Almost flooded BYU-Hawaii Campus: Heavy Rain in Laie on January 28

       Heavy rain covered Laie on the last Monday of January. Water flooded the Polynesian Cultural Center and BYU-Hawaii campus including GCB and Hale 5 on January 28, 2013.

        Alexa Maxwell is an elementary education senior from Utah and a RA in Hale 5. She described how Hale 5 was flooded. She said, “It started raining really bad and the rain drain was clogged, so the water was filling up until the middle of the court yard and started to get into the dorm room.”

        Maxwell said she experienced a remarkable time of team work during the flood. “A lot of the residents got their garbage can to shovel the water out of the Hale,” she recalled. “Even up the girls in up-stair came to help. The flood didn’t affect them but down stair. It is awesome to see all the residents came together. It is really good. None of the room really got flooded. It is a good news.”

        Lei Chan, a TEOFL junior from China and a Handicraft Sale in the PCC, said she experienced a hard time working in the rain. “The back gate area was flooded and I had a hard time to walk in work. The water came to my mid-calf. It was so dirty and filled with sand, grease, and mud. A 5 minutes road now takes me 20 minutes to walk.” Although Chan did not enjoy the rain, something else did. “The ducks in PCC river were so happy and swimming. It was cute,” she said.

Holding different opinion, Preston Squire, a peace-building junior from Utah, said he took advantage from the rain. He said, “The rain actually became a good excuse for me to stay indoor and do homework. And I like the rain brought humidity to Laie.”

Valentine’s Day special recipe for single people

Single students in BYU-Hawaii have the option to have a quick and easy meal full of protein to celebrate the day. 

Serves: 1 person only
Time: 40 minutes
Reference: my mother’s recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup of sliced fresh mushrooms
1 salmon fillet

Seasonings:
2 Tablespoons of lime juice
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of chopped basil
1/4 teaspoon of chili sauce 

Steps:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees
2. Season skinless side of salmon with spices. 
3. Place mushrooms on bottom of foil then top with salmon.
4. Wrap tinfoil around seasoned salmon with the skinless side face up.
5. Place the tinfoil pouch in an over-safe container and cook it in the oven for 35 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, open foil and top fish with the lime juice. 
7. Enjoy. 

*If the fish can be flaked easily with a fork, then it is ready to serve

Cupcakes make debut at the Farmer’s Market

 
A new sweet treat is for sale at the BYU-Hawaii Farmer’s Market from the Aloha Cookie and Cupcake Company. Debra Turin is selling her colorful and flavorful cupcakes.

Turin used to have a candy store back in Arizona. Inspired by this experience, Turin and her friend Carla Stroud Creekmore created their baking business and set foot in BYUH Farmer’s Market with their cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and shortbread.

“We choose to associate with BYUHawaii’s Farmer’s Market because we love the spirit of the university here,” said Turin.

“Cookies and cupcakes are synonymous. I think of home, good feeling, and comfort food. No one sits down and says, ‘I think I’ll eat a whole cake.’ But if you say, ‘Here’s a really good cupcake no one can resist.’ Besides, there’s nothing more rewarding for me than to watch students or anyone take a bite of my cupcake and look like they’ve just had the best thing on earth.”

Baking with only local and fresh ingredients is the secret of their products, said Turin. “We use only the best. Real butter but not lard for our cookies and frosting. And of course, there’s always a secret ingredient which will remain a secret. But the best word to describe it is to love what you do.”

Turin wants BYUH students to know she also takes special orders besides cupcakes and cookies. “We do wedding, birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, and bridal shower cakes. For specialty cakes and cookies, we meet with our clients and have a tasting beforehand.”

Vatau Bridges, a BYUH Security office employee and alumnus, bought four red velvet and cream cheese cupcakes to share with her friends. “Cupcakes are my secret to being slim and skinny,” said Bridges with a laugh.

After taking the first bite of her cupcake, Bridges described the taste. “It is breathtaking. It is very moist. I can taste the butter and it is good stuff. It is so delicious. I’ll certainly come back and buy more,” said Bridges.

Vincent Hew, a mathematics junior from Malaysia, ordered a Valentine’s Day special for his girlfriend, Joei Wong, a math sophomore from Malaysia. Hew also brought six cupcakes in different flavors. “They [cupcakes] just look so delicious,” he said.

Hew described the cupcake. “It is very soft and creamy. It just tastes very good and better than normal dessert. It is totally worth buying.” He continued, “It is sweet but in a level that even guys would enjoy.”

Across Time and Space: Skype brings people together

Skype is helping BYU-Hawaii students stay connected across time and space with friends, family, and business partners around the world.

