As people are living longer live, BYU-Hawaii exercise and sport science (EXS) majors will be helping people prevent health issues and improve their quality of life, said the department chairman.According to the university’s website, “The department's overall objective is to develop men and women of sound mind, body, and spirit who will have an influence upon society in developing healthy lifestyles of mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness and being.”“Health is an issue,” said Norman Kaluhiokalani, the department chair and a professor for Exercise and Sport Science. “We are going to be the future for the medical profession because we can prevent the health issues before they happen. Students go out and provide solutions to health issues like obesity, heart disease, blood pressure, and kidney failure. It is one of the most exciting fields because you are helping people and touching people’s lives.”Andrew McGervy, a junior studying EXS from Tahiti, is a student who changed from a business major to the EXS major. McGervy said, “I looked into other fields and exercise sport science stood out and I prayed about it. My interest grew in that field. It allows me to learn about the body so I can look after my body properly, and so I can perform at my peak.”Another student, Jesse Watson, a sophomore from Maui, is studying EXS here so that he can get into the chiropractic field later. Watson said, “I always wanted to get into the field to help others and do service for others. Everything is about the body - how it works, how everything moves inside the body, and how the body works to heal. EXS majors are really sporty, outgoing, personal, smart, and diligent.” Various professions have been acquired by EXS graduates.“We had students from our EXS program that graduated as medical doctors at the University of Utah, became a professor at Darwin University in Australia, were hired as the athletic director at Kahuku High School, and started working as a chiropractor in Laie the Shopping Center,” said Kaluhiokalani.“The Word of Wisdom is not just ‘don’t do this and that’,” he said. “It talks about proper eating habits and eating food moderately and keeping your health. You see, we came from the pre-existence to get this body, and this body was given to us by God. If everyone would do one hour of exercise a day, everyone would be healthier and we’d be thanking the Lord for this body.”
Writer: Rebecca Sabalones ~ Multimedia Journalist
