Over the years, fitness and sports classes at BYU have gone by many names. For a while, they were part of the exercise-science department, then the course catalog listed them as STAC classes, and as of 2019, they’re known as student wellness (SWELL) classes. Through all that time, though, one thing’s stayed true: the classes are a source of fun, activity, and exploration for students. And every year, the SWELL program seeks to expand its repertoire of wellness offerings, tapping increasingly popular pursuits like pickleball and meditation.

Our host Whitney Archibald spoke with SWELL course and extramural coordinator Emily
Andrews as well as three SWELL instructors: Kimberly Lindstrom, who teaches weightlifting and functional fitness; Spencer Budd, who heads up gymnastics; and Maria Jensen, who teaches everything from running to yoga. Along the way Whitney picks up a plethora of personal health and wellness how-tos that apply whether you're doing Zumba for credit or exercising on your own from home.

This episode is based on the article “All is Swell” by Miriam Brantley Merrill in the summer 2023 issue of Y Magazine.

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Feeling like you’ve whittled down your responsibilities to the absolute essentials but can’t ever shake utter exhaustion? You are not alone. Join Y Magazine podcast host Whitney Archibald as she talks to Greg McKeown (BA ’03), BYU alum and the best-selling author of Essentialism and Effortless, about his own journey through burnout to simplicity.

As a young father feeling weighed down with work obligations and spending time with his family, Greg knew he needed to make a change. His subsequent soul-searching led him down a path that would form Essentialism.

Now an author and public speaker, Greg helps others find their way out of discouragement. “Your family is important. Your business is important. The relationships are important,” Greg recalls telling a woman close to burnout. “But what if there’s a different way to go about it that isn’t so hard all the time?”

Combining scriptural and prophetic examples as well as past experiences, Greg and Whitney discuss how to make the essentials effortless. This episode is based on the article “The Essentialist” by Denya I. Palmer (BA ’16) in the spring 2022 issue of Y Magazine.

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“The world is our campus,” reads the familiar BYU mantra. And epic photos captured all over the world verify this fact to grads, fans, and families. But where do these high-quality captures come from?

In this episode, follow BYU photographer Jaren S. Wilkey (BA ’01) through the creative process of capturing a masterpiece photo. Wilkey talks through a recent favorite shoot, featuring linebacker Pepe M. Tanuvasa (BS ’22) smashing through a sugar glass pane, eyes fixed on the foe.

Take a peek through Wilkey’s camera to view BYU backstage—what it takes to keep the photos coming and how students are mentored and trained to join the surprisingly small but highly elite photography team. Plus, get a few tips and tricks from Wilkey and BYU Photo student Donovan K. Kelly (’23) on improving your own photography.

This episode of the podcast is based on the article “Breakthrough” in the Summer 2023 issue of Y Magazine. View a detailed walkthrough of the sugar glass photo process as well as a photo gallery and explanatory video on the BYU Photo website.

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For L. Kala’i Ellis (BS ‘20, MS ‘22), reef conservation on the island of Molokai, Hawaii, is more than a research interest—it’s part of his heritage. His grandmother grew up on the centrally located island and was a lifelong advocate for both ecological and social reform on the island, a cause his father inherited passion for and passed along to Ellis.

Ellis, who recently obtained his graduate degree in biology, was the lead student researcher in a project involving cutting-edge technology, from 3D-modeling software to aquatic and aerial drones, to learn about Molokai’s reefs and the environmental factors threatening their survival. Tune in to discover a scientific adventure reaching from the peaks of the Wasatch front to the shallows of the Molokai reef.

This episode is based on the article “Mauka to Makai” by Brittany Karford Rogers (BA ’07) and Julie Harker Walker (BA ’93) in the Spring 2023 issue of Y Magazine. Check out the article online to read more, see photos of the sweeping landscape, and watch a video about the project.

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For some Americans, the outcome of the 2016 presidential election meant elation and victory; for others, a dark and confusing turn in national politics. In the midst of that highly contentious moment, adrift in a sea of supercharged rhetoric and caustic online debate, one truth was clear to sisters Brittany Candrian Richman (BA ’04) and Andrea Candrian Reeve (BA ’04): “People don’t understand what it takes to make a difference in our country.”

Andrea and Brittany, twin BYU journalism grads with respective careers in politics, resolved to change that. They started the American Moms, a blog and Instagram account devoted to offering tips on civil engagement and involvement in public life.

In this episode, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA '01) learns about the life paths that led the sisters into politics and picks their brains about how, in an age of unparalleled division and disagreement, individuals can help to create a healthy American democracy.

This episode is based on the article “American Moms” in the Spring 2023 issue of Y Magazine.

