What The Husband Stitch Taught Me About Craft

Reading Carmen Maria Machado’s The Husband Stitch through the lens of a creative writer reveals just how intentionally built every part of the story truly is. When I stop reading purely for plot and begin noticing how the story is made, the entire experience shifts. Suddenly, I’m watching not only what the narrator feels, but how Machado creates those feelings inside me.

Where the Energy Comes From

The energy in this story doesn’t come from explosions or sudden twists. It comes from something quieter, more unsettling: repetition, implication, and boundary‑crossing. The green ribbon, introduced early and returned to again and again, becomes the heartbeat of the story. It hums beneath the surface, a small, simple object charged with enormous emotional weight. Every time the husband asks about it, the tension tightens. Every time the narrator protects it, a defiant spark flares.

That ribbon is the story’s engine. It’s what keeps me leaning forward, breath held, waiting.

Why I Keep Reading

Machado keeps the piece interesting by blending familiarity with strangeness. The story feels like a fairy tale, a love story, and a horror story all at once, soft and tender one moment, uncanny the next. That blend creates unpredictability. I keep reading because each scene raises a new question:

• What does the ribbon protect?
• Why can’t he leave it alone?
• How much can love take before it fractures?

The story’s momentum isn’t loud; it whispers. But the whisper is impossible to ignore.

When I Look Away, and When I’m Pulled Back In

There are moments I feel myself pull back. Not because the story is confusing, but because it’s emotionally precise. The narrator’s boundaries are pushed in small, persistent ways that feel painfully familiar. These aren’t dramatic acts of violence; they are the soft, socially accepted pressures placed on women again and again.

Spacing out becomes a kind of defense. Machado touches nerves that exist outside the story too.

But I’m drawn back in because the narration feels intimate and confessional, a voice speaking directly into my ear. It feels like the narrator has opened a door only wide enough for me to enter. That closeness is irresistible.

Patterns, Lessons, and New Ways of Seeing

Reading like a writer means noticing what works on me, and why. Through this story, I see how: 

• Love and entitlement can blur
• A boundary can be eroded by insistence, not force
• Silence becomes its own language
• Fairy tales hide darker truths we were never taught to question

I pay attention to how Machado builds dread without spectacle, how she uses pattern and rhythm to make the story throb with emotional tension, and how the simplest object, a green ribbon, becomes a symbol that transforms every scene it touches.

By the end, I see the stories I grew up with differently. What seemed whimsical now reveals what it always carried: expectations of obedience, sacrifice, and silence.

Machado makes me notice who is allowed to be whole, and who is asked to unravel.

A Poem from the Ribbon’s Perspective

As part of my reflection, I imagined the ribbon not as an object, but as a voice. Here is the poem that grew from that idea.

The Quietest No

I marked the boundary

she could not utter out loud.

Thin and green,

a line between her body

and the wanting that would not stop.

He thought I was something to claim,

something to loosen,

something small and insignificant.

He never saw how tightly I held

what remained of her.

I felt his fingers,

I felt his want,

the promise of unravelling.

I was the last thing

she ever asked the world to leave intact.

I was only a ribbon.

The quietest no she ever whispered.

Work Cited:

Machado, C. M. (2014). The husband stitch. Granta, 129. https://granta.com/the-husband-stitch/

[Written for ENGL 2800 class UVU Spring 2026]
aB . All Rights Reserved . 2026

"Trampled Calmly": A Close Reading of Hyde's First Appearance in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

When readers first meet Mr. Hyde in The Story of the Door, the introduction lasts only a few lines, but those lines are unforgettable. On page 4, Stevenson gives us a single moment that tells us almost everything we need to know about Hyde. The sentence that caught my attention was:

“…the man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground… It wasn’t like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut.”

Even taken on its own, this line feels shocking. A close reading shows how carefully Stevenson uses word choice, tone, and comparison to create a character who feels not just cruel, but disturbingly inhuman.

The phrase “trampled calmly” is one of the most striking contradictions in the passage. “Trampled” is a violent, frantic word. It suggests chaos and harm. “Calmly” is the exact opposite; it suggests emotional control, even relaxation. Putting these words together creates something deeply unsettling.

Hyde isn’t violent because he loses control. He is violent without emotion, without hesitation, and without any sign that what he is doing matters to him. The calmness is what makes it terrifying. It presents Hyde as someone who doesn’t just do harm; he does harm effortlessly, without conscience. Stevenson signals immediately that Hyde’s cruelty is not ordinary human cruelty. It is something colder.

“It sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see.”

Enfield’s comment that the event is “hellish to see” but “sounds nothing to hear” adds another layer. It suggests that Hyde’s evil is not fully captured by language alone. Even describing the event doesn’t convey the horror of witnessing it.

This detail shows two things:

• Hyde’s wrongness is felt more than understood. People react to him instinctively, emotionally.
• Stevenson intentionally creates mystery. Even the narrator cannot quite explain what makes Hyde so horrifying.

The effect is that Hyde becomes a presence the reader cannot fully grasp, only fear.

The comparison to a “damned Juggernaut” is powerful. A Juggernaut is not just a large object; it is a massive, unstoppable force that crushes anything in front of it. This metaphor makes Hyde seem larger than life, even though he is described elsewhere as small and oddly shaped.

Stevenson is telling us that Hyde is not frightening because of his physical form. He is frightening because of the overwhelming, destructive energy he gives off — a force beyond the limits of normal human behavior. He is less a man and more a concept: raw, unchecked brutality.

This brief encounter raises the central mysteries that carry the story forward:

• Who is Hyde, really?
• Why does he act with such emotionless cruelty?
• How can someone seem more force-of-nature than human?
• And how is he connected to the respectable Dr. Jekyll?

Stevenson uses this passage not only to introduce Hyde’s personality, but to hint at the novel’s larger theme: duality. The idea that within every person, there may be another self, one that does not follow rules, feel guilt, or recognize morality at all.

In just a few lines, the reader learns almost everything essential about Hyde:

• He is violent.
• He is emotionless.
• He is unnatural.
• His evil is something felt more than explained.

This single moment foreshadows the entire conflict of the novel. Hyde is not simply Jekyll’s “bad habit” or a hidden weakness. He is Jekyll’s darkest self, freed from restraint and expanding into something monstrous.

For such a short scene, the trampling incident is remarkably dense. It sets the tone, introduces the mystery, and gives the reader a powerful emotional reaction that will shape the rest of the story. Stevenson doesn’t just show us Hyde; he makes us feel the wrongness of Hyde.

Work Cited: 

Stevenson, R. L. (2003). The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Penguin Classics.

[Written for ENGL 2800 class UVU Spring 2026]
aB . All Rights Reserved . 2026

Who Creates Meaning: The Situation or the Speaker?

This short essay explores the long‑standing debate between Lloyd Bitzer and Richard Vatz about where rhetorical meaning truly comes from—whether situations naturally carry significance or whether rhetors create that significance through their choices and framing. By comparing both theorists’ views and offering a real‑world example, the essay argues that rhetoric plays the more active role in shaping how events are understood.

    The debate between Lloyd Bitzer and Richard Vatz focuses on one main question: Does rhetoric come from situations, or do situations come from rhetoric? Bitzer believes that situations already contain meaning and urgency, and these qualities “invite” a rhetorical response. Vatz, on the other hand, argues that rhetors create meaning by choosing what details to talk about and how to present them. While both make good points, I believe that rhetoric creates the situation because rhetors are the ones who give events their meaning, emotional impact, and importance.

