BYU-Hawaii faculty convocation
sets theme of 'leadership as moral engagement'

BYU-Hawaii faculty, as they have for the past 14 years, donned their academic robes at the beginning of the new school year in a special convocation to initiate a year-long discussion on the theme: leadership as moral engagement.

Dr. Jeff Burroughs, Dean of the BYU-Hawaii College of Arts and Sciences, explained that convocations are an academic tradition of raising "thought-provoking issues" and a "gift on our campus" started in 1989 by then-Academic Vice President Dr. R. Lanier Britsch, who has since retired and is currently completing a service mission at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

History Department chairman Dr. Michael Allen explained the tradition of BYU-Hawaii faculty convocations is also designed "to celebrate the glory of academic learning" and initiate year-long discussion of the theme that is "firmly anchored in the University's mission and vital to a world that often seems to have lost its intellectual, religious, political and moral moorings."

Dr. Robertson — photos by Monique Saenz

"Unlike many institutions of higher learning, we do not shy away from the moral, character-building aspects of education," Dr. Allen said. "Rather, we embrace the possibility that an education combining a liberal arts core with selected academic and professional programs can help create individuals who are not only competent, but reflective and moral as well — men and women who, as the University's founding prophet David O. McKay put it, 'cannot be bought or sold.'"

Dr. Allen added, "It would be difficult to find a member of the faculty more zealously devoted to the good of his students and the University" than this year's theme-bearer, Dr. Dale Robertson.

"The genius of BYU-Hawaii is that you are not taught leadership, you are given opportunities to serve in wards, clubs, student government, dorm organizations, etc., where leadership develops naturally," responded Dr. Robertson, who earned his bachelor's degree in political science from BYU and his master's and doctoral degrees in international studies from the American University in Washington, D.C., and has been teaching at BYU-Hawaii since 1977.

Rather than discuss leadership further, Dr. Robertson suggested focusing on the moral component of the convocation theme through the use of the Hawaiian word pono, which traditionally means "balance, harmony, or rightness." He further suggested a better title of his address would be, "Applying correct principles to make things pono in the 21st century."

"If I manipulate, trick, or force you to do something you don't want to do then our relationship or the situation is not pono. If we get together and solve our mutual problems, then we are pono," he said. "Sustainability is another useful word these days. It means to solve problems in a way that doesn't create more problems, or it means to create a system that can be maintained with little or no outside resources."

"So, what needs to be made right or put in balance in the 21st Century?" he asked, telling the students in the Cannon Activities Center that "the answers for this century will increasingly lie in your hands. When choosing a major, instead of thinking of a career, you might think of it as service."

"For example, you biology students can help by working on solutions to sanitation or nutrition problems. People in literature or the arts could express the plight of the displaced in many dramatic ways."

Dr. Robertson also stressed that "how" and "when" are essential ingredients in problem solving. Citing a textbook he previously used, he added, "The thesis of the book was that how you solve your conflicts is as important as the solution itself. That is, if you solve your problem at the expense of others, you will bear a cost; you will denigrate yourself and others, or in the words of the authors, you will be less human."

"The point is that to be successful you must take the principles of the gospel, add them to your knowledge and skill, and get things done."

Dr. Robertson added that "not only must you have the solutions to problems, but you must have the vision or the spiritual strength to attack these problems early. One of the most important concepts that you will learn in your college career [is] when do you start realizing there's a problem? When do you start trying to make things pono?"

To illustrate, Dr. Robertson used the population of Pakistan, which is currently 129.2 million with an annual growth rate of 3.44%. "At that rate the population will double in 20 years. In 60 years — in your lifetime — they will reach one billion. Can they deal with this many people?"

"You might say yes. The people of Pakistan are intelligent and many are well educated. Then when do the public, private, and religious institutions of Pakistan need to start planning and building roads, sewers, schools, mosques, etc? On the other hand, if you say no, they cannot handle that population size, then when do they need to start with family planning?"

"By the way, Pakistan is not the only country that is well on its way to joining the Billion Club in your lifetime: Bangladesh, The Philippines, Nigeria and Brazil are also applicants."

"A major difficulty in solving problems is that structurally our institutions are not equipped for long range planning," Dr. Robertson continued. "For instance, in the U.S. we elect people to office for two, four or six years. How can political leaders go back to their constituencies and report that they have solved a problem that won't be a problem for 50 or 100 years?"

Dr. Robertson said other serious problems include over-consumption, global warming, pollution, war, terrorism, failed states, displaced persons, and the loss of cultures due to globalization.

"Are BYU-Hawaii students going to be the ones to fix our political and social systems?" he asked. "The world cries out for a reconceptualization of our immediate social environment. Isn't there another way to elect presidents, governors, and mayors? The current process is so wounding that we can't live with the people we elect, and we immediately work toward their removal."

