Deseret Digest February 2025

THE DIGEST

FEBRUARY 2025 VOL. 3 / NO. 2

Church News

Deseret Magazine

Private & Charter Schools

President Nelson’s 7 years as Church President: Preserving and making history

How our siblings shape us: Our siblings can remind us who we are, and who we’re not

Wanted: More young men enrolling in college

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His ‘friendly, disarming nature’ has served him well for 32 years Veteran Deseret News photographer Jeff Allred is retiring after an award-winning career

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A NOTE FROM THE E XECUTIVE EDITOR your computer or on the go with your mobile phone, you can access our website for the latest news, analysis and commentary.

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By Doug Wilks

We are pleased to introduce you to The Digest, a sampling of some of the best stories written every day by the dedicated journalists at the Deseret News, Deseret Magazine and Church News. Our hope is that you will make us your trusted news source each day at a time when there is confusion and contention in the nation.

The Deseret News brand stands for unimpeachable journalism centered on the issues most core to the human heart. While the Deseret News since its beginning in 1850 has evolved to meet the demands of its audience — reimagining print offerings, launching an acclaimed magazine and increasing the visibility and reach of its award-winning website — the publication remains committed to certain timeless ideals.

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DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

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Figure 2: When these very small blood vessels become diseased they begin to shrivel up and the nerves begin to degenerate. they cause you to have balance problems, pain, numbness, tingling, burning, and many additional symptoms.

Figure 1: Notice the very small blood vessels surrounding each nerve.

Peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and the most debilitating balance problems. This damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet which causes the nerves to begin to degenerate due to lack of nutrient flow.

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The treatment to increase blood flow utilizes a specialized low-level light therapy (not to be confused with laser therapy) using light emitting diode technology. This technology was originally developed by NASA to assist in increasing blood flow.

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4 DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

DESERET NEWS

His ‘friendly, disarming nature’ has served him well for 32 years Veteran Deseret News photographer Jeff Allred is retiring after an award-winning career

Jeffrey Allred shoots photos as a long-tailed macaque monkey sits on his shoulder in the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud, Indonesia, on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019.

By Lee Benson Deseret News

He was supposed to be a dentist. Until he walked into a darkroom.

Jeff Allred was in his sophomore year at Utah State University, immersed in chemistry, math, biology and the other sorts of classes one takes in a pre-dentistry major, when his brother told him about a “fun” elective that might be a nice change of pace.

It was a black-and-white photography class held in a darkroom. Remember those? In the pre-digital days that’s where photographers would process their film and pictures.

There wasn’t anything Jeff didn’t like about the class. He liked experimenting with his camera, he liked seeing images appear in the developing trays like magic, he even liked the smell of the chemicals.

“That changed everything,” remembers Jeff. “It opened up the world to me.”

He switched his major on the spot.

He recalls his mother wasn’t quite as thrilled as he was.

“My mom cried; she said, ‘you’ll starve. I want you to be happy and make money — and I want a dentist in the family.’” *** The above story is relevant, unfortunately, because Jeff Allred announced that he’s retiring from a 40-year career as a photojournalist, the last 32 here at the Deseret News. I say unfortunately, because people at the paper are about as happy with the news as Jeff ’s mom was when he switched out of dentistry.

As Deseret News photo editor Chuck Wing put it, “He’s a great shooter, everyone likes him, he never complains.”

How do you replace that?

There’s also the fact that he doesn’t look old enough to

Lori Allred

retire. Photography hasn’t aged him. If he tried to walk into a Vegas casino there’s still a chance he’d get carded.

But there’s no denying that the thousands, if not millions, of Jeff ’s images lodged in the DNews archives attest to his longevity. That includes more than his fair share of prize winners, highlighted by the photo he shot in 2008 of a 3-year-old girl’s tears as her soldier father deployed to Iraq.

The Associated Press Managing Editors named it that year’s national AP Photo of the Year (The awards show was held in Las Vegas, where Jeff took his mom, who had by that point completely forgiven him).

But more than the honors, in a business where it’s easy to take offense, or give it, it’s the way Jeff ’s gotten those award-winning images that make his career unique.

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6 DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025 An example: when Russell M. Nelson became president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2018 and embarked on world tours, Jeff was the Deseret News photographer assigned to the trips.

In Paraguay, when President Nelson, swarmed by well-wishers, waded into the crowd and found himself surrounded by young children, Jeff and his wide-angle lens waded right in there with him — until a member of the president’s security detail, deeming him much too close, lifted him up like a potted plant and moved him off to the side.

What was Jeff ’s response? Get angry? Pout? File a protest?

None of the above. He just smiled and continued shooting and let security do their job (besides, he was pretty sure he’d already got the shot he wanted, and when he checked his images he was right. The photo of President Nelson with the kids in Paraguay may be the most iconic of his presidency).

Sarah Weaver, now editor of Deseret News and editor of Church News at the time, watched all this transpire, and continued to watch, as the trips continued, how Jeff’s friendly, disarming nature succeeded in gaining him closer access at every stop.

“He has this unmatched technical skill that allows him to never miss a shot, and the people skills to get access,” she says. “It became very obvious that President Nelson respects and trusts Jeff to take his picture.”

Remembers Jeff, “Every country got a little better, then a little better, and pretty soon we’re telling security where we’re going to be and what we’re going to do and they’re cool. President Nelson had his thumb up and he’s happy; he’s like, ‘let him in.’”

Tad Walch, who covers the Latter-day Saint beat for the Deseret News, says, “We call Jeff the photographer of the prophet to tease him.” But also because it’s true. “We’re spoiled to have Jeff, not only are his images amazing, but his rapport with everyone he meets is so open and kind and fun it puts everyone at ease.”

For Jeff, who it should come as no surprise has been on

every major President Nelson tour since 2018, it’s the way he’s done business since he got into the business. It’s so much easier, and so much more effective, he says, when you like people. “And I like people.

“If somebody said you have to go back and do something else,” he continues, “I’d say no, I’ll be a photojournalist. I’ll do it again. I can’t believe my good fortune. I’ve had this front row seat to history. I can’t even start to tell you what I’ve seen and shot. Think about photographing Muhammad Ali, Elton John, every U.S. president since (Gerald) Ford, every Latter-day Saint prophet since (Ezra Taft) Benson. I’ve been on every continent, in 72 countries at last count. I’ve photographed disasters and Olympics and NBA Finals. It’s crazy.”

Even though he’s “retiring,” at 62 he has no intention of slowing down or putting away his cameras. “I always have a camera with me, always,” he says. “If it’s not on my person it’s a couple feet away in the car. I’m going to shoot pictures until I’m 99.”

Beyond doing some commercial work of his own and teaching a photography class at BYU, he’ll continue to do contract work for the Deseret News and Church News. He has many more countries to see and world tours in his future.

