1995-2005 Golden Jubilee Week report

The combined October-November 2005 issue of our BYU-Hawaii Alumni eNewsletter contains an overview of the 50th anniversary Golden Jubilee Week (October 15-23) activities and the many alumni and visitors who came to Laie for this historic event, including:

• President Thomas S. Monson delivers Jubilee devotional, conference talks
• Overview of Jubilee Week
• Largest-ever Chapter Chair conference
  • New President-Elect named
• Newsbytes
• Tonga alumna named 'Exec of Year'
• Personal Updates from those who were there

President Monson delivers Jubilee devotional, conference talks

President Thomas S. Monson

"I feel your spirit as you assemble, the spirit of the islands," said President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency, as he greeted the Saints assembled in the Cannon Activities Center on October 23, for the Hawaii regional conference portion of the Jubilee celebration. The conference was also broadcast to all stake centers in Hawaii.

"As the Lord said, I the Lord remember those who are on the isles of the sea," President Monson said as he recalled earlier assignments that took him throughout the South Pacific.

"The Lord, when He was on the earth, talked a lot about home building. He said build your houses on a rock, and it will stand; do not build them on the sand, they'll fall," President Monson said in comparing one of his favorite scriptures in Doctrine and Covenants 88:119 to "a blueprint for our lives": Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.

"Where could you find a better blueprint? If that weren't enough, I like what the Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

"When we think of a house of faith, I think of the Prophet Joseph. Through faith he prayed to God," President Monson continued. "He had faith and he didn't waver, and we're here as a result."

In reference to a house of learning, President Monson stressed the important of education. "You must have an education; and Brother Hinckley put us all under a pledge to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. How are you doing?"

"We can learn from great literature," he continued, noting that Charles Dickens' memorable character, Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol demonstrates the gospel's power to change the lives of people; and "when I think of a 'house of glory,' I tend to think of Mark Twain's character, Huckleberry Finn, who said he got religion and decided he was going to pray. But when he knelt down to pray, the words wouldn't come, and he realized he had no intention of changing," President Monson said. He realized you "can't pray a lie."

President Monson recalled President McKay appointed him to the Twelve 42 years ago. "I bore testimony of him [on Friday]; I bear testimony of President Hinckley today."

"You people are blessed to have prophets of God enjoy being with you. They're attracted to you. Oh, people say you want to go plunge in the ocean. No, we want to plunge into the spirit reflected by the members of the Church in these isles of the sea."

"Remember, when you're on the Lord's errand, you're entitled to the Lord's blessings," President Monson said, in invoking a blessing on the Saints: "I bless you that you may have sufficient for your needs, and to spare. The Mormons are generous with their means to build the Kingdom of God."

"I bless you that you may help others to gain the education that you had," he said, "and testify that we're led by a prophet, President Hinckley; that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God."

Earlier in the conference, Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve spoke of Church growth as he noted the Hawaiian islands now have approximately 61,000 members. "The people of these islands have been richly loved by the prophets," he said.

"The Saints in Hawaii are blessed to have two temples," he added, noting that Kona Temple President Earl Veloria ('69, Physical Education) [and matron Audrey Davenport Veloria ('66, Elementary Education)] "is the first native Hawaiian temple president."

"We live in a day of fulfillment of ancient prophecies," he said of the 122 currently active temples and the nine additional ones under construction. "It is so important that we live our lives worthily."

Also speaking earlier, Bishop Spencer B. McMullin, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, praised President David O. McKay as a "master of words" — such as no other success can compensate for failure in the home — "which moves us to great things."

Bishop McMullin also advised us not to channel "surf" when it comes to issues of faith. "Exercise faith in Christ, and pray," he said. "We have a sure 'site' to which we can turn: It is our Father in Heaven."

Sister Hales and Sister McMullin also spoke briefly during the conference.

* * * * * * *

In his Friday, October 21 devotional address on "the quest for life eternal," President Monson retraced the familiar story of how President David O. McKay founded BYU-Hawaii.

"You represent over 70 countries and are fulfilling the dream which President David O. McKay had for you and the thousands of others who have passed — and who will yet pass — through these hallowed halls." 

"As we celebrate this Golden Jubilee, may we also, in a sense, celebrate the life of that giant of the Lord, President David O. McKay," said President Monson.

"As one who loves you and who, with your parents, appreciates your great expectations, may I discuss with you four guiding principles to help you in your quest for education and to assist you throughout your lives. These guidelines are:

• Prepare properly
• Serve willingly
• Live honorably
• Pray earnestly

"When we contemplate the eternal nature of our choices, preparation is a vital factor in our lives. The day will come when we will look back upon our period of preparation and be grateful that we properly applied ourselves," President Monson said.

He recalled a university class he once taught: "Some of the students seemed to know where they were going. They applied themselves. They had objectives; they had goals, and they worked toward the achievement of these objectives and goals. Other students could not have cared less. They seemed to be drifting on a sea of chance, with waves of failure threatening to engulf them."

"In your pursuit of excellence real effort is required. Remember, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

President Monson stressed that spiritual preparation is greater than academic preparation. "We must acquire for ourselves a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ — a testimony which President David O. McKay described as an anchor to the soul."

In reference to willing service, President Monson quoted King Benjamin: When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God. Let no one of us follow the example of Laman or Lemuel.  When given an opportunity to serve, they murmured, saying that it was a hard thing which had been required of them."

"The New Testament teaches that it is impossible to take a right attitude toward Christ without taking an unselfish attitude toward men: Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," he continued. "As we pray to our Heavenly Father each day, let us pray for His inspiration in guiding us to those to whom He would have us extend a helping hand or a listening ear."

To live honorably, President Monson said, "Avoid the detours which will deprive you of your Celestial reward. You can recognize them if you will. They may be labeled, 'Just this once won't matter,' or 'My parents are so old-fashioned.' Bad habits also can be such pitfalls. First we could break them if we would. Later, we would break them if we could."

"Each of you has received from the Savior — and I emphasize it anew today — the divine charge to Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven," he continued. "To glow with brilliance, our code of conduct emphasizes not so much the philosophy, what will others think? but rather, What will I think of myself?"

President Monson explained that to pray earnestly is to rely on our Heavenly Father as our "pilot in our eternal journey."

"He knows the way.  His counsel can keep us from the pitfalls threatening to engulf us and will lead us, rather, to the way of Life Eternal," he said.

"As we face the temptations of time, the confusion of choice, the embarrassment of error, the pursuit of perfection, our Heavenly Father is there to listen, to love, to inspire. Our Father to whom we earnestly pray is not an ethereal substance or a mysterious and incomprehensible being. Rather, He has eyes with which to view our actions, lips with which to speak to us, ears to hear our pleas, and a heart to understand our love."

"In our petition, we must remember that faith and doubt cannot exist in the mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other."

Speaking to the current students, President Monson said, "Your parents are proud of you. Your faculty members are pleased with your accomplishments. The leaders of the Church honor you." 

"As we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of this fine institution of higher learning, whose existence came about by inspiration, may you remember who you are and what you can become. May you choose the right when the choice is placed before you. May you honor your parents. May you love and serve God. May you also love your fellow man. May you have peace within your hearts and contentment within your souls."

Overview of Golden Jubilee week:
BYU-Hawaii celebrates first 50 years

Brigham Young University Hawaii celebrated its first 50 years with an eight-day week of activities from October 16-23, 2005, that ranged from Gladys Knight's first-ever concert in the islands and a fireside through devotions, pageants, parades, art and Polynesian quilt exhibits, plays and stage productions, a ball, of course a PCC luau, and addresses by the mayor of Honolulu, Hawaii state governor, and General Authorities.

