Campus Community

Former Brigham Young University Hawaii basketball player Yuta Tabuse signed a multi-year NBA contract with the Phoenix Suns this week.

Andrew Miller | University Advancement | 3 September 2004 In this year's annual convocation, Vernice Wineera, director of the Pacific Institute, addressed several challenges facing the community of Laie and the role that BYU-Hawaii plays in the fulfillment of its prophetic destiny.

Wineera began by referencing the prophetic vision and circumstances that led to the foundation of BYU-Hawaii, the Polynesian Cultural Center and the Laie, Hawaii Temple - the three institutions at the heart of Laie.

Furthermore, she alluded to the purpose and destiny that these same institutions and the community of Laie must fulfill.

Mike Foley | University Advancement | 1 September 2004 His Royal Highness Crown Prince Tupouto'a of the Kingdom of Tonga visited BYU-Hawaii on August 31, at the invitation of President Eric B. Shumway, to inspect the university's computerized distance-learning technology.

President Shumway explained that H.R.H. Tupouto'a, who has been involved with the developing computer and telecommunications industries in Tonga, is especially interested in the potential of high-tech education in the South Pacific nation.

"He is highly literate in the high technology world," said President Shumway, a noted Tongan language scholar who holds a chiefly title. The crown prince earned a degree in international law at Oxford in England and was also educated in Switzerland and New Zealand.

Andrew Miller | University Advancement | 30 August 2004 During an 11-day tour of its men's basketball team, Brigham Young University Hawaii strengthened relationships and promoted good will toward the university and the Church in the People's Republic of China.

Head coach Ken Wagner described the trip as a great success. "It was a great opportunity for our hosts to learn about us, about BYU-Hawaii and about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," he said. "For instance, when we were setting up the trip they wanted to schedule a game for Sunday. It gave us an opportunity to explain about our beliefs and why we wouldn't play on the Sabbath."

"There is a lot of respect for our religious beliefs and the way we carry ourselves," said assistant coach Brandyn Akana. "Just by our examples, we are able to have a positive influence on those we work with.

Academic Vice President Keith Roberts, substituting for BYU-Hawaii President Eric B. Shumway who normally delivers the first devotional address each new school year, urged the audience to surmount their diversity through "the unifying culture of the gospel as we experience it here on this campus."

Joseph Curdy, a 2001 English and theater graduate of BYU-Hawaii, is cast in the Royal Shakespeare Company's (RSC) current production of Hamlet.

As usual, President Eric B. Shumway started off the "family" meeting at the beginning of the 2004-05 school year that marks the university's golden jubilee with a fishing story. Then, after presenting a series of awards, he recapped highlights from the past school year and encouraged the faculty and staff to be committed to the mission of BYU-Hawaii.

Andrew Miller | University Advancement | 23 August 2004 Dr. Michael Allen, professor of history and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, was named teacher of the year by the president's council in the annual teacher "ohana" meeting held in the McKay Auditorium on Wednesday, August 18.

"Because of his exemplary performance in every area, the president's council is pleased to name Michael Allen as the president's council's choice of teacher of the year," said President Eric B. Shumway in a tribute to Dr. Allen.

"Michael has received outstanding teacher ratings by students as he continues an aggressive scholarly agenda and supports the administration of the Arts and Sciences as the associate dean," President Shumway continued. "Beyond this, Michael is a man of profound spiritual dimension."

Andrew Miller | University Advancement | 20 August 2004 In its 2005 index of best colleges released this week, U.S. News and World Report ranks BYU-Hawaii in the top tier of best comprehensive colleges in the Western United States for the sixth consecutive year.

Over the past several years, BYU-Hawaii has climbed the U.S. News rankings from the third tier to the second tier, and then to the top tier where it has been sixth for the last two years.

"It means a lot to us to receive a consistently high assessment from a reputable third party like U.S. News," said Keith Roberts, vice president of academics. "It shows that year in and year out, we're doing many things well. We now officially have a reputation, and that reputation continues to grow."

Andrew Miller | University Advancement | 16 August 2004 BYU-Hawaii cooperates with the Health Science University of Mongolia to develop instructional CD-ROM for rural doctors and medical students in Mongolia.