People like having him around.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Jeffrey D. Allred stands outside the Federal Court with other photographers in Salt Lake City, Utah, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009, as Elizabeth Smart testifies against her captor.

Tim Taylor inflates his hot air balloon during a balloon festival in Park City on Friday, Sept. 16, 2016.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

The Christus is illuminated in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors' Center with a reflection of the temple in Rome, Italy, on Friday, March 8, 2019.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon compete during the Western Conference championships in 1997 in Houston.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

A woman stands near her home after a midair collision over Kearns on Thursday, Jan. 15, 1987.

DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

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Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

A wagon from Burley, Idaho, loses control and breaks apart coming down a steep hill at East Canyon during the Latterday Saint pioneer trek reenactment in Utah in 1997. The group traveled from Winter Quarters to Salt Lake City over a threemonth period, tracing the pioneer trail.

Police confront Justice for Bernardo protesters in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 9, 2020.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

8 DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

CHURCH NEWS

President Nelson’s 7 years as Church President: Preserving and making history President Nelson’s efforts to preserve Church history include restoring pioneer-era temples, acquiring the Kirtland Temple, directing the four-volume ‘Saints’ and commemorating a bicentennial year of Jesus Christ.

“One of the things the Spirit has repeatedly impressed upon my mind since my new calling as President of the Church is how willing the Lord is to reveal His mind and will,” President Nelson said in his first general conference as President of the Church. “The privilege of receiving revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God to His children.”

Restoring pioneer-era temples

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, meet with youth in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Nov. 19, 2019.

By Sydney Walker Church News

All 185 new temple locations President Russell M. Nelson has announced since becoming President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seven years ago have come in a general conference — except for one.

While speaking at the groundbreaking of the Ephraim Utah Temple on Aug. 27, 2022, President Nelson recalled how the announcement of this second house of the Lord in central Utah came to be — a temple less than 10 miles from the Manti Utah Temple.

President Nelson said shortly after April 2021 general conference, he “received very clear instruction” from the Lord that the pioneer craftsmanship of the Manti temple —set to be renovated by the Church — should be preserved and a new temple should be built in nearby Ephraim.

“That news was shared quickly here and throughout the world,” he said, referring to the announcement released from Church headquarters May 1, 2021.

In that announcement, President Nelson said Church leaders had given “much prayerful thought to the hardy pioneers” and countless craftsmen who made temple blessings

in Manti possible. The leaders had also looked forward with “prayerful foresight” to the growing number of Latter-day Saints in central Utah, including Snow College students.

The decision to build a second temple in central Utah came “after much study and prayer, and with our deep gratitude for the Lord’s responding to our pleadings,” said President Nelson.

Learning from and preserving Church history — this has become a hallmark of President Nelson’s ministry as the 100-year-old Prophet has made history.

7 years as Church President

President Nelson was set apart as the 17th President of the Church on Jan. 14, 2018, at age 93.

In his seven years as President of the Church, President Nelson has ministered to 35 nations, led the Church through a pandemic, accelerated temple building, issued invitations, changed Church organization, increased the Church’s missionary force, built bridges of understanding and utilized technology and social media to share messages with the world.

The leader of 17 million Latter-day Saints worldwide, President Nelson has repeatedly underscored the importance of revelation in the ongoing Restoration of the gospel

In a central Utah valley settled by his pioneer ancestors, President Nelson rededicated the Manti Utah Temple on April 21, 2024. It became the Church’s second pioneer-era temple to recently finish major restorations.

“We build temples to honor the Lord,” said President Nelson during the rededication. “They are built for worship and not for show. We make sacred covenants of eternal significance inside these sacred walls.”

The historic Manti temple — originally dedicated 136 years earlier in May 1888 — was the Church’s third house of the Lord built in Utah, following temples in St. George and Logan and preceding the Salt Lake Temple.

These early Latter-day Saint temples “stand as monuments to the faith and vision of our beloved pioneers,” President Nelson said in April 2019 general conference.

“Each temple constructed by them resulted from their great personal sacrifice and effort. Each one stands as a stunning jewel in the crown of pioneer achievement. Ours is a sacred responsibility to care for them.”

President Nelson announced that these pioneer-era temples would undergo a period of “renewal and refreshing and, for some, a major restoration” to preserve the historicity, beauty and craftsmanship of generations passed.

Renovations for the Manti temple included mechanical upgrades and technology to allow the ordinances and covenants to be administered in multiple languages. Work was also done to preserve the temple’s pioneer craftsmanship, character and artwork, including its original murals.

President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, rededicated the renovated St. George temple on Dec. 10, 2023. In addition to updating the temple’s modern amenities — such as plumbing, air conditioning and electrical and mechanical systems — care was also given to preserve the original temple’s pioneer designs.

The Salt Lake Temple renovation has been underway for five years and is projected to be completed in 2026. The massive project has included a seismic upgrade to the temple’s foundation, the removal of the existing temple entry/ annex, removal of the north and south visitors’ centers, construction of new temple entry buildings and visitors’ pavilions and addition of new hardscape and landscaping.

“We promise you that you will love the results,” said President Nelson at a press conference on April 19, 2019, about the Salt Lake Temple renovation. “They will emphasize and highlight the life, ministry and mission of Jesus Christ in His desire to bless every nation, kindred, tongue and people.”

Renovation plans for the Logan Utah Temple have not yet been released.

DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

Kirtland Temple acquisition

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rededicated the Manti Utah Temple in Manti, Utah, on Sunday, April 21, 2024.

In addition to his reverence and respect for pioneer-era temples, President Nelson has led many other efforts to preserve Church history. One is the recent acquisition of the first Latter-day Saint temple built in this dispensation.

On March 5, 2024, the Church purchased the Kirtland Temple from the Community of Christ. The landmark agreement also included the purchase of several significant buildings in Nauvoo, Illinois, and important manuscripts and artifacts.

“Together, we share an interest in and reverence for these historic sites and items and are committed to preserving them for future generations,” wrote leaders from the two faiths in a joint statement.

Discussions leading to this agreement had been ongoing since June 2021, according to the statement.

“We are deeply honored to assume the stewardship of these sacred places, documents and artifacts,” said President Nelson. “We thank our friends at Community of Christ for their great care and cooperation in preserving these historical treasures thus far. We are committed to doing the same.”

The reason behind the Church’s purchase was rooted in doctrine as the Kirtland Temple holds great significance in the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. On April 3, 1836, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were visited by Jesus Christ and experienced visions where priesthood keys were conveyed by ancient prophets Moses, Elias and Elijah.

One month after the purchase of the Kirtland Temple, President Nelson explained in April 2024 general conference the importance of these priesthood keys.

“These keys authorized Joseph Smith — and all succeeding presidents of the Lord’s Church — to gather Israel on both sides of the veil, to bless all covenant children with the blessings of Abraham, to place a ratifying seal on priesthood ordinances and covenants and to seal families eternally,”

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he said. “The power of these priesthood keys is infinite and breathtaking.”