    Bitzer sees rhetoric as something that happens after a situation appears. In his view, an exigence, meaning a problem that needs to be addressed, exists first, and rhetoric comes second as a reaction to it. That means the situation controls what kind of response is appropriate. Bitzer writes, “rhetoric is a mode of altering reality, not by the direct application of energy to objects, but by the creation of discourse which changes reality through mediation of thought and action.” (Bitzer, p. 4) In other words, rhetoric matters, but only because the situation calls it into being and shapes what it must do.

    Vatz argues the opposite. He believes exigence does not exist on its own; rhetors create it through their choices about what to highlight and what to ignore. For Vatz, events don’t come with built‑in meaning. Meaning appears only when someone decides how to frame the event. As he puts it, “meaning is not discovered in situations, but created by rhetors.” (Vatz, p. 157) This means the rhetor plays an active role in shaping how people understand what is happening.

    My own example shows why Vatz’s view is more convincing. Imagine a university has a short Wi‑Fi outage that lasts fifteen minutes. One student leader sends a calm message saying it’s a minor issue. Another student posts dramatically online, claiming the outage proves the administration is incompetent and that students should “demand accountability.” Even though the event is the same, these two responses create completely different situations, one calm and one intense. The difference comes not from the outage but from the rhetoric used to describe it. The student who exaggerates the problem creates a crisis that didn’t exist before. This supports Vatz’s point that rhetors decide what becomes important.

    In the end, Bitzer helps us see how rhetorical responses are shaped by context, but Vatz shows how meaning is actually made. Rhetors don’t just respond to situations; they help create them. Events don’t tell us what they mean; people do. And because people’s interpretations come before significance, rhetoric creates the situation rather than simply responding to it.

Work Cited:  

Bitzer, L. F. (1968). The rhetorical situation. Philosophy & Rhetoric, 1(1), 1–14.

Vatz, R. E. (1973). The myth of the rhetorical situation. Philosophy & Rhetoric, 6(3), 154–161.

[Written for ENGL 2800 class UVU Spring 2026]
aB . All Rights Reserved . 2026

Teaching Philosophy

In my English class this semester, I am learning about the different careers I could follow with a degree in English. The first few weeks were spent learning more about being an English teacher in a Junior High or High School setting. I wrote an essay describing my teaching philosophy if I were to become an English teacher:

    I see my role as a teacher as a designer of growth, someone who builds sturdy scaffolds for students and then intentionally removes them so learners can stand on their own. Teaching, to me, is not about control or permanence but about preparation: creating structures that support students while they develop confidence, independence, and critical thinking skills. This view is shaped by scholars such as Jim Burke, Paulo Freire, and bell hooks, all of whom emphasize that effective teaching balances structure with freedom, authority with collaboration, and knowledge with humanity.

    One of the clearest examples of instructional scaffolding is Jim Burke’s discussion of school-friendly forms such as the five-paragraph essay. Burke argues that this structure can be a valuable tool for beginning writers because it helps them practice essential skills such as forming claims, supporting ideas with evidence, and organizing their thinking (Burke, 2013). I agree with Burke that these forms function like training wheels: they provide stability at the start, but they must not become cages that restrict authentic thinking or meaningful genre choice. As a teacher, I would use these structures intentionally and temporarily, always with the goal of helping students move beyond them. The structure is not the destination; it is a support that allows students to eventually write with flexibility, purpose, and confidence.

    My instructional planning would begin by assessing where each learner is and identifying their next doable step. In practice, this philosophy would shape both what and how I teach. I would begin by modeling the five-paragraph essay and explicitly teaching argumentative structures such as thesis statements, reasons, evidence, and counterclaims. As students become more comfortable, I would expand the curriculum to include public narratives, multimodal essays, peer review workshops, and other genres that invite creativity and real-world engagement. This gradual expansion honors the need for structure while making room for student choice and authentic expression. As students gain competence, I would gradually remove these supports so that responsibility shifts from teacher to student. This process acknowledges that learning is developmental and that independence is built through practice, feedback, and trust. Scaffolding, in my classroom, would always be temporary, designed to empower students rather than create dependency.

    At the same time, I believe education is never neutral. Influenced by Paulo Freire, I reject the “banking model” of education in which teachers deposit information into passive students (Freire, 1970). Instead, I aim for a problem-posing approach where students and teachers investigate real questions together, connect learning to lived experience, and engage in meaningful dialogue. In this model, the teacher is not the sole authority but a co-learner who guides inquiry while remaining open to students’ insights. bell hooks extends this idea through her concept of engaged pedagogy, which challenges teachers to build classrooms rooted in community, care, and shared purpose (hooks, 1994). I do not want my classroom to be a place where work is merely assigned and completed; I want it to be a space where students feel valued, heard, and responsible for one another’s learning. Modeling vulnerability, encouraging reflection, and fostering mutual accountability are essential parts of this process.

    Ultimately, I want students to leave my classroom more capable and more conscious. I want them to read complex texts and contexts, write with purpose for real audiences, listen carefully, revise thoughtfully, and offer feedback in good faith. I want them to recognize where they can improve and feel empowered to take the steps necessary to do so. To achieve this, I must know my content deeply and teach with intention, while also cultivating a classroom grounded in dignity, curiosity, and courage. The teacher I strive to be does not see school as a place where knowledge is deposited, but as a place where knowledge is created, questioned, and used for the common good.



Work Cited:

Burke, J. (2013). The English teacher’s companion: A completely new guide to classroom, curriculum, and the profession (4th ed.). Heinemann.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continuum.

Hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.

[Written for ENGL 2800 class UVU Spring 2026]
aB . All Rights Reserved . 2026

When Books Are Banned, Students Are Silenced: The Real Cost of Limiting Literature

The biggest problem with literacy in middle and high school isn’t that students can’t read; it’s that schools don’t give them enough time or the right conditions to enjoy reading. Students get better at reading by reading books they care about every day at school. (Kittle, pg.78)

The traditional literary canon taught in English classrooms is often valued for its historical and literary significance. Still, the subject matter, language, and social context of the books don’t appeal to many students today. Contemporary YA literature explores issues such as race, identity, mental health, trauma, injustice, sexuality, and other topics relevant to students today. They include literature by authors of color, LGBTQ+ perspectives, and characters from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Students reading these books can see themselves in the topics, themes, and social situations they face every day.

In her article titled Think Beyond the Literary Canon, Megan Mayle does not argue for replacing the classics with contemporary works. She believes combining the two will create more stimulating conversations and get more students interested in reading. “Student engagement and motivation are essential to creating a successful learning environment.” (Mayle, pg.9) When students are engaged and interested in the literature they read, they learn to tackle real-world problems like social justice, independence, mental health issues, identity, and more. When the books students read are banned or challenged in schools, it shows those students that they are not valid, their feelings and insecurities are not real, and they are not important enough to have a place amongst the classics.

Students need to be able to express their frustrations, thoughts, and ideas with their classmates and teachers. The current educational system sees students as empty containers that teachers need to fill. If the students listen, are disciplined, comply, respond when asked, and adapt to the teacher’s environment, they are seen as model students. When they speak out, talk back, ask questions, and dare to be different, they are seen as students who are disruptive and not there to learn. In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire mentions that “knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry men pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.” (Freire, pg. 1) Those students who crave knowledge don’t just want their container filled; they want honest conversations with their teachers and peers. They want an open dialogue in which they can express their thoughts and feelings. They want their teachers to learn and investigate alongside them. Teachers cannot give that kind of attention to students if they are there just to fill their containers.

In Engaged Pedagogy, we read that “to teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin.” (Hooks, pg. 13) When you take away materials that students want to engage in, books that show them something about themselves, subject matters that truly interest them, and expect them to still want to engage in the classroom, you are sorely mistaken.

