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Missionaries are returning younger than ever before to the BYU-Hawaii campus. In the October 2012 General Conference, President Monson announced the prayerful decision to lower the age for missionaries to 18 years old for young men and 19 for young women. The decision came as a shock, but at the same time, others’ prayers were answered. Andrea Marshall, a junior in graphic arts from Florida and a recently returned missionary from Brazil, said growing up, she never thought she would serve a mission. Then, two or three weeks before the General Conference of October 2012, she said she began to have feelings and thoughts that prompted her to think more about missionary work and the idea of serving. She said she reluctantly pushed them aside, knowing that she was only 19 years old and had at least two more years until she could serve a full-time mission. Marshall said once she heard the news from President Monson, it all began to make sense to her. The promptings and feelings rang true within her and she knew that she was meant to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Overcome with emotion, she said she began her mission papers immediately.“It was definitely an interesting experience,” said Marshall, “because I had never before wanted to serve a mission and then all of a sudden I was putting in my papers.”Lauren Ockey, a senior from Utah studying ICS peace building who served her mission in Argentina, said, “I saw the example of many girls who had already served missions and returned here to BYU-Hawaii. That began to get me excited about the possibility of serving. Then, when I heard the announcement, it got me even more excited about serving and made it a reality.”She continued, “I was surprised coming back from the mission. Definitely the first week is a little weird because you are still in missionary mode, wanting to shake everyone’s hand and set appointments.” Marshall said, “Returning from the mission, my perspectives definitely changed. Before, I was just excited about being here in Hawaii and often times lost focus of my purpose. Now I am definitely more focused on studying and my Savior and things that are more important in my life.” Colby Hollingsworth, from California, who recently returned from his mission in Brazil, said, “Most of the younger generation missionaries came very prepared to the mission field; even more prepared sometimes than the older ones.” Hollingsworth said it is good to see that and know how much trust God is putting in his youth. The younger generation is going to be leading the church at a younger age and with bigger challenges those that came before us, he said.

WORLD• President Henry B. Eyring in the Vatican: In November, the Catholic Church hosted various religious leaders and scholars representing 14 faiths and 23 countries to discuss men, women and marriage. • Response to same-sex marriage: Throughout the year 2014, several states legalized same-sex marriage. In response to those Supreme Court decisions, the church issued its own announcement: “The succession of federal court decisions in recent months, culminating in today’s announcement by the Supreme Court, will have no effect on the doctrinal position or practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is that only marriage between a man and a woman is acceptable to God. In prizing freedom of conscience and Constitutional guarantees of the free exercise of religion, we will continue to teach that standard and uphold it in our religious practices. Nevertheless, respectful coexistence is possible with those with differing values. As far as the civil law is concerned, the courts have spoken. Church leaders will continue to encourage our people to be persons of good will toward all, rejecting persecution of any kind based on race, ethnicity, religious belief or non-belief, and differences in sexual orientation.”• 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil: Brazil’s Ministry of Sports requested members of the LDS Church to volunteer during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Sarah Menezes, the national coordinator for Brazil Volunteer in 2013, worked with Mormon Helping Hands in the past and said, “[Mormon] Helping Hands volunteers are the most organized and dedicated. We need you at the Cup.” MEDIAHashtags: Throughout different times in 2014, the LDS Church had created several different hashtags that flooded social media with uplifting messages.• #itwasmom: Around Mother’s Day people were talking about their mothers using the tag #itwasmom to “celebrate the divine calling of mothers and women around the world.” • #becauseofhim: For a week in spring, to focus on Christ during the Easter holiday, the LDS Church launched a social media initiative using the tag #becauseofHim • #sharegoodness: At the ground breaking for the Meridian Idaho Temple, Elder David A. Bednar called on members of the LDS Church to “use social media to sweep the earth with authentic and uplifting messages” by using the hashtag #sharegoodness. BYUH student Anna Robbins, a senior in EXS from New Mexico, shared her testimony online using the #becauseofHim tag in April: “Because of Him, I know that my future is as bright as my faith. I understand that I have the capability to achieve great things if I’m following His example. I know who I am and what I’m capable of becoming. Because of Him there are no limits to happiness. My family is forever. My dreams are attainable. And my worries washed away in with His grace. #becauseofhim#iknowit#iloveit#iliveit#imamormon”• Meet the Mormons: In October, the LDS Church released a feature-length documentary to challenge stereotypes about Mormons. The documentary featured several Mormons from around the world. It is now available for free viewing at Temple Visitors’ Centers. MISSIONARYYoung men of the LDS Church serve 24-month-long missions and young women of the church serve 18-month-long missions.