, Phillips explained using visual or hand gestures was the best way to express what she was trying to say when she was at a loss for words. Along with teaching, Phillips was able to explore some of the culture and beauty China had to offer. On her off days, she would find herself riding down a river on a bamboo raft, surrounded by mountains on all sides filled with dips and twists, creating a silhouette on the horizon like that of a rollercoaster, she said. “The mountains are known by many residents as the ‘Dr. Seuss Mountains’ and I can truly say that after being there I felt like I was in one of his books,” Phillips stated. “At night the residents would throw lights into the sky and everyone would be out on the streets singing and playing flutes into the night air. The whole city was very surreal.”Uploaded Jan. 29, 2015

Members of the Laie community and any travelers of the Kamehameha Highway can experience what life was like in Laie during the plantation era right outside the Polynesian Cultural Center with the opening of Hukilau Marketplace.The name of the marketplace, “Hukilau,” comes from back when fishermen in Laie would “hukilau” or “throw nets around schools of fish” and “bring them to the shore for the community to enjoy,” according to a press release from the PCC. This practice became very popular, and visitors to Laie would come to watch and enjoy the music and food afterwards on the beach alongside the community members.The marketplace includes a variety of shops including retail, fashion and food. The marketplace has historical significance and some shops have a story behind them. According to David Fonoimoana, who was the retail assistant merchandising manager at PCC and now the manager of the BYU-Hawaii Bookstore, the Laie General Store is a souvenir shop created after the legacy of the Goo family in Laie. The Goo family owned a plantation store in Laie that was closed down in the 1980s.“The décor and memorabilia are reminiscent of … family-run community stores ... including an exact working replica of the old jukebox that sat in front of Goo’s Store for many years,” says PCC’s website.The fashion store, Nona’s Tropical Threads, is named after a seamstress who was well known in the Laie community for 50 years, said Abby Carlson, retail assistant operations manager. “The story behind her is that she was able to look at people, know the size and cut the fabric,” said Carlson. “She was a really awesome and talented lady.”The marketplace is aiming to stay true to the community with specialized food, products and entertainment. Along with different shops, the marketplace will also have about five carts and kiosks, said Fonoimoana.The marketplace is open to the public and parking is free. “It is a huge feat for the PCC that people can come and experience the marketplace without having to pay admission,” said Alfred Grace, PCC president, in a press release about the marketplace.The main purpose behind opening the Hukilau Marketplace is to get repeat customers, Fonoimoana said. “A lot of people think, ‘I’ve already been there so I’ve already seen it,’ but now people can stop for lunch or stop for an hour and then head on. They don’t have to commit the whole day,” he said.Eric Workman, executive vice president of the PCC, said, “Hukilau Marketplace is bringing together in one location goods, activities, and special foods associated with the heritage of Laie, the North Shore and Polynesia. It’s exciting to see this new, fun, family-friendly gathering place come to life and give residents and visitors another reason to enjoy the North Shore.”The marketplace is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Grand Opening for the Hukilau Marketplace is scheduled for Feb. 20, says PCC website.Uploaded Jan. 29 2015

Newer BYUHSA clubs said their membership has gone up during the Winter Semester World Fest club sign-ups where every chapter and club has its own table to promote itself and its purpose. This gives students the opportunity to see the diversity of BYUH and allows students to be a part of several chapters and clubs. The event, which was held all day on Jan. 22 and 23, was located in the Aloha Center. Hailey Rice, a senior in biology from Canada, said she really enjoyed World Fest. “Everything is very exciting here. Being a biology major, I am always a part of the Health Care Professionals Club. I want to pursue a career in medical care.”A few of the smaller known clubs on campus were glad to report there was an increased interest in their clubs this semester. For example, just three-semesters old, one of the new clubs this year is