‘Saints’

Another effort during President Nelson’s tenure to preserve Church history was a four-volume narrative history commissioned by the First Presidency titled “Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days.” It was the first multivolume Church history published in nearly 90 years.

The Church released “Saints: The Standard of Truth, Volume 1, 1815-1846” in September 2018 and “Saints, Volume 2: No Unhallowed Hand, 1846-1893” in February 2020. These first two volumes focus on the early Restoration as the Latter-day Saints gathered to build temples in Kirtland, Nauvoo and Utah.

“Saints, Volume 3: Boldly, Nobly, and Independent, 18931955” was released in April 2022 and shares stories of Saints worldwide as they experienced modern changes and faced challenges of war, a pandemic and economic hardship.

In October 2024, the Church released “Saints, Volume 4: Sounded in Every Ear, 1955-2020.” The final book of the four-part history focuses on a period of accelerated worldwide Church growth and temple building.

“Remembering our shared legacy of faith, devotion and perseverance gives us perspective and strength as we face the challenges of our day…,” the First Presidency wrote in a message to readers in vol. 1. “You are an important part of the continuing history of this Church. We thank you for all you do to build on the foundation of faith laid by our forebears.”

The series was made available for free in 14 languages on the Church’s website, in the Gospel Library app and other digital platforms, including an audiobook in English, Portuguese and CONTINUES ON PG. 10

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Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

The sun rises on the Kirtland Ohio Temple in Kirtland, Ohio, on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023.

Spanish. More than a million printed volumes have been sold.

A bicentennial year

The year 2020 was designated as a bicentennial year as the Church commemorated 200 years since God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820 and initiated the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

President Nelson promised April 2020 general conference would be “not only memorable” but “unforgettable” for those who prepared for such an experience.

The conference was indeed historic — and not just because the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the conference is being broadcast without church members in attendance. The five sessions included messages focused on the Restoration; the announcement of a new Church symbol; a solemn assembly and hosanna shout; and the introduction of a new proclamation titled “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World.”

“As we considered the unique historic and international impact of that First Vision, we felt impressed to create a monument not of granite or stone but of words — words of solemn and sacred proclamation — written, not to be carved in ‘tables of stone’ but rather to be etched in the

‘fleshy tables’ of our hearts,” President Nelson said of the proclamation, referring to 2 Corinthians 3:3.

President Nelson presented the Restoration proclamation in a video recorded in the Sacred Grove outside of Palmyra, New York.

“We affirm that God is making known His will for His beloved sons and daughters,” the proclamation declares.

“We testify that those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Growth of the Church

As the Restoration proclamation commemorated 200 years of Church history, it’s significant to note that 100-yearold President Nelson has lived nearly half that time. He has witnessed rapid Church growth as membership has become increasingly global. The number of Church members, missionaries and temples have changed dramatically since he was born in 1924.

In 1924, there were 597,861 Church members. Today there are more than 17.2 million, according to the Church’s latest statistical report.

The Church had 867 total missionaries and 25 missions when President Nelson was born. At the end of 2024, Missionary Department leaders said the seasonal-fluctuating number of missionaries serving then had reached a high mark of around 80,000 worldwide. With 36 new missions having opened last year, the total number of missions is now 450 — the highest number in Church history.

When President Nelson was born, there were six dedicated temples worldwide. Today the Church has 202 dedicated temples, the most recent being the Tallahassee Florida Temple dedicated Dec. 7, 2024. It was the 16th house of the Lord dedicated in 2024.

On Nov. 10, 2024, the Church reached the milestone dedication of its 200th operating temple — the Deseret Peak Utah Temple — which was dedicated by 100-year-old President Nelson in Tooele, Utah. He celebrated his 100th birthday two months before.

At the dedication, President Nelson noted that it took the Church until the year 2000 to dedicate the first 100 temples.

But now, just 24 years later, it has dedicated the second 100.

“The Lord is truly hastening His work,” President Nelson said. “I am filled with gratitude for the Lord’s mercy in guiding us to bring temples closer to members of the Church throughout the world.”

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DESERET NEWS

The man who summited the 8 Crowns Local engineer ate at all 8 Crown Burgers in one day. We should create a holiday in his honor.

By Meg Walter Deseret News

On Dec. 23, 2024, one Salt Lake City man accomplished what had before seemed impossible.

Or at least medically inadvisable.

Local engineer Bryant Heath — who runs the SLSees Twitter and Instagram account where he documents the interesting and quirky elements of Salt Lake City — summited the eight crowns.

The eight crowns, Heath explained, refer to the eight different Crown Burgers locations ranging as far north as Layton as far south as Sandy, and as far west as West Valley City. The term actually comes from a story I wrote years ago about the origins of fry sauce.

In said story, the owner of the North Temple Crown Burgers Mike Katsanevas referred to what was then the seven different Crown Burgers locations as the “seven crowns.”

Since the time of publication, an eighth location has opened in Holladay. It’s an express location with no indoor seating but it still counts and was numbered among the stops Heath set out to visit — and eat something at — all in one day. To him, it felt akin to summiting the highest peak on every continent. I personally think it’s even more impressive.

Crown Burgers, an historic staple in the Salt Lake City culinary landscape, is known for many things. First and foremost the titular Crown Burger — a quarter-pound patty topped with Thousand Island dressing, lettuce, tomato and onions, cheese, and a heaping pile of pastrami. The franchise is also known for a surprisingly robust Greek menu and what is, for my money, the best gyro in the state. Crown Burgers is not, however, known for lite fare. One single meal from Crown Burgers is typically enough dense calories to make the average connoisseur very full. Eight in one day is borderline dangerous. But also brave.

As far as I know, this is the first time my writing has ever inspired anyone to do anything, so I obviously had to talk with Heath to learn more about this monumental accomplishment and find out how much credit, or responsibility, I could or should take. The answer, sadly and thankfully, was very little. This was all Heath’s doing. And it was quite a bit of doing.

He started his journey first thing that Monday morning by visiting the Crown Burgers drive-thru in South Salt Lake at 9 a.m. (the dining room was not yet open). He was delighted to learn that Crown Burgers has a breakfast menu and ordered a breakfast sandwich which he described as “delicious.” From there he drove to the Layton location and ordered a junior cheeseburger because what better way to settle the stomach after a breakfast sandwich an hour prior?

Next he hit the North Temple downtown Salt Lake City location, which we both agreed is the second best location, what with its fireplace, woodland-themed wallpaper, green leather chairs and grandfather clock. There he ordered souvlaki on a stick. Just one because he was starting to feel full and still had five locations left to visit. From there he zipped over to the other downtown location on 200 South and ordered baklava, a comparatively light caloric load, believe or not, that he described as “a great little bite.”