Throughout the week, speakers and more than 1,000 visiting alumni and friends made frequent reference to President David O. McKay, who first envisioned a university here when he stopped at the Laie school on February 7, 1921, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve on a worldwide tour of Church missions, and witnessed the multi-ethnic children raise the U.S. flag.

On February 12, 1955, President McKay broke ground for the Church College of Hawaii, which became BYU-Hawaii in 1974, and prophesied that the school's students would be as "genuine gold," helping establish peace internationally through their integrity and leadership, especially in Asia and the Pacific islands.

At the same time he prophesied this small community would 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."

The university started in September that same year in a temporary campus with its first 153 students, while labor missionaries built the permanent facilities, which President McKay dedicated on December 17, 1958. The labor missionaries returned several years later to expand the campus, build other Church facilities and the Polynesian Cultural Center. Since the PCC opened in 1963, over 32 million visitors will have come to Laie by the end of this year, while over 14,000 BYU-Hawaii students will have helped finance their educations by working there.

Under the direction of BYU-Hawaii President Eric B. Shumway, who has worked at BYU-Hawaii for the past 40 years and is also a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy with area responsibilities over Hawaii and California, a volunteer committee planned the university's golden jubilee celebration for the past three years.

"We knew this was going to be a special occasion, but I don't think any of us expected it to be as superlative in every way as it was," said one committee member."

Highlights of the celebration included:

•       The Gladys Knight concert on Saturday, October 16, captured the vitality and rhythms the award-winning singer has been sharing with fans since approximately the time BYU-Hawaii started.

Gladys Knight and her Saints Unified Voices Choir

But more importantly, Knight — who joined the Church seven years ago — also shared her testimony — "the most important thing in my life" — and her message of multicultural diversity with the BYU-Hawaii students. "We need to get back to the basics of what Christ taught: We're all God's children," she said.

Knight presented two firesides on October 17 that were sponsored by the Hawaii-Honolulu Mission, and included approximately 100 members of her Saints Unified Voices — including about 20 BYU-Hawaii alumni — from Las Vegas.

"It has been such a warm, loving, peaceful, education visit. I could never have imagined the things that I have experienced on this trip," she told the thousands filling the Cannon Activities Center, many of them investigators. "I've been to Hawaii quite a few times, but I've never known it as I know it now."

"We have a shared vision, BYU-Hawaii, and that Polynesian Cultural Center is simply amazing. They do it with spirit."

"Where would you send me, Lord? That's where I'll go. That's what we should all be about," Knight continued.

"We have learned to appreciate in a very special way the wonderful diversity of the Church, which is so abundantly represented on the BYU-Hawaii campus," President Shumway responded.

•       President Shumway's devotional on Tuesday, October 19, entitled Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, honored the past eight presidents of the university.

He noted President McKay selected Dr. Reuben D. Law, Dean of Education at BYU, in 1954 to be the first president. "It is not difficult to imagine the magnitude of this calling, to be the president of a school that did not exist yet, no students, no faculty, no curriculum, and no buildings — not even an exact location."

"It took an enormous leap of faith and inspiration to preside over a school like CCH," President Shumway said. "Law's greatest achievement was undeniably his complete fidelity to the personal vision of David O. McKay."

Richard Wootton, the second president, "was a man of enormous energy, who worked 12 hours a day for the infant college...[who] moved the campus from a two-year junior college to a four-year baccalaureate degree-granting institution, tripling the student body from 250 to nearly a thousand."

"The grand event during the Wootton administration, which would forever change the dynamics of the campus and the community of Laie and better secure the economic future of thousands of working students, was the opening of the Polynesian Cultural Center," President Shumway continued, noting "the first idea of such a center came largely from the inspiration and imagination of Edward Clissold and Matthew Cowley."

Dr. Owen J. Cook followed, starting the tradition of the flags in front of the campus and energetically supporting the recruitment of international students. President Shumway pointed out CCH's athletics flourished under Dr. Cook; he started the first summer school program, and he helped launch the Asia-Pacific Language Training Mission on campus.

President Shumway described Dr. Stephen L. Brower as a man of tremendous courage and loyalty to the Church. "His four 'pinnacles of excellence' are still very much part of our present educational commitments, though articulated now in different terms: to provide for students, (1) experiences in righteous living in a truly spiritual environment, (2) an education that prepares them for employment, (3) experiences in international acculturation and cross-cultural understanding and respect, and (4) and finally, experiences that will inculcate a strong work ethic and stewardship accountability."

BYU-Hawaii Presidents (left-right) Wade, Shumway and Cameron. President Dan Andersen also attended the Jubilee.

Dr. Dan W. Andersen succeeded President Brower. "President Anderson was able to reaffirm our curriculum with a balance between 'vocational' and 'liberal' education," President Shumway said. "Like Brower, he preached the Honor Code and emphasized the spiritual foundations of the campus. 'Spirituality,' he said, should 'permeate our very existence.'"

The current president noted Andersen's tenure included "the creation of the BYU-Hawaii Stake of Zion with eleven wards" and "the remodeling and re-dedication of the Laie Hawaii temple by President Spencer W. Kimball. The spiritual contributions of these two events to the campus can hardly be understated."

Dr. J. Elliot Cameron, previously president of Snow College and Dean of Students at both Utah State University and BYU in Provo, followed. "I shall never forget the day he articulated what became his presidential mantra," President Shumway said: "This may be a tiny school in a tiny village on a tiny island, but whatever we do, it will be first class."

Dr. Alton L. Wade, president of Dixie College in Utah, succeeded President Cameron. "Alton Wade accentuated and expanded BYU-Hawaii's mission in the preparation for and in support of the internationalization of the Church," President Shumway continued. "The campus had truly become a microcosm of the world Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Presidents Andersen, Cameron, Wade and their respective spouses returned to Laie to join the jubilee. In Wade's case, he also brought over 40 members of his family with him.

•       An Evening of Reminiscences that brought labor missionaries, alumni, community, faculty and friends together to review various aspects of the past 50 years.

Showcase Hawaii alumni held a special reunion during the Jubilee and performed during the Evening of Reminiscences and at the PCC on Friday.

In providing a faculty perspective, for example, history professor Dale Robertson said "among the greatest tributes to this school is that so many of our students want to come back here to teach. Our most recent catalog lists about 30 of our grads that have returned to bless our lives."

Former student body president Dr. Ishmael Stagner II ('61) attributed the tremendous growth of the Church in Hawaii to the leadership skills of "former CCH and BYU-Hawaii students who have become branch presidents, district presidents, bishops, stake high councilors, stake presidents, temple ordinance workers, and even a temple president and matron — Earl and Audrey Veloria of the Kona Hawaii Temple."

"Thus, while it is exciting to hear prophecies being made and spoken, it is even more exciting and satisfying to watch those prophecies being fulfilled by the same people who first heard those prophecies made," he said.

Randy Boothe ('76, Fine Arts), another former student body president who also directed the university's performing group, Showcase Hawaii, spoke of "what makes the BYU-Hawaii experience so meaningful, one that we will treasure throughout eternity: It is truly the people who make BYU-Hawaii the unique place that it is."

"I will always treasure the memories, the faces, the smiles, the love that was extended to me as a student," he said, "that we were privileged to extend to visitors as Showcase Hawaii traveled throughout many nations. We carried with us the spirit of aloha that we felt as we walked these halls and studied in these classrooms."

As a conclusion to the evening, Boothe wrote Light on a Distant Hill and directed the visiting Showcase Hawaii alumni from 1969-99, current students and community members in its production.

