Media Writing Class Winter 2016

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THE LEADER Winter 2015-2016 Page 22-23 Tips to avoid being distracted and to stay focused during finals Page 13 Artificial intelligence beats European ‘Go’ board game champion Page 6 Musical cartoon mash up: Broadway Cabaret brings Disney characters to life

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Transcript of Media Writing Class Winter 2016

Page 1: Media Writing Class Winter 2016

THE LE AD ERW in t e r 2 015 - 2 016

Page 22-23T ips to avo id be ing

d i s t rac ted and to s tay focused dur ing f ina l s

Page 13A r t i f i c ia l i n te l l i gence bea ts Eu ropean ‘Go ’

board game champion

Page 6Mus ica l ca r toon mash up :B roadway Cabare t b r ings D i sney charac te rs to l i f e

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•BYUH married women without children struggle with infertility

•Christmas devotional combines campus musical groups

•Seasider wins coveted wildcard

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TABLE OFCONTENTS

•Fireside by BYUH Alumnus and instructor inspires students

•PCC’s Night Show adds scene of forgiveness

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•Students preparefor “The Force Awakens”

•Performing mash upof musical cartoons

The Thanksgiving Miracle

•EVs on the road are lowerthan goal of 1 million

•Students say Christmas dance was well-planned and want more like them

•Japanese and Koreans claim same island, name them differently

•Swig versus Sodalicious

•Students impressedby solo dances

•Kahuku becomesstate champion

•Japanese high school studentscome to improve English

•‘Go’ boardgamers play with family and friends

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14-15 •Students explain the allure of skateboarding

•Obama calls climate change more dangerous than terrorism

COMM 211 • WINTER 2016

INSTRUCTOR

LeeAnn Lambert

ART & GRAPHICS

Samone Yuen

Hector Per iquin

MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS

Christ ina Taleni

Jasmine Yu Han Weng

Hina Kalama

Synneva Collett

Kate Pearson

Madelyn Giron

Heidi Poppleton

Devyn Kauhi

Tupu Lydell Lawrence

Tsz Kin Li (Yasu)

Madeline Osterloh

ON THE COVER: Broadway Cabaret member

Valorie Lafaele performs in the “I’ll Make a Man

Out of You” number from the Disney cartoon

“Mulan” during the group’s concert in November

2015. Photo by Lexie Kapeliela

CONTACT

Edi tor ia l , photo submiss ions & d is t r ibut ion

inquir ies : [email protected]. To subscr ibe

to the RSS FEED or to v iew addi t ional ar t ic les ,

go to kealakai .byuh.edu.

BOX 1920 BYUH

LAIE, HI 96762

PUBLISHER

Pr int Services

NEWS CENTER

E-mail: [email protected]

Ad Information: [email protected]

Phone: (808) 675-3694

Fax: (808) 675-3491

Office: Campus, Aloha Center 134

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22-23A glimpse of the summer capitalof the Philippines

Infographics

Best way to avoidgetting distracted at BYU-Hawaii

Wade Fowler

Rui Xue (Stella)

Cyntlea Balucos

Kayla Helm

Jeongmin Jeon

Alyssa Shreeve

Chelsea Miller

Antoniette Yee

Kalei Kennerley

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Even though BYU-Hawaii is a family-oriented campus and houses married students and their families, what isn’t evident is the silent

struggles of married couples, in particular women, dealing with infertil-ity in the community, said women interviewed. In a recent women’s discussion held on campus centered on the special role of motherhood, one mother shared her first experience of giving birth to her first born and feeling an overflowing and immedi-ate love for him. A second mother spoke of the heartfelt connection she often feels with her children, and another expressed her gratitude for the noble gift of womanhood that allowed her to pro-create and bring into this world her precious little ones. These comments of inspiration, gratitude and appreciation for mother, are not shared by women on campus who do not have children. Lois Saina, a recent graduate from BYUH who resided in the university’s married housing apartments in 2014 with her husband,

The silent struggleof infertility

Married women without children at BYUH express their frustrationBY CHRISTINA TALENI

expressed feelings of frustration and sadness on occasion while living on campus. In the past year, Saina had miscarried at three months and is hopeful she will be able to conceive again. She expressed the difficulty of living among other married couples who were younger in years of mar-riage and in age but who had children. “Everywhere I went there were children. I heard their little voices playing outside my door. I could hear the neighbor’s newborn baby crying… It was so hard not to be upset and to wish that I had my own little ones,” she said. Renee Houseman, a senior majoring in social work who lives in married-student housing on campus, expressed similar feelings and conveyed her frustration at “nosey questions that were insensitive” to her situation. Houseman said, “While not everyone knows that we had a miscarriage, there are still some things you just don’t ask. People can be so cruel and insensitive without even realizing it, but it doesn’t take away the fact that the things that are asked or said can really hurt.” Saina and Houseman represent women who deal with the silent struggle of not being able to have children and yet unavoidablyface it because they are surrounded by the reminders of what couldhave been and what isn’t living in a very married-with-childrenMormon community. “No one really knows how it feels to be surrounded by it all,” said Houseman, unless they are in the same shoes. She cried tear or two and said the sound of children is a reminder of her struggles and fears to have a family. She asked a friend once who struggles with infertility how she handles it, and her friend said, “To me the sounds and sights of children are not a reminder of what isn’t, but rather a reminder of hopefulness and faith, a standing reminder that in time it will be the sound of my own children playing in the next room.”

Photo by womenonit.com

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Students said they were inspired by PJ Rogers talk about always being faithful and avoiding the “mouse holes,” or small sins that can trap

people spiritually, at the Laie YSA 4th Ward fireside on Jan. 4. Returned missionaries were especially encouraged to attend, he said. PJ Rogers is from Texas. He served his LDS mission in Korea when he was 20 years old. After his mission, he studied international business at Yonsei University in Korea and at BYU-Hawaii. Now he is a husband and a father of four children, a bishop, teaches at BYUH and is the advisor for the Taiwan Association. The main speaker was Rogers who shared an experience hunt-ing when he was a teenager. “When I was young, I would hunt beaver or rabbit and sell their pelts to get some money,” he said. Hunting little animals wasn’t hard for him in the wilderness of Texas, he said, and as a young man he liked to go on manly adventures. He said it not onlyallowed him to earn some money but it also made him feel refreshed being outdoors. One day he decided to go for a bigger target. He wanted to hunt coyotes because their pelts were worth three times more than bea-vers or rabbits. “I tied a dead rabbit on the tree and set a trap on the bot-tom,” said Rogers. He said he set the trap over and over again but began to feel sad. Rogers said, “Six years passed and I never caught any coyotes.” But then Rogers said he met a friend who had experience hunting. Rog-ers said to his friend knew how he tried to use the rabbit as a trap for the coyote. His friend laughed and said, “Of course you never caught any coyotes! Rabbits don’t grow on the tree. Coyotes are not that stupid. They know there’s something weird.” All of the sudden, Rogers said he realized he had been doing it wrong, but he wondered what was the right way to set the trap. His friend gave him an advice: “All you have to do is to make them feel comfortable. You should make a mouse hole and hang rabbit’s guts on the snare trap on the ground.” Following his friend’s advice, Rog-ers was able to catch a coyote. Thinking back to that experience, Rogers thought the snare trap was just like the temptations Satan gives to people. He shared Alma 10:17, which says: “O ye wicked and perverse generation, ye lawyers and hypocrites, for ye are laying the foundations of the devil; for ye are lay-ing traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God.” Rogers encouraged students to avoid all the mouse holes, which are the insignificant sins

because they are so small people often don’t feel they have doneanything wrong. “Temptation always come quietly when you feel comfortable. Then soon you will be trapped,” said Rogers. Sometimes people tell white lies or don’t go to church thinking it is okay to miss one week, he continued, but they don’t know it is the start of making insignificant sins that can lead them down the path to larger sins. Students said they learned from Roger’s talk the importance of doing things each day to feel the spirit and build their testimonies. Alice Chou, a senior from Taiwan, said, “PJ Rogers’ talk strengthened my testimony and reminded me to always pray and read the scriptures daily.”

The need for daily spiritual experiences

YSA bishop applies hunting stories to spiritual trapsBY JASMINE YU HAN WENG

A BYU-Hawaii alumnus, PJ Rogers teaches on campus and talked at a YSA fireside about how to avoid spiritual traps by doing things daily to feel the spirit. Photo by Monique Saenz

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A forgiveness scene following the war scene in the Fijian section was added to the of the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Night Show in

December. David Warner, a producer for the “Ha Breath of Life” Night Show, began visiting the PCC in late November to hold rehearsals for the changes. Over the Christmas break in December, the Night Show cast added the changes to the Fijian section. The Fijian section begins by the main characters, Mana, Lani, Mother and Father, living a normal day in a Fijian village when the vil-lage is suddenly under attack from warriors of a different village. In this scene, Father dies and enters the spirits world, introducing basic Latter-

Forgiveness follows fight in Fijian section

Storyline change shares gospel message at PCC’s Night showBY HINA KALAMA

day Saint beliefs of the Plan of Salvation. The original storyline continues with Mana and the other villagers defending their homes against enemy warriors and eventually chasing them away in victory. However, the new changes added to the show continues to introduce Latter-day Saint beliefs by having Mother forgive the enemy warrior who killed Father. Cydney Metekingi, a PCC dancer said, “I really like the changes to the show. I was very moved by the forgiveness scene and I think the audience will understand a lot more about the gospel by that change to the Fiji section.” Other Night Show cast members interviewed also gave positive reviews about the forgiveness scene. Additionally, the Laie community has provided a lot of positive feedback to the change in the Fijian section, said Night Show staff. Since the incorporation of the forgiveness scene, the Night Show audience count has gone up. While this increase was influenced by the holiday season, members of the Laie community and especially Latter-day Saint members are regular visitors to the PCC. Jovelana Muti, who plays the role of Mother multiple times during the week, said, “The Fiji section is so special because it incorpo-rates principles of the gospel. For us as dancers, this is our way of sharing the gospel and moving the Lord’s work forward everyday. “ The Night Show is continually making changes to its storyline to better the overall performance and exceed customer expectations, said Night Show staff. Warner said, “When we combine Polynesian culture and gospel culture and give our best on stage, we are helping audience mem-bers to feel the spirit. They will feel that what we are sharing is true.”

Photo courtesy of the Polynesian Cultural Center

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C heers and applause echoed in BYU-Hawaii’s Little Theater on Dec. 3 as students and faculty gathered together to watch the movie

“Star Wars Episode 4” in preparation for the Christmastime debut of Epi-sode 7 – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Once the movie had ended, a lively discussion started about why the film is still so popular today nearly 40 years after the first “Star Wars” movie was released. The film was shown by the BYUH Honors Program to cel-ebrate the upcoming release of the new episode. Jake Peters, a senior studying English from Utah, said, “There are so many small dumb things that are just absolutely ridiculous, but still, it’s such a good movie. It’s just action packed the whole time. It really does have you on the edge of your seat, and the moment it doesn’t have you on the edge of your seat, it is introducing you to a completely new universe.”

Students prepare for ‘The Force Awakens’

‘Star Wars’ fans look back overmovies’ 40-year history BY SYNNEVA COLLETT

With the Christmas holiday opening of the latest film in the “Star Wars” series, students and faculty met before its debut to watch

“Episode 4” and discuss how the films have evolved over the last 40 years and maintained their popularity. Photo courtesy of Disney

Peters explained it is not just the action, but the settings that keep audiences interested as well. He said, “Everything is so unique, and you get to enjoy the culture and all these weird aliens and beasts. The whole movie is pretty enjoyable even though there are so many things that are just like ‘What?’” Luis Arredondo, a senior studying political science from Mex-ico, said, “Part of why it remains a great movie nowadays, even because of all those laughable things, even now when we have our smart phones and our Internet, that kind of space travel is still super futuristic to us… We haven’t advanced that much. So, what was futuristic back then is still futuristic now. That’s why it still looks so enticing.” Alan Carlson, a junior studying biology from California, said he found it interesting that the idea of Sci-fi has evolved over the years in the “Star Wars” films. With the introduction of new technology into the film industry, the films that are meant to be in the past seem more futuristic than the originals. Carlson continued, “One of the criticisms of the prequels is, you’re going to bring in all these special effects and you made everything look even more futuristic when it is supposed to be in the past.” Carlson used a scene from the movie to explain his point. He pointed out how radio communication during the attack on the Death Star is not used in the prequels of Episode 4. “They had just never thought of it,” he said. “That was interesting to me to see what their perception of Sci-fi would be and how that converged in the prequels.” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” will be released Dec. 17 and will be shown in Laie Palms Cinema at 10 p.m.

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B YU-Hawaii’s Broadway Cabaret put on a Disney extravaganza on Nov. 13-14 in the McKay Auditorium, incorporating numbers from

“Peter Pan,” “The Lion King,” “Aladdin,” “Mulan,” and “The Little Mer-maid,” among others. According to freshman Hyram Navigator, an ICS major from Arizona who played Aladdin, most of the cast were members of the Con-cert Choir and vocal performance majors. He said the most difficult part was using breath control since they had to dance and sing at the same time. Navigator said he has been in productions where the enjoyment of practicing and performing was lost because the directors and cast got

“too stressed about creating the ‘perfect’ performance.” However, he said, “This was a great experience because while it was important to know our dance moves and lines, we got to enjoy each moment.” Students said they also enjoyed the performance because it was free, entertaining, and featured their friends. Hannah Palmer, a junior from Utah majoring in biomed, said the performance was “really creative,” especially the part where “they switched bodies and had the girls do ‘Let’s Get Down to Business’ and the guys do another girly song.” Palmer loved the twist of blending to-gether elements from different Disney movies and said, “I feel like it was their own. It wasn’t like someone else’s.” If she could choose the next production, she said she’d do “a sequel to this one, like more Disney songs – from ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ or ‘Tarzan’.” Palmer said she wouldn’t consider being in one of these productions because “I’m not a singer or a performer…but it looks fun. They make it look like a lot of fun.” It was the first time attending a BYUH production for ‘Aisea Tongi, a freshman from Tonga, whose major is undeclared. He said his favorite part was “the funny, skinny guy doing his dance – and his voice!” Tongi was referring to a segment taken from “The Princess and the Frog.” He also said “the emcee was very good.” If he had any say in the next production, he said it would include Jackie Chan. According to senior Chaelin Yu, a TESOL major from South Korea, school productions appeal to students because they provide free entertainment and save them from having to drive an hour or more to Kaneohe or Honolulu to see a show. She also commented that it’s an op-portunity to support other students and see another side to your friends:

“It was really amazing to see how different they are in the performance.”

Meet the fairy godmother After the show, members of the audience mingled with the cast and children flocked to see their favorite characters, including fairy godmother, Alpha Harper. Besides being a real life fairy godmother be-cause she helped with costumes and altered the girls’ ball gowns for the show, Harper is also a sophomore majoring in interdisciplinary studies. She was born in Quebec, but lived in Alberta, Canada for more than 30 years with her husband, Les, before they came to Hawaii four years ago to serve as volunteers on campus. Harper said, “It’s very important when the performers go on that they feel really good about their costumes because it helps put them in character.” Like the fairy godmother, Harper is brilliant at transform-ing things, including her own costume she made from recycled costumes. She explained, “I reinvented it because it’s not from scratch. It’s better to use things and remodel them.” When asked if she ever gets stage fright, Harper answered, “Yes, because two days ago I actually went out and sang the wrong words to the song! …I had to go backstage and refocus… One thing wonderful about being here at BYU-Hawaii is that we have prayer backstage before we go on…so that we can bring the Spirit into the performance because what you do affects the other people around you - not just the audience.” Harper said it’s in her nature to interact with children so that helped her get into fairy godmother character. She commented, “After Friday evening’s performance… I looked down and there was this little boy…who was just mesmerized looking up at me. He came up and hugged my leg, so I talked to him for a few moments then his mom came up and took pictures.” She added, “The thing that’s really important is watching peo-ple’s eyes light up when you’re on stage performing or when you come out and greet them… And the fairy godmother is one that everybody looks up to because everybody hopes that something better is coming. So I love to be able to smile and make someone smile back – like you’re smiling right now!”

Performing a mash up of musical cartoons

BYUH Broadway Cabaret brings Disney favorites to lifeBY KATE PEARSON

Actresses pose in a manly fashion singing a song from “Mulan.” Ursula the Sea Witch switches the women into the mens’ bodies

and vice versa in the show. Photo by Lexie Kepeliela

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BY MADELYN GIRON

The Thanksgiving Miracle

“I got sick from that day, but the experienceof meeting Masaki and witnessing his randomact of kindness was well worth getting sickand strengthening my testimony.”-Dre Manumaleuna

Masaki Yamanashi gives a big smile to the photographer during club sign ups on campus. His willingness to express his thanks to God and others by picking up trash on a rainy Thanksgiving Day, inspired a local man and others who heard his story. Ke Alaka’i file photo

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M asaki Yamanashi, a student at BYU-Hawaiiand sophomore from Japan majoring in

biology, said he thought a good way to celebrate Thanksgiving and to truly give thanks would be doing community service. Yamanashi said he found himself wanting to celebrate Thanksgiving but didn’t quite know how to do it. “I really wanted to express my gratitude as I had learned the previous Sunday about Thanksgiving and how special it is to give thanks.” Much of the Thanksgiving Day was rainyand that wasn’t the exception when Yamanashisaid he found himself picking up garbage aroundthe community. Dre Manumaleuna, who works for the state and is a Laie native, was walking his dog, Captain, when he came across Yamanashi picking up garbage. Manumaleuna said, “I saw a young man picking stuff off the ground and stuffing them into a paper bag. By his appearance and out of the ordinary behavior, especially being out in this weather, I was quick to judge and thought to myself, ‘This guy was tweaking for sure!’” As Manumaleuna and Yamanashi got ac-quainted with each other, they said they developed a desire to serve one another. Manumaleuna invited Yamanashi to have Thanksgiving dinner with him and his family. Yamanashi said, “I was blessed to eat a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with Dre’s family who made me feel welcomed. They even made me a plate full of food to bring back home for later. I am so thankful for what people do for me in my time of need.” Manumeleuna posted this unique Thanksgiv-ing experience on his Facebook page with a picture of Yamanashi. He expressed his gratitude for Yamanashi’s selfless service. Manumeleuna said, “I just wanted to share a slice of my day with everyone that they might be edified on this day of thanks.” Although both had an amazing experience, the day would’ve taken a different turn if both Ya-manashi and Manumaleuna would have followed their original plans for the day. Yamanashi said originally he had planned to spend the day with his friends playing rugby and tennis but missed both of the activities. But as he was preparing for his Thanksgiv-ing lunch, he felt what he described as what’s known in the LDS Church as a “prompting from the Spirit” or a sign from God. Yamanashi said, “Something was on my mind. I felt irritated because my plans didn’t go through, and I knew I shouldn’t have felt that way, especially on Thanksgiving Day.”

He added, “Then, as I was pondering, I felt I should go pick up some trash laying on the ground. It would be a great way to give my thanks to the commu-nity and symbolically get rid of my nasty feelings.” Manumaleuna shared his side of the story and said, “Of all the days to take Captain for a walk, it had to be then! I tried to shrug it off and just lounge around in the dry and warm comforts of home. Yet I was prompted to get off my butt and walk Captain in the cold rain.” He continued, “It wasn’t so much a hard deci-sion for me. I was telling myself I could get sick, but being prompted to go, I went anyway. There are many times I’m prompted and I don’t always follow through. This time I wasn’t gonna ignore the Spirit.” When asked if it was worth it, Manumaleuna shared, “I got sick from that day, but the experience of meeting Ma-saki and witnessing his random act of kindness was well worth getting sick and strengthening my testimony.” Students on the BYUH campus were not sur-prised when they heard of the incident. They supported Manumeleuna’s post by liking it on Facebook over 400 times and sharing the post with friends. Kiersten Luekenga, a sophomore majoring in marine biology and minoring in secondary education from Avondale, Ariz., did not hear of the event but was not surprised when she found out about it. Luekenga said, “I met Masaki in the cafeteria while we both waited for stir fry. I was debating whether this would be his third or second plate when he asked my name, and then we casually started talking about school and our classes.” She said she wasn’t surprised to know that Yamanashi was going around collecting garbage on Thanksgiving. “I have seen him hold umbrellas up for people walking, holding doors, and sitting next to lonely people. He’s a very Christ-like dude.” She added,

“He brings such a light to campus.” Jasmine Landers, a junior from Orlando, Florida, majoring in psychology, was one of the stu-dents who liked and shared Manumeleuna’s post. She said, “I met Masaki at the Polynesian Cultural Center when he was a tour guide. He would try to remem-ber almost everyone’s name that he passed and would always compliment that person by thanking them for their work or by telling us that we’re so hard working. He has a heart of gold.” Landers added, “He’s such a great example and I know that he will continue to bless more lives than he already has. He definitely has a special purpose down here.”

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Students impressed by solo dances, gospel theme BY HEIDI POPPLETON

The favorite numbers from the concert performed by BYU-Hawaii dance students on Jan. 30, said students, were solos created and

performed by individuals. Students also liked a group dance called “See You Again” where the theme of families being forever were depicted. The Abliz Dance International group concert, directed by BYUH dance instructor Nina Foster, was titled “Dance Through Life” with dancers lighting up the stage in the McKay Auditorium and the audience cheering them on. Lindi Young, a junior majoring in exercise sports science from Kansas and performer in the show, said they practiced about 15 hours a week since the beginning of January. She said more than 60 hours went into creating this show. Her favorite number to perform was “See You Again,” the feel-good, family-themed number where all of the dancers hugged and laughed with each other while slapping their hands playing patty cake.Tatyanna Corona, a freshman from Nevada majoring in elementary education, said, “See You Again” was also her favorite number because it reminded her of how “we will be able to be reunited with our loved ones who have gone on.” She loved when the two little boys came out on stage and danced together, smiled together and played together at the end. The boys were two of Director Foster’s children. When asked what was the best experience Young had being in the show, she said, “Seeing the teamwork put into making this show was incredible. Nina’s love for us motivated the group especially with the crazy long hours we had to be there for practice.” Young said she learned about patience, love, forgivenessand optimism while preparing for the show even when she wanted tobe bitter. “I love that we would pray before every practice. It made me feel close to Heavenly Father,” she said. BYUH student Tanner Cheel’s robotic-style solo drew much attention from the crowd at the dance concert. Alex Graff, a junior ma-joring in international cultural studies from Utah, said it was his favorite number. “It was very skilled and very entertaining,” he said. Cheel lit up the stage in every number he was in, said audience members. Ben Wilson, a sophomore from Canada majoring in business finance, said his favorite part was the solos as well. “I liked them because it showed the extra effort they put in to choreographing their own dances and not just memorizing someone else’s dances,” he said com-menting on the students’ hard work. During the dance concert, students performed ballet, hip hop, tango, Broadway, and contemporary dancing styles. Young said the tango number “Baila Como was the hardest number for me because most of us had no idea how to do it.” The dance concert started with a video of the practices where the audience saw the dancers laugh, trip and receive injuries to put this show on, but the dancers interviewed said it was well worth.

Tanner Cheel’s robotic dance was one of the memorable solos said stu-dents who watched classmates in dance courses perform at the Abliz

Dance International concert in the McKay Auditorium. Photo by Stop Khemthorn

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Kahuku beat St Louis to take the state high school championship title in November. Kahuku has a perfect season with 12 wins and 0 loses. Photo by the Honolulu Star Advertiser

T he most anticipated football game of the year played out on Nov. 20 when Kahuku High School beat Saint Louis High School 39-14 for

the OIA state championship title at Aloha Stadium. Kahuku had a perfect season with 12 wins and 0 losses. The team battled against Saint Louis that had 9 wins and 2 losses duringits season. Even celebrities took notice in the big game as there was a video clip of The Rock showing his love and support for Kahuku. He says in the video, “Don’t underestimate your competition. I’m very fortunate

BY MADELINE SWIG

Kahuku becomes state champion

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson gives Kahuku a pep talkBY DEVYN KAUHI

to be in the position I am today. I’ve achieved a good amount. I’m lucky to be successful, but I do it because I do not ever, ever underestimate my competition. And neither will you.” With a reported crowd of 19,699 fans gathered together at Aloha Stadium, Kahuku Red Raiders Coach VavaeTata said of the fans, “The stadium was filled with supporters. It was a great sight to see.” The start of the game was rocky for both Kahuku and Saint Louis. “A lot was riding on this game and we knew that in order tobe successful we would have to bring the heat,” said Kahuku seniorAaron Tapusoa. The Kahuku Red Raiders held Saint Louis to only 14 points throughout the entire game. “Their defense is just too intense for us,”said Saint Louis Assistant Coach Ron Lee when asked after the game.

“We panicked.” Kahuku is the 9th OIA team to have a perfect season. “After the game it seemed like the entire Raider Nation was there to show their love and support for the boys and the program,” said Kahuku fan Anolani Graham from Kapolei. Fans from all over the island made an appearance at the game and took part in the celebration afterwards. “We knew Kahuku won because of all the noise and the honk-ing at 2 a.m.,” said Taryn Skahill, a sophomore at BYU-Hawaii. “It’s a great thing to experience - the unity that you feel and a sense of pride. Back home in Fiji there was never anything like this,” said Brett Makele, a sophomore at BYUH studying business.

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The three-day invasion of Japanese high school students on the BYU-Hawaii campus was held from Dec. 6-8. It was a joint-maneuver

between the Polynesian Cultural Center and travel agencies, said Pane Meatonga III, Marketing manager for Japan and Asia at the PCC. He was in command of the Laie section of the Kaikuana, or trip to Hawaii organized by travel agencies. The agencies book Japanese field trips to the United States and provides opportunities for English interaction. Meatonga said the purpose of this program is for the Japanese students to learn to speak better English. He said PCC has participated in this program, at least once a year, for eight years. He explained this past exercise was a three-day routine consisting of touring Laie, art,and sports. On the first day, approximately 150 teenagers from Japan unloaded from four busses in the Little Circle of BYUH. These students were seen marching the hallways lead by their assigned team leader. Each team leader patrolled their team around campus and various parts of the Laie community. He said the volunteers were BYUH students who ushered groups of five to six Japanese teenagers. Meatonga said, “I took my group to Laie Foodland and had them ask to sample the different types of poke.” Some students then went

Japanese high school students come to improve English

to Angel’s Ice Cream shop, he said, and asked to sample various flavors. Meatonga said it was fun for everyone to interact with these students. Koki Isaia, a sophomore studying IT from Samoa, was seen escorting six Japanese students in the McKay Foyer. Isaia said, “It’s agreat opportunity for me to serve and share the history of this campus to other international students. Who knows? Maybe some of these kids will study here.” Meatonga said this program gives exposure to BYUH, PCC, and the LDS Church. He said all Japanese students and teachers had to sign and abide by the BYUH dress and grooming standards. He said this generated several questions he was happy to answer. Faiaivale Tagaloa, a sophomore studying psychology from Sa-moa, was a volunteer on Dec 6. She said all volunteers are PCC employ-ees who will be compensated for their service. Tagaloa said, “It is fun to talk to these students and help them with their English.” Sosaia Fiefia, a junior majoring in IT from Tonga, also volun-teered to escort six Japanese students. Fiefia said, “We walked all around campus and ate lunch in the cafeteria.” He said he would volunteer again if he is still around next year. Meatonga said the program will most likely continue, and volunteers are always welcome to make this program possible.

BY TUPU LYDELL LAWRENCE

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Go is popular board game in millions of Asian households, said four BYUH-Hawaii

students. Google has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) program, Alphago, that defeated Go European champion, Fan Hui, on Jan. 27, said Trevor Hughes, a journalist from USA Today. Four BYU-Hawaii students said because of the report from Hughes, the trend of Go has heated up throughout the world. Commenting on this event, four of them said they can learn from this event, but they think humans are more capable than computers. Tsun Yin Andy Lau, a freshman majoring in exercise and sport science from Hong Kong, explained, “Go literally means encircling game in Japanese, [but game] is from China. It is similar to Chinese chess. The aim of this board game is to obtain more territories than the opponent through using white or black pieces to surround each other.” Lau said it was not a surprise to see Fan Hui get defeated by Alphago because the program engineers had put all sort of formulas into the computer. “In other words, Hui was competing with thousands of players in the game. The computer could predict most of the possible steps from Hui, so it stood in advan-tage,” said Lau. Comparing computers to people, he expressed, “Humans are different. They have stereotypes and habits. When people get used to resolving problems in a specific way, they tend to follow their paths from the past. Moreover, individuals are easily influenced by their emotions and surrounding environments, which will affect their judgment. On the other

hand, Alphago is a system; it is alwaysstable without getting interference fromexternal surroundings.” Lau added, “However, I don’t think AI can replace humans in any aspect. People are flexible, but AI is only able to follow the agendas and programs. Moreover, humans cre-ate machines, not the other way around. If they don’t want to repeat the same mistake again from the past, they should think thoroughly. Otherwise, humans will stick with the histori-cal cycle as failures.” Takuya Hoshino, a sophomore major-ing in exercise and sport science from Japan, also added, “Playing Go requires people’s imagination because they are always astonished by the unexpected steps from their opponents. Individuals are still developing different for-mulas of Go, so humans will be able to defeat Alphago. Humans own the future, and they will finally be the final champions.” Hoshino said, “There are unlimited strategies to beat the opponent. The brains of humans are capable in different areas. Humans only master a small portion of their brain. People need to use a lot of concentration in the game. One game can endure three to four hours because people need to contemplate their steps for a period of time. They can develop their intellect by edifying themselves and other players. Thus, people agree Go is the most intelligent game in the world. “I love Go so much because I can re-alize the personality of others during the game,

BY TSZ KIN LI (YASU)

particularly my grandpa. He’s always quiet and does not talk to us. Nevertheless, he opens up more when we are playing Go together, so I am able to know my grandpa more. Playing Go can strengthen family relationships.” Adding to Hoshino’s comment, Takuya Ogasawara, a junior majoring in inter-national cultural studies from Japan, shared his experience. “I learned to play Go in a Japanese temple with my friend. We learned to exercise our brains... We analyze others by their steps. People can hide their characteristics in their physical appearances, but players cannot con-ceal them in Go. This is the main reason I love to play Go with my friends.” Yuri Hamano, a junior majoring in hotel and tourism management from Japan, said, “Go is the tool to build up the connection between generations. When I played Go with my grandparent, I could feel the love and care from them. Furthermore, it is the Asianculture, which passes down our culture as a tangible heritage.” “Humans need to be stronger. They depend on their past experiences too much. They should be more creative. They put every topic and tactic into computers, and they forget the data soon after. “Well! I can tell you one thing,”said Hamano with a mischievous smile. “If hu-mans cannot subdue the technology, theycan just delete the data and shut down the computers, ha-ha.”

‘Go’ boardgamers play with family and friendsArtificial intelligence program beats European ‘Go’ champand increases Asian game’s popularity

The title of the game, Go, means encircling game in Japan, but the game originated in China, says BYUH students. The goal of the game is to encircle your opponents same-col-

ored pieces with your opposite-colored pieces.

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The Liancourt Rocks are a small group of islands in Asia that have created conflicting feelings amongst Korean and Japanese students at

BYU-Hawaii. Located in the Sea of Japan between the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese mainland, the rocks have been a key subject over the years for Japanese-Korean relations. Although, the rocks are referred to as the “Liancourt Rocks” in English, they have individual names given to them by the two Asian coun-tries. In Korea they are referred to as “Dokdo” or the Solitary Island, and in Japanese as “Takeshima” or Bamboo Island, says dokdo-takeshima.com. The two nations have been contesting with one another regarding the proper ownership of the islands, claiming the rocks for themselves. Junhee Kim, a freshman from South Korea, said, “I first learned about the islands when I was 5 or 6 years old.” He expressed his feelings on the subject. “Historically the is-lands belong to South Korea and are a representation of the wrong done to us by Japan in the past,” he said.

However, David Urakami, a computer science major from Japan, said, “The islands rightfully belong to Japan and are only disputed because of the rich resources that a claim on the island would provide, such as fishing grounds and other national rights.” Concerning Dokdo, Jeongmin Jeon, a junior in intercultural studies from South Korea, said, “My first thought is that the islands belongs to Korea.” She added, “Dokdo has always been a part of Korea and our government is only trying to defend it.” When asked about their understanding of Liancourt Rocks, few U.S. citizens knew about the conflict. However, Jared McClellan, a BYUH student from California and returned LDS missionary who heard about the islands while serving as missionary in Japan, said, “I think both nations are using the conflict to distract their people from other domestic problems.” “All in all,” McClellan concluded, “I think that the U.N. or something should step in to avoid further conflict.”

Japanese and Koreans claim same islands, name them differently

BY WADE FOWLER

The disputed territory of the Liancourt Rocksare rich in natural resources, a student says, and the two nations

have been fighting over them for decades. Photo by AP

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BY MADELINE SWIG

Swig versusSodalicious

Utah soda companies battle for ‘dirty’ copyright BY MADELINE OSTERLOH

Two Utah-born soda shops are battling neck-to-neck over the name of the new Utah craze, the “Dirty” Dr. Pepper, reports The New York

Times. Swig, a well-known soda pop shop, first originated in St. George, Utah, said the NYT article. Swig filed a law suit this fall against Sodalicious, another popular soda pop shop in Provo, Utah, that opened three years after Swig. Swig claims Sodalicious stole its trademarked name “Dirty” Dr. Pepper. Students from Utah said they are more fond of Swig but said both shops are popular in their home state. Heidi Brewer, a freshman at BYU-Hawaii from Weber, Utah, said her experience at both shops were great and she will continue to visit them when she returns home during the break. Tyler Beardall, a freshman at majoring in political science from Woods Cross, Utah, said the name “dirty” was first used by Swig but doesn’t think it should have the rights to own the name. Beardall said,

“Regardless of who started what and who really owns the name, they are both great establishments, and this battle between the two is only bring-ing negative attention.”

Anita Olsen, a freshman majoring in psychology from Center-ville, Utah, said she visits Swig often. Olsen said, “Swig is very popular at my high school, but Sodalicious is also. You either love one and hate the other and vice versa. For me, I love Swig. It has a more inviting atmo-sphere and original feel to it. The whole experience of Swig is going in and picking up your Dirty Dr. Pep.” Morgan Rawle, a freshman at Utah State University studying education from Sandy, Utah, also is a regular at Swig. She said, “Swig had the original ‘dirty’ soda pop drinks. Going anywhere else just wouldn’t be the same.” Swig’s drink menu has a whole section dedicated to its “dirty” drinks - part of which is the famous “Dirty” Dr. Pepper. To create this drink, Swig uses a cup of Dr. Pepper and a few shots of coconut flavoring. Sodalicious has a slightly different twist to its drink. Sodalicious’ drink is known as the Extra “Dirty,” which contains half Dr. Pepper and half coconut flavoring. Both drinks are very similar and have similar names. The NYT quoted Nicole Tanner, co-creator of Swig saying, “We started seeing some of the knockoffs or whatever you want to call them

— competitors…We’re just trying to protect our brand,” she said mean-ing Swig owns the rights to the name “dirty” for its drinks. These law suits have created a big controversy between both shops, said the NYT article. People are taking sides and giving their opin-ions over social media. The NYT quotes a Twitter user saying, “Just found out my roommate is #teamswig, so ... I’m looking for new housing if you know of any.” Sodalicious Manager Taylor Warner states in the NYT article people are leaving Swig because of the law suit. The article quotes her more sympathetic side with Warner saying, “They’re trying to do business, and I’m sure they’re very nice people.”

A Sodalicious employee works making specialty soda concoc-tion at a store in Provo, Utah. Two competing soda shops are

fighting over using the word “dirty” in the names of their drinks. Photo by Salt Lake Tribune

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S ince taking office, U.S. President Barack Obama had a long-term goal, which is to put 1 million electric vehicles (EV) on the road by

2015, reported the Detroit News, but he has failed to meet that goal. BYU-Hawaii students from different countries, includingthe United States, China, Philippine, Mongolia, and Tonga wereinterviewed on what they think about EVs, and if EVs are popular in their countries. Among the eight American students interviewed on the BYUH campus, only three said they would perhaps buy an EV as a support to the environment. For some, the speed and size of EVs stopped them. But generally, the cost, range limitations and charging problem are the big-gest concerns of people. Josh Jeung, a Korean student majoring in TESOL at BYUH, said he would buy an EV in the future after it becomes more advanced:

“I know that EVs are good for the environment and don’t use fuel. We don’t have petroleum in Korea and have to import it. So our government should really pay more attention to EVs. They haven’t done much on that.

EVs on the road are lower than goal of 1M

Push for electric vehicles too weak; Obama’s target missedBY RUI XUE

But I also think the batteries can be dangerous for drivers, so I will wait till the technology develops better.” Jackie Fu, a hospitality and tourism student from China, said she doubted if EVs are really good to the environment: “For me, con-venience rather than environment is the most important factor. I often hear people say that EVs are good because they have no gas emissions. But they use electricity, right? You can’t be sure how the electricity is pro-duced. There should be more proofs of this statement.” Sebastian Benitez, a senior majoring in music at BYUH, said he has set a goal of buying an EV from Tesla. “I’ve tried an EV once. It is more comfortable and more spacious. The speed is generally the same as fueled cars, and EVs are silent. Tesla is super cool. I would definitely get one in the future when I have the money.” But Katie Laine, a freshman majoring in special education from Arizona, said she would not buy an EV. “We often buy used cars from neighbors and friends, and they are mostly traditional cars. It’s very cheap this way. I also didn’t see many charging stations on the street in my hometown in Arizona. So even I can afford one, charging is a problem. Besides, my family does travel with cars all the time. Range limitation will be the biggest problem.” Apart from insufficient incentive policies, the public conscious-ness around the world may be the biggest problem for the development of EVs, said the Detroit News. According to Detroit News’ report, in 2011 Obama called for using more electric vehicles to realize America’s independence on foreign oil. The president proposed to offer a rebate up to $10,000 for EV buy-ers, an idea which Congress rejected. The Inside EVs website reported in 2015, the sales of EVs were 116,597, a drop from 2014’s sales volume of 123,049. The Detroit News estimated it may take another four years to reach the president’s goal of 1 million EVs on American roads.

Fewer electric vehicles were purchased in 2015 than 2014, according to the Detroit News. Photo by AP

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Students said they want more stake dances like the Christmas-themed dance held on Dec. 11 in the Heber J. Grant Building, said Sai Bale-

nacage, a junior student majoring in biology education from Fiji. She said the dance had good decorations, food and fellowship.

Venue According to Balenacage, the venue was full of Christmas decorations and people. The partition between room 274 and 275 of the Heber J. Grant Building was removed to make a bigger area for everyone in attendance. The motif was gold and so the dominant color of the deco-rations and lights were gold. Even though the table clothes are white, runners of gold-colored fabric were laid across the table. On top of the runners, were a gold-colored plate and goblet decorated with some golden Christmas ball ornaments. There were potted plants inside the hall decorated with Christmas lights and gold-colored disco lights. On the walls, there were golden, star-shaped figures, and on one side of the room was a 3D photo booth with a fake fireplace that students said made them feel at home.

Music ”The music was half good and half bad,” said Tevahine Burns, a sophomore from Tahiti majoring in art. She said “American Music” was played the most and so international students didn’t relate to it. Ameri-can students danced to the songs played, but Asian, Polynesian and other students stood along the sides of the dance floor. However, Balenacage said, upon request island music was played. She suggested for the next dance they should include music all

students could dance too with no offensive lyrics that are distracting. She said she would like to have music selected that matches church standards.

“They should play classical music next time and have a variety as to in favor of the Asians, Islanders and the Americans and Europeans as well.”

Dress Code Even though, it was a Sunday-best church dance, five women wore jeans to the dance. They said they aren’t comfortable in skirts and wore jeans so they could move freely. Food Since it was a Christmas dance, more food was served than people at the dance could ever eat, said Balenacage. As a result, there were leftovers. There were tables and tables of food downstairs on the ground floor of the HGB filled with vegetables, chicken, chips, and burg-ers, she added, while the dance took place on the second floor.

Overall Students interviewed said the whole event was successful. Balenacage said it was one of the most fun dance activities she has ever attended. She said she felt the love and support of the stake presidency because they were there to preside over the event. “The next time we will have a leadership training meeting,” Balenacage said, “I will suggest to the bishopric that we should have a regular dance activity in the ward every month and then later on invite other wards. I think in this way, it will promote the unity of the ward and will help everyone find new friends and will be an opportunity to strengthen friendships between the members of the ward and to other wards as well.”

Students say Christmas dance was well-planned and want more like them BY CYNTLEA BALUCOS

Golden Christmas ornaments, like these at the Laie Temple Visitor’s Center, decorated the HGB for the dance. Photo by Lexie Kapeliela

Page 18: Media Writing Class Winter 2016

Laughter, music and applause filled the Cannon Activities Center during the annual Christmas Devotional that consisted of a blend of

music from jazz, to steel drum, all the way to an African song. The unique music hit a positive note for those who participated and attended devo-tional because they said the music uplifted them on a regular school day. Brandon Chan, a sophomore from Malaysia majoring in biochemistry, who’s favorite musical number was done by the Shaka Steel Band, stated,

“I liked that it wasn’t your traditional hymns.” Reka Bordds, junior majoring in peacebuilding and psychology from Hungary, said her favorite performance was “Betelehemu” (Nigerian Christmas Song). The rhythmic song helped her rock her baby to sleep but Bordds also liked the unique song because she said it brought the Holy Ghost.

In addition, Bordds said it was cool to see how other cultures celebrated Christmas differently in their music but keep the same Christ-mas spirit. For Concert Choir member Sai Balenacagi, a junior from Fiji majoring in biology education, the “Betelehemu” song was her favorite of the four songs they learned. During the Christmas devotional performance, the song had choir members rocking and clapping. Balenacagi commented, “I love the tempo, and the style…how the drums come in and also the fact that I can dance while singing it.” Concert Choir Director Michael Belnap asked Balenacagi for help with the Nigerian pronunciation when practicing the song. She laughed and said because of her black curly hair she thought that he might have thought she was African. Amused she helped him, she said, but did not say anything about being Fijian. Balenacagi said she did not have the music down for the African song at first, “but after much practice, I sorta got it!” She said she was able to figure it out because her love of the music. Another humorous event the resulted from confusion during the devotional came from President John Tanner. Before the music and the festivities started, President Tanner announced this would be that last devotional of the year until July 5 of next year. This was a mistake Tanner caught and corrected after people started talking and laughing. The mis-take gave him the opportunity to encourage to come every week starting January and not wait until July to come again. Decorations at the devotional included Christmas plants such as poinsettia and Christmas trees with the usual tropical plants mixed in reflecting the diversity of the music and the school. The concert ended with a standing ovation that spread steadily across the CAC.

Annual ChristmasDevotional

Students share spirit of Christ and cultures through musicBY KAYLA HELM

The University Choral prepares to sing at the annual Christmas Devotional in the Cannon Activities Center. Photo by Stop Khemthorn

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B YU-Hawaii’s No. 1 women’s tennis player, Dallas Zhang, senior ma-joring in accounting from China, won a wildcard spot in the Maui

Challenger professional tournament to be held Jan. 22 to 24. She got the coveted wildcard spot after winning the 2016 United States Tennis Association Wildcard Tournament at the Kailua Racquet Club from Jan. 15 to 19. Twenty players from different colleges competed for a wildcard tournament in Kailua to get a chance to play at the $50,000 USTA Maui Challenger Tournament from Jan. 22 to 24, says the racquet club’s website. Maui Challenger is a professional tennis tournament held annually in Lahaina, Maui. In addition, students at BYUH played at this tournament, they said to gain experience and meet and play other college tennis players. In addition, in the audience at the Kailua Wildcard Tournament, there were more than 30 people and coaches who watched the player compete. Jade Griffin, a senior majoring in hospitality and tourism man-agement from Australia and a member of the BYUH tennis team, said, “I am so exciting to play this tournament. Our season is coming soon so this tournament makes me to practice and prepare for this season. Also, Maui Challenger is a big tournament in Hawaii so I really want to play the tournament.’ Wei-yu Su, a tennis coach from Taiwan, said, “This tourna-ment is good for college tennis players in Hawaii because it gives them a chance to play a big tournament. Actually, only one person can get a wildcard for the tournament. But players have some good practice against other solid college tennis players.” He added, “It is good for players to enter a big tournament, but the most important thing is that they have many experiences. Many play-ers care about losing the match, but even if they lose, they keep trying to find what their weakness is and what skills they need to practice.” Summer Wen, a freshmen majoring in exercise and sports science from China and another BYUH tennis player, said, “Since I came Hawaii, this tournament is my first match. I am happy to play this tourna-ment before we start this season [in February]. Playing a real match is different from playing during practice. I want to get more experience about college tennis. Other college tennis players have good skills, and their playing is pretty good. I feel that I need to practice hard.”

Seasider wins coveted wildcardBYUH No. 1 tennis player Zhang gets a shot at Maui pro tourneyBY JEONGMIN JEON

Top: Dallas Zhang won a wildcard tournament in Kaluia to get to play at Maui Challenger Tournament. Photo by Lexie

Kepeliela. Bottom: The Royal Lahaina Tennis Ranch. Photo courtesy of tennismauichampionships.com

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Board for life

Students say skateboarding improves fitness, social lifeBY ALYSSA SHREEVE

Skateboarding has become a very popular pastime amongst BYU-Hawaii students. They said it allows them to have fun, make new

friends, and exercise. Skateboarding becomes a passion those who do it, said student who were interviewed. Max Keane, a junior studying business from Las Vegas, Nev., said, “It’s a great opportunity to create a masterpiece and put it into work. I try to go as much as possible, but I usually skate three-to-five times a week. It’s tough to get out with school and work. But anytime I can, I love to take the opportunity to get out and ride with my boys.” There are several skate parks in Hawaii and the island weather ensures students can skate nearly all year round. There are two main types of skating that the students do: transverse or pool skating, and street skating. Tranny or pool skat-ing requires dropping in to man-made concrete bowls and pools on a skateboard. This type of skating is associated with speed gaining air on concrete humps. Street skating is skating on objects that are already there, for example, a stair rail or a sidewalk. This type of skating is associated with

completing as many tricks as you can, turning the board, rotatingand grinding. Students at BYUH said they skate both transverse and street because of its accessibility. Sam Kiene, a freshman student from Las Vegas, Nev., study-ing business, said, “I get to express myself through skating. I can do it in any state of mind and always have a good time. With friends or solo, it’s a constant form of personal progression and improvement. I like street skating a lot but transverse is fun too.” Students said they started skating because their friends were already doing it. In addition, skateboarding allows students to make new friends who also enjoy the recreational pastime, they said. Al Smith, a junior studying art from Arizona, said, ”I started transverse skating because I saw other girls skating, and they told me about how they made all their friends through skateboarding, so I figured I would try it out.” The closest skatepark to campus is Banzai Skatepark, a park that has a street section, a pool and a bowl. The park is about 25 minutes away and is the location of choice for students on weekend evenings. “We have a group of about 15 students at Banzai every weekend. It’s fun to watch everyone and learn together,” said Jared Wilcox, a junior studying business from California. Skateboarding is also a great way to work out, they said, since skaters must move their entire body and con-stantly pump and squat with their legs. Jake Billings, a freshmen studying business from California, said,

“I always get so worked from skating. I love it. The sun is super hot, and my friends and I will skate for hours so we are always drenched in sweat when we are done.” Whether students skate transverse or street, they can all agree that it is a fun pastime. Kiene said, “I try to go skating as much as possible, but just skating around is enough for me. I would say I go to a skatepark two-to-three times a week and just skate around every day. It’s the one sport that you can do basically anywhere, and it’s the most stylish and experimental board sport out there.”

Brandon Chan and Taylor Polson skate in the Little Circle.

Photo by Stop Khemthorn

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Climate change versus terrorismBYUH students & faculty wonder about validity of Obama’s claimsBY CHELSEA MILLER

BYU-Hawaii students and professors said they couldn’t see President Barack Obama’s connection between climate change and extreme

ideologies. Obama said climate change was a bigger global concern then terrorism in December after he attended an international climate change conference in Paris just weeks after terrorists attacked several locations there in the city. BYUH people also said they thought Obama’s comments were made to avoid talking about other important issues, but that some of his claims have merit. Obama defended his comments in a CBS interview with Norah O’Donnell on Dec. 4 saying, “What we know is that as human beings are placed under strain, then bad things happen. Whenever people are desperate, when people start lacking food, when people are not able to make a living or take care of their families, that’s when ideologies arise that are dangerous.” Calista Cappuccio, a sophomore from Arizona majoring in vocal performance, said Obama is over-generalizing and needs to explain how climate change is affecting people differently around the globe. She said Obama could be right and that in times of hardship, people turn to their religion, opening them up to extremist influences. “I think that conflict among humans, nations, religions, and states are going to cause far more problems than climate and conditions that come from the earth. Mistreatment of people will kill us faster [than global warming],” she said. Keirah Thurgood, a senior from Idaho majoring in TESOL, said she thinks Obama is trying to avoid the real issue of religious extrem-ism. “The recent shootings in the states and the terrorist attacks in Paris and Baghdad… he’s not coming out and saying these are terrorist attacks. Overall, I think he’s trying to put the focus, as usual, not on ISIS, not on religious radicals, but on something else. He’s saying, ‘it’s not their fault’.” Troy Smith, a political science professor at BYUH, said Obama’s focus on climate change to prevent future violence has merit but Smith cautioned the issues are complicated. “Terrorism may be one of the forms of violence. However, terrorism is not necessarily a result of economic or resource scarcity. For example, Osama bin Laden came from a wealthy family. So, a problem with the claim, I think, is it distracts from a serious examination of the causes of, and solutions to, terrorism,” Smith said. According to Smith, there are many non-Republicans who dis-agree with Obama’s call to address global warming. Smith said, “Almost no one disputes that climate change is real. The dispute is whether global warming is a result of man-made activities, whether human actions can significantly and sufficiently reduce global warming to prevent the prob-lems, and whether there are better and cheaper alternatives to reduc-ing global warming than what is being proposed by the global warming advocates.” The correlation between climate change and terrorism has been made before by Sen. Bernie Sanders in a CBS Democratic debate on Nov. 14, where he said, “In fact, climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism… and if we do not get our act together and listen to what the scientists say, you’re going to see countries all over the world… struggling over limited amounts of water, limited amounts of land to grow their crops, and you’re going to see all kinds of international con-flict.”

U. S. President Barack Obama says he is more con-cerned about climate change than terrorism after attend-

ing a climate change summit in Europe. Photo by AP

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KE ALAKA I22

As finals are looming around the corner, and the workload increases for BYU-Hawaii students, they said it is more important

than ever for students to knuckle down and avoid distractions. BYUH students piped in on their best tips for avoiding distrac-

tions around campus and how to maximize study time.

Best ways to avoid gettingdistracted at BYU-Hawaii

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KALEI KENNERLEY

Page 23: Media Writing Class Winter 2016

23WINTER 2015-16

Going to Foodland provides many distractions, they said, because a short trip to the supermarket can turn into hours spent socializing sitting on the benches outside of Angel’s ice cream shop. If students have an assignment due or homework that needs to be done, stu-dents said to try to go during the day or make themselves account-able and set a time to be back home to study. “If I have homework due that night, I make sure I tell my friends what time I have to get back by, because it’s too easy to get caught up talking to people and lose track of time,” said Jenny Atmaja, a sophomore from Indonesia.

The library can be a productive place to get an assignment or homework done, students said, because there are computers and other library resources such as laptops and books. However, they said be careful about where students choose to study in the library. Sitting on couches can makes them feel tired, less productive, and more willing to socialize, they said. The second floor of the library is a good place to study because it is quieter and less crowded, students said, and people can concentrate on what they have to do without having to worry about the distractions of friends or other conversations. “Put yourself in an environment where you’ll be forced to work. Whenever I’m trying to do homework in my hale, I always end up falling asleep or watching Netflix. So I like live in the library,” said Ayanna Schlag, a junior from Laie studying accounting.

Make a list of untouchables - things students have to do during the week that cannot be missed, students said. Marley Dawson, a graphic design major from California, said, “It sounds nerdy but making a list actually helps. Usually I have a bunch of stuff to do but no order or priority-so it just helps me focus and be more produc-tive.” Prioritizing things helps give students purpose and motivation to study, they suggested, as people can cross off things and feel like they are accomplishing things throughout the day.

All work and no play leads to burning out, warned students. Schedule in time for friends or playing sports, watching Netflix or social media, they suggested. Students can treat themselves with some time off from studying or reward themselves after they have finished. Limiting social media to just 20 minutes, they said, or watching only one episode of a favorite show can make the rest of students studying more productive and focused and prevents burn-ing out. “I can never study for five hours straight like some people. I always have to go on a run or go eat something in between, and it usually helps refocus me afterwards,” said Jeremy Lucas, a fresh-man studying biomedicine from Arizona.

LIMIT TIME SPENT AT FOODLAND PUT YOURSELF INA WORKING ENVIRONMENT

MAKE A LIST SCHEDULE TIME FOR DISTRACTIONS

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KE ALAKA I24

Marked as the Summer Capital of the Philippines, Baguio City is one of the mostly visited tourist destinations in the country, said the Philippines Commission. It is a highly urbanized city located in the Cordillera moun-tain range in Northern Luzon. The editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica said a group of ethnic people known as Igorot’s are mostly found in the city. They are the ones who still keep their traditional way of life, wearing traditional clothes and playing traditional musical instruments.

The city is famous for its subtropical climate resulting to the growth of pine trees. The cool weather all year round is the main reason why tourists and holidaymakers keep on visiting the city. During the summer season, people spend their days wandering in the city because of the cool climate. However, the consulate People’s Republic of China marked Baguio City as the Salad Bowl of the Philippines for having the most bountiful growth of vegetables in the country. A strawberry farm is located in the city where visitors can pick strawberry. Hannah Magallano, an intercultural studies freshmen from Phil-ippines, said, “My favorite place in Baguio is the trail of zigzagging roads because of the magnificent view of green mountains and the whole city. It gives you a roller coaster experience because of the curves that your car will experience as it climbs up to the top.”

P a n a g b e n g a F l o w e r F e s t i v a l There is an annual flower festival held every February where thousands of people visit the city. It was stated after the devastating Lu-zon earthquake in 1990 and is a tribute to the city’s flowers, says tourist information. The festival includes floats covered with flowers designed in various ways and street dancers who are presented with flower-inspired costumes. The aim of the festival is to showcase the city’s culture and help the younger generation to rediscover and bring back the old cultural traditions, said Philippines Travel Hub.

B u r n h a m P a r k This park is the heart of Baguio City where the City Hall, Bagu-io Cathedral and Baguio City Market are located. An article from the City of Pines said it was named after an American architect, Daniel Burnham, who prepared plans for the city. At the southern end of the park, a roller skating rink is located where skate rentals are available. It also features a man-made lake where tourists can rent boats. An orchid house lies at the center surrounded with orchids and other flowers.

S e s s i o n R o a d It is considered as the main hub of Baguio City, where com-mercial establishments and department stores are located. Neighboring to Session Road are vintage universities and schools that are built uphill

A glimpse of the SUMMER CAPITAL of the Philippines

and downhill. At night, the road is closed to give way to the famous ukay-ukay (thrift shop), where a variety of clothes, shoes and accessories are available and also street foods to fill hungry tummies. Francesca Romero, a freshmen major in psychology from Philippines, said, “I love walking in Session Road especially at night because I can buy clothes and accessories for cheap prices.”

W r i g h t P a r k The park is located at the eastern part of the city. It features an elongated rectangular body of water known as the “Pool of Pines.” Some Igorot’s that are dressed in their native attire are often found at the park, and they are willing to pose for a photograph. A 10-minute walk from the park will lead to a stairway made of stones that leads to an area where ponies are rented out. Even though Baguio City requires travel for tourists, they are still willing to spend their time because of its scenic views. Filipino fami-lies prefer to spend their vacations in Baguio City because it is the best place to unwind and enjoy cool weather during the summer.

BY ANTONIETTE CARYL T. YEE

Youth dress up for the Panagbenga Flower Festival parade in Baguio City in the Philip-

pines known for its cool weather and scenic spots. Photo from Flickr

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CONTENT MADELYN GIRON | GRAPHICS BY YUKIMI KISHI

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CONTENT BY KATE PEARSON | GRAPHICS BY ANDREA MARSHALL

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CONTENT BY KALEI KENNERLEYGRAPHICS BY ANDREA MARSHALL