When I was seven years old growing up in Orem, I remember driving past Utah Valley University and thinking: college isn’t for kids like me. My dad worked in construction, my mom cleaned houses, and no one in my family had gone to college. A university degree felt like a distant dream that ...
It’s hard to believe David G. Wright is talking about the same Jeff Whitlock I know in his recent opinion piece, “The Power of Listening.” Although I had never met Jeff Whitlock until I attended the same forum Wright references, I was immediately impressed by his business savvy, ...
Several months ago, I attended an Orem City Council meeting where the issue of rezoning the beloved Wilkerson Farm from open space to residential housing was heard. The City Council chambers were filled to capacity with Orem residents who were against the proposed rezoning. Many of them spoke ...
At a recent forum for Provo’s District 2 City Council candidates, Councilman George Handley revealed a troubling philosophy. He praised politicians who have the “courage” to ignore the voices of their neighbors and instead rely on their own “convictions” when casting votes. That’s ...
What’s all the hubbub about 501(c)(4)s, PACs, and their impact on elections? And why are Orem voters right to be concerned about “dark money” in local politics? First, let’s clear up the basics. A PAC (Political Action Committee) is created to distribute funds to candidates, political ...
This year being the 50th anniversary of the movie, JAWS, it seems like the perfect time to regale you all with my shark encounter. Since Utah is landlocked, I hadn’t had any live connections before. I’d visited the ocean a few times on vacation but mostly found seaweed. The closest I’d ...
We have been concerned with what seems to be an increasing polarization in our local municipal and school board elections. More than just a difference in ideas and policies, there is a widening divide that includes rancorous and uncivil discourse, and suggests the existence of questionable ...
We Utahns have a discourse problem. In twenty years as a writing instructor, I have seen our speech devolve from reason- and evidence-based persuasion to shouting and bullying. This trend has led increased acts of political violence—including the latest, Charlie Kirk’s murder on my ...
Technology is advancing rapidly, and we must act now to maintain our leadership in this field. From artificial intelligence (AI) research labs at BYU to startups in Silicon Slopes, Utah is helping lead the next wave of innovation. But, without a strong national tech strategy, we risk falling ...
“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” - John Stuart Mill, On Liberty In my earlier editorial ...
