Volume 106: Issue 2

THE LEADER

January 23, 2014

Ke Alaka i

World Fireknife Productions:

Beautiful Women’s Group:

Laie crew fuses fireknife dancing with hip-hop 10 & 11

PCC hosts annual hula contest to honor kupuna 6 & 7

Moanikeala Hula Competition:

Weekly meetings empower and inspire 13

2 KE ALAKA‘I

Ke Alaka iJanuary 23, 2014 • Volume 106: Issue 2

CONTACT

Editor ial , photo submissions & distr ibu-t ion inquir ies: kealakai@byuh.edu. To subscr ibe to the RSS FEED or to view addit ional ar t icles, go to kealakai.byuh.edu.

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NEWS CENTER

E-mail: kealakai@byuh.eduAd Information: kealakaiads@gmail.comPhone: (808) 675-3694Fax: (808) 675-3491Office: Campus, Aloha Center 134

ON THE COVER

Photo of the Week

[page 6-7]

[page 10 & 11]

[page 9]Moanikeala Hula competit ion celebrates 24 years at the PCC

Photo of the week: World Fireknife Productions perform a mix of traditional fireknife dancing combined with hip-hop. Photo by Monica Rubalcava.

Women perform at the annual Moanikeala Hula Competition at the Polynesian Cultural Center on Jan. 18. Photo by Becca Gulden

Hip-hop f ireknife group heats up New Year’s Eve

Why the Bookstore changed textbook purchases

Table of Contents

Jef f McLeod

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ADVISOR

Leeann Lambert

Makenzie Head

ART DIRECTOR

COPY EDITORS

Tucker Gr imshawAustin MeldrumAlyssa Walhood

PHOTOGRAPHERS Kelsie CarlsonMonica RubalcavaSumika Yoza

ART & GRAPHICS

Makenzie HeadKyoko HasegawaMorgan BouwhuisOn Ki Woo

MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS

Rabecca Sabalones, Makaila Bergeson, Samone Isom, Matt Roberts, Samantha Spring, Lauren Steimle, Jeff Facer, Hannah Packard

Becca GuldenGreg Er ickson

INTERN AD MANAGER

Sharon Wong

VIDEOGRAPHERS

Ni ShipengKatie BakJames Astle

Share with us your photo of the week and we may feature it in our next issue. e-mail us at kealakai@byuh.edu

[page 16]Fun of the Month: The adventurer’s guide to January

BYUH’s World Fest featured clubs such as the Anime Cosplay Elite in the two-day event in the Aloha Center on Jan. 15 and 16. Photo by Kelsie Carlson

- JEFF FACER

3 3

NOTE WORTHYnews headlines

Winds of up to 178 mph destroyed up to 80 percent of homes as the biggest impact of the storm hit the group of islands called Ha’apai inTonga.. Photo by AP

Faculty member Anna Mooy (Mezzo-Soprano) and special guests, Carol Ann Allred (Soprano) and Brady Allred (Piano) will perform in the McKay Auditorium from 7:30-8:30 p.m. All are invited over the age of 8. Admission is free.

Empower Your Dreams Kick-Off Event will be held upstairs in the Heber J. Grant Building from 7-9 p.m. All are invited to learn more about the Empower Your Dreams New Venture Competition and talk to a mentor.

CALENDAR

JAN

JAN

JAN

25

24

24

Come out to celebrate the Year of the Horse with the Chinese Club in the Aloha Center Ballroom from 9 p.m. to midnight. Admission for students is $2. YSA guest card hold-ers can get in for $3. Admission also allows you into the Game Center.

Cyclone destroys 80 percent of Tongan homes

‘‘‘

QUOTESthe week in

‘

JANUARY 23, 2014

“I’m waiting on anything I can get: a taxi, a shuttle, a bus. I didn’t really pay attention to the weather this morn-ing because there was no snow on the ground, and now — this!”-Said Stanley Gaines, a man who was stuck wait-

ing for more than an hour for a ride home after a

storm dumped a foot and a half of snow, grounding

flights and closing government offices in the east.

“American Catholics as a whole don’t tend to take specific policy guidance from the pope, whether it’s Pope Bene-dict or Pope Francis. But what the pope can do is to get them thinking about particular issues and thinking about them in distinctly Catholic ways. That kind of rethinking could very well be an advantage to President Obama.”-Said John C. Green, a political scientist who

specializes in religion and politics at the University

of Akron, about the upcoming meeting of President

Obama and Pope Francis in the Vatican in March.