The classroom is a rare space where freedom can be practiced through dialogue, mutual recognition, and a shared commitment to growth. Teachers and students can fully engage with each other and refuse passive roles. Banning and challenging books will severely limit those conversations and take the joy of reading away from many who do not relate to the older classics that are still on the same reading lists that have existed for the last 30 years.

 

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continuum.

Hooks, B. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.

Kittle, P. (2020). Let them read, please: What it takes to build a culture of reading in secondary schools. Educational Leadership, 77(5), 77–81.

Mayle, M. (2021). Think Beyond the Literary Canon: The Potential for Young Adult Literature within a High School Classroom (Honors thesis, University of Akron). 

[Written for ENGL 2800 class UVU Spring 2026]
aB . All Rights Reserved . 2026

Mennonite Peace Theology: A Radical Witness

For my major project in my Religion, Violence, and Peacebuilding class, we worked in groups to research a tradition connected to peace theology. My group was assigned Mennonite Peace Theology. Together, we wrote a comprehensive paper and gave a 20-minute presentation to the class summarising our findings. After completing the group work, each of us was asked to write an individual reflection on what we learned. I am sharing my personal reflection to give a glimpse into what stood out to me during this project.

When I began researching Mennonite peace theology for our group project, I expected to find a simple commitment to pacifism. Instead, I discovered a tradition that challenges the very foundations of how we think about power, justice, and faith. Mennonites don't just advocate for peace; they embody it in ways that push against cultural norms and even mainstream Christian ethics. Their approach is not abstract theory; it's a lived practice that demands courage and conviction.

For my part, I explored the historical roots and the literal interpretation of Jesus' teachings that shape this theology. What I learned reframed my understanding of discipleship and raised questions about what it means to follow Christ in a world marked with violence.

Below is the reflection paper I wrote for class, which dives deeper into these ideas:

Working on our group project about Mennonite peace theology gave me a deeper appreciation for how radically this tradition interprets scripture. Before this assignment, I understood pacifism in broad strokes, but I had never explored a faith community that takes Jesus’ teachings on peace and violence so literally.

My role in the project was to provide background and explain how Mennonites ground their theology in the Sermon on the Mount, particularly the call to “love your enemies” and “turn the other cheek.” This was not just theory for them; it was a way of life.

As I researched, I was intrigued by the diversity within Mennonite peace traditions. I learned about models such as Historical Nonresistance, Apolitical Nonresistance, Realist Pacifism, Liberation Pacifism, and Neo-Sectarian Pacifism. Each represents a different way of engaging with the world while holding fast to the principles of nonviolence. What struck me most was that being Mennonite today looks very different than in the 16th century, yet the core commitment remains: to reject violence and embody peace.

One idea that resonated deeply with me came from Donal Dorr: “Walk humbly with thy God.” This phrase captures the spirit of Mennonite theology, a humility that shapes their response to conflict. Historically, some Mennonites practiced nonresistance by withdrawing from society, avoiding political involvement, and refusing military service. While this stance protected their integrity, it often meant doing nothing in the face of injustice. Today, many Mennonites challenge this passive approach. They seek to transform their tradition into one that not only resists violence but actively promotes justice and reconciliation. This shift inspired me because it shows how faith can evolve to meet the needs of a broken world.

Engaging with these ideas raised important questions for me: What does it mean to follow Jesus’ teachings on peace in a violent world? Is pacifism practical, or even possible, when injustice demands action? Mennonite theology suggests that peace is not passive, it is a radical, costly commitment. It requires creativity, courage, and a willingness to suffer for the sake of love. This challenges my own assumptions about conflict. I often think in terms of defense or retaliation, but Mennonite thought invites me to imagine alternatives: dialogue instead of domination, forgiveness instead of revenge.

This project also made me reflect on the role of religion in shaping ethics. I have a complicated relationship with religion, yet I cannot deny its power to inspire hope and resistance to violence. Mennonite communities remind me that faith can be a force for good when it prioritizes compassion over control. Their example raises a profound question: How can we build a world where peace is not just an ideal but a lived reality?

In the end, this assignment was more than an academic exercise, it was a personal challenge. It pushed me to consider what I believe about violence, justice, and forgiveness. It reminded me that peace is not easy, but it is possible when people commit to it with humility and courage. Mennonite theology may seem radical, but perhaps that is exactly what our world needs.

This research left me with a sense of awe and discomfort, the kind that sparks growth. Mennonite peace theology isn't about avoidance of conflict; it's about active engagement through love, justice, and vulnerability. In a society that often equates strength with domination, this tradition insists that true strength looks like humility and reconciliation. It asks hard questions: Can peace exist without coercion? What does radical obedience look like today?

As Donal Dorr reminds us, the call to "walk humbly with thy God" is not a slogan but a summons to transformation. For Mennonites, that means building communities that reflect God's kingdom here and now, a vision that continues to challenge violence and inspire hope.

Sources:

Burkholder, John Richard, and Barbara Nelson Gingerich, eds. Mennonite Peace Theology: A Panorama of Types. Elkhart, IN: Institute of Mennonite Studies, 1991.

Ewert, Lowell, Mary Lou Klassen, and Derek Suderman. “Justice, Mercy, and Faithfulness: Human Rights and Mennonite Faith in the Context of Peacebuilding Practice.” In A Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace: Global Mennonite Perspectives on Peacebuilding and Nonviolence, edited by Fernando Enns, Nina Schroeder-van ’t Schip, and Andrés Pacheco-Lozano, Wipf & Stock, 2023.

[Written for PHIL 366G class UVU Fall 2025]
aB . All Rights Reserved . 2025

Faith, Fear and the Aftermath of 9/11: Religion in a Time of Crisis

The fourth week of November's material took us back to one of the most defining moments of modern history, the September 11 attacks, and explored how religion shaped both the violence and the response. The readings and documentary challenged me to think about the intersection of faith, fear, and ethics in times of crisis.

Andrew Sullivan's essay This is a Religious War argues that 9/11 was not just a political act but a theological one. The attackers framed their violence as a sacred duty, rooted in a radical interpretation of Islam. Sullivan warns that ignoring the religious dimension of terrorism oversimplifies the problem and blinds us to the ideological struggle at its core.

Helen Whitney's documentary Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero gave voice to the spiritual turmoil that followed the attacks. Survivors, first responders, and families wrestled with profound questions: where was God? How could faith survive such evil? Some found solace in prayer; others lost belief entirely. The film reminded me that violence doesn't just destroy lives, it shakes the foundations of meaning.

Khaled Abou El Fadl's essay The Place of Tolerance in Islam counters extremist narratives by reclaiming the Qur'an's emphasis on justice and compassion. He argues that intolerance stems from misreading scripture, not from Islam itself. This perspective is crucial because it shows that religious texts can be interpreted toward peace rather than violence.

Finally, John Esposito's chapter on Jihad clarified that the term means "struggle", not holy war. While extremists distort it to justify terror, many Muslims understand jihad as an inner moral effort. Esposito's work underscored how language and theology can be weaponized, or redeemed.

The key takeaway for me this week is how religion can be both a source of violence and a wellspring of resilience. After 9/11, faith communities faced a choice: retreat into fear or embrace tolerance and dialogue. That choice still matters today.

Sources:

Abou El Fadl, K. (2001, December 23). The place of tolerance in Islam. Boston Review.

Esposito, J. L. (2002). Jihad and the struggle for Islam. In Unholy war: Terror in the name of Islam (pp. 26–70). Oxford University Press.

