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Wildflowers and Wildfires 🌻πŸ”₯
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Go Ahead: Talk Politics with Family

How do you handle political disagreement with people you love? 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. Disagreement, says alumna Marianne Holt Viray, isn’t bad, nor are political conversations. What matters is how you approach those conversations. Listen to this new episode of the Y Magazine podcast, where Viray, the executive advisor on the Disagree Better initiative, discusses the art of disagreement.

A BYU student gathering seeds in a field of flowers

Wildflowers not Wildfires

By planting wildflowers and drought-tolerant native plants, BYU students and faculty are working with Provo City to make Rock Canyon not only more scenic and hospitable to wildlife but also less vulnerable to wildfires. Learn how they are carefully weeding away invasive species and gathering wildflower seeds to help recreate the native landscape of the canyon.

BYU | For the Benefit of the World | See how BYU students are fighting heart disease in Samoa
a sketch of a little girl sitting and eating lunch at a table

Deep Art Dreams

β€œEven when I was little, I loved books and drawing,” says illustrator, author, and BYU grad Amy Bates. β€œI loved how words and pictures interact, and how words can say one thing and images another.” Bates sees children’s books as an introduction to art, literature, and β€œa world of space that you visit.” Take a look at some of her watercolor and gouache illustrations and book covers.

Faster Firefighting

Gusting winds are unpredictable and dangerous, sending fires surging over hillsides, pushing smoke into neighborhoods, and complicating firefighting from the ground and the air. Jane Housely, a BYU math grad student and wildfire modeling researcher, has developed a faster, smarter way to predict how wind will move through fire-prone terrain. Learn how her work could help firefighters respond more quickly during wildfire season.

Dig Into the Past. Discover Your Future. | BYU Young HIstorian Camp | Learn more.

Fire and Water Q&A

BYU professor Rob Sowby specializes in environmental engineering, focusing on urban water infrastructure, sustainability, and public water systems. In this Q&A, he explains how hydrants and the water system behind them were never meant to stop wildfires.

AJ Dybantsa playing basketball in the FIBA World Cup

MVP AJD

BYU’s AJ Dybantsa was named the MVP of the FIBA U19 World Cup after leading USA Basketball to its ninth title with a 109–76 victory over Germany in the gold medal game. Dybantsa finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds in the championship game. Read more, watch a big dunk, and get hyped for BYU’s next hoops season.

BYU sous chef Ruth Dubon in a chef's jacket smiles at the camera

Chicken Dinner Winner

Saying she had home-court advantage and feeling confident in her dish, BYU sous chef Ruth Dubon stepped up and won gold in the NACUFS 2025 Culinary Challenge in Salt Lake City. Representing the continental region, Chef Dubon wowed the judges by mastering her dishβ€”a chicken and fried liver ballotine, sautΓ©ed red Swiss chard, and a savory bread puddingβ€”and earned a gold medal on the national stage. Learn more about this talented chef.  

Big Stories | Images of Big 12 athletes and families

Behind the Big Stories Camera

What goes into telling inspiring stories about BYU’s athletic opponents? In this short video, BYUtv Insider asks Big Stories producer Brandon Crow to share what goes into finding and telling stories of hope, integrity, and perseverance from the Big 12 and beyond. Check it out.

Tom Holmoe in a white BYU polo points and smiles

Tom β€œGraduates” from BYU

Tom Holmoe’s 6-year-old granddaughter told another little girl that she had missed school to attend her β€œpapa’s graduation”—the event announcing Holmoe’s retirement. β€œAs people we are constantly going through commencementsβ€”beginnings in our lives,” Holmoe says. β€œThere are so many cycles that we go through, and then there’s new adventures that we go through. And I can see and I can really feel through the Spirit that this was the right time.” See Holmoe embark on a new adventure in this Church News video.

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