Mormon Life - BYU-Hawaii tag

BYU-Hawaii gets first non-Mormon student president

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:36:00 -0600

source: sltrib.com

Brigham Young University-Hawaii has its first non-Mormon student body president — and he’s a Muslim.

Mustapha El Akkari, the Lebanese-born student who came to the Mormon-owned school three years ago on a full-ride basketball scholarship, takes office this week, according to an article in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: The parable of BYU-Hawaii

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:44:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve told BYU-Hawaii’s graduating students that they must get over their insecurities and look to the future with faith. Elder Holland spoke to more than 200 graduates on Saturday, Dec. 17, in commencement exercises held in the Cannon Activities Center on the university’s campus in Laie, Hawaii.

“First of all, it is incumbent upon us as students, as Latter-day Saints, and as children of God to see the divine potential in ourselves, to believe in ourselves to know that with God’s help there is quite literally nothing in righteousness that we cannot become,” Elder Holland said. “That is the parable of this school’s history and it ought to be the parable of your history.”

BYU-Hawaii to break ground for new campus buildings

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:06:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Brigham Young University–Hawaii announced that the groundbreaking for a new multi-use building and new student housing facilities will be held Saturday, Dec. 17, following the Fall 2011 Commencement exercises to be held that morning.

Elder Nelson speaks at BYU-Hawaii Commencement: Visions past, present and future

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:54:00 -0600

source: ldschurchnews.com

Prophetic visions of the past, present and future are a gift from Heavenly Father to guide His faithful children, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve said during commencement services at Brigham Young University-Hawaii on April 9.

"You are beneficiaries of prophetic visions of the past," Elder Nelson said. "The Restoration of the gospel was initiated and authenticated by visions and visitations from heavenly messengers."

Elder Nelson spoke of the vision President David O. McKay had about international school children participating in a flag ceremony, 34 years previous to the foundation of the Church College of Hawaii in 1955 — what is now BYU-Hawaii.

"Today I stand on this ground made sacred by the prophets and apostles who have labored here through these many intervening years," he said. "I see bright and able young men and women from more than 70 countries, representing a host of diverse languages and cultures."

How BYU-Hawaii Students are Changing the World

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:13:00 -0700

by Erin Hallstrom
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Students come to BYU–Hawaii from all across the globe. A university filled with promise and prophecy, those who study here often return to their homelands as a powerful influence for good. Here are some of the ways they are striving to change the world after choosing to move forward with the knowledge they have gained from this place. *Editor's note: This is an excerpt from "From This Place." Read the full article in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of LDS Living magazine.

At 12 years old, Salisha Allard didn’t know how to read. In April, she will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English from BYU–Hawaii.

As a child, she says, “I hated everyone; I hated people.” Currently, Allard is the vice president of service in BYU–Hawaii’s student organization.

If you met Allard today, the first thing you’d notice is her smile. It’s big—the kind of smile that lights up a room. She is happy and friendly with an easy laugh—a complete contrast to the trials and events she has faced in her life. But Allard’s beaming existence hasn’t completely sunk in. When she thinks of herself as an educated, well-spoken, and faith-filled woman, she can’t help but wonder, “Is that really Salisha?” It is.

Salisha allard’s decision to come to BYU–Hawaii is among the most poignant. When she was 9 years old, her mother died and she was sent to live with her father in her home country of Grenada.
While her father loved her, he struggled financially and Salisha was typically left to fend for herself.

“Scorned" is the word Allard uses to describe how she felt—she was picked on by schoolmates and dismissed by most adults as dirty and a disturbance. The worst part? She believed it. She thought she was “a nothing, a nobody.” Tragically, her father died when she was 15, officially leaving Allard an orphan.

The change in Allard’s life began with one woman. This kind neighbor took her in, taught her to read, fed her, and clothed her. She bought Allard her first pair of shoes and paid for her to attend high school. This woman was also the means that led Allard to the gospel, although she was not a member herself. Her daughter started attending the local LDS meetings and asked Allard to come along one Sunday. It didn’t take Allard long to feel the Spirit, and she asked to be baptized that first Sunday.

It took some persistence and patience before she could become a member of the Church, but her persistence paid off. Once a member, Allard loved the Young Women program. There she learned about “divine nature”—a concept she hadn’t felt or heard of before. “I never felt important, like I am somebody,” she says. “I never knew that.”

Allard recalls a day when a leader invited Allard to her house and they sat on her bed, ate popcorn, and watched a movie. To this day, that simple act evokes sincere emotion.

