Y Magazine

The United States of America celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, but “we celebrate under ominous clouds,” says Judge Thomas B. Griffith (ret.) (BA ’78). Yet Griffith is hopeful. “There are green shoots coming up through the tundra,” he says. Join host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) as she talks with Griffith about the state of the nation, the beauty...

BYU computer science professor David Wingate (BS ’02, MS ’04) is a techno-optimist: “I recognize the dangers of AI . . . But I trust the goodness of people,” he says. How can we use AI in productive ways to bless ourselves and others? Join Y Magazine podcast host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) as she talks to Wingate about using AI while avoiding the dangers. This...

BYU student Paige R. Merkley (’27) is addicted to service. On Sunday afternoons she drinks root beer floats and chats with her adopted grandparent. On Tuesdays she dances with her friends at Adaptive Show Choir practice. On Thursdays she prepares the choreography for that choir. On Fridays she eats lunch with unhoused community members at the Food and Care Coalition. On Saturdays she plays b...

“Language is probably one of the most pervasive uses of AI,” says BYU computer science professor Steve D. Richardson (BS ’77, MA ’80). It’s prophesied in scripture that “every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue” (D&C 90:11), but, asks Richardson, “how is that going to happen when there are 7,000 languages in the world?&rdq...

Sports benefit kids in numerous ways: they reduce the risk of disease and mental illness, they improve performance in school, and they can even help kids do better at work later in life, says Matthew K. Seeley, a BYU biomechanics professor. But we’re also in the midst of what Seeley calls a “youth-sport culture crisis,” where kids are being pushed to specialize too early, chase s...

Which translations of the Bible should you use in your family or personal study? How did different Bible translations come about in the first place? Join host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) in learning from BYU ancient scripture professor Matthew J. Grey (BA ’03) about the Church’s new policy on Bible translations, the history of those translations, and where to start your ow...

In an age of digital communication, remote work, and social media, the World Health Organization recognizes social disconnection as a worldwide epidemic. What is the solution? Othello L. Richards (BA ’03, MA ’17), communications professor and former on-air reporter, has some ideas. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, Richards joins host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) i...

For Brent S. Crane (BS ’93), caring for individuals living in poverty or without homes is about more than just providing food. As executive director of Provo’s Food & Care Coalition, Crane helps provide meals, hot showers, clean clothes, hygiene products, and healthcare services every day—and the mission of each service is to provide dignity and care to individuals, no matter...

How do you include raising a family and managing a home on a resume? What’s the business term for “stay-at-home mom”? When Heather Nemelka faced a sudden divorce and had to find a job after years of dedicating herself to her kids, she had to tackle these questions head-on. Now, as the founder of Elavare, a company that supports women who are re-entering the workforce, Nemelka joi...

When journalist and BYU alum McKay Coppins received news of the tragic attack on a Latter-day Saint chapel in Grand Blanc, Michigan, he’d already been planning an article for The Atlantic  in memory of President Russell M. Nelson, who had died the day before. Now Coppins wondered, “How would [President Nelson] have responded to the horrific violence in Michigan if he’d lived...

Caring for an aging loved one can be challenging—it makes demands on time and resources that can strain relationships. Despite the challenge, it can also be an “angelic and special time,” says BYU family life professor Jeremy B. Yorgason (BS ’97). In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) talks with Yorgason about both the bles...

Whether you prefer the energy of football in LaVell Edwards Stadium, the roar of the Marriott Center during a basketball game, or the thrill of a women’s volleyball match in the Smith Fieldhouse, one thing’s for sure: it’s an exciting time to be a BYU fan. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) talks all things BYU athletics with...

How do you handle political disagreement in your family? In a world rife with political division, it can feel difficult to share your opinion without feeling attacked or misunderstood—or thinking everyone else is wrong. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) discusses the art of disagreement with Marianne Holt Viray (BA ’96), executive...

One of the most important lessons parents can teach their children is how to manage money. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) talks with Ashley LeBaron-Black (BS ’16, MS ’18) to discuss the best ways to teach kids about finances. LeBaron-Black is a BYU family life professor who researches financial socialization in families. This ep...

What is the difference between perfectionism and scrupulosity? Do religious people experience more or less toxic perfectionism that non-religious people? What can we do to minimize toxic perfectionism? In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) chats with BYU religion professor Michael Goodman (PHD ’04), one of several professors conducting a lon...

For the past two decades, BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe (BS ’83, MS ’95) has been calling the shots. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) sits down with Holmoe to discuss what brought him to BYU, what made him keep coming back, and the remarkable people he’s worked with along the way. If you liked this episode, you might also...

Forget house calls—try mountain calls at 13,000 feet. In this episode of the  Y Magazine  podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) chats with Craig Nuttall (MS ’11), the BYU nursing professor and emergency nurse practitioner who founded the Mountain People Project. Nuttall talks about his experience bringing critical healthcare to people traveling through the Ga...

Love stories abound at BYU, and in this Valentine’s Day special of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) talks to three BYU alumni couples about their proposal stories. High school sweethearts Stephanie Smith Eliason (BA ’91, MA ’95) and Eric Eliason (BA ’92) tell their story of flat tires and reconnection, Matthew Scott (BM ’06) and He...

How much screen time should kids have? At what age should they be allowed to have a smartphone? BYU alum Richard Culatta (BA ’03, MS ’06) answers these questions and more with helpful advice for parents trying to guide children through the digital world. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Archibald (BA ’01) talks with Culatta and explores how parents can crea...

How old is too old to learn to play an instrument? The New Horizons Orchestra gives adults over 40 a chance to learn a string instrument—even if they’ve never played one before. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) talks with director Allison Bennett Taylor (BMu ’12, MMu ’22) and orchestra members about how the orchestra i...

How do you inspire a love of reading in your children, siblings, nieces, nephews, or grandkids? With so many distractions, it can be difficult to make reading a priority. But Paul Ricks, BYU professor of children’s literature, says if we want children to value reading, we need to show them that we value it too. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) talk...

What do you see when you look at a pile of cardboard? BYU Recycling Supervisor Bill Rudy sees trees. BYU has been ramping up its sustainability efforts for decades, with recycling, responsible food service practices, energy efficiency, transportation options and more. This fall, BYU was recognized as one of just 140 institutions with a gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustai...

BYU was named the No. 1 university for students studying abroad in a recent report from the International Institute of Education. BYU currently offers over 150 study abroad options each year to help students enhance their global perspectives while learning valuable lessons that couldn’t be taught in the classroom. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) t...

Does a “Utah accent” exist? According to David S. Eddington (BA ’86, MA ’89), BYU emeritus linguistics professor, the language and accents used in Utah are always changing. But if you’ve heard the word “feel” pronounced like “fill” or the word “mountain” pronounced with a strong “t,” you might be hearing newer elements of a Utah accent. And what about those names—and unique spellings? In this epis...

Since moving to the United States at age 8, Sabina Magar (’26) has always had a desire to return to her home country of Nepal. When Magar learned about BYU’s Nepal Global Health International Study Program, she saw it as the perfect opportunity. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) talks with BYU public health professor Steven M. Thygerson (BS ‘98), ab...