Hawaii

Sarah Jane Weaver: The lessons BYU–Hawaii teaches about diversity — and unity

Published

2 years ago

March 2, 2024

Sarah Jane Weaver: The lessons BYU–Hawaii teaches about diversity — and unity

LAIE, HAWAII â As the day broke recently on a beach near the BYUâHawaii campus, I watched students representing numerous country-based clubs on campus practice the traditional cultural dances of their nations. They all wore clothing that represented their heritage.

They were there to create a video promoting the upcoming BYUâHawaii Culture Night.

Focusing on the cultural diversity in front of me, I began to count the countries I saw represented â Samoa, Fiji, India, Korea, Philippines, Tonga and Thailand. Even a young man boasting a cowboy hat was there to represent the mainland United States.

And the list did not end there. I listened as students spoke about Japan, Mongolia, Kiribati and the countries of Latin America.

I turned to a student, Wilford Wu, sitting on the beach nearby and began sharing the details of my awe.

Wu agreed that the representation and diversity were both impressive, but then articulated his favorite part of the unique gathering.

âWe all believe the same thing,â he said.

He spoke of coming to Hawaii for an education and meeting friends from all over the world. âI can see in Laie the gospel joy of everyone together,â he said.

Wu quoted President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency speaking of oneness.

My mind immediately rushed to a time just one year ago when I also heard President Oaks speak of the power of oneness while offering historic remarks in Chicago, Ill.

âWhat a different world it would be if brotherly and sisterly love and unselfish assistance would transcend all boundaries of nation, creed and color,â said President Oaks on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. âSuch love would not erase all differences of opinion and action, but it would encourage each of us to focus our opposition on actions rather than actors.â

Addressing members of 14 stakes in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin as part of a weekend ministry assignment, President Oaks asked Latter-day Saints to press forward, having âa love of God and of all menâ (2 Nephi 31:20).

âThis teaching â to follow our Saviorâs command to love one another as He loves us â is one of our greatest challenges,â said President Oaks. âIt requires us to live together with mutual respect for one anotherâs differences in todayâs world. However, this living with differences is what the gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us we must do.â

President Russell M. Nelson has also asked all of us to foster fundamental respect for the human dignity of every human soul.

âWe need to work tirelessly to build bridges of understanding rather than creating walls of segregation. I plead with us to work together for peace, for mutual respect and for an outpouring of love for all of Godâs children.â

No where does the gospel net feel more expansive than on the campus of BYUâHawaii.

Elder Clark G. Gilbert, a General Authority Seventy and commissioner of Church education, has called BYUâHawaii the Church Educational Systemâs Asia/Pacific capstone. Roughly 100 countries are represented in the universityâs student body.

The university is fulfilling the potential and promises shared by President David O. McKay some 70 years ago.

Standing in a Sugarcane field in Laie, Hawaii, on Feb. 12, 1955, President McKay founded the Church College of Hawaii.

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

Then he spoke of the influence of the new school â which would later become Brigham Young UniversityâHawaii. âFrom this school, Iâll tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good toward the establishment of peace internationally,â he said.

As my mind returned to the beach in front of me, I watched as students helped one another navigate sharp, steep rocks to the location they would be filming. Another student stood above them performing the Samoan fire knife dance for the cameras. A few minutes later they all stood together.

Just before Wu and his friend jumped up and ran to be part of the photographs, he spoke of his education and his plans to return to his own country to share what he has learned.

In a world defined by political polarization, racial tensions and cultural divides, Wu understands that the gospel of Jesus Christ â as well as the educational institutions its sponsors â can foster unity.

âBecause of the gospel,â he said, âall these countries come together as one.â

â Sarah Jane Weaver is executive editor of the Church News.

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Hawaii

Hawaii suffers first defeat of the season against Loyola Chicago | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Published

9 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Hawaii suffers first defeat of the season against Loyola Chicago | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

The second-ranked Hawaii men’s volleyball team expected a different Loyola Chicago team to show up Friday night in the rematch of Thursday’s 94-minute sweep by UH.

They were certainly correct in that assessment.

Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said flatly the Ramblers were better after No. 7 Loyola Chicago handed Hawaii its first home loss in January in two years in a 25-23, 25-22, 24-26, 29-27 win before a season-high crowd of 5,811 at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

Aleksandar Sosa put down a match-high 19 kills and setter Ryan McElligott set the tone with four of his five aces in the first set for Loyola Chicago (1-1), which out-served and out-blocked the Rainbow Warriors.

