Elder Ray Thompson

BYU–Hawaii recently welcomed Michael Aldrich as the new library director for the university. He and his wife, Emma, come from Carrollton, Georgia, and have eight children. Previously, Michael served as an Associate Professor/Instruction Librarian and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of West Georgia.

BYU–Hawaii Food Services has been extensively involved with recycling, and, to reduce overall operating costs, they have begun composting waste vegetable materials. Initial research about the best approach to effectively use latent energy from waste vegetable oil and cooked meat fats was done, which pointed toward a new kind of energy—biodiesel. (pictured: student chef situates himself in the Food Service kitchen)

The online courses or Distance Learning that is being developed at BYU–Hawaii has become a very important part of the college curriculum. These courses offer the advantage of a good diversity of subjects and scheduling, and a reduction in tuition cost. These courses can also help students get started, adapt to unplanned occurrences in their lives, and aid in the completion of getting an accredited college degree.

HONOLULU—On Monday morning, January 18, the 22nd annual Martin Luther King Day parade began as participants slowly made their way through the streets to Kapiolani Park. In the midst of the march were BYU–Hawaii volunteers—students representing their school clubs and home countries of Africa, Samoa, the Philippines, Tonga, Tahiti, Japan, Fiji, Mongolia, and Indonesia. Whether in cultural garb or donning tee shirts with the 'Peace by Piece' slogan of the current BYUHSA presidency, these students personified Dr. King's statement of, "I have a dream that one day … little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers" (http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html).

Seth Sang Cheol Lee sends his greetings from Korea. He graduated from BYU–Hawaii in June 2009 with a double major in International Business Management and Accounting, and has recently accepted an offer at LG Electronics Corporation, one of the largest companies in Korea.

Brigham Young University–Hawaii is launching a new program aimed at giving more options for education at the University. The program, called BYU–Hawaii Online, provides college courses for students preparing to attend BYU–Hawaii, as well as students already on campus who need additional schedule flexibility or who prefer this unique learning method. The program utilizes modern technology to significantly reduce the cost of education for students who can now take initial course work in their native country, without the expense of travel, housing, and other costs associated with traditional college living.