 •      "BYU-Hawaii is an important part of our state's history," said Governor Linda Lingle during the keynote address on October 19. "In substance, you have created leaders for our state, for our nation, and for the world, you've had a positive economic and social impact on all parts of our community, and you've done it in a very unique style — a style that is quiet and modest and dignified."

She noted while conditions have changed significantly since President McKay founded the university, "the need to train students dedicated to world peace is more important than ever before. We need leaders who can travel easily between cultures...because they respect other cultures. The actions of BYU-Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center reflect a world view."

"Congratulations for 50 years of excellence," Gov. Lingle continued. "I have every confidence the university will continue its outstanding tradition of educating and training tomorrow's leaders for many generations to come."

•       On Thursday, October 20, officials from Hawaii Reserves, Inc., the Mormon Historical Sites Foundation, the Mormon Pacific Historical Society, and the Laie Community Association gathered to hear Elder Eric B. Shumway of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy dedicate two small historical monuments:

The first, near the Laie 1st Ward chapel which was originally built with funds raised at the Hukilau and dedicated by Elder Matthew Cowley in 1951, recognizes the Church mission school where Elder David O. McKay witnessed the flag-raising ceremony on February 7, 1921, which led him to envision the establishment of a university in the community.

The second nearby monument marks the site of the Old Plantation Store, which was an integral part of the community for many years.

Riley Moffat ('72, Business Management), President of the Laie-based Mormon Pacific Historical Society, explained that missionaries — including Flora Amundsen, who later married Ezra Taft Benson — and their spouses taught all the children of Laie at the school, including two who still live in the area and were in attendance at the dedication program: Haleola Kanahele Broad, 89, and Thomas Nakayama, 92.

"Laie has a unique and rich history. A few years ago the idea came up of pulling it off the shelves of the archives and making it live in the minds and hearts of those who live here," said HRI President & CEO R. Eric Beaver ('87, Business Management), who contacted the Mormon Historical Sites Foundation.

In his dedicatory prayer, Elder Shumway asked community residents to rededicate themselves "to what we should be, must be, in order to carry forward the wonderful visions and prophecies spoken by Thy prophets on this hallowed ground."

•       Also on Thursday, October 20, students from nearby Laie Elementary School helped re-enact the 1921 flag-raising scene that prompted President David O. McKay to envision the university.

•       On Friday, October 21, Honolulu Mayor Muliufi "Mufi" Hannemann told a private luncheon audience, "I have always considered myself a son of Laie." He said he also does not "hesitate to tell anyone and everyone that I am a Mormon," and that he sees his life as a political servant as his "personal ministry" to influence people for good.

Hannemann, the first Samoan mayor of a large metropolitan city, recalled he has been challenged many times over his Latter-day Saint membership, "but I refuse to yield." He added he encourages his staff to spend time with their families on Sunday and does not "hesitate to emphasize the importance of prayer."

"Seek out every opportunity to pray in front of non-members. It is the best example of being a missionary," Mayor Hannemann said, noting people often ask for copies of his prayers, "but my staff tells them the mayor doesn't write his prayers."

"We need your prayers — all government leaders. It's very important whether you voted for that person or not," he said. "We are not men and women of infinite wisdom."

Tongan alumni perform the "restoration" lakalaka at the PCC

•       Over 2,000 guests, current students and alumni spent the remainder of that day at the Polynesian Cultural Center, which was reserved exclusively for the golden jubilee celebration. After the Center's world-famous evening show, PCC employees and alumni presented a talent show that included some relatively energetic moves, including a famous Tongan lakalaka dance commemorating the restoration of the gospel which was part of the evening show in the early years.

•       Saturday's activities included the biggest community parade Laie residents have ever seen, led by Elder Thomas S. Monson of the First Presidency in a vintage luxury car convertible.

The parade included labor missionary and alumni representatives, traditional horse units and pa'u riders, floats, cultural clubs on campus, a large Polynesian Cultural Center group, and two royal bands: The Royal Hawaiian Band, whose roots come from the Kingdom of Hawaii, and the royal Tongan band. Following the parade, guests and community members attended a special family carnival on campus.

•       That evening, the BYU-Hawaii Fine Arts Department faculty put on an Extravaganza in the Cannon Activities Center that included the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, several student choirs and another from the community.

BYU-Hawaii music professor Dr. Barlow Bradford, former director of the Orchestra at Temple Square and Associate Director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir arranged several of the numbers. Former Tabernacle Choir Director Jerold Ottley joins him on campus this year. As part of the program, professor Ottley conducted the orchestra while his wife, JoAnn Ottley, sang a solo from The Merry Widow.

The Extravaganza also included the world premiere of Dr. Bradford's latest orchestral composition, From the Fowl's Perspective, which BYU-Hawaii commissioned in honor of the 50th year jubilee.

Shortly after the jubilee celebration, after most visitors had left and the campus returned to its normal routines, President Shumway said, "Every event exceeded our expectations in terms of excellence and quality, including the response of our alumni. We can measure the quality in the eagerness and the enthusiasm of the people who came. Their most frequent statement to me was, 'I had no idea,' or, 'It was beyond my expectations.'

"Certainly this does not create for me any sense of complacency," he continued. "It creates greater motivation to not let these people down, that we not let the Lord down."

"I feel that if President McKay could have been here personally, he would have been pleased," President Shumway said. "I feel so profoundly grateful that the Lord poured out His spirit on all of the events. I couldn't help but feel that this was a way He showed His love and His acceptance of BYU-Hawaii and what we've tried to do over the last 50 years."

"Sister Shumway and I also have no words worthy to thank the thousands who helped make our Jubilee Celebration a glorious, Celestial occasion which will be in part of our beings forever. What we do have to give you is the deepest feelings of heart-felt gratitude for what you have done. As President McKay said, 'Look what God hath wrought.'  

Mahalo nui also to the hundreds of volunteers from the faculty, staff, alumni, students, community and others — as well as the BYU-Hawaii staff members who went many extra miles in carrying out expanded duties — for helping make the Jubilee a resounding success. Members of the Steering Committee, which has overseen planning and coordinating Golden Jubilee activities, include Vernice Wineera ('77, English) and Rex Frandsen ('68, Business Management), co-chairs; Napua Baker ('59), Vice President of University Advancement; Theresa Bigbie ('58, Music), Dr. Barlow Bradford, Lei Kalama Cummings ('86, Information Systems), Ipo Enos ('05), Mike Foley ('70, TESL), Sanoma Goodwill, Steve Hoag, Keith and Carol Jenkins, Leeann Lambert, David Lucero, Lila Magalei ('03, Information Systems), Art McKinlay, Dwight Miller, Delsa Moe ('83, Travel Industry Management), Dr. Bill Neal, Max Purcell ('86, Biological Sciences), Rowena Reid ('76, Social Work), Theone Taala ('93, Home & Family Development), Wally Thiim, Jane Toluono ('88 Business Information Management), Barbara Velasco, Dr. Rob Wakefield and Judd Whetten.

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Largest-ever chapter chair conference convenes during Jubilee

Delegates at the 2005 chapter chair conference

Alumni Association officers and board members, BYU Provo association officers and representatives, and representatives from 38 of BYU-Hawaii's 48 chapters came together for two days of instruction and sharing from October 18-19, 2005, making this our largest-ever chapter chair conference.

"The Alumni Association has come a long ways in the last 50 years," said President Les Steward ('72, Business Management), as he greeted the group.

"Today, we have 48 chapters. We created the newest one just a week ago in Savaii, Samoa," he continued. "We've been growing to meet the needs of our alumni...and in an ever greater way to fulfill the mission of the University."