A category four cyclone, Cyclone Ian, hit the islands of Tonga on Jan. 11 killing one per-son but destroying people’s homes. The focal point of the storm occurred on the island group called Ha’apai where 8,000 people live. Wind gusts up to 178 mph, de-stroyed over 80 percent of the homes on the islands. The mass destruction on the islands was “much more… than we anticipated,” said Leveni Aho, Tonga’s director of Emergencies. The devastation to the islands and the damages have been so great, “that au-thorities have been unable to make telephone contact with 23 islands,” Aho stated. The day after Cyclone Ian hit, the weather was fine and officials made attempts to travel to the islands to help survivors. Though the weather was good the ocean was rough and made relief attempts difficult. According to AP, “Tongan authorities will further assess the damage before considering asking for international help.” Tane Falevai, a senior studying art, comes from Tonga. Falevai said although his family was not affected, his roommate’s fam-

ily was. This was not the first cyclone that Falevai said he has encountered. Another cy-clone hit the islands while he was there. “It’s the worst feeling because you don’t know what’s going to happen or if you’re going to see another day. My house was destroyed.” The LDS Church sent a boat full of supplies from Nuku’alofa to Ha’apai, reports lds.org. “It brought water donated by the Church, as well as food, chainsaws, water filters, generators and other emergency supplies. Latter-day Saints on Tongatapu also gathered from their homes large amounts of food, clothing, blankets and other items which were added to the Church’s aid ship-ment and sent to Ha’apai overnight.” LDS Church leaders report 50 percent of members homes were damaged or destroyed. The church has also donated $25,000 to assist members, their neighbours and those who are sheltered in church facili-ties. LDS bishops in Tonga are also using fast offerings to provide assistance to those in need, says lds.org.

KE ALAKA‘I4

Study Habits of Highly Effective Students

With a new semester kicking off, stu-dents and teachers shared study tips

that helped them survive past semesters here at BYU-Hawaii. “I would say, for freshman that are coming in, don’t take too many credits. A lot of freshmen that are coming in take too many credits, and then they are super over-whelmed, and super stressed out and hate college,” said Joe Fisihetau, a junior in busi-ness finance from Utah. He suggested taking 14 to 16 credits for your first semester until you feel comfortable and confident enough to take on more. Fisihetau continued to stress the importance of organizing yourself. “Make a study schedule, a fun schedule, and a time to chill with your friends. I mean you’ve got to have a balance in between. Remember you are in Hawaii, but don’t make it a vice; put your studies first.” Fisihetau continued, “After all my classes, I eat first, then I study my scriptures, do my homework, and then when I get to the point where I’m just stressed about everything, I take a break. That’s when I go to the beach, or I longboard, call a friend, or take a nap.” Gentry Bailey, a sophomore in business from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, also suggested taking breaks in between doing

homework. Bailey said, “Do your homework for no more than an hour without a break. Then go to the beach for a least an hour. Then do more homework for an hour and start over.” He continued to talk about how finding moments to take breaks can help you focus more, and do better in your studies. English Professor Caryn Lesuma, who received her master’s at BYU in Provo, also shared what she has noticed about students study habits and the importance of organization. She said, “I think you really need to set goals for each class and be real-istic about the amount of time that it takes to get an assignment done. One thing that I tend to do is I underestimate how much time it’s going to take me to do something. I always do that, and that’s not being honest with yourself.” Lesuma also suggested using the Reading and Writing Center to your advantage, especially those who are speaking English as a second language. The center has “tutors that not only help with writing, but also with reading. If the reading that you have to do is difficult and you don’t under-stand it, that’s not your fault. Don’t feel like you have to hide it. Go to the reading tutor and get them to help you understand it.” Lesuma continued to share that one

must have the discipline to know when to buckle down and get things done and when it’s okay to go hang out with friends. “You have to have the discipline and the honesty with yourself to be able to get done what you need to get done,” said Lesuma, who said she noticed a lack of preparation among her stu-dents. As a teacher, she can easily tell which students really do their homework as opposed to those who just do their homework to “tick off a box.” “Don’t just go through the mo-tions,” Lesuma advised.