"On a more local level, we see around us families suffering with child and spouse abuse and single parents struggling. Now, homeless people are everywhere, but I rarely see it as a campaign issue. I know our social work and psychology students are working on these issues," he continued, but asked when they're going to accelerate their efforts.

Dr. Robertson acknowledged that things can change dramatically with far-reaching implications. He cited the Industrial Revolution, the Cold War, and the restoration of the gospel as examples; "and we can do it again."

He shared video clips of fellow faculty members who also cited individuals who have influenced tremendous changes in various disciplines, including Charles Darwin in biology, Freud in psychology, Chaucer in literature, and Richard Stallman who helped create the free software movement, among others.

"Some of you are saying, I'm not an Einstein or a Darwin; but can you make a difference? Of course, you can still make things pono in your sphere and in your lifetime," Dr. Robertson said.

"Students from BYU-Hawaii are uniquely poised to make things pono since you are here at the melting pot of cultures and ideas. What have you learned from your roommates, classmates, and ward members? Does only one country or culture have all the answers?"

"Of course you do not think that, or you would not be here at BYUH," he said. "Isn't BYU-Hawaii a wonderful place to learn how to change the world?"

"I have been here for 25 years, but I have never felt so strongly that there is a force, a spirit brooding upon this campus," Dr. Robertson said. "I know that the substantive knowledge of your majors, the broadening perspective of general education, in combination with the richness of shared cultural experiences and the light of the gospel will give you the power to make things pono, to make your solutions sustainable, to make your leadership moral."

Later that afternoon Dr. Robertson and several other faculty members participated in a panel discussion to follow up on his address in the CAC.

"I want to compliment Dale [Robertson], and say mahalo to him for using pono in that sense," said "Uncle" Bill Wallace, director of the BYUH Hawaiian Studies program. "There are many different ways that word can be used; and the way Dale chose was a good way. It really looked at processes by which we can make things pono. He pointed that out very well."

Political science professor Debi Hartmann asked a few questions of her own: "Do academic programs help people engage with balancing our personal, religious values with some of the lives our people will come in contact with? Movers and shakers find themselves on the margins on the systems they belong to. Is there space or safe space for activists on this campus?"

"Yes, we have a wonderful, rich environment," she agreed, but felt "we need to formalize and study implicit actions, and make them explicit. Pono requires action, in my thinking."

One of the students in the room asked if he and his peers knew enough about the world to survive in light of some of the questions and issues raised.

Another student told of a classmate who had been offended by something they'd been reading in another class. "You can't convince everyone to come out of the cave or the bubble," he said.

As the panel broke up an hour later, the presence of the questions still on the table spoke to the purpose of the convocation and its year-long objective of provoking thought.

Visiting business professor Gary McKinnon suggested smaller answers are also okay. "You don't have to be a great leader in your country. Be a great leader in your family and your community; and as you go on, don't get discouraged."

 

PCC sets 'LDS Day' to celebrate 40th anniversary
The Polynesian Cultural Center has set Friday, October 24th, as an exclusive Latter-day Saint Day at PCC, and invites Church members, "alumni" employees, labor and service missionaries and other volunteers to help celebrate the popular visitor attraction's 40th anniversary.

PCC Vice President of Operations Leilua Logo Apelu ('73, Business Education), who is also immediate past president of the BYU-Hawaii/CCH Alumni Association, said he expects at least 3,000 PCC alumni to participate in the celebration that will include a special visit by President Gordon B. Hinckley.

The celebration will include a week of opportunities for alumni to work back in their respective island villages, educational panels, a golf tournament and, of course, the 40th anniversary alumni show which will start at 8:00 p.m. in the Pacific Theater on Latter-day Saint Day.

"We're very excited about the celebration. We want those who came in the beginning to know those who came after them. We want to really express our gratitude to our Father in Heaven for sustaining us for the past 40 years of preserving and sharing the arts of Polynesia. We also want to express our gratitude to the labor missionaries, and the many leaders who have gone out from PCC to the world," said Apelu, who along with his committee has been planning the 40th anniversary reunion for the past year. For more information, go to alumni.polynesia.com.

School of Computing institutes Linux technician training
Dean S.K. Davis ('98, Information Systems), Department Chairman for Information Systems in the BYU-Hawaii School of Computing, recently completed his Red Hat Engineer Certification training and has instituted Linux operating system technician training into the School's curriculum.

"BYU-Hawaii is one of the few universities worldwide which offers training that will enable our students to prepare for Red Hat Technician Certification," said Davis, who started working at BYU-Hawaii immediately after graduating and has since earned his master's degree in IS from Hawaii Pacific University. He added that students who complete this certification will greatly enhance their marketability.