the Baseball Club. Current member Kemjai Koide, a sophomore math major from Japan, described how the club was born when he said, “Two students started to play catch together in the fields in front of campus. They played catch often and started thinking it would be nice to have a baseball club because there wasn’t already one in existence.” Koide also said he never had the opportunity to play baseball in Japan, but he always wanted to play. The Baseball Club gave Koide the chance to play. Because the club is a mere introduction to baseball, Koide said, “You don’t have to be good to play.” Another relatively new chapter added to BYUHSA is the Native American Chapter. This chapter is going on its second semester, according to Adam Conte, a sophomore in EXS from Arizona. Conte said, “Fall Semester was our first time, so we didn’t really know what to expect and kept things very simple.” The chapter hopes to grow this year, although Conte pointed out that Native Americans are a minority on campus. He said they are trying to create a club that everyone wants to participate in although they may have no cultural bonds to Native Americans. They look forward to making a new video and beating their $500 raised at last year’s Food Fest with their Navajo taco sales. One of the busier tables at World Fest, crowed with TVs, gaming systems, and students, belonged to the Gamers Club. Sitting behind the table as a representative was Sydney Diamond, a senior art major from Utah. According to Diamond, the Gamers Club meets every Thursday night from 7-11 p.m. to play games with each other. Diamond said everyone brings whatever game they want to play. “On a weekly basis, 20 to 40 people show up. It also depends if we are having an event or not.” About 100 students come to the club when there is a tournament, she said. Last semester, the club has a League of Legends tournament, and 80 people were there to compete. Like any other sport, Diamond said, “For the tournaments, they usually form some sort of team and there is usually someone in charge. Within teams there are rankings and stuff. Everyone gets together and we give out prizes.”Uploaded Jan. 29, 2015

BYU-Hawaii student Malia Parker, a sophomore from Idaho majoring both in biology and peacebuilding, is experiencing and sharing the island with others via her newly purchased van, the Steez. An extra-long van with murals painted down the sides, the Steez is hard to miss.Parker fell in love with the van last semester when it was under different ownership. “I thought it was the coolest car ever. Then they put it up on the ‘sell your stuff’ Facebook page, and I was like ‘no way’,” Parker said with a child’s gleam in her eye.Parker’s roommate, Minlief du Plessis, a freshman from Wisconsin majoring in business, has caught the Steez spirit as well. “Steez stands for style with ease,” Plessis continued, describing the unique features that give the Steez it’s style. “It came as is with all its quality features like the couch, Jesus painted on the ceiling and no reverse.”Parker and Plessis are anxious to share the Steez spirit with others. For just $5, anyone can enjoy the Steez. “This is the prime adventure vehicle; where adventure is, the Steez appears,” Plessis said admiring the van. “So if anyone is interested in a ride because they’ve noticed how cool it is on campus, they’re totally welcome. Every weekend it’s going somewhere.”Maddie Christenson, a sophomore from Utah majoring in special education, is a regular rider in the Steez. Christenson, who goes for drives daily, said there is room for anyone who wants to as well. “There is plenty of space. You could fit a lot of people in the back,” Christenson said.Parker wants other students to know the Steez is open to anyone who wants or needs a ride. While Parker does not rent the van out, she is willing to drive other people. Driving the Steez requires a special driving technique that Parker is most familiar with. “The Steez doesn’t have power steering, so it’s a workout every time we turn a corner,” Parker said. Plessis has driven it before but does not plan on doing it again in the future if at all possible. “I drove it once, and it was a bumpy ride! That’s all I will say,” Plessis said, laughing.Parker plans to add to the unique style of the van by having every passenger add a little of their own personality to the interior of the van. “We keep sharpies in there, so people can write little words of wisdom inside, and we’re going to put some paint in there,” Parker said.Despite all of its unique qualities, Parker said, “She always manages to make it back home. Knock on wood.”

