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Members of a Mexican drug gang have admitted to killing 43 students in the state of Guerrero in Mexico. Gang members have admitted to killing the 43 students and burning their bodies in a pile of tires and branches, according to The New York Times.Kama Macy, a senior in social work from Laie, said, “This is so horrible. I have no idea how the families will be able to cope with something like this. Those who were involved in the killings will be judges with the harshest judgment in the next life.”According the The New York Times, the students went missing on Sept. 26 in the town of Iguala, 120 miles south of Mexico City. The students, from a teachers college known for demonstrations, were in Iguala to collect money and steal buses for a demonstration. Fearing the students would interrupt a speech, the mayor of the town, who allegedly has gang ties, along with his wife, ordered the police to round the students up and hand them over to the gang.Chase Beal, who served his mission in Mexico, and a senior in marine biology from Utah, said, “From falsified votes for presidency to paid off city officials, large drug cartels and other corrupt organizations have corruption running through them. The depth of corruption is so profound that it makes it impossible for any honest person to stay afloat in any position of power. It's gotten to the point that I think there is no coming out of it, at least not without a lot of help from elsewhere.”Large demonstrations have uncovered the deep corruption within Mexico. According to The New York Times, Human Rights activists in Mexico are criticizing the government for being ill-equipped for the investigation and taking too long to begin the investigation in the first place (over 10 days). Protestors burned vehicles and damaged state buildings near Mexico City, according to AP.Jose Miguel Vivanco, director for the Americas for Human Rights Watch, said, “[Mexican President, Mr. Nieto] reacted late and poorly. The rule of Mexico is impunity, it is not a nation of laws.”

It’s all fun and games with the Seaside Jesters, the BYU-Hawaii comedy club that averages over 100 students and community members at each of their shows. The Jesters have earned their large fan-base with lots of hard work and weeks of preparation before shows, said Cameron Abaroa, Vice President of Activities and Careers for the Jesters, and a senior in IDS from Arizona.“The Jesters make improvisation look so easy on stage,” said Alyssa Walhood, a senior in English from Oregon. But, said Abaroa, “Hours and hours go into these shows, from paperwork that needs to be filed to working with BYUHSA to make sure everything is all set up,” and the hours members spend work shopping.Though a lot of time goes into the workshops, they are full of laughter and fun, said Abaroa. Workshops are held every Tuesday from 7-9 p.m., and consist of two parts: a presentation from a club member on how to improvise combined with games to practice the new skills, and then an hour of free-play games. It’s during this time the next show’s master of ceremonies, the MC, looks for prospective cast members. The club members use this as a time to get used to the games and practice their improv skills, and also vie for a spot in the next show’s cast.Adam Williams, an MC and founding member of the Jesters, and a senior from Arizona studying English, said, “Once I have my set list of performers I go through and I decide what games to play. I pick games based on their strengths - if I know Dax is going to perform I know I can play ‘Day in the Life of...’ If Dania is going to perform I know I can do ‘Big, Bigger, Biggest’ or ‘Murder Mystery’ because she’s great at that.”Once the cast is announced, Williams continued, for that hour of free-play the cast and the MC go off and have practices on their own. These practices are meant to help the cast get used to the types of humor each member brings to the table and get their comedic chemistry mixed just right. The MC continues to tweak their plan even on the day of the show at times, said Williams. Although the actors know what games will be played at the show, they never know what games they specifically will play in, or what will happen.About an hour before the show the cast and stage crew gather together to prepare and talk about who will be doing what responsibilities. The cast and MC gather for a prayer before playing some games that are comfortable for everybody in the cast to get their energy up. Throughout the show the stage manager talks with the crew about any potential problems that may arise, such as ushering people in and determining if the actors can be heard throughout the entire venue, and so on. The stage manager then communicates with the MC about preferences of what to do. If the MC notices any problems or concerns, they rely on the stage manager to communicate and get those problems taken care of.