Then he began his journey southward to what we agree is the best location — the Millcreek Crown Burgers. Stepping into the interior of this location feels like stepping into

Isaac Hale, Deseret News

Bryant Heath poses in front of the Crown Burgers location at 118 N. 300 West in Salt Lake City with the namesake burger of the establishment, a Crown Burger. Heath went to all eight Crown Burgers locations in one day on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.

King Arthur’s castle with its intricate stone fireplace, ornate chandeliers, and big wooden furniture. There he ordered the mixed meat gyro having had a whole 30 minutes to digest the baklava.

From there, he drove to Holladay and ordered fries at the express location, where the cashier was so amused by Heath’s endeavor that he gave him an extra fry sauce on the house.

When he arrived a the Sandy location on State Street, Heath was feeling very full. At the outset of the journey he had committed to eating the entirety of everything he ordered. By this point he had eaten an entire breakfast sandwich, an entire junior cheeseburger, all the chicken on the souvlaki stick, the baklava, a whole gyro and an order of fries. So he decided to play it safe and ordered … a strawberry milkshake.

And then at long last, six hours after beginning his journey, he ended it at 3 p.m. in West Valley City where he met friend and host of the City Cast Salt Lake podcast Ali Vallarta, who bought him a Crown Burger. “He seemed so much better than I expected,” Vallarta told me.

Upon completing the Crown Burger, he was satiated, he said. “A little too satiated,” he added. He didn’t feel like he ever needed to eat again, and indeed, he did not until well into the next day. But he wasn’t just physically full. He was

also full of the sense of achievement that comes from accomplishing something so momentous and unprecedented.

I asked Heath to articulate how he felt after all eight successful summits. “Undoubtedly, equating this challenge of mine to summiting the highest peaks on each continent is mean to be tongue-in-cheek,” he said. “But through the humor it did seem to resonate — dare I say inspire — people to find ways to turn the mundane of daily life into something ever-so-slightly special. There are a lot of interesting and creative things out there to do, if you have the appetite.”

While Heath is quick to downplay the significance of his successful journey, I’m here to suggest that perhaps we should make him the king of Utah. I do apologize to those who ran and won government seats through the democratic process, but I think this process is just way cooler. And one that we should repeat every four years. They among us who successfully summit the eight crowns shall lead.

Or maybe there’s no one else who can do it. Or no one who will even dare attempt such a perilous undertaking. In which case maybe the better option is a state holiday. We could make every Dec. 23 Crown Burgers day and eat onion rings in remembrance of the Salt Lake Instagrammer who gave an entire day, over $50, a tank of gas, and his physical comfort for such a noble cause.

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14 DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

DESERET MAGAZINE

How our siblings shape us Our siblings can remind us who we are, and who we’re not who reported positive relationships with their siblings and low levels of sibling conflict were less likely to struggle with loneliness, depression and anxiety. Bottom line: Get along well with your sibling and you’ll be happier later in life.

Family story

AlÎna Skarina for the Deseret News

By Megan Michelson Deseret Magazine

My brother Miles laid in an intensive care unit inside a trauma hospital in Reno. He had hit a tree while chasing me on skis down Mammoth Mountain, California, and now, his brain was swelling dangerously inside his skull.

Meanwhile, my sister, Erin, was pregnant with her first son, 7,200 miles away on the South Island of New Zealand.

She couldn’t fly with the baby on the way, so I sat by my brother’s bedside alone and waited for him to live or die.

I was 24 years old at the time, and I remember thinking: My sister is about to usher in a new life and my brother is inviting death to dance, and they’re on opposite ends of the globe. I am stuck in the middle — and there’s not a thing I can do to help either of them. I love my brother and sister on a deeply cellular level, but I hated being in that position.

Turns out, our siblings are the easiest people in our lives to love and despise all at once. They are simultaneously irritating, tiresome and impossible to be around, while also being the people on the planet who most closely resemble us. They know us better than we know ourselves and always manage to say or do the one thing that gets under our skin the most. Still, we have no choice but to love them unconditionally, maybe because we know they can’t bail on us like everyone else.

Siblings, as we know, are the ones we’re stuck with the longest. Parents, spouses, friends, cousins, children: They see but a fraction of our lives. But your sister? Your brother?

If we’re lucky, they’re here for the long haul. From cradle to grave, that’s the person who’s seen you at your worst and still pulls up a chair next to you at the dinner table.

My brother lived. Not long after, I got on a flight to New Zealand and stood at my sister’s bedside in a birthing center, where I watched, in awe with tears streaming down my cheeks, as she brought her son into the world.

Research on siblings

Siblings are ubiquitous — 80% of Americans have one. Yet research on siblings tends to be a bit overlooked. Only 3% of studies on close personal relationships focus on siblings.

What research does exist on sibling relations shows us one important thing: Siblings matter more than we realize.

Our dynamic with them shapes who we are, how we perceive ourselves and our outlook on the world.

Most of the research conducted has focused on how siblings shape us when we’re adolescents, when we begin to learn good and bad habits from those close to us.

For example, younger siblings are more likely to engage in substance abuse behaviors if their older siblings drink or do drugs. But some of these influences can last well into adulthood. A 2019 study of people in their 60s found that those

Miles is six years older than me. When I was a kid, I called him Mino. He and my sister would roll me up in a rug, strap it closed with a belt and leave me, like an imprisoned burrito on the floor. I didn’t mind; I liked the attention.

Erin, my sister, is four years older than me. When she’d have birthday parties in middle school, I was so desperate to be invited that I would dress up like a fancy waiter in a black and white outfit and serve her and her friends drinks and finger foods on a tray. I am the runt in the family and all I longed for was to be included. To be a part of something greater than myself.

Before me, there was Macey, the sister I never knew.

Macey died a couple of months after she was born, of SIDS, which is what they called it in the ’80s when babies stopped breathing in their cribs. Rainbow babies are what they called it when you had another baby to attempt to replace the one who died. You can ask my mother, but having another kid never fills the hollow left in your heart when you lose a child. That hole is still there, four decades later.

But still, they had me, the second-third child. Like an asterisk on the family tree. But I was loved fiercely. My mom treated me like I was the lucky lottery card.

The first few years, my siblings and I were a team, us against the elements. My parents would take us into the mountains, skiing, hiking and on overnight river trips, where we’d roll our sleeping bags onto the sand — me sandwiched between my older siblings — and sleep to the sound of a gushing river.

While skiing, I’d chase my brother and sister in a flying snowplow down our favorite run, Hot Wheels Gully. Miles launched off jumps, and then there was me, his constant shadow. It was an idyllic, wild childhood. But then, one day, when I was four years old, the team I’d tried so hard to be a part of got divided.

My parents got a divorce. At first, the three of us kids went to live with my mom, three hours away from the house my parents had built together, where my dad still lives all these years later. But Miles didn’t get along with my mom’s new boyfriend, who entered the picture and became our stepdad. So not long after, Miles moved back in with my dad.