BYU-Hawaii students said the LDS Church’s press release concerning its position on religious and gay rights on Jan. 27 was a good reminder about loving others despite differences.Krista Muaina, a senior in elementary education from California, said she thought the press conference was not meant for members of the church so much as the public. “Even though we know how we are taught to love everyone regardless of sexual preference and how we believe in religious freedom, the public need to be reminded.”Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: “Because we are frequently asked for our position on these matters, the Church asserts the following principles based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, and on fairness for all, including people of faith:• “We claim for everyone the God-given and Constitutional right to live their faith according to the dictates of their own conscience, without harming the health or safety of others.• “We acknowledge that the same freedom of conscience must apply to men and women everywhere to follow the religious faith of their choice, or none at all if they so choose.• “We believe laws ought to be framed to achieve a balance in protecting the freedoms of all people while respecting those with differing values.• “We reject persecution and retaliation of any kind, including persecution based on race, ethnicity, religious belief, economic circumstances or differences in gender or sexual orientation.”Elder D. Todd Christofferson said this press release does not indicate a shift in the LDS Church’s doctrine.Elder Oaks shared several examples of infringement on religious freedom that have caused these concerns. He said in “one of America’s largest cities, government leaders subpoenaed the sermons and notes of pastors who opposed parts of a new antidiscrimination law on religious grounds.” He also mentioned how the “head of a large American corporation was forced to resign from his position in a well-publicized backlash to his personal beliefs.”“When religious people are publicly intimidated, retaliated against, forced from employment or made to suffer personal loss because they have raised their voice in the public square, donated to a cause or participated in an election, our democracy is the loser,” Elder Oaks said. “Such tactics are every bit as wrong as denying access to employment, housing or public services because of race or gender.”Sister Neill Marriott, a member of the Young Women’s general presidency, was part of the press conference panel. She said the church believes sexual relations other than between a man and a woman who are married are contrary to the laws of God. “This commandment and doctrine comes from sacred scripture and we are not at liberty to change it,” she said. “But, God is loving and merciful. His heart reaches out to all of His children equally and He expects us to treat each other with love and fairness.”McKinzie Norton, freshman in graphic design from Kansas, said, “I’m sure there’s at least some opposition against the church for this announcement, but it’s important that everyone is treated fairly.” Uploaded Jan 29, 2015

The new year brought tragedy to the surfing community when 24-year-old professional surfer, Ricardo dos Santos, was allegedly shot by an off-duty police officer in front of his family home in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina. CNN affiliate Record News reported the officer and dos Santos were arguing, and the altercation ended in the off-duty officer shooting three bullets in dos Santos’ chest. Though doctors performed four surgeries on dos Santos but were unable to stop the bleeding. He passed away on Jan. 20. Luke Shum, a sophomore majoring in accounting and an avid North Shore surfer from California, said, “He was a role model for me because he was the anomaly. No one expected him to succeed because of where he came from, and then out of the wood works comes Ricardo, consistently riding the craziest tube.”According to witness reports, the off-duty officer was identified as Luis Paulo Mota Brentano. Brentano has been arrested but claims he shot dos Santos in self-defense, according to Record News.“He represented all of us very well and was very well recognized for his hard work and also was a very good person,” said Gabriel Medina, Brazil’s first surfing world champion. “There are certain things that we do not understand.”Surfer Magazine praised dos Santos as “a fearless, world-class tuberider” who “captured the surf world’s attention” at the 2012 Billabong Pro event in Tahiti, for which he took home the Andy Irons Forever Inspiration Award. Dos Santos also broke Kelly Slater’s 11-time winning streak when he won world champion in 2012. In addition, dos Santos won the Surfline Wave of the Winter for riding an “incredibly deep, blue, massive pipeline tube.” Slater and other surfers in Hawaii paddled out to form a circle in tribute of the late dos Santos this past week. Slater later wrote on his Instagram, “Condolences to Ricardo’s friends and family around the world. Our small community has lost another way too soon.”Though there have been conflicting reports about the intention of the police officer in the altercation and whether or not dos Santos wielded a weapon, the surf champion will be missed. When it comes to mourning the loss of such great talent, Paul Kiering, a junior majoring in psychology from the Big Island of Hawaii, said it best: “The surf community shares a bond to each other as strong as the bond we feel to every wave we ride. I never knew Ricardo dos Santos personally, but I know that his legacy will carry on.”Uploaded Jan. 29 2015