“Just to have them hug me or to kiss me and say ‘we love you’. . . it made me different,” she says.

While driving in the car one day, Allard’s Young Women leader asked Allard if she wanted to go to BYU. The answer was an energetic yes—even though she had no means and no idea of how to make such an inconceivable goal happen. But her Young Women leader did. She helped Allard fill out an application and find a sponsor to pay half of her tuition. Shortly after that, Allard arrived in Hawaii. And now she can’t believe her life. “I am so grateful that I am somebody . . . I just never knew I was a person,” she says.

Allard is grateful every day—every second, in fact. Because of this, she has to serve people. She doesn’t see it as an obligation. It’s just part of who she is. “Service is the most important aspect of my life right now,” she says. “It just takes one little thing to completely change a life.”

Allard’s story is unique, but on the campus of BYU–Hawaii, being unique isn’t, well, unique. With less than 3,000 students enrolled—who represent 75 countries—there is as much diversity of circumstance as there is culture. Everyone has a story leading to their enrollment—some are dramatic, others are personal. But regardless of the road (or boat or plane) that led these students to this small school in the pacific, it’s clear they are here for a uniquely wonderful purpose.

Raised in the Church by returned missionary converts, Felix Callejas came home to El Salvador after serving his mission in Guatemala, anxiously awaiting his next step in life. Knowing he wanted to seek higher education, he applied to all four Church schools and was frustrated to learn none had space for him.

Callejas thought there must be a reason the next step of his life was being postponed, so he turned inward to receive an answer. He strongly felt he was needed at home to teach his grandmother the gospel and baptize her.

So he did.

The Monday after his grandmother was baptized, Callejas received his acceptance to BYU–Hawaii. Coincidence? Felix feels otherwise. “The Lord brought me here,” he says.

Following Truth
“One man said the world needs men who cannot be bought or sold, men who will scorn to violate truth, genuine gold. That is what this school is going to produce.”
—David O. Mckay

You hear the word prophecy constantly when visiting or reading about BYU–Hawaii—and for good reason. President David O. McKay’s speech at the groundbreaking for the school was filled with specific statements declaring a distinctive mission and prophesying of its vast influence. His words are repeated and remembered by all associated with the university. What’s more, his prophetic statements are being fulfilled by every student who attends.

While not a member, Boo YooN Choi of South Korea always knew about the Church. Her aunt, a convert, brought her to Church occasionally and made sure she knew its precepts. In her junior year of high school, Choi started thinking ahead to after graduation. Seeing an opportunity, her aunt mentioned a Church school in Hawaii and encouraged her to think about attending. Interested in languages, Choi knew Hawaii would be a great opportunity to grow professionally, but the idea of living in another country was intimidating. During her senior year of high school, Boo Yoon decided to be baptized. It was at this point she prayed for guidance and finally felt comfortable with the decision to attend BYU–Hawaii.

odBaYar BadaMjav (Ogi) was the second person in his family to join the Church. Two years later, his mother and other siblings followed him into the waters of baptism, and a year after that, he left on a mission to his home country of Mongolia.

Badamjav loved his mission. Normally quiet and soft-spoken, his words get stronger and brim with emotion when he talks about those two years. It was Badamjav’s mission president who suggested he consider school at BYU–Hawaii.

So he did. And so he came.

Influencing the World
“From this school, I’ll tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good towards the establishment of peace internationally.” —David O. Mckay

When asked to define BYU–Hawaii mission, Hippolite Wright says easily, “To build leaders who will be an influence for good in the world.” This mission is clear to everyone—students, teachers, administration—and influences class work, extracurricular programs, and even Church worship. Recently, a consultant visited the school and after observing the environment declared she had never visited a campus with such single-minded focus on its mission.

“We all feel very passionate and committed to the mission,” she says.

Current BYU–Hawaii President Steven C. Wheelright has said, “Our real charge as a university is not to prepare them for the world we grew up in but for the world they’re going to be in and that they’re going to have to help lead. . . . It is about the total experience, and how well these young men and women are prepared.”

With so many students attending from under-developed countries, this is not only an educational experience, but for some a first exposure to worshipping in a full ecclesiastical unit. While students are learning the skills to support their families in class, they are also learning to serve from each other and through Church—and are preparing to become future Relief Society presidents and bishops in the process.

BYU–Hawaii feels the urgency. The world needs leaders. Leaders who are honest and filled with integrity. Leaders who seek truth and are motivated to be a positive force for good. Leaders who are seasoned and prepared to build the kingdom of God in whatever corner of the world they live. President McKay prophesied the school would produce leaders, “not only on this island but everywhere.”