The fracture between the three of us siblings grew as the chasm between my parents did, too.

At home at my mom’s house, I craved my sister’s attention and a sense of belonging: I would sneakily read her diary and steal her clothes, anything to get her to notice me.

At my dad’s house, I dug a peephole in the wall between my brother’s room and my own so I could spy on what he was doing. I felt like I barely knew my brother anymore. We’d get together for weekends and holidays, but he was essentially a middle school-aged stranger, living under a faraway roof.

My mom’s method for getting the three of us kids back together was to throw us in a raft. So, we did a two-week Grand Canyon river trip when I was 12.

When a scorpion crawled into my sleeping bag at night, it was Miles who fished it out for me. When I was scared to poop into the groover, it was Erin who told me it would be

DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025 OK. And when things got really scary, like when our stepdad flew into his abusive rages, it was both of them who I ran to for safety. All of which is to say, even when our siblings feel like aliens, they are the people who have your back.

Why siblings matter

I called up an expert in sibling dynamics because I was curious about what we know, as a society, about the way siblings work. How does our behavior with our closest relatives define us? Should I work harder to keep my siblings close?

Shawn Whiteman is an associate professor at Utah State University’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies, where the main focus of his academic research is on siblings.

The closest sibling relationships, Whiteman tells me, are sister-sister dynamics. Girls are traditionally taught to be more emotionally expressive, apparently. Brother-brother duos tend to be more expressive through shared hobbies and physical activities.

Those are just stereotypes, of course. In my family, my sister and I were — and still are — closer than my brother and I are, but that’s mostly due to proximity. She and I grew up under the same roof and we live an hour away from each other now.

When I was nine months pregnant with my son, she was the one I called to say, “Is this what happens when your water breaks?” She and I both appreciate long walks in the woods and a night spent under the stars. When I lost friends in an avalanche, she would send me handmade cards in the mail with notes that said: Thinking of you.

My brother, on the other hand, lives in a different part of the state and, of course, he grew up in a different house. It’s like we speak different languages. I go for long runs to deal with stress; he stays up all night on the computer. I love to travel; he only recently got a passport. I shop at the farmers

market with canvas totes; he buys 12 cups of Starbucks coffee a day, each time using a throwaway cup. (My attempts to gift him reusable mugs have proven useless.) Our values are intrinsically different. But I’ve come to realize that’s OK. We don’t have to have the same values in order to have a close relationship. Our siblings can remind us who we are, and who we’re not.

“Siblings provide us with a constant source of comparison for us to evaluate our accomplishments, our attributes, our qualities against,” Whiteman says. “At times, your sibling can show you things you want to aspire to be, or ways you want to be different. Siblings can both inspire us to move in different directions and also show us ways that we want to be different from them.”

When Miles graduated from high school and went off to college, he became the ultimate recluse. Months would pass without any word from him. Throughout his 20s, he skipped holidays and family functions altogether.

Once, my mom sent me on a mission to drive hours to his apartment just to knock on his door and make sure he was still in there. (He was, enmeshed in a computer programming job and surrounded by piles of takeout boxes.)

It would take that skiing accident and his resulting traumatic brain injury when he was 30 years old for him to reintegrate into the family. I had spent years wanting my big brother back — and suddenly, there he was, and he needed me to help him use the bedpan.

As he rehabilitated from his brain injury, my mom and I cared for him for many months. It wasn’t pretty, but it felt nice to be a part of his life again.

During his early recovery, he had a tracheotomy and couldn’t speak, but he would write simple messages to me on a whiteboard, like “hi” or “TV.” When he was out of it, I would rub his feet as he lay in bed, as the nurses said that could help relax him. Many months later, he wrote me a note

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that said, “Thank you for the foot massages.” I honestly didn’t know if he even knew I was doing that.

After the accident, he stayed closer to all of us. Uncle Mino, as my kids call him now, shows up for Halloween in the goofiest costume and he’s always first in line for roller coasters and ice cream. He’s the fun uncle.

My sister and her family moved back home from New Zealand and I got to watch from the sidelines as my two nephews grew up, exploring the mountains just like we did.

Our family, once divided by death and divorce and distance, is a unit again. We don’t always get along, of course, but we get each other.

Whiteman says it’s never too late to reestablish a stronger relationship with your sibling, even if conflict has gotten in the way in the past.

“Sibling relationships are important throughout our lives.

They can be sources of support and also sources of conflict,” he says. “But there are always opportunities to renegotiate challenges. It often takes some change in the family system for those challenges to be brought up. Something has to happen for you to go back and look at the conflict and make it better.”

No relationship with a sibling is free of strife. I watch my own kids — now eight and 10 — as they brawl it out with each other on a daily basis. Someday, they’ll appreciate each other, I hope. I know I do.

Just knowing there’s a person out there who I can call who’s seen the entire trajectory of my life from day one is a special sort of comfort. It’s an ally you don’t always know you need. But one who, hopefully, shows up when you need them. Miles and Erin, if you’re reading this, I wouldn’t be who I am without you two. I am forever grateful to be your little sister. But never roll me up in a rug again.

This story appears in the January/February 2025 issue of Deseret Magazine. Learn more about how to subscribe.

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PRIVATE & CHARTER SCHOOLS

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18 DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

PRIVATE & CHARTER SCHOOLS

Teachers give failing grades to ‘bruh,’ ‘delulu’ and other 2024 slang terms Educators nominate popular slang they hope is expelled from classrooms in 2025

By Jason Swensen Deseret News

School teachers in Utah and across the country are formally trained educators in history, math, biology, chemistry and a host of other academic subjects.

They’re also America’s front-line squad of amateur linguistic anthropologists.

So if you’re a bit confused hearing the kids at the family holiday party saying “skibidi” or “delulu” and feel you need a translator — just find a school teacher.

They are likely fluent in Slang2024.

But slang fluency doesn’t mean teachers are always fans of whatever words or phrases are trending.

Yes, Henry David Thoreau may be attributed with saying “It is too late to be studying Hebrew; it is more important to understand even the slang of today.”

But did Thoreau’s readers ever call him “bruh”?

Education Week recently asked educators across the country to share slang terms they wished their students would trash. They gleaned hundreds of teacher responses and compiled a “Slang that Teachers are Sick of Hearing” top-10 list.

A caveat before sharing the list: Not all teachers are slangaverse. School psychologist Jill Davidson noted in a LinkedIn comment that slang can “enrich our language, (and) encourage creativity. It’s important to know what they mean and how they’re used.”

Now, on to Education Week’s “Top-10 list — Slang that Teachers are Sick of Hearing.”

Sigma The slang term for “the best” can be used to describe, somewhat curiously, someone who is an “alpha.”

That’s a slang word to describe a slang word.

Rizz A contracted form of the word “charisma.” Can be used as a noun or verb — and it’s high praise for someone’s charm, style and vibe.