Professors and students share advice on developing helpful study habits to start off the new semester

-MAKA I LA BERGESON

3 5JANUARY 23, 2014

Unhappy Holidays

An extra-white Christmas break delays students’ return for the 2014 Winter Semester

SAMONE ISOME

in a Denver hotel for the night, which she described as “extremely boring.” The following morning she was able to board a function-ing plane all the way to Honolulu. “I got here Monday night. I’m so glad to be back. It is so nice to go from negative degree to 80 degree weather.” Another student actually took that flight from Denver to Honolulu that Sweeney missed. Dong Wook Kim, TESOL senior from South Korea, boarded the plane after it had been delayed an hour. “For me it was annoying. It was the first time I’ve ever had a delayed flight.” Although the cancelled flights were unpleasant for most people, they helped Rachel Hicks, a TESOL senior from Arizona. She would have missed her flight from Pheonix to Honolulu, having arrived late to the airport, if not for a delayed connecting flight that caused her flight to also be delayed. “I was running through the airport, literally praying. So it was an answer to prayer that I made it. I got on my plane so out of breath but so thankful,” said Hicks.

Winter travelers on the mainland were severely inconvenienced in the first week of the New Year as storms and snow put

air travel on hold for several days. The eastern half of the United States was iced over, keeping planes grounded and students on the West Coast unable to reach Hawaii. Several students had to postpone their arrival in Hawaii by up to three days. Taylor Yim, a sophomore in psychology from Indi-ana, was supposed to reach Honolulu by Sunday night, but multiple cancellations pushed his return back to Wednesday. On Saturday night, United Airlines notified him that his Sunday flight from LA to Honolulu had been cancelled, but that he had been rescheduled for Monday, so his family drove him to a hotel next to the airport. “We left Sunday night because we didn’t want to get caught in the snow,” said Yim. “But Monday morning it got a lot worse. It was still snow-ing and the temperature dropped. Monday morning I checked my email and it said that all flights had been cancelled out of Indianapo-lis.” Yim finally got to Hawaii after spending two days in that hotel as winter raged outside. “It was pretty good to hang out with my family,” said Yim, finding something positive about the experi-ence. “It was a long trip, but it was really really nice to be back in Hawaii again. Just the warmth and the sun and the happiness of the people was a relief because in the airports everyone is super grumpy.” Catherine Sweeney, an accounting senior from Missouri, was one of those grumpy airport people after she was stranded in the Denver airport. Her flight path was Springfield, Missouri, to Denver, Colorado, to Honolulu. Sweeney’s airplane at Springfield couldn’t land for several hours because of the weather, and once it finally did, mechanical issues kept it on the ground for another hour. “We finally took off, but when we landed in Denver, I had missed my connecting flight and there wasn’t another flight to Honolulu that day. I was so mad. I was supposed to be in Hawaii catching up with my boyfriend.” She was given a voucher and stayed

Top: Students found themselves stuck in the airport for extended period of times during the New Year snow storms. Above: Onlooking

travelers found their flights calcelled or delayed. Photos by AP

KE ALAKA‘I6

Twelve hula halaus (hula schools) from Japan and Hawaii gathered to partici-

pate in the 24th annual Moanikeala Festival, a celebration of hula dance, in the Pacific Theater of the PCC on January 18, 2014. The festival was created in honor of PCC’s first kumu hula (hula master) Aunty Sally Moanikeala Wood Naluai, who taught the art of hula for sixty years. The festival was originally a competition, but has evolved into a hoike (exhibition). Cy Bridges, cultural director of PCC and former student of Aunty Sally, introduced the festival as “not so much a competition but a place to share.” Bridges explained that the Moanikeala Festival whole-heartedly welcomed dancers of all ages, from keiki to kupuna (elders), regardless of their skill. Most of the hula and accompany-ing songs celebrated Hawaiian culture. Both kahiko (traditional) and auana (modern) hula were performed. The dancers told stories with graceful hands and feet as the live bands strummed guitars, basses, and ukuleles and sang. The songs and stories frequently articu-lated a love for the aina, affection for family, and odes to love. The Joan S. Lindsey Studio halau from Pearl City opened with the keiki danc-ing with their love for tutu, (aunty) and closed with the kupuna members of the halau dancing about their beloved roles as tutus. “Dedicated to ali’is of old, the kapunas now do a dance in honor of the

