BYU-Idaho/Web-Content huggingface dataset:
New podcast called 'The Roots of the Mighty Oaks' | BYU-Idaho Radio

BYU-Idaho's newest podcast is called "The Roots of the Mighty Oaks." It's a podcast designed to help listeners learn more about the history of BYU-Idaho and the people behind the names of the buildings on campus.

The first episode is about Jacob Spori, who was the first principal of Bannock Stake Academy, which eventually became BYU-Idaho.

The host of the podcast, Eden Rowe, says she was surprised to learn that when Spori joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he had to leave his family because of persecution in his home country of Switzerland.

"So, because of that, he had to leave his family," Rowe said. "His family secretly supported him, but they didn't support him out loud, I guess, because they didn't want segregation to come for them as well, which I thought was really interesting. But eventually they all joined the Church, and they all left Switzerland together."

There are three episodes available. The first is about Spori, with the other two about Thomas E. Ricks and Brigham Young. Rowe says she plans to have 15 episodes for the limited podcast. Future episodes will share the stories of Eliza R. Snow, John Taylor, Gordon B. Hinckley and more.

The name of the podcast is inspired by a prophecy attributed to Jacob Spori: "The seeds we are planting today will grow and become mighty oaks, and their branches will run all over the earth."

BYU-Idaho Radio · BYU-Idaho launches new podcast called 'The Roots of the Mighty Oaks'

The idea for the podcast came from a class Rowe was taking where she had to create a podcast episode. She was working as a campus tour guide trainer for Brett Crandall, who was also teaching the class. She thought it would be good to teach the tour guides more about the buildings on campus.

"And so that kind of inspired this assignment for a podcast, and he really liked it, and he was like, 'Let's actually make this happen in real life.' So, I became a podcaster without even trying, which is kind of funny," Rowe said.

Rowe believes it's important to learn more about the people behind the names of the buildings at BYU-Idaho.

"One of the coolest things I've learned is God is actually in the details of everyone's life," Rowe said. "None of these stories are easy, like the stuff they went through it makes me feel like, 'Oh, life is hard, it's supposed to be hard.' And it was really hard for them, but as they relied on God and Christ and the Church, they were able to find joy in their hardships. And so that's just inspiring for us as well to apply that into our lives."

You can find episodes of The Roots of the Mighty Oaks podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and YouTube. New episodes come out each Friday.
BYUI professor shares experiences as a Patriarch | BYU-Idaho Radio

BYU-Idaho Radio · BYU-Idaho professor shares his experiences as a patriarch of the Church

REXBURG-- Mike Sessions is a BYU-Idaho faculty member in the Design and Construction Management Department. He loves his job at BYU-Idaho, and says he enjoys working with students, watching them grow and progress. But along with is professional career, Sessions is a patriarch for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Sessions says he stays spiritually ready to give patriarchal blessings by doing the simple things like everyone else.

"I read scriptures daily. I serve in the temple here, so I've been doing that for about ten years. And the temple is always a great place to recharge my spiritual batteries," Sessions said. "And probably, like everybody, I fast and pray."

When someone is preparing to receive their own patriarchal blessing, Sessions says the individual should prepare spiritually by doing a few things on their own.

"Well, if it helps you to feel the spirit, then I would suggest you fast before you come and certainly pray about it. There are several really excellent talks a person could read," Sessions said. "And it'd be worthwhile to just chat with the bishop about what you might learn, what things to consider before a blessing."

Sessions says that a patriarchal blessing is personal scripture for the person receiving the blessing, and that they should treat it as such.

"It's kind of like a text message from Heavenly Father to you. And if you got a text message from Heavenly Father, you'd probably read that a lot. So read it frequently," Sessions said. "But if you're like me, when you read the scriptures, I have to note things down. It helps me to just stop. Stop and pause and think, what could that be telling me? What might I need to do differently? And you might just write notes right on the side of your patriarchal blessing."

Sessions views his calling as very important, but he also knows that it is not much different than any other calling within the Church.

"When people ask me the question, like you did, how do you prepare spiritually? I don't see myself as more or less spiritual," Sessions said. "I see myself as having a calling like anybody else. And you prepare in certain ways, and the Lord helps you to magnify your calling."

This interview is part of the BYU-Idaho Disciple Journeys Podcast.

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BYUI religion professor testifies of faith & service | BYU-Idaho Radio

BYU-Idaho Radio · BYU-I Religion Professor Discusses Faith, Service, and Jesus Christ

REXBURG -- Dale Sturm is a religion professor at BYU-Idaho, and he loves it!

Before taking this job at the university, he worked at the Institute of Religion for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the University of Utah and helped produce seminary videos for the Church. Sturm said that as he left the University of Utah and was working for the Church, he began to miss interacting with the students and being in the classroom.