Among its graduates are successful teachers, doctors, lawyers, and business leaders. Many are bishops, Relief Society presidents, stake presidents, area authorities, and even general authorities: Elder Yoon Hwan Choi of the First Quorum of the Seventy graduated from BYU–Hawaii in 1988 and returned to his home country of South Korea, first working in information systems and then accepting a full-time job for the Church as the regional manager for temporal affairs. In 2009, Elder Choi was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy.

Every year the university honors former students who embody the mission of the school and the characteristics spoken of by President McKay with the Genuine Gold award. An alum and Genuine Gold recipient herself, Dr. Hippolite Wright says, “There is one guarantee, [attending BYU–Hawaii] will impact a student’s life. There’s no getting around that. You can’t get away from it. If you come to BYU–Hawaii, your life will be changed.”

Salisha Allard looks forward to her graduation in April with special anticipation: after she finishes, she will meet her sponsor for the first time—an anonymous donor who has paid half of her tuition during her entire college career. She knows this sacrifice completely altered the course of her life, and she can’t wait to officially say thank you. Allard bursts with energy and happiness when talking about the love and gratitude she feels for her life.

“It is just so wonderful,” she says. “It is a real blessing—a life I have never lived before. I am grateful that people love me and grateful to know about Heavenly Father. He has blessed me in so many ways. I am always astounded.”

After graduation, Allard will go home and see family while regrouping before her next move. First up will be a master’s degree. Someday she wants to be a professor at a university in Grenada. She loves grammar and English literature, but she may also study social work. Ultimately, what Allard cares most about is to be prepared to pursue her dream of running an orphanage in Grenada.

Allard knows the difference one person can make in a life, and she longs to be an instrument of change in other children’s lives. “I want to give children love. I want to give [them] food and motivation to be somebody—to let them feel what it’s like to be somebody,” she says. “Because they are somebody.”

Learn, lead, build — BYU-Hawaii's influence felt across the globe

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:39:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Mormon Life says: Beautiful photo gallery. Standing in a Sugarcane field in Laie, Hawaii, on Feb. 12, 1955, President David O. McKay founded the Church College of Hawaii.

On that day he spoke of a vision he saw 34 years earlier when he witnessed a group of international school children participating in a flag ceremony at the Church school in Laie. President McKay recounted that he had seen in those children the ability of the gospel of Jesus Christ to unite all people.

Then he spoke of the influence of the new school — which would later become Brigham Young University-Hawaii. "From this school, I'll tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good toward the establishment of peace internationally," he said.

Later, during the dedicatory prayer, he gave further insight into the great potential of the place where he stood: "We dedicate our actions in this service unto Thee and unto Thy glory and to the salvation of the children of men, that this college and the temple and the town of Laie may become a missionary factor, influencing not thousands, not tens of thousands, but millions of people who will come seeking to know what this town and its significance are."

Reinventing Laie

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by Jena Peterson
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: The presence of the Church in the Pacific centers around a powerful trifecta: The Laie Temple, Brigham Young University – Hawaii, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. For the locals it’s a place to worship, for youth it’s a place to gain an education, and for a worldwide audience, the students have a phenomenal opportunity to share the mission of the Church. During any given semester, more than sixty countries are represented in Laie. Students arrive from as far as Cambodia and the Ukraine to join the Polynesian population that has come to work and go to school. For students from areas where education is unavailable or unaffordable, the set-up in Laie is ideal: they are able to pay for tuition, books, room, and board by working at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC).

Every year, more than 700 BYU-Hawaii students supplement their educational expenses by working at the PCC. Since the Center opened in October 1963, nearly 17,000 students have worked there, amassing over $171 million in total financial support.

The Center gives students a variety of work assignments that strengthen their educational objectives and they are able to hone their English language skills by interacting with thousands of visitors each working day.

Recently the trifecta has undergone some significant changes. The temple received a renovation and the night show at the PCC, the highlight of the Center's productions, was completely reinvented. Each project went forward with some very important goals in mind: to help proclaim the gospel and redeem the dead.

A Temple Overhaul In 2008, the 89-year-old temple closed its doors for a needed renovation. Quoting from a letter from the First Presidency dated September 22, 2008 announcing the closing of the temple, "This is necessary to return the Temple to its original beauty, and to bring it up to current Temple standards."

There have been three additional upgrades over the last 50 years: a new finish was added to the outside in the 1960s, the north and south wings and audiovisual in the 70s, and an elevator in the 80s.