David Stephan, a communication senior from California, said Skype saved his relationship with his girlfriend, Rebecca, and later on led to their marriage. “In the [past] Fall Semester, I went all the way to Spain to study Spanish. I was not able to use the phone that she was previously emailing or texting to. It is not an international phone and so communication between the two of us became a little more scarce,” said Stephan.

Fortunately, Stephan said he found a place close to his residence that provided WiFi. “I could open up Skype and see her even though we were on exact opposite sides of the planet. As I was in Madrid and she was in Laie for school, we realized that geographically, we were about as far away from each other as two people on earth could be.” Stephan said, “If it weren’t for our Skype time together, we could have lost touch or gotten frustrated with our lack of meaningful communication.” He continued, “For us, Skype eliminated the space and synchronized the time that separated us and eventually led to her surprising me in Madrid and later our engagement and marriage.”

Ben Howells, a communication senior from England, said Skype allows him to communicate with his coworkers worldwide freely and conveniently.

“I don’t think without a tool like Skype, we could [run] a business from Hawaii,” he said. Howells is also the founder and CEO of the Akin Clothing, a non-profit organization that sponsors children in third world countries by providing school uniforms.

“Akin clothing is an international business,” said Howells. “We do a lot of selling online, outsource work, and distribution. We do a lot of Skyping with our employees and team leaders in the United Kingdom, Utah, and Texas with different suppliers, especially donors. Skype is free and I can skype to Africa, America, and Europe with instant access.”

Though she lives far from her family, Jamie Chu, a TOEFL sophomore from Hong Kong, said she feels mentally close to them because of Skype. “When I was home in Hong Kong, I seldom talk to my dad. In Chinese culture, a father doesn’t talk much to the children. But instead, he shows his love by action, like giving food,” said Chu.

“Now I am in Hawaii, a place far away from home. I guess my dad feels more comfortable to talk to me. Sometimes I tell him I love him, and he will tell me he loves me back. It is very weird in Chinese culture, but it feels good,” Chu said.

She continued, “I give credit to Skype. I guess because I don’t see my parents that often now, so I treasure the time we have together on Skype. And I bet they feel the same way.”

Finding Identity through Language and Culture

        The Tahitian Chapter, in partnership with the Pacific Islands Studies department, organized a forum with Marguerite Lai, Director of O Tahiti E, professional dance group in Tahiti, on Nov 16 in Old Gym 144.

        Lai visited Hawaii to help preparing Polynesia Cultural Center’s 50th Anniversary. She donated her DVDs of dances and songs to BYU-H Joseph Smith Library because she hoped “students will get the chance to watch Tahitian performances and able to do research on it.”

Andre Tauraa, peace building freshman from Tahiti, helped as a translator for Lai; while Lai was speaking in French and Tahitian, Tauraa translated the content into English for the attendees.

        Speaking to the generation now and in the future in Polynesia, Lai said a lot of young islanders are losing their identity because of the loose of the indigenous language and culture. “My topic will be focus on language and how it links the generation now and future to their culture.”

Lai recalled her childhood in Tahiti and how she was discouraged to use her language, “After the Haole [Caucasian] came, people in my culture lose their language….[when I was a child] Children would be published if they spoke Tahitian in school. Speaking Tahitian in Tahiti became a hard thing. When no one still uses the language, we lose the connection with our culture.”

Symbolizing language as dancing, Lai said they both required connection and understanding to the culture. “As a dancer, I don’t just dance for shaking hip but to share the model of my culture. I teach the children, when we dance, we are giving a message and creating a message that we can connect with everyone.”

Lai expressed the partnership with Mother Nature is her key in dancing. “I link to Mother Nature and hear the melody of the nature. I am talking about opening the door of our souls. We are inviting the nature to come and to form connection with us. It is the Mana, something very important for us Polynesians when we are talking about nature and its power. When you are connected to the nature, you know how to dance and how to present the nature.”

“It is interesting to be asked by the young generations ‘How do you know the motion in the dance?’” said Lai. “Because they don’t know the culture. [When they dance] They focus only on the skills and techniques about who can shake faster.”

She continued, “When you go back to the topic of language, kids speak French but not Tahitian. Sometimes, we look for justification of knowing not the language – ‘it is not my fault because my parents didn’t teach me that’ or ‘this language can never give me money and job’. But wait a minute. Your language is the connection to connect yourself to the nation and your culture. It is how you identity yourself as someone in your culture. The children who study aboard, they learn new language and culture; when they go home, how can we know they are a part of us? Only through the language, that’s how we know her/his identity as a Tahitian.” 