So, when he was made aware of a job opening at BYU-Idaho in the late 1990s. Sturm admits that it was not on his radar at all, but he and his wife decided to apply for the position.

"We came and spent a day on campus," Sturm said. "At the time, Elder (David A.) Bednar was the president of the university. And the day ended with an interview with him. And, I came away from it feeling like, I think this is where we're supposed to go next."

Sturm was hired and has worked for the university as a religion professor for more than 20 years. However, his teaching career was interrupted when he received a call from the Church to serve as the mission president of the Iowa, Iowa City Mission. The Sturms arrived mere months before the COVID-19 pandemic. Sturm said although it was a stressful time, it greatly strengthened his testimony to serve during that time in the history of the Church's missionary effort.

"One thing I noted was the prophets, the First Presidency and the Twelve -- the leaders of the Church -- All we ever felt from them was confidence and peace," Sturm said. "The Lord knows what He's doing. We're going to be just fine."

In the end, President Sturm and his missionaries were baptizing more people into the Church than they had pre-pandemic.

Sturm said that when he reflects on his time as mission president and the efforts of the missionaries during that trying time, he is interested to see what the Lord has in store for those missionaries down the road. He wonders what the Lord is preparing them for.

Once Sturm returned to the classroom, he says that his experiences as a mission president during COVID have taught him how to better empathize with and understand students.

"Some mental health issues, maybe they were there all along and COVID revealed them to us," Sturm said. "They were certainly more recognized now in a post-COVID world. And so, helping students who have a desire to be successful at the university but are struggling with some things, that was kind of new. But the mission helped me with that, certainly."

Sturm said he loves BYU-Idaho and is looking forward to the future of the university.

"God's eye is on BYU Idaho, and His attention is clearly here, and His messengers come here in person," Sturm said. "We're about faith formation. We're about preparing students to be productive and successful in all of their careers. But to do it as disciples of Jesus Christ."

This interview is part of the BYU-Idaho Disciple Journeys Podcast.

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BYU-Idaho's competitive football championship to be close game | Radio

Spartans versus Hurricanes. One final game to win it all. BYU-Idaho's competitive football games have been going on for the last month, and all of the games have built up to this point, the championship game. Which team will win it all?

Josh Thompson, student coordinator over football with Campus Recreation, says the Spartans and Hurricanes deserve to be in the final. He says the coaches both have a drive for football, though they have different coaching styles.

"Between the two teams, you have the experienced team of the Spartans who like to play methodical. They like to see what's going to happen throughout the game and adjust. And then you have the Hurricanes who come out the gate--they like to score fast. They like to play intense defense. They want to make sure that things go their way right out the gate and things are always, always, always done quickly," Thompson said.

Thompson says the game is going to be a lot of fun for those who attend, with cheering fans, coaches yelling, players giving it their all.

"There'll be some surprises, I'm sure, in the game as well. So just a lot of energy, just a lot of emotion. It'll be exciting," Thompson said.

The event will feature sideline entertainment, halftime competitions, games and prizes and even food trucks.

Austin Pace, a student reporter at BYU-Idaho Radio who was also asked to be the competitive football's color commentator, says BYU-Idaho is unique in the way that it hosts competitive intramural sports.

"It really is just so much fun and encapsulates what we do here at BYU-Idaho. Right? We're here to have fun. We don't have just true competitive sports, so having this is a great way to get people excited about sports on campus," Pace said.

Pace says attendees should expect an energetic environment and some "outstanding performances."

Pace sends out an invite to tune into the game any way you can.

"If you can't physically go to the game, tune in. It'll be a really fun one to watch," said Pace.

The competitive football championship game is tomorrow from 1-4 p.m. at the BYU-Idaho Stadium. You can also watch it online on YouTube.

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BYU-Idaho student a better person through education | BYU-Idaho Radio

BYU-Idaho Radio · BYU-Idaho student says she became a better person through her education

REXBURG-- Aubrey Christensen Hale is a BYU-Idaho alumna who currently works in the Admissions Department on campus. She says she came to BYU-Idaho because the environment aligned with her values where she could thrive spiritually and academically.

"I wanted to be surrounded by good people that had the same standards as I did," Hale said. "My graduating class in high school had two members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so I really had to learn how to stand on my own. And although I loved doing that, I felt like it was time for me to be surrounded by people with like-minded values."

Hale encountered influential professors who left a lasting impact on her. Her interactions with professors like Brent Bean and Laurene Jackson not only enriched her academic journey but also helped her develop valuable communication skills and life lessons.