For the renovation beginning in 2008, the temple underwent a refurbishment that included all new finishes with the exception of the historic murals, improved handicap accessibility, a replacement of the roofing system and exterior windows, removal and repainting of the exterior, repairing of concrete details, a new front entrance and lobby, replacement of the baptismal font and a new baptistry entrance, all new mechanical, electrical and audiovisual systems, an expansion of the fire sprinkler system to the entire building, seismic upgrades, new exterior lighting and handrails, all new carpet and stonework, and new lockers and furnishings. The exterior look of the temple remained essentially the same.

What has not been affected is the structural integrity of the building, a product of the temple's token miracle. A favorite local story tells of this miracle - when the original temple builders received exactly what they needed at a crucial time in the building of the temple. In the early 1900s, construction on the temple halted when lumber ran short. The contractor, Ralph Wooley, said some prayers and two days later, a freight ship got caught in a severe storm and stranded on a nearby coral reef. The ship's captain thought that if he could unload the cargo, the ship would float off the reef. He told the Saints they could keep his cargo if they would help him unload what turned out to be enough wood to complete the temple.

The wood became the formwork for the concrete that made up the floors, ceilings, walls, and roof. For the concrete, the Saints used native crushed lava rock and coral, and reinforced it with steel. Wood was only used in the millwork, so while there was some termite damage, it was minimal - the structural integrity of the building has stayed intact.

"It is always interesting to perform a remodel on a 90-year-old building," said John Stoddard, project manager for the Temple and Special Projects department of the Church. "Considerable time was spent beforehand reviewing archive photos and reading material to capture the historical feel of the Temple."

Workers have uncovered various items including what they believe is an original 1918 light bulb, a concrete trowel that was buried in the old baptismal font concrete, and an old ink well bottle.

"There is a sense of reverence in working on a building of such history that makes you feel a very real part of those who sacrificed for its original construction," said Stoddard. "Then there is the awesome responsibility of just working on a Temple where you know it will be a major blessing to those who will use it for years to come."

The men overseeing the renovation wanted the remodeling to bless temple patrons. "We know that Temples are to be held to a higher standard than regular meeting houses and the Laie Temple fell short of that over the years," said Stoddard. "Finishes just get old. With this renovation, that standard will be returned and those patrons to attend the temple will surely be able to recognize that this is the House of the Lord."

The Church announced an open house for the temple between Friday, 22 October 2010, until Saturday, 13 November 2010, excluding Sundays. The temple will be dedicated in three session on Sunday, 21 November 2010.

A New Horizon Another remodeling last year took Hawaii by surprise. After running for 14 years, the night show "Horizons: Where the Sea Meets the Sky" retired and "Ha: Breath of Life" took the stage. The very nature of the new show was so different from anything the PCC had done before that fans and former dancers got very nervous.

First off, the night show had always been only a dance show, never a play. "We're dancers, not actors," some of the students said, laughing at themselves. Horizons had been working flawlessly and there wasn't an apparent need to change - certainly not to a discipline in which they had no experience.

But when producers began to envision a new night show, they wanted something that would tell more of a story than the traditional night show. Delsa Moe, producer for "Ha: Breath of Life" and former assistant director for "Horizons," said they started with four goals.

First, the show had to be different from anything in Hawaii. Second, the new show had to be something that would bring audiences back. Third, the cultural values of each nation represented had to be evident. And fourth, the production needed to be an avenue for sharing the gospel, but gently.

"The way to make it different was to leave them with something more than cultural information. People would want to come back if they left wanting to be better than they are," Moe said. "We had to figure out a way for that to happen."

The producers brought in David Warner, recommended because of his success with the Nauvoo Pageant and Salt Lake City's "Light of the World" production. He set them to work identifying the core values of each of the six cultures. The PCC represents the Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan, Maori, Fijian, and Tahitian cultures, and each one comes with its own traditions and customs.

"A lot of fasting and prayer and temple attendance went into it," Moe said. After three days laying out the values of each culture, a plot started to form and a story popped out.

"It's a very predictable story, but surprising in its universal appeal," Moe said. The story follows the life of a boy, Mana, from the time he is born to the birth of his own son. "The truths resonate with every person. A worldwide audience relates emotionally right away, but it's new because it's Polynesian."

Each Polynesian culture uses their history, legends, and customs to portray a scene in the story, and the plot moves from island to island. The team worked to form each scene with dance from the islands, but it was so new, they weren't sure if it would work.

"We knew it was the right approach, but we didn't know how to deliver it," Moe said. "Then, just at the moments when we were discouraged, we'd be in rehearsal and someone would tear up. That's what kept us going."