Textbooks: - When shopping for textbooks, look for international editions. According to Abebooks.com, international editions are usually softcover and printed on softer paper. The front cover may be different but the content is the same.- Compare the edition required for class with previous editions and talk to your professor to find out if they are acceptable.- Check on the Facebook group “Buy/Sell Your Textbooks BYUH”. Students tend to sell books cheaper than online prices.- Compare prices; copy and paste the ISBN number into a search engine and compare prices. Pay attention to shipping costs.- Share the price of the book with someone else that’s in the same class and share the book.- The library has most textbooks on reserve. You can avoid buying textbooks by checking out books at the circulation desk. However, you run the risk of other students using it when you need. You can also only check out one book for a few hours.Saving Tips:- “Trick Change”Think of purchases in whole values. If you make a purchase that costs $6.49, think of it as $7.00. When purchasing with cash, put the leftover change in a safe place in your room. Over time you will be more cautious of your spending habits and collect change that will add up to extra money you ‘tricked’ yourself into not having.- Set aside 10% of your income each pay period into a savings fund. This will be your backup reserve in case of emergencies.Health/Living:- Establish a normal eating schedule so you don’t have random ‘hunger’ moments that impulse you to purchase fast foods or snacks.- Avoid buying soft drinks and junk food.Dating:- Take advantage of the free and cheap opportunities in the community or on-campus for dates or when hanging out with friends. Every week during the weekend and sometimes on Wednesday nights the BYUHSA sponsors a free movie showing in the Little Theater. Volleyball and basketball games are free with a student ID.- Setting a goal for the amount of money you spend on a date will help you to be more creative. Set up scavenger hunts, go hiking and enjoy all of the natural beauty Hawaii has to offer.Funny but True:- If you live off campus, instead of buying toilet paper just try to time yourself so you always have to go while on campus.- Change your clothes throughout the day; this prevents them from getting dirty and so you can postpone doing your laundry.- Hand-wash your clothes. This takes a lot more time but saves money overtime. You can also dry your clothes by hanging them on a clothes rack. Just be aware of weather conditions for that day.- Make friends with someone who knows how to give haircuts.

Life Organized on Your PhoneUsing these 5 apps can increase productivity and efficiencyTechnology has come so far that today our personal devices are keeping track of our lives. Applications (apps) can help you manage deadlines, email inboxes, birthdays and even help you take notes for classes. If you are in need of some organization help for those pesky test dates, work schedules and chapter notes, just keep in mind that there is an app for that. Here are five applications that help keep you in control of your busy days.1. EasilyDo Smart AssistantAvailable on iOS and AndroidPrice: FreeEasilyDo allows you to organize events and reminders with ease. TechGYD, an online technology blog, ranked EasilyDo as the third best app in regards to personal assistance and organization/productivity. EasilyDo incorporates social media, like Facebook, to remind you about birthdays. It also offers event alerts, traffic reports, and weather, and even tracks your packages. Everything you need to stay organized is in this one streamlined application.2. EvernoteAvailable on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Mac and PCPrice: FreeEvernote is ranked as one of the best apps to stay organized by Business News Daily. Times are changing and paper notebooks just are not cutting it anymore. Evernote is the ideal note-taking platform for all devices and allows you to enter notes either by voice or manually by hand. You can also take photos or draw in notes using a stylus and since Evernote is available on almost every operating system all of your notes are synced across all devices. With that, you can always find your notes in a single place and keep organized.3. TimefulAvailable on iOS onlyPrice: FreeCNet suggests Timeful as a replacement for the default iOS calendar. The minimalist app is part calendar, part to-do list manager and part habit tracker, and combines events that are already on your device’s calendar with specific tasks that you can input along with habits you would like to start. The more you use the app the more it gets a sense of your schedule and what keeps you busy. The versatility of this application makes it one that you must try.4. StudiousAvailable on iOS and AndroidPrice: $0.99 on iOS, free on AndroidNervous about forgetting the time and date of your test? Lifehack ranked Studious as number 10 on their list of best apps for college students. Studious allows you to list the deadlines of your homework, the time of your lectures, where they’re located and what subject is coming up next. The only thing you need to do is enter your information about your class, time, teacher and location. This application will remind you about all your classes and deadlines just in time, and allow your mind to focus on more important things.5. Canvas by InstructureAvailable on iOS and AndroidPrice: FreeThe canvas app allows you to keep up with your education. The app allows you to keep in touch with instructors, view course syllabus on the go and take online quizzes and exams while on the go. Canvas by Instructure also includes a mail section where you can communicate with professors.The Canvas app allows you to keep up with education and keep in touch with your instructors along with viewing course materials and deadlines on the go. The app also allows you to take exams or quizzes that are published online. There is also a mail section that allows you to communicate with your instructors, classmates, or groups that you are involved with. The ease of access in this app makes it one that you do not want to skip out on.