Electronic Dance Music (EDM) is beginning to surge to the frontlines of the music industries as the sounds of synthesizers and bass are taking over the music charts.Acts like Kaskade (who, according to ldsliving.com, is an active church member), Deadmau5 and Hardwell have come forth out of the EDM movement as world-renowned artists and have achieved international adoration on groundbreaking and revolutionary levels, according to DJmag.BYU-Hawaii student Fabrizio Botalla, an undeclared sophomore from Italy said, “The music is really popular where I’m from. Kids start listening to it as young as about 13. People are always blasting it in their cars too. It’s normal.” However, EDM has only recently began to achieve the mainstream tag. The genre, in its entirety, is anything but new. It began as an underground movement in the 1980s, according to The Huffington Post, similarly to how hip-hop crossed over into the mainstream in the late 1990s and early 2000s.“It’s a popular genre, but not my style. I know a lot of people who do listen to it, and I respect it as it’s own genre,” said Reed Segura, a junior from California studying political science.EDM has dozens of sub-genres such as the polished sounds of trance, dubstep, glitch, break, hardstyle, bigroom and house.Festivals are another part of the EDM scene. Events like Electric Daisy Carnival, Global Dance Festival, Decadence and Tomorrowland are a few successful festivals that can bring over 500,000 people together. Tickets for events like these can range from an average of $200 to $350. EDM artist Tiësto reportedly makes over $250,000 per show, according to Forbes.“The experience of Electronic Daisy Carnival is truly something unique. Everyone is just so happy and in love with the music. I think everyone needs to at least experience one day,” said Alanna Norwood, a junior from California studying biochemistry who has attended the Electronic Daisy Carnival multiple times.Although EDM is a genre on it’s own, it has influenced the pop charts as well. Producers like David Guetta and Zedd have found success by joining forces with pop sensations such as Nicki Minaj, Akon, Kid Cudi and Ariana Grande.Forbes magazine wrote “dance music’s convergence with pop music has made it more accepted as well as opened up the genre to a host of new listeners.” Pop fans are slowly opening themselves up to the EDM genre through what they already deem as familiar.Whether or not the general public will accept this new emergence of music, it is clear that EDM is here to stay. The music industry is beginning to brace itself for what EDMbiz coined as an exploding genre.EDM has already created a massive scene for itself and, at the rate it’s growing, it may be this decade’s definitive genre.Uploaded Jan. 29 2015

BYU-Hawaii students said the family history indexing program for prison inmates is a great way to help the church, genealogy efforts, and the inmates themselves. Inmates in Utah, Idaho, and Arizona are volunteering to participate in family history indexing and finding success, according to Mormon Newsroom. Michael Mallory, a sophomore in English from Utah, said, “I think it is a great program for [the inmates]. I don’t see anything much better for them to do while sitting in prison. If you are going to do something, hey, do something that will last eternally.” According to FamilySearch, indexing is when volunteers read digital images and put the information from those images into a database. The digital images are records and photos of people of the past that have been scanned and saved online. By inputting the information on the digital images, other people can then type in a name to find the records of their ancestors. Inmate David from Kane County Utah Jail said, “Indexing brought the inmates together in teamwork—like a sporting event.” David explained how he has found indexing surprisingly comforting. He said, “Indexing allows us to have a positive interaction with one another.”The Church provides computers and software, and because there is no direct access to the Internet for the inmates, they use microfilms and flash drives for research, according to Mormon Newsroom.In the state and county jails, the program’s advisors are volunteers. Even service missionaries are a part of the indexing program as consultants with the inmates in most locations, according Mormon Newsroom. Erika Hill, a junior ICS major from Utah, gave her initial opinion on the program: “I’m not going to lie, what if what they put into the system was bad or faulty?” However, upon reconsidering, Hill said, “It gives the inmates a purpose and it really is giving them a chance to serve. I’m sure it helps the Church a lot.”FamilySearch.org reports that the prisons’ indexing program processed seven million names in 2014. In August of 2014, about one million of those processed names came from Kane County Utah Jail. In November, the San Juan County Jail in Monticello, Utah completed an additional 1.5 million names. Knowing the benefit of indexing to the church and genealogy, Justin Kolilis, a junior in exercise and sports science from Washington, said, “It shouldn’t matter who is doing the work as long as it’s getting done. They want to do it, and the right way.”Ken Jones, administrative sergeant at the Summit County Jail in Park City, Utah, said, “The indexing program is very useful to inmates.” He went on to tell Mormon Newsroom, “Anything that gives them a purpose bigger than themselves improves the whole environment at the jail. We like to keep the inmates engaged and busy as a management tool; it’s a win-win all around for all of us.”Inmate Allen at the Utah State Prison said he initially decided to attend the family history project because of the “soft chairs—it’s the only place in the whole building that has a cushion on a chair.” Allen also said he continues to attend because it is now an intriguing and inspiring pastime for him. He shared to Mormon Newsroom that he regularly meets his goal to index 700 names a week.Uploaded January 28, 2015

The Philippines was hit with no less than three natural disasters since October 2013, causing major damage to the land and to the livelihoods of the people who live there. Housing is in short supply, with people still living in tents and makeshift shelters. Paul Staples, a realtor working from Kahuku, and other like-minded friends, decided to do something to help the homeless people in the Philippines. “We saw a need, and instead of waiting for someone else, we just went and did it,” said Staples. After building two disaster-proof homes in Tacloban with Boy Scouts from Utah, Staples and his associates founded the new organization IHHELPP ( Improving Housing, Health, Education and Livelihood of the Poor in the Philippines). They have ambitious building plans that include building a university. Nhil Banda, a senior in ICS-communications from the Philippines, said, “I was really excited when I heard about their plans on building homes in the Philippines and their ultimate goal of building an LDS-standard university there. It's wonderful to know that there are people who are willing to help the members in my home country. It's truly amazing.” The small team of IHHELPP was able to erect small, two-story homes in less than a week thanks to a material called Thermasave, Staples said, which research testing has proved is bullet-proof, earthquake-proof, wind-proof and relatively cheap. Simply put, it is a thick foam panel between two sheets of concrete, resembling an ice-cream sandwich. It is ICC (International Code Council) certified, which “says it all. No questions asked,” according to Staples. That designation helped IHHELPP in negotiations with the Housing managers of the Filipino government, Staples said. They were even invited into the home of Vice President Jejomar Binay. Staples said they are very close to getting a contract to build 250,000 of these disaster-proof homes in the Philippines, which he said is exciting. Finding how to create sustainable houses is a big problem all over the world. Rick Haws, who works on developing housing in Africa with the Utah-based Eden Group, said, “A building needs to have a 60-year life. To determine that, you have to start with the site, looking at climate and wind and seismic factors. Having this in the Philippines—if it can get validation and grantees, which I understand they have—then you’ve got a viable and sustainable solution.” The creator of Thermosave, Hoot Haddock “enjoys saving lives. So, he joined us on this venture,” said Staples. He said Mrs. Haddock was very impressed with the service the LDS Church members do, as the founders of IHHELPP, Paul and Lolita Staples, and Rene and Jenneth Doria, are members of the church. Staples outlined some of IHHELPP’s ambitious aims. “Our goal is to bring these houses to Hawaii, and to get factories building Thermasave in the Philippines. That would provide jobs for the Filipino people and material to build the disaster-proof community and a private, LDS-standard university for all the poor who can’t travel here [BYU-Hawaii] for education,” said Staples. An unfinished house on Laie Point, built with the same Thermasave material, is being sold for $950,000, he said, and it should be able to withstand any hurricanes or high winds.Uploaded January 27, 2015