•Missionaries in Venezuela: Due to the unrest in the country in March, missionaries who are not citizens of Venezuela were transferred to other missions in South America. •Missionaries in Ukraine: In the Spring because of the unrest and uncertainty in Ukraine, missionaries in the Ukraine Donetsk Mission were transferred to other areas of Ukraine or reassigned to missions within their home countries. Alison Reese, a sophomore from Utah studying hospitality and tourism management, was a missionary in the Donetsk mission and was reassigned when the civil unrest began. “It was obvious we couldn’t stay there forever. We thought we would be able to stay because they thought it was just going to die down, but it got to the point where that obviously wasn’t going to happen. It was really sad and heartbreaking because the people over there are so amazing. It was really sad to leave them behind, but it was all in God’s plan.” •Missionaries in Sierra Leone and Liberia: In August, missionaries serving in Sierra Leone and Liberia were transferred and reassigned due to the outbreak of Ebola. •Planned expansion of the MTC in Provo: In November, the LDS Church finalized plans to expand the Missionary Training Center in Provo and are expected to start building in the Summer of 2015. TEMPLESAccording to Mormon Newsroom, the LDS Church has 14 temples under construction. In 2014, the following temples were either finished or had work done to further beautify them.• The Gilbert Arizona Temple was dedicated in March. It the church’s 142nd temple.• As part of the transformation into a temple, the Provo City Center in Utah received an angel Moroni statue in March. • The Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple was dedicated in May, making it the Church’s 143rd temple. • In August, Elder David A. Bednar spoke at the ground breaking ceremony for the Meridian Idaho Temple. • In September, after three years of renovations, the Ogden Utah Temple was rededicated.• October 17 in Indianapolis, Indiana, the angel Moroni was added, continuing the construction progress of the temple. • In November, the Phoenix Arizona Temple cornerstone ceremony was attended by President Thomas S. Monson, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, and Elder Dallin H. Oaks as they celebrated the dedication of the church’s 144th temple. uploaded January 22, 2015

“What happened in France is a savage attack on free speech,” said Ethan Secrist, a sophomore from Idaho studying ICS. “It’s a different type of terrorism nowadays; it’s not mass casualties. It’s about who terrorists can kill before getting gunned down.”The attack took place on Wednesday, Jan. 7, when three gunmen stormed into the offices of satirical magazine, “Charlie Hebdo,” located in Paris, France. Various news sources claim the main motive behind the attack was the controversial depictions of Muhammad and satirical jokes about Islamic leaders.The assailants barged in during a lunchtime editorial meeting, separating men and women and calling out the names of employees they intended to kill, said Dr. Gerald Kierzek in an interview with CNN. Kierzek served as a physician who treated wounded patients and spoke with survivors, CNN also reported.The editor-in-chief, famous cartoonists and two police officers were among the 12 left dead by the attack, the New York Times reported. The gunmen escaped, setting off terror in France and all around the world.“It’s really sad to see people kill for irrational reasons,” said Cassidy Manning, a sophomore from Nevada studying TESOL. “What’s even worse is the image these people portray for all Islamic people. It’s not fair.”Two of the suspects were brothers, identified as Said and Cherif Kouachi, both of whom died in a gunfight shortly after fleeing the magazine’s headquarters. The third suspect was 18-year-old Hamyd Mourad, who surrendered himself to authorities early the following day.“The attack in France really set off sparks around the world. People were killed for expressing themselves. That should never happen no matter where people are from,” said Emily Wade, a junior from Indiana studying art.More terror attacks took place in the days following the Charlie Hebdo shooting. On Thursday, Jan. 8, Amedy Coulibaly opened fire on a police officer, killing her and wounding bystanders. The next day, Coulibaly entered a kosher market armed and ready to kill. By the end of the operation, four hostages were dead, French Police officials reported. Coulibaly was also reported dead.The French government gave more power to the police on Jan. 20, allowing them to tap phones, monitor Web sites and block hate-messages posted online. They hope this will help ward off future attacks, reported AP.Uploaded January 22, 2015