Sullivan, A. (2001, October 7). This is a religious war. The New York Times Magazine.

Whitney, H. (Director). (2002). Faith and doubt at Ground Zero [Film]. PBS Frontline.

Written for PHIL 366G class UVU Fall 2025]
aB . All Rights Reserved . 2025

Faith, Prophecy, and Politics: Religion's Role in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

The second week of November, our focus shifted to one of the most enduring and complex conflicts in modern history: Israel and Palestine. At first glance, the struggle seems primarily political, a dispute over land, sovereignty, and security. But as our readings and discussions revealed, religion is deeply woven into the fabric of this conflict, shaping identities, fueling passions, and influencing global actors.

Dov Waxman's chapters (Religion and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and The Basics) emphasize that while political and territorial issues dominate headlines, religious narratives often intensify the stakes. For many Jews, the land of Israel is not just a homeland, it's a covenantal promise. For many Muslims, Jerusalem is a sacred trust. These beliefs make compromise extraordinarily difficult because they frame the conflict in absolute, transcendent terms.

Heather Gregg's chapter on Zionism explores the battle to define Jewish nationhood and statehood. Zionism began as a political movement, but it drew heavily on religious symbolism and messianic hopes. This fusion of faith and nationalism created a powerful identity marker, one that continues to shape Israeli politics and Palestinian resistance.

Our weekly reading, Yaakov Ariel’s Doomsday in Jerusalem, adds another layer: global religious actors. Ariel shows how Christian messianic groups, especially evangelical premillennialists, view the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple as a sign of Christ’s return. These beliefs translate into political and financial support for Israel, but they also raise security concerns. Attempts to alter the Temple Mount, a site sacred to Jews, Muslims, and Christians, could ignite catastrophic violence. Ariel warns that theology, when tied to political action, can turn Jerusalem into a flashpoint for global conflict.

What I found most illuminating is how this conflict is not just about borders, it’s about competing sacred narratives. Land becomes holy ground, and political decisions carry eternal significance. That makes peacebuilding far more complex than diplomacy alone can handle. It requires addressing the religious visions that animate both sides, and the global actors who amplify them.

Sources:

Ariel, Y. (2000). Doomsday in Jerusalem? Christian messianic groups and the rebuilding of the Temple. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 15(1), 43–58.

Gregg, H. (2016). Zion: The battle to define the Jewish nation and state. In The path to salvation: Religious Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (pp. 145–168). Georgetown University Press.

Waxman, D. (2013). Religion and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In C. Seiple, D. Hoover, & P. Otis (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of religion and security (pp. 238–248). Routledge.

Waxman, D. (2019). The Israeli-Palestinian conflict: What everyone needs to know (Chapter 1: The Basics). Oxford University Press.

[Written for PHIL 366G class UVU Fall 2025]
aB . All Rights Reserved . 2025

Is It Really About Religion? Understanding the Conflict in Northern Ireland

The first week of November, we turned our attention to Northern Ireland, a region where religion, politics, and identity collide in ways that defy simple explanations. At first glance, the decades-long conflict between Catholics and Protestants seems like a religious war. However, as our readings and class discussion revealed, the reality is far more complicated.

Patrick Grant's chapter, Northern Ireland, Religion and the Peace Process, explores how religion shaped both division and reconciliation. Churches were not neutral observers; they influenced political identities and, later, played roles in peacebuilding. Yet Grant also shows that faith communities often struggled to rise above entrenched loyalties.

Liam O'Dowd, in Does Religion Still Matter?, pushes us to question whether religion is truly the driving force behind the conflict. He argues that while religious labels matter, they often mask deeper issues, national identity, political power, and economic inequality. In other words, being Catholic or Protestant in Northern Ireland is as much about belonging to a cultural and political camp as it is about theology.

Claire Mitchell's chapter, Religious Ideology and Politics, adds another layer: religion provided language and symbols that reinforced political agendas. For unionists and loyalists, Protestant identity closely aligned with British sovereignty. For nationalists and republicans, Catholic identity intertwined with aspirations for Irish unity. These identities were not purely spiritual; they were social, economic, and historical.

In class, we debated whether the conflict was "really" religious. The consensus? Religion mattered, but not in isolation. It was a marker of identity, a way to draw boundaries between "us" and "them." Behind those boundaries lay struggles over land, governance, and equality. Nationalists versus unionists, republicans versus loyalists, the labels tell a story of competing visions for the future.

What struck me most is how religion can both divide and heal. The same faith traditions that fueled mistrust also inspired peace efforts, from grassroots dialogue to the Good Friday Agreement. This dual role reminds us that religion is never just a private belief system; it's woven into the fabric of society, for better or worse.

Northern Ireland teaches us that conflicts labeled "religious" often hide deeper fractures. Understanding those layers is essential if we hope to build peace that lasts.

Sources:

Grant, P. (2000). Northern Ireland, religion and the peace process. In H. Coward & G. S. Smith (Eds.), Religion and peacebuilding (pp. 245–262). Albany: State University of New York Press.

Mitchell, C. (2006). Religious ideology and politics. In Religion, identity and politics in Northern Ireland: Boundaries of belonging and belief (pp. 123–148).

O’Dowd, L. (2021). Does religion still matter? Comparative lessons from the ethno-national conflict in Northern Ireland. In N. N. Rouhana & N. Shalhoub-Kevorkian (Eds.), When politics are sacralized: Comparative perspectives on religious claims and nationalism (pp. 337–362). Cambridge University Press.

Written for PHIL 366G class UVU Fall 2025]
aB . All Rights Reserved . 2025

Beyond Violence: Religion's Role in Nonviolent Movements

The last of October's readings and discussion challenged the way we think about religion and its relationship to peace and justice. Too often, religion is portrayed as a source of conflict, but the truth is far more complex-and hopeful.

Patrick Mason's article, Violent and Nonviolent Religious Militancy, asks us to rethink what "militancy" means. We usually associate the term with extremism and violence, but Mason argues that militancy is simply deep commitment to a cause. That commitment can be expressed through peace as powerfully as through war. The civil rights movement is a prime example: Martin Luther King Jr. was militant in his beliefs, but his weapon was nonviolence. Mason reminds us that ignoring these peaceful forms of militancy distorts the picture of religion's role in society.

Mason also introduces the concept of justpeace-peace that includes justice. It's not enough to stop violence; true peace requires fairness, dignity, and equality. This idea resonates with other readings, like Maria Pilar Aquino's chapter on religious peacebuilding, which emphasises that faith communities must confront harmful traditions and actively work towards reconciliation and justice. Ira Cherus' chapter on nonviolence in American history shows how religious convictions fueled movements like abolition, suffrage, and civil rights, proving that faith can be a force for liberation rather than oppression.

In class, we explored principles of nonviolence through figures like Gandhi, King, and the Dalai Lama, as well as traditions like Buddhism, Quakerism, and Anabaptism. These movements share a belief that peace begins within, through spiritual growth-and extends outward to transform society. King's distinction between negative peace (the absence of tension) and positive peace (the presence of justice) captures this perfectly. Nonviolence isn't passive; it's active resistance to injustice without resorting to harm.

What struck me most this week is how often we overlook the courage it takes to be nonviolent. It's easy to see violence as strength, but history shows that nonviolence requires ever greater resolve. Religious militancy, in Mason's sense, can be a radical commitment to peace-a willingness to suffer without striking back, to love in the face of hate.

If we want a world of justpeace, religious communities must lead the way by challenging violence within their own traditions and embodying the principles they preach. Religion can be a source of division, yes, but it can also be the heartbeat of movements that change the world without firing a shot.