The BYU-Hawaii men’s soccer team played to 1-1 tie Saturday, Nov. 1, against University of Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans in its final home game this season. The game was the last home game for 10 Seasider seniors including: Colby Bauer, Landon Southwick, Michael Moreno, David Urbina, Zak Epplette, Romy Lakip, Chris Toronto, Jace Green, Chad Nahoolewa, and Chris Pineda. This year’s group of seniors represents the most winning group of seniors to play at BYU-Hawaii. The Seasiders had to come back from a slow start as a defensive turnover led to a quick counter attack from the Vulcans that would put UH-Hilo up 1-0. After the goal, UH-Hilo dropped back into a defensive formation hoping to stifle the Seasiders offensive attack. The tactical adjustment seemed to be working until the 25th minute when Bauer scored a header off of a Nahoolewa corner. The Seasiders would continue to maintain possession and try to break down the staunch Vulcan defense. The Vulcans tried to catch the Seasiders with quick counter attacks, but were unsuccessful. “We dominated the possession from the whistle, but when the other team plays with 11 defenders, it makes it tough to get a rhythm and break them down,” said senior Jace Green, a business major from Oregon. Green almost scored off an acrobatic bicycle kick off of another corner kick in the 31st minute, but the shot sailed high. The second half was much like the first half with the Seasiders maintaining of the ball. Junior Matthew Roberts sent a well-placed cross into the box in the 58th minute just a few inches ahead of Green’s foot. The Seasiders would continue to struggle to break down the Vulcan defense as UH-Hilo tried to maintain the tie. “It was not our best performance, but it is hard playing when the other team is content to sit back and play for the tie,” said senior business major, Landon Southwick, from Kaysville, Utah. In overtime, an UH-Hilo player received a red card giving BYU-Hawaii the advantage with 5 minutes left in the game. Another well-placed corner by Nahoolewa found the head of Abe Garcia, but the Vulcan goalkeeper made the foot save to end the game with a 1-1 tie. With the tie, the Seasiders are tied for second with Fresno Pacific at 22 points with a 6-1-4-conference record, 6-5-5 overall. The Seasiders will finish off the regular season at Chaminade on Saturday, Nov. 8. Nahoolewa, a senior studying business from Texas. said, “This team has performed great this season. We were unlucky not to win some games and get a few more points, but overall I feel we played the highest quality football this school has ever had.”

Students huddled under the bright lights of the Little Circle on Oct. 30 to battle it out at the BYU-Hawaii Intramural Spikeball Tournament. This marks the second Spikeball Tournament put on by Intramurals. This year, after two hours of intense, heated competition, OJ Evans and Tyler Murdoch claimed 1st place.“We realized that it was becoming a popular sport, and we decided that it could be a sport that gets a lot of people involved out here,” said senior Ryan Belliston, a Intramural worker and business major from Loveland, Ohio. Spikeball is a relatively new sport that is gaining popularity throughout the country and here on campus. Played on the beach, on grass, or any smooth surface, Spikeball combines elements of volleyball and four-square in an intense two-against-two competition. Teams of two face each other across a round Spikeball net in the middle. A round baseball-sized plastic ball is served from one team to the other by hitting the ball on the net to the opposing team. The opposing team then has three touches to hit the ball back to the other team. Once the ball is served, players are free to move wherever they want. The object of the game is to hit the ball into the net so that the other team cannot return it. “Spikeball is such an exhilarating sport,” said Spencer Burr, a freshman studying business from Salt Lake City, Utah. “It combines power with finesse in a fast-paced game. I like it because you can play anywhere and with pretty much anyone.” 12 teams played in a round-robin format with the top two teams advancing to the playoffs. “The tournament was way fun and I know the more people hear about it the bigger and better the tournaments will get,” said Lou Arne, a junior studying graphic design major from Draper, Utah. “There was a great combination of people who are just starting and people who have been playing for awhile.” BYU-Hawaii intramurals will be holding another Spikeball tournament this Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7 P.M. at the Flag Circle. Students can sign up in teams of two: all male, all female, or mixed. Sign ups are open until the tournaments start.

