Volume 96: Issue 4

Ke Alaka iMay 26, 2011

THE LEADER

Mothers to the rescueStudent’s mother helps to create orphanage in Cambodia 14

Blades of fireAn inside look at the fireknife champions 6

2Ke AlAKA‘i

Table of Contents 85 P ro f e sso r Ma rcus Ma r t i n s r e -

ce i v e s ca l l a s m i s s i o n p r e s i den t i n B raz i l

May 26, 2011 • Volume 96: Issue 4

Ed i t o r i a l , pho t o subm i s s i o ns & d i s t r i b u t i o n i nqu i r i e s : kea l aka i@byuh . edu . To subsc r i b e t o t h e RSS FEED o r t o v i ew add i t i o na l a r t i c l e s , go t o kea l aka i . b yuh . edu .

emAil: KeAlAKAi@byuh.eduAd iNFO: KeAlAKAiAdS@GmAil.COmPhONe: ( 808 ) 675 -3694FAx: ( 808 ) 675 -3491OFFiCe: Campus A l oha Cen t e r Room 134

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leeANN lAmbertadv i s o r

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N i co l e C l a r kGab r i e l l Saba l onesAmy HansonAsh l en Qu i r an t e

VideOPrOduCtiON

L i ndsay Banc ro f t

PhOtOGrAPherSBa r t Jo l l e yDewey Ke i t h l y

Art & GrAPhiCSJoan YauNaom i Yanga

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James Cho i , Aa ron Puzey , Na t han Packe r ,

Tay l o r R i ppy , Ma rn i Va i l

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Rache l Au I e ongSuzanne Tu t t l e

web deSiGN

Rache l Au I e ong

Ad mANAGerAa ron Knudsen

Ke Alaka i

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6 F i r ekn i f e Compe t i t i o n hea t s up Po l ynes i an Cu l t u r a l Cen t e r 12

Fu t u r e s t uden t sha r es conve r s i o n s t o r y i n awa rd -w i nn i ng sho r t f i lm

The blazing fireknives of 10-year-old Alexander Galea’i, from Laie, were a crowd pleaser at the 19th Annual Fireknife Competition, held May 11-14 at the PCC. He is the grandson of the founder of the event, Pulefano

Galea’i and the son of David Galea’i, who finished in third this year. Photo by Dewey Keithly

S tuden t d i r e c t o r o f “ A l i c e i n Wonde r l a nd ” s i t s down f o r a Ke A l aka ‘ i Q&A

SAm SuKimAwAhead pho t og raphe r

3mAy 26, 2011Go online to Kealaka i .byuh .edu For fur ther informat ion .

NOTE WORTHYNEWS HEADLINES

The Annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life Koolauloa invites

all community members to participate in the fight against cancer. BYUHSA will be there

to help and support. The event is taking place Friday, May 27,

at Hauula Elementary School from 5:30 p.m.

until 6 a.m. Saturday.

Give and Take:Aside from selling it,

giving it away or trashing it, there has

been very little that students could do to get rid of their stuff

at the end of each semester/term—until now. Last semes-ter, recent graduate Kelly

Nelson organized and ran the very first BYUH Give And Take Event.

On day one of the event, April 11, students brought their items, and on April 12, a line of people came to look at and “take” donated items. Nelson is working on organizing a Give And Take Event for the Spring Term. Instead of having a single day for donations, Nelson

hopes to devote an entire week for the “give” portion of the event.

Walt Disney Imagi-neers have created a

new resort called Aulani, a place celebrating Hawaiian history, culture and artwork, on the western shores Oahu in Ko Olina. It opens Aug. 29 and is hiring people now. Aulani in Hawaiian means the messenger of a chief. The 21-acre resort has 460 Disney vacation villas; 359 hotel rooms; a spa and fitness center; three pools and a floating stream; a children’s water recreation area; and a marine preserve and private reef. Some pools even have wheelchair access as well. To find out about job openings, go to aulani.disneyparks.jobs.

After much debate, Western Samoa has decided to move

the dateline from east of the island nation to its west. It will take the country back a day so it is closer in time to its key business contacts: Australia and New Zealand. On Dec. 29 of this year, Samoa will have two Thursdays. That’s right, they’ll have eight days that week.

-AARON PUZEY

Photo by Sam Sukimawa

NOTEWORTHY NAME: THOMAS RIVERS PUZEY WHY HE’S NOTEWORTHY: Along with being BYU-Hawaii’s all-time school record holder in the 5k, Puzey has placed in the top three in all three professional races he has competed in during the last six months. In December 2010, Puzey placed third in the Xterra World Trail Championships at Kua-loa Ranch with a time of 1 hour, 20 minutes and 54 seconds. In February 2011, Puzey placed second in the Great Aloha Run 12k with a time of 4 hours, 2 minutes, and 56 seconds. On May 1, 2011, in his first marathon ever, Puzey won the North Shore Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 37 minutes, and 22 seconds. Puzey also has been involved in the Conflict Resolution and Intercultural Peace Building programs, which included him traveling to Israel in 2009 for PeacePlayers. Puzey is also a husband and father. HIS TAKE: “Graduating from school and the prospect of compet-ing professionally someday are all great, but my family is definitely my first priority. Taking care of them, and ensuring their happiness always comes first.”

Ke AlAKA‘i 4

BYU-Hawaii’s SIFE team travelled to Min-nesota May 9-13 to compete in the SIFE National Exposition held in Minneapolis. They came in as one of the top 12 schools in the nation.

SIFE, which stands for “Student in Free Enterprise,” is a global non-profit orga-nization whose mission is to “bring together the top leaders of today and tomorrow to cre-ate a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business.”

“The BYUH SIFE team, at their national conference in Minneapolis, was one of the finest examples of what the church produces—the finest crop of young adults on the planet. It is always a pleasure to be with them and watch them in action,” said advisor James Ritchie, who accompanied the team to the competition.

BYUH SIFE competed at the regional competition in Honolulu this March, where they took the trophy home as regional champions and became eligible to attend na-tionals. Contending against 800 colleges and universities nation-wide, the competition was slimmed to 160 schools at the National Expo, eventually leaving one school and one win-ner at the end of the three-day conference. University of Texas at San Marcos took home the trophy, qualifying them to represent the United States in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the SIFE World Exposition in October.

“I loved the hype, the energy and the excitement that the National Expo ignited in me, but every time I spoke about the kids in India, the youth from Kahuku or Toa, I was reminded of why I do this and why I love it,” said presenter Jared Nelson, a junior in marketing from Utah. “The feeling at nationals was amazing, but what made it epic for me was watching the judges—number crunching, wealthy CEOs—weep as they felt the spirit of the people we have strived to serve and bless, and the impact we, a small group of people, have made in the lives of others.”

BYUH SIFE President Daniel Ryan said, “It was amazing to see our team representing the heart and passion of BYU Hawaii to serve others and empower those in need. It was a spectacular experience to see over 200 hundred schools across our nation individually representing their schools, but as a whole, representing the power people have to do good.”

The competition involves a 24-min-ute presentation on projects that the team has worked on over the past year. BYUH SIFE’s projects include India: Food For Life, Tuvalu, Jon Mozo, and working with the Willes Center for International Entrepreneur-ship to execute the Empower Your Dreams conference and the Conference of Champi-ons, among others. Six members of BYUH

SIFE were selected to represent the university as a presentation team, though a total of 22 attended the Minneapolis competition. This year’s representatives included Asia Rikard, Jared Nelson, Gombo Chuluun, Jeehoo Joo, Catherine DeLong, and Kohl Perkins.

Videographer Aaron Nelson spent countless hours creating the video to accom-pany the presentation, which wowed judges across the board.

“It was truly an amazing experience to compete in SIFE U.S. Nationals. Being on the presentation team allowed me to learn and appreciate how much time and effort BYUH SIFE students put to help people in need around the world,” shared Gombo Chuluun, a sophomore in corporate finance from Mongolia. “It helped me to be a better person in many different ways. One of the moments that I will never forget was seeing the judges cry while we presented our proj-ects. They could feel our spirit and passion for what we have done for the last year. I am excited for future of BYUH SIFE team and hope to see more BYUH students join SIFE and help people in need.”

To learn more about SIFE World-wide, visit sife.org. To learn more about BYUH SIFE and to get involved, look for the booth at World Fest each semester.

SiFe in top 12 at national exposition

- TAYLOR R IPPY

BYU-Hawaii’s SIFE team poses for a photo at the national competition. Photo courtesy of SIFE

mAy 26, 2011 5

-AMY HANSON

Brother Marcus and Sister Miriam Martins have been called to serve in the Sao Paulo North Mission. Photo courtesy of the Martins

P ro f e sso r l ea ves home f o r home l and i n B raz i lBYUH Professor of Religion and Leadership, Marcus Martins, is departing from Oahu at the end of the month to serve as mission president in the Sao Paulo North Mission for the next three years.

Martins, a Brazil native, served full-time in the Sao Paulo North Mission in 1978. He was the first black male to serve an LDS mission after revelation by the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles in 1978 that the priesthood would no longer be subject to restrictions based on race or skin color.

Martins remarked that people often comment on his up-coming return to Brazil as a “coming home.” Martins and his wife, however, have spent the majority of their married years together in Laie. Accordingly, he expressed, “I am leaving home. I am going to the country of my birth, but Laie is my home.”

As for the work, Martins said, “I expect it will be very fast-paced and very active.” Sao Paulo, a city of nearly 20 million people, is divided between four different missions. Martins’s area will include more than eight million people, which he looks forward to as being “a very large pool of potential investigators.”

Martins stated, “This is a great time to serve a mission.” The church has grown significantly in Brazil over the past 30 years, from about 50,000 to over one million members. Martins expressed excitement about preaching the gospel in a place growing so rapidly,

where the church has name-recognition with non-members. Martins and his wife have spent the past three months

studying diligently in preparation for their service, including complet-ing a 10-week over-the-phone course with the Missionary Training Center. He explained, “We’ve read enough; we want to get there and practice what we know, and really learn to serve effectively.”

However ready Martins feels, he said he will miss Hawaii and BYUH, where he has taught since 2000.

“It’s a very unique place. Every single day, I felt like it was my privilege to live in the community and make it my home. It’s been a great joy to be here. I’m already missing it.”

Jeremy Moncur is one of the many alums who have enacted the school’s motto, “Enter to learn. Go forth to serve.” As a 2007 graduate in international business management, Moncur is working on a master’s degree in business. He has created a project that will count towards his credits for graduation, which is inspired by his ex-perience here at BYUH. Moncur’s project is getting a team together to translate children’s books for Marshallese children.

A l um seeks he l p t o t r ans l a t e books f o r ch i l d r en i n Ma r sha l l I s l a nds

-N ICOLE CLARK

“Our main goal is to get one book translated and get the process down and be able to distribute it. Starting off, we are try-ing to focus on the Marshall Islands because from the people I’ve talked to who grew up there or served missions there, it sounds like they have a pretty big need for it and there is a lot of support for it,” said Moncur.

Moncur attributes much of this project to his experience at BYUH. He said, “Regardless of the fact that I grew up in Ha-waii, I think if I hadn’t gone to BYU-Hawaii, I wouldn’t be so ‘Pacific minded’ I guess you could say.

“I would not have known anybody who is from the Marshall Islands or lived there. I wouldn’t have known that kids need help in educational materials. BYU-Hawaii

for sure opened me up to a bigger world view.”

While Moncur works on his pro-gram, he is asking BYUH students for their help translating. “We can have everything set up but we need people to help translate… Right now we are focusing on the Marshall Islands so it would be especially helpful if we could get people who speak Marshallese and are willing to translate or have connections. Any other area that has the need and people want to help out, we can look at getting things going there to,” said Moncur.

“Right now it is a project but it could be a company… It’s just seeing what we can do and how much we can affect people,” said Moncur.

6Ke AlAKA‘i

PLAYING WITH

FIREPLAYING WITH

FIREPLAYING WITH

FIREFireknife dance competitors were called to battle on May 11, 2011. The Polynesian

Cultural Center served as the battleground, playing host to the 19th annual World Fireknife Competition. Here “warriors,” incorporating acrobatics and aerials, demonstrated their skills in twirling knives ablaze with fire.

Pulefano Galea‘i, the founder of the Fireknife Competition, said, “I’m really proud of what the competition has become. I remember when I first submitted the idea to PCC. It wasn’t taken with a lot of enthusiasm but I persisted to make it happen. I’m very proud of what the dancers have made this competition into.”

The competition lasted for four days with an opening ceremony on May 11. After the opening ceremony, preliminary competitions were held for the hopeful senior division competitors. Nine semi-finalists were selected.

The fireknife dance is a modern twist on a ceremony that goes back hundreds of years. Samoan warriors would display prowess and skill with war clubs in flashy demonstra-tions called “ailao.” Fire was added to the knife in 1946 by a Samoan dancer who would later become Chief Letuli Olo Misilagi. As the story goes, Chief Letuli saw a performance with a Hindu fire eater and a young girl twirling a lit baton.

For more on the history of the birth of the fireknife dance, visit www.polynesia.com.On May 12, the Junior Division competition was held. In the 6-11-year-old division,

seven warriors competed with Hale Motu‘apuaka from Aiea, Hawaii being crowned champion at the end of the rounds. Motu‘apuaka said, “Four-time champion Mikaele Oloa inspires me to be better.”

There were also 10 dancers that competed in the 12-17-year-old junior division. Four-time competitor Malo Matau won the competition.

Junior division champion, 17-year-old Malo Matau from Laie, said, “It feels good. I’ve been competing for four years now. The first time wasn’t a success, but I kept trying and this is my last year to compete in this division. I told myself that I would go all out. My cousin in Orlando, Florida inspires me to do better, and when I’m here, the Samoan village boys like Byron and Creasepaul help me out a lot.”

Fireknife warriors battle for the champion title. Photo by Bart Jolley

World Fireknife Championship Winners

World Fireknife Championship Winners

The preliminary semi-finals for the men were held as well with nine competitors. After the heat, VJ Tiumalu from Orlando Florida, Julian Maeva from Hawaii, and Laie’s own David Galea‘i moved on to compete Friday and Saturday.

The winners, along with earning the

honor of being the champion, received a mon-

etary prize as well as one of Galea‘i’s legendary,

nifu ofi (fire knife) trophies. “I’ve been making

these [trophies] for champions for a long time.

It’s an honor,” said Galea‘i.Acknowledged to be experts in

fireknife by their peers, the judges of the fire-knife competition had difficult decisions to make, many of them being previous fireknife champions themselves. Some of the criteria were, the height of the aerials, the speed of the spinning knives, the difficulty level in

the moves executed, and showmanship that displays warrior-like fierceness. Heavy points were deducted from dropping the knives.

The three finalists dancing on the night of May 13 and the 14 decided the final competition. The combined score of these two nights determined the champion.

The champion crowned at the end of

the competition was VJ Tiumalu of Orlando, Fla.

A previous world champion, he was the winner

of the first-place trophy knife crafted by Pule-fano and a $4,000 winner’s check. Of the experience, the champion said, “It feels good. The competition was about dancing with my brothers on stage and doing something that we love.”

Second place runner up was Julian Maeva from American Samoa. He earned a $2,000 check and a second place trophy.

He said, “I feel so honored to be here and humbled from the experience. To be on stage with some of my role models that I admire and look up to is what it’s about. How many people can say that they danced with a three-time world champion and previous world champion on the final night?”

David Galea‘i is no stranger to the competition. He has won the competi-tion three times previously and placed third in this year’s competition, winning a $1000 check as well as the third place trophy. David said, “It feels good to be on stage. Surprisingly, still nerve wracking. As many times as I have been on stage it’s still hard to control the nerves, but it’s still a beautiful feeling.”

- JAMES CHO I

VJ TiumaluFirst Place Winner

Julian MaevaSecond Place Winner

David Galea‘i Third Place Winner

Hale Motu‘apuakaWinner 6-11-year-old division

Malo MatauWinner 12-17-year-old division

7mAy 26, 2011

Above Left: Fireknife competitor James “KJ” Ahloy lights up the stage. Above Right: The top three male competitors get their picture taken with event orga-nizer Pulefano Galea’i, PCC President Von Orgill and Kalo Mataele Soukop.

Photos by Dewey Keithly and Bart Jolley

8Ke AlAKA‘i

How did you get involved with the theater program here at BYU-Hawaii?I was in theater in high school and I loved it—I was really passionate about it. So, when I got here I started with the simple acting class. It was just Intro to Theater, and it just happened to be at the same time that Brother Ferre was looking for a new assistant director. I applied and got the job.

Tell me more about high school theater.It was my freshman year of high school and all of my friends were auditioning for “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” I auditioned and I didn’t get cast! [Laughs]. But, they were looking for more male extras so I volunteered to dress up as a man. As an extra you can basically get away with anything—so I just had a blast. I had a tradition in high school that I “stuffed” something in every show, that’s the show where it started.

Kara OrrKara Orr sits next to the sound board she’ll be using during “Alice in Wonderland.” Right: A teacup, crepe paper, and party supplies are

a few of the props Orr has to work with for the play. Photo by Dewey Keithly

It’s late in the evening and the cast of “Alice in Wonderland” has cleared the McKay Auditorium, leaving row after row of empty red chairs and a number of fluorescent mushrooms set on stage. Back-stage, props, including a silver teapot, an oversized jack of hearts, and a can of paint one would assume will be used for ‘painting roses red,’ sit poised for the production. In the empty auditorium, the only sound to be heard is that of the assistant director commuting back and forth between the sound board and backstage, feverishly adjusting music and cues to the point of absolute perfection.

Her name is Kara Orr, a junior and Pocatello, Idaho native, though she has made BYU-Hawaii her home since 2009 studying English education and theater. She’s been involved with almost every play since—but rarely under the burning bright spotlights. Ke Alaka‘i sat down with the backbone of the theater to get an insider’s perspective on what it’s like to be—quite literally—be-hind the scenes.

9mAy 26, 2011

Kara Orr is preparing to go on a study abroad trip to London, which will include a trip to the famous Globe Theater.

Orr has been a passionate theater participant since she was a high school freshman.

Photo by Dewey Keithly

What do you mean by ‘stuffed?’I would stuff extra fabric to make my butt look bigger. [Laughs]. For 13 shows… It was just a little fun thing.

I hear you’re studying abroad in London for the summer?Yes! It has to do with English and theater. I’m going to the birth-place of Shakespeare. We’re seeing a show in the Globe Theater. I’m pumped; I love travelling and seeing new places. Also… It’s kind of like Harry Potter; we’re living in huge housing with our professors. Plus, I’ll be in London for the last Harry Potter premiere, which is going to be so amazing.

Do you prefer being on stage or behind the scenes?That’s tough… I like being on the stage if it’s a role that I can really get involved with but being backstage you get to have a lot of fun and make more friends.

What’s your favorite show of all time?Probably “The Lion King.” It’s got amazing music, and it touches your heart more so than some other plays that are just…entertain-ment.

What’s your favorite show that you’ve been involved in at BYUH?Probably “Cash On Delivery” in Fall of 2009. It was a small cast and just a real funny play.

Give me a breakdown of what your workweek looks like preceding a show opening?I’m running sound; I’m giving cues if they’re still forgetting cues. I have to remind actors of stage direction and basically helping Brother Ferre with anything he needs.

It’s opening night of a popular play; what’s going through your mind?It’s basically like having a heart attack. You just let the actors go—they have no help from that point on. You pretty much say a prayer and then you’re no longer with them. Their nerves sometimes get to them and you just have to go with it. It’s kind of an adrenaline rush; it has its good and its bad. It’s a nail-biter for me and Brother Ferre.

What are you most excited for in ‘Alice in Wonderland?’I don’t know if I can say. Brother Ferre decided to throw in a few songs from the old cartoon in. They’re interesting to say the least. [Laughs]. We’ll just wait and see!

“Alice In Wonderland” opens Thursday, May 26. Tickets are on sale at the Aloha Center desk. $1 for students, $3 faculty and staff, and $3 for general admission.

- TAYLOR R IPPY

10Ke AlAKA‘i

-NATHAN PACKER

Wasden was elected for an award by his own students. Photo by Rachel Au Ieong

Once a year, the BYU-Ha-waii Management Society

awards an individual who shows great leadership and integrity. This year Professor Cary Was-den, who teaches economics and finance, was selected. The dinner was held Friday, May 20 in the ballroom where his family, fellow faculty and some of his students were in attendance to support him on the night of his recognition. Although there are similarly accomplished members of the BYUH faculty, Wasden’s selec-tion was based more on what the students thought of him.

“His teaching style is unorthodox. He didn’t get his PhD. It’s more of a real-world experience that he tries to teach his students, which is absolutely what we need,” said Myana Welch, a senior majoring in finance from Sai Pan. “Like all of our profes-sors, he truly cares about each individual student and faculty here at BYUH. He has years of experience and advice that is worth more than anything you could hear from another professor at other uni-versities. He’s really inspirational, he’s the reason why I and other students have switched over to the finance track.”

Champ Vinitnantharat, a senior from Washington major-ing in marketing, had this to say after taking Microeconomics 200 with Wasden: “Brother Wasden and his bow ties never failed to entertain me during his class. His never-ending love of Porsches and imported jams and jellies made his lessons amusing. His candy-eating competition to show the concept of diminishing returns has ensured I will never forget. Brother Wasden loves what he teaches and the students he teaches. He is one of the most kind and gener-ous men I’ve ever met. He cares about each student that he comes across and helps ensure their success in life in anyway he can. He’s an awesome guy.”

During Wasden’s speech he talked about the Bible story of the loaves and the fish with which the Lord fed the multitude. Wasden said he hopes to inspire his students to have the faith to do

everything they can, knowing that the Lord will magnify their efforts and take it from there.

Oyuka Tumubatar, a junior from Mongolia majoring in finance, also attended the dinner to support her friend and professor. She said of the event: ”It was really great. I really liked the setting and how it was well organized. Everything was awesome. I think we should have more events honoring the teachers… I took his Econom-ics 200 class and I kind of know him and he’s a good teacher. He motivates me a lot.”

After the dinner, Wasden talked a little about the event: “It’s always awesome to be recognized by the students.” When asked what his favorite part of being a teacher is, he responded, “I enjoy all of it. I’m old enough to where most of the countries these kids come from were always closed [to the LDS Church] at my age. There were no missionaries in Russia for example. That’s all you; that’s your generation. So to see those people in your class, that’s pretty amaz-ing. When I was in high school we were hiding underneath the chairs because the Russians were just about to bomb us, so it’s a totally different generation.”

P ro f . Ca ry Wasden r ece i v e s g l oba l l e ade r sh i p awa rd

11mAy 26, 2011

The Southern Utah University Ballroom Dance Company has traveled to the mainland United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe—and on May 14 they performed for students, faculty and community members in BYU-Hawaii’s auditorium.

Hadley Gasser, a sophomore in pre-med from Utah, who danced on the SUU team, said laughing, “I just love Hawaii! I’m thinking I might just disappear and not board my flight home.”

The SUU Dance Company tour ensemble consists of 11 couples, all students at the Cedar City, Utah school. The company specializes in a number of styles, including swing, tango, waltz and salsa.

Melanie Smith, junior in business management from Utah, exclaimed, “I loved the variety throughout the night. The solo pieces were really good—they each told a story.”

John Fryhoff, junior in HTM from Missouri, especially enjoyed the closing tango dance. “The dancers were really in unison, which demonstrated a lot of skill to me,” he explained.

Audience members afterwards expressed a personal interest in dance performance, heightened by the evening’s show.

Marcus Christiansen, junior in 2D art from California, gushed, “I loved the show! I love to dance, and seeing this made me want to learn more ballroom.”

Students crowded around the dancers in the foyer of the auditorium following the show, congratulating and asking questions.

Rachel Hinde, junior in EXS from California, and a member of the dance company, explained, “I have been dancing for 17 years. Dance is the best way for me to express myself, because my move-ment can tell so much more than my words ever could.”

Hinde continued, “I love it. The bond between the dancers [in the company] is so tight, and performing is like a high for me. It’s like an adrenaline rush.”

-AMY HANSON

SUU dancers impresses BYUH students with their dance floor skills at a concert on May 14 in the auditorium.

Photos by Sam Sukimawa

SUUdancesthe night away

“

“

12Ke AlAKA‘i

With only seconds before the deadline, Josh Aplaca submitted to lds.org what would become a life-changing video for him and for the thousands of people who have watched it. After a month of filming and editing, Aplaca’s conversion story entitled “You’re Not Alone” was complete and ready to be entered into the LDS Church’s first Interna-tional Video Contest.

After a voting period, “You’re Not Alone” was announced as the winner of the United States & Canada amateur video cat-egory. With the collaboration of two former BYU-Hawaii students, Cody Easterbrook and Sariah Howard, Aplaca’s testimony was able to reach thousands of people via the Internet.

“It was a collaborative effort,” explained Easterbrook. He introduced Aplaca to the church in 2009 and was able to assist him with the video. The two had discussed doing a Mormon Message video, but it wasn’t until Howard approached them that they began serious planning. Howard had heard Aplaca bear his testimony and felt

Fu t u r e BYUH s t uden t and two a l umn i co l l abo ra t e t o c r ea t e awa rd -w i nn i ng v i d eo

prompted that Aplaca should share his story with the world.

“The response to the movie has been remarkable,” continued Easterbrook. “The video has touched the lives and hearts of so many. People around the world have contacted us. Josh turned his life around, and a lot of people could relate to it.”

Aplaca agreed that the response to the Mormon Message video has been posi-

tive. He recently talked to an atheist who had seen his video. Aplaca said the video “made him start to think about the tiniest possibility that there is a God. The feedback that we have received has been amazing.”

The video was filmed at various locations around the island, which had a special meaning for Aplaca. He grew up on

Oahu but had moved several times through-out his life. He had received an impression he should move back to Hawaii after he was converted to the church. Aplaca said, “I enjoyed the fact that we filmed in Hawaii. I remember going to these places when I was a kid, which made filming it here amazing.”

Aplaca, Howard and Easterbrook said they all were strengthened as they worked on the project, “You’re Not Alone.” Howard said, “I really did learn a lot making the video. My faith and testimony grew a lot. When promptings are followed, direction and guidance will be given to complete the task and you will not be alone. Help will come when the time is right and you need it the most. I had a guardian angel sitting next to me while editing.”

Videos like Aplaca’s are a growing trend in the LDS Church. As technology increases, the church encourages stories and testimonies to go on the Internet. East-erbrook explained, “The church is using multimedia to spread the gospel. Testimonies can go farther than they used to. Within the video, you witness Josh’s change in heart. He admits life isn’t perfect, but he now knows where to go for the answers. Knowing that Christ suffered for us means that you will never be alone. The message resonates with a lot of people who watch it and it gives them hope. It takes them to the true church.”

Before Aplaca was converted, he said, “I had never been the one to talk about religion. I felt I didn’t know a lot about it. I used to say I am a believer of faith and not religion. But now I realize that you need both.” Even though Aplaca hasn’t been on a mission, he said the movie “has been mis-sionary work for me.”

Howard has been very pleased with the project and its response. “When you are using your talents to help others and share the gospel,” she said, “amazing things can and will happen.”

-SUZANNE TUTTLE

Award-winning Mormon Messages video, featuring Josh Aplaca, was filmed on Oahu by BYU-Hawaii alumni Cody Easterbrook and Sariah Howard. Photo courtesy of Josh Aplaca

You’re Not Alone

I used to say I am a believer of faith and not religion. But now I realize that you need both.”

-Josh Aplaca

“

13mAy 26, 2011

With the Philippines ranking among the top five most represented international coun-tries at BYU-Hawaii, it may be safe to say President Gordon B. Hinckley’s rededicatory prayer in 1961 stating,“…there shall be many thousands who shall receive this message and…there shall be many men, faithful, good, virtuous, true men who shall join the church,” has come to pass and rippled its way through the Pacific to Laie, Hawaii.

LDS.org shares that 19 stakes came together to celebrate 50 years of cultural heritage and the growth of the Church in the Philippines since its rededication after World War II. Through song and dance, over 3,500 children, youth, young single adults, and adults participated in the two-day Jubilee cultural show and Area Conference in April.

Philippines celebrates 50 years of church growth

June 2010, the Cebu City Temple became the second temple dedicated in the Philippines. Photo courtesy of www.lds.org

We ’ ve been t h r ough a l o t o f cha l l e nges i n t h e pas t and we w i l l c on t i n ue t o f ace cha l l e nges un t i l h e comes aga i n , and t he on l y way t o o ve r come t hem w i l l b e t he same - - t o become un i t ed i n t h e gospe l . ”

-Dane l Oc t obe r Be r i o ng , F i l i p i n o chu r ch membe r

-ASHLEN QU IRANTE

Focusing on the theme Moses 7:18: “And the Lord called his people Zion, be-cause they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them,” Danel October Beriong of the Quezon City First Ward wrote the Jubilee theme song, “United.” He shared, “We’ve been through a lot of challenges in the past and we will continue to face challenges until He comes again, and the only way to overcome them

will always be the same—to become united in the gospel.” On Sunday of the weekend celebra-tions, Church members came together for a nationwide conference with local leaders and with General Authorities via satellite feed.Church membership in the Philippines now totals more than 645,000. There are 16 mis-sions and two temples, one in Manila and one in Cebu City.

14Ke AlAKA‘i

Five years ago, Sophaneth Yorn’s mother and a friend began an orphanage in Cambodia for children who either do not have parents, or whose parents are too impoverished to pay for their children to eat or go to school. The women began the organization with their own money and have received contributions from missionaries who had served their missions in Cambodia. They were featured in a video about what members in Cambodia are doing.

“It is hard, because they don’t have enough money to buy food for all of the children. The children don’t have snacks to eat at school, so they only eat rice. But the rice runs out so fast,” explained

Sophaneth Yorn and mother help to teach, feed and raise children in Cambodia. Photos courtesy of Cambodian and International

Children Friend Organization

S tuden t ’ s mo t he r manages Cambod i an o rphanage w i t h f r i e nd

22 chi ldren == 2 women ‘; 1 b ig fami ly

-AMY HANSON

Yorn, senior in social work from Cambodia. “We are struggling, try-ing to find money to just buy food for the children.”

The two women presently take care of 22 children, ranging from ages 5-17. They have a four-room building to house the chil-dren, and a small hut outdoors where class is held. The children are taught English and are aided in seeking further education elsewhere. They have had children from their orphanage continue on to techni-cal school and beautician school.

Sophaneth is interning for BYU-Hawaii Counseling Services until June, and she helped to care for the children before coming to school. All of the teachers and staff at the orphanage are volunteers. As Sophaneth explained, “We accept all volunteers.”

“It’s a small orphanage. It’s family size. The children are so well behaved because we treat them as our own children. So [anyone] is welcome to come; and if you want to help with anything, we ap-preciate everything.”

The children have been making bracelets, which Sophaneth helps to sell, in order to raise money for food and uniforms. Addi-tionally, they grow mushrooms at the orphanage, which are eaten for sustenance or taken to the market and sold.

Sophaneth remarked, “I’m proud of my mother. I am look-ing forward to going back to help her.”

15mAy 26, 2011

The release of the book “SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper,” has caught the attention of media around the globe. With the recent death of Osama Bin Laden, people are interested to know more about the life of an Elite Navy SEAL. Stephen Templin,

an alumnus from BYU-Hawaii, co-authored the book with How-ard Wasdin. Wasdin served in SEAL Team Two during the first Gulf War before being promoted the to the most Elite SEAL group, Team Six. He was injured in combat, which resulted in his retirement in 1995.

Templin and Wasdin knew each other before they began writing “SEAL Team Six.” Templin said, “We both at-tended Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training together. After I left the Navy, years later, I was waiting in the Los Angeles International Airport and picked up a book at one of the shops: ‘Blackhawk Down.’ I looked in the index to see if any SEALs were involved when I noticed Howard’s name. The book told little about the SEALs’ mission there and I thought that would be a great story. Howard’s book never materialized, and one day I hooked up with him on Facebook (he’s not there anymore) and asked him if he’d like to write his biography with me. He agreed.” Since October 2009 Templin and Wasdin have been meeting regularly in order to com-plete the book.

Templin explained that the “book takes readers from Howard’s childhood when his stepfather physically abused him to the grueling process it takes to become a SEAL...The book gives a great look into SEAL Team Six, but it also gives a great look into overcom-ing adversity.”

Wasdin has been interviewed on programs such as Good Morning America, Hannity, Dateline NBC Special and Laura Ingra-ham’s radio show.

Templin has been surprised by the amount of attention they have received. “The public’s response has been overwhelming. Our publisher immediately flew Howard Wasdin, my coauthor who this book is about, to New York to interview on all the major news TV shows, magazines and newspapers: Good Morning America, Vanity Fair, New York times, etc. Howard did somewhere between 50-100 interviews in a few days. While Howard took care of the domestic interviews, I interviewed with France (20 Minutes), Netherlands (NOS) and Chile (EMOL). We’ve also been negotiating with the UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany for rights to publish there and Hollywood agents have been swarming on our agent.”

Templin has been busy with the increasing amounts of attention the book has received. “They also nearly quadrupled our scheduled print run from 20,000 copies to 70,000. I’ve heard that some bookstores sold out on the first day of sales,” said Templin. If you “want to understand the guys who whacked bin Laden, this is the book to buy.”

-SUZANNE TUTTLE

BYU-Hawa i i a l um sheds l i g h t on wha t i t ’ s l i k e t o be an e l i t e Navy SEAL

“SEAL Team Six” was writ-ten by Stephen Templin, a BYU-Hawaii alum. The book begins, “When the

U.S. Navy sends their elite, they send the

SEALs. When the SEALs send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six,

the navy’s equivalent to the army’s Delta

Force.” Photos cour-tesy of Templin.

-NATE PACKER

Students play intramurals ‘for love of the game’

-BYL INE

-GABR I ELL SABALONES

Students crowded the gym, volleyballs flying on all sides. On Wednesday, May

18, BYU-Hawaii’s volleyball intramurals had begun. Each team was made up of students whose only link together was their love of the game. Participants formed their own teams and played against each other tourna-ment style. Easter Niko, freshman in account-ing, had heard of the volleyball intramurals. “I’d heard people talk about it, but I wasn’t really interested,” said the Tuvalu native in spite of his love for the game. Yet a week be-fore the intramurals, a friend of Niko’s began forming a team and asked him if he wanted to join. As he played alongside a full team, against a full team, next to a different game

with two full teams, with full teams flanking either side of each of the two games waiting along the walls of the old gym for their turn to play, he was able to appreciate something he had not realized before: that BYUH stu-dents like volleyball. Niko usually plays with some friends, but has found that players are usually few to be found. “There’s usually not enough people,” he explained. This was not a prob-lem he found at intramurals. “At the intramurals, there are so many people. That was my favorite part about it; finding out that there were so many people that had the same love for the same game,” he said.

Amy Gomez jumps for a hit during an intramural volleyball game. Photo by Gabriell Sabalones