In one of the more compelling sessions of the conference, Lee Donaldson — Director of Learning & Development for the Church — spoke of how BYU-Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center have recently come to use the the Partners in Leadership™ "culture of beliefs," which was described in the September 2005 eNewsletter and is designed "to assist every alumnus to more fully live our mission."

He related how several years ago he had been assigned to interview Church leaders to find a program that would shape future training. Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve told him we need "an academy of change and leadership"; and Elder Boyd K. Packer, also of the Twelve, told him, "I want you to prepare for the 50-millionth member of the Church."

"It wasn't until I was on this campus that I started to appreciate the vision," he said, "because of the power and influence you'll have." For example, he asked the representatives: "How many cities are there in China today with BYU-Hawaii alumni?" Nobody realized the answer is 85, and that this includes some very influential people, such as the two sons of the chairman of the largest corporate holding company and the son of the woman in charge of all government publications. That woman, in fact, insisted on visiting her son while he was working cleaning bathrooms at the PCC, and then she helped him clean.

"This is the same person that the pope personally called for six years, and she would never take the call," he said. "I think you hold the key that no other group holds."

He added the area president told him, "If we open up China, we're going to need 300 new mission presidents. There are only about 315 now."

"You're really good now, but you're going to have to be great," Donaldson continued. "How do you operationalize going from good to great? We found a company called Partners in Leadership™. They are the very best in the world in moving people from good-to-great. They have the best stuff in the world, and they gave it to us."

"You hold the key in doing what we're going to have to do to create the 50-millionth member," he said. "You will be able to do things locally and inside your own countries that we cannot do as the Church."

Steward reminded the delegates that "it's not just us. Our mission statement says 'alumni and friends.' One of the great ways we connect is when we come together and talk story, when we share testimonies in firesides and with our friends. Once our people start to share, you feel the spirit."

Washington state chapter chair Doug Andrews (83, Business) described the conference as "wonderful. It is so good to see so many chairs from outside the U.S.A. A number are old peers on campus. Now they are the backbone of the Alumni Association. It was wonderful to have Uncle Bill Wallace ('72, History) start us off right with his comments, chant, and mele. The session of going from 'Good to Great' was excellent. It really helped our chapter leaders (we had five in attendance) see things in a new light and I know we are refocused and recommitted."

Meha

New President-Elect

Arapata Meha ('83, Music), BYU-Hawaii Associate Dean of Admissions and an Alumni board member, was recently named President-Elect of the association. Meha replaces Pat Macy ('78, Physical Education) who resigned the position following a professional reassignment with the Hawaii State Department of Education.

"I was blown away and honored, and I hope to continue to serve and strengthen our alumni," said Meha, who is originally from Hastings, New Zealand, and who interrupted his BYU-Hawaii studies to serve in the Philippines-Manila Mission (76-78). He is married to Ann Deering ('82, Elementary Education), who is originally from Honolulu. "We met at Hale 2. We have three children: One's here at BYU-Hawaii and the oldest one was here, but now he's in the Philippines-Quezon City Mission."

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News Bytes

Tongan alumna named 2005 'Executive Woman of Year'
Mele Fa'onelua Taumoepeau ('78, English), Principal of Liahona High School in Tonga, was recently named 2005 Executive Woman of the Year by the Westpac Bank of Tonga and the Australian High Commission. In addition to $6,000 in prizes, she was recently flown to Sydney where she was feted at a special luncheon with 600 people.

Taumoepeau

Taumoepeau said she was selected as one of four finalists based on achievements and leadership skills. She and the other finalists were scheduled for half-hour follow-up interviews, but the judges spent three hours talking to her.

"I'm especially grateful for all the leadership training that I've received from our CES leaders and the Church. I think that's what made me different from the other, maybe even more highly qualified people. That's what got me the honor," Taumoepeau said.

"I am what I am today because of my experiences at BYU-Hawaii. That was the most critical period for me, not just as a student, but also as a future leader. It made all the difference in my life. I had opportunities to be a Relief Society teacher when I was going to school. I learned how to relate to people of other races — all the good things that President Shumway has been talking about. I got very close to my teachers, who were a great influence in my life. I was made to feel important, and I felt respected, cared for and loved. That did a great deal to boost my self-esteem. I was encouraged to strive to become somebody of worth."

Taumoepeau, who is originally from Ha'apai, Tonga, is married to Viliami Taumoepeau ('81, Mathematics). The couple, who moved back to Tonga, has 10 children and three surviving grandchildren. "There was never a question that we were going back to Tonga," she said. "I was finishing my master's in English at UH when the call came that we were needed in Tonga. When we were asked, we went."

Both Taumoepeau and her husband have family in Laie, "but we plan to stay in Tonga as long as we're needed," she continued. "Two of our children have already graduated from here and are also back in Tonga finishing up a three-year contract for the school. Our fourth child, Daniel F. Taumoepeau, graduated from BYU-Hawaii in 2002 in math at age 19, and then went on a mission to West Africa. He was part of a pilot accelerated program. He's expected back any time from his mission and would like to go to graduate school. We also have a son who's finishing up this December."

(Photos by Monique Saenz, Wally Barrus, Mike Foley)

Personal Updates from those who came

In Memoriam: Mildred Goo, 86, recently passed away in Laie. When President Edward L. Clissold asked her husband, Charles K.C. Goo, 89, to move to Laie in 1955 and take over the Old Plantation Store — which subsequently was known as Goo's Store for many years — she went to work in the new college's business office. Sister Goo, who is originally from Honolulu, retired as the BYU-Hawaii business office manager in 1983 and subsequently served fulltime temple missions with her husband in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In February 2003, the BYU-Hawaii Alumni Association presented Brother and Sister Goo with its first Service to Family Award.

1950s & 60s

CCH alumni at the Jubilee Ball include (l-r) Terry and Jerry Hekekia, Lynne 'Glassball' Glassford-Christy (who submitted the photo), Gary AhVah Wong, Kathy Boyce-Hemingway and Viliami Hemaloto

Gary AhVah Wong ('58), who went on to graduate from BYU Provo in 1965 and reminds people he was also known as AhVah and Wongie, told how he left school to serve a mission in Hong Kong and the Philippines, then married the late Yvonne 'Cookie' Kukahiko Wong and has two children.

"There were several CCH classmates who asked me how Cookie was," he said. "Well, truthfully, I've gotten pretty good after nearly 19 years of practice in responding to other friends' expression of their similar concern about her...after all, everyone knew that we were the best of friends at CCH, like brother and sister, as I recall. But this time it was different. Being there at this 50-year commemoration of CCH/BYUH and reacquainting friendships with Ruth Smith-Silver and her family, Sachi, Clarence, Kathy, Glassball, Diane, Kenneth, Brother and Sister Ross Allen, Napua, Theresa, Frank and Chu Chu Kalama, Sam Kekauoha, Viliami Hemaloto, Harry, Vance and Donna Cannon, Jerry and Terry Hekekia — all CCH'ers whose footsteps are historically grounded indelibly into every inch and bit of the heart and soul of this campus. At that moment in time, in the presence of all this memorial history, in the still of my heart and soul I heard her gentle quiet footsteps alongside ours, reconfirming her part to me of this historical moment. So, when I was warmly greeted, 'Eh, Gary, how's Cookie?' I could only gently place a hand on their shoulders and say, I'm sorry, but Cookie passed away 19 years ago. At first, astonishment; but soon their hugs of warm aloha promptly embraced me, swiftly comforted my soul and filled that portion of my emptiness. Their sincere expressions assured me that there truly was a special bond and spirit, which was uniquely CCH then, and still is now. So, please allow me to express my mahalo nui loa kakou, fellow CCH'ers. You made this Jubilee a CCH special for me...and Yvonne."