Sources:

Aquino, M. P. (2011). Religious peacebuilding. In A. R. Murphy (Ed.), The Blackwell companion to religion and violence (pp. 568–593). Wiley-Blackwell.

Chernus, I. (2011). Religion and nonviolence in American history. In A. R. Murphy (Ed.), The Blackwell companion to religion and violence (pp. 538–567). Wiley-Blackwell.

Mason, P. Q. (2015). Violent and nonviolent religious militancy. In R. A. Scott & S. M. Kosslyn (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of religion, conflict, and peacebuilding (pp. 212–235). Oxford University Press.

[Written for PHIL 366G class UVU Fall 2025]
aB . All Rights Reserved . 2025

Greece Is the Answer

I grew up in Europe, and Greece was one of the places I had always wanted to visit but never did. I remember hearing about the bankruptcy in the country and the crisis afterward, and so watching this documentary was very informative to me.

Greece is part of the European Union (EU), which consists of 27 different countries. The European Union is a union of 27 countries that help each other out economically and politically. Trade between countries is very valuable. When Greece went through its financial crisis, the European Union bailed it out with a large loan. This was the first time the European Union did this, and it stopped Greece from defaulting on its loans.

The main language in Greece is Greek, which makes it an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages.

According to the documentary, one of the main issues that the people in Greece seem to have a problem with is the middleman taking all the profits they could potentially get from all their hard work. Many groups have started to cut out the middleman and get products to consumers on their own. This way, they can still make a living, and people can afford their products. This smart thinking is letting people live off their small, meager incomes after the major financial crisis that crippled the country. Actors have started to allow citizens to bring food to their shows instead of money to pay for a ticket. This way, the actors donate the food they collect to the local orphanages without help from any NGOs (Nongovernmental organizations).

This was a hard documentary to watch, as I could only find 3 key terms listed in the reading this week. I really enjoyed the documentary as it showed the citizens picking themselves up after a devastating crisis that ruined their economy. They seem like strong, resilient people who can make a big difference and bring their country back from financial ruin in the years to come.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTcuLUFE77U&t=13s

[Written for GEOG 130G class UVU Spring 2022]
aB . All Right Reserved . 2025

The Wasatch Fault

The Wasatch Fault runs along the Wasatch Mountains from Malad City in Idaho to Fayette, down South in Utah. It is actually a few different faults that run together instead of just one fault. The mountain range was created from the faults by being pushed up over millions of years. As earthquakes have happened, it has shaped the mountain range over time. The Mountain range (and the fault) is right in the middle, with the basin and range to the West and the Colorado Plateau to the East. Geologists have found evidence of underground earthquakes that have broken up the ground, which pointed them to where the fault would be. By digging in certain areas and gathering data when eruptions do occur, they have figured out where the fault runs and have been able to create reliable maps. They have come to the conclusion that there are about 10 different faults that run along that corridor, and they have each produced different-strength earthquakes at different times in the past.

The first thing that surprised me was that it showed earthquakes today at 3 different sites. I did not realize how much activity there is along the fault, even if we cannot feel it. All of the locations do seem to run along the fault and stick close to the mountain range. The 3 that happened just today (July 3rd) were not right next to each other. One was way up North, while the other 2 further away from that in Idaho. Yesterday, there were 11 small earthquakes, and again, they were all over the state of Utah and Idaho, but sticking to the mountain range and not getting too far away from it. The pattern that occurred to me is that you cannot really be certain where the next earthquake will be, except that it will be along the fault line somewhere.

I had been told since I first moved to Utah that there was a big earthquake just ready to hit Utah any day now. I have been in Utah on and off for the last 30 years, and so I have buried that information in the back of my mind, as it really doesn’t feel like it pertains to me much anymore. At first, I was a little alarmed and thought I'd better have everything I need in my home just in case, but now I just feel I need to live my life, and if something happens, then I guess something happens. An earthquake is not something you can prevent, and so worrying about it is doing no one any good. Having said that, I know I do need to care about the possibility, as I do live in Provo close to the mountains, and so I should be somewhat prepared when it comes to natural disasters. I have the basic things stored in my house in case of an emergency that I can grab if I need to make a quick exit. I remember the earthquake in Magna a few years back, and I know they are still trying to clean up from that as it caused a lot of damage.

I live alone but with a few animals, and so to be prepared, I do have small carriers for my animals. I also have backpacks ready to go under my stairs that hold first aid items, flashlights, and astronaut blankets. I also have all my camping equipment in that area in 2 totes, so they are easy to grab. If there were an emergency, I could shove everything plus my animals in my car for a quick getaway. I even have all my important documents in a small fire safe that is the size of a briefcase and easy to grab and take with me. If I needed to hole up in my home, I have all those things accessible as well, on top of water and some food supplies. My kids are grown now, but when they were younger, we would have a designated meeting place close to their school and our home in case of an emergency where they could not get to us or we to them. Now that my kids live in other places, we share each other's locations on our phones, but I am sure that in case of a natural disaster, those services would not work. We all live close enough to each other that I could walk to check on them if necessary.

I think in the long run, I am pretty on top of all of it, as I know where the shut-offs to my home are and have some items prepared in case I need to flee or shelter indoors. There is really only so much you can do without creating a panic or giving yourself ulcers worrying. I have gone through several trainings while working for Alpine School District that have helped me be a little more prepared, and I think common sense will help along the way as well.

[Written for GEOG 3200 class UVU Summer 2023]
aB . All Right Reserved . 2025

Amazon Rainforest Risks: The Tipping Point

    I had to choose a documentary to watch, and so I chose the Amazon Rainforest Risks: The Tipping Point. I am very interested in climate change, and from the list of documentaries available, this one caught my eye. I have known about the rainforest and that climate change is affecting it, but I had no idea to what degree. I enjoy watching documentaries and watching a lot of them on my own already, and so I really liked this one. It was very educational, informative, and easy to follow. 

    One of the key terms from the reading this week is global connection. Global connection is when people/things come together from all over the globe to work together. I really like how the documentary brought scientists together from all different countries and backgrounds to gather data on the rainforest. They all know the challenges that the rainforest is up against, and they want to work together to discover and help fix those challenges. They know that this crisis is not just confined to the Amazon, but it affects us all globally.

    The second key term I thought of was global environmental change. This means the changes in the environment that affect the entire globe. This documentary was all about climate change and how it was impacting the Amazon. Because 25% of the medication in the world is made from something found in the Amazon, it affects a lot of people if the rainforest disappears. Our entire ecosystem also relies on the Amazon to balance the carbon dioxide in the world. The entire Earth relies on the Amazon for this, and most people don’t even realize that.

    The third key term I found was vulnerability. The reading this week states that climate change will affect people differently as it is not distributed equally around the planet. The people who live on the banks of the Amazon River will be affected differently than those of us living in the United States, for example. As the Amazon rainforest dries up and diminishes, it will produce less fruit for the people living there to harvest, sell, and eat. This will affect them a whole lot more than us further away. Their risk is a lot higher than ours, as it will directly affect their livelihood. It will be a lot harder for them to recover from changes to their livelihood than for us in the United States.

    The takeaway from this documentary to me is that no matter where we live on the planet, climate change will affect us one way or another. It could be close to home, like those living along the banks of the Amazon River, or it could be that it will affect our air quality in Utah with a decrease in carbon dioxide. The global connections that climate change creates are large and far-reaching; no one is immune to the ever-changing world we live in. I need to do my part to be part of the solution and not the problem. I need to make sure that I am not contributing to the greenhouse gases in excess, but instead try to lower my carbon footprint.