Rizz is what kids in 2020 would have called “game.”

Drip Refers to a “really cool outfit” or clothing items or accessories with statement-making style and, well, maximum rizz.

Ate Looks and sounds just like the verb you have used forever after finishing a meal — but now with no food context.

Instead, “ate” is used to “praise someone for doing something well” or having good style.

Example: “Wow, that’s amazing! You really ate that performance.”

Bruh The evolved version of “bro.”

Used mostly as a friendly greeting or when referring, typically, to a male friend.

A flexible slang, “bruh” can also be used to express surprise (Bruh!!!) or disagreement (Bruh …).

Skibidi A nonsense word defined by context. It can mean “cool”

Zoë Petersen, Deseret News

or “dumb” or “bad”— or just about anything else.

It’s filler fodder. And it’s little surprise “skibidi” would make the teacher’s top-10 slang trash list Delulu It sounds like “delusional” for a reason. It’s a shortened version of the word, by four letters.

Delulu is also a humorous way to describe someone rejecting reality in favor of a more appealing interpretation.

Example: “Mike’s delulu about the Packers’ chances of winning the Super Bowl.”

Low-key A familiar but stylized version of “low key” that describes someone’s actions or emotions that don’t draw too much attention.

“Low-key”, according to USA Today, can be used, ironically, as high praise. Saying someone is “low-key” means “they are calm, don’t cause drama and usually keep to themselves.”

Bet You probably still say, “You bet.” Your parents or grandparents surely said, “You bet.”

Your kids: just “bet.”

Like its earlier iteration, “bet” is typically used as a sub-

stitute for “OK.” Me: “Want to grab some lunch?”

You: “Bet.” Crash out A fairly recent slang that gained traction following people’s social media reactions to the 2024 presidential election results.

Loosely, “crash out” means to “become hysterical or do something reckless, or to pass out from exhaustion.”

Looking ahead: Classroom slang in 2025

Of course, once a slang term is widely adopted it’s already being replaced by fresh slang. That’s the rule.

So what slang can teachers expect to hear — and probably hate — in 2025? Education First has already identified the slang “you need to know in 2025”: Yap: Gossiping excessively.

Chat: A group of people.

Brain rot: Feeling mentally drained from social media overload.

Yassified: Glamorized and overdone.

Lore: Something’s backstory or context.

And, finally, “That’s tea” = That’s the truth.

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20 DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

PRIVATE & CHARTER SCHOOLS

Wanted: More young men enrolling in college National collaboratives and local higher ed leaders respond to declining numbers of males on college campuses

By Jason Swensen Deseret News

It’s easy to make a quick list of challenges facing universities and colleges in Utah and beyond: Student debt. Campus culture wars. Budget cuts and reallocations. Tuition hikes. Workplace readiness.

But another challenge that has impacted campuses for decades is often buried underneath the stack of higher education headlines and debates: More and more, males are sidestepping college.

A few facts shared by the recently organized Higher Education Male Achievement Collaborative (HEMAC): • Men now account for just two out of five college degrees earned in the United States, fewer than the share women received in 1972.

• Less than half of men who enroll complete a four-year degree within the expected time frame.

• Increasing numbers of male students arrive at college with significant mental health needs and associated challenges.

• Men from rural communities have the lowest enrollment rates.

The predominance of women in college headcounts is happening in every state — including Utah.

As the Deseret News reported in December, 53% of the students enrolled in the Beehive State’s degree-granting institutions were female.

A larger number of females are enrolled at each of the state’s eight public degree-granting colleges and universities with one exception — the University of Utah, where males hold the majority by a tiny margin.

Meanwhile, just over half of students enrolled at Brigham Young University — a private institution sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — are female.

Reversing the ‘disappearing male’ campus trend

Last October, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM) launched HEMAC — a joint initiative of diverse voices committed to addressing declining male achievement rates in higher education.

AIMB’s founding president Richard Reeves is a prominent advocate for solutions to the male/higher education challenge. His book, “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It,” was recently featured on President Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List.

The alarm bells regarding male enrollment declines are tolling louder these days as overall college head counts diminish, Reeves told the Deseret News.

More people are taking notice of fewer males on campus — along with its attendant economic and social consequences.

There are several viable reasons for male enrollment declines, said Reeves. They vary by institution and by states.

So it’s difficult to generalize.

“But I think it’s a sign that the K-12 system is not boy-friendly enough,” he said. “What’s happening in colleges is largely a reflection of what happens in K-12.”

The K-12 system, Reeves continued, is not “geared to boys

Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

University of Utah sophomores Marcos Van Dalen and AJ Chanthamixay walk through the campus in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.

as it is to girls — and that’s why two-thirds of the top 10% of high schoolers, by GPA, are girls.”

Mike Kofoed partners with HEMAC as an assistant professor of economics at the University of Tennessee and he keeps his finger on the pulse of college enrollment and education economic trends.

He points to research suggesting that primary school-age boys perform at the same rate as their female classmates on standardized tests — but often receive lower classroom grades. That could be caused by differences between boys and girls in non-cognitive skill development.

Simply put, boys are not always a good fit for the K-12 classroom — and that could influence their educational trajectory and attitudes towards school.

Simultaneously, Kofoed added, the American economy has witnessed wage compression. Paychecks have risen in traditionally lower-income trade jobs, prompting many men to decide that higher education is unnecessary.

But the career longevity and wage-growth of such trades often can’t match those jobs filled by workers with college degrees.

Both Reeves and Kofoed agree that fewer men in the college classroom also exacts a social-economic toll. While it seems socially acceptable for a man to marry a woman with less formal education, the reverse is not always true.

“It’s becoming more and more difficult for women with a college degree to find dating and marriage partners,” said Kofoed.

Reeves also suspects that declining male college enrollment numbers is also an identity issue. Many men simply don’t feel comfortable on campus.

“I’m increasingly worried that more and more men — especially if they are men from, say, a working-class background — just don’t see college as being a place for them,” he said.

Kofoed and Reeves believe schools at all levels can do more to make schools a more male-friendly place — including hiring more male K-12 teachers.

“Children can then see (a male teacher) who has gone to

college and been successful. They can learn that it’s not unmasculine to want to pursue a higher education,” said Kofoed.

Efforts to increase male participation in higher education need not come at the expense of females, emphasized Reeves. It’s not a zero-sum game. ”We can be passionate about women’s rights — and compassionate towards the struggles of boys and men,” he said.

Collaborating to address males and higher education

Since launching about three months ago, HEMAC has partnered with nearly two-dozen inaugural partners — including two- and four-year educational institutions, academic leaders and other mission-aligned non-profits from across the country.

“Over the past few months, we’ve been speaking with our individual schools, seeing what programs they have in place to support male students,” said HEMAC program manager Melinda Brock.

HEMAC partners are also participating in a shared online learning community and monthly community webinars. The organization’s first annual conference is in the works for later this year.