"Dean is one of the top people in the country in this whole Red Hat environment. He's a trail blazer," said Robert Hayden, Dean of the School of Computing. "The certification he has attained is one of the first in the nation. It's big, and will open a lot of opportunities for students who are interested. They have to work for it; but if they make it through, they’re going to be sought after."

Dean Hayden added there are currently over 350 students enrolled in School of Computing majors.

Dr. Pratte

Retired journalism professor to complete BYU-Hawaii's 50-year history
BYU journalism professor emeritus Alf Pratte started working on BYU-Hawaii's 50-year history a week after he retired from the Provo campus at the end of Spring Term. Two months later he returned to Hawaii, where he and his family previously lived from 1964-81, and is now a special assistant to President Eric Shumway with a charge to complete a 500-plus page history of the University in time for the golden jubilee celebration in 2005.

Pratte, who is an authority on the history of print media and a member of the prestigious Annenberg Press Commission, accepted a reporter's position with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin soon after earning his bachelor's degree in journalism from BYU. He has since earned his master's in journalism from BYU and a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Hawaii. Pratte also previously worked for the Hawaii Senate minority office, the UH Sea Grant College's Marine Advisory Program, and taught at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, before joining the BYU faculty.

He explained that the BYU-Hawaii history project is already underway, based on 20 years of historical research compiled by retired BYU-Hawaii professor Ken Baldridge, which comes up to about 1986. "Unbelievable things have also happened since then. I will focus most of my energies in that period," added Pratte, who estimates the project will take about a year to get ready for publication.

"It's not just writing, it's editing. For people who think this is unbelievably difficult, it is; but because the Mormons are such good record keepers, and we have such good archives, a lot of it is already here," he said.

While Pratte is busy compiling and writing the history, his wife, June, who is a former advisor at Utah Valley State College, is volunteering as a manager in the Honor Code office. One of their five children, Mitchell ('81), previously attended BYU-Hawaii; and another son, Doran, married BYU-Hawaii graduate JoEll Allred ('97, Elementary Education).

BYU-Hawaii sports reports

Wagner — photo by Elder Wally Barrus

New AD: Ken Wagner has succeeded Professor Randy Day as the BYU-Hawaii athletic director. Day resigned from the position, which he accepted temporarily for the past several years, to concentrate again on teaching in math and sciences. Wagner will also continue as the University's head basketball coach, where he has compiled a 250-130 record during his past 13 years at that helm.

Wagner, who previously served as BYU-Hawaii athletic director from 1991-2000, will be assisted by Mike Apo ('81, Physical Education) and Dawn Kurihara ('81, Physical Education). Apo, who has worked at the University since 1991, will also remain as the athletic facilities coordinator and associate volleyball coach; and Kurihara, who is in her 10th year at BYU-Hawaii, will continue in her current position as head trainer with Seasider athletics.

Women's Volleyball: As of our Newsletter e-Press deadline, the BYU-Hawaii Lady Seasiders have played a powerful preseason and accumulated a 9-2 record, most of it on the road, and remain ranked at second in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 list. They trail the University of California-San Diego on the list, and are followed by Cal State-San Bernardino.

All-American Yu Chuan Weng, Chun Yi Lin and middle blocker Ashley Moea'i have shown impressive play this season, as has freshman Lesina Funaki, who is from Laie and comes out of the 2002 Kahuku High state championship team. Freshman libero Federica Tonon, playing just her second match for the Seasiders on Sept. 20, piled up 29 digs against Western New Mexico.

Water Polo: The BYU-Hawaii men's water polo team backed up their 18th national spot in the Men's Collegiate Top 20 ranking on Sept. 13 by demolishing Chaminade, 18-2; but more recently lost to Stanford, 16-8. Two-time All-American Vanja Kalabic blasted in three goals for the Seasiders in the opening regular season match for both teams. Earlier in the preseason the Seasiders edged by the Hawaiian Masters team, 12-11.

X-Country: BYU-Hawaii's Chelsea Smith has been running away from the other harriers, posting wins in the Chaminade Invitational which was held Sept. 6th on the BYUH course, and another record-breaking first place the following week in the BYU-Hawaii Invitational by completing the 5K course in 17:42. She also finished second place in a prestigious meet in Honolulu against the defending national champions. Incidentally, she's a walk-on team member.

Most recently, Smith placed second behind BYU's Michaele Mannova in the multi-division 4K Big Wave Invitational in Honolulu with a time of 13:38 — 20 seconds behind Mannova. The BYU-Hawaii team took eighth place in the meet.

For more news of BYU-Hawaii athletics...