This month, I attended a memorial service for my friend and colleague, Wangarĩ wa Nyatetũ-Waigwa. She was a brilliant mind and a beautifully giving soul. The thoughtful reflections shared by her son, spouse, friends and former students deepened my understanding of her humble yet weighty ...
The great outdoors has been a distinctive part of Utah's culture and identity, but recent disappointments in environmental care mean we must remind ourselves of that. The actions of the lawmakers and leadership in our state have not demonstrated a concern for environmental stewardship, ...
The snow at our house is finally all gone because this past week’s screaming high winds blew it all away. Meanwhile, a daughter in Colorado sent photos of the 3 feet of snow she shoveled off her sidewalk and driveway — all fallen within 24 hours. Another daughter in Idaho sent balmy videos ...
I like to ask students in class what they had for dinner. I’m interested in their dietary habits, but mostly I’m characterizing “energy,” the quantity that moves and sustains us. Food is a good way to feel what that is. On the back of food containers, bold text displays how many ...
The world uses nearly 100 million barrels of oil every single day, a mind-blowing statistic that equates to 4.2 billion gallons of consumption every 24 hours! Now imagine if demand for oil were to double in the next decade. Before you spit out your coffee, take a deep breath — because ...
My favorite mystery writer is the great Agatha Christie. I don’t know what it is about mysteries and word games that go so well together. Maybe a puzzle is a puzzle. Agatha used nursery rhymes and children’s songs in her books. Lots of modern mysteries in the “cozy” style are based on ...
In Utah, where community values and pragmatism are deeply rooted, the focus of our national policy, specifically as addressed in the State of the Union, should reflect its people's immediate and pressing needs. While noble in its intent to eradicate the scourge of cancer, the Cancer Moonshot ...
Thankfully, the 2024 Utah legislative session has ended. While good bills passed, others harmed vulnerable groups. Further, many of the bills comprise pieces of a puzzle that, as they come together, form a terrifying picture of nationwide efforts to replace our democracy with an autocratic ...
Last month, the coolest thing happened: Tracy Chapman showed up on stage at the Grammys to sing “Fast Car” with Luke Combs. Listening to that took me back to eighth grade when I heard it for the first time. The angst I felt in my soul then resurfaced and I processed some of my teen feelings ...
Be kind to your kids. They’re the ones who someday choose your rest home. That used to be funny — until my husband and I spent a couple of (pricey) hours with an attorney last week deciding which of our children will do just that — choose our rest home, along with a whole load of other ...