“It might be better if I was born in American, but we need to be grateful about who we actually are. It is okay for us to study aboard to know the world, but it is important to know yourself, your root and your identity. I have been all over the world, when I perform, I am not dancing but showing the world who I am and what my culture is,” said Lai.

Lai offered her song and dance to end the lecture. As a conclusion, she said, “We are all brothers and sisters who live on the same planet. Our countries are waiting for us.”

       

       Marguerite Lai is the Director of O Tahiti E, a professional dance group. The group won the dance competition in Tahiti this year, Heiva i Tahiti 2012. She is a prominent figure in the Tahitian culture and a dancer for over 49 years.

       

        Steve chailloux is a Tahitian language professor visiting from The University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. He commented after the lecture, “We have a saying, when you go to Tahiti, you can see more Tahitian speaking Tahitian than Hawaiian to speak Hawaiian in Hawaii. Compare Tahitian and Hawaiian, Tahiti still has a large number of Tahitian in our country, but they speak more other languages than their own language. It is not a bad thing to teach your children the indigenous language. We need to emphasis the fact that speaking the language of our identity is important. Speak our language before be skillful in speaking other languages.”

         

          Hironui Johnston, Vice President of Tahitian Chapter and a political science senior from French Polynesia, said “It is important to learn and to know who we are in order to lead and to emancipate in the new world. This principle can be applied to all Polynesian and cultures.”

Influential Women Redefining Roles: Combat Gender Objectification

        Women and men in BYU-Hawaii were invited to expand their views of women‘s roles and capabilities in a panel discussion sponsored by David O. McKay Center for Intercultural Understanding on Nov 15.

Project lead of the event, Andrea Hansen, a senior in psychology from Colorado, said the purpose of the event was to “dispel the harmful and prevalent notion that women must objectify themselves sexually and allow others to objectify them sexually to be successful.”

Attracting more than 60 attendees, successful women from the community were invited to share their stories and examples. Speakers including Napua Baker, the first female and first known Polynesian to have an administrative position in CES, Debbie Hippolite Wright, BYU-H Vice President for Student Development & Services, Lara Leimana Fonoimoana, former Mrs. America, and Lindsey Pierce, BYU-H alumni, community member and stay-at-home mother.

Students were actively engaged in asking questions regarding current gender issues. Topics included: women receiving higher education, models to overcome objectification and stereotypes of women, maintaining balance between family, education, and work, and advice to males on helping female friends avoid the various mass media traps, etc.

Based on her recent experience serving as a missionary in the LDS Family History Library, Baker said, “It is the mission of BYU-H to establish peace internationally. Education is a powerful tool the Lord gives us. Your gender shouldn’t stop you. Look at Sister Wright, she is the only woman among 4 men [BYU-H presidency]….. I always remember I am a child of God. If you feel you are doing something right, speak out but don’t hold back. Again, with Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost, you can always move forward.”

Making students laugh, Wright said her secret in finding balance in life was to “marry well.” She said women who have higher education and higher administrative positions occasionally find limitations in a male-dominated work force; however, Wright commented, “I do feel blessed to work with respectful people. I never feel excluded from any meeting or conversation.”

Wright explained spiritual achievement is as great as secular achievement. Despite all her secular achievements, Wright still commented, “The best part [of being a woman] is being with my children and grandbabies.”

“Pretty girls come and go, only the women who have a wonderful package inside stay and live the legacy,” said Fonoimoana. She shared her first-hand experience as the former Mrs. Hawaii and Mrs. America, and how she stood up for her principles. “It is interesting to see [how] women portray themselves based on looks. Officially the prettiest girl wins [the pageant]."

Fonoimoana said, "Being a public figure and a mom, I need to draw a fine line. But one thing I did realize, I got the opportunity to be the example to young girls and to talk to young women groups to offer what I believe as a good model. Beauty, no matter what, starts inside. If you don’t get that right, it can’t shine outside. But it is hard when children see magazines and TV, they learn how they should act and how they are supposed to look.”

Encouraging men to support their female friends in fighting objectification, Fonoimoana said, “I think both men and women have this issue. At the end of day it doesn’t matter…. It is important to be healthy, not only physically but mentally.” She added, “What you are taught at home, you stick to it. Don’t let any man or woman to tell you to change it.”

Like other stay-at-home mothers, Pierce pays attention to how mass media influences her children. “When I look at Desperate Housewives [TV soap drama], I see how media portrays women and children. Even when my boys pass by a clothes store, they asked why the girls have no clothes on. Media is affecting my kids….. For girls it gives false impressions, for boys it gives false hope. I can see how divorce rates are so high and pornography is so high even affecting the church. I can’t just keep them [my children] home all the time. My responsibility is to teach them what is good and right, and then let them decide for themselves.” 