“Mawwiage! Mawwiage is what bwings us togeder today!” The familiar quote from the 1987 film “The Princess Bride” opened the Broadway Cabaret on Jan. 16 and 17, presented by the Department of Music and Theatre Arts and Michael Belnap. The Cabaret show followed a fictional Relief Society and Priesthood group throughout a week as their members’ romances escalated to engagements and friend zone escapes. One young man decides to serve a mission after kissing the Relief Society president. This young man was played by Chris Cornelison, a sophomore from Punalu’u studying English education. A lot of practices and rehearsals went into the preparation of the Cabaret, especially during the first week of school. “The week before the show, we met every day from 5 to 9 p.m. That was probably the biggest challenge because it was such a huge chunk of time and it was a bit tough juggling all of the stuff that needs to be done during the first week of school,” Cornelison said. It was especially strenuous on their voices, he said. Another actor who said she faced challenges before opening night was Libby Templeton, a freshman from Washington majoring in history education and minoring in theatre. Templeton came back from break feeling ill. After a visit to the doctor, she was told she had an ear infection. Not only was her body feeling ill, but also the Tuesday before the show Templeton was told she was singing her part wrong as well. “That Wednesday, for two hours, I sat down and watched all these videos to try and learn this technique that people had been working on for years in three days,” Templeton said. It was a lot of rehearsing when you’re not feeling well, Templeton added. Despite all these stumbling blocks, the performance was very enjoyable, said Templeton. “I absolutely loved being able to do theatre in a spiritual setting at BYUH,” she said with a big smile. “It was really great to see everybody praying together before starting a show or before rehearsal and people talking about how they were fasting for the show. It was great just to see that I’m not the only one who cares about theatre in a spiritual setting,” Templeton added. The performance reached the crowd too, said audience member Carina Aldrich, a senior from Georgia studying political science. “I thought the actors were great—although most of them are my friends, so I’m kind of biased—and that they all did very well, especially considering the short rehearsal time they had,” she said. The cast members made lots of memories in preparation for the final performance of the Cabaret, said Cornelison. “We all got along really well, and sometimes our director, Pononui Cabrinha, had a hard time trying to wrangle us and get us to learn our choreography. But we just always had a blast and I made some really great new friends,” Cornelison added.Uploaded January 22, 2015

The library serves BYU-Hawaii students in different areas they might not even know about, said Michael Aldrich, the library director. As the new semester starts, the doors of the library are open to help students succeed academically.“We approximately provide help up to 5,000 students each year,” said Aldrich. “Librarians are our main resource in the library. They are able to meet with students one-on-one and be very helpful.” If students are creating videos, slideshows, etc., the library workers are there to assist them in a very advanced way, Aldrich said.He also said librarians help students with research papers by guiding them through the whole process: finding sources, creating a thesis statement, writing citations, and integrating sources into their papers. "We don’t write papers for them, but we provide them everything they need,” said Zoia Falevai, a university librarian.The library has collections of books, academic databases, periodicals, subject guides, online tutorials, REFWORKS (citation program), and more, according to Falevai.She also said, “We help them with the computer lab, provide a study area, and we provide jobs to students as well." She added, “We have so much on our library websites, where we have way better resources that they can use, more helpful than Google.”The library is always open for new ideas from students, said Aldrich. “We are open to listen to any ideas they might have. Recently, we got rid of the ‘no food’ policy that was partially based on the student feedback. Also, the textbook reserve program works great, which was also recommended by students.”The ideas of improving library service comes from others libraries, students’ feedback, and the library administration, said Aldrich.The library is open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. until the midnight. On Friday, it is open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Saturday, 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. More information can be found on https://library.byuh.edu/Uploaded January 22, 2015