"Brother Bean taught my interpersonal theory and practice class. That class really taught me a lot about myself," Hale said. "It was a lot about body language, listening and hearing. So I feel like the stories that he shared and the examples in class really touched me to become a better communicator."

Now employed in the Admissions Office, Aubrey continues to draw upon her BYU-Idaho experience to guide prospective students. She stresses the importance of sharing personal stories and testimony when speaking about the university. Through her work, Aubrey strives to create a welcoming environment and assist students in navigating their educational and spiritual paths.

"I always start and end with my testimony about how BYU-Idaho has helped me become a better person," Hale said. "I was able to gain a great education, meet so many people, some lifelong friends. And so no matter what, when students are thinking about college, it's not just the educational part of college that I reference."

This interview is part of the BYU-Idaho Disciple Journeys Podcast.

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BYU-Idaho student's faith among trial and hardship | BYU-Idaho Radio

BYU-Idaho Radio · BYU-Idaho student strengthens her faith among trial and hardship

Tragedy can strike at any moment and change a person's life forever. One small moment can turn a family's world upside down, which is exactly the case for BYU-Idaho student Kendra Baguley.

Baguley met her husband at BYU-Idaho and together are raising four young children. What started as a typical Monday morning turned into a life-altering day when Baguley received a call from her husband's boss telling her the news.

"He stepped out of his vehicle at work," Baguley said. "And he probably took maybe three steps, and then he just slipped on the ice. So, he hit his head. He fell and he couldn't move at all. He was completely paralyzed."

After being rushed to the hospital, doctors told Baguley that her husband needed to be rushed into emergency surgery.

"So, his surgery was complete," Baguley said. "The neurosurgeon comes in and he was talking to us. He was like, surgery went well. Everything was great. but we don't know if or when he'll ever walk again."

Shocked by the news, Baguley began to worry about their family's future.

"Everything just hit me all at once," Baguley said. "I was like, what does my future look like? What does his future look like? And I have to tell him, when he wakes up, you may never walk again because he has no idea. So how do you tell someone that?"

Baguley's husband is quadriplegic, meaning he is affected by paralysis in all four limbs. The Baguley family has received help and support from family and friends during this troubled time, which Baguley said has strengthened her faith.

"I can't express how grateful I am to so many people that I think has strengthened my testimony in communities and having one another, it strengthened my testimony in service and just gratitude and being gracious about things," Baguley said. "I also want my kids to understand that there's a reason why all these people are helping us, and we need to be doing the same thing that they're doing. I think that's the whole point. We need to continue to serve others."

Baguley's life has changed, but she and her family strive to find happiness and joy through Christlike service.

"You have a choice in all of this," Baguley said. "Heavenly Father's given us agency, so we get to choose how we see things, how do we perceive the situation and what are we going to do about it."

This interview is part of the BYU-Idaho Disciple Journeys Podcast.

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BYU-Idaho Symphony Orchestra to perform Firebird Suite | BYUI Radio

BYU-Idaho's Symphony Orchestra features the "Firebird Suite"

Becky Derrick

BYU-Idaho Radio · BYU-Idaho Symphony Orchestra performs Firebird Suite

The Barrus Concert Hall in the Eliza R. Snow Building will be ringing with classical music this Thursday evening as the BYU-Idaho Symphony Orchestra performs once again.

This time around, it introduces Igor Stravinksy's "Firebird Suite" as its most notable piece in the performance.

Robert Tueller, the director of the BYU-Idaho Symphony Orchestra says it's a unique opportunity for students in the orchestra to play the "Firebird Suite."

"It's an iconic work in orchestral music, and the students love it because they're like, 'I get to play the Firebird!' Tueller said. "They wish they got to play music like that all the time. It's definitely an icon of orchestral repertoire from the early part of the 20th century."

There are unique challenges that come with having an orchestra at BYU-Idaho.

"Because we're in this unique three-track system, we actually audition a new orchestra every semester because the students on different tracks change," Tueller said. "It represents some of the finest student musicians we have here at BYU-Idaho. It's been very rewarding because they do very nice work."

Tueller credits the students for their hard work and countless hours to put on performances of this caliber.

"We have to know what we're going to do a year in advance, and sometimes that's a little scary because I don't always know what my students' qualifications are going to be," Tueller said. "Yet, they always rise to the occasion, and it's a challenge for them."

Professional orchestras will usually have around four rehearsals for a piece like the Firebird. The BYU-Idaho Orchestra will typically have eight to nine rehearsals, but with how busy everything has been, students have stepped up and are prepared for the performance despite only six rehearsals.

Tueller invites all to attend the symphony, whether you know music or not.