HEMAC is looking to expand its partnerships with organizations interested in better achievement outcomes for males in higher education.

Utah higher education leaders respond

When asked about declines in male enrollment, Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) President Greg Peterson references research indicating that the country’s K-12 system “isn’t necessarily built in a way that provides the optimal experience for male students.”

As a result, many male high school graduates don’t see themselves as “college material.”

Peterson points to SLCC’s Salt Lake Technical College as

DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

University of Utah freshman Christopher Turner walks through the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.

an example of a post-secondary education option that offers students clear and relevant pathways — particularly for male students.

Higher education leaders, he added, need to consider their male students when asking “how do we make sure that what we’re providing is relevant, that it feels meaningful, that it’s practical and that students can see why they are learning, what they are learning and how it applies to a specific outcome?”

Male college enrollment declines “is a perplexing issue,” said Geoffrey Landward, Utah’s commissioner of higher education.

The Beehive State performs better than most areas of the country in male college enrollment, he added. “But it’s still there … and it’s a worrying trend.”

The benefits of earning an advanced certificate or degree, he added, are indisputable.

“So our view is that we’ve got to get everybody in some sort of post-secondary degree or certificate program because it’s just better for them. It’s better for the state.”

Landward said it’s fair to consider perception issues regarding colleges and universities.

“If you look at Gallup polls, the level of trust in higher education and its perceived value just continues to go down. As long as that’s the case, we’re going to see trends like this — and it may be disproportionately impacting young men for reasons that we’re still trying to better understand.”

It’s incumbent upon higher education leaders, he added, to counter such perceptions “by being more thoughtful and making sure we’re presenting diverse viewpoints and diverse programs.”

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22 DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

PRIVATE & CHARTER SCHOOLS

Not welcome: Many academics say conservative professors don’t fit on campus The survey involved over 6,000 faculty members from 55 schools, including BYU and Utah

By Jason Swensen Deseret News

Free speech is considered elemental to college campuses — that time-honored academic privilege to express diverse opinions in pursuit of truth and knowledge without fear of retribution.

But a recent report that surveyed over 6,000 faculty members from 55 four-year colleges and universities across the United States — including over 200 faculty members from Brigham Young University and the University of Utah — reveals that fear and self-censorship are campus realities for many academics.

Campus “free speech chill,” according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression survey, appears to be felt most deeply by conservative faculty members.

Nearly half of “conservative faculty” (47%) who respond-

ed to the survey report feeling unable to voice their opinions because of how others might react.

Only a fifth of “liberal faculty” (19%) reported similar fears.

Conservative faculty were much more likely than their liberal and moderate peers to report self-censoring. More than half — 55% — say they at least occasionally hide their political views in order to keep their jobs, compared to only 17% of liberal faculty.

Meanwhile, when asked how well a “conservative individual” would fit in their department, less than a quarter (20%) responded “very/somewhat” well.

Just over 70% responded that a “liberal individual” would be a positive fit in their respective department.

“There are very few conservative faculty,” said Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s manager of polling and analytics Nathan Honeycutt in response to the findings . “If they’re not expressing their views, then students

Students on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.

are even less exposed to conservative perspectives than one might expect based on the numbers.”

Among other findings from the foundation’s survey: • 87% of faculty reported finding it difficult to have an open and honest conversation on campus about at least one hot button political topic.

• About 1 in 7 faculty members (14%) reported being disciplined or threatened with discipline for their teaching, research, academic discussions, or off-campus speech.

• 35% reported toning down their written work to avoid controversy.

FIRE is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization “dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought,” according to its website.

CONTINUES ON PG. 24

Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

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“If they’re not expressing their views, then students are even less exposed to conservative perspectives than one might expect based on the numbers.”

Over 112,00 potential faculty participants were contacted for the FIRE survey. The final sample reflects a 5.57% response rate. The survey included 148 and 89 faculty responses from BYU and the University of Utah, respectively, according to the foundation.

Tenure: No immunity to self-censorship

Many faculty survey respondents report difficulties having “open and honest” conversations with several issues of the day — including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, racial inequality, transgender rights, affirmative action and the recent presidential election.

While tenured faculty were less likely to report campus self-censoring than their non-tenured colleagues, the difference was not substantially large, according to the survey.

Between tenured and non-tenured faculty, there was only a 9-percentage-point difference for hiding their political views, and a 5-percentage-point difference for likelihood of self-censoring in emails or during classroom discussions.

Two-thirds of surveyed faculty also said colleges and universities “should practice institutional neutrality by not taking positions on political and social issues,” according to a FIRE report.

Meanwhile, majorities from all three classification of faculty respondents — conservative, moderate and liberal — voiced opposition to universities and colleges issuing political statements.

Conservative faculty, according to the survey, were also strongly opposed to mandatory DEI pledges (85%), as were a majority of moderate faculty (59%).

Liberal faculty were split, with a little under half in favor (47%) of diversity, equity and inclusion pledges, but a third opposed (35%).

The Foundation for Individual Rights and ExpressionI report also suggested that faculty are “preemptively silencing themselves in their own research and writing. One in five or more faculty reported self-censoring in professional contexts such as academic publications, classroom lectures and discussion and outside talks.

The likelihood of such self-censorship, according to the report, is more prevalent among conservative faculty.

Self-censoring, the report added, also sometimes stretched into conversations with administrators, other faculty and their students.

Cited in the report was this comment from a Texas A&M professor: “I am starting (for the first time in my career) to censor myself out of a desire for self-preservation. I say nothing at all in faculty meetings now, if I attend at all.”

University of Utah: Academic freedom a ‘bedrock principle’

The University of Utah has called academic freedom “the bedrock principle of our scholarly enterprise.”

Last August, the University of Utah posted an online Q&A regarding free speech and academic freedom on campus.

“The University of Utah is committed to open, free and robust discussion, debate, and exchange of ideas as an indispensable part of its educational mission — especially when the ideas expressed are controversial and unpopular,” the post noted.

“The university supports creative, thoughtful, and respectful discourse where conflicting perspectives are vigorously debated and thoroughly discussed.”

Regarding “freedom of expression” in the classroom, the university’s report emphasized discussion and expression of all views relevant to the subject matter of a class “are recognized as necessary to the educational process.”

University of Utah employees, meanwhile, “are welcome to weigh in on any issues of public concern” — although they must make it clear they are not speaking on behalf of the university.

“Academic freedom is of the utmost importance for faculty at the university. It is recognized as a right of all members of the faculty, whether with or without tenure or continuing appointment, of all administrative officers, and of all students.”

DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

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26 DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

© 2025

41, No. 9

Deliver the Treetop Tribune to Oswald Owl’s home.

A FACT is something that can be proven true. An OPINION is how someone feels about something.

An overnight snowstorm is big news in Deersprings Valley.