"BYU-Hawaii established a very important relationship with the Health Science University of Mongolia - the premier university in Mongolia for training doctors and medical professionals," said Dr. Peter Chan, assistant professor of instructional design and development.

The relationship began in May of this year when Chan went to Mongolia with vice president of academics Keith Roberts, Dean Robert Hayden of the Center for Instructional Technology and Outreach (CITO) and other university leaders.

Mike Foley | University Advancement | 16 August 2004 About 100 BYU-Hawaii faculty, staff and administration representatives spent the morning of August 12 in a retreat to focus on building capacities in key areas as the university prepares for the golden jubilee celebration in 2005 and re-accreditation in 2006.

"The re-accreditation process includes what is called capacity review," President Eric B. Shumway explained to the group, who met in the Stake Center cultural hall, "or a formal document that will describe our various capacities at the university to accomplish our stated mission and deliver what we think should be the four themes of our re-accreditation."

Those four themes are 1) an outcome assessment of our major academic programs; 2) an outcome assessment of our general education programs; 3) teaching the English language across campus; and 4) the placement of students after graduation, including graduate school.

The Brigham Young University Hawaii men's basketball team departed on Wednesday, August 11 for an exciting visit to the People's Republic of China.

Seniors Anuj Sehgal and Jason Kadarusman received recognition in the seventh international autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) competition in San Diego held in August.

Barbara Barrington-Jones, who has been bringing her "New You" program to BYU-Hawaii each summer for over a decade, shared a powerful testimony of the love of living prophets and the Savior on August 5 in the last devotional of the summer term.

Mike Foley | University Advancement | 5 August 2004 When BYU-Hawaii students and others who have been away for the past several months return, they will be pleasantly surprised to see all of the physical changes on campus and in the community. They'll be equally pleased to see the improvements being made in the Joseph F. Smith Library.

Douglas Bates, University Librarian and director of the Joseph F. Smith Library since August 2002, explained that he is "shepherding projects that my predecessors started and envisioned" that will "enhance the usefulness and usability and atmosphere of our building."

"Last year we renovated the front entrance," he said. "We put in new doors, laid new tile, got new security gates and new furniture for the e-mail post office, and we bought a new circulation desk."

Andrew Miller | University Advancement | 3 August 2004 The Watkins family of Salt Lake City, Utah donated toys to the children of married BYU-Hawaii students during a luncheon on Monday, August 2.

The presentation was made by the grandchildren of the Watkins family. Each of them was allowed to pick out toys for the children of TVA and personally give them to the university.

The gifts were received by Paul Buckingham, director of counseling services, and Leilani Auna, a counselor for married students and the coordinator of services for students with special needs.

"On behalf of the married students of BYU-Hawaii, mahalo nui loa and thank you very much for your generosity," Auna said with tears in her eyes. "I'm sure the children will be very excited to have your gifts."

Auna and others will distribute the toys personally to the families of TVA.

Andrew Miller | University Advancement | 30 July 2004 Chelsea Smith, Brigham Young University Hawaii cross country runner and defending NCAA II women's cross country individual champion, took first place in the Deseret Morning News/KJZZ TV women's marathon in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, July 24.

This was only Smith's second marathon - and the first one she finished - but it was a spectacular first finish. Smith outpaced the second-place runner, Julie Thomas of Holladay, Utah, by a full minute and 35 seconds, completing the 26.2-mile course in two hours, 49 minutes and four seconds.

Mike Foley | University Advancement | 28 July 2004 Though the crowds were much smaller than the thousands who were there almost three years ago when Iosepa was launched at Hukilau Beach, it was still quite thrilling to hear the seashell trumpets blowing and join the kupuna [Hawaiian elders] in welcoming the arrival of the BYU-Hawaii voyaging canoe back to Laie after spending over two months in training on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Leaving Kawaihae, the homeport of the Makali'i voyaging canoe and its sponsoring organization which has been training the Iosepa crew, the BYU-Hawaii canoe stopped over on Molokai before coming back to Laie on July 23.