Wong shared one other story: "The lovable Dr. & Sis. Ross Allan were sitting in the lower bleachers in the comfy seat section at the Jubilee Ball. Well, I just had to go over and give both of them a hug. Just then, Ross extended his hand in a waving gesture over the huge crowd and said, 'Boy, we've come a long ways...I feel so old!' On hearing this, I sarcastically squeezed, between tight-lips, these needling words at him, 'Old...did you say you feel OLD? Dr. Allan, I can tell you something that will guarantee to make you feel OLD!' Just then, I winked at Sis. Allen...she leaned forward to hear how I was going to mark her dear husband. So I continued... 'Really...I can tell you something that will make you feel big-time OLD! You were my freshman math teacher...(he nodded in confirmation)...well, Dr. Allan, a few months ago, I just received my Medicare Card in the mail!' Sis. Allan busted out laughing. Dr. Ross Allan starred at me with bulging eyes, slapped his knee and roared out laughing. 'Boy, you really know how to knock the life out of a guy, don't you," he laughingly shouted. We had a great moment sharing memories. Cookie worked part-time for Dr. Allen in the Admitance Dept., back then. We all were especially fond of Dr. and Sis Ross Allan. It was a good time...and one of my best of times...back then."

Wong is interested in starting a newsletter for alumni who attended CCH during Reuben D. Law and Richard Wootton's presidencies. E-mail him at cch_ers@hotmail.com. You've already got some idea of how good he is at talking story.

Glen Kukahiko ('58) and Vance Cannon ('59) ate at least 10 each of those little cups of poke [Hawaiian raw fish] and poi before they were satisfied during the Polynesian Cultural Center luau portion of the Golden Jubilee celebration. Vance, the great-grandson of George Q. Cannon, played on CCH's first championship basketball team. He and his wife, Donna Aschenbrenner Cannon ('59), now live in Las Vegas, Nevada. Glen, assistant general manager at the PCC during Col. Vern Hardisty's time, is a retired respiratory therapist. He and his wife, Mary McArthur Kukahiko ('69) live in Provo, Utah.

Melanie Fox Harris ('62) and her husband, R. Carl Harris, lived in Laie when he taught psychology from 1968-69, and then returned again after he earned his Ph.D. to teach from 1971-74. After leaving CCH, he helped develop the curriculum for LDS Technical College in Suva, Fiji, and retired from BYU in Provo in 2002. He also served as a mission president in Samoa from 1981-84, and currently produces educational case studies.

Melanie, who was active in BYU-Hawaii musical productions, remembers she "wanted to go to a Church school, but I didn't want to get lost in the mix at BYU. I heard about CCH. It was my very first multicultural experience, and it changed my life. I had roommates from China, New Zealand, Hawaii and the mainland. It was a great opportunity to learn so much about life. I also washed dishes for the labor missionaries, helped prepare food for the first group of Chinese who came to the temple, and worked in the Registrar's Office. I had some of the first college instruction I ever had from Nephi Georgi and Wylie Swapp, and participated in some of the traveling assemblies. I was also a member of the Maori Club and dated some of the members, and returned home never to leave the islands in my heart."

She adds she later studied TESL "so I could return to the islands," and then met Carl, who had served his mission in Samoa. "We sang in a choir, but our common bond was Polynesia. I also found out when we moved here that my great-grandfather, Isaac Fox, was a missionary here who helped start the Laie band and worked on the plantation. He also served in Iosepa, Utah."

Moana Su'a-Filo Crismon ('64) said, "I took some classes, but I mainly worked in the Business Office for about two years. I was the one who did the printing, which I had learned in New Zealand. I also worked in the Bookstore. Brother [Gene] Crismon hired me — we were friends since then — and I danced at PCC at night. I loved it. It was so much fun."

After a year on the mainland, Moana returned to Laie, and when Gene moved to the Registrar's Office, I went to work there. We got married in 1972." The couple had three children, including graduate Charles Crismon ('98, International Business Management). "When Gene became the finance manager for the school in 1993, we moved into Dean Olsen's old house on campus and lived there for many years. We enjoyed the association with the students. A lot of kids thought we were part of the dorms, and they would come in and visit. I feel privileged to be associated with this school from those days until now."

Stan Natividad ('66, Physical Education), who is originally from Kailua, Oahu, was one of the original PCC dancers "along with Jimmy Basset ('70, Business Management), Wilson Ho ('64) and Ken Watanabe ('71, Physical Education)." He now lives in Pima, Arizona, where he has taught PE for 36 years. He and his wife, Norma (who graduated from Provo), have seven children and 22 grandchildren. "I actually retired once, but I went back to work. I especially remember the friends and the camaraderie of all the people ['especially the haole girls,' someone interjected with a smirk, as Stan was one of CCH's 'most preferred men']. I also enjoyed learning about the cultures of other people. One thing that always intrigued me: No matter who they called, everybody knows how to pray. I'm the only member in my family, so I always pray when we get together." The couple's daughter, Leilani Natividad Lopez, graduated in '95 with a degree in accounting.

Rhonda Carruthers Andresen ('67) left school in 1970 and was away for five years, then worked at BYU-Hawaii until 1996, when she moved to St. George, Utah. She works there for Sky West Airlines in finance. "I miss the aloha spirit. Somebody said you can never go home, but when I came back, this wonderful spirit just envelopes you. It's a recharge."

Of her student days, she says, "We were all here for the same purpose, for education and the religious aspect, too. I was a convert, so the religious aspect was very important. I joined the Church a year before I came, but CCH helped me grow tremendously. My favorite class was Gale Ward's medieval English, and my favorite religion class was Book of Mormon with Bishop Gerry Roundy."

"Coming to the snack bar and eating dinner with the rest of the PCC dancers, Dolly Nin Keung, Warren Trueblood and Albert Peters and all those rascal guys, was fun. The cafeteria used to be this little snack bar, and they would save our dinners after the show. We sometimes felt like complaining, but Mom Enos was absolutely fantastic. There was a jukebox that helped fund missionary work, until one of the faculty members complained about the noise. I also enjoyed meeting the different cultures. I made friends with Chinese and haole kids. There's a couple that we still keep in touch with. We were all of the same religion and had the same purposes."

Momi Larson Wolfgramm ('68, Elementary Education) and her husband, Emil Wolfgramm ('69, Physical Sciences) have 11 children and 19 grandchildren, and live in Waiahole, Oahu. "When Emil went away to work on his master's, he was really impressed by the training he got at Church College," she recalled. "He really got a foundation, and recognized how good his teachers were." Momi was one of the original PCC hula dancers. One of their daughters is currently a BYU-Hawaii student.

Piilani "Pinky" Collins Purcell ('68, Speech and Drama) came to CCH from Pennsylvania, where she met her husband, Irwin Purcell ('69). The couple now lives in Orem, Utah: She retired in May as a teacher's assistant and he's a state career guidance counselor in Provo. "It's so nice to be back and see how the school and Laie have changed," she said during Jubilee Week. "I keep telling people how we paid $60 a semester when we were here, and $295 for board and room. There were barely 1,000 students. We used to work in the summers and pay off our tuition. I worked as a secretary for one of the professors. I had worked for two years as a secretary before school. I was also a senior resident in Dorm 2. One of my most favorite things was to climb up on the roof and change the clock. We used to do that for fun. We also raided the boy's dorm and almost got kicked out of school. They didn't question me [at the time], but now they'll know. Our son, Irwin Jr. ("Luhi" for Kaluhiokalani) Purcell ('94) also went to school here.