Scarlett Squirrel and her team of reporters at The Treetop Tribune have to separate FACT from OPINION to tell the story. And they need some help from YOU to do so!

Reporter’s Notes Roscoe Rabbit is a new reporter at the Treetop Tribune. He made a list of facts about the big storm in his reporter’s notebook, but is he correct? Circle the FACTS in green crayon.

Underline the OPINIONS in red crayon.

Opinion, Please

Read one article in the newspaper. Write your opinion about the article. Can you use two or more facts to support your opinion?

Send your opinion to the newspaper editor.

Standards Link: Language arts: Write to express an opinion.

Just the Facts

Scarlett knows how important it is to include as many facts as possible in a news story. These facts give readers more understanding of what happened and why.

Look at this article about the storm.

Does it tell WHO, WHAT, WHEN,WHERE and WHY?

WHO: WHAT: WHERE: WHEN: WHY:

What’s Your Scoop?

Write a sentence or short paragraph that tells the who, what, where and when about news at your school.

DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

27

EVENTS Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Reggae In The Rockies Winter Series ft.

Mike Love (Solo)

Sitkovetsky Trio | Salt Lake City

Jim Jefferies: Son of a Carpenter

A Night of R&B

Westminster University Women's Basketball vs Colorado Mesa University

2025 Silver Sky Nights at Canyons Village

Capriccioso & Fantasy

Feb. 12 Time: 7pm Location: 301 W South Temple - SLC https://seatgeek.com/utah-jazz-tickets/2-12-2025-salt-lakecity-utah-delta-center-1/nba/6481457?aid=605 Feb. 13 Time: 7pm Location: 131 S Main St - SLC https://www.facebook.com/events/1244585533480618/ Feb. 14 Time: 4pm Location: 4000 Canyons Resort Drive - Park City https://www.nowplayingutah.com/event/2025-silver-skynights-at-canyons-village/

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2025

Feb. 14 - 16 Time: 7pm-10pm Location: 2415 Washington Blvd. - Ogden https://www.nowplayingutah.com/event/banff-centremountain-film-festival-world-tour-2025/

Ballet West: Cinderella

Feb. 15 Time: 7:30pm Location: 50 W. 200 South - SLC

Feb. 19 Time: 7pm Location: 427 Main Street - Park City https://www.facebook.com/events/1128734125472908/

Feb. 20 Time: 7pm Location: 615 West 100 - South Salt Lake https://www.24tix.com/events/clxobiyqpneg3ogwqyrb46vbey Feb. 20 - 21 Time: 7:30pm-9:30pm Location: 425 West Center Street - Provo https://coveycenter.csstix.com/event-details.php?e=2289

Salt Lake Community College Men's Basketball vs Utah State University Eastern

Feb. 27 Time: 7:30pm-9:30pm Location: 1375 E. Presidents Circle - SLC https://cmsofslc.org/calendar/2025/sitkovetsky-trio

Feb. 27 Time: 5:30pm-7:30pm Location: SLC https://westminstergriffins.com/calendar.aspx?game_ id=12385&sport_id=13

Crazy Daisy Spring Market

March 1 Time: 9am-6pm Location: 9575 S. State Street - Sandy https://festivalnet.com/94512/Sandy-Utah/Trade-Shows/ Crazy-Daisy-Spring-Market

Feb. 20 Time: 7pm-9pm Location: Taylorsville https://slccbruins.com/calendar.aspx?game_id=8955&sport_id=3

Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Sounders FC

Ashley Singleton

Lost Gems of Sundance - Film Series

Feb. 21 Time: 7:30pm Location: 190 400 W - SLC https://nowplayingutah.com/event/ashley-singleton/

Winter Bluebird Cafe Concert Series 2025

March 1 Location: formerly Rio Tinto Stadium) 9256 South State Street - Sandy March 6 Time: 6pm-8pm Location: 1885 Ute Blvd - Park City https://www.thesummitcountylibrary.org/events/lostgems-sundance-film-series

Feb. 21 - 22 Time: 8pm Location: 8841 N. Alpine Loop Road - Sundance https://nowplayingutah.com/event/winter-bluebird-cafeconcert-series-2025/

Spring Watercolor Class

Lehi Arts in the Park 2024

Crystal Festival - A Rock, Mineral, Gem & Crystal Show

2025 Provo Art Stroll

Magic City Hippies & Mustard Service

Safe Kids Fair 2025

Utah Valley University Women's Basketball vs Southern Utah

Feb. 15 Time: 2pm-4pm Location: 800 W University Pkwy - Orem https://uvu.edu/events Feb. 16 - 9 Time: 7pm-9pm Location: 500 North Center Street - Lehi https://www.lehi-ut.gov/event/51332/2025-02-16/ Feb. 16 Time: 7pm Location: 195 W 2100 S - South Salt Lake https://www.bandsintown.com/e/105997532?app_ id=pkvts0on0m&came_from=287&utm_medium=api&utm_ source=partner_api&utm_campaign=event

Utah Grizzlies vs. Idaho Steelheads

Feb. 17 Time: 3:10pm Location: 3200 S. Decker Lake Dr. - West Valley City

Banff Film Festival 2025

Feb. 19 - 21 Time: 7pm Location: 1395 Presidents Cir - SLC

Feb. 22 - 23 Time: 10am-8pm Location: 1651 N 700 W - Layton http://www.CrystalFestival.org

Feb. 22 Location: 9575 S. State Street - Sandy https://www.visitsaltlake.com/event/safe-kids-fair-2025/61333/

Utah Valley University Men's Basketball vs Seattle U Feb. 22 Time: 2pm-4pm Location: 800 W. University Pkwy - Orem https://uvu.edu/events

BYU Winterfest: Young Ambassadors

Feb. 25 - 26 Time: 7pm Location: 2525 Taylorsville Blvd - Taylorsville https://nowplayingutah.com/event/byu-winterfest-youngambassadors/

March 6 Time: 6:30pm Location: 2478 W 12600 S, Ste. 3 - Riverton https://nowplayingutah.com/event/spring-watercolor-class/ March 7 Time: 6pm-9pm Location: Provo https://nowplayingutah.com/event/2025-provo-art-stroll/

Salt Lake City Tattoo Expo 2025

March 7 - 9 Location: 100 S West Temple - SLC https://www.24tix.com/events/7aisflwoc5cojanv23i6g52fee

Salt Lake Home and Garden Show

March 7 - 9 Time: 12pm-10pm Location: 9575 S. State Street - Sandy https://festivalnet.com/3641/Sandy-Utah/Home-andGarden-Shows/Salt-Lake-Home-and-Garden-Show

Pink Pony Club

March 8 Time: 7pm Location: 241 S 500 E - SLC https://www.24tix.com/events/fm5gazbngvfqhcd74lswzxf4ku

*Events and details are subject to change. Please visit the event websites for the most up to date and correct information.

28 DESERET NEWS | FEBRUARY 2025

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