S.W.A.T.T (Special Waste Action and Technology Team) is making a big impact in the goal of sustainability on campus. Three principles are at the core of this effort are reduce, reuse, and recycle.Reduce Most drinking fountains on campus have a fill station where people can refill their water bottles. Instead of continuously buying new water bottles, people can reuse the ones they already have. Les Harper, sustainability coordinator at BYUH, said the fill stations have significantly reduced the amount of drinking bottles that would have been used—and thrown away. “In total, the fill stations have been used over 100,000 times. That could potentially be 100,000 drinking bottles. It’s a program that’s gone basically unnoticed by most,” Harper added. ReuseA program that has received more notice for reuse is Give ‘N’ Take. “We literally take old stuff, add value to it, and make it possible for other people to use it instead of throwing it away,” said Gabrielle Sabalones, a senior from Indiana majoring in ICS. Sabalones works first-hand with the materials that come and go from Give ‘N’ Take. “In the past month, we gave away 4,233 items,” Sabalones said. Give ‘N’ Take is not designed to save the school money, but “it saves the church and students about 1/3 of a million dollars,” Harper said. Recycle The school collects paper, newspaper, cardboard and sometimes metal to recycle. Carlos Speranza, the sustainable program manager and pest control supervisor, said recycling these materials saves the garbage truck two trips to the landfill each week. “The trash guy used to go to the landfill six times a week. Now he goes only four times a week,” Speranza said. “He goes three times for free because we are a non-profit company. The other three times we had to pay $300, so we save $600 a week.”The garbage collector used to take a lot more plant debris to Honolulu as well. Leaves can be recycled into mulch to be used to grow more plants. Harper said, “Between the PCC and BYUH, we are always having to trim back trees and palms, to make the campus beautiful and safe. So we have resurrected a tub grinder. It’s a great, big, massive piece of equipment for grinding up the branches, and mulch comes out the other end.” The tub grinder saves all of these materials from having to be wasted and transported. Awareness/Involvement Speranza said students can help the sustainability workers by “putting the materials in the right bin.” Speranza said the recycle bins end up with trash in them, even though they are specifically labeled for cardboard only. “Just follow the signs and sort the material where it belongs,” Speranza advised. Harper added students can alert Facilities Management if there are places that aren’t being properly serviced. As part of their effort to help people become more aware of the recycling and sustainability programs on campus, the Facilities Management team also makes laundry detergent. The program is called Soap for Savings. “We’re not doing it to be nice. We’re doing it as an awareness program to say ‘Hey, we’ve done really well in recycling and this is why we’re giving you the soap’,” Harper said. The materials used to make a gallon of soap costs only $1, and one gallon can wash 16 loads of laundry, said Speranza. Uploaded January 21, 2015

The Give ‘N’ Take is a student-founded and run operation that recycles used goods and gives students an opportunity to improve their standard of living. The Give ‘N’ Take was founded in 2010 by Kelly Ingold Nelson as a one-day senior project, but has caught hold at BYU-Hawaii and is now “almost its own little village,” stated Gabrielle Sabalones, the Give ’N’ Take student manager. Sabalones said BYUH is in a unique circumstance with students who come from all over the world. Students arrive here with very little to their name, and with support from the Give ’N’ Take, they are able to get cribs and toys for their babies, find clothes for themselves, and feel a part of the community. Give ’N’ Take has also partnered with a few charities from around the island to give excess clothes away and give back to the community of Oahu. “The benefits of the Give ’N’ Take are pretty obvious,” joked Cara Adams, a 2014 BYUH graduate and mother of a 9-month-old boy. “You give a little and are able to take advantage of the recycled goods of others.” Adams was able to use the Give ’N’ Take after she had her son. Adams also said, “There are many options for baby clothes over there and the workers really helped out to make sure I had a good experience with my baby as well.” Bogan Henderson, a transfer student from BYU in Provo, said, “The Give ’N’ Take is very useful for all students but especially me. I am new here to BYUH. I needed some things and I have found many good items here to help with the transition into the hales.” Henderson said he is a big supporter of the Give ’N’ Take and hopes others take advantage of the great resources on campus to save some money and give back. Helping the student community and seeing the standard of living go up is what keeps Sabalones working through the hot and humid days in the Give ’N’ Take containers. “That is what keeps me coming back every day. It is not necessarily fun or glamorous and it doesn’t pay that well, but to see what a difference it can make in students lives; that is worth it,” said Sabalones. The Give ’N’ Take is located behind Hale 5 and is open Monday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To take advantage of all the resources there, just spend about 30 minutes helping Give ‘N’ Take organize or straighten up. Then you can take up to 10 items. You can drop items off in areas behind the hales, and there are drop boxes around campus as well.