"It's wonderful to be back and see all of our old friends. Sometimes you can't recognize them at first. We taught for three years in Samoa in the 80s. I taught elementary education for one year and English for two years. I loved it. Ever since then we've been in Utah."

Hinanui Cave Hunkin ('68), who went on to graduate from BYU Provo in Spanish and Portuguese, currently lives in Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., where her husband, Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin ('64), serves as the American Samoa Representative to Congress.

She said of the Jubilee, I wouldn't have missed this occasion for anything. I'm delighted and so, so happy to be here. I was only 17 when I came from Tahiti, and looked up to the stalwarts in respect to their cultures and their religious convictions. I was converted here. I joined the Church on Clissold Beach. It changed my life and gave it a marvelous dimension. My husband met me here. They were the best years of my life. I learned about my culture and that of my cousins. It was my first acquaintance with other Polynesian cultures. I was unaware of other cultures completely, and it was such a joy."

"I'm absolutely a total supporter of BYU-Hawaii and the PCC. They allow young people to go places and open their horizons. It's marvelous. There's nothing like it. My brother, Victor D. Cave ('69), also went to school and joined the Church here. He's currently the Director of Church Magazines. He was released two years ago from the Area Presidency over New Zealand and Australia. He's also a temple sealer at the West Jordan Temple."

"I built the most wonderful and forever friendships here at PCC and BYU-Hawaii. This is the most wonderful place for me. Everyone from those times are very special to me."

Uimaitua Poloai ('69, History) and Lapataume Neria Poloai ('90, History/Government) have been living in Orem, Utah, for the past nine years. He was a counselor at BYU-Hawaii from 1989-97, and now counsels at Utah Valley State College. She used to work in the Registrar's Office, and now works for the Provo City Police Department.

"When the kids were old enough, they wanted to follow their parents to school here," he says of their four daughters: Tesa Poloai Unga ('95, Art Education) now lives in Orem and is a homemaker with six children; and Leute Poloai Summers ('96, English) lives in Chicago. Their daughter, Fia, graduated from Provo and lives in Kahuku; and daughter Tala is currently a student and works for ASBYUH office.

"We're happy where we are, but we miss this place very much," he says. "The spirit of aloha over here is very dominant. You know everybody, and it's very spiritual. I would always come back to Laie, even if my kids were not here. This is the place where I gained a testimony and joined the Church. I've never been the same ever since.

"This is also where we met," he says, noting they got married in 1972 and lived in Pago Pago, American Samoa, for 20 years before he went to Provo and earned his Ph.D. Another fond memory: Playing on the 1967 national championship rugby team under Coaches Lowell and Ruruku. "I also worked at PCC as a dancer in the Samoan, Fijian and Maori sections."

Earl Cropper ('69, Business Management) and his wife, Ana Fa'aumu Cropper ('69, CDFR) now live in Orem, Utah. They have three children. Since graduating, he has also earned an MBA degree and operates his own business, and she earned an RN and master's degree in nursing and now works as a nursing computer coordinator. Cropper, who served as student body president in 1966-67, said he and his wife "planned to come to the Jubilee from the very moment we heard of it, and we loved every minute. We saw a lot of old friends. I appreciate BYU-Hawaii for the opportunities it provided to know the students and professors better than you could at any other college. I filled my mission in Hawaii and then came here. Even though I lived four miles from BYU in Provo, here I felt like I was a person. I also very much enjoyed working at the Polynesian Cultural Center. After that, I don't hesitate to talk to anyone."

1970s

David Smoot, who was Director of Student Activities in the early 70s, is now a photographer living in Brigham City, Utah. "This is my first time back. I forgot how beautiful it is," he said.

Tupuola George Hunt ('70, TESL) came from Samoa to attend Kahuku High and was one of the original PCC workers in the Samoan village. "We even helped build the Samoan fale. We went and got the rocks for the floor. The other original PCC workers there were Fotu Si'ufanua ('72, Business Management), Kiona Ieremia, Tulua To'ia Toloa ('70, Physical Education), Leutogi Tau'ili'ili and Laprell Iosua Burgess ('68, Business Education).

Since graduating Hunt has worked as a teacher; school administrator at elementary, high school and tertiary levels; senior airline manager; and was elected a member of Parliament for eight years. "I'm running again this coming election." He has also been an active entrepreneur in travel-related, freight forwarding ventures, and a finance company he started with Aleki Wright ('69) and a few others. "I've also been a managing director of groups of similar businesses."

"I've been able to do everything because of the education and the preparation I received from BYU-Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center. I worked there for seven years before going home. I worked not only in the Samoan village, but my wife and I were some of the first tour guides, and of course, danced in the shows all that time. About 200 of us went to the mainland on the first PCC tour in 1966.

"I remember spending a whole day with President David O. McKay at his home in Huntsville. He lived in a very modest home, with a little porch in front. In his wheelchair, he came out on the porch, and all 200 of us sat on the front lawn at his feet. We sang songs. I remember when we sang We Thank Thee o God for a Prophet seeing tears flowing from his eyes. I don't think there was anyone else there with dry eyes. Everyone was crying. A little bit of rain came and he told us to move, but nobody wanted to go. We just sat there and continued singing. I remember he said, among other things, your presence here has made this place more hallowed."

"I was born and raised in Samoa, and that's home, but to me BYU-Hawaii, the PCC and Laie are also home. Every time I come here, I come home. I look forward to coming. I never took a course in finance or management, yet I've done everything because of the education I received at BYU to be a teacher. That's how good the education is that BYU-Hawaii offers. If you leave with a degree from BYU-Hawaii, you can do just about anything you set your mind to."

"I remember taking the first English literature course I'd ever taken from Dr. Shumway. I was drowning in that class, because everything went over my head. I don't think I did very well, but he gave me a passing grade. He didn't know it was my first literature class, but I learned enough from struggling through that course to do better in later courses. I don't think he remembers."

Hunt's wife, Beth McKinnon Hunt ('70), who went on to graduate from the University of the South Pacific in Educational Administration, retired five years ago as director of counseling services for the Church School System, after 30 years of teaching. "I was also the chief librarian, an English teacher, vice principal, department head, curriculum director."

Reflecting on her CCH days, she remembers "falling asleep in Ralph Barney's class after lunch. Unfortunately the combination of the afternoon sun, lunch, and his dry delivery, well... He was a crack-up, working with him on the newspaper and going home in the wee small hours. I also remember singing with the madrigal groups with Lloyd Tew. Bishop Wayne Allison was another one I have very fond memories of, and flunking zoology from Dr. Delwyn Berrett: He was so good and did everything he could to get me through that class, but I had a mental block. I also fondly remember Loftin Harvey for French and English. I had to stay up all night typing papers, because I didn't know how to type."

"I just loved my experience here. It has prepared us in so many ways for so many things. Although I was an English major, the blessing was being able to associate with people from all over and just the general Church environment with people who have the same values and beliefs.

"PCC was also just an awesome, awesome experience. I have taught many dance groups as a result of my PCC experience. I put together shows for the whole South Pacific games. It was awesome."

Tulua To'ia Toloa ('70, Physical Education) and her husband, Oliva Toloa ('70) have been living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with their five children and six grandchildren since he retired from the Army in '95 as a supply sergeant. "We had two tours in Germany, and he also served in the first Gulf War. We're here for the Jubilee, and then we're moving to Samoa to take care of his mom."

Tulua says she "loved dancing at PCC, and I got to be in the movie, Paradise Hawaiian Style. Isireli Racule was the instructor for our first group. The PCC was one year old when I came. My brother, Iosefa To'ia, was one of the original Hawaiian and Samoan dancers. He moved to California before he finished school, and eventually joined and retired from the Navy. I just retired from a U.S. Air Force Civil Service job."

