Sometimes values seem bound to crumble when faced with worldly challenges. Nine years into a life of theater, one BYU grad is holding strong.

James Royce Edwards has performed from coast to coast in national Broadway tours with his wife and two-year-old son by his side.  He attributes his success to maintaining a secure foothold in the gospel. 

Of the 11 years he has been married to Karin Campbell, their time has been split up between Los Angeles, New York City, San Diego and the road.

Edwards has been able to screen roles that he feels are up to his standards while weeding out questionable material with the help of his agents; however, there have been times where things have slipped through the cracks.

Several times over the last few months I have heard people express their disappointment in the local music scene, either for lack of quality or lack of variety. I have to say that I completely disagree.

When I came to BYU my freshman year in 2005, I only got slightly involved in the music scene, but even then, I was able to see the level of talent Provo had to offer. I frequently went to shows at Muse Music and Giff’s Corner, which used to be a thrift store by day and venue by night on University Avenue My favorite local band at the time was Details of Speech.

Upon returning from a two-year mission in 2008, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that although Details of Speech was no longer together, Provo’s music scene had grown dramatically in my absence.

Although folk-rock groups primarily dominate the local scene, it’s a stretch to say that the scene has no variety.

By Parker Smith

In today’s electronic age, everything seems to be going digital; people buy music digitally, people write letters digitally, people are even reading books digitally, but some people still prefer things to be a little old fashioned.

For Nick and Erin Potter, the owners of Utah’s Potter Press, poster making remains a completely organic process.

“Our images are all completely handmade,” Erin Potter said. “We don't use a printer or computer in any step of the process.  I don't know of any other poster maker that can say that.”
The Potters, who are both music and art lovers, began making posters for their favorite bands in 2006 after seeing similar artwork at a concert in San Francisco.

I am from the south, and I love some good ol’ home cooked country southern food. What reminds me of home the most is Cracker Barrel, located at 460 S 2000 W in Springville. It is right off I-15 at exit 263. The Wasatch Front has three locations: Springville, West Valley, & Layton. Of course the closest one to Provo is the next town south: Springville.

I love home-cooked meals, and Cracker Barrel has home-cooked menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have lots of choices to choose from — you get a lot of great food when you order a meal. The majority of the meals on the menu come with three sides, such as turnip greens, okra or even grits.

Click here to read the rest of this post at Beyond The Universe.

By HUNTER SCHWARZ

After spending a record breaking 26 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the Black Eyed Peas have finally been knocked out of the No. 1 spot.

In April, the Black Eyed Peas first hit No. 1 with “Boom Boom Pow,” which remained atop the chart for 12 weeks until being replaced by the group’s own “I’ve Gotta Feelin’,” which was No. 1 for an additional 14 weeks.

The group’s stranglehold over the nation’s popular music barometer smashed the previous record set in 2004 by Usher, which was No. 1 for 19 weeks.

The following is the winning essay by Diane Ferguson.

Ravishingly exotic and exquisitely detailed, “The Babylonian Marriage Market” speaks volumes about social injustice and the brutal realities of competition. Painted by Edwin Longsden Long in 1875, the scene depicts the annual auction of the marriageable young women of ancient Babylon. As the first bride is shown off to the greedy merchants and aristocrats, 12 other young women wait behind the platform for their fates to be determined. They have been ranked according to their physical beauty, with the most beautiful already standing on the dais and turned away from the viewer and the ugliest hiding her visage in shame.

By DAVID WALLACE BENNETT

Opaque and plethoric, the opium smoke gently caresses the lips of the pipe while it spills out. The user exhales methodically; the drug massages his cranial nerves and belittles his patriarchal responsibilities. His actions mock the crying child beside him. As whimpers turn to sobs the haze envelopes and agitates the baby’s eyes and pulmonary reflexes. Everything is calm. The inception of the savage addiction has already begun – before the stripling has even spoken her first word. With opium users sitting in putridity in present day Afghanistan, the popularity of opium is easy to observe.