"It's difficult for them to perform this music, but it's not difficult music to listen to," Tueller said. "These are universally regarded pieces that speak easily to someone even without a musical background. That universal language of music is very obvious in these pieces."

The Symphony Orchestra will perform Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Barrus Concert Hall. It will also be streamed live on YouTube. For more information on tickets and the livestream, visit BYU-Idaho's website.

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BYU-Idaho to offer new AI Engineering minor starting in Spring 2026

BYU-Idaho Radio · BYU-Idaho to offer new AI Engineering minor starting in Spring 2026

Starting next spring, BYU-Idaho will offer a new AI minor through the university's Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department. The minor is becoming available in an academic climate where AI is becoming increasingly prevalent.

Nate Phillips, associate chair for the Computer Science and Engineering Department, oversees the Computer Science and Software Engineering degrees, which include oversight of the creation of this new minor.

"AI has become a huge topic in the last few years. It's a buzzword as well as an actual, useful tool that companies are starting to build on," said Phillips.

Phillips says employers hiring students say students need to be good at using AI tools as a software development tool.

"Our thought was that helping students learn how to actually build systems that use AI is something businesses are clamoring for and businesses want," said Phillips.

Phillips says one of the biggest hurdles of designing the AI minor was the credit limit for minors.

"So, a minor has to be under 25 credits because students here only have a certain number of general electives they can use. So typically, students use their general electives to get a minor if they want a minor," said Phillips.

The minor's credit load is set to be between 24 to 26 credits.

The goal, Phillips says, is for the AI minor to enhance the degree students are already going into.

"So, if a student has a degree in Computer Science or Physics or Mathematics with an AI Engineering minor, we hope that that signals to employers that that student is someone who can understand how AI systems work and understand how they could integrate AI technologies into existing software that the company might already have or how to create new systems for that business," said Phillips.

This minor degree works as a companion with majors such as Computer Science, Data Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Engineering, Statistics, Mathematics, Software Engineering, Business Analytics and more.

Regarding AI ethics, Phillips cited a devotional given by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in which Elder Bednar discusses ethical use of AI. BYU-Idaho is using that talk as a guideline to teach students about using AI.

"We don't want it to be the creator. We don't want it to be the agent. We want to be using it as a tool to help us," said Phillips.

Phillips encourages students who want to be on the bleeding edge of technology to add the AI minor to their academic careers.

"We're right at the beginning of this AI boom. And so why would you not want to be part of that? If you want to be involved with the latest and greatest thing that are happening, with helping to create this technological boom, the AI engineering minor is probably the closest thing you'll find to do that," said Phillips.

The new AI Engineering minor will be available for students to take beginning in Spring semester 2026.

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Comic Frenzy brings improv fun to life | BYU-Idaho Radio

The Comic Frenzy team

Glenn Bowler

BYU-Idaho Radio · Comic Frenzy brings improv fun to life

Audiences usually sit and cheer as they watch a carefully prepared and scripted show from their seats. When the BYU-Idaho Comic Frenzy team is on stage, however, the audience controls the show.

Comic Frenzy is a student-led improv group that performs comedy skits and shows purely based off audience suggestions that are given on the spot. The team asks for audience ideas, and then the comedians have to act out an entire scene, sometimes multiple minutes long, based off whatever random word or idea was just given to them moments ago.

Glen Bowler, the team leader for Comic Frenzy, says the cast prepares for whatever the audience has in store for them.

"Something we do that's really fun is called an ideation," Bowler said. "We take a word and pick it apart. We talk about the themes that are inside that word. We do word association for it sometimes. We talk about our life experiences with that word, and then we turn it into a scene."

Despite the many wild and random ideas the audience sometimes offers, Bowler says the team has never been unable to figure out how to act out a single suggestion.

"We can always find something in a word," Bowler said. "Everyone on the team has unique life experiences and we can pull from those different experiences to tell truth. We're about telling truth about words and experiences and having fun at the same time."

Around 40 students will come to audition for the Comic Frenzy team each semester, and some have never had any theatre or acting experience. Students from all majors, whether it be Construction Management or Computer Science, are encouraged to try it out.

"Some people are afraid," Bowler. "They think it's fun, but they're afraid of being embarrassed. There's no judgement. We take so many people from different majors. It doesn't matter to us if you've never done theatre before. If you think it's fun, come on out and give it a shot."

As for the audience, Bowler says people might relate more to the show than they would expect.

"You might learn something about yourself," Bowler said. "You might see yourself in a scene and be like 'that happens to me all the time, I totally get that!', and things like that."

Comic Frenzy is this Saturday with two showtimes at 7 and 9 p.m. in the Snow 105. Admission is free. They will have their final shows of the semester on Dec. 15 at 5 p.m.

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