Christmas looked different last year because of the pandemic, but this year I’m encouraging you to make it different because of the pandemic. 

If everyone on campus gets fully vaccinated, I believe that the administrators of BYU and authorities of the Church will feel more comfortable lifting the mask mandate. Once the mask mandate is lifted, we can finally enjoy each other’s company like we are supposed to.

I hope people can feel like Utah is a place they can happily call home —whether it’s just for a college semester, a couple of years to build a career and family, or a full lifetime. My wish is for Utah residents, native and temporary, to give something of themselves to the state that has a lot to offer.

As we continue our studies at BYU, let’s not let marriage goggles blind us to opportunities for solid friendships with people on campus, no matter their gender.

This Thanksgiving season, Cougar fans should give thanks for the current state of nirvana within BYU athletics. Every program is a force to be reckoned with, coaches are teaching principles of character while getting results on the battlefield, student athletes and recruits are catching the vision and everyone is winning.

BYU has a unique opportunity to help alleviate waste in Utah by changing the conditions of approval for off-campus housing to include access to on-site recycling facilities.