"I liked the idea of working my way through school. I danced at night and went to school in the day, and worked full time in the summer. I didn't owe anything when I graduated. I was grateful for that because my parents couldn't afford to pay for my education. I also enjoyed meeting all the different students from all over. I had different roommates every year. I had a Japanese as my first roommate, then a Tahitian. The third year was a Hawaiian girl, and the last year a Samoan. Mom Stokoe was my dorm parent."

Ray Kaanga ('71, Asian Studies), is originally from Raetihi, New Zealand. He and his wife, Anna McCorriston Kaanga ('01, Business Management) live in Hauula and have 10 surviving children and 12 grandchildren. He worked as the human resources director at BYU-Hawaii and since 1990 has been working for Deseret Mutual Benefit Association. She is the administrative assistant for the Religious Studies Department.

"When I was on my mission in the Northern Indian Mission, everybody was talking about going to college. When the other elders were filling out their applications, I filled one out two," Kaanga recalls, "but I didn't know anything about the school. I was here only for a few months when I got married. I enjoyed playing rugby and working at the PCC. Today, I'm happy to work on campus. It's a great place to work."

"All of our kids spent some time here in school," including graduates Ray Kaanga "Jr." ('97, Information Systems), Kawahine Kaanga Toelupe ('00, Informational systems), and Rayna Kaanga ('04, Hospitality & Tourism Management).

"I like the way the university is going," he adds. "People don't realize how important the school is, but when you listen to President Von Orgill and President Shumway, you realize how important this institution is in the Lord's plan. What President McKay said about international peace, it's being fulfilled. I feel both BYU-Hawaii and the PCC are very important parts of the Church going into China."

Chris Gollan ('72, English) and his wife, Rokesa Sauni Gollan ('71) taught for several years at Pesega, Samoa, after graduating before moving on to his native Australia. The couple, who have four children and 11 grandchildren, now live in the Sydney area where he has been working for the Church Educational System for the past 23 years. "Rokesa is a retired banker and is now looking after the grandkids," he says.

Rosita Ah Ching Jasper ('73, TESL), lives in Taylorsville, Utah. After graduating she taught high school at Pesega, Samoa, then worked on a master's degree at BYU Provo, and started working in the distribution industry. She and her husband have owned a large distribution company for the past 10 years. She best remembers her friends "and the Christ-centered relationships that bring us together."

"Coming back this time I kind of feel like how Alma and the sons of Mosiah were away from each other, when they met, they were so thrilled to see each other. It is good to know when you meet your friends that you've all been living the gospel. Relationships, that's what the world is all about. I don't think that any other university can do this. It's like you've never really left. This school provided almost like a sure success for the students. It gave us everything to be successful."

Penny Rasmussen Reis ('73), who is originally from Samoa, left school after marrying Wayne Reis ('72, Sociology). The couple lived in Honolulu and Guam, but now live in St. George, Utah, where they own a new and used car dealership. They have five children and six grandchildren.

"This is where I was introduced to the gospel and accepted it," says Penny. "I took my first Book of Mormon class from Brother Daniel Ludlow. When I got my F-, he took me into the office and had a private missionary visit with me. Then he so kindly gave me a C for the class. I also remember the wonderful, lasting relationships made here. It wasn't so much the educational side of things for me, it was the spiritual growth and the friendships I made in a good, clean environment."

Vatau Galea'i Neria ('74, CDFR), who moved to Laie as a child but now lives in American Samoa, retired as an intermediate school administrator in 1993 and said she is planning to move back to Laie. "I just love being here and seeing everybody, and seeing how much Laie is growing," she says. "Being here before it was built, and listening to the prophecy, and seeing how it's been fulfilled is the greatest joy in my life."

"It used to be before that the only people you would see here were Hawaiians and Samoans. Now you see all different nationalities here. I never dreamed it would be like this. I remember when the labor missionaries were here, as Young Women we would serve them. Where BYU-Hawaii is now was just sugar cane." She explained her parents came "mainly for the temple, but they wanted us to get an education here. After, I feel I contributed to my own people in Samoa. I've also seen so many alumni there who were leaders, so what we learned here really benefited our government. Everything I learned spiritually, I also learned here."

Tamra Murdoch Cikaitoga ('74, Speech Communications) and her late husband Sam Cikaitoga ('75, Elementary Education), who died in a car accident in 1986, lived in Fiji for a couple of years after graduating before moving to her home  state of Idaho. She is now a parks and recreation director who coordinates "the largest snow mobile program in the west, with over 500 miles of trails" in Island Park, outside Yellowstone National Park.

"I came from Idaho and found out there was a very huge world out there. I've been very lucky in that the friends we made here, we've stayed in touch with for many years. Our youngest son, Quinn Cikaitoga, is now a senior at BYU-Hawaii."

Karma Hackney ('74, Speech and Drama) stayed in Hawaii until 1981, then went back to school in Provo, worked for the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency for 11 years, and now lives in Sacramento, , and does similar work for California State Emergency Services through the Governor's Office.

Cheryl Blasnek ('76, TESL), who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and works in advertising and marketing, remembers "the aloha spirit. What a great experience to be a in a place where everyone was accepted. It was a great place to mature in. Of course, I didn't mature. Even though I was raised in the Church, I gained my testimony here."

"I've been back two or three times. I came in 1985 and brought six of my friends. They were absolutely amazed that I could come back after all those years, and I still knew people. When you're friends on this campus, you're friends for life. It's great to be back. It's better than I thought it would be. Everything has changed so much, but it's still the same. It's still Laie."

Terry White ('77, TESOL), who is originally from Tasmania, and his wife, Laurel White, "were the first family to move into Women's Dorm I, after the single girls moved out." He now works as a manager at the Morris Center at BYU in Provo and says he's "close to retirement." She worked for Food Services while they were on campus.

Yasohachi Honda ('77, Business and Travel Industry Management), who has two sons currently studying at BYU-Hawaii, works in the Tahitian noni industry in Japan. "While at BYU-Hawaii, I had the chance to serve for two years in a row as the Japanese Club president. I also served as a temple ordinance worker, and I still work in the Tokyo Temple today. In those days we had a dock strike, and the bishop had told us to have food storage, so I had 300 pounds of rice. To me, the experiences over here were everything. The Lord prepared me. I always remember the aloha spirit, and tried to teach it to my two children."

Young Bo Chang (77, Business Management), and his wife, Chung Ja Chang ('77), who are originally from Korea, have lived in Tahiti for many years and operate their international business from there.

"The school looks so nice," he says. "We have a son here as a student. He's the last one in our family to come here. All of the others, even sons-in-law, have graduated from here. I liked BYU-Hawaii. In business, it's very important to be honest, which is what I learned here. We had a very positive experience here, and we also worked hard.

"When the Aloha Center was brand new, we worked here as custodians," she adds. "Our English was poor, but since then I've learned French and a little Tahitian. When we were working as custodians, we also had to study hard. And now, we hope we can give back to the school."

"I was 32 when I came," he says. "I had served in the Army, then served a mission, and had been a branch president before I came to school. When we sat in the classes, other students thought we were the teachers. Some of the students thought I was Dr. [David] Chen. After we retire, we plan to move back to Korea, but for now, we're still working hard.

