Campus Community

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:

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.

David Taufa, Heather Pohiva, and Selai Unga graduated from BYU–Hawaii with Accounting degrees in the summer of 2013. While they all had different career plans upon returning to their home country of Tonga, none of them expected the opportunity that opened up for them to use the skills they learned from BYU–Hawaii within the Tongan government.

BYU–Hawaii welcomes David Te’o as the new Director of Information Technology Infrastructure. Te’o, a native of Laie, most recently worked within the R&K Cyber Solutions’ Defense Intelligence Agency and previously as a systems administrator with numerous facilities on the island. These positions have given him over a decade of IT work experience as well as invaluable skills, training, and credentials in information systems management.

As many who are associated with BYU–Hawaii already know, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Polynesian Cultural Center located next to the university’s Laie, Hawaii campus. Originally dedicated on October 12, 1963, the Center helps about 600-700 students fund their education every semester, and it has always been a place where students can learn life skills. “The Polynesian Cultural Center has contributed to my understanding of the spirit of Aloha,” said Thanathon Phosricha, an alumnus from Thailand who worked there as a tour guide. “This motivates me to improve the world around me and to be a better example everywhere.”

Kenny Cox has joined the BYU–Hawaii Seasiders with responsibility over sports information and athletic marketing.

Donna Checketts, Laie Hawaii Young Single Adult 2nd Stake Relief Society President and her daughter Shayla Smith, spoke on the importance of maintaining an eternal perspective in their devotional address “Don’t Give Up What You Want Most, For What You Want Now,” on Tuesday, July 24.

The first Women’s Professional Advancement Day was held at BYU–Hawaii on May 30. There were workshops, mentoring appointments, networking opportunities, and a panel discussion to develop a culture of mentoring among women on campus. The idea to have mentoring and educational experiences on the BYU–Hawaii campus stemmed Debbie Hippolite Wright’s, vice president of Student Development and Services, experiences with Women Leaders in Higher Education. Faculty, staff and students were invited to attend to learn how to better themselves and advance in careers.

The BYU–Hawaii Concert Choir will embark on a musical tour to New Zealand and Australia under the direction of Michael Belnap, from June 10 through June 24. Throughout the tour, the choir will perform for various audiences including members of all faiths and important dignitaries in both countries with a variety of spiritual and secular repertoire.

BYU–Hawaii’s Enactus team traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, to compete in the 2013 Enactus National Exposition and was awarded second place among more than 150 participating teams. The team first competed in April at the Regional Competition in Seattle, Washington, and was selected to continue on to the National Competition. 156 teams from campuses around the nation were invited to compete in the exposition where BYU–Hawaii was able to secure a spot in the final four and eventually awarded first runner up.

BYU–Hawaii Food Services won the Loyal E. Horton Gold Award for the fourth time, outperforming some of the top educational institutions in the nation. BYU–Hawaii took home the award in the category Residential Dining- Special Event. Food Services has been participating in this prestigious competition since 2001 and have won bronze, silver and gold awards throughout the years.

JGeeks will perform their first show in America at BYU–Hawaii on Friday, May 17, in the Cannon Activities Center.

The BYU–Hawaii Faculty Advisory Committee presents an academic forum with Brandon Truscott, chair of the new Visual Arts Department on Thursday, May 16, at 11:00 AM in the McKay Auditorium. Brandon Truscott earned his bachelor’s degree in studio art with an emphasis in graphic design from Humboldt State University, a Master’s of Education degree with an emphasis in cross-cultural teaching from National University, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from San Francisco Art Institute with an emphasis in Design + Technology.