The Hub hosted a Halloween Bowling Tournament on Thursday, Oct. 30, for BYU-Hawaii students. Amanda Ybarra, a senior from Idaho studying hospitality management and the Events coordinator of the Hub, said, “We do an event every semester and so we decided as a Hub that we wanted to do a bowling tournament this semester. We just got our bowling lanes running and so we decided to get the word out. We thought one way that we could do that was have a tournament and see who’s the best on campus.”Competitors played three games and the winner was determined by the highest average score. Yik Nam “Wilson” Chan, a junior from Hong Kong studying exercise science, scored the highest on all three games and won the tournament with an average of 156.7 points. In the first game, Chan scored 163 with five back-to-back strikes. Chan said he had never bowled on a team or professionally. “I bowled when I was in high school, but really just for fun with my friend and we normally just played against each other. That’s how we progress or get better,” Chan said.Chan didn’t hear about the event until the day before. “I was studying in the library, and when I came out, there were some guys asking me about the bowling event and if I wanted to go play.”Matthew Horspool, a senior from California studying biochemistry, is a sales associate at the Hub and said its tournaments have grown in popularity. “We’ve been doing these since before I’ve been working here so for over at least two years. Before I started working here, I went to one tournament and there were probably three or four people. I’d definitely say it’s growing in popularity.”One of the main reasons the Hub holds tournaments is to attract more students, said Horspool. “We have a fairly regular crowd of the local kids who come in, but the main purpose of the Hub has always been towards the students, so we’re always trying to come up with new ways to get more students in here,” said Horspool.Ybarra said the Hub is for all students regardless of interests. “The Hub’s always a rocking place. We have people here studying. It’s a great place to just chill. You can also come and play video games,” said Ybarra. “We have all kinds of crowds all the time like Kahuku High School students, local community kids and our students. It’s just a fun atmosphere to study, have some fun and relieve some stress - anything that you’re looking for.”

The Laie YSA 1st Stake helped clean up and visited with residents at the Kahuku Elderly Hauoli Hale on Saturday, Nov. 1. Remedios Worthy, a local resident of the senior home originally from the Philippines, said, “I’ve lived here for 16 years and BYU has come every single year. The workers here clean and provide and everything but you guys do a lot better.” President Alan Akina, 2nd counselor in the Laie YSA 1st Stake Presidency and coordinator of the project, said he feels the residents enjoyed the company the students provided more than the help. “They get to meet students from all over the world and talk to them. Just saying, ‘Hi,’ and asking how they’re doing is huge for them. I think we take it for granted because we see people all the time but a lot of them aren’t able to get out. They’re confined here and don’t have many visitors. It’s a special place for us.”Akina said the stake has been doing service projects at the Hale since he’s been in the stake presidency for the past six years. “We’ve sort of adopted this place over the years. Once we did it the first time, we sort of got attached to the residents here. Every stake conference we do a service project here so we come twice a year.”“Our stake has eight wards and one branch so nine months out of the year each unit will host a special activity that’s tied into a certain holiday. For example, Laie Park Ward just did one for Halloween. We’ve done Valentine’s Day, Senior Citizen’s day, Christmas and all kinds of different holidays. We provide some type of service with food, talent shows and singing,” said Akina.Akina said the service also brings good memories for the students and residents. Akina said, “When I was a bishop, we did Valentine’s Day and danced with them. We had music, a deejay and they were dancing with our guys. The older ladies loved the young guys and would dance with them the whole night. It was a blast to see them light up. A lot of them are single now because their spouse has passed and it’s good to see these things happen.”Worthy said she loves the personal interactions. “The workers or volunteers sometimes are so busy so I never used to talk to them much,” said Worthy. “But I can tell you what they did today was wonderful. It’s really nice because you’re so friendly and nice.” Worthy said she had seven students cleaning her windows, kitchen and even bathroom.Katie Kelly, a freshman from Idaho studying psychology, was one of the students who worked on Worthys’ house. She said, “Just seeing the smile on her face made me know she appreciated it. Spending time on her house and getting to see and interact with her, I could tell she was a really nice lady who valued the work and effort we were putting in. It was great because not only did we get to bond with fellow ward members but also we could feel the love of Christ helping these people.”Kelly said she feels this kind of service project is needed. “I feel like this is actually reaching out to people in the community and interacting with people who are Mormon and non-Mormon. It shows that we’re not just about learning here but serving the community, our fellowman and showing our love. It’s humbling for students and a teachable moment for people in the community.” President Akina noted service projects are great opportunities for missionary work. “We’ve had several baptisms and a ton of happy senior citizens. We were power washing a walkway for a new resident, an older man from Tonga, who isn’t a member. One of the high councilmen invited him to the Family History Center right there. So there’s missionary work going on here. I believe we’ll keep serving here as long as we can.”