Jennifer Kajiyama, discussion moderator and political science professor, shared a story when she was in BYU. “I was pulled aside one day when I was in grad. school. A man told me he was upset the school ‘took you but not me. I am a priesthood holder and I have a good family.’ I wondered why I was here [to seek higher education]. I wasn’t going to let their labels and visions set who I am. I don’t need to fit the stereotype of theirs. A lot of wonderful leaders in the church said whenever women choose to go to grad. school or to have family, it is important to know your vision.” 

        “As a man, I certainly understand why guys are attracted by girls that are not modest,” said Aaron Coffey, one of the male attendees in the activity and also a communication junior from Georgia. “If you dress immodest, you would get more attention from guys but not the right guys that you are looking for. The problem is that, you need to find an alternative way to get guys’ attention in an edifying way.” He said he found women attractive if they are outgoing, have a sense of humor, good hobbies, and ambitions.

Marcus Costantino, a business sophomore from Utah, advised women who discredit themselves for the purpose to please men to “remember you are a daughter of God. Any dream you have is worth pursuing. There is no need to limit yourself.” He said “As a man, we should encourage women to pursue their goals and never stop growing.”

Idle No More movement in Hawaii called for indigenous right

        Choosing the 120 years anniversary of the overthrown of Hawaii’s monarchy, activists rallied in supporting the Idle No More indigenous movement on January 16 in Honolulu. People in Hawaii were brought together with the theme “We are the people” as well as the goal to improve human right and to protest against GMOs (genetically modified organism) food. They aimed to bring the voice of the grassroots to government. 

        Tevita Kaili, Associate Professor of BYU-Hawaii, was able to participate in the rally. “I attended with the identity of a native Oceanian. I am not native to Hawaii but to the region. I am a Tongan and as an indigenous person, it is my responsibility to fight for the indigenous right for the environment, food, and all other kinds of issue.” 

         Kaili explained the purpose of the native activists was to call for a respectful co-existing environment. “Indigenous people (Hawaiians) are asking for a way to be able to live peacefully together with the settlers (Westerners). They want to compromise the land, the language, and the environment. They feel like the settlers are destroying the land by urbanization.”
 

 “It is not a matter of race,” said Kaili. “The activists were calling for self determination. Native Hawaiians want to be independent, maybe in the sense of politics or maybe have a native government. They want to be de-colonized [from Americanization],” Kaili said. 

Kaili said the movement in Hawaii themed differently from the other Idle No More movement in North America or Euro. He said, “The local theme in Hawaii was specifically toward the nation of Hawaii. There is problem such as the GMF. Big companies want to change the gene of taro and taro means something special to the Hawaiian, so they are upset.” 

        He also expressed he experienced a very peaceful rally. “Most indigenous people believe peaceful demonstration is the way to get the message to the world…. Although some Hawaiians believe to forget about the past and move on, there should be some sort of justice after forgiveness.”

        “I think we are moving there. The coalition between the indigenous and non-indigenous is coming together,” said Kaili. “There is a lot of settlers support the indigenous activities. The Idle No Move movement is getting bigger and devise. It is powerful. Lots of people are working together to create coalition. I guess a lot of people realize what is good for the indigenous is also good for the others, for example, saving the water, environment, and human right.”

Ikaika Wright, a native Hawaiian and a Hawaiian Studies sophomore, described the necessity of this rally with a quote from Vandana Shiva (Indian philosopher and environment activist), “In the making of your own food, is the making of freedom”. 

“We, as the people of Hawaii, are in a very unstable time with our continued dependence on outside support for the basic necessities of life,” said Wright. “That compounded upon the breakdown of our communities through development, which is further crippling any hope of us to create a healthy, sustainable way of life.” 

Wright continued, “I think it is important people come together and take control of our resources, and not allow their use to be dictated by big business, which has continued to marginalize the needs of the people here for their own economic interest and muscle their way around government.”

 

        After attending the rally, Ben Schmidt, a senior communication from Calif., said he had a better understanding about Hawaiian culture and the current issues that they face. “I learned that GMOs aren't necessarily in favor of the local people. Locals rather produce their own food and live off the land like they have in the past.”

        Idle No More (INM) is a growing indigenous rights movement around the world. INM urges local government to “repeal all legislation which violates treaties, indigenous sovereignty and subsequently environmental protections of land and water”, according to the official website. 

On Jan. 17, 1893, the Hawaii’s monarchy and Queen Liliuokalani were overthrown by the American-backed Business men and western missionaries. The kingdom of Hawaii was led to the dissolving and later on became the 50^th state of the United State, according to the New York Times.