Bale Taginoa Walker ('77) and her husband, John Walker ('77) live in Berrien Springs, Michigan, where he works at a nuclear power plant and she's a homemaker with five children, including one currently at BYU-Hawaii. Bale, who is originally from Fiji, came especially for the Showcase reunion. She remembers "the Polynesian spirit and the love that everyone feels for each other — the special spirit that you never find anywhere else. You get it here and you're able to take it wherever you go. I'm very glad I went to school here. All my years in college is where I learned to be a mother and to raise my children to be good citizens."

1980s

Past BYU-Hawaii President Alton L. Wade said, "The dream has come true: We have all of our eight children and our 25 grandchildren all here — 42 of us — for this celebration. This is more like home to our group, our family, than any other place we've ever lived. It's nice to be back home, even though it's for a short period.

"I always considered myself to be a student president, so I really miss being close to the students. When I left here for BYU Provo, we didn't have that close association with them. We miss particularly Laie, the closeness of the temple, the university and the PCC.

Moses Kealamakia ('81, Art Education) and his wife, Lesley Sproat Kealamakia ('80) live in Hilo, where he is bishop of the Ainaola Ward and teaches art at Keaau Middle School, and she teaches SPED and science at the same school. The couple has two children.

"What sticks out in my mind are my friends that I made here," he says. "Whenever we talk about BYU-Hawaii, it always goes back to the friends and the art instructors. My sons say, Dad, you never talk about the curriculum, but the fun things you did when you were not in class. That's because when I think about here, it was always a lot of fun. I'd go to a teacher seminar where we'd have to do these mixers, and the other teachers would be surprised that I knew them all, because we learned them in Family Home Evening. We had a full plate here."

He also worked in the PCC's Hawaiian village and night show, the BYU-Hawaii print shop and in student government. She adds, "We still have the connections with our friends from here. This is also where I met Moses."

William H.K. "Billy" Davis II ('81, Travel Management) and his wife, Wanda Nalani Davis ('82, Travel Management) moved to Guam in 1986, after he had worked for several years in PCC management, and are still there. He operated his own adult training business for a number of years and now works at the Church's Micronesia-Guam center.

Of his BYU-Hawaii days, he says, "Besides the people, friendships and professors, I best remember the opportunity to meet other cultures and interact with them. In dealing with all the islands of Micronesia, I feel BYU-Hawaii really prepared me by teaching me how to get along with others. Another skill I learned at BYUH that has been most helpful to me, especially in today's world of computers, was typing. I took it my last semester, and it's one skill that's really helped me be successful." The couple has four children, one of whom interrupted his BYUH studies to serve a mission.

Tua'ilemafua Iava Posala ('85, Tourism and Business Management) and his wife, Rosalia Posala ('81) returned to American Samoa where he owns a commercial printing company. The couple has six children. The oldest two have already graduated from BYU-Hawaii: Rachel Posala Tuiolosega ('02, International Business Management), who's in American Samoa running her own business; and Adelle Posala Salaiai ('01, Information Systems), who now manages a CompUSA in San Francisco. A third daughter is currently a student at BYUH, another hopes to come next year and the fifth is on a mission.

"The experience and love I had here have never gone away," Posala says. "Almost ever day I talk to my wife about it, but I'm glad I went back home and have extended my experience. After one year I was called to be a bishop. My experience at PCC Graphics also helped me start my own business. We're very successful. We have a four-color Heidelberg press, and we're going to get another one next year." He adds he's thinking of starting up several other ventures, and organizing everything into a family corporation. "That's why I keep pushing my kids to put something in their minds."

1990s

Eric Workman ('92, Business Management and Organization Development), his wife Anne Chase Workman ('92, English), and their seven children currently live in Midland, Michigan, where he is a marketing manager for Dow Chemical.

"I remember I was about to graduate and I hadn't had the experience of working at the Cultural Center, that I hadn't had that experience," says Workman, who eventually put in about five years in PCC retail sales. He also taught English in Japan, and then left Laie in '99 to earn an MBA from BYU Provo. "Dow only takes people out of four graduate programs, and BYU is one of them. My boss has said my education is superior to anyone else."

"To me, the whole thing about BYU-Hawaii was learning how to love and be warm. I also had a lot of opportunities in student government that I wouldn't have had in other schools. We visit Grandma [Londa] Chase frequently, and we still own a house in Laie. We're keeping it as a bridge back here."

Kimber Blackburn Brothers ('95, Hospital & Travel Management) and her husband, Ramond Brothers ('98, Information Systems), and daughter live in Kahuku. She's now a BYU-Hawaii system administrator and applications specialist at MIS.

Kimber remembers when she was growing up in Costa Mesa, California, "my Young Women's leader had graduated from here. She told me there was a BYU-Hawaii when I was 13, and I knew that's where I was going to go. It was the only place I ever applied to. I have no regrets. I was in love with Hawaii from the first moment I got off the plane. My first roommate was Tahitian, so I was immediately embraced by the Tahitian Club and immersed myself in Tahitian activities and culture. That and calling Domino's Pizza in the middle of the night were my favorite things." She adds she also liked "President Wade's 'no hi, get an ice cream policy.' He was always there to greet you with a smile and a hand shake."

"BYU-Hawaii definitely stretched me into a different person socially, spiritually and academically. It was a clean start and a new challenge. It was also a very supportive environment. I would absolutely encourage my daughter to go to school here. The campus has continued to get more beautiful and more family-centered throughout the years. I've seen a lot of changes in just the last 15 years, and it's hard to imagine leaving here. I love it."

Matt Wade ('97, Information Systems) and his wife, Lisa May Tuinei Wade ('96, Biological Sciences) have been living for the past four years in American Samoa where he operates his own computer technology company. The couple has three children. Of his BYUH days, Matt said, "I loved the environment: the small classes, the international influence of people from all over, the friendships we made. I'd definitely send my kids here. If I didn't say that, my dad would have a problem."

2000s

Jason Green ('00, Computer Science), who is originally from Gisborne, New Zealand, his wife Susan Ellsworth Green ('97, Information Systems) and their three little boys are now living in Laie — again. After a brief stint back in New Zealand, they recently returned and he is working with the PeopleSoft™ integration team.

"I first came to Hawaii because my stake president in New Zealand had a son who came here who was successful. I'm a first-generation university student in my family, so this was something new. I had good student work opportunities that really gave me good depth in what I do and the ability to investigate new technologies. I still keep in touch with my teachers, even the ones who have left. I had good relationships with most of them. They all tried to help me, even though some of them were frustrated that I didn't always do as well as they thought I could."

"When I first came, I didn't really like the general education classes. That's something that's not part of the British system, but over the years I can now see that some of my most enjoyable classes were the GE ones. They changed me, my personality and my way of life. They made a big difference."

Editor's Note: Even as a member of the Golden Jubilee Steering Committee, which worked on planning the celebration for the past three years, I believe I speak for many when I say we had no idea just how much better every event would turn out than we expected. It was thrilling and fun to meet old friends, it was awesome and uplifting to experience the depth of talent that came together in the various events, and it was a great blessing to personally participate in this historic event. I truly hope these few words and images above — as well as forthcoming reports in the next issue of BYU-Hawaii Magazine and the additional information on the Jubilee Website — convey a measure of the spirit and joy we felt on campus during Jubilee Week.

— Mike Foley ('70, TESL), Editor

The BYU-Hawaii Alumni Newsletter is published by the University Advancement office, under the direction of Napua Baker ['59-61 and '70-72], Vice President; Rob Wakefield ['75, Asia/Pacific LTM], Director of Communications and Media Relations; and Rowena Reid ['76, Social Work], Alumni Relations Executive Director. Brigham Young University Hawaii Campus is a four-year comprehensive undergraduate institution sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. About 2,400 students from 70 nations are currently enrolled.

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