“I thought they touched a lot of balls on the block and those first two sets, the first set, we had three or four balls back on our side to score some points and we didn’t,” Wade said. “We kind of screwed it up. We weren’t quite as crisp and efficient and against a good team, we let them hang around and they come back and make some plays late.”

Hawaii looked done for the night trailing 20-13 when it mounted a furious comeback in the third set to avoid a sweep.

Loyola Chicago had five match points in the fourth set and finally put the contest away with a double block of Ofeck Hazan to complete the upset.

“I think they served way better and we really struggled passing their serve,” said Hazan, who started in place of Trevell Jordan in the middle. “They were more creative out of system. (Thursday) they just hit into our block and today they just found the touches or just played better.”

Louis Sakanoko led Hawaii with 18 kills and set a career high with 12 digs, and Kristian Titriyski added 16 kills before sitting out the fourth set. UH hit .254 for the match and had six aces to the Ramblers’ eight. Loyola Chicago hd 15.5 blocks to Hawaii’s 10.5.

“We weren’t clicking on all cylinders and I’m not trying to use this as an excuse, but (setter) Tread (Rosenthal) didn’t practice all week. He had a back that tightened up,” Wade said. “Trevell’s back tightened up and I thought Ofeck played pretty well and he gave us a nice spark, but you’re just a little off rhythm there. Kristian was kind of grabbing his back late and obviously we made the decision to go with Kainoa (Wade) to give us a spark and he gave us that.”

Kainoa Wade and Sakanoko each served three straight points for UH in the third set after it fell behind 20-13 and Finn Kearney came off the bench to serve the final two points that ended in blocks to get UH back in the game.

Hawaii hit just .171 in the fourth and made eight service errors. It had 20 serving errors for the match and served in at less than 80%.

“Obviously it’s a work in progress. We’re in game four of the year,” Kainoa Wade said. “We got a lot of work to do, but we’ve got to trust what we know. We’ve served a lot of balls in our lives, all of us, so we know we can go on runs and make plays.”

The Ramblers gave Hawaii a taste of its own medicine in the opening set with McElligott building a strong poker hand of aces during an 8-0 run during which Charlie Wade used both timeouts.

McElligott had three aces after Jake Read’s kill put him behind the service line, and despite two Hawaii timeouts and the media timeout, he poured it on until UH caught a break with a Loyola Chicago net violation on an overpass that almost certainly would have been a Ramblers point.

Sakanoko followed with back-to-back kills, including a deep tip into the far corner over a triple block that prompted Loyola Chicago to call timeout leading 17-14.

Hawaii extended the run to 5-0 after Titriyski put down a kill following a long rally to pull UH within a point.

The Rainbow Warriors got back to even at 22-all on Kainoa Wade’s ace as a serving sub. The set was tied once more until a Rosenthal service error and a McElligott ace for his fourth of the set handed UH its first set loss of the season.

Rosenthal wasn’t able to spin serve all night due to the back injury.

Neither team separated by more than a point in the second set until Justin Todd had two aces during a 4-0 UH run to put the ‘Bows ahead 13-10.

Hawaii led 21-19 when the Ramblers scored six of the next seven points to go up two sets to none.

UH’s only point during the final 6-1 run came on a Loyola Chicago service error. The Ramblers scored three of their points on errors by UH and another on their sixth ace of the match.

The Rainbow Warriors will have four days off before playing four matches in three days next week.

Hawaii has doubleheaders against Roberts Wesleyan and Rockhurst in reverse order on Wednesday and Friday.

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Hawaii

2026 Sony Open field is announced. See who’s playing in Hawaii

Published

21 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

2026 Sony Open field is announced. See who’s playing in Hawaii

The Sony Open in Hawaii has the honors of being the kickoff event to the 2026 PGA Tour season after the cancellation of The Sentry at Kapalua this season.

Instead of Maui, the Tour debuts in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, Jan. 15-18, at the Seth Raynor-designed Waialae Country Club, where Nick Taylor prevailed in a playoff over Nico Echavarria last year.

Among the changes this season is the field size, which was reduced from 144 to 120, and, there is no longer is a Monday qualifier offering four spots. Will that help with pace of play? Stay tuned.

The field includes the following notables in addition to Taylor and Echavarria: Daniel Berger, Keegan Bradley, Michael Brennan, Corey Conners, Tony Finau, Chris Gotterup, Brian Harman, Russell Henley, Billy Horschel, Robert MacIntyre, Collin Morikawa, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Sahith Theegala, Gary Woodland and 62-year-old Vijay Singh.

Here’s the full field for the Sony Open, which will be live on Golf Channel all four days as well as NBC with early-round coverage on Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s Sony purse is $9.1 million and the winner also will receive 500 FedEx Cup points.

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