Y Magazine

BYU

Welcome to the Y Magazine podcast, bringing you ideas, stories, and voices from Brigham Young University (BYU). New episodes post biweekly on Thursdays.

  1. "It's All About Love": Finding Time for Service

    May 7

    "It's All About Love": Finding Time for Service

    BYU student Paige R. Merkley (’27) is addicted to service. On Sunday afternoons she drinks root beer floats and chats with her adopted grandparent. On Tuesdays she dances with her friends at Adaptive Show Choir practice. On Thursdays she prepares the choreography for that choir. On Fridays she eats lunch with unhoused community members at the Food and Care Coalition. On Saturdays she plays basketball with the Special Olympics Collegiate Teams program. All of this while keeping a full schedule of classes. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, join host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) as she talks with Merkley and Y-Serve director Christopher J. Crippen (BS ’99) about how to fit service into your schedule. You can find service opportunities in your community by visiting justserve.org. This episode is based on the article “Do Gooding” by Brooklyn Hughes Roemer from the Winter 2026 issue of Y Magazine. If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy “Saving Days: Ending Period Poverty with Days for Girls,” “Loving the Least of These: How a BYU Alum Helps the Homeless,” “High on a Mountain Top: Rescue Training in the Himalayas,” “Life and Breath: BYU Students Improve Public Health in Nepal,” and “Going Forth—It’s What We Do: How BYU Grads Are Making a Difference.” If you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d appreciate your feedback so we can make more of the kinds of episodes you like best. Take the survey. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. New episodes post on the first Thursday of each month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    20 min
  2. To All: How AI is Helping Share Gospel Messages in Other Languages

    Apr 2

    To All: How AI is Helping Share Gospel Messages in Other Languages

    “Language is probably one of the most pervasive uses of AI,” says BYU computer science professor Steve D. Richardson (BS ’77, MA ’80). It’s prophesied in scripture that “every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue” (D&C 90:11), but, asks Richardson, “how is that going to happen when there are 7,000 languages in the world?” The Pathsay project, a collaborative effort between BYU researchers and BYU Pathway students from all over Africa, are working on a way to bridge the gap by recording audio in low-resource languages like Xhosa, Twi, and Zulu and use it to train AI translation models. Richardson joins Y Magazine podcast host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) to discuss how the origins of this project, how it’s growing, and how it will serve communities around the world. This episode is based on the article “Sounded in Every Ear” from the Winter 2026 issue of Y Magazine. If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy “Tech Support: Parenting Kids to Thrive in a Digital World,” and “BYU’s World Campus with Kennedy Center Director Stan Benfell.” If you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d appreciate your feedback so we can make more of the kinds of episodes you like best. Take the survey. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. New episodes post on the first Thursday of each month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min
  3. How to Fix Youth Sports: Game-Changing BYU Researchers Have Ideas

    Mar 12

    How to Fix Youth Sports: Game-Changing BYU Researchers Have Ideas

    Sports benefit kids in numerous ways: they reduce the risk of disease and mental illness, they improve performance in school, and they can even help kids do better at work later in life, says Matthew K. Seeley, a BYU biomechanics professor. But we’re also in the midst of what Seeley calls a “youth-sport culture crisis,” where kids are being pushed to specialize too early, chase scholarships, and train year-round—all things that can do more harm than good. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, listen in as Seeley talks with host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) about his initiative, the Strong Youth Project, which aims to improve youth sports, and offers advice to parents and coaches on how to help kids experience the benefits of sports without the burnout and stress. You can learn more about the Strong Youth Project and access their podcast at exsc.byu.edu. This episode is based on the article “Raising Happy Athletes” from the Winter 2026 issue of Y Magazine. If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy “Lifelong Wellness,” where BYU student wellness instructors offer personal health tips, and “Refugee Soccer: Finding Belonging Through Sport,” where a BYU alum shares his experience creating belonging in refugee communities through soccer. If you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d appreciate your feedback so we can make more of the kinds of episodes you like best. Take the survey. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. New episodes post on the first Thursday of each month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min
  4. Loving the Least of These: How a BYU Alum Helps the Homeless

    12/04/2025

    Loving the Least of These: How a BYU Alum Helps the Homeless

    For Brent S. Crane (BS ’93), caring for individuals living in poverty or without homes is about more than just providing food. As executive director of Provo’s Food & Care Coalition, Crane helps provide meals, hot showers, clean clothes, hygiene products, and healthcare services every day—and the mission of each service is to provide dignity and care to individuals, no matter the circumstances they’re coming from. In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, Crane joins host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) to discuss the power of humanizing unhoused and low-income populations, and how the community has come together to serve those in need. This episode is based on the article “Opening Opportunities” in the Fall 2025 issue of Y Magazine. You can learn more about the Food & Care Coalition and look for volunteer opportunities at foodandcare.org. You can also watch a video about BYU’s hydroponics partnership here. If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy “Refugee Soccer: Finding Belonging Through Sport,” where a BYU alum shares his efforts to help refugees find belonging in the US through soccer. If you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d appreciate your feedback so we can make more of the kinds of episodes you like best. Take the survey. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. New episodes post on the first Thursday of each month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min
4.8
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Y Magazine podcast, bringing you ideas, stories, and voices from Brigham Young University (BYU). New episodes post biweekly on Thursdays.

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