Women and Hobbits

   First off, I would like to share my final story for The Universe, which is all about how clothing and modesty differs in the various cultures. This one took a bit of work to get all of the different opinions, and I was a little sad that the Honor Code Office refused to comment, but I think the article turned out nicely.
    I am also posting an article that I wrote quite a while ago, called, "Life According to a Muslim Woman." This woman was a fascinating person to meet--I quite liked her, and she had some interesting points to make. We just don't hear from well-educated (she has 2 PhDs and speaks 4 languages fluently) Muslim women that often. And they certainly don't lecture at BYU every day.
   The fun thing about those two is that they are both in the Women's Conference edition of The Universe, currently available at any on-campus news-stand. 
   For those of you with Danish ancestry, I wrote an account of the recent Danish activity at BYU. My favorite line from this has to be, "We are the hobbits!"

New Stories, Including Geocaching

  First off, I want to share my geocaching stories! Here's one about geocaching at BYU, and I wrote a second one about international geocaching. (a special thanks to my dad for making me aware of this:)
    And here is a fun one about the very first BYU Model Arab League Team in several years. This was fun because I knew most of the people involved.
   And the ambassador from Samoa.
   This story was very challenging to write because there was so much going on, but it details the really exciting things that BYU is doing internationally and how we're making an impact and a name. 

Spring!

    Hello! This is a beautiful week! Our snow is gone and spring is here. Alhamdullilah. I have also had some fun articles this last week. First, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture given by an Israeli journalist. I also met him, because my professor was hosting him, so I asked a few questions as well. The lecture was basically proof that the more I learn about the Middle East, the more I see that everything I once thought I knew is wrong. But that's OK:)
   Next, a fun article about how BYU beat University of Utah in a tense academic exchange last weekend. And who doesn't enjoy that?

Pythons, Portugal, Publishing, and Syrian Refugees

        First and foremost, I want to introduce the Syrian refugee article, which was about a month in the making. After many rewrites and some frantic last-minute interviews, the article was published, and it even made it to the print version! Also, just for the record, the fun thing about this article is that it's my story, too.
      Next, the BYU publishing article. Surprisingly, this was one of my favorite articles to interview for. This was a bit intense since I got the story, did the interviews, and wrote it all in about an hour and a half. I got to talk with some fascinating people and hear some great stories. I also made sure to publish the all-important presence of cookies at an event---I know what will bring out an audience!
      The Portuguese ambassador's visit was another exciting event to cover. I got to interview with one of the international vice-presidents, who was very kind. I learned a little about how BYU and the Church develops these important international relationships.
    And, drumroll please---the front page article, above the fold, in today's The Universe! Mormons hunting pythons with their bare hands were featured in The New York Times, and now the story has come back to where it belongs---their Alma Mater.

A Series of BYU Events

   Last week my articles explored some of the hidden gems at BYU. Please enjoy!
    First, I went to the free movie night at the library. The people were great--some people attend that event religiously, there were some professors, and a random crew of students looking for cheap dates, and it was fun to chat with them. The director was great, too. He really made it quite the evening. He told me that in 14 years they had never had a reporter attend, but I was welcome. Then he emailed me some lovely film stills from Special Collections to use in my story.
  Next, I attended a lecture for the Kennedy Center. I was surprised by how many people I knew were there--I guess geeks for history, religion, and politics flock together!
   And of course, the Life, the Universe, and Everything symposium. Don't panic! I learned about how to write a politically correct "damsel in distress," which has to be an important life skill. Also, did you know that the reason female superheroes always win in the movies is that violence against women automatically gives a film an R-rating. So if you want mainstream audiences, you have to let the girls win. Interesting.

Sleeping Beauty and Other Good Things

   I wrote a couple more articles that I am letting you all know about. So, this is a fun preview of the BYU production of "Sleeping Beauty." I enjoyed writing it--I actually just walked around the Richard's building asking questions until I found the advanced ballet class. I walked in (feeling really out of place in coat, boots, and scarf amidst all of these ballerinas in leotards and pointe shoes), had a word with the instructor, and found myself interviewing Aurora herself. It was a bit of an adventure. 

   And here is one  I wrote about how BYU students find jobs after graduation. Mine is pretty optimistic. Sadly, someone else wrote an article about people from between the ages of 18 to 29 are mostly unemployed. Hmph. At least someone is trying to follow prophetic injunction to seek the good in the world! 

Phantom Happenings

  Thanks all for reading these articles and your comments--I hope you're enjoying them. This week we have The Phantom of the Opera part 2--with some very interesting information about the cast and production that I got from a backstage tour as well as some, well, persistent nosiness.
  Then, there's a fun story about a campus event.
  Thanks for reading, and thanks for your comments and writing critique, Sister Fowler!