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“Oh, hello there, Y Magazine podcast listeners! Are you ready to dive into the thrilling world of AI and writing? Well, buckle up, because today's episode explores the ever-growing influence of ChatGPT and other cutting-edge AI models on the realm of writing and writing instruction.

“Join us as we chat with Meredith Reed, a writing instructor at BYU who's been keeping a close eye on the AI invasion. Will the fusion of human creativity and machine learning lead to a brave new world of literary innovation, or is it simply another step towards obsolescence? Grab your favorite writing tools, and let's find out together in this stimulating conversation that's equal parts fascinating and unnerving!”

That was ChatGPT's first try at writing this episode's shownotes. What do you think? Tune in to learn about how artificial intelligence is changing writing and classroom learning—along with everything else.

This episode is based on the article “I, Chatbot” written by Sara Smith Atwood in the Spring 2023 issue of Y Magazine.

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What’s the probability that the 14th president of Brigham Young University would love faculty basketball and family pickleball, turned down a job with the Philadelphia Eagles, and prefers a PB&J over most other foods? Probably zero, if you asked C. Shane Reese (BS ’94, MS ’95), a statistician by trade and the successor of President Kevin J Worthen (BS ’79, JD ’82).

But for Reese, his story is notable for other reasons—like the series of personal spiritual impressions that led him to switch his major to statistics his freshman year, he and his wife’s decision to leave a “dream existence” in New Mexico to come to Provo, and their passing on a job offer from Andy W. Reid (BS ’82), then head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Y Magazine sat down with Reese to discuss these experiences as well as other parts of his life—diving into his time at BYU, his interests in the field of statistics, and his family. Tune in to learn more about Shane Reese—father, husband, statistics professor, sports nerd, and the new president of BYU.

Read more about President Reese in the Summer 2023 issue of Y Magazine, coming July 2023.

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When Dawn Dimick (’23) decided to join the army, she had several career choices ahead of her. Through it all she felt prompted in one direction: to become a military chaplain. Dimick is now the first female military chaplaincy student at BYU, and she will be among the first endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

In this episode, learn what exactly chaplains do (beyond your knowledge of Father Mulcahy in the TV show M*A*S*H) and how the field of chaplaincy is growing at BYU.

Hear about Dimick’s journey and meet two others helping pioneer the field of chaplaincy for Latter-day Saint women: Delacie Barney (BA ’94, MA ’19), BYU’s first-ever healthcare chaplain grad, and Tamara Fitzgerald Harris (’79), chaplain services manager for the Church.

This episode of podcast is based on the article “Called to Service” by Denya I. Palmer (BA ’16) in the Winter 2023 issue of Y Magazine: https://magazine.byu.edu/article/called-to-service/.

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Chocolate cheesecake cake with an Oreo crust and cream cheese filling? Biscoff strawberry cake with a strawberry jelly buttercream? If those descriptions make your mouth water—or make you want to google a recipe—join us to hear from Courtney Carlston Rich (BA ’05), creator of the Cake by Courtney blog, culinary teacher, entrepreneur, mom, and BYU grad.

Courtney shares her journey from studying broadcast journalism to becoming a food blogger: she recounts the first cake she ever made, the spiritual impressions she received pursuing this unlikely passion, and how baking cakes has changed her life and the lives of those who love her recipes.

Get recipes for Courtney’s chocolate cheesecake cake and Biscoff strawberry cake in the article “Rich Recipes” from the Winter 2023 issue of Y Magazine.

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How do we find happiness? The question is just about the oldest one out there, and we haven’t stopped asking it.

In this inaugural episode, hear from four BYU professors across campus who tackle the question of happiness. They offer diverse insights rooted in disciplines from experience design to comparative literature. Central to all their findings: the more we try to chase happiness, the less likely we are to find it. True life satisfaction doesn’t come from pursuing a sense of pleasure or comfort or even joy—instead, the experts all agree, we need to do our best to build habits and relationships that make life worthwhile.

Each professor will dive into how they’ve integrated these ideas into courses they teach at BYU—then they offer all of us some positive well-being homework. These activities, as well as some recommended reading, are included below.

This episode of the podcast is based on the article, “Let Joy Find You” by Emily Smurthwaite Edmonds (BA ’01, MA ’04) in the Winter 2023 issue of Y Magazine.

Recommended Reading:

• Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
• mybestself101.org, an online training course designed by BYU professor Jared Warren
• How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, and Karen Dillon
• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
• The Anatomy of Peace by the Arbinger Institute

Homework:

• Take steps to design your own life with intention and creativity; prioritize joyful experiences.
• Commit to a well-being practice for 21 days. Taking the quiz on mybestself101.org provides some good habit ideas.
• Plan to spend quality time immersed in nature; read The Anatomy of Peace and think about how you can heal your most important relationships.
• Trust other people.

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