Link to short documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwsI3JyO-t0  

[Written for GEOG 130G class UVU Spring 2022]
aB . All Right Reserved . 2025

Indigenous Groups of Utah

The Northern Ute

    The Ute tribe believed in animal-people that were here before humans were created. Once humans were created, they kept the stories alive of their predecessors and how these animal-people kept the world balanced. Because of these stories that have been passed down for generations, the Ute people have a very close connection to the Earth and everything on and around it. The Ute people believe that they were created by Sinauf, who was half man and half wolf, and their God. They told the story of how they became his beloved people by remaining in his bag for the entire journey to their homeland, while other people jumped out and formed other tribes. Because they had been patient and had waited, he gave them the beautiful high mountains to live in. They made the eastern Great Basin and the western Rocky Mountains their home for many generations.

    The Ute territory went from Fillmore in Utah to Colorado Springs in Colorado and from Baggs in Wyoming to Abiquiu in New Mexico. They would usually erect their villages close to the waterways so that they could fish and have water to drink. The mountains are where they could hide from enemies, as they were very knowledgeable of the area and could easily disappear. Ute families were very independent and took care of themselves. There could be a village leader of some sort, but most families just took care of their own needs. Men were the hunters and made weapons and everything they needed to survive. Women were the gatherers and would take care of the shelter and food needs of their family. Ute families traveled depending on the seasons and would live in the mountains in the summer and in the valleys in the winter. Many families would gather together while the men would hunt for large game to prepare for wintertime. After the hunt, they would gather socially, as that was very important for their way of life. They would also gather together socially for marriages or other celebrations, and some would travel quite a way to make it to those social gatherings. While there was not one leader among the Ute people, they all believed they originated from the same God, and so they all shared a similar language, lifestyle, and traditions. They would form smaller bands of families, again without a leader, and would usually stick closer together to that group than to other groups. The Uintah group should sound familiar, as they lived mainly East of Utah Lake and by the Green and Colorado River systems. Another group close to Utah Lake is the Tumpanawach band, who would later be called the Timpanogos Utes by the settlers. This was a large band of Utes, as they had plenty of food in the area because of the lake and the mountains.

    The Ute people believed in healing and usually had a medicine man who would be available when someone became ill. They believed that whatever was possessing the person was making them sick and that they could cure the person with singing, dancing, spiritual objects, and medicine created by the medicine man. Each generation before them had used these same methods, and so they just passed on what they had learned, and the next generation would continue their traditions and would consult a medicine man when necessary.

    In the early 1600s, they acquired horses from the Europeans, and that was a game-changer for them as they could now travel further, longer, and faster. With the horses also came the Spanish, who were looking for the city of gold. As more Europeans came and invaded the land, there soon began to be skirmishes between the Natives and the invaders, which led to a treaty in 1670. Since the Ute tribes were now suspicious of any newcomers, they would not welcome anyone and be friendly, but instead they would steal from them and take whatever supplies they wanted. Skirmishes between other Native tribes were now also common as they were all fighting for land, opportunities to plunder from the newcomers, horses, and power. The Ute and Spanish formed another treaty in 1749, as the Ute were threatened by the Comanche tribes in the area, and so they figured they could help each other out by being allies. The Utes helped the Spanish travel more inland to explore and map the area. 

    In 1820, with the Mexican revolt, the Utes became excellent fur traders, which would be very profitable for them. One Ute native stood out at this time, Wakara, as he would make many trips on horseback to trade for fur and horses. He became very wealthy from this adventure. This new influx of European goods would prove to be disastrous for the natives, as they would become very dependent on this and abandon their way of living on the land and taking care of themselves. More settlers came and built homes on their lands, and they were driven away from the fertile parts to the areas where it would be harder to survive. The government started to give its land away and create reservations where they could live without interfering with the new influx of white settlers coming West. As the fur trade died down, the natives found themselves driven from their homes, unable to sustain themselves the way they had before, and white men living on their land telling them what to do. They tried to fight back by stealing cattle and horses, but by now they were outnumbered and outgunned. The government assigned them reservations to live on and demanded that they give up their homes. Another Ute leader rose up, named Black Hawk, who would try to fight against this injustice once again, but also failed, as the influx of Mormons in Utah was too great for them to handle. In 1850, they decided to live on the reservations with the promise that the Federal Government would provide them with teachings on how to adapt to this new lifestyle. After lots of negotiations and false promises by the government, the remaining Ute people would move onto a reservation with other Native Americans and would be labeled the Uintah Band. They found themselves far away from their beloved mountains, as their reservation was in the middle of nowhere. This was land that settlers had not wanted because they could not plant anything there.

    The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, hopefully, would right a lot of wrongs that had happened to the native population over the years. The Ute leaders at the time accepted the act and were happy that they once again could be in control of their own destiny. Many more challenges would come their way as they moved forward with hope. The great depression and World War II would throw a lot of kinks into their plans for a long time. Today, the Native Americans who still live on the reservation have schools their kids can attend, they have social gatherings just like their ancestors did with dances and spiritual rituals, and they have established a Native American church in their midst. Each tribe is represented in a council that helps make sure the people have what they need. They get to govern themselves and even though they are now fully acclimated to the American way of life with modern conveniences they still feel like they are a chosen people who were put on this earth by the God Sinauf and they make sure to keep telling the next generations about where the Ute people came from and what an incredible connection they have to the Earth and everything on it.

[Written for GEOG 3200 class UVU Summer 2023]
aB . All Right Reserved . 2025

Film Industry in Utah

One of my favorite movies was partially filmed in Utah. Anytime I see this movie, it reminds me of many trips I have taken South to Arches National Park. I love the familiar red rock at the beginning of the Indiana Jones movie, The Last Crusade, as the scout troop makes their way past the balancing rock and down to the double arch. I have hiked in that area multiple times, and I love how well-known and iconic that scenery is to those from Utah. Anyone driving along the scenic route in Arches passes the balancing rock and will instantly recognize it as such, and will usually remind everyone around them that this was where they filmed the opening for The Last Crusade.

On top of Indiana Jones, more than 900 other films have been filmed in Utah. Some very popular ones, such as Footloose, Independence Day, High School Musical, Galaxy Quest, The Sandlot, and many more. Filmmakers are drawn to Utah as we provide them an incentive if they use local crews, talent, and locations. Directors can get a very large tax credit if they come to Utah to make their movies. The Governor’s office has even established a Film Commission that helps attract newcomers to film in Utah, and they have sent scouts all over the place to find the best locations to film. They can also put directors in touch with the copious amounts of talent that Utah has to offer.

Utah is also home to some very diverse scenery, as we have deserts, mountains, salt flats, rivers, lakes, and all other types of backgrounds available. You can create all sorts of different movies this way, as we have it all here within the state. According to the Utah Film Commission, the industry has provided $463 million in spending while creating nearly 35,000 jobs and over $6 billion in film tourism over the last ten years.1 I read an article in the Deseret News from a few years back that describes the film industry in Utah and suggests that investment from locals can help the economy even more and have them take pride in their State.

I think some of the challenges for Utah with the increase of films being made here are that the weather in Utah can be very temperamental. We have extremely high heat in some places in the summer and extreme cold with snow in the winter. Another challenge will be for locals, as they will have to work around park or street closures when something is being filmed. The frustration that can be created could be a negative for those who live and work here. Overall, I think there are more positives than negatives, and I hope that Utah will continue to attract many filmmakers to use our beautiful scenery as their backdrop.

