Y Magazine

This summer, Y Magazine podcast host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) took a serious tumble—a fall of 30 feet while rock climbing in Provo's Rock Canyon. Miraculously, she landed in the only Whitney-shaped clearing possible—an inch or two higher or to the right, and she would have hit her head on a rock. The injuries she did sustain weren’t insignificant—from a shattered sacrum to a grisly compound wrist fracture, Whitney had a long road to recovery ahead of her. However, Whitney recalls the immediate spiritual promptings she received from God as soon as the accident occurred that let her know that this experience was going to help her—and her family—learn and grow. She shares her spiritual lessons in this episode of the Y Magazine podcast. This episode is based on the upcoming article “Lessons from the Fall” by Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) from the winter 2024 issue of Y Magazine. Also, if you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d really appreciate your feedback in a listener survey, so we can make more of the types of episodes you like best. Take the survey here. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who comes to mind when you think of your favorite teacher? It’s probably someone who ignited a passion, instilled confidence, or cared deeply. On this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, join host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) in chatting with two inspiring teachers who graduated from BYU and went forth to teach: high school physics teacher Wesley R. Morgan (BS ’18) in Springville, Utah, and ESL and ethnic-studies teacher Natalia Alvarez Benjamin (BS ’99, MA ’07) in Rochester, Minnesota. Learn about how these teachers get creative to reach their pupils—from Morgan’s remote-control cars, balloon experiments, and daily hands-on lab activities to Benjamin’s assignment for students to interview an admirable person in their community. Then hear about what drives these teachers in their profession. You may even be inspired to go thank a teacher of your own. This episode is based on the article “A Mile in Their Shoes” by Margaret J. Sheffield (’23) in the winter 2022 issue and the article “Resonating Lessons” by Rachel Hatch Webb (’24) in the fall 2023 issue of Y Magazine.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In May 2023, a group of BYU engineering students touched down at the airport in Quito, Ecuador. They were headed to Prótesis Imbabura, a small prosthetics clinic. It was time to put their work to the test: the students had been designing and redesigning two key components for prosthetic legs—liners and foot shells. Their goal was to make components that were both affordable and comfortable and that could be manufactured locally to avoid import costs. This project was done by a team of students in the Global Engineering Outreach Program (GEO) at BYU and an engineering capstone class. In this episode, hear about the prosthetics project from chemical-engineering professor Randy S. Lewis (BS ’89) and students Anya R. Jeppsen (’24), Cody Messick (BS ’23), and Joshua S. Frei (BS ’20). This episode is based on the article “Making Strides” in the fall 2023 issue of Y Magazine.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join our host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) and assistant director of the School of Music Mark J. Ammons (BMu ’85) on an audio tour of BYU’s new Music Building. This state-of-the-art building opened in January 2023 and houses acoustically impressive performance halls, upgraded recording studios, and improved classrooms and practice spaces for daily use. From the Concert Hall to Studio Y to the Percussion Rehearsal Room, the building is designed for the needs of today’s music students. To see 360 videos and hear musical performances and rehearsals from rooms in the building, visit the article “Hitting the Right Notes” in the fall 2023 issue of Y Magazine. Special thanks to Hayley Singley Kirkland (BS ’10) for creating the musical subheads and the BYU Jazz Voices for singing in the episode. Commercial-music student Adam M.Keith (’25) ran the recording session for those subheads.This episode is based on the article “Hitting the Right Notes” by Denya I. Palmer (BA ’16) in the fall 2023 issue of Y Magazine. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a member of the displaced Karen people, BYU international-relations student Laesgaw K’Chawtee (’25) spent his early childhood in a Thailand refugee camp—about as far from Provo, Utah, as you can get. So how did he become a sophomore at Brigham Young University teaching a 300-level Karen-language course for returned missionaries? Speaking with his friend and Y Magazine intern Coleman S. Numbers (’26), K’Chawtee shares how his family’s immigration to Buffalo, New York, eventually led him to find The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and serve a mission in Kentucky, where he taught and served fellow Karen immigrants. Following his mission he came to BYU to study and would later teach the first Karen language class at the university. Tune in to find out how BYU guided K’Chawtee in his personal faith journey and helped him form a lifelong vision for serving his people. This episode is based on the article “Called for Life” by Coleman S. Numbers (’26) in the fall 2023 issue of Y Magazine. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Religious freedom isn’t just for believers,” says Elizabeth A. Clark (BA ’94, JD ’97), associate director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU. “What religious freedom does is preserve a space where people can make choices.” In this episode, Whitney and Elizabeth Clark discuss religious freedom—what it really is, why it matters, and what we can do to stand up for it. They cover how religious freedom impacts international relations, communities, and individuals, and they discuss how religious freedom is vital for everyone, whether you follow a faith tradition or not. Listen to learn more and get suggestions on what you can do in your own life to support religious freedom.Check out the Annual International Law and Religion Symposium, happening Oct. 1–3, 2023. Recordings of the plenaries and breakout session will be made available after the event. This episode is based on the article “Liberty for All” in the fall 2023 issue of Y Magazine, publishing later this year. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With BYU entering the Big 12 athletic conference this season, Cougar Nation is buzzing with excitement. As the 2023 schedules are set, the challenges and advantages of being in a power-5 conference are becoming a reality. And the Cougars are getting ready to compete on a national stage. “The expectation is high,” says women’s soccer coach Jennifer Rockwood (BS ’89). “There’s pressure, we’re nervous. But you know, you want that in your program.” Listen as Rockwood, women’s cross-country coach Diljeet Taylor, and men’s basketball coach Mark Pope share what joining the Big 12 means for BYU, especially how it will broaden BYU’s national influence. “It’s going to be a bigger and better challenge for us,” says Taylor. But “[we] feel that BYU is going to bring a different level of athlete, a different level of fan, just a different feel to the Big 12. It’s really exciting.” This episode is based on the article “This is Big” by Michael R. Walker (BA ’90) in the Summer 2023 issue of Y Magazine. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the years, fitness and sports classes at BYU have gone by many names. For a while, they were part of the exercise-science department, then the course catalog listed them as STAC classes, and as of 2019, they’re known as student wellness (SWELL) classes. Through all that time, though, one thing’s stayed true: the classes are a source of fun, activity, and exploration for students. And every year, the SWELL program seeks to expand its repertoire of wellness offerings, tapping increasingly popular pursuits like pickleball and meditation.Our host Whitney Archibald spoke with SWELL course and extramural coordinator Emily Andrews as well as three SWELL instructors: Kimberly Lindstrom, who teaches weightlifting and functional fitness; Spencer Budd, who heads up gymnastics; and Maria Jensen, who teaches everything from running to yoga. Along the way Whitney picks up a plethora of personal health and wellness how-tos that apply whether you're doing Zumba for credit or exercising on your own from home. This episode is based on the article “All is Swell” by Miriam Brantley Merrill in the summer 2023 issue of Y Magazine. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feeling like you’ve whittled down your responsibilities to the absolute essentials but can’t ever shake utter exhaustion? You are not alone. Join Y Magazine podcast host Whitney Archibald as she talks to Greg McKeown (BA ’03), BYU alum and the best-selling author of Essentialism and Effortless, about his own journey through burnout to simplicity. As a young father feeling weighed down with work obligations and spending time with his family, Greg knew he needed to make a change. His subsequent soul-searching led him down a path that would form Essentialism. Now an author and public speaker, Greg helps others find their way out of discouragement. “Your family is important. Your business is important. The relationships are important,” Greg recalls telling a woman close to burnout. “But what if there’s a different way to go about it that isn’t so hard all the time?” Combining scriptural and prophetic examples as well as past experiences, Greg and Whitney discuss how to make the essentials effortless. This episode is based on the article “The Essentialist” by Denya I. Palmer (BA ’16) in the spring 2022 issue of Y Magazine. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“The world is our campus,” reads the familiar BYU mantra. And epic photos captured all over the world verify this fact to grads, fans, and families. But where do these high-quality captures come from? In this episode, follow BYU photographer Jaren S. Wilkey (BA ’01) through the creative process of capturing a masterpiece photo. Wilkey talks through a recent favorite shoot, featuring linebacker Pepe M. Tanuvasa (BS ’22) smashing through a sugar glass pane, eyes fixed on the foe. Take a peek through Wilkey’s camera to view BYU backstage—what it takes to keep the photos coming and how students are mentored and trained to join the surprisingly small but highly elite photography team. Plus, get a few tips and tricks from Wilkey and BYU Photo student Donovan K. Kelly (’23) on improving your own photography. This episode of the podcast is based on the article “Breakthrough” in the Summer 2023 issue of Y Magazine. View a detailed walkthrough of the sugar glass photo process as well as a photo gallery and explanatory video on the BYU Photo website. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.