History - Brigham Young University-Hawaii Video Transcripts
Video 1 Transcript
Bayou Hawaii didn't start as a university at first, it was just a small school for children because people were actually coming to Hawaii from all the Polynesian islands so they can be sealed in the Laie Hawaii Temple because the only ones available at that time was in Utah and that was too far. And some people did make sacrifice to go to Utah, but the temple was built in Hawaii so all those people who were sacrificing all of this can go to a place that's a little bit closer for them. Some of those people saw everything they had and they couldn't, they didn't have enough money to go back so they established themselves in Laie and then they saw well those children need schooling so we're gonna build a school for them and in the beginning was only some classes that were offered at school until President David O. McKay came and it changed so much.
Video 2 Transcript
There is a lot of the cultures in the history that involves with like fire and like water It's everything has that connection to their history it's all about nature and the more you learn the more you understand the people on that island and Who they are and what they are
Video 3 Transcript
When President David O. McKay decided to go visit Hawaii and he saw the children of the Laye Elementary School and they saw the hoisting the flag, he had a vision of a bigger school that would one day become a place where people could come from all over the world and he even preferred that the people come from all over the world to come over here. They'll come to learn in a higher education place, a university, and that's what this university is going to do. They're going to produce leaders for those countries. BYU-Hawaii would produce people that he would call genuine goal, people who would rather scorn to violate truth and that's what this university was here to build. It was to build great leaders and they would go out of here and go to every nation and establish peace for good.
Video 4 Transcript
So the history of BYU-Hawaii, there are a lot to do with the community. We often call here three different places that are really symbolic, not just BYU-Hawaii campus, but also Polynesia Cultural Center, which is right next to it, and also Laie Hawaii Temple. Laie Hawaii Temple was dedicated in 1919, and then BYU-Hawaii was dedicated in 1950s, I think. And after that, Polynesia Cultural Center dedicated in 1960s, just a few years after the school being dedicated to provide students for work and job opportunity and for tourists as well. It has been a place for many students from all around the world, especially from Asia and Pacific areas.
Video 5 Transcript
BYU-Hawaii was established with a mindset to help Pacific Islanders and Asian students to learn to prepare themselves to become leaders, to go back and serve their countries and their communities in establishing peace internationally. And this has engraved in the mindset of every BYU-Hawaii student that this university was made for them, was established and built for them. With this university, the mission for it is to prepare ourselves to go forth and serve. So to give back to a community, we have to go back after we graduate as international students and serve our countries and serve our families as well and give back to them for the sacrifices that they've made.
Video 6 Transcript
To learn more about the history of BYU-Hawaii, a lot of online resources, a lot of books. There are three places right on campus or right near campus that you need to go. One, on campus go to the BYU-Hawaii archives. Also look at their official website. You would be impressed to see, I guess 1.5 or 1.8. Go to the McKay Center. Look at that mural of the land being dedicated and how traditional Hawaiians remain important. 2. Go to the Visitor's Center there next to the Hawaii Temple. They have a lot about local church and school history. And then finally, go to the PCC. At least when I was there, students were able to come and go as whenever they wanted. And I know that with the pandemic, things are maybe slightly different. But to see the cultures and the histories and how they're reflected in the classroom.