Sources:

Phillips, J. (2016, November 16). Utah has long been a great state for filming. Here's how to make it even better. Deseret News. https://www.deseret.com/2016/11/16/20600594/utah-has-long-been-a-great-state-for-filming-here-s-how-to-make-it-even-better/ [deseret.com]

Porter, E. (2023, May 17). Utah's growing film industry brings economic benefits to the state. BYU Daily Universe. https://universe.byu.edu/2023/05/17/utahs-growing-film-industry-brings-economic-benefits-to-the-state/

[Written for GEOG 3200 class UVU Summer 2023]
aB . All Right Reserved . 2025

Island of the People: World Medicine

When I think of indigenous people, I never really think about Canada, but more like New Mexico and the areas around there. It was very interesting to see a documentary about the indigenous people living much farther north. It was cool to see the island of Haida Gwaii represented on the Physical Geography map in the textbook so that I could really picture where it is located.

Maritime Polar winds reach the island of Haida Gwaii, which makes it cold and dry in the wintertime. They get a lot more moisture because of this, and that could be why a lot of herbs and trees can grow there that provide them with a lot of medicine and food.

European diseases such as smallpox devastated the Haida people. Before they came in the 1700s, there were over 8000 Haida people living in the area; now there are just over 500 left. The European settlers deliberately brought blankets with the smallpox virus on them since they believed the indigenous people to be less than human.

Because of migration into Canada from other nations, the indigenous people were relocated or moved to make way for the new settlers. They treated the indigenous people terribly, even though some of them had lived there for hundreds of years before them. NAFTA helped facilitate the great migration pattern that brought many new people to Canada.

The Haida people who are left are trying hard to keep some of their culture alive by teaching their language to the locals. They have an oral culture, and so many of the things like medicine and their history are only told from generation to generation and not written down. The Haida people teach the younger generation to keep their traditions alive.

Because of new technologies and energy production, the lands that the Haida people live on are in danger. They need to protect their land so that it can continue to grow medicine for them and future generations. The culture of the indigenous population teaches them to respect everything around them, including the land they live on. They thank the trees before they harvest a branch, and they do everything they can to protect their forests and lands from being taken advantage of. Since they rely directly on the Earth, that is one of their main priorities.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeQSrU--pNw

[Written for GEOG 130G class UVU Spring 2022]
aB . All Right Reserved . 2025

Geological Regions Road Trip

We are starting our road trip in the Basin and Range area of Utah. The mountains on this side of Utah are part of a desert landscape. Dust storms are prevalent, and when rain comes, it will flood everything and then carry rocks as debris with it downstream. The water will then evaporate or drain into the gravel and sand ground. Water covered most of it for a long time, and so fossils are found in abundance in the area. Magma rose through the rocks at one time, encasing many rocks. The area started to stretch, creating more basins and flat areas. Rock and sand eroded from the mountains and filled the basins below. Many of the mountain ranges contain minerals and ores that are mined.

Our first stop is the Kennecott Copper Mines. Copper was found in the Bingham Canyon in 1887, and so the mining began. To date, it is the largest artificially made excavation site in the world. Copper is created by volcanic activity. The mountain ranges in Utah were formed because of volcanic activity pushing up and creating all sorts of minerals in the mountain ranges.

Our second stop is at Little Sahara. Much of the sand is left by the Sevier River, which once flowed into Lake Bonneville about 15,000 years ago. Winds have picked up the sand and spread it around, creating large sand mountains. Many people consider all the sand to be a nuisance as it would cover the roads and fly around everywhere. A state park was created where the majority of the dunes are, and people often go there to ride their 4-wheelers and other motorized toys. The area is roughly 60,000 acres of sand.



We continue our road trip and head towards the Basin and Range Colorado Plateau Transition. This area has a little of the basin and range that is to the North of it, but it is also starting to look more like the Colorado Plateau that is to the East of it. You have enormous cliffs on one side and flat land on the other; the transition area is spectacular to see and explore.

Our third stop is in Frisco. This used to be an active mining community from 1879 to 1929. Silver was found, and a mine was created that would yield about $50 million in silver. At one point, it was the richest silver mine in the world. Volcanoes underground bring ore up towards the surface, which can then be mined. You would need to go into the ground to find the ore and bring it up, and then smelt it to create silver. Ore can also be found where a lot of seawater circulates. Cracks in the Earth’s crust can move the oar around as well. Since most of Utah was underwater for a long time, the ore could have made its way towards Frisco by way of water as well. Frisco is now just an awesome ghost town with abandoned homes and the mine.

Our fourth stop is at the Grand Wash in Capitol Reef National Park. Large cliffs extend above you as you hike down the wash. It is usually dry and accessible by car, but on some occasions it can be rained out quickly and sweep everything with it as water barrels down it. The walls of the wash are super flat and have been carved by the water that once occupied the entire area. Wind still whips through it and continues to flatten and smooth the rock. The large walls are created out of sandstone and show the different lines as they moved and shaped themselves over millions of years.



We next head more East towards the Colorado plateau, which is named for the river that runs through it. The entire area is full of Shale, siltstone, and sandstone layers with beautiful colors. These are younger rocks from the Pennsylvanian age and make up the most colorful part of Utah. The soil is very thin in this area, and there is sparse vegetation. Wind erodes the rocks, which allows water to seep in. The rocks are very porous and can be shaped easily. Most of what you see down there is from the last 6 million years.

Our fifth stop is Dead Horse Point. A small state park located on the edge of the plateau. Layers of sediment and dust blown by wind created layer upon layer of the mountains. Layers of mudstone, shale, and sandstone, together with petrified wood, volcanic ash, and uranium, make up the layers. The Colorado River runs right through it and has carved the path it takes now. The views are breathtaking as you can see for miles and enjoy all the wonderful colors.



Our sixth stop is Goblin Valley. Another small state park, but very cool. The goblins were formed through spheroidal weathering over millions of years. 170 million years ago, Goblin Valley was just a muddy tidal flat for an enormous sea. The waves and wind caused the creation of the hoodoos over time. You can climb on top of the structures and explore the many different shapes. It is a playground for kids and adults alike.



We are finally making our way back up and are now headed to the Middle Rocky Mountains. The mountain ranges were created after the Precambrian time, which included being folded and pushed up until we see what we have today. There is a lot of overlapping with 2 faults running along it all as well. There is a lot of volcanic material present in the mountain ranges. The rocks are erosion-resistant, and that is why the mountains have not changed much since and why they have remained so tall. Around 770 million years ago, the large continent of Rhodesia started to split right where the mountains are today. A lot of the ocean filled Utah, and the pressure of the plates caused the basin to sink and the mountains to rise. The Wasatch mountain range was forced up because of tectonic compression around 100 million years ago. Erosion over time created the gorges in the mountains where rivers could run freely and shape the mountains as they are today.

Our seventh stop on our trip takes us to the top of Mount Timpanogos. There are four different ways to get to the top of Mount Timpanogos, and all of them require you to be somewhat fit and be able to hike for a long time. It is the 2nd-highest mountain in the Wasatch Mountains. It is made of limestone and dolomite from the Pennsylvanian era. Many make it a bucket list item to hike to the top of Timp and look over both sides. The views are breathtaking.



And finally, our last and eighth stop is at Silver Lake Flats. This is actually a man-made lake in the middle of the mountain range. It is used for fishing and boating, and is a small paradise hidden away. It was built in 1971, and a dam was built to keep some of the water from running out of the canyon and flooding the Highland/Alpine area where people live. There are many natural springs in the mountains that need to be contained and redirected somewhat so that people can live in the valley area. The water helps the wildlife that live in the area. Utah has about 45 of those dams around the state to keep water in the mountains and away from the population below it. The lake holds fresh water and is a nice place to cool down when it gets hot in the summer.