After one section was ready, the producers tested it. They dropped the scene in the middle of the existing Horizons show and waited for the reaction. "The response was incredible. The audience loved the new scenes." And because the doctrine of the family and eternal life are woven seamlessly into the storyline, the performance was able to share gospel principles without preaching.

In one response, a man said, "For the first time ever, my wife and I talked about how we could be better parents for our two kids."

Missionary Tools at Work The experience people have watching the night show is just one of the many gentle examples they see at the PCC. The Center is made up of villages representing Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Hawaii, Aotearoa, and Tahiti. Two-thirds of the 1100-person staff is made up of students from BYU-Hawaii. They work in a number of positions, hosting guests and demonstrating aspects of their culture.

The students know their important role and revel in the opportunity to be examples. "I love how I get to interact with others," said Michael An Chong, a student from Samoa. "We have people come from all over the world, and I get to show them my heritage."

One of Michael's favorite jobs has been as a tour guide. "My role is to make them happy, and at the end of the tour I ask them how their day was, and every now and then they say, 'I feel something different here.'"

That "something different" often leads guests to a tour of the Laie Temple Visitors' Center. The PCC offers a free shuttle and tour guide to interested guests and is the temple's largest source of visitors, hosting over 900,000 since 1990. The Visitors' Center has sent over 44,000 referrals from these tours to missionaries across the world.

The PCC also helps to produce another asset for missionary work: stellar missionaries. "I can't even count the number of calls and e-mails I've had from mission presidents who say that some of the very best missionaries they have in their missions are students from BYU-Hawaii who have worked at the PCC," says Von Orgill, president of the PCC. "Interacting with people has become so natural for them that being a missionary is second nature. They make friends in an instant."

Whenever possible, President Orgill makes it a point to enhance students' work experience with training related to the field they are studying. "Everything in this community is about them," he says. "The Lord brings them here in preparation for what they’re going to do in the future. It's marvelous to see who is here at the right time."

Many students have the opportunity to work in areas of the PCC that are directly related to their major, such as accounting or management.

"In all cases, the students are applying the concepts and theories that they learn in the classroom on the job here," says President Orgill, "so it really is preparing them for the work they will do in the world as well as their roles as leaders in the Church and their communities."

That work was envisioned by President David O. McKay. In 1955, he stated, "From this school, I'll tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good towards the establishment of peace internationally."

Visitors' responses demonstrate that the fulfillment of the prophecy is on track. After visiting the PCC, a former ambassador to the U.S. said, "The spirit of love, the spirit of mutual understanding, the spirit of living in harmony and peace - this is something I think the Polynesian Cultural Center is now clearly manifesting, and the effect of that impact will go far beyond the Center itself."

With over one thousand dignitaries visiting the PCC every year, the influence the students have is reaching the world in a powerful way.

"The relationship between the Cultural Center and University is a unique relationship which gives us a very good idea on how to direct our culture and learning in the future," the former Chinese Vice Minister for Minority Affairs said. "Of all my impressions, the most important part is the religious freedom that exists here. We must learn from this. Hopefully, this will be brought back to our country."

--- Rebuilding Rooms Another significant project in Laie is the prospect of a new hotel. The 49-room Laie Inn, at 45 years old, had been scaring off patrons for the last 15 years, namely, the first presidency. During one of President Gordon B. Hinckley's stays, he actually caught a rat in his room.

The new hotel will accommodate not only guests of the Laie Hawaii Temple, the PCC, and families of BYU-Hawaii students, but will also serve as a hands-on classroom for students majoring in hospitality and tourism. The hotel, which will most likely be a Marriott, will work with the university's business school. Nothing official is signed just yet, and the hotel won't be breaking ground for about another year, but Michael Johanson, director of communications for the university, says the prospects could mean a tremendous opportunity for students.

"There will be coordination and a strong academic connection with the new hotel and our hospitality and tourism management program," Johanson says. "It will give real-life industry experience here on a very popular Oahu tourist location."

The Laie Inn was razed in November 2009. Plans for the new hotel call for 228 rooms and will sit on the site of the former Laie Inn, likely displacing the adjacent gas station and McDonald's restaurant.

Where to Stay In the meantime, the closest property for guests is the Turtle Bay Resort, a seven-minute drive north of Laie. In addition to guest rooms and suites, beach cottages and ocean villas comfortably accommodate families. The resort features golf packages, surfing lessons, horseback riding excursions, and spa treatments at the Spa Luana.