Campus Community

Updated 5:22 PM, Friday, August 8, 2014

A group of young vocalists from mainland China are attending vocal workshops held on the BYU–Hawaii campus for the Hawaii International Summer Vocal Academy (HISVA). They are holding a free concert (their second on-campus concert) this Friday, August 1, at 7:30 PM in the McKay Auditorium.

White sand beaches and crystal clear water might be picturesque Hawaii, but it certainly isn’t all that makes up the natural, exciting phenomena of the state. The island of Hawaii is home to the world’s most active volcano: Kilauea. The volcano has been in an eruptive state for more than a thousand years.

Five political science students from BYU–Hawaii presented papers at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York. This is the second time students from BYU–Hawaii have participated in this annual conference at the United Nations.

BYU–Hawaii welcomes Christopher Beard as the new Director of Compliance and Internal Audit Services.

Matt Kester, a BYU–Hawaii history professor, is taking a six-month leave of absence from teaching to be a screenwriter for ABC’s new television series Forever. He will work with professional writers and directors in Hollywood, including Matthew Miller, the former executive producer of Chuck and the head writer and creator of Forever. Kester has written for television before. He wrote several screenplays before creating one for a show he entitled “Prodigal Son,” which got him attention in Hollywood. “That got my foot in the door. It got me an agent and a manager,” says Kester.

The Laie area has been inhabited for at least fifteen hundred years. Those early inhabitants gave names to the various features of the landscape, and these names given by the indigenous Hawaiians have meaning to them. We current inhabitants ought to respect these names our host culture, the Hawaiians, gave these places and not make up our own that sometimes show disrespect to the culture, especially the beaches. Perhaps, it might be instructive to look at some of these names and what they mean and some of the stories behind them.

A new class is being taught at Brigham Young University–Hawaii during the Summer 2014 semester that aligns with one of the fastest growing employment needs around the world, especially in the Pacific Rim. Political Science 390R is an introduction to legal studies that focuses on research and writing. The class introduces students to the many legal structures, including laws, legal documents, and criminal/civilian cases. “It gives students a taste of law, a chance to see what it is like and if we like it,” said Trevor Smith, a Business Management major who is taking the class. Currently, there are 32 students in the class.

Most college students start planning for their careers long before they graduate. Few of them, however, expect to become part of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, a Grammy- and Emmy-winning, world-famous organization that has performed in over 28 countries and for ten U.S. Presidents. Of the current 360-member choir, ten are alumni from BYU–Hawaii: Lauren Tuft, Sharon Seminario, Ivalani Uluave Bradshaw, Desiree Marchant Syme, Janet Greenhalgh, Lewis Quinn, Siope Kinikini, Robert Lono Ikuwa, Jamie Bunker, and Sinoe Ika.

The BYU–Hawaii faculty improv ensemble Crosscurrent will present their concert entitled, "Hawaiian Standard Time," an evening of American jazz and Latin classics. The concert will be from 7:30 to 9:30 PM on Friday, May 16, in the McKay Auditorium. Admission is free.

Chicago, IL April 28, 2014: A team of two business students from BYU–Hawaii outperformed 1760 other students from around the world to reach the finals of the Capsim Business Simulation Global Challenge. The team was one of the 12 teams to qualify for the 48-hour, high pressure business simulation play-offs last weekend.

Students, faculty, staff, and community members are all invited to the second annual Marketing Week Career Day on Friday, February 28, 2014. Career Day will be filled with workshops and a keynote address presented by some of the foremost marketers in Hawaii. Also, finalists in the Idea Zoo Case Competition will present their final reports for chances to win prizes. After the keynote address, the winners of the Idea Zoo competition will be announced, and a drawing will be held for cash prizes involving anyone who attends at least two workshops and the keynote address. There will also be a networking reception later that evening. Anyone is invited to all events, free of charge. The full schedule is as follows:

Elder Aley K. Auna Jr. of the Seventy dedicated Hales 7, 8, 9 and 10 and TVA buildings X and Z on Sunday, February 9.

In October of 2013, BYU–Hawaii’s chapter of BYU Management Society was the only student chapter to win the Dean’s Gold Award of Excellence at the Management Society’s annual Global Leadership Conference, where BYU–Hawaii students, faculty, and staff were well-represented as participants and speakers. The Dean’s Gold Award of Excellence is awarded to chapters who meet requirements of leadership, activity, and service.