I have been to every one of these locations except Frisco, but that one is still on my list of places to visit. The pictures in this essay are all from my adventures. After learning more about how Utah is divided into four distinct areas in the last two modules, I can see that this is reflected in all the places I have visited. This was a very fun and informative project that I enjoyed creating, as I looked back on places I had visited recently and long ago.

[Written for GEOG 3200 class UVU Summer 2023]
aB . 2025 . All Right Reserved

Outback: Deserts and Life

Everyone in my family has been to Australia at one time or another in their life except for me. My parents lived there for a long time, and some of my siblings were even born there. I still have aunts, uncles, and cousins who live there as well, but I have never visited, and so it is at the top of my bucket list of places to visit. So, when I saw this documentary as one to watch for this week, I was really excited.

Australia is a very large country/continent that is only inhabited along the coasts and not much in the middle. The climate is so very diverse in different parts of the country. Temperatures in the outback can reach very high, and that is probably why the outback part of the country is not populated as much as the rest. Australia’s best-known climate is the outback, which is a semi-arid to arid climate in the interior. (pg 460 of our textbook) I thought that it was pretty cool to learn that the climate itself is called Outback. I thought that it was just the name for the inland part of the country.

The indigenous population of Australia is called the Aboriginal people. When settlers first came to Australia, they didn’t realize that the country was already inhabited by Aborigines who lived inland, deep in the desert. New settlers didn’t take the indigenous people into consideration when they started testing nuclear bombs in the desert without regard to those who were living there. The Aborigines were forced to move to keep safe from the blasts. Today, the Aborigines have areas that were created just for them where they could keep living their lives the way they were used to.

 Climate change is also affecting those living in Australia today. The extra heat is affecting the animals that the Aborigines hunt, which is making it harder for them to keep up their way of life. Storms that hit Australia have also become more severe and shut down parts of the Outback for days. My family, who still lives in Australia, has noticed that they have had more frequent flooding by the coast and more wildfires than normal in the Outback.

I enjoyed watching this documentary as usual, since documentaries are my favorite type of movie. I learned some more about the Outback and how different the weather can get there.

Link: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2zabh2

[Written for GEOG 130G class UVU Spring 2022]
aB . All Right Reserved . 2025

Spotlight on Utah’s Cherry and Sheep Industries

When I first moved to Orem in 1995, there were many orchards around the city. As time went by, those got cut down and were replaced by subdivisions. Reading the first article, they mentioned it all started when Geneva Steel came to town and changed the look of the land. As more people move to Utah, it seems that orchards and any “empty” areas are being replaced by more homes. The large cherry orchards down in Payson and Santaquin are probably still far enough away to not be encroached by too much demand for subdivisions around them, but it won’t be long before they will be surrounded and possibly pushed out of business to make way for more homes. My brother bought a home in Santaquin a few years back, and every time I go to visit him, I see new developments popping up closer to the large Apple orchards there. Every single space that is not already built on is being sold and turned into a plot for a home or apartment building. Homes are built closer together on smaller lots to accommodate more people. It seems large orchards are a rare sight these days, except further down in areas such as Payson and Santaquin. But just because these orchards are not in an area they want to develop for homes yet does not mean they are out of harm's way. The gravel industry is booming in Utah, with the need for more building supplies faster and cheaper, and those orchards are surrounded by gravel companies polluting the air. The trees are suffering already without being crowded out by homes being built all around them. The dust and pollutants in the air are already making the farmers suffer and wonder how much longer they want to stay in the farming business.

If local dust and pollution weren’t enough of a challenge for the farmers, they are now also facing challenges from competitors overseas. Turkey has found a way to sell their cherries for a fraction of the cost it takes Utah farmers to sell theirs. They can sell their cherries for such a low cost that Utah cherry growers cannot compete with the low price. With the local problems they already face to keep in business, and now the international problems on top of that, it is a miracle they are still kicking and trying to make it work. For many of these farmers, this has been their life for generations, and they don’t see their family doing anything else for a long time. They have worked the land and lived off it for many years and hope their grandkids can continue to do so. Hopefully, they can come to some sort of agreement with the government to keep production of cherries local to farmers in America without buying from other countries. Keeping our economy afloat is more important in my opinion, as these are my neighbors trying to make a living just like I am.

Just like with the Cherries, it seems foreign entities want to also interfere in the meat industry here in America. I was already aware that a lot of companies in the United States are owned by businesses from other countries, and so I was not surprised to read about this current predicament. Money makes the world go round, and so if a larger company comes in to disrupt the flow of money in America to divert it to themselves, that is not surprising at all to me. It is very sad how someone can just step in and change the entire course of history by pushing out the smaller ranchers and changing their way of life in an instant.

COVID-19 pretty much shut down the world for a while, and so all aspects of trade and business were affected to some degree. I did not realize the process for wool, and it was fascinating to learn that everyone needs to ship wool to New Zealand to be tested before being sold. I see a niche that maybe we in America need to explore and get in on. Again, in the second story, it talked about how other countries sell lamb to people in America for cheaper prices, and so local ranchers that have been doing this for generations are suffering as they cannot compete with the lower prices, then add COVID, and I am sure some ranchers had to shut down their business altogether during this time.

I found all 4 articles to be fascinating and very informative. It made me see that there is a lot more going on in the world than I think when it comes to the food industry. It also made me more determined to really look for local foods more as opposed to just buying what is available. I already try to be aware of local markets and try to spend my money locally, but I see that there are many industries that try to put the little guy out of business, and that they are ruthless when they do so. I love going to my local farmers' market on Saturday and seeing the small farmers in Utah try to keep their business afloat this way. I need to be more mindful of that and stimulate my local economy more in that way. I don’t buy meat as I have seen too many documentaries about the horrible treatment of animals, and so there is nothing different I can do there to help the sheep industry of Utah, but I can again make sure to try to purchase clothing and items containing wool from local (as in America) businesses. Next time I am at the farmer’s market, I will also be looking for Cherries, as I now need to try the local ones because I bet they are amazing.

[Written for GEOG 3200 class UVU Summer 2023]
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Frank Gehry

How does Gehry utilize his artistic design(s) to solve problems dealing with function?

Gehry uses a computer that can calculate the design a lot quicker, which in turn saves money when designing a new building. Being able to utilize that technology, he has saved a lot of time creating all the final plans without having to go through many revision stages. After he has mocked up a building with a small model, he can input all the information into a computer program that will help him create the actual plans he will need to get it built.

Gehry wanted the audience at Disney Hall to have an amazing experience, and so he designed the hall around that idea. He created smaller armrests so that there would be more comfortable space to sit. He created amazing acoustics with beautiful wood paneling to be pleasing to the eye as well. He wanted the building to be beautiful and functional at the same time.

Gehry came up with a brilliant idea to use a teepee shape when designing the Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi. He knew that the people there enjoyed being outdoors more than inside an air-conditioned area, and so he created teepee areas where the temperature would be cooler and more manageable while they could still be outside as well. It would have been cheaper to create something that uses air-conditioning, but then it would be boring and not as visually pleasing as his teepee idea.


According to Gehry, what does art do for humanity?

Art takes the threat away and becomes humanistic. We can ask ourselves who we are and why this art talks to us. It gives us clarity when it is exciting and not boring. I love that he believes that architecture is part of something bigger. Art gives us experiences we don’t have in our normal everyday lives. The amazing buildings that are created outside of the norm can liven up an area and renew it. When a building fits perfectly into an already existing landscape, it can add more than it takes away.

[Written for HUM 1010 class UVU Spring 2022]
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