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

On September 12, 2014, Queen’s Surf Beach was flocked with a crowd of almost 5,000 fans in support of the hit CBS television series, “Hawaii Five-O” season five premiere. Calling the party, “Sunset on the Beach,” “Hawaii Five-O” showcased the first episode of season five on a big screen to celebrate reaching their 100th episode. Daniel Dae Kim plays one of the main characters on the show as Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly. He shared with Hawaii News Now, “I think this year’s a special year because not only are we celebrating season five but our hundredth episode, and that’s a nice milestone.” The event was set up with a red carpet honoring the cast of “Hawaii Five-O.” It was also a treat to the fans, as stars from the first original series that started in 1968, graced the red carpet as well.Scott Caan plays “Dano” in the TV series and told Honolulu Star Advertiser, “You do so many episodes every year you kind of lose track of what you’re doing and if it’s good. But people show up and they’re into it and it helps you remember that you’re doing something people like.” Well-known landmarks on Oahu are occasional spots of filming for the cast and crewmembers. Places like Aloha Stadium, Ala Moana Beach Park, Kualoa Ranch, Makapu’u Beach, Hawaiian Hilton Hotel, and Chinatown. Prominent local spots, as well as locals themselves are showcased in the hit series to keep the Hawaiian lifestyle and culture alive throughout the show, said Peter Lenkov, executive producer of the show. However, Moses Ahuna, a freshman at BYU-Hawaii from the Big Island, disagrees and said, “’Hawaii Five-O’ kind of advertises the city life of Hawaii and makes it look like Hollywood. They don’t really showcase Hawaii’s true beauty.” Harris Leafa, a senior at BYUH from Hawaii, thoroughly enjoys watching “Hawaii Five-O.” Leafa stated that it’s awesome seeing his homeland and he actually appreciates it more when he sees how beautiful it is on TV. He said it reminds him he is very lucky to live on such a stunning island. Uploaded Jan. 23, 2015

It is not wizards creating real-life invisibility cloaks, but rather a group of students at Rice University in Texas who are conjuring up new ways of creating the camouflage made well known by the famous Harry Potter series. Inspired by squids and other sea creatures able to change their skin color quickly, the team of students has created a new, thin screen able to create high definition images with the same rich colors found on current high definition display systems. “Thinking with my little mischievous mind, there are a lot of pranks that I would want to do with (the invisibility cloaks.) I think in the world of pranks, it would find a better place. I think YouTube would definitely be viewed a lot more with people doing pranks like that,” said Christopher Anaya, a junior from Texas majoring in business management. These invisibility cloaks would help pranksters in their endeavors, but student McKenna Hawkins, an undecided freshman from Colorado believed the invisibility cloaks could be dangerous. “I think it’s awesome, but if it can hide cars it’s probably not a good thing.” She posited, “Maybe they could restrict it, like guns. If you’re not a criminal, you can get it.”The prankster, Anaya, also saw the invisibility cloaks’ potential beyond tomfoolery, saying the cloaks could be used “for military purposes. If you have to be hiding on a regular basis, then I think it would be good,” said Anaya.The invisibility cloaks are made of a display system that senses adjustments in light and modifies itself accordingly. On its own, this new display system leads to technological advances creating television and computer screens that are very sharp and long lasting. The invisibility technology of these screens is being paired with other materials produced by the team at Rice University to create these invisibility cloaks.According the Rice University News site, the technology uses five-micron-square pixels (about 0.000197 inches, about 40 times smaller than the pixels in high definition LCD screens) made of several hundred aluminum nanorods. Colors are made by manipulating the length of the nanorods and the distance between them to create the same shades of red, green and blue found in HD displays. Aluminum was chosen because of its compatibility with microelectronic production methods.Rice University’s invisibility cloak technology is a new idea different from other cloak technology, says Engadget, a tech news site. Other technology bends the light around the cloak. These types of cloaks are easier to produce, however scientists have only discovered how to make materials completely invisible to microwaves, which are already invisible to the human eye, leaving the material still visible to us. While an actual metamaterial making people or vehicles invisible is still far out in the future, this new squid-inspired discovery suggests that disguises for combatants and vehicles is actually possible, and that Hogwarts may not be that far-fetched after all.uploaded Jan. 23, 2015

Director of Security Earl Morris discussed service at the BYUH Women’s Organization luncheon with the help of a ceramic hand on Jan. 15. As stated in his introduction, before Morris came to BYUH last year, he was assisting U.S. and foreign governments with crime and security issues throughout the world, and before that he was the deputy assistant administrator over security for all U.S. airports.The theme of Morris’ talk centered on the hands that helped him throughout his life. He shared this by recounting his experiences in previous security jobs. On the table next to Morris was the sculpture of a hand. According to his talk, having found the sculpture abandoned outside the ceramic studio on campus, Morris had it restored. He used the sculpture at the luncheon to provide a visual reminder for the focus of his talk to the women sitting in the audience in the Aloha Center Ballroom. “At 8 years of age, I realized the many hands that were reaching into my life, and that is why the sculpture has significance,” said Morris. He said he grew up in a home that was frequented by law enforcement, and recalled he saw them as people who came to make things better and to help him. From that time on, Morris said he wanted to be in law enforcement so he could be a hand to help others. Morris said he was a part of a series of SWAT raids into methamphetamine labs 30 years ago. Because of this exposure to methamphetamine, 15 years later he contracted cancer. “Of the 120 officers who worked in a three-year time period doing methamphetamine labs, 40 of us contracted cancer,” said Morris. He went on share he was one of the few of the 40 who survived cancer and that was because of a helping hand. That hand belonged to a surgeon. “After five different doctors, we found a doctor who went the extra mile. He sat in front of [my wife] and I, and said, ‘I will not let you die.’” Morris told the audience how grateful he is for that surgeon’s hand.Morris gave a reminder that even though Laie is a great community and it feels safe, it is still subject to the same problems happening around the world. The Laie community, according to Morris, is not immune to domestic problems. “Dangers are here and they surround us, so don’t be fooled by thinking that it can’t happen here, that it won’t happen here. Take care of yourselves and your children.” He encouraged everyone to lend their hands to each other in the community to help those who can’t help themselves and to keep each other safe.“In Laie we think that this is a safe environment, but you can just never be too safe,” said May Shumway, community member and president of the BYUH Women’s Organization. Shumway said she was reminded by Morris to be more careful with her family and not become too comfortable with the security of her home.Morris’ ending comment to the women was, “Never become complacent. Lend a hand to others to lift them up.”“What stood out about Brother Morris was his lifetime of dedication to preserving people’s freedom and how he was excited and happy to do that for our country,” said Sheryl Rogers, wife of Director of Housing Edward Rogers, after the luncheon. “I’m glad that he brought to our attention the fact that no matter where we live, we should be aware of our surroundings.”BYUH First Lady Margaret Wheelwright is also the vice president of the BYUH Women’s Organization and in charge of picking the speakers. She shared that she chose Morris to speak because she has gotten to know him very well since he came here a year ago and finds him intriguing. “I thought it was really interesting that as a child he wanted to be in law enforcement—and what an interesting life. I think that we are just really lucky that he has come to BYU-Hawaii.”uploaded January 22, 2015