The Moanikeala Hula Festival celebrates the keepers of hula for its

HONO

RING

KUP

UNA

WITH

HUL

A

24th YEAR

7JANUARY 23, 2014

last monarch of Hawaii,” announced Carolee Nuuanu Nishi, the ukulele-strumming kumu hula of Hula Hui O Kapunahala as her halau did their final number. Nishi said, “With a great deal of appreciation we thank the PCC for allowing us to be here.” Her words of gratitude and goodwill were echoed by many of the other kumu hula as they took their turn on stage to carry on the show. Several halaus came all the way from Japan, and several others from the Big Island. The host halau, Laie’s very own Hula Halau ‘o Kekela welcomed the travelers with 24th

YEAR

song and gifts. “We hope you will accept this token of aloha,” said Harry Brown, emcee of the event. The performance of the Huipa hula studio merged dancers from Hilo and Japan. Later, a halau from Nagoya, Japan danced, their shiny dresses unique among all the groups. As the dancers walked offstage after each Japanese performance, Brown said “mahalo gozaimasu,” a humorous blend of Hawaiian and Japanese.

Participants of all ages per-formed at the Polynesian Cul-

tural Center in the Moanikeala Hula Festivial to celebrate

24 years of the event. Photos by Rebecca Gulden.

-SAMONE ISOM

KE ALAKA‘I8

Students and faculty crowded room 135 in the Heber J. Grant Building on Thursday Jan. 16, for the Enactus Opening Social. Enactus, the social entrepreneurship program on campus,

focuses on changing the world through sustainability. All types of projects that will benefit individuals are presented, structured and then brought to life by the students in the program. The leadership of the program explained how they are a team who loves working together. They encouraged the opening social attendees to join Enactus. The group insisted that they have a posi-tion for everyone, whether it is keeping things organized, designing graphics or heading a whole new project. Vi John R. Tuppil, a senior from the Philippines majoring in psychology was one of the students hoping to start a project of his own. Tuppil said, “They talked about the children in Africa tonight and I want to start a school for the children in the Philippines. I actu-ally cried at tonight’s meeting. I turned to my best friend and told him that this is the best time for me to start giving.” Last semester’s projects were reviewed by the project manag-ers and they explained how anyone can get involved in the group of their choosing. Previous projects included environmentally helping BYU-Hawaii, assisting children in Africa and furthering education for students in Cambodia. These projects display the help Enactus wants to give the world. Another main focus of the meeting was the upcoming Enac-tus competition held in Ohio at the beginning of April. The competi-tion includes over 500 Enactus teams from around the country. At

Enactus opening social motivates students to get involved

LAUREN STE IMLE

the competition, various schools come to present their projects to judges and company owners to gain scholarships and other funding. Last yearw BYUH Enactus came in second. This year they are determined to reach the top. Co-President Justin Cardiff, a senior in business finance from Georgia said, “That is our obsession. I would like to start several new projects at least around 6-8 new projects to keep the longevity of it. And with every one of those it is so much fun because you’re changing the world that’s sustainable with business.” He went on to say that joining this program is a “win-win” situation where you can gain experience for a future job opportunity and you are also helping others all over the world. Director of Enactus, Richard S. Tanner said BYUH students are set apart from the rest of the competition. He said,“When the stu-dents come to school here they enter to learn and go forth to serve, it is in their blood and they also carry the spirit.” The room was buzz-ing after large numbers signed up for various projects. Enactus has high hopes that their dream of reaching number one will be achieved.

Determined to reach the top

Top from left to right: Joe Fisihetau listens in on how to get in-volved; Students show support with Enactus shirts; Alex Leng,

president of Enactus, shares the vision of the organization. Photos by Monica Rubalcava.

Enactus opening social motivates students to get involved

Change at Bookstore is part of future renovation

This semester the BYU-Hawaii Bookstore tried a new process of selling textbooks. The bookstore decided to open a window where a worker pulled books from shelves for students. The

adjustment eased the searching process for students. The bookstore typically keeps the books inside the store, stacked on shelves with tags that label the book name, class number, teacher and other information a student needs to identify their book. The Bookstore managers plan to transform the store. Their strategy for change includes a possible entrance from the Seasider. To prepare for this future change, the bookstore has moved the textbooks into the storage closet behind the buy-back counter. Bookstore textbook buyer, Sharyn Asuao, explained, “We are thinking of actually having the capability of an online store where students can purchase their textbooks online.” She went on to say the counter this semester was a big change and hard for students to get used to, but as the days wore on, they started to give better feedback. Daniel Cooley, a senior in business from Washington, was a student who didn’t attempt to use the bookstore this semester. Instead

of buying his books on campus, he said he preferred to purchase them on the Internet. “I think that they should just have a list and links online to buy all of our books. You can get them a lot cheaper that way,” said Cooley. However, the new book-buying process was well received by some students, including Leena Kilpelainen, a junior studying educa-tion from Calfornia. She said, “I thought the line was really efficient. I knew all of the books I needed before hand so it was easy to just tell them which ones I needed and then they got them for me.” She also said she was glad the store had all of the books she needed so it was a one-stop shop. Other students didn’t favor the new way of book buying, saying it seemed to make things more confusing. Payton Jones, a senior in hospitality and tourism management from Arizona, said, “I thought that the line was really long and they didn’t get me the right book right away. It just seemed to take longer than if I could have gone and picked the books myself.”

LAUREN STE IMLE

Textbook Drive-thru

wJe f f JwJe f f J

KE ALAKA‘I10

Streets were shut down in Laie as traditional fireknife dancing was combined with hip-hop for a one-of-a

-kind New Year’s Eve celebration. Three-time fireknife world cham-pion David Galeai, a local Laie resident, put on the event. More than 500 people attended the party that included the world’s first hip-hop fireknife dance competition and a street dance with DJ Skipps. David Galeai and his cousin, Jason Ava, thought of and hosted the event. “The ideas started to come when we watched rap battles and ‘Stomp the Yard’ and thought we should put something together like that,” said Galeai. The initial idea came several months before and was almost forgot-ten, but the more Galeai and Ava talked about it, the bigger of a reality it became. “Once we got the community’s ap-proval it was a full go,” Ava said as the event was just two weeks away from being put on. A team was assembled with sponsors, video editors, and master planners to make the event happen. “It’s been his (Galeai’s) dream to give back to the community and teach the art of fireknife dancing, especially to the youth” said Ava, “He wants them to experience the same joy he has felt as he competed.”

The New Year’s Eve competi-tion consisted of 15 competitors whose ages ranged from 12 to 30 years old. The ultimate champion of the competition was 14-year-old Viceson Galeai, David’s nephew. By the end of the night, “The streets were flooded with people, families, and kids running all around,” Ava said. “Tt was good, clean fun.”

The New Year’s competition was focused on a hip-hop hybrid of fireknife dancing but fireskife dancing first started in Samoa as a war dance. Soldiers would make strong, aggressive, sharp, and distinctive jabs with their spears in front of their enemies to intimidate them. Fire was not put onto the spear, however, until the reign of Chief Ololetuli.

It wasn’t until 1940 that Pulefano Galeai and Tafili Galeai (David’s uncle and father) incor-porated spinning and dancing and it became fireknife dancing as we know it today. The Galeai family members have been the forerunners of fireknife dancing since 1940 and are continuing to do it today with their new blend of hip-hop. Fireknife dancing has been ex-tremely important in the Galeai family over the years. Ava said, “You have a name you have to live up to.” Galeai has started his own fireknife dancing school called, “Viamatina.” The name was chosen because it is the names of Galeai’s deceased mother and sister. “It’s to have them be remembered,” said Galeai. The next hip-hop fireknife danc-ing event will be held on the Fourth of July, 2014. “We are expecting over 800 people to attend this time, and all are invited,” said Ava about the upcoming event. “The past event was a huge success, better than we would ever have expected,” Ava said with a smile. “But we couldn’t have done it without all our sponsors which we say thank you to.” To see some of the highlights from the New Year’s competition and to learn about upcoming events, check out World

“It’s been his dream to give

back to thecommunity and teach the art of

fire knife dancing, especially

to the youth.

“

-Jason Ava

[FIRE] DANCING

IN THE STREETS

Local legends mix hip-hopwith fireknife dancing

wJe f f J

11JANUARY 23, 2014

Fireknife Productions on Facebook. World Fireknife Productions would like to say thank you to their Sponsors and Fireknife Street Battle (FSB) Committee Members.

Sponsors:World Fireknife Productions - Timo Hekau & David V. Galea’i; Master of Fireknife - Pulefano L.F. Galea’i; Island Roots - Crease Paul; Saltwinds Entertainment - Clint Marit-eragi & President Galea’i; Fireknife - Mark Nobriga; Fireknife Light Stick - Tiu & Salu Wesley; Goat Island Inc. - Nason Coleman; PPF - Robert Tufuli; DJ Skipps - Julius Skipps

FSB Committee Members:David V. Galea’i; William Numanga; Presi-dent Galea’i; Erve Niumatalolo; Jackson Tilo;Seriff Tevaga; TJ Magalei; Julius Skipps;Jason Ava

Je f Je f f Face r- JEFF FACER

Students of the local fireknife school in Laie, practice their skills . Named after three-time

fireknife champion David Galeai’s mother and sister, “Viamatina,” the school is a way Galeai says he can give back to the com-

munity and share with local youth the joy of competition. Photos by Monica Rubalcava

KE ALAKA‘I12

Photo messaging is a new addition to the ever-growing list of the ways people communicate despite controversy from critics who say it detracts from living in the moment. Apps such as

Snapchat, combined with an increasing number of smart phone users, allow photo messages to be sent at rates that compete with those of regular text messages. Time magazine published an article in its Dec 30, 2013 is-sue saying how influential picture messaging has been. “As a whole, people are texting less than they used to: the average U.S. cellphone user now sends 628 text messages per quarter, down 8% from a year ago, according to Charma Consulting, a telecommunications research firm,” says Victor Luckerso’s article in Time. Instead of texting, smartphone users are sending photo messages. Dannia Tan, a freshman in biochemistry from Utah, stated, “One of my friends just got Snapchat a few days ago and she’s been using it like crazy.” Critics say using Snapchat is taking away from living in the moment and that constant documentation takes away from life experiences, according to Luckerso. In defense of picture testing, on blog.snapchat.com, Snap-chat states, “This sentiment wrongly assumes that documentation and experience are essentially at odds, a conceptual remnant of how we used to think of photography, as an art object, as content, rather than what it is often today, less an object and more a sharing experience.” Rebecca Vigoren, a sophomore in political science from Washington, agreed and said “sharing experience” is useful. Photo messaging “does more than just texting, and it gives more visual cues. It enhances the story of the conversation,” she said. On a virtual tour of her own Snaphchat, she revealed drawing and special text capabili-ties, as well as a list of contacts. HANNAH PACKARD

Texting, a thing of the past

Amount of picture messaging exceeds that of text messaging

One of my friends got Snapchat a few days ago and she’s been using it like crazy. -Dannia Tan ”

“

Students take selfies, which was the word of the year in 2013, ac-cording to the Oxford Dictionaries. Photos by Kyoko Hasegawa.

13JANUARY 23, 2014

BYU-Hawaii agrees with Bruno Mars: women are beautiful just the way they

are. The Beautiful Women’s Group is an organization on campus that gathers on Thursdays at the Counseling Center from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to discuss how to “…empower, inspire, and refine…” each other, as its motto states. The group is a place where women can come together and speak about any topics they feel like bringing up with other members of the meeting. During its first meeting on Jan. 16, women of all shapes, sizes, ages and ethnici-ties trickled into the Counseling Center to start the first meeting of the semester. Lead counselor for the group, Farina McCarthy-

Stonex introduced the session by saying, in her New Zealand accent, “We are all different and have different strengths and weaknesses, but we are all daughters of our Heavenly Father.” The group keeps a firm base in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They ex-plained that God has given women different roles on earth to balance one another. After participants introduced themselves, two BYUH student interns went over the mission statement for the group and talked about confidentiality. The floor was then open to discuss any topic members would like to talk about. One woman started by sharing her passion for a healthy lifestyle and the importance of it in people’s lives. Comments were made around the room

LAUREN STE IMLE

about how they try to attain a nutritious and active routine with busy schedules. The topic soon turned to being spiritually healthy, and a member shared her experience of gaining her testimony. “I plead with you to not waste your life and to find your relationship with God and your Savior now. I wasted so much time, but I was so much happier and healthier after I gained my testimony,” said one of the students in the group. Women in the room shed tears and the meeting ended in smiles after indi-viduals shared their personal experiences.

True BeautyGroup ‘empowers, inspires and refines’ women

KE ALAKA‘I14

Aiming for national titleBYUH men’s and women’s tennis teams hope mixof returning and new players will be winning combination

-MATTHEW ROBERTS

T he BYU-Hawaii Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams started their 2014 season last week as the No. 2 women beat both Whitman

University 9-0 and Claremont McKenna College 8-1, while the No. 18 men took on Division 1 opponent Sacramento State but fell short losing 5-2. The women’s team is hopeful this year will be even more successful than last year’s Conference Championship and 2nd place finish in the National Tournament. This year the team is led by veter-ans, Marika Kobayashi, a senior from Hiratsuke, Japan; senior Sasha Ulbrictova; and junior Marietta Tuionetoa, a political science major from Palo Alto, Calif. The women started the season off on the right foot, dominating their first two matches, losing only one set. Kobayashi and Tuionetoa were impressive in both singles and doubles matches, winning their singles matches handily and helping the team complete the sweep of their opponent in all doubles matches. Ulbrictova and doubles partner, Jade Griffin, from Moorool-bark, Australia, also had a great start to their 2014 season sweeping the doubles in both matches of the year. “We weren’t real sure how we were going to perform, but we did much better than we thought. We have a good mix of return-ers and new recruits so we feel like a solid team this year,” said Tui-onetoa. The 2014 season should be an exciting one as the women will try and win the National Championship for the first time since the team won it in 2007. “We are a young team this year, but I am hopeful that the younger players will come along and we will make the National Tournament,” said Coach David Porter. The men’s team is led by returning All-Pac West 1st and 2nd team members Yevhen Zakharov, a senior from Lviv, Ukraine; senior Martin Chojnacki from Swinoujscie, Poland; and Wei-Feng Lee, a sophomore from Taiwan. The Seasider men took on Division I opponent Sacramento State to start their 2014 campaign. Both Cho-jnacki and Feng Lee won their singles matches, but it wasn’t enough as the men fell to Sacramento State 5-2. “It went good. I felt a little weird being back after two and a half years of not playing tennis, but I thought it went pretty good,” said Taylor de Hoyas, a sophomore history education major from Pleasant Grove, Utah, who just returned from an LDS mission. The #18 ranked Seasiders will have their work cut out for them this year, as the PacWest conference is full of talent. Including

BYUH, there are four teams in the conference ranked in the top 25 in the nation. “The conference is very good and hopefully we have all our players eligible and healthy when we play those teams,” said Coach Porter. The Seasiders are eager for the challenge the difficult con-ference provides and are optimistic about their chances of bringing home the conference title. “Our goal is to make it to nationals this year. We are still waiting on a few players to become eligible which

will help make our team really good this year,” said de Hoyas.

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PROGRAM FEATURES:• 100% Financing available• No sales price restrictions, NO cash reserves and NO limit on seller contributions• Competitive Interest Rates• Closing costs may be fi nanced if the appraised value is higher than the sales price• Non-traditional credit is allowed• Income restrictions apply • Property must be located in an eligible rural area• Contact Ron Durant to fi nd out if your area is USDA eligible• All loans subject to underwriter approval. • Terms and conditions apply. Subject to change without notice.

True 100% Financing

Ron Durant, Branch Manager NMLS ID 275617 Direct: 808-263-8743 | Fax: 866-703-4876 Email: rdurant@guildmortgage.com www.guildmortgage.com

PROGRAM FEATURES: • 100% Financial available • NO sales price restrictions, NO cash reserves

and NO limit on seller contributions • Competitive Interest Rates • Closing costs may be financed if the

appraised value is higher than the sales price

• Non-traditional credit is allowed • Property must be located in an eligible rural

area • Income restrictions apply • Contact a Guild Loan Officer to find out if

your area is USDA eligible

Rural Housing may be closer thank you think...

Rural Development

Rural Housing may be closer than you think...

NMLS #3274

Ron Durant, Branch ManagerNMLS ID 275617609 Kailua Road, Suite 200, Kailua HI 96734Direct 808-263-8743 Fax 866-703-4876Email: rdurant@guildmortgage.comApply online at: www.guildmortgage.net/rondurant

An Equal Housing Lender. @Copyright 2006 Guild Mortgage Company

Untitled-3 1 9/11/13 3:49 PM

15JANUARY 23, 2014

Aiming for national title On the road, men winSeasiders drop last home game to Chaminade in overtime

-MATTHEW ROBERTS

The BYU-Hawaii men’s basketball team fell in a heartbreaking overtime loss on Jan. 14 to Chaminade University, 105-102,

despite coming back from a 10-point second half deficit to send the game into overtime. Costly turnovers from the Seasiders and a Chaminade 3-pointer with two seconds left, gave the Seasiders their third conference loss, falling to 4-3 in conference play and 6-7 overall. “I was really proud of our effort coming back, I thought the team played well today,” said Coach Ken Wagner. Since the overtime win at home against Chaminade, the Seasiders began a four-game road trip with two consecutive close wins against Fresno Pacific 93-86 and Holy Names — another overtime bout, which the Seasiders won handily in extra minutes 89-77. Pablo Coro hit six 3-pointers and scored 21 points for the game to lead the Seasiders over Fresno Pacific. Jerome Harris hit a big 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime against Holy Names, reports BYUH Sports Information. Once in overtime, the Seasiders outscored Holy Names 13-1 to seal the road victory. In the Jan. 14 game against Chaminade, three Seasiders scored in double digits as Scott Friel lead the team with 28 points. Friel was in no shortage of spectacular plays as he found DeAndre Medlock with a no-look, behind-the-head pass, which Medlock fin-ished with an authoritative, two-handed tomahawk dunk. Just minutes following, Friel had another great play as he hit a half-court buzzer beater to send the Seasiders into halftime down only four. The Seasiders came out flat to start the second half but were quickly revived behind a big three by Friel, who then added two more layups. The two teams continued to trade baskets throughout the second half as Luke Ashton hit two big 3-pointers giving the Seasiders a 4-point lead. The Silverswords then came roaring back taking a 10-point lead, but the Seasiders closed the gap to just three points on a 9-2 run of their own, thanks to three-straight buckets and a 3-pointer by Coro. With 17 seconds remaining, Coro bounced the ball of his foot resulting in a backcourt violation. Fortunately, Chaminade missed the game-winning buzzer beater, sending the game into overtime.

USDARural

Development

PROGRAM FEATURES:• 100% Financing available• No sales price restrictions, NO cash reserves and NO limit on seller contributions• Competitive Interest Rates• Closing costs may be fi nanced if the appraised value is higher than the sales price• Non-traditional credit is allowed• Income restrictions apply • Property must be located in an eligible rural area• Contact Ron Durant to fi nd out if your area is USDA eligible• All loans subject to underwriter approval. • Terms and conditions apply. Subject to change without notice.

True 100% Financing

Ron Durant, Branch Manager NMLS ID 275617 Direct: 808-263-8743 | Fax: 866-703-4876 Email: rdurant@guildmortgage.com www.guildmortgage.com

PROGRAM FEATURES: • 100% Financial available • NO sales price restrictions, NO cash reserves

and NO limit on seller contributions • Competitive Interest Rates • Closing costs may be financed if the

appraised value is higher than the sales price

• Non-traditional credit is allowed • Property must be located in an eligible rural

area • Income restrictions apply • Contact a Guild Loan Officer to find out if

your area is USDA eligible

Rural Housing may be closer thank you think...

Rural Development

Rural Housing may be closer than you think...

NMLS #3274

Ron Durant, Branch ManagerNMLS ID 275617609 Kailua Road, Suite 200, Kailua HI 96734Direct 808-263-8743 Fax 866-703-4876Email: rdurant@guildmortgage.comApply online at: www.guildmortgage.net/rondurant

An Equal Housing Lender. @Copyright 2006 Guild Mortgage Company

Untitled-3 1 9/11/13 3:49 PM

Both teams came out battling in overtime trading baskets early. After a block by Medlock, Friel converted on a layup in transi-tion to give the Seasiders the 100-99 lead. With a chance to win on a last-minute basket, the Seasiders turned the ball over on an out-of-bound play. Chaminade capital-ized on the turnover, hitting a three with two seconds left to give the Seasiders the loss, 105-102. The men’s basketball team continues its road trip against Notre Dame de Namur on Thursday, Jan. 23 and against Academy of Art on Saturday, Jan. 25 before returning home to Laie.

The Seasiders huddle around Coach Ken Wagner during their game against Chaminade at home in the Cannon Activities Center on Jan.

14. Photo by Kelsie Carlson

KE ALAKA‘I16

Fun of the Month

63 annual Pro bowl Jan 26 starts at 2:30

at the Aloha Statium

A night in China townCelebrate Chinese New Years

Jan 25 from 9:00 -10:00In China Town on Hotel St. & Maunakea

Disney's lion KingTuesday Jan 21- Mar 9 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall

Check out local art food and music in Chinatown every 1st Friday

of the month

First Friday

Eat the street

things to do in Hawaii

Once a month enjoy over 50 food trucks Friday Jan-31 at 555 South St. Kaka’ako

Every Thursday at Wiamea Valley from 3:00-7:00

Farmers MarketWanderlustAt Turtle Bay Feb 